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Fibromyalgia?

Hi

I am a 26 year old male. I am curious about the symptoms and a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. My symptoms have been:

I frst experienced Upper back pain from may 08 - mid septemberr 08. I am not 100 % why I had the pain. I saw every doctor imagineable (orthopedist, rheumatologist, acupuncturist, physiatrist, myofascial trigger point therapist, massage therapists) Not much helped but it went away towards the end of september) My only symptoms were upper back pain. The muscles were very tight and knotted.I was not fatigued and sleeping was not an issue.

A couple of weeks ago both of my legs began to bother me. They were tight and achy. I have been weight lifting for a few months now and have been doing the elliptical at least 3-4 times a week, usually for about 45 minutes- 1 hour. At first, I thought my leg issues were due to that. I havent done the elliptical in 2 weeks. I saw a chiropractor and since last thursday now, my hips have been bothering me very badly. I felt like he may have done something to me when he did the adjustment because it started the night after he adjusted my lower back. Its been a week now with this pain and it is quite uncomfortable.

On a side note, Ive had urinary symtpoms since I was 18. I got UTI's my freshman year of college and have had prostate problems since 21, just like my father did when he was my age  I also have constipation now and then and history of hemmoroids

I saw another rheumatologist last week, before my hips began to bother me. She tested me for the tender points and told me that I don't have fibromyalgia.

I am curious if what I tell you fits the profile for Fibromyalgia. The lack of fatigue and major sleep issues makes me feel like I may be experiencing something else.

Thanks for your help
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, pain was started.
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3119934 tn?1342037844
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Avatar universal
Hi

I don't know if you will answer this but I went for another opinion from a rheumatologist, who was the director of rheumatology at Stony Brook University in New York. He told me that I do not have Fibromyalgia. Due to the fact that I do not have any of the tender points and my pain is below my waist and not had the upper back pain for many many months now.

He acknowledged my Type A personality and obsessive nature and credited it to that and regional pain.

I thought I would share this with you and get your opinion on this.

Thanks for your help
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
Myofascial pain symptoms usually involve muscle pain with specific "trigger" or "tender" points. The pain can be made worse with activity or stress. In addition to the local or regional pain associated with myofascial pain syndrome, people with the disorder also can suffer from depression, fatigue and behavioral disturbances.Trigger points can be identified by pain that results when pressure is applied to an area of a person's body. In the diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome, four types of trigger points can be distinguished:

An active trigger point is an area of extreme tenderness that usually lies within the skeletal muscle and which is associated with a local or regional pain.
A latent trigger point is a dormant (inactive) area that has the potential to act like a trigger point.
A secondary trigger point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that can become active due to a trigger point and muscular overload in another muscle.
A satellite myofascial point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that becomes inactive because the muscle is in the region of another trigger pain. The pain of fibromyalgia is generalized, occurring above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. On the other hand, myofascial pain is more often described as occurring in a more limited area of the body, for example, only around the shoulder and neck, and on only one side of the body. Take care and regards !


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Avatar universal
Thanks for your opinion Doctor. I find it very confusing that you say this could be mild Fibromyalgia when a Rheumatologist examined me and said that I did not have any of the 18 tender points. The research that I have read says that men experience the symptoms at a worse rate.

While I do not know the cause of my condition right now, I can't automatically say it could be Fibromyalgia due to the fact that I am never fatigued and sleeping is not an issue. Prostate problems are common in all men and since Ive had it since im 18 it makes sense that it may be hereditary.

There is a lot of literature on Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Do you know about this condition?
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
Symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread, and vary from person to person. Some sufferers are more affected by widespread pain, while others find that persistent fatigue is the worst symptom. Symptoms in men vary and tend to be quite different when compared  to the symptoms suffered by women. Most researches illustrate that men actually experience milder symptoms than women, and also experience less tender points , less fatigue , less morning stiffnes and milder  IBS . Male symptoms also tend to last for shorter periods of time and occur less often than those appearing in female patients. This is the reason why you do not have the characteristic and full blown symptoms of fibromyalgia . Please consult an orthopaedist and rheumatologist and discuss this possibility and start the treatment as your symptoms don’t relate to any other disorder but Fibromyalgia . Prostate problems and UTIs are more frequent in patients with Fibromyalgia .   Hope this helps you . Take care and regards !

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