Laura Sue, Linz, JenX, and now me
#106715 - 09/18/04 11:35 AM
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Tissy
Reged: 07/15/04
Posts: 773
Loc: Baltimore, MD
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Well add me to list of official Fibro diagnosis. I am a little unsure about all this and I am reading up on it. But today I woke so achey and tired b/c last night was a really bad night, no sleep. I called my GP, who has limited weekend hours, and I told him I can't seem to get rid of these minor muscle aches and worst of all I am SO tired. He told me to come in I probably have the flu. So I did and we went over all my symptoms that I have frequently. I kept telling him I don't know if you consider this a symptom but I frequently blah blah blah... When I was finished I got the feeling he thought I was a nut. So I said look I go on this board for support for my IBS and chat w/ others in the same boat and some of them suggested I ask you about Fibro something or another. And he turned his pad around that he had been writing on and he had already wrote down Fibromyalgia. He said you mean this? I said yes and he said he was 95% sure that is what I have and then did the tender tests. After that he said he was 99% sure that is my diagnosis. And then he spewed out so much knowledge about it I was spinning when I left his office. He said he will send me to a rheumatologist if I want a second opinion.
The good news is he doesn't think I am crazy. I now have a name to my problems and the possible cause of my IBS. And he prescribed me some medications that he says will help.
He prescribed me Effexor XR and Naproxen. Has anyone had any experience with these meds? I looked up the Effexor and it says it is for depression and anxiety. (So maybe he does think I am a head case?  Just Kidding.) He said it is for the anxiety often associated w/ Fibro that he thinks I have even if I don't think so. I hope one of these will help me sleep better b/c right now that is my biggest symptom as far as I'm concerned. I am so darn tired!!!!
Anyway there is my update and I go back in a month for a follow-up visit.
Thanks for all the help Linz and Laura Sue! And the suggestion to go to the doc about this.
Christie
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Christie
~Hoping and Praying for Sleep!~
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Wow, I guess doctors aren't stupid are they? Did you have a lot of the symptoms that are associated with fibro? I think there's a slight chance I might have it but I'm not sure.
My main symptom is waking up exhausted and being tired a lot. I don't really have much pain though. But I have IBS, TMJ (a jaw pain disorder) and am on an anti-depressant.
I've always thought of fibro as something closely related to arthritis. Someone at my work has fibro and was taking arthritis meds for years before it was properly diagnosed. Since I don't have those aches and pains I never thought it fit me.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'll have to mention it to my doc too and she what he thinks. 
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Hi Christie
Well, at least you know and now you can take some positive action to feel better. Great that your doc was informed about Fibro. I don't have Fibro but I have read a lot about it from the people on the boards. It seems like getting a good nights sleep is key to feeling better.
Anyway, I'm sure you will get some more experienced advice for the others.
Good luck
Barbie
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I have been on Effexor for over 3 years and am VERY happy with it. It really helped with my anxiety. As I have said before on this board, anxiety is very common among IBS sufferers.
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Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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My doc said I am a classic case of Fibro. He said if I read up on it I will be surprised by how many of the symptoms I have. My major symptoms were can't get to sleep, once asleep my mind races and I can remember some of the things I thought about when I wake up in the A.M. And I would be exhausted and I would get migraines or some type of headache or feel like I pulled a muscle after a bad night of sleep. But I would not get this everyday or even every week and the pain is not severe. So I didn't think I fit the diagnosis for Fibro but I do. It has been worse lately b/c I have been having more bad nights of sleep than good. My doc said it is good I caught it early most patients don't get diagnosed until around 40. I also had some symptoms I didn't think would be related such as frequent urination, always cold, crawling itchy skin sensations,etc. I would talk to your Doc about. I was reluctant but it turned out he knew exactly what it was and didn't think I was crazy.
Good Luck,
Christie
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Christie
~Hoping and Praying for Sleep!~
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Hi- I have not as yet been diagnosed with Fibro since I just saw my rheumatologist the other day--but I have and still take Naproxen ( the over the counter form is "Aleve").
It has been a life saver for pain relief (back, legs, headache) altho taking too much can affect the stomach in some people--so just go slowly with it--. I take Zoloft on very low dosage--probably why it doesn't do much !! Might see about your medication- people seem to do well on it.
feel good
carol
carol
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I have had panic/anxiety disorder since I was a child. Is there a link between anxiety and IBS? Have you had any undesirable side effects with Effexor? Thanks.
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Ah sh*t. I hoped you didn't have it! Oh well, at least you've got the diagnosis without a problem - it's great that the doc was going to diagnose it before you mentioned it!
Anti-depressants are often used with Fibro and not just for the depression/anxiety that having it can cause. They can encourage better sleep and higher serotonin levels might help with the pain. I'm not sure what Naproxen is - hopefully LauraSue can help. I assume it's to help you get into stage 4 (deep) sleep.
I'm glad you're going back in a month. That way, if you're still having loads of problems with sleep, he can give you something stronger. I know Jen is on Ambien and loves it. I'm not on anything for that yet.
Check out FibroHugs. There's loads of info there. And look for a support group in your area - loads of people have this!
Good luck. {{{HUGS}}}
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Here is just one item I have found on the web about the link between IBS and disorders such as anxiety:
J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62 Suppl 8:38-45; discussion 46-7. Related Articles, Links
Irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression: what are the links?
Lydiard RB.
Mood and Anxiety Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and potentially disabling functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel patterns. A significant amount of clinical and research data suggest the importance of the brain-gut interaction in IBS. This review examines the observed high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with IBS. The published literature indicates that fewer than half of individuals with IBS seek treatment for it. Of those who do, 50% to 90% have psychiatric disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression, while those who do not seek treatment tend to be psychologically normal. Both physiologic and psychosocial variables appear to play important roles in the development and maintenance of IBS. Recent information suggests that the association of IBS and psychiatric disorders may be more fundamental than was previously believed. A brain-gut for IBS is presented, and the role of traumatic stress and corticotropin-releasing factor as modulators of the brain-gut loop is discussed. Finally, the rationale for the use of psychotropic agents in the treatment of IBS with or without psychiatric symptoms is presented.
The only side effect I have noticed is a slight diminishing in sexu ual function, a common side effect with antidepressants. It is SO worth it, though.
My one piece of advice is if you end up trying a medication ask to start on pills rather than capsules and cut the pills up and increase to full dose by a quarter of a pil every three or four days. That will help minimize side effects. Then once you are up to full dose you can switch to capsule. Same for going off -- must be done very slowly to prevent not very fun withdrawal effects.
good luck. I highly recommend you talk to your dr about meds.
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Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Thanks Christie. I'm glad you caught it early.
Did he give you something to help you sleep? My previous doc gave me Trazadone to help me with my insomnia last year but it made me feel like a zombie all day and didn't help me sleep at all.
I think that if I get my insomnia under control and actually sleep at night instead of having a million thoughts race through my head I'd be ok.
Let us know if your meds help you and good luck!
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