Hi, I'm new to this forum and need some answers. I have various symptoms and have been seeing a Doctor. So far all blood tests have come back normal. I was sure I was anemic or had rheumatoid arthritis with my symptoms, but I guess not. My symptoms vary from month to month. Last month it was dizziness or what I would call my equilibrium being off. If I turned quickly I would have to stop and get my bearings. I also had what i've read as "brain fog", unable to concentrate or think. Feeling like I was in a different world. This month it's the weakness that is driving me crazy. I feel weak all the time, like you do after an illness. If I spend a morning in my garden, I spend the afternoon on the couch. If I physically use a muscle for a period of time it is sore and weak for days. I trimmed my hedge the other day and I can barely use my arms. This is all new to me. I've always been a very active, strong person, walking 3 miles every day. I don't seem to have the severe pain all the time, but I do get very achey that interferes with my sleep, especially in my knees, shoulders and lower back. I do have a mild headache almost every day and take a lot of Ibuprofen. My stomach bothers me and I often feel nauseous.Stress REALLY makes all of these symptoms worse, but even when I'm stress free and happy, I don't feel well. My Doctor doesn't want to diagnose me with Fibro. and we live in a small town with a shortage of Dr's. I really need to talk to someone with Fibro. and see if this sounds like symptoms. Please help me.

Really sorry you're having such a hard time Ray. How long have you been feeling ill? I don't know about fibro, but you describe something that's like a bout of viral menigitis I've had. Dreadful headaches and neck ache, dizzy and sick, very sensitive to sound and light and incredibly tired. So I don't know if you might have had some awful virus too. This one has left me wiped out, really tired and achy for about three months, but is definitely mending, my energy is coming back.
Hope someone else can help you a bit more, just thought this might be a possibility.
Take care, best wishes from across the ocean, Jay

Ray, I am so sorry you're going through this. CFS or FM is usually the diagnosis when *everything* else has been eliminated. I don't believe there currently is a diagnostic test for CFS or FM.

I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. Unfortunately, it does sound very much like you have fibro. I often joke to friends that if I move my finger up and down for a bit one day, I won't be able to use it for a week!

I didn't look at your profile, so I don't know when you started low carb, but for me this does work. I am not doing real well these days in sticking to it, but I do know it does work for me. After about 2 weeks on it, (strict) I notice that I am not hurting as much anymore. So, I hope if you are not on it, you will do so. Atkins is the most strict and hopefully it will work for you.

yes, I too had/have a conglomeration of symptoms, that includes tiredness, soreness, fogginess. It helps a lot if your significant other is an understanding person and is willing to investigate. If not, this will make it worse. And yes, stress does make it worse. Be wary...some doctors will not diagnose fibro. They don't think it is "real." My best advice is don't get started on anti-depressants if you can help it. (no uproar please from the crowd). They cause their own side effects and you may be able to deal with the symptoms of this "naturally." I am of course, just giving you my own experience. It is really tough to stay on low-carb sometimes, but it will be well worth it.
Please use this board, all the info inside, and all the links, to investigate yourself. Don't hesitate to email if you need someone to be there.

Thank you for responding. It's nice to have someone to talk to, even if it is only on a forum. You all are so kind!! Honestly, I've had various symptoms for at least 8 years now, but have felt worse in the last 3 months. I don't have the terrible headaches you would get with meningitis, it's more like a sinus/tension headache. I have done much research on Fibro. and have many of the symptoms. I've had restless leg syndrome for years, but it is only bad enough once in awhile to disturb my sleep. I have great sensitivity to light, loud sounds and smells. I drove my husband nuts this Spring because I kept smelling cat pee every where and he couldn't smell it. I could barely stand the fireworks this year because the noise and lights really bothered me. I even went to have my eyes checked because I felt like I was straining them all the time, especially at night. My vision is perfect. It's the weakness lately that is getting me down though and I am starting to worry I have something more serious, but like I said above, all blood tests have so far, come back normal. I'm 36 with 3 children and they keep me busy. It's hard to do things I want when I'm tired and weak all the time. Does anyone else have stomach problems with this? I find on bad days I'm slightly nauseous and my stomach is sore.

