Message 541 of 3314

Warning

Have you ever gone to your doctor concerned about some new symptom, only to be told "It's just part of your fibromyalgia?"

We all know that fibromyalgia (FMS) symptoms are a bizarre conglomeration of things that cover pretty much every part of your body, and a lot of the time that new symptom is a part of FMS. Sometimes, though, it's not - and allowing your doctor to write off everything as "just fibro" can be hazardous to your health.

I recently talked to a fellow fibromite who'd had her symptoms blown off that way, and as a results, another disease was able to progress undetected. By the time it was diagnosed, it was far harder to treat and may have done permanent damage.

I'm telling you this not to scare you ... well, OK, it's a little bit to scare you, because I want you to push your doctor to look deeper into new symptoms and not give up when he or she tries to blow you off. If anyone knows their bodies, it's us! Really, do you know anyone else who can be awakened by even the slightest wrinkle in a bedsheet? We feel everything more than most people, so if you think something new is going on your body, pay attention.

Sure, the first nine times it might just be another fibromyalgia symptom rearing its ugly head, but the 10th time you demand a closer look, it could save your life.

Here are some examples of possible fibromyalgia symptoms that warrant a closer look:
* Chest pain
* Irregular heart beat
* Lumps in your breasts
* Shortness of breath
* New or worsening allergies or sensitivities
* Sudden or worsening confusion or disorientation

photo of tbubbette
Amen! I agree wholeheartedly! We know our bodies better than anyone else.
Thanks honey, this might just save a life!!
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3 months ago
that last one is what worries me.. i seem to have more brainfog than normal.. can't remember alot of things.. have some trouble pronouncing words, adding t at the end of some words. can't remember what i was going to say, shorten words. etc...
rhonda..
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3 months ago
yes, I have gotten the "brush off" in the past. I also have brushed off things I didn't want to deal with. Good post!
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3 months ago
Must say I just came out of this situation...dr. know it all and his crew...missed the vertigo..thank God for gifts given to others that want answers not just treat the symptoms...good point as always Terry
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3 months ago
Tb you have really brought a point here. But even to those people who don't have fibro, they can proscrastinate their symptoms and overlook something that really needs to be looked at.
I have gone to the ER with chest pains but it involved numbness going from right arm around shouldlers to left arm. Their tests revealed no heart attack. Further tests with nuclear heart specialist came out ok, as well. It seems if EKG comes out normal, along with blood tests, they say everything is fine.
I continue to get chest pain on left side off and on. Can they do other tests, and should I pursue further?
I asked the eye doctor if my weird white blobs that appear when I go from heat to air conditioning is weird. I thought I was going to have a migra aura, but this one had green all around the rim. I told him it lasted 5 min. that time. Today it happened again. I went to pay cashier for gas and I started feeling a little whoozy and not myself. It was very short this time. Could this be a reaction to the heat? I don't have air conditioning in my truck this summer. It reminds me of the way things were years ago, when I first developed symptoms. You don't know if you are crazy or not!
I am looking for a new genearal doctor, and I am trying to find someone that is familiar with fibro. The good ones in Utah that specialize in fibro do not take Medicaid.
I have also had irregular heart beat, but no one seems to be alarmed. My blood pressure is normal. I have been walking on my treadmill more, but I haven't felt any problems while doing this for 30 min. at a time. It is like going from hot to cold that seems to trigger this weird stuff lately. It is also very smoggy in SLC valley due to fires in CA.

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3 months ago
Very good post again, tb. Thanks.

To answer a question by one person, I too get woozy and dizzy from the heat. I had dizzy spells (and still do) for years and have had every test possible and they never found out the cause. Now I just take it in stride. But being overly heated will definitely do it to me.

We all need to be in charge of our medical care and not let drs. take our symptoms and blow them off. We also cannot assume that everything is due to having fibro.
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3 months ago