# dumb questions



## Twocups424 (Mar 26, 2002)

Okay, does Fibromyalgia stem from IBS??? Is that why this is in this site/???? DRs. just switched my diagnosis from IBS-D to IBD. I"ve always had way more pain associated with my condition than most people on the IBS_D board I think. So now that I have IBD I feel i've maybe had fibro all along too. My pain runs down my legs seeeming to stem from my intestines ( large bowel) and I have deep deep muscle pain. do I need to see a special pain management ddr. too. The drs. I see never seem to want to help me with the pain. Like they are too afraid I'll get addicted. I would just like miniumal minimal pain meds to just function correctly. I was told by one pain managment center that they didnt' deal with pain from IBS. ( maybe they were mistaken, the nurse was anyway) who diagnosis fibro anyway. and wouldn't a pain specialist handle this ?????need help to function again normally.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually Rhuematologists do the diagnosis. Pain clinics I thought tend to get you after the diagnosis and your regular doctor can't manage the pain well enough on his/her own, not in the making of the diagnosis. For a FM diagnosis usually there has to be some specific characteristics the pain has to have like specific tender spots you need to have,I do not think it is a situation where one causes the other, however the two disorders are often co-morbid (that is a lot of people have both, more than you would expect based on the frequency of the two diseases).They are both functional and involve pain so maybe there is some common issue underlying both. However a lot of people have one or the other, so they aren't totally linked.Tricyclic antidepressants are often used for pain treatment for both disorders.K.


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Hi Twocups! Welcome to the forum!These are not dumb questions youâ€™re asking. Theyâ€™re the questions we ALL start asking when we first realize something is wrong with us! I remember asking all the same questions, and I bet lots of other members here do too!To start off, yes, it is common for Fibromyalgia patients to also have IBS, irritable bladder, and several other issues. So, I guess I would say that IBS does kind of â€œgo withâ€ FM, but FM does not â€œgo withâ€ IBS. If that makes sense. The bottom line is MOST Fibromyalgia patients DO also have IBS, but, MOST IBS patients do NOT have Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is most marked by widespread pain. This is defined as pain in all 4 quadrants of the body. A fibro patientâ€™s first complaint will usually be pain â€œall overâ€. So, a key note is that if your pain is limited to one area of the body, it is more likely to be a different pain syndrome, and not Fibromyalgia.Here is a link to our Fibromyalgia FAQ. It contains LOADS of information about FM symptoms, diagnostic criteria, related illnesses, and treatment options: http://ibsgroup.org/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f...261/m/953103051A rheumatologist is the treating specialist for FM. So, it might be a good idea to ask your GP about getting a referral to a Rheumy to just find out!There are several members here who have gone to pain management clinics. Some have had really good experiences with pain clinics, so you might talk to your GP about finding one in your area. They have lots of resources to treat pain for their patients that GPs donâ€™t have.(Regardless of whether or not you have FM, or some other pain syndrome, I think seeing a pain specialist sounds like a good idea for you, because youâ€™re dealing with chronic pain that hasnâ€™t responded to typical treatment. Pain clinics are designed to deal with that kind of pain in ways that GPs arenâ€™t.) I hope this helps, at least a little. Please keep us posted on your progress, and feel free to express other worries and concerns here! Our forum moves a little slow, as most of us are â€œsickiesâ€, but all our FM/CFS members are REAL dears!!


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## 14139 (May 13, 2005)

I'm not sure if it is even fair that I am asking this question knowing there are so many of you who have severe FMS pain. Recently I started thinking that maybe some of my symptoms are FMS related. I am not sure because my pain is not severe. I have alot aching in my neck, low back, hip and my knee. I wake up everyday feeling so uncomfortable. A hot shower tends to give me some relief but not for very long. I work for a chiropractor who will adjust me from time to time without any relief.I feel fatigued alot and my sleep pattern has changed. I wake up very easily and never feel that I have slept really well. I also get alot of headaches. I also have had dizziness. All of this started about a year ago.My question is could this be the beginning of FMS or am I way off base? Maybe its nothing at all but I thought I would see what you all had to say. I understand that only a dr could diagnose FMS, but before I make an appt or even consider making an appt I wanted to check here first.ANy feedback would be greatly aprreciated.


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Not all FMS patients have severe pain. Some have mild pain, and for some patients it varies even in their own body - some days severe pain, some days more mild pain.The main marker to know if your pain may, or may not, be FMS related is if it's "all over" pain. FMS is marked by pain in all 4 quadrants of the body.What you are experiencing could very well be Fibromyalgia, but it could also be a number of other things - As FMS symptoms tend to overlap with many other diseases and afflictions.I think what would be a good idea, is to start keeping a symptom journal today. Make it as detailed as possible. Rate your pain everyday, and make a note of where it is everyday. Keep a record of how you sleep (how long, how refreshing, etc), what you eat, what you drink, and what your activities are each day. By doing that for a few weeks, or even a month or more, you will have a GREAT idea of your pattern of symptoms. Then, you can make an appointment with your doctor, and start to distinguish the pattern. You'll be able to tell if anything you're doing, or eating is contributing to a change in your symptoms. Or, if there seems to be no change at all.I would say that the severity of your pain probably wouldn't factor in to a Fibro diagnosis. But where the pain is, and your other symptoms, definitely would factor in.I hope this has helped a little. Please let us know how you're getting on, and what happens at the doctor!!


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