About Tim Murphy Expertise Questions about treatments, medications, diet, questionable treatments, psychology of disease, breathing techniques, acceptance without giving up, and my own personal experiences coping with this misunderstood disease.
Experience I have been to a few of the top doctors in the field and have tried various solutions to the problem, some with good success, some with little benefit. I may be able to steer patients away from questionable tactics by those looking to make a buck, or are engaging in "bad" science.
Organizations Although I work for Public Health, I don't really have any credentials in the field. Having been very athletic up until the onset of the disease, I have done much research on the subject and tried various remedies.
Publications I am a writer for a football website but have no publications in this field.
Expert: Tim Murphy Date: 3/9/2005 Subject: Does this sound like I have it?
Question Hi Tim.
I am a 45 year old male.I have suffered from the following symptoms on and off for the last few years,but in the last few months I have them all and they are not going away:
-General feeling of tiredness(I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine,but I still feel tired)
-Constantly sore joints and muscles,especially lower back and groin.I work out and play sports,which I thought was the problem,but have recently cut back with no relief.(Doctor says old age)
-Loose,pale bowel movements and frequent diarhea.(Thinking I was gluten sensitive I cut out wheat products which has helped only a bit)
-Trouble losing weight,even though I am active,eat wholesome foods,and keep my calories under 1500-day.(Doctor says I have a slow metabolism)
-Pain in my left jaw area,a cracking sensation(Was diagnosed as arthritis)
-Trouble staying focused.(I have been diagnossed as having adult ADD,for which I take Welbutrin)
As you can see,it seems I have all the classic symptoms,which have all shown up one after another,and all of which I have seen doctor and he has diagnosed.
My wife,who is a nurse suspects Fybromyalgia.I wouls appreciate your opinion.Thanks!
Answer Hi Barry. You certainly do sound like you have it. Most doctors aren't up to snuff on fibromyalgia, so I would suggest you find someone in your area that is, probably a rheumatologist. The jaw pain sounds like TMJ, which many fibromyalgia patients have. I know how you feel, I was quite active till it hit me at age 40. I was still playing travel softball and still able to outrun the 20 year olds. Then I hit the wall. It wasn't old age, it was sudden pain. It sounds like you also have sleep apnea whose symptoms can sometimes mimic fibromyalgia. The very best treatment for FM is to get sound sleep. It is only in stage 4 sleep that our body produces the growth hormones necessary to heal all the microtears you put on your muscles every day. Let me ask you a few questions.
1. Have you ever been diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse? (This is a usually benign valve leak in your heart that many FM patients have)
2. Do you have difficulty keeping your mouth open during dental procedures?
3. Do your muscles feel like your dragging along another dead body? (Does it feel like a lactic acid build up even when you're not exercising)?
4. When you get up quickly, do you get a head rush?
The only real test for Fm is called the tender point check. That's where at least 11 of 18 particular points on your body are tender to the touch. Unfortunately, many men who have the disease aren't tender to the touch probably because they are more used to being physical and it doesn't bother them as much. Really the best test is just to rule out everything else that is lab testable eg arthritis, lupus, limes disease, Barr Epstien virus, then come to the conclusion.
As I said, sleep is vital so you don't want to get up a lot during the night. A small dose of Elavil may help in that regard. If you have any more questions or want to follow up, please feel free. I know how it is to suddenly feel like you've been thrown off a cliff and someone has stole your body. Although it is not a life threatening disease, it surely is life altering. The disease waxes and wanes, but in 10 years I have gotten myself to the point where I can function fairly normally. Now, my idea of a workout is to go play golf, but at least I can do that and go to work everyday.
