Fibromyalgia and/or MS
 

Hi

I am in my 50's and have had odd issues since my 20's. Over the past 3 years I have had many more problems which make it hard to work - I am a nurse. Heck it makes it hard to do anything even at home.

I saw a rheumy, he sent me straight to a neuro, who said I was too old for MS.

Decided not to bother any more - felt like a hypochondriac.

In Dec 2008 I saw a different rheumy. He examined me, found NO tender points despite the muscles being almost constantly in spasms!! Then he told me I have fibro. Well, a diagnosis, any diagnosis is appreciated.

I wonder how many have been told they have fibro and later on been diagnosed with MS?? There seem to be a lot of similarity :confused:

Wonderful bunch of people here, I read lots - but don't post often. Feel I don't fit.

Have a lovely day
Lesley
NZ

Hi, down there! My initial reaction is: if your neurologist said you're too old for MS, you need a new neurologist. I was diagnosed at 55.

Isn't it a pain how some of these diseases seem to overlap? I know you'll find some answers here!

Your doctor is a complete idiot!!

I was diagnosed at age 52 with MS in 1995 by the doctors at John's Hopkins. Get yourself to am major teaching medical center as soon as possible!

The tender insertions points is a sign of MS. I know this because my late wife was a physical therapist and she noticed I showed considerable discomfort/pain when when she gave me a message at all my major insrerion points.

Muscles spasms may not caused tender insertion points where muscles that are in a constant state of tension/contraction do.

I am now 65 and have made it to a 30 year retirement in the Civil Service as well as the military with a little help of Avonex which I have MAXimized.

jackD

As others have noted, your neuro needs to do some research on ms. I was dx at the age of 50.

I was diagnosed at 48 and my neuro said that I was getting close to the upper average age for diagnosis. My sister has fibro and we do have very similar symptoms. But I don't have any of the classic pressure points.

I agree...
 

... with what has already been said. I was diagnosed over a year ago at the age 48. That is not to say that I didn't have it for many years prior to the dx, because I'm sure I did. I saw doctors along the way who just didn't put two and two together. But that doesn't change the fact that the ms was there. I am especially discouraged that a specialist would just dismiss the sx. Hopefully you don't have ms. But I also hope you get another opinion. Age has nothing to do with the diagnosis of MS. Anyway I don't think it does!

All these neuro disorders have similar symptoms, and there must be hundreds of neuro disorders.

They thought I had lymes, lupus, strokes, you name it.

They know for sure I have C spine issues, a T spine cyst and brain lesions (not sure if that is ms or not yet). But then they say I have fibro too? I said it did not make sense to dx fibro when the first two things explain most of my symptoms...

:confused:

I think neuros get a free coffee mug for every fibro dx they hand out or something lol.

Hang in there, and hang around. Nobody doesn't fit in here, if they want to stay.

:)

Hi Lesley and welcome to the group. As others have said, MS can be diagnosed later in life. Mine came at the age of 47 and I'm now 65. Five years later I was diagnosed with fibro too, but who knows for sure? So many of the symptoms are alike......they all stink!!!!

Stay around if you like, it's a fun bunch! :)

I was dxd with fibro in '85. In 2000, my orthopaedist told me that they were seeing fibro patients going into MS.

Years later I started getting neuro sxs...got dxs last November; I was 53.

Don't give up. Journal your sxs so that you have a record of what and when you're experiencing sxs.

And welcome...there's a lot of support and friendship here...jump on in, the water's fine!!

hi lesley,

don't worry about posting. we all fit together like a wonderful puzzle.
except for AMN. she's a corner piece :eek:

i agree. get another opinion. i was dx'd at 53 and i'm 60 now. i had brain/c-spine lesions and a + LP for O-bands.

you might get a copy of your mri report, if you had one. and get a copy of the films. any new dr will want to see it.

i also have FM. since the 80's but it's not confused with my MS. my neuro thinks the worst of my muscle pain is MS related and not FM as we thought for many yrs. medications might help; like zanaflex, flexeril or baclofen. altho they didn't work for me.

good luck. keep us updated. :)

oh ps...i'm a nurse too. 35 yrs NICU. but i had to retire because of you know what.

Thank you all, very much for taking the time to reply.

Your comments were all very helpful.

Its great to know people understand.

Cheers
Lesley:)

My now passed on grandmother (mother's side) was diagnosed with FM.

I'm fairly certain IF they had looked further than they did at the time (with newer technology), they would have probably found MS.

It's been the belief of my mother and I since I was diagnosed with MS and we began doing our own research and putting together the pieces, so to speak.

Thank you

There seem to be so many similar symptoms with Fibro and MS.

I have told my DH that when I die, i want an autopsy! Then they can write on my headstone "She was right" :wink:

In NZ, it is difficult to get another opinion with a neurologist. They all work in the same hospital.

Feeling rotten at present. Amitriptyline not helping :eek: Guess I head back to my family doctor, more rolling eyes and try something else.

Take care
Lesley

By this point, if you had MS it should be obvious by your MRI.

I did an informal poll recently, and 100% of the people with mild to moderate MS-like symptoms were either dx within the first 18 months (most within 6 months), or the only reason they weren't was because they didn't have a MRI (by choice, or lack of cooperation by their doctor).

Insist on a MRI.

Cherie

Thank you Lady_express

I have not had an MRI as when I went to the neurologist he said I didn't need one. I was too old to have MS.

Some doctors in NZ don't like patients (esp nurses) questioning their decisions.

Cheers
Lesley

PS How is your duaghter doing? Hope she is doing well and your appt in April went well :)

perhaps you could find a medical article on MS and ages of dx.
i don't know if you have an MS society in NZ but we do here and they offer all kinds of info.

plus, the website for the NMSS and here offers great info.

when dr are presented with credible publishing they have to at least give it some credence.

How are you feeling, Leslie? What season is it there in NZ? I always find that a flare-up occurs every change of season. You know, the longer I have this lousy disease (and fibro), the more it becomes a question mark. Up until yesterday when I found a new fibro website, I didn't realize that spasms were a part of FM. I was blaming them entirely on MS. Whatever is causing them, I wish they'd stop!

Yes, as was mentioned before, try to get an MRI. That's how I was finally diagnosed back in 1990. Never did have the other tests, but had optic neuritis twice many moons ago -- 1976.

Are you extremely weather sensitive? Looks like we're in for a few days of rain and the "Ouchies" are making themselves known. It's mind boggling how similar so many of these autoimmune things are.

Hope you're doing somewhat better!!! :)

Thanks Nurse Nancy, a good idea, and yes we have MS society in NZ.

Judy,

It is autumn here and we have had some very warm days and now it is cold! I have kept a record of barometric pressures to see if the body responded, and it does - somewhat.

I am unable to cope with warm/hot weather. Am unable to think - and thinking is no longer a strong point at best of times.

I was unaware that spasms were part of fibro. I am sure lots of my pain is from the muscles always contracting. And the tiredness doesn't help :)

Thanks all for your thoughts
Cheers
Lesley
NZ

I was diagnosed with MS at 47, and had been previously diagnosed with Fibro 15 years earlier. At St. Mikes (Toronto) MS Clinic, the doc's there told me that I probably never had Fibro, but had MS that hadn't been diagnosed yet.

Thank you bitsofwool! I had wondered if that happens for people.

Blog is lovely, wonderful gandchild :)

Cheers
Lesley