I have a few vexing questions!

As many of you who have been on this board for a couple of years since my first appearance will be aware, in August 2007 I was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy due to symptoms of body wide parasthaesias and dysathaesias..

Many tests ensued, of which all were, by and large, negative.

Time has moved on and the neuropathic symptoms have remained, along with worsening pain but more of the 24/7 muscle aches/pain and stiffness variety. I have also earlier this year been diagnosed with fairly severe Gastroparesis and Oesophageal paralysis.

Several doctors have felt that I have Fibromyalgia (because of multiple compatible symptoms) and I have now been referred to a 'relatively' expert Fibromyalgia specialist here in Melbourne next week – hopefully the last of many specialists!

Much is yet to be empirically discovered about Fibromyalgia, however one current stream of thought is that Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of pain sensitisation. http://www.pathoutofpain.com.au/info...der_fibro.html

Does this mean therefore that the pain I am experiencing is neuropathic pain but not Peripheral Neuropathy per sé? What is the technical difference I wonder?

In the current state of knowledge of Fibromyalgia, it is considered a complex disorder of possibly several bodily systems such as Endocrinological, Rheumatological, perhaps Immunological and Neurological. Therefore should one expect that a Neurologist would be somewhat informed enough to proffer a possibility of Fibromyalgia as the cause of a person’s symptoms, in the absence of any other abnormal testing?

If Fibromyalgia can be set off by a post viral incident and Gastroparesis can also be set off by a post viral incident why is there not more knowledge of this around amongst doctors as I would have thought that Gastroparesis allied with Fibromyalgia would have been more common?

Also in my case the Gastroparesis manifested one year plus, after the ??PN symptoms. If post viral Gastroparesis onset is usually only a few days or weeks at the most, after a viral incident is it possible that I have had several ‘viral’ episodes to cause both Fibromyalgia and Gastroparesis and why so lucky??? Or is it just another evolving symptom of a relentless condition that is never going to stop throwing up curve balls?

So confusing!!!!