ArmyFibro
New member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2014
- Messages
- 1
- Reason
- Undiagnosed
- Diagnosis
- 02/2014
- Country
- US
- State
- APO AP
Greetings everyone!
I am a 24 year old (male) service member on my 5th year of Active Duty!
Right now I am living in Japan.
So over the past 3 years or so, signs and symptoms had increased to the point where I stopped writing them off as normal pain. About 2 years ago, while stationed in the states, I began seeing our unit's sick call. Each time it was the good ol here is some Tylenol or naproxen and no running for a week-2 weeks. I attempted this repeatedly over my last 9 months or so at that location, seeing a Physicians Assistant only once.
Well time goes by and I get to Japan. My Primary Care Manage (PCM) is an actual MD! :-D
Over multiple appointments throughout the past year he has had a multitude of blood-work and x-rays done on myself. These results coming back normal, my vast amount of Fibro symptoms and with me taking the pressure point test lead him to believe I have Fibromyalgia.
Since he determined that could be my root cause of my over all body ache and my neck to back pain with mild ache on good days, we began trying multiple medications.
We started with some medicine that IDR, followed by EFFEXOR.... Never again. That was the worst drug to withdraw from in my life. It took months... to the point I was taking the lowest dose every 3 days in order to ween off that horrid medicine.
That led to the start of Gabapentin. 300mg 4x per day.
Fast forward 2 months...
Gabapentin is not providing any relief.
My PCM is on vacation so I see a Colonel Officer who holds a MD.
She agrees on my doctors diagnosis and all his work.
She recommends me as a good candidate for Cymbalta - 30mg daily
So 1 month later and I still have all my soreness and pain, in fact I have had a few flare ups lately. Last week I went to my PCM and informed him of a thin almost rope-like burning sensation from my lower back wrapping around to the side and front of my thigh and the occasional pain in my calf.
After I told him that, He requested a MRI which I will be having later this week.
Not sure what I will find on this MRI!?
Tad bit nervous as Degenerative Disc Disease and Sciatica run in my family.
Both my Dad and Sister have been diagnosed and both have had major surgeries.
Dad has 2 artificial discs in his spine and fusions from what he has told me. (he has hereditary DDD and Sciatica but also broke his back from a slip on ice in 1995)
Well that is pretty much my story... If you have any questions please feel free to ask..
-D
I am a 24 year old (male) service member on my 5th year of Active Duty!
Right now I am living in Japan.
So over the past 3 years or so, signs and symptoms had increased to the point where I stopped writing them off as normal pain. About 2 years ago, while stationed in the states, I began seeing our unit's sick call. Each time it was the good ol here is some Tylenol or naproxen and no running for a week-2 weeks. I attempted this repeatedly over my last 9 months or so at that location, seeing a Physicians Assistant only once.
Well time goes by and I get to Japan. My Primary Care Manage (PCM) is an actual MD! :-D
Over multiple appointments throughout the past year he has had a multitude of blood-work and x-rays done on myself. These results coming back normal, my vast amount of Fibro symptoms and with me taking the pressure point test lead him to believe I have Fibromyalgia.
Since he determined that could be my root cause of my over all body ache and my neck to back pain with mild ache on good days, we began trying multiple medications.
We started with some medicine that IDR, followed by EFFEXOR.... Never again. That was the worst drug to withdraw from in my life. It took months... to the point I was taking the lowest dose every 3 days in order to ween off that horrid medicine.
That led to the start of Gabapentin. 300mg 4x per day.
Fast forward 2 months...
Gabapentin is not providing any relief.
My PCM is on vacation so I see a Colonel Officer who holds a MD.
She agrees on my doctors diagnosis and all his work.
She recommends me as a good candidate for Cymbalta - 30mg daily
So 1 month later and I still have all my soreness and pain, in fact I have had a few flare ups lately. Last week I went to my PCM and informed him of a thin almost rope-like burning sensation from my lower back wrapping around to the side and front of my thigh and the occasional pain in my calf.
After I told him that, He requested a MRI which I will be having later this week.
Not sure what I will find on this MRI!?
Tad bit nervous as Degenerative Disc Disease and Sciatica run in my family.
Both my Dad and Sister have been diagnosed and both have had major surgeries.
Dad has 2 artificial discs in his spine and fusions from what he has told me. (he has hereditary DDD and Sciatica but also broke his back from a slip on ice in 1995)
Well that is pretty much my story... If you have any questions please feel free to ask..
-D