I'm happy to note, that today I feel great. That's what drives me crazy it comes and goes. My shoulders and knees are a bit achey, but I can live with that.

As for the Atkins diet, I haven't started it yet. I will though if it will help me feel better. I've been doing research on diet, and am willing to try anything. That is what brought me to this forum. I will continue to read all of the information in this forum.

Thanks again to all that responded. It feels great to have someone take me seriously!

Hi, Ray. Just wanted to give you a complete list of symptoms that I have been experiencing. I can't really even say when they started, but I can say that after I got married again (5 years ago), they go so bad that I finally noticed them.

Headaches - especially morning - this is supposedly/actually from not sleeping well.
Eyes - my eye muscles seem to be affected. Swelling around eyes, and when I try to use them in the a.m., it makes me extremely nauseaus.
Stomach - IBS. Stomach is very sore to palpitate. Never know what is going to upset it, so i don't like to eat out much (especially during a flare)
Muscles/joints - ache. Hurt to touch my skin some days. Even bottoms of feet hurt in the mornings. My scalp sometimes get sore just from changing my hair.
Concentration - none
Fogginess
Dizziness
Mood swings
Sensitivity to smell, light and sound
Tireness/fatigue
Don't seem to heal well (was checked for diabetes - negative)

One thing I would like to point out. A couple of months ago, my GP accidentally stumbled on the fact that I have fasting hyperglycemia (in other words, I continue to pump insulin while I am sleeping). I am wondering if this may, in fact, be a cause for fibro that no one has investigated.

Hi quietone, just curious...
If you continue to pump insulin whilst asleep, wouldn't that result in hypoglycaemia, since the insulin would store away any remaining sugar in the blood? I suffer from reactive hypoglycaemia, so I'm just intrigued.
Take care, Jay

sorry for the confusion. I thought hypoglycemia was where people gets weak and faint and stuff. I think that is what my ex had, and he had to stay away from simple sugars and such and get protein with every meal, etc.

Hyper means too much...like a hyperactive child. My insulin receptors have become resistant and don't know that I don't need it. I am just a step away from diabetes. Anyway, two hours after a meal or glucose my insuling is usually under 90. In the morning when I arise, before I eat anything, it is close to 110. The first time I took a glucose test because I was sure I was diabetic, the nurse accused me, and would not stand down, that I had eaten before the test because it was higher before. The second time, I had a different nurse and different dr. and they caught it to be what it is. Unfortunately, the way to keep it away is the same as diabetes. But low carb will help if I can ever stay on it. Actually, it would probably end it.

Thus, came my question...could this possibly have anything to do with fibro? I wonder how many people out there have had a glucose test come up negative and said "oh it can't be blood sugar" and yet feel better on low carb? I have noticed a discernable difference in how I feel in the a.m. depending on how I ate the last 12 hours before I went to sleep.

Hmmmmmm

Thank you Quietone. I appreciate the list of symptoms, it's good to compare what you have with what I've been feeling. I have almost all of your symptoms, and a couple of different ones. The only thing that I don't have is the same pain. I have read all about the pressure points that they test to see if you have fibro. and I don't think I have them. I do have achiness in most of the areas shown that comes and goes and moves around. Tonight my shoulder blades, clavicles and knees are aching. I definately have the tenderness in my abdomen as well, I have for years. If I push on it, it hurts. I also hate going out to eat, because I do not feel well after I eat, and usually need to find a bathroom. My eyes drive me crazy, especially in dim lighting. If I'm listening to someone talk and concentrating on them for a period of time, my eyes go "buggy" and I feel nauseous. I ALWAYS have a headache in the morning(always assumed it was allergies). The fogginess and dizziness is my most annoying symptom. It's really hard at work, when I can't think or concentrate. The new symptom that worries me, is the total body weakness, it feels like my blood sugar is low and I need to eat, but my blood sugar isn't low, and eating doesn't help. Does anyone have that feeling? It feels like the day after you've had the stomach flu, and your whole body feels weak including your stomach. The last three days have been pretty good. The weather and my hormones really seem to affect how i feel. I always feel terrible around ovulation when my hormones are at their peek. Not sure if that is a common complaint. Anyway, again I thank you for your response, it has made me feel better.

