Medication for possible Fibromyalgia or Costochronditis

[yellowflower]

Hi everyone :flowers:

After a few weeks absence I am back !

I have done many medical tests including ECG, heart Eco, kidneys, ultrasound of breasts and kidneys, blood test for stomach infection, etc. So far so good.

I am still waiting for a stool test result to give a definitive answer to whether I have the Heliobacter infection in my stomach as I sometimes get a very bloated tummy and indegestion esp. after a greasy meal.

However, I still have the chest ache/pain to varying degrees almost every day now for the past 6 - 7 weeks which is where this whole saga started. I was getting panic attacks almost every day a few weeks ago as I was worried I was going to become fatally ill. Thankfully I have banished the panic attacks without medication, through lots of happy signals to myself and soothing and encouraging relatives :)

I am left with my own diagnosis of the chest discomfort (dangerous I know, but no doctor has come up with any other answer so far) that I may have Fibromyalgia or Costochronditris. My chest pain (its a pressure or dull ache rather than shooting pain) gets better with rest and sometimes when I sit in hot water in the bath, so I have come to the conclusion that it must be muscles/tendons/chest bone/spine rather than internal organs, as my medical tests don't indicate a heart problem (thank God !) I also quite often feel the dull pain in my shoulders and right at the top of the spine, so it feels like muscles and skeleton again. I also get the pain in both breasts and mainly the left armpit which is why I had an ultrasound of both breasts and armpits done, no problems observed by doctor.

I just wonder if anyone has had ongoing Fibromyalgia or Costo, how it was diagnosed, by whom (was it a GP or specilaist) and what medication you took to help resolve it ?

My internet research says Fluxetine PLUS Amitriptyline are excellent for relaxing muscles and helping with mood. Has anyone tried these two together ?

I am taking Zolpidem (only 5 mg a night) for the past 6 weeks now, which give me 4 - 6 hours of uniterrupted sleep, but would like to give it up if I am on any other meds. like the above. I would like to take anti-D's that help with sleep too so that I can give up the Zolpidem asap.

Thanks, I look forward to any replies :)

[L1SA]

Hi

I have FM had it now for 8years plus i now have Costo which iv had now for 4months.

Feel like iv a degree in both lol.

The difference is that Fibro is stiffness/nerve&muscular pain and Costo is inflammation of the rib cartilage.

Costo can cause muscle pain which radiates down the side of the inflammation (mine bein on the right side) because the inflammation pulls on the muscles causing a hunch.

Costo can cause breathing problems (which i have) but fibro dosn't

Costo is agrivated by hot water and heat were FM isn't, heat helps fibro as it relaxes the muscles, use cold for costo.

FM and costo are NOT dangerous just so uncomfortable and in my case sometimes dibilitating as iv both!

Let me know if u need any more info

Lisa

[L1SA]

Forgot to say that there is no specific drug for fibro but the main one people are put on is amitriptylin as it is supposed to help nerve pain.
Anti inflammitries help Costo
You can not ressolve Fibromyalgia only learn how to live with this illness.

I was diagnosed my my physio/rhuemitologist re FM and my GP re Costo

[yellowflower]

Lisa thanks very much for your help. I will back to see the GP again. With Costo, is there pain every time you move, or is it a constant dull pain, even at rest ? How about the Fibro ? Is it is just your chest area or does it effect other areas of your body ? Also how did you symptoms start ? Did they start with panic attacks/stress/anxiety or did they just start for no reason ?

[L1SA]

The costo pain is a soreness on the side of the inflammation plus a tight feeling on the chest.
The Fibro is pain all over the body but in some people its only in areas ie...neck or shoulders
FM pain can get better on rest and the only way i can relieve the costo is by laying flat.
Syptoms of the costo were breathing problems and a flare up in my Fibro
plus sorenesss around the rib area.
The Fibro started off with a stiff painfull neck/throat then shoulder pain then back then legs....my pain had got worse and has spread.
I have severe stiffness which causes the pain.
I have suffered anxiety ans stress for most of my life so the doctors feel its the result of on going stress.
My fibro started after the birth of my 2nd daughter, just by neck ache.
The costo started when i brought a dog, the constant pulling on the lead cause the inflammation BUT i do know that costo can also be caused by stress.

[belle]

Hi...
I am CONVINCED i have this.
I'm in terrible pain everyday. The latest is in the ribs just below breast and also in my chest. I went to see the emergency doc. the other night because the pain was so bad. I know its not heart pain because if i press down its very painful. My armpit has been in agony for the last week too.
My arms, shoulders, back, neck, legs, you name it, it hurts.
I am constantly tired and lathargic. I never have any energy.

What does it sound like?

[shoegal]

Hi yellowflower,

I'm sorry you are having a difficult time at the moment. I have Fibromyalgia and the symptoms you describe don't really sound like it to me. Fibromyalgia is a very complex disorder that affects various systems within the body. The main symptoms would be pain and stiffness, muscle weakness, trembling, poor sleep, dizziness, IBS and/or nausea and chemical sensitivity etc. The disorder is diagnosed by a rheumatologist after you have been referred for tests by your Doctor. It is not just a pain in one place. It is severe pain that comes and goes and moves around. It makes your whole body ache and it feels like you have severe flu all the time. If you squeeze/pinch the muscle on top of your shoulder/neck until it really hurts, that is a similar sensation to the muscle pain of Fibromyalgia.

I hope this helps a little. :flowers:

Love and hugs from shoegal xxx

[L1SA]

Fibro can mimick other illnesses/viruses etc....so you should be refered (if the doctor thinks its FM) to a rhuemitologist.
They will give you aload of blood tests just to rule out other problems.
Some GP's wont send you on to another profession as my friend got her diagnosis by her doctor by examining her and doing her bloods.

The costo is diagnosed by your GP by examination.

Thing is both these illnesses can mimick other problems so make sure you have a doctors diagnosis! :hugs:

[shoegal]

I forgot to say that for a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia you must have pain lasting more than 3 months in all four quadrants of the body and have pain in at least 11 of the 18 trigger points on the body.

The defining symptoms of fibromyalgia are chronic, widespread pain and tenderness to light touch, and usually moderate to severe fatigue. Those affected may also experience heightened sensitivity of the skin, tingling of the skin, achiness in the muscle tissues, prolonged muscle spasms, weakness in the limbs, and nerve pain. Chronic sleep disturbances are also characteristic of fibromyalgia - some studies suggest that these sleep disturbances are the result of a sleep disorder called alpha-delta sleep. In addition, many patients experience cognitive dysfunction (known as "brain fog") as well as many other symptoms.

shoegal xxx

[L1SA]

well said :D

Shoegal.....how are you effected with FM? I belong to a FM forum if your interested? lots of help/advice n friendly people :)

[Southern_Belle]

Hi,

I have also been diagnosed with fibro, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic myofasical pain disorder and hypothyroid disease along with arthritis. By far the most painful is the myofascial pain disorder because the pain is constantly centered around the neck, upper shoulders and upper back (no flares). I have had trigger injections in these areas to help with pain. The most irritating of these is the thyroid issue as it never seems to balance even with medication. All of these are chronic issues with pain except for the thyroid. All (except for the thyroid) have to be diagnosed by a rheumotologist. I will also state they seem to all go hand in hand even the thyroid problem.

I do hope you find help with these problems. I have dealt with them for many many years.

As far as anxiety, I had it before these health issues, but when my thyroid is off my anxiety goes sky high.

Hugs,

Laura

[janineevans]

Hello All,

I am new, I ave costchronditis, have done for over a year, intensive physio has not helped, i face it seems to have become worse now affecting my back and sciatica develops too, I feel like the children in need bear lol

Wondered has anyone in the UK claimed DLA for this condition.

Many thanks