Rheumatology and Fibromyalgia....

[erin-x]

Does anyone know what kind of tests they do to diagnose Fibromyalgia and how long it usually takes?

I'm sure i've spoken briefly about Fibromyalgia on here before, with Jenna, maybe?

[Richard1966]

Im not sure that FM can be diagnosed by testing, its usually a process of eliminating any other illness that might cause the symptoms until only FM is left.

I think thats called a differential diagnosis

[erin-x]

Ah ok... So that means they would have to test for everything else first? It takes quite a while then?

[Buenchico]

This appears to be relevant:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx

[Connemmara]

I have fibro - no blood tests as of yet - you nearly know yourself if you have it cos it feels (the way to describe it) bruising of the bones. My ribcase is constantly painful and when I shower I can feel my cheekbones painful so that is a wee bit of a description. Hope it helps.

[Eve]

Hiya, the main testing them seem to do on me is by poking me in all different places round my body :)

Yes, other things may need to be eliminated but fibromyalgia can also (and commonly does) be found alongside other conditions like arthritis. There will be certain things that do no indicate fibro (or just fibro) like if joints get hot and swollen, usually both sides together, which points more to something like arthritis.

There are certain points on your body which, when pressed, cause an increased pain reaction to be felt and these are what they tend to press on me then they do a score I think. I get a really painful reaction from most of them, one of the rhumatologists I see said that the pressure used would not cause any pain in "normal" people - helping demonstrate her point by poking the student sitting listening.

They've said with me I think right from the start about the fibro. Strangely enough I remember when I was at uni (a long time before) having a lot of problems with muscles in my upper back and shoulders and GPs saying it was fibrocytis (sp?) and giving me codeine based drugs for it - from what I have read that was another term for fibromyalgia!

I have particular places which cause more problems than others and an generally sensitive to pressure quite a few places. I'm now on a drug called pregabalin which has helped a lot generally and am having accupuncture at physiotherapy to help with the more troublesome bits. I also have codydramol which I have for that and the arthritis.

I have problems with my ribcage too, costochondritis and (according to an osteopath I used to see) ribs which move out of place. My physio said they are really stiff and released a lot of the joints where they join the spine recently but it set off a bad fibro flare so they are staying about from physical manipulation now.

Sleep tends to be another issue with fibro, especially however much you sleep not feeling like you've slept. The drugs I'm on help with that too.

I am learning more about separate conditions but it's taken me time to get to grips with what is caused by what.

If you have any queries (or just fancy a natter about it) then just give me a shout or message me on FB if you can find me - I have a good friend who is a bad fibro sufferer on there too and others who have conditions like arthritis, lupus and such (you never realised how many people have such issues until you start mentioning stuff!) so quite good for mutual arghhh I'm in pain/feel crap discussions :)

[lcg]

as stated previously....mainly by ruling out other things (arthritis, rheumatoid or osteo.....chronic pain disorder etc.) and the 'poking around' that jenna describes is the doctor checking for pain at particular sites on the body that shouldn't hurt in any other disorder. see here:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20352419,00.html

and here:
http://www.medicinenet.com/fibromyalgia/page3.htm

hope this hepls a bit. i've been diagnosed with chronic pain disorder (i think because i have depression - it is commonly associated with it)....but i haven't a clue if that is right. they just throw an extraordinary amount of pills at me and let me on my way.......x

[Sqad]

No biological tests exist to diagnose fibromyalgia, and the condition cannot be linked to any environmental or biological causes.

So.....does it exist?