Hi everyone:

I've been diagnosed with peripheal neuropathy and bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome. But I'm wondering if I could possibly have fibromyalgia since I don't seem to be getting much relief from the meds for peripheal neuropathy.

Here's my story:

I'm a 47 year old female, not overweight, in fact most people call me thin. About a year ago, my TOS was so bad in my hands and arms and shoulder that I had to stop working. About six months later, I started having symptoms in my feet, mostly numbness. This later turned into pain and moved up my shins, into my knees and the thigh muscle immediately above the knee. Whenever I had my period, the pain is magnified and also in my hips.

Recently I started having stiffness in my feet, heels, and back of the calf in the morning after waking up. The stiffness doesn't last very long. I'm getting tremoundous headaches in the front of my head that ibuprofin can't fix. I'm also waken in the middle of the night by headaches.

I work out 5 days a week, and this does help. The gym has a machine that allows me to stretch my neck, shoulders, legs, etc. Mostly my pain is in my knees and shin area. I've seen many doctors and have had many tests, but they all come back normal.

Since the onset, I've had two surgeries for TOS (with some relief), but whenever I sit at a desk to work or get in a car to drive, the symptoms are much more intense.

I don't have extreme fatigue which seems to be a symptom of fibromyalgia, but I'm wondering if my other symptoms sound like I could have it.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

Sunny

Hmmmm no responses

I'm sorry that you haven't had any replies, and I wish I had the answers that you're seeking, but I don't.

When people read but don't reply, mostly that means that others don't know the answer to the questions that you've asked.

Maybe by bumping this thread back onto the front page, you will get some feedback from members who'd not read your original post.

In my very humble opinion, fatigue is an important symptom to consider fibro.... and insomnia too...

But not sure...

Perhaps these links can help you to understand better what is fibro and you can compare which symptons you have and which ones you dont... sometimes only we read the symptons, we realise we actually have them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-symptoms.php

BlueMajo gave some great info. I was diagnosed with fibro in 1991 but feel I have had it longer than that...thinking back into the 70's because of the pain I have had for so long.

I have had all the symptoms of fibro except I didn’t have the fatigue problems. Well during the past year I have had big time problems with fatigue…I’m online because I can’t sleep.

Hope you can get some answers...talk to your doc...good luck!

Sunny, sorry for the no replies.

There just are so many symptoms of FMS it's hard to say what is going on with you. When I was diagnosed with it, I had been having unbearable pain for over a month and had been 'leading up' to that with a few months of general all over achiness.

Once I was diagnosed I started reading about it all over the net and so many things fell into place. And still ARE falling in to place!

Thanks for all of your replies. I went back to my dr., but she said I didn't have enough tender points for it to be fibro. She's sending me to be tested for RA again and also my thyroid.

Hello! I've got to say that ''fatigue'' was a major issue w/me before I was dx'd w/Fibro and it still is. It's a feeling that someone just yanked your plug out of the wall. FM also makes a person very sensitive to pain. There's days I can't even stand a heavy coat on my shoulders.

I also think Dr's want to eliminate other possible syndromes or illnesses before the give an FM Dx. I hope you don't have it, b/c if I could find the receipt, it would go back. Oh, and I have heard that some Dr's are not using the tender pts for a dx anymore and are dx'g by way of your sx's, widespread pain that does not go away, fatigue etc. I just heard that from a Dr, so not sure how many other Dr's feel that way.

Take care and hope you get some definitive answers soon.

I was just searching and came across one of my old posts. It really puts things into perspective.

Now, 6 months later, my symptoms are worse and I have extreme fatigue and sleep disorders. I can fall asleep, but can't stay asleep. I remember my dreams, and that makes it harder to get back to sleep. My periods are absolute hell. I went to the gyny a few months ago, and he put me on the pill. But the symptoms during the period thing are so intense.

This forum is really great. You get to cybertalk about the stuff you are going through. I don't like to talk too much about it with my family....I don't want to depress them......

Hey there sunny!

I am glad to see you had checked back to see how your symptoms may have changed! It's a great idea to do this!

I am sorry you suffer from FMS.
It's can be so incredibly debilitating.

There's so much ongoing discussion, even among the experts, as to what "FMS is" and what it is not! Still quite a controversy! Yet, at least there is talk and some movement in the field on this!!!!

It's all potentially more debilitating than ever originally imagined!

Yes, this is a great place for support, isn't it?
I love it here, too!

Nice to meet you, sunny!

Parting with a very gentle cyberhug (((Sunny)))