July 22, 2004
The 'tests' begin........the Diagnosis 'FMS'
1/21/97 I saw my internist. He didn't think I had an anxiety attack. He actually thought I may have an adrenal tumor, cause I was running on adrenaline, not that he told me that. Then test after test after test eliminated disease, after condition, after tumors. This is how Fibromyalgia is diagnosed, first by ruling out everything else in the world.
2/29/97 I went through an all night sleep test where they superglued (actually!) sensors to my scalp and body and had me sleep in a test room which looked like a cozy bedroom except for the camera from which the technician would watch me throughout the night. I'd been begging the doctor for something to help me sleep, and he'd said not until the sleep test. So I couldn't sleep on my back, I had to bother the technician each time I needed up to make my rounds, bathroom drink, oh and blow my nose, I'd left that one out. Cutting to the chase.
3/21/97 My internist saw the sleep test results and said I'd had NO DEEP SLEEP in fact No sleep beyond stage 1, when I'd start to hit REM sleep I'd awaken even more times than I was aware of. No wonder my saga dreams, supposedly you dream in REM and only remember if you're awakened during...
He then asked me other questions, irritable bowel? Yes, muscle pain or weakness? Yes, Morning stiffness that lasts over a half hour? Yes, and he knew of the constant sinus/throat infections and antibiotic use...he then examined me for the FMS tenderpoints (18 points on your body that hurt like hell when pressed lightly by physician...if you have 11 of 18 along with symptoms above you have FMS) Ouch! I had 18 of 18. He diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia (just 2 months after 1st visit which is a record for FMS dx's usually), put me on Paxil 10 mg. in addition to the blood pressure med he put me on on 1/21, and my blood pressure still was out of control. He treated me with Paxil upping it to 20mg, & watched my bp.
At the same time I had been seeing a DO specializing in osteopathic manipulation. I used to visit her in January and be good for tax season, getting massages biweekly from 2/15-4/15. But I'd been seeing her biweekly for a year and the adjustments weren't holding. I'd of course told her of the problems and my internist's quest for the cause. When i shared the dx with her, she said she concurred..she just hadn't said anything because the internist was working on the diagnosis. She herself had osteoarthritis and FMS. Note: FMS is generally thought to manifest after multiple traumas to the body, chronic pain conditions, or the other school of thought is my story, if you run on empty on adrenaline for years and don't sleep.
in May '97 I saw rhuematologist Lisa Weinrib in Scottsdale AZ. She performed such a complete exam and wrote such a complete report that when I finally applied for SS disability in 98 I got benefits starting in only 45 days.....again a record for FMS. We decided to use a mixture of traditional medicine with some other stuff thrown in. I was put on the program outlined and explained in Dr. Teitelbaum's book 'From Fatigued to Fantastic'.
I'll tell you now that the program helped(helps) and that I felt 'fantastic' for moments. And I'll tell you that this disease, especially with my sleep disorder, is an ugly monster resistant to improvement. There is no cure for Fibromyalgia as yet, just treatments and suggestions for life modification so 'fibromites' can survive it. Speaking of survival, the other book I kept with Teitelbaums and my Bible is Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Survival Guide.
Tune in for what my treatment and results were, next........
Hugs, Judy
Posted by on July 22, 2004 9:47 AM