confused RA/Fibro | Arthritis Information

Last week I was dx with RA and Fibro. So being the information geek that I am, I went and bought some books. I got "Fibromyalgia for Dummies" and "Living Well with Rheumatoid Arthritis". I am so confused. I read the first few chapters of each. How am I supposed to know what pains are from each? The two diseases have many of the same symptoms. I'm actually wondering if I do have RA, or if it is the fibro that is causing all my problems. She put me on Nerontin for the Fibro and I haven't noticed much of a difference, except I've had better sleep. I'm still exaused during the day, and achey and joints are still hurting.

In September, I did have the elevated sed rate and positive RF. She determined RA by those labs and exam. I didn't have any visible swelling when I was in there. In fact, I don't really have alot of swelling, when I do it's when I'm stiff, and usually in the hands. She did take more blood and is testing that for everything (it seemed as though anyway).

Do those of you with both feel they can tell the difference between the two??

I feel I can, but it took a long time. I was dx about ten years ago, but have had the pain a lot longer. I think it takes you meeting the pain and understanding it. Sounds wierd but you know! You have to get to know your body again. Its hard, especially when your in pain. But after you have had it awhile. You can tell what pain is what because you begin to realize not all pain feels the same. LOL! Isn't it always the way? They don't know much about FMS, all they know is that folks with it have these "tender points" and are tired all the time, and are sore, they have a heightened response to pain, and have a history of past trauma (which can include childhood abuse or a car accident). When my Dr told me I had it a year ago, I was like, "what a dustbin dx! What can I do about this, its not a "real" disease?" I found sleeping, NSAIDs, a positive attitude and exercise help. My natropath put me on a sugar free, anti nightshade (tomatoes etc) diet and I did really well. Well enough to go back to studying! Then I got sick again and was sleeping 14 hours a day and urinating blood, so I went to my Dr and he said "You are depressed. Everyone with fibromyalgia has mild depression or dysthymia." I said "I'd know when I am depressed, does depression explain the fact that I'm peeing blood?" So I went to another Dr, turned out I had white blood cells in my urine from inflammation (caused by what has now developed into RA), not depression! The next week both my knees swelled so much my knees locked together and I had to have a physio break down the hardened fluid in my joints: went to the Dr: still "fibromyalgia." The most annoying thing is when you are in lots of pain and you know when it is the RA and the Dr just looks at you and says "Of course you are in pain, you have fibromyalgia. Stop wasting my time." I generally think that achy pains are more FMS and joint pains (like, major ow) are RA.

I'm actually convinced now that I don't have FMS, and it has just been RA all along, slowly developing. Tender points really don't explain much. As for visible swelling, I was dx without what I saw as any swelling, but RDs can tell by the fact that veins are more prominent and tender that there is swelling happening. Swelling is your body's way of protecting the joint, without it you feel so much more pain. A week after I was dx, my thumb swelled up 4X its usual size, so my RD was right! _popupControl(); _popupControl(); paperdoll2008-03-24 06:32:23Fibro, oy! Its not achy at all, its very sharp intense burning pain that makes you wanna double over and scream!^ LOL! For me it is... it is like a "my whole body is sick and tired" ache that you get with the 'flu. I generally smear myself in arthritis rub like those swimmers smear themselves with lard and I lie in bed and eat chocolate and watch the Simpsons and have a mini "I'm in heaven" orgasm, thats if my RA isn't acting up.

Oy, what can you do, syndromes, eh?_popupControl(); LOL! I can't have the chocolate...hm...Paperdoll, you are too funny. I would love to just stay in bed all day. I have a hubby, 2 kids, 10 pets, 2 businesses to run, and a household to take care of. I kind of force myself to get moving.

I do feel like the fibro is that flu like acheyness I get, that has got to be the fibro.

The joints definately hurt. Especially hands, wrists, knuckles and knees. Those are the worst. But just like the fibro, I have good days and bad. I'm thinking the RA is still in it's early stages. Well, both actually. The joint pains have been going on since Nov 05, and I think the fibro was triggered from my dad's death. I've been doing alot of reflecting, and I think I've got that figured out. Since he died, I've been so exausted and achey, more so than before. At least before that, I felt up to driving kids all around and doing things with them. Now, I don't have the energy. I'm hoping to get it back by late spring/early summer, when baseball starts for the boys.