Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue

I just recently got diagnosed with fibromyalgia but nothing else. My ana came back with a weak positive so the reumatologist checked me for lupus but it came back negative so that is what I'm confused about. I know from doing tons of research that this condition is usually paired with something else but my doctors won't check me for anything else. Am I the only one that this has happend to and where do I go from here? I have four beautiful kids and it is getting more and more diffucult to keep up with them and my husband works full time. If anyone can tell me where to go from here I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Very busy mom

What do you mean paired with something else? I think dr. usually will take tests for lupus, OA, RA and other things to rule them out, and that's how they get the fibro diagnosis. I had some bloodwork done too, but the rheumy didn't do it b/c I already had it done and already had seen other dr. before I got to him. That's why he did the tender point test and confirmed that I had fibro. I actually diagnosed myself before I saw him b/c I knew that's what it was that I had.

Did he give you some meds to help treat the symptoms? Did he give you information about fibro? I feel for you having lots of kids to raise and feeling miserable. All I have is a couple of furballs to keep me busy and I can barely handle that (a dh too, but he takes care of himself!

Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful since I don't really know enough about your situation! :)

Welcome to the board!

Fibromyalgia can be confusing and frustrating, both to the patient and the doctors, because there is not a specific test for fibromyalgia and other conditions have to be ruled out. Here is a website that may begin to answer some questions. 

The owner of the website is a medical doctor who has fibromyalgia. She now devotes her time and knowledge to educating patients and the medical world about fibromyalgia and another condition which she also has, Chronic Myofascial Pain. I was lucky that I found her website shortly after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia...I did purchase her book, but from a book store not her website.

I think what is confusing is the fact that there are some conditions that often co-exist with fibromyalgia, but there are also people who don't have any of these conditions. We are all different, so our conditions are different too; as are our medications and what works for one does not work for another person.

I was diagnosed by a neurologist, after all the tests my primary care doctor did came back negative and then being sent to a rheumatologist who did nothing for me. My neurologist ran more tests and also did a test to rule out MS and nerve damage, which there was none. I self-diagnosed myself as having Chronic Myofascial Pain after reading Dr. Starlanyl's book and began doing trigger point pressure relief on myself. I then purchased a second book: "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook Second Edition" by Clair Davies. This book gave me a better understanding of the trigger points and referred pain paths.

IMO the most important thing you can do for yourself is educate yourself about fibromyalgia, so that you know what questions to ask and how to give your doctors information about yourself.

If you have any more questions, I will be glad to help you find answers, as will many others on this board. It is a great place to learn from others, or just to find a friend who will listen.

Thankfully, fibro doesn't always have "extra" diagnoses with it. There are many things that people with fibro have a greater chance of having, but that doesn't mean you will have it, or should have it, to have fibro. Trust me, the fibro alone is enough to make you feel bad on it's own without bringing along any friends. There are many places on line that will offer information on your diagnoses, such as the health center here on ivillage. Most of them will tell you that you should get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and try to reduce your stress, along with talking to your doctor about medications. The thing that is so frustrating is that something that works great for one person will do nothing for someone else in terms of relief, so it will take a bit of trial and error for you and your doc to find a good treatment program.

One of the hardest things to do when faced with fibro is that you have to change your expectations to match your reality, such as I LIKE my house to be very clean, but in reality, it's only going to be somewhat clean because I don't have the energy to spend hours on it. Also, you will have to learn to pace yourself and reserve your energies for the most important things in your life, such as your children. It's hard to balance kids, home, husbands, work, friends, etc., but with some creativity, it can be done. There will always be parts of your life you feel like you are neglecting, but if you take care of yourself, you can still have a life, just a little different than the one you planned. The key to making it through with you sanity intact is to find a good support system, like the one here. Yes, you family loves you, but they will not be able to understand how you are feeling, whereas here, there is always someone who "gets it."

Hugs, and I hope you are feeling better soon.
Payton