Good-bye Fibro, Hello Poly
It was at least ten years ago when I first received a rheumatologist's diagnosis of fibromyalgia. After several years of fatigue, and too many aches and pains, it was a relief to have a name for my malady. At my doctor's suggestion, I started a couple of prescriptions and some supplements, and found that my symptoms improved quite a bit. I've been able to work and care for my family, and lead a fairly normal life most of the time.
Autoimmune diseases are the pits. The symptoms are often vague, but unrelenting. The fatigue can be debilitating. Without a firm diagnosis, people are often thought to be hopeless hypochondriacs. Even doctors sometimes discount symptoms when various tests show nothing conclusive.
For me, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia was better than no diagnosis at all. However, fibromyalgia seems to have become the disease du jour--a popular diagnosis when doctors have ruled everything else out. Many people with fibromyalgia experience most of the forty-some official symptoms attributed to fibromyalgia, but still feel frustrated when the people around them don't take their diagnosis too seriously. Even with a formal diagnosis, accusations of hypochondria persist.
Over the past year or so, I've been experiencing additional, localized pain in my hips, along with some annoying, more generalized discomfort. Since I had not seen a specialist in quite some time, I asked my local, primary care physician for another referral, this time to the closest rheumatologist, in Cheyenne. I won't say too much about Dr. Schneider, except that he is quite a character, with some rather definite, quirky opinions about health care, insurance, education, and the government. He also seems to really know what he is doing.
First thing, Dr. Schneider told me that he really doubted that I had fibromyalgia. In his opinion, fibromyalgia is a convenient diagnosis made by many physicians who don't take the time to track down the real problem. Although fibromyalgia may be an appropriate secondary diagnosis, Dr. Schneider thinks that it is rarely an accurate, primary diagnosis. With that being said, he made it his goal to find out my real, underlying problem.
He ordered ten, that's ten, blood tests, which means that his lab technicians drew ten vials of blood at my first office visit, to test for almost everything imaginable. It's a good thing that needles don't bother me much, but I nearly fainted, anyway, from the sudden loss of blood.
He also scheduled a series of full body scans, using radioactive dye.
At my last followup visit, Dr. Schneider was pleased to note that nine of the ten blood tests were normal, and the body scans, which were also normal, proved conclusively that I do not have rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. In his opinion, my particular symptoms, and the elevated enzymes from one blood test, along with all of the other normal tests, indicated that I have polymyalgia.
Primary symptoms of polymyalgia include the neck and shoulder pain and stiffness that I have lived with for twenty-some years, as well as hip pain, which I've noticed more often in recent months. Otherwise, lesser symptoms include the other body aches and fatigue that have been a part of my life for so long.
But, the good news is this: polymyalgia can be helped, and sometimes even cured, by a long term prescription of low dose prednisone. Prednisone is not new to me, since my doctor often prescribes it when I have an asthma episode. I've found that it gives me more energy than usual, so I have less fatigue. So far, it hasn't helped much with my shoulder and hip discomfort, but Dr. Schneider expects that it will. I hope he is right.
As I said before, autoimmune diseases are the pits! For one reason or another, they are increasing in numbers, at least in our country. Heredity seems to play a role, as it does in my family. I suspect that stress, food additives, and environmental polution also impact the incidence of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, fibromyalgia and, yes, polymyalgia.
As time goes by, doctors continue to learn more about autoimmune diseases and their treatment. If you or someone you know has a primary diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I encourage you to schedule a followup visit with your rheumatologist. You may find that your doctor is able to fine-tune your diagnosis and offer additional help.
Autoimmune diseases are the pits. The symptoms are often vague, but unrelenting. The fatigue can be debilitating. Without a firm diagnosis, people are often thought to be hopeless hypochondriacs. Even doctors sometimes discount symptoms when various tests show nothing conclusive.
For me, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia was better than no diagnosis at all. However, fibromyalgia seems to have become the disease du jour--a popular diagnosis when doctors have ruled everything else out. Many people with fibromyalgia experience most of the forty-some official symptoms attributed to fibromyalgia, but still feel frustrated when the people around them don't take their diagnosis too seriously. Even with a formal diagnosis, accusations of hypochondria persist.
Over the past year or so, I've been experiencing additional, localized pain in my hips, along with some annoying, more generalized discomfort. Since I had not seen a specialist in quite some time, I asked my local, primary care physician for another referral, this time to the closest rheumatologist, in Cheyenne. I won't say too much about Dr. Schneider, except that he is quite a character, with some rather definite, quirky opinions about health care, insurance, education, and the government. He also seems to really know what he is doing.
First thing, Dr. Schneider told me that he really doubted that I had fibromyalgia. In his opinion, fibromyalgia is a convenient diagnosis made by many physicians who don't take the time to track down the real problem. Although fibromyalgia may be an appropriate secondary diagnosis, Dr. Schneider thinks that it is rarely an accurate, primary diagnosis. With that being said, he made it his goal to find out my real, underlying problem.
He ordered ten, that's ten, blood tests, which means that his lab technicians drew ten vials of blood at my first office visit, to test for almost everything imaginable. It's a good thing that needles don't bother me much, but I nearly fainted, anyway, from the sudden loss of blood.
He also scheduled a series of full body scans, using radioactive dye.
At my last followup visit, Dr. Schneider was pleased to note that nine of the ten blood tests were normal, and the body scans, which were also normal, proved conclusively that I do not have rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. In his opinion, my particular symptoms, and the elevated enzymes from one blood test, along with all of the other normal tests, indicated that I have polymyalgia.
Primary symptoms of polymyalgia include the neck and shoulder pain and stiffness that I have lived with for twenty-some years, as well as hip pain, which I've noticed more often in recent months. Otherwise, lesser symptoms include the other body aches and fatigue that have been a part of my life for so long.
But, the good news is this: polymyalgia can be helped, and sometimes even cured, by a long term prescription of low dose prednisone. Prednisone is not new to me, since my doctor often prescribes it when I have an asthma episode. I've found that it gives me more energy than usual, so I have less fatigue. So far, it hasn't helped much with my shoulder and hip discomfort, but Dr. Schneider expects that it will. I hope he is right.
As I said before, autoimmune diseases are the pits! For one reason or another, they are increasing in numbers, at least in our country. Heredity seems to play a role, as it does in my family. I suspect that stress, food additives, and environmental polution also impact the incidence of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, fibromyalgia and, yes, polymyalgia.
As time goes by, doctors continue to learn more about autoimmune diseases and their treatment. If you or someone you know has a primary diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I encourage you to schedule a followup visit with your rheumatologist. You may find that your doctor is able to fine-tune your diagnosis and offer additional help.
For the time being, I'm bidding fibromyalgia a not-so-fond goodbye. My symptoms haven't changed much, but the diagnosis has, at least for now. I'm also saying hello to polymyalgia. I hope your stay will be ending soon. I can't wait to bid you a fond farewell, too, once and for all.
No matter what happens, whether we are sick or healthy, discouraged or joyful, we are encouraged by these words of Jesus, from John 16:33: "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
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