Living with Fibromyalgia

I am a 50 year old female.In May 2008 I had surgery on my left hand. Soon after therapy started my therapist stated she thought I had RSD.Never hearing of this syndrome before I started researching. Although many symptoms seemed to indicate RSD I wasn’t totally convinced this is what I had.

Over the past the past 15 months I’ve come to realize I have probably been living with fibromyalgia for many years. Due to many insurance changes at my husbands work I’ve have had to change doctors frequently. I’ve been to doctors with a wide range of symptoms over the years and test always come back normal. I’ve been through MRI’s for lower back pain. I have constant burning that started in my legs years ago and now has spread to my neck shoulers, arms and face. I have had nerve blocks ,therapy and told I have chronic back pain. I have had irritable bowel syptoms, countless urinary tract infections, upper GI symptoms, chest pains and had all the test (colonoscopy, upperGI, Stress test, Gallbladder Ultra sound and all test come back normal. After many years and many test you come away feeling that doctors think its all in your head.

In the past year since my hand surgery I feel that my symptoms have become worse. I’ve spent many nights lying awake with intense burning throughout my body. I spend many days with headaches neck and shoulder pain and just an overall feeling of being ill. I have many things in my life in the last few years that have caused me much stress. I have also had anxiety and depression. On my last doctor visit He prescribed a medicine for depression It has had been some help but has not helped with the physical symptoms. This was the first time a doctor has suggested that I might have fibromyalgia. I think having changed doctors so often over the years no one ever put all the pieces together. It was not until I started reading information on the internet in the last few months did I realize their is a name to what I have gone through for the last twenty or more years.. If anyone can share how they get through the everyday pain and feelings of exhaustion or of any medications that have helped I would appreciate any information.