Muscle tightness and pain

[problemmatic]

I am not quite sure of the right category but as I have not been diagnosed with anything specific, I thought this might be as good a place as any.  For about a year, I have been in a pattern where I exercise on a treadmill in the morning and my legs basically feel pretty good especially as they warm up, but within an hour or so after I stop, they tighten up terribly (even if I stretch)  and I am pretty much miserable the rest of the day and find even basic activities such as walking in a store, or even to the car, very difficult.  The discomfort is not always in the same place, although the most frequent site is the hamstrings.  I then sleep, it feels better in the morning, and I do it all over again.  I have done lots of PT with no benefit.  I have NO weakness, just tightness and pain.  My CK level has been checked several times and is fine.  No thyroid issues.   Any diagnostic or practical advice would be welcomed.

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum! This is a forum related to Fibromyalgia. Your symptoms of pain and muscle stiffness after exercise do not suggest of the condition.  Fibromyalgia pain is characterized by morning stiffness whereas you are experiencing stiffness after exercise which improve on rest and you feel fine in the morning.

The reasons for the muscle stiffness and pain that you are experiencing may be due to overuse of the muscles or electrolyte imbalance. The symptoms in such a condition improve after rest. Undergoing physiotherapy will not relieve the symptoms but may aggravate them .
You need to change your exercise pattern. Please go for gentle exercises like walking, stretching, swimming, cycling for a few days. Please do not jog or run on the treadmill till your muscles are conditioned and get used to the gentle exercises. You must limit the muscle use for some time.

Please take good nutrition. Since calcium and protein are used up during exercise, any deficiency of nutrients may result in muscle stiffness. Please take a diet or natural supplements rich in protein, multivitamins and multiminerals especially calcium.  Calcium supplements must be taken additionally since the multimineral supplements may not have the concentration required by you. Zinc and magnesium are essential. Massage the muscles. Drink plenty of juices and water. Make sure you get enough electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Stretch gently before you start to exercise. See a nutritionist to correct the imbalances in your diet and see a trainer to be sure you are moving correctly.
For muscle pain from overuse, take rest and take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Apply ice for the first 24 - 72 hours of  exercise to reduce pain and inflammation. After that, heat often feels more soothing. Gentle stretching exercises after a long rest period are also helpful. Massage helps a lot. Please consult a physician if the symptoms persist and go for EMG and nerve conduction studies. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!

[JohannaB]

I'm sorry to post here, but didn't find post button in the main forum, so I hope you don't mind!

Ok, this is my dilema I hardly ever go doctors as I haven't got most of the time energy to get ready and go there and just be told go back home have an asperin and rest, come back in 2 weeks... etc.

But today I geared up with lots of hope, as I felt that I had solved my "illness" so I went to my doctors (GP) but as soon I mentioned ME/CFS he didn't want to know, as far he was consern it was all in my head, in his opinion the cause of my all my symptoms was depression..?
So I'd love to ask you what do you think, is it all in my head... As these are my symptoms (and my husband and children could tell anyone every single symptom without ever looking up the symtoms for ME, I'm saying this as the doctor made me start doubting myself, so much that I haven't stop crying sience I went there, just so so tired of being tired and not getting help and the doctor not willing to listen ) :

- Constant tiredness what ever I do or where ever I am.
- Pins and needels and cramps in my leggs
- Above avarge body temperature 36.9 - 37.3 or above most of the time..
- Headaches/ migrane type
- Pain in between my shoulder plates, more to the right.
- Feeling Sick / in stomack, short of wanting to vomit (although, never happend yet)
- Brain Fog / Mostly can't think straight
- Forgetfulness, memory loss/ all you need to do ask my family about that, it's a fact!!
- Sleep disturbance/ very hard to get to sleep, and when I wake up it's like I never slep


Although I was trying to explain to him that the only reason that I'm depressed is because of the costant tiredness and not being able to function like a normal person, or as I use to. He said his seen people with ME and I don't belong to their gathehory, I'd be lieing down in my bed without being able to even come see him and so forth...

I don't have money to go private, so what is my other option?? (I live in UK London and to be send to a ME/Fibro clicnic you need refearal letter from your GP, but he is not willing to do it :(

[Slardar]

A related discussion, What causes my muscle pain? was started.

[JustAnotherGuy77]

A related discussion, Fibromyalgia and Medication Treatment - Please help me was started.

[sdlidstone]

A related discussion, Tired of the pain was started.

[RJE]

I was finally diagnosed with FMS/CFS in 2008.  It took many tests and trips to my physician's office.  It was my fault it took so long to diagnose.  I just went to him when I had a persistent pain in one area.  Then I was afraid to go bacl too soon when I had more pain in a different area.  I was afraid I was going nuts and he would think I was making up my symptoms.  It got to the point I could hardly walk and was never sleeping just in pain all the time.  So, I started keeping a list of all my pains and what I was doing when they occurred.  My list was so long and I also kept track of lack of sleep times--sometimes I didn't sleep for over 48 hours.  I then made an appointment and took my list.  I handed it to him said either something is seriously wrong with me or I'm crazy.

He was no understanding.  He said your not crazy and I think I know what this might be.   He started running tests and took several x rays.  After two weeks he called me in and said he was sure I had FMS.  I has never heard of it.  He gave me vicodin and ambien and referred me to a "rumy".  I didn't care for her.  I was there for only 10 minutes, she said she had read all my test results and touched me in several places.  Then told me I would never get better and I would never feel any better than I did today and it would only get worse.  I went home and cried.  (I now know she was just being very truthful).

I made an appointment with a different "rumy" in St. Louis.  I went there and the doctor spent over an hour with me.  She started my on Lyrica.  I took it and had an allergic reaction to it.  Had to stop that and started me on another medication that caused my acid reflux and asthma to act up.

Then she put me on Neutron, cymbalta, amitriptyline, vitamin d.  Nothing helped the pain.  She slowing increased the Neutron until I ended up taking 3 capsules 3 times a day.

The only thing that has improved is the touch pain I had.  The touch pain had gotten so bad I couldn't wear a bra or have my clothing touch my forearms or ankles (I know weird).

She refuses to give me pain meds.  She said all they do is "Mask the Problem".
I asked her why I have to keep exercising when that only made the pain worse.  She said the exercising wasn't for the pain only to keep my muscle going.  She said the pain would never stop.  I asked why the antidepressants she said that was for the pain too.  Now I am really depressed and my feelings have changed too.  I can't stand to be around people.  I feel lazy.  I made my husband leave--when he was the only one who really understood what I was going through.  I just couldn't stand him or anyone else saying "How are you feeling now".

I lost my job, the doctor said I couldn't work.  It took 18 months to get on disability.  During which I lost my house, my good credit, my medical insurance--no income for 18 months will do that.  

I have read everything I could on FMS/CFS.  I have read all the forums on here too.

So, my questions is, I take 18 pills a day plus pain medication (my physician prescribes them to me since my "rumy" won't.  If nothing really helps except the pain meds (if you take two of them at a time-several times a day), why not just stop all the other meds I'm on and just take pain meds?   I no longer drive nor can I drive.  When I had to drive, I couldn't take my meds, then I would drive but I kept having  memory problems and would get lost and you can't drive when you take your meds or pain meds.  So, I just don't drive.

I don't understand why everyone is taking so many medications when they don't seem to help.

I'm 51 years old now and starting my life over on a 1/3 of my monthly income I used to make.  Nothing makes any sense.

I realize that pain medications mask the problem, but so do all the other medications I take.  I also realize that pain medications can become additive.  But if that is the only thing that truly gives you any relief does it really matter?

[kendrabaebe]

About me its all very personal:
  Ive been a stay at home mom since 2006
I am 27 years old african american been married 4 years
my  blood type o positive

I think its Hypoglycemia?  
Heres what happened one night before bed when i was 17years old i ate a big bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and suger before I went to bed because i was hungry.The next morning i had passed out on the bathroom floor as a result. I never ate oatmeal before bed ever again. after a few more fainting episodes in college after this incident i think i am hypoglycemic for real. Bread,sugar,pasta Wheat products in general keep me 5'6 and 181 pounds i got down to 168 recently because i went on the paleo diet but as i result i ended up hating meat for good and I eat fish for meat every day which is a shame i think i get joked for it too now because i gave up meat and i still weigh the same as before i started on the paleo diet  i got addicted to eating duncan hines ultimate chocolate brownies  and dairyqueen and krispy cream on cheat days! tastes so good but makes you fat because of the sugar. My lowest weight in life was when I was 12 years old I weighed 138 pounds in college I went vegan still eating bread though I only dropped to 154 pounds thats all. I had high colesterol too. I dont monitor the Hypoglycemea at all really Its something I deal with If I wake up in the morning wanting to through up on an empty stomach thats my fasting hypoglycemia that stays constant daily. I would love to fast for 40days to cleanse the toxins in my body but I would get so sick doing that because of hypoglycemia symptoms.

Now to the Fibromyalgia
I started having arthritis and fibro during my second pregnancy late 2006. My baby doctor told me to not worry about the arthritis and pain from my child bearing hips they said take tylenol and the pain would go away well it did not I found myself lying in bed every day all during my pregnancy because of pain everywhere. I stopped working my excuse was to raise my family but really its because of the constant fatigue and also having two small children. After my second child I decide to as soon as possible have my tubes tied I did the surgery because I did not want anymore stress in my life of having too many children to tend to. And foreal I wanted to loose weight and get healthy I have a natural hourglass figure and I did not want to loose that by sitting around having a whole bunch of babies. I love my two children but two is enough for me.  my mother died of cancer september 13 2008 she was 51 years old she was marreied 28 years had twins a boy and a (girl) me and another son my little brother who is 18 now. She had breast cancer in 2004 and she in 2007 had the cancer  come back she endend up having 10 tumors in the brain 3 large tumors in the back of her brain hitting the optic nerves so she had poor vision as a result the doctor gave her 6months to live and after a few months of radiation she stopped because she could not afford anymore payments to go anymore the cancer spread to every organ in her body bones too and lungs and spleen too  she died and yes who wouldn't feel pain from loosing your mother to a disease like that my moms doctor told me and my brothers to get tested for cancer in the future because of we are now conceider high risk for cancer because of what had happend to her.
This incident made my fibro worse because I was sad alot but I did not want to go on antidpressants because I did not want to be walking around twitching and acting crazy on pysco samatic drugs.My mom died and i wanted to get a check up at the time so i decided to seek medical attention from my gynecologyst all he did was tell me that my body pain was all in my head i cannot get screened for cancer yet because of my age and if I go and take the brac gene test and it turns out positive then it will mess me up getting health insurance in the future. I was so mad! I called the american cancer society and they told me that because of what happened to my mother I am eligeble when I turn age 30 to start getting screened and  tested for cancer.
I have a very supportive husband that has seen me having to deal with fibro symptoms for 3 years now  i have not officially been diagnosed by a doctor for either hypoglycemia or fibro though. I recently this year decided to ditch my gynecologist who i last seen last october seven days after my mom died. The doctor took me in his office and told me my pain was all in my head because my mom passed away from cancer .
2009  i decided to try the family practice physician he listen to my symptoms and sent me to get ultrasounds for my constant right hip pain. And he prescribed flexeril for my back and shoulder pain and told me to tale tylenlol I was taking 8 a day to try to control the pain to me thats too many pills i don't take any meds currently or tylenol I  don't want to depend on flexeril for the rest of my life either it doesn't work for me anyway also my new doctor discovered I have had tumor cysts on my ovaries occuring frequently months at a time I have no PCOS or stds he said come back if I am having more issues but I haven't had the extra money to go back.     I And my hip pain was so severe once the 24 hour Nowcare had to give me crutches to walk i finally went on a quest to find out about this fluelike pain all over causing severe pain in my right hip specifically as well.

MY everyday Symptoms include:
Nausea
sleeping is dysfuntional because I wake up in pain not refreshed!
Itchy watery eyes
Sensitive to light and dark
Fatigue tired
Pain muscular full body (my back muscles stay rock hard to the touch and my veins stay having this burning felling)
blurred vision
Breast tenderness
IBS Symptoms bloating gas constipation I never drink milk but cant stay away from cheese
frequent urination
contantly thirsty
constant tension headaches
ear aches both sides
pizza cravings
Chocolate cravings
rapid heart fluttering at least once or twice a day
stress (housework kids careg iving being a wife theres no one around to watch the kids maybe twice a month)
my periods have no pain anymore growing up I had desminorea sever cramps during my period all I deal with is nausea and no abdominal cramping anymore weird!
it hurts to sleep on a matress even for 2 minutes
sitting on the couch hurts I avoid couches
the computer chair is comforting mostly
I do cry and get moody but thats a female thing not really a symptom




I use cayenne pepper on my food to get rid of my tension headaches it makes my nose run.

Heres my question are ovarian cysts  fibro related too ?And how can I get better? any recommendations?

thanks for your time in responding please let me know something,