Just diagnosed with fibromyalgia but had all the symptoms for hypothyroidism but blood work was normal ????

I had alot of the symptoms for underactive thyroid so I went to the dr. but all the blood work came back normal, at least what they consider normal. They ran a few more tests checking for arthritis and lupus but they were normal also so the dr. said he felt I had fibromyalgia and put me on cyclobenzaprine. Has anyone had the same thing happen to them.

For some reason that doctors don't understand, there is a connection between hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia. In fact some studies say 15% of people diagnosed with hypothyroidism will develop fibromyalgia. Did you see a rheumatologist? Fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose and is normally only diagnosed by a rheumatolgist by taking a complete history and a physical exam checking for 18 tender areas called trigger points. If your doctor isn't a specialist, I would be suspicious about that diagnosis, especially if he didn't check you for these tender spots. It's not something that can be diagnosed simply by ruling other things out. That being said, I'd see a specialist for sure, because the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown and has no known cure and there are lots of diseases that are MISdiagnosed as fibro. You may actually have something more treatable. Look into Lyme disease, which is also often misdiagnosed as fibro. I have both hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia but since I'm in the medical field I have a hard time with not knowing the cause of fibromyalgia. I've done lots of research and find that there are a lot of closely related diseases often misdiagnosed as fibro such as Lyme, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and adult growth hormone deficiency. I guess my point is that it's hard to live with something with no known cause or cure, so see the specialists, ask lots of questions, and try to find out if it could be something else. Good luck!

try going here www.lupusbutterflies.ning.com for TONS of info Report It

if the doc is just treatign you with cyclobenzaprine-I would have concerns over his abilities---

FMS is beleived to be a disorder of teh central nervous system-for teh last 10 years0not autoimmune or musculoskeletal--

Cyclo is amuscle relaxant-but does have some CNS properties-

it is a rather laid back treatment

more promising treatments incluse SSRI, SNRI-including antipressants and tramadol (ultram)--tricyclics, and anit seizure like Lyrica...

you need to get a good diagnosis froma doctor that is truly knowledgable about FMS-

a doc like you describe sounds like he thinks FMS is a minor problem--just little aches and pains-it is much more

for a referral list of good doctors (local USA)
email

kindness@fibrobetsy.com

I knwo of a few other referral list (including co cure and fmaware.org-but they include any doc that wants to be on it-even if 99% of patients say they are horrible

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease. If you were misdiagnosed, you could suffer from seronegative rheumatoid arthritis or Lyme disease.

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

Rheumatic diseases are diagnosed in much the same way as rheumatoid arthritis, through a number of blood tests showing inflammation:

- Antistreptolysin-O (ASO);
- C-Reactive protein (CRP);
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR);
- Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Immunoglobulins A, E, and G;
- Complement 3 (C-3).

For more than 27 years, I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis like 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The telling signs are the following:
- Joint pain or cracking joints in the lower extremities, feet, ankles, knees or hips in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR).

Antibiotics like Minocin, NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

For fibromyalgia, a low dose of antidepressant, 25 mg, at bedtime, can relax muscles, favor a deep sleep and lead to a pain free condition.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of arthritis, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For rheumatic diseases which are less severe like fibromyalgia, the number of patients making a full recovery can be even more impressive. For more info, please join the antibio group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...