I got a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia Fatigue. There is a previous one you might want to read (I haven't) but this one includes a suggested plan of action that is quite involved. I got it because it also suggests a low carb plan as a help. Even though I have not lost weight, in answer to your question, I am a firm believer that the elimination of sugar and most carbs helps control the symptoms of FM. It is hard to get a diagnosis of FM -- there are many different theories and many different suggested recovery plans. Also, there are doctors who still believe it is a psychological disorder (imagined) and if you do get a diagnosis, you can have lots of problems with you insurance. If you have an ADD diagnosis, Adderall XR helps some FM sufferers, but you have to have the ADD diagnosis, and a good psychiatrist to prescribe it for you. I have been troubleshooting on my own for a number of years. That's why I recently went back to low carb. I was having a lot of episodes and looking for new findings. That's when I found the book. LC really does help my symptoms.
Good luck

Thanks for the book suggestion! I'll check out my book store tomorrow.

Hi Ray

i wish i can take all your pain away cause i know how days can be i have Fibro..i went to the doc and of course they give you pills..so i took them and for 1 week i had massive headaches...so the only thing i did different was them pills so i stopped them...headaches gone!...then i took them again 3 days later...headaches back...i went on the net and looked up what the doc gave me...DEPRESSION pills...i got up took the bottle and in the garbage they went...ok its only 10mg but it starts by 10, 20, 30 etc no way...i dont believe in pills unless its life or death...anyhow...i was in another lowcarb forum and fell on a topic on Watercure...i read it and read what everyone was saying till one lady said it got rid of her FIBRO...well now...worth looking into...so i did more reading and started it....its been a about a year now i do that...and you know what? IT WORKS! my pain goes away about 60-70%...fibro will always be there you cant get rid of it nothing to do with it...

also, you got to read everything you can get on Fibro...it will help you out to hear other people's story cause you might see one of them its you...one thing about fibro you have got to get up and exercise but mildly...yoga is one of the best things cause its stretching, walking is great too and light weights...

the watercure is basically seasalt...some ppl put it in their water but i cant take drinking salty water...so i put it in the middle of my tounge 1/4teaspoon and down goes a big glass of water...you do that 3x a day...you have to drink a gallon of water a day...well i drink that cause i like water...you need water and a lot pure day...seasalt is natural...light gray humide feel...so its NOT white...and it wont damage your kidneys whatsoever...watercure does a lot for other problems...allergies, highblood pressure, headaches etc...the list is too long...but read the webpage below and you will see how interesting it is...after all its only water and natural seasalt...

heres the web page for watercure: http://www.watercure2.com/

fibro: http://www.fmnetnews.com/pages/basics.html

now im not the type that believes in everything...opposite of that unless i see it to believe it...im that type...so i gave it a try and i know it works for me because often i forget to take it when im on a go or gone for a weekend and it is there i notice i feel pain everywhere...when i get back on track its alot calmer...i still bike, walk, all the time..i use to run, jog rollerblade etc and had to stop that...i still get the same workout by biking and walking...

one more thing...way back in the olden days when someone was sick or allergies or whatever...doc would tell you...go to the ocean and it will go away...they would always tell you go to the sea...

well hope this helps you and take care of yourself
lanny

Hi Ray,

I just want to tell you that I am on the other side of fibro/CFS and am improving greatly!!!

I spent 4 years bedridden from fibro/CFS and Major Depression. I was so weak and in so much pain that I could not hold my own eyes open to talk with my kids when they came home from school. I listened to them...but could not look at them. It didnt help for anyone to call me because I couldn't