RA plus fibromyalgia? | Arthritis Information

It seems that I have seen on this board that some of you have been diagnosed with RA as well as fibro. My pain is so widespread that I wonder if I could have fibro as well. Right now I have pain all the way down my back from the neck on either side of my spine - feels muscular but I haven't done anything. Also have pain in the fleshy part of my arms, legs and feet. I will ask my rheumy but wondered if those of you with both could tell me what your symptoms are and how you found out about the fibro. Oh, also I am exhausted all the time but figured that was pain exhaustion.Hi Sewez,
I have both, there are 18 tender points and you have to be tender in at least 11 of those points. The pain inthe fleshy part of your arms and legs sounds like fibro, sorry. Of course there's the fatigue like with RA. Next time you go to your RD, check with him.

Hope you feel better
Mina

Sewz~Pam and Wayney both have the two together. Other's here as well.

You might want to check the useful links section. Seems like there was a post about Fibro criteria.

Hang in there.

Sewz. Your backpain sounds just like mine. Muscular not joint. I took Flexeral and that helps. It put me in lala land actually...Feel Better...Geoff

Hi Sewez,

I have been diagnosed with both RA and Fibro. The Fibro dx came very recently.

As Mina said there are tender points that the Dr will press and with Fibro they are very sensitive. The muscle pain you describe does sound like the pain I have had and I also get a feeling of "burning" usually my toes. One of the questions the Dr asked me was if after I wake up in the morning and have been sleeping for several hours do I feel rested.....and I don't, not at all.

As I posted prev he gave a very small dose of an anti- depressant which he said in a very low dose can help you get a more restfull sleep which helps with both the fatigue and the pain. It seems to be working. I'm still very stiff from the RA, but it is a relief to get rid of that muscle pain and I'm not nearly as tired during the day

Definately mention Fibro to your DR, it sounds very possible

Let us know,

Pam

Sewez,

I have Fibro as well as RA myself, actually Fibro was my 1st dxs. With me it started with muscle and joint pain thruout my body especially in my calves and around my thighs, and lower back. Gradually it move upwards to my arms and neck. I also had frequent headaches, trouble sleeping, shuffling gait, numbness and tingling, and severe fatigue. I pretty much had to dxs myself as all the docs kept telling me it was in my head. Bloodwork,x-rays, MRI, all showed nothing. Finally mentioned Fibro to my GP and she did the tender point test. I have tender spots from head to toe.

Do as much research on Fibro as you can. Its kinda tough to dxs cuz it mimics a lot of other diseases. I at one time thought I might have MS cuz of the numbness and tingling, but it wasnt. The Arthritis Foundations Website has good info on Fibro. If you think you have it mention it to your doc and ask him/her to do the tenderpoint test. Its about 18 possible spots on your body that could be a tender point. I think the criteria is at least 11.

I surely dont wish you any more pain than you already have. But if it is Fibro make sure you are properly treated for it. Exercise and make sure you get plenty of sleep. When you dont sleep well your body isnt getting the time it needs to heal and your symptoms only get worse.

Hope this helps.

Shawnie

sewez; i have both; the constant pain and fatigue can be overwhelming. i recently had a cortisol test which was dramatically abnormal and have to see an Endocrine DR. Any of you out there with extreme fatigue, I would ask for a cortisol test as well. My MD says may be Addison's disease......another pill??i have both...and my doc told me my fibro was secondary to the RA...but there is a debate as to whether that is true or not...
flat out...and my opinion only....while ra sucks....fibro sucks (to borrow an expression dear IslandWoman uses) monkey butt. i can deal with the RA pain much easier that the fibro pain. for me...RA pain is confined to my joints...and yes they are painful, but I know how to move better to deal with the pain and how to take better precaution to protect painful joints and at times can even take early precautions to do things differently so i can avoid pain....
with fibro...i've yet to figure out how to move properly to prevent muscle pain...the tingling is getting to be a constant (beleive me when i see a doc finally, they'll hear about that!) i think i reacted in all 18 tender points...at least the few i'd let him touch...at times he only touched one and got such a strong reaction that he barely put pressure on the one on the opposite side of my body and i still reacted...there were a few that my reaction was much milder but i reacted...he dx'ed me on the spot but did want to r/o lupus just in case because i have and have always had the "butterfly rash" on my cheeks. for me, anti-depressants made things worse...i got jittery and anxious....then began clenching my jaw at night...we finally found that 75 mgs of zoloft helped me sleep with clenching but i still was more jittery. i also could only sleep with the help of zanaflex...which from what some people tell me is a powerful muscle relaxer...dose starts at 4 mgs...highest safe dose is 32 mgs...i was on 20-24 mgs a night and not sleeping and getting minimal relief. at 16 mgs...i sleptwalked. when i was on the 20-24 mgs...i could take 4-8 mgs and was perfectly safe driving...no sleepiness, no major relaxation of muscles, just enough to allow me to be comfortable driving. i have friends who are twice my size...and 4 mgs knocked them out for hours. not me...except when i first took it...i had to be in bed to take it as it worked that fast. many people do get releife from flexeril...it was basically a sugar pill for me.
ask your doc about fibro...but keep in mind even today now that it is recognized, not all rheumy's want to treat it...they think other docs should do so...and not all docs believe in it even now.

I know fibro is an awful thing.My 19 yr. old daughter has it.Was dx. by a peds. reheumy when she was 12.Fibro and RA has to be so hard to deal with.I was checked for fybro a few years ago and had no pain in pressure points.Atleast it seems to me with fibro. you get a quicker dx's.My daughter was put on several anti-depressants.They helped but the pain and fatigue never really go away.She is my hero.I just wonder how long her little body will be able to keep it up.She is working now,been almost a year.I don't know how she does it.Just pure stubborness I guess.Now that I have been in so much pain for so long I can really relate to her pain.I have always beleived her, never once doubting her pain.I can remember being a young girl and feeling so bad all the time.No one took me seriously.I have dealt with pain almost daily but nothing compaired to what I have been going through since early June.My ortho. told me yesterday she thinks I amy have fibro.I see rehuemy. Wed.I think it is Ra and fibro.

Fibro is hard to treat.I hope that you get some help for the pain and fatigue.I am new to RA and from what I have read it is not an easy thing to get under control either.I feel bad for us all.I am 39, been sick for so long.But when I think of my girls(Amber has fibro/endometriosis...Carrie has hydrocephalus and seizures amongst many other things),I push on and think of how young they are and how hard it is for such young girls to have to go through so much.But it doesn't matter what yor age,this is an awful thing for us all.

Yesterday,too change the subject.I had just left the er with Amber(she got a shot for endo. pain).We stopped off at pharmacy to get meds. filled.I bought me some chocalote covered almonds.For a short time I was in pain but in heaven at the same time.I love chocolate covered anythings,except rasins and incests.

I hope you get some pain free moments that last.