Expert: Kathleen Lewis Date: 3/8/2004 Subject: Fibromyalgia Progression
Question Kathleen,
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when I was about 25. I'm now 42. I was able to function quite well when I was first diagnosed (after being prescribed medication.) However, I can barely function now. I am in pain all the time; stiffness; overwhelming fatigue; IBS; memory and cognitive problems; numbness in hands, feet, leg. I have pretty much all the fibromyalgia symptoms. However, over the last year, I have new symptoms. I am losing the strength in my hands and along with the fibromyalgia pain, I am having pain in my wrist, fingers, feet, lower back, knees, and neck. I run a low grade fever quite often and have swelling in my hands, feet. I have tried to get my doctor (family) to do x-rays, more blood tests, to see if I might have arthritis. The blood tests he ran for the past four years, show I am anemic. I think something else is going on. Are any of these symptoms the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus? My doctor just wants to prescribe more antidepressants, but the side effects are awful. I have always read that fibromyalgia isn't progressive, but it seems like mine is. Whatever is going on, is making me almost incapacitated. I work full time and have two children (8 & 12) that I have to take care of. On the weekends I stay in bed about 90% of the time. I have just about pushed myself to my limit, and I don't know what else to do. Any suggestions on tests for my symptoms? I thank you for your time in reading this and responding.
Thank you,
Lisa
Answer Dear Lisa,
You need to go to a rheumatologist who'd be more adept at a differential diagnosis of a connectice tissue illness.
The is no one symptom or set of symptoms, no one test or set of tests that can rule in or rule put lupus. It takes a personal and family history, a battery of tests run over a period of time to detect patterns, and maybe a trial of medications to see how you and your labs respond.
