I am in the process of being diagnosed and I feel like I am going crazy! My symptoms have gotten so bad the last month, from random achyness to full blown pain EVERYWHERE. I can barely walk some days, because my legs hurt that much. My fingers hurt, my elbows hurt, my arms hurt, my feet hurt, my neck hurts. I also have so many spots on my body where it just hurts to press - practically everywhere, but especially all across my back, below my breast area, the backs of my arms, even areas of my legs. I can only sleep with muscle relaxers. But I'm most concerned about my legs hurting because I could almost not walk today at all. I am only 39 and slightly overweight, but I just don't understand how I can be in this much pain. I have 2 children i home school, and I don't know how i am going to keep going. Are there other people with these symptoms out there? Please comment!
Hi You are not alone by no means. I am new to the forum and thought that I would respond to your post. Although I am a little bit (wink, wink) older than you, I have had Fibro for about 9 mths. At first, I thought it was RA, and even wrote a long blog post about a day in my life as a sufferer. At times, I think I am about to go insane with the pain and is a replica of the symptoms you are feeling.
I no longer am able to climb the stairs on most days, I tell myself I need to go to bed sometimes it is only 7 pm so my brain can hopefully unwind and calm my aching body. I burn like hell most of the time from my feet right up to my chest. It feels like someone has lit a lighter inside my body. I live with a heating pad which on most days makes its way to shoulder blades, groin, elbow, and knees. Two days ago I felt like my legs were going to burst open because of being so swollen. Unlike most days, the swollen area extended from toes to hips. Pressure anywhere sends me to the moon. My hubby can no longer give me a bear hug or even squeeze my hand without asking first. I cannot take pressure on arms and most days cannot even lift a plate, it hurts too much. My kitty likes to come and sit beside me and tries to do her comfort thing on my tummy. The pressure from something as little as her two paws on my arm hurt like hell. I cannot even raise my arms to comb my hair most days. My arms and fingers swell so much and the pain is unbearable. The family (I have three adult children in which two still live at home and a hubby, who are just starting to try to understand the disease and my symptoms). My elbows burn constantly. It hurts to turn on a light switch or even try to wipe my bottom.
Bending over to sweep, going into a lower cupboard for baking tins or cookware is impossible. I cannot do it. I tried the other day and spent an hour trying to crawl to a chair to try and pull myself up. I cannot kneel on knees either. I do not like going to the drs and have not gone to any for about 15 yrs. I have had these symptoms for well over a yr, and they have been really persistent for the last 9 mths, so much so, I finally got enough courage to say to hubby, get me to a doctor or put me in the hospital. Sleep is broken go to sleep with pain wake up in pain. I have also had the symptoms in my neck which is really scary, but it is not as steady as other parts of my body. Jeans and belts and buttoned down tailored shirts are now a thing of the past. It hurts too much to try and do them up or undo them.
I have been poked at and prodded to try to find out what is wrong. RA specialist said that I do not have RA, but gave me a Fibro test sheet, in which I have 20 out of 23 symptoms. I have to go back to see him this week. I have been on a few different medications, one for treating RA, and was eventually put on Pregablin. It was only a small dosage at first which relieved some of the symptoms, but not for long enough. Tylenol for muscle pain is now my best friend. I take between 6-8 tablets a day, along with 225 mg of Pregablin 2 times a day.
I also was elevating my feet on the armrest of the couch for several weeks. This took away some of the swelling in my feet for a short time. I am now turned the other way on the couch and have four square cushions in which I put my feet. I may add that the only way to get them up there is by grabbing my pant leg and lifting. I would suggest that you do this several times a day. It will give your body fluids a chance to drain back into the body.
One of the hardest things in understanding and diagnosing this disease is that you look fine on the outside on most days. Once a person sees the way it has affected your mobility (some days I pull myself upstairs by holding on to our stair bannister, or you have a day of fibro fog then they realize that something is amiss.
Just because it is not instantly visible does not mean it is not there. Fibro is real, it is hell. Although the trouble may originate in the brain because of the blocked or mixed up pain receptors, it is real, it is agonizing, it cannot be cured, but with the right treatment, it can be managed, or so I am told. Tired of being told it is all in the brain.
Sorry for boring you with the long post. I just wanted to describe my symptoms to you, so you will know you are not alone. Feel free to send me a friend request, if you would like to talk more.
Blessings.
