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Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: What If My Tests Are Normal?

Annikaz

594d

If all my tests come back normal, my doctor is gonna rule out everything and diagnose me with Fibromyalgia. Although it’s not the answer I wanted, it makes sense and I’m kinda happy I have a somewhat answer to my problems. My blood tests are coming back normal so far. Does that mean I don’t have it? Or can I have normal tests and still have fibro

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Generalized pain

Skin rash

Acute lethargy

Diabetes Type 2 (T2D)

Neutropenia

Pregabalin

Joint pain

Fibromyalgia (FM)

Chronic Generalized pain

Ketamine

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Top reply
    • idk_182

      271d

      @Fibrofoggirl do you mind me asking what said test was (:

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    • olivejane

      546d

      I went through the same thing. Tested for everything the could think of over 3 years before they finally diagnosed me with fibro.

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    • SnuggleBear

      578d

      My rheum has always said that fibromyalgia is more of a symptom than a disease in and of itself. It’s an ultra-sensitivity of the nerves due to an extended period of pain or discomfort. I’d definitely find a second opinion if that’s the answer they come up with.

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    • EMT623

      578d

      Check your c reactive protein, and uric acid level .

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    • Fibrofoggirl

      590d

      There is a blood test for fibromyalgia. Epic genetics and my insurance paid 100% a nurse came to my house and took blood. Two weeks later I got a letter in the mail saying it was positive.

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    • royalty

      591d

      My blood tests showed high inflammation, but it took me having to start a symptom journal to actually get diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

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      • ZappyRacc

        547d

        @royalty same, my blood work has consistently shown high IgA levels. My doctor told me that can be a sign simply that the body is under extra stress. It'll pop up sometimes for otherwise healthy people during especially stressful times in their lives. It basically means something in your body THINKS you're sick and is on guard. Almost like if you think of your immune system is an army and your body as a castle, your soldiers are marching around the grounds nonstop because they are staying alert for any threats. An autoimmune disease is when the soldiers start attacking the castle itself in response to perceived threats. High inflammation in general can be a sign of autoimmune disease, but it's more common. Lots of people would have high inflammation if they were tested simply from poor diet/sleep, emotional stress, or environment. Their guards recognize something is "off," and begin to patrol. Chronic high inflammation levels can lead to a lot of different diseases in the future. Heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, among others, seem to be more common in people whose guards are constantly on patrol unchecked. Another issue is lowered immunity. If your guards are always busy on patrol trying to find this non-existent disease that's actually, like, finals week at school or a fight with a friend, they'll sometimes miss the real intruders. It's why people with AI diseases like lupus or RA are susceptible to infection. Their guards are too busy beating up parts of the castle to notice that pesky influenza jerk before it's already inside making you sick.

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      • royalty

        591d

        @royalty It's also thought that fibro is a neirological nervous system disorder.

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        • royalty

          591d

          @royalty neurological*

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    • CozyVibez

      591d

      Fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of exclusion. No definitive testing is available. The cause of pain is unknown, and besides treating the pain itself, looking at different perspectives, like psych, endocrine, neuro, etc. may yield positive results and lessen the pain.

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      • Fibrofoggirl

        545d

        @CozyVibez there is a fibromyalgia test. My insurance paid and a nurse came to my house and tested my daughter and me. I got a 94% and my daughter got 91% anything over 50 would be a positive

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        • idk_182

          271d

          @Fibrofoggirl do you mind me asking what said test was (:

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    • ZappyRacc

      594d

      Fibro is often used as what they call a "wastebasket disease." It, along with CFS/ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) are generally thought of to have a cause of some sort, but it's as-of-yet poorly understood, and there are no widely-used diagnostic tests. So, what they do is they rule out other causes for your symptoms, then they diagnose you based on self-reported symptom severity. This process is thankfully happening faster now than it used to, in large part because as the disease is better understood, the medical community is coming to realize fibromyalgia is often comorbid with other syndromes and diseases. Much like how someone with Parkinson's is more likely to have depression, someone with an autoimmune disease or many other pain diseases and mental health problems is more likely to have fibro. To my understanding, fibro has to do with your brain's ability to "calm down" your nerves. It's been explained to me by pain therapists as "PTSD of the body." When you're having a fibro flare, your nerves have no chill. This can manifest as a pretty wide number of issues. You've got sensory neurons and motor neurons, so different problems can come up and make it tricky to diagnose. Sensory neurons will cause widespread pain and increased pain sensitivity, as well as loss of sensation and bizarre sensations such as having wet feet when they're dry. Motor neurons can mean muscle spasms, bouts of muscle weakness, and issues like IBS and TMJ dysfunction. The only things that really seem consistent between most folks with fibro are pain in multiple sites, fatigue, and something else which interferes with their life, be it IBS, or something mental like brain fog, depression or anxiety. Honestly, most folks battling chronic illness could meet the diagnostic criteria for fibro. If they don't find one of those, you've got fibro.

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      • Annikaz

        592d

        @ZappyRacc wow thank you for taking the time to write that! Do you happen to know of any treatments for fibro? I know there’s not a lot

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        • ZappyRacc

          547d

          @Annikaz so, it's tough, everybody's different and responds differently to things. But here's what I've tried and what has and has not worked. DID NOT HELP: -Antidepressants of any kind -Physical therapy (tho this is cause we didn't know I was also hypermobile and I had joints slip, now I've got JHS on my chart, I gotta try it again) -Carpal tunnel injections HELPS A LITTLE: -Yoga -Better diet (fresh foods instead of processed, eating enough) -Sleep hygiene HELPS A LOT: -Going out for walks -Weed -Pregabalin -Ketamine (if you can find a clinic and have struggled with other meds, esp if you've also got depression or PTSD, I'd recommend looking into it) -Connecting with friends -A good therapist -Learning to meditate before bed every night -Fun activities and good people to distract me from pain I hope this helps answer your question, apologies for the delay, attention is not my strong suit.

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    • Doc_Eosino_Thrill_Ya

      594d

      Fibromyalgia is a syndrome (a group of symptoms signifying a diseased state) not a standard disease. It doesn't show in blood tests rly at all

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      • Annikaz

        594d

        @Doc_Eosino_Thrill_Ya thank you for your quick response! That was the answer I was looking for. I don’t want yet another doctor saying nothings wrong

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        • RiotRiley18

          594d

          @Annikaz fibromyalgia is super difficult to diagnose in some cases and and commonly misdiagnosed. It runs in my family really strongly on my mom's side so all i had to do was tell my doctor that and he was like okay we will confirm with blood tests but he took my word for it 100%

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☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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