I have been diagnose with FM this year, but have other strange symptoms. Could this be MS?
I have been diagnosed with FM in January of this year (2009). I was having intense pain along my spine and lower back - stabbing pains in the lower back (hip) and in both hips - to the effect that I could not stand upright for longer than 15 minutes at a time. Some days I could barely walk. I also had a lot of pain in the neck and shoulders. I also had pain and numbness in the tips of my toes. I had pain and numbness in my finger tips. Temperatures that are too hot or too cold make symptoms worse. I had pain and heaviness in the "socks" area of the lower legs. I have "restless legs" at night. I also have that "restless" sensation in the crooks of both arms - where they feel heavy and painful and I must move them around. My arms are also weak in those areas. The pain was constant for several months and has now died down somewhat. I also have severe insomnia (up to 3 hours per night - no breathing disorders). I have fatigue, mood swings, and more depression than most people. I have anxiety and panic attacks. I have mitral valve prolapse. I also have severe endometriosis - being "controlled" by continuous treatment of birth control with no breaks for the last 6 or 7 years. I am a 41 year old female. I tend to drop things, lose my balance, have trouble with simple memory issues...is this all FM, or could some of this be MS? How do I ask the right questions to find an answer without looking like a hypochondriac??? Also, stress makes the symptoms much worse. Thank you for your time.
Don't worry about looking like a hypochondriac. Isn't it more important to know if you have MS or something else? Doctors hear silly concerns every day. If they turn out to be not so silly, both the patient and the doctor think it was worth it.
Write down all of your symptoms and go over them with your doctor. Good luck!
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THERE ARE SO MANY IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS BETWEEN FM AND MS, THAT YOU SOMETIMES WONDER WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN MISDIAGNOSED. I WAS SENT FOR A SCAN OF THE BRAIN BUT NO LESIONS SHOWED UP. THE RESULTS DID SHOW THAT I HAD HAD MULTI MINI STROKES. THE NEUROLOGIST CONCLUDED THAT MY YEARS OF SYMPTOMS WERE FIBROMYALGIA AND SOME OF MY SYMPTOMS WERE DOWN TO THE MINI STROKES AND DISCHARGED ME WITH NO TREATMENT. HOWEVER, THREE MONTHS LATER, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HUGHES SYNDROME( APS OR STICKY BLOOD) AND IT WAS VITAL TO GO ONTO WARFERIN TO AVOID FURTHER MAJOR STROKES, ANGINIA, HEART ATTACKS,THROMBOSIS ETC. UNFORTUNATELY, FIBROMYALGIA AND MS IS SOMETIMES MISDIAGNOSED WHEN IT IS IN FACT HUGHES SYNDROME. IF THERE IS A FAMILY HISTORY OF STROKES ETC PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE OF ' HUGHES SYNDROME FOUNDATION'
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THERE ARE SO MANY IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS BETWEEN FM AND MS, THAT YOU SOMETIMES WONDER WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN MISDIAGNOSED. I WAS SENT FOR A SCAN OF THE BRAIN BUT NO LESIONS SHOWED UP. THE RESULTS DID SHOW THAT I HAD HAD MULTI MINI STROKES. THE NEUROLOGIST CONCLUDED THAT MY YEARS OF SYMPTOMS WERE FIBROMYALGIA AND SOME OF MY SYMPTOMS WERE DOWN TO THE MINI STROKES AND DISCHARGED ME WITH NO TREATMENT. HOWEVER, THREE MONTHS LATER, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HUGHES SYNDROME( APS OR STICKY BLOOD) AND IT WAS VITAL TO GO ONTO WARFERIN TO AVOID FURTHER MAJOR STROKES, ANGINIA, HEART ATTACKS,THROMBOSIS ETC. UNFORTUNATELY, FIBROMYALGIA AND MS IS SOMETIMES MISDIAGNOSED WHEN IT IS IN FACT HUGHES SYNDROME. IF THERE IS A FAMILY HISTORY OF STROKES ETC PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE OF ' HUGHES SYNDROME FOUNDATION'
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