I'm going to start keeping track on a calendar of how I feel.

I think I'm starting to notice a pattern. Out of the blue I'll get a sore throat and just feel horrible, like I'm coming down with the flu. I'll think I'm getting strep or some local crud, and that as quickly as it hits, it goes away (like in a day or 2).

So, do any of you have this happen? I'm wondering if it's possibly part of the fibro. It happens to me a lot.

Wow, yes!!! I just assumed it was sinus (4 surgeries here), but I do that exact same thing. I've had MANY cases of strep in my life, and I would swear every time that I'm getting it.

You know, looking back, it might be involved somehow. Either the throat is a sinus flare-up which flares up the fibro, or it might all be fibro related.

Wow, again. Thanks for bringing this up. I'm looking forward to reading other's responses.

KD

Yeah, I get a sore throat every so often, with no obvious reason for it. Last week I thought I was coming down with a cold, but then it just disappeared after only a day. I've mentioned it to a couple of doctors, but they didn't seem to know what to think of it. Fibromyalgia sure is a strange puppy, ain't it?

I don't get a sore throat.... but I do get sinus issues and ear infections.

I always assumed that the sinus/ear probelms were half caused by genetics (I have had sinus/ear problems since childhood and they run in the family) and half caused by the fact that I am a smoker.

But, when i think about it I realize that my sinus/ear issues disappeared in my early adult years, and returned around the time that my body went wonky.... so maybe I did outgrow the childhood problems, and they re-surfaced when the fibro came along.

One thing I know for certain - the staff at the doctors office love to roll their eyes when an adult calls complaining of an ear infection several times a year. I love my doctor and her nurse, but the front office staff has a problem and I always end up having to complain about a fake problem in order to get an appointment for an ear infection because the office staff all love telling me that "adults don't get ear infections" when I try to make an appointment.

One of these days, I'm going to make them come into the exam room and make them look in my ears with the doctor to be able to say "I told you so, adults sure can get ear infections"....

I've never heard that adults don't get ear infections. I've complained about it before, and have never had a doc say that to me.
I have chronic sinus infections, and used to have sore throats all the time, but that has lessened in the past couple of years. Lately I've had what I thought was a cold coming on, and it went away in a couple of days. I think mine is just something going around. I'm a travelling art teacher, and I see about 650 kids a week, and usually get everything that's going around. A lot of them will sneeze and cough in your face. I've learned to exhale quickly as soon as I hear it, and move away quickly!
I also live in New England, the capital of sinus problems. It's said that you can't live here for long without developing one.

Well, those symptoms I had sure enough cleared up after a day. I nearly didn't make it through work I felt so sick. This happens a lot, and this time I marked my calendar.

One other thing I discovered recently, speaking of ear problems. For years now I have been going to my GP, whom I adore, when my ear would start hurting. Along with the ear pain my neck would hurt. I'd go to him thinking I have a horrible ear infection, and usually he'd tell me, basically...well, it must be an inner ear problem because the ear canal looks fine, .... but he'd put me on an antibiotic and a sinus medicine. Eventually it would get better.

This time, about a month ago...I went to him and complained about how much my neck hurt...not my throat, my neck and my ear pain was excruciating. He touched my neck and I bout went through the ceiling. THIS time he was concerned that I had something wrong with my carotid. (Heart disease runs on my dad's side.)

So he had me go for an ultrasound. Well the ultrasound lady did both sides of my neck.

Next thing I know my doctor calls and wants me to come in, says the radiologist is concerned about my lymph glands. So blood tests and an appt made with and ENT.

I now love this ENT. First he had me get an CT scan of my neck. Then he assured me that there was no evidence of lymphoma. (My blood count was high and indicated infection, so my GP was worried about that.) The ENT did a lot of checking and some tests and the one that told him all was when he held my face in a certain place and asked me to open my mouth.

OUCH OWIE OUCH! I near went thru the ceiling.

He just said, "Uh huh, I'll be right back," and he walked out with his asst trainee doc whatever they call them, and I could hear them jabbering. He came back with a pamphlet and said, "My dear lady, the good news is you don't have lymphoma or a blocked carotid, but the kinda bad news is that you have TMJ."

Huh? And I sat there for a minute and it was a flash show in my mind of all these things that now made sense.

TMJ is listed as one of the more common complaints with fibro. As is colitis - I have ulcerative colitis since I was 26. Migraines...had them since my early 20s. Abdominal pain, had those since my early 20s. Sore throats. A million of em. Flu like symptoms... Well I am now going to 'calendar' those to see how often they happen cause I know it's often.

I've been a fibro mate for a few years now....??? And I still find myself making discoveries with it and noticing patterns.

A lot of stuff that has been happening in the last month has led me to my annual fun fall flare.



I'm running the whole gamut. The climate here right now is temperate, but last night I had a couple of blankets wrapped around my knees and ankles and feet. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...they hurt so bad. And both elbows, both wrist, both hands, both feet and ankles, both knees, both thighs.



Now I've heard of TMJ before but never gave it much thought til now. It sucks.

I'd like to try anything and everything for relief. Acupuncture, A good chiro, massage, warm aquatic therapy, but hello? Money?

Yeah, my particular insurance will cover chiropractic, but I've been in numerous car accidents with pretty nasty whiplash and spine damage. Every chiro I've seen, I come out hurting worse than when I went in.

Anyway, this stuff sure is interesting.

Doody and others
Yes - I have widespread FM pain: face , neck, full back, knees, feet, hands, arms. I just ache all over. I can't say it feels like the flu because I never had the flu. I get trigger point injections weekly but they vary in their effectiveness. Sometimes minimal to no relief. I take no pain meds as I am polymorphic(don't metabolize pain meds). Only take xanex and seroquel to sleep. I like the epsom salt idea but I cannot get in and out of the tub - too much back pain to bend over, etc.
I've tried every modality for relief - all have made me worse. (acupuncture, cold laser, etc.). Also, see a naturopathic dr.
I checked out your petfinder web site. Neat. I adopt all my dogs from the local shelter. I love my latest dog. He was 5 yrs. old when we got him. He is a calm, loving mixed lab. Came fully trained: sits, speaks, etc. Nice to see another animal lover in the group.
Oh -this suffering is so bad this morning. I just hate it because I can't even walk the dog. I haven't walked even a block now in about 5 years because of FM and meralgia paresthetica.
Sorry to go on - bad day!
Sydney

Yes, my doctor is fully aware of the actions of the front office staff. Anytime I have any concern with anyone on the office staff, reception, billing, nursing, etc... I tell my doctor in person and in writing.

Many things have changed - but no one can convince the scheduling woman that adults can get ear infections.... and besides that one problem, she is fabulous.

((Sydney)) Sorry to hear about your horrible pain!

What gets me is that my doctor still keeps telling me I need to exercise routinely. I do have an ellipsis (sp?) that i work on for about 10 minutes a day. But for instance...yesterday I took my grandson on a long walk with him in his stroller. The muscles in my legs are screaming at me today.

When I mow the lawn, I pay in spades later on. That type of thing.

Also, now that I know I have TMJ, it explains a lot for the recurring ear and neck pain. But that will not stop me from having my ear checked if I think it's an infection. Hard to know when though because this TMJ is nasty stuff.

I love animals. Their companionship to me is invaluable!

(((Wittesea))). We have to be so relentless sometimes! I don't typically have that problem with my regular GP. He said I present with things in such different ways, he never sluffs off any of my complaints because he usually finds something very interesting quite wrong with me, lol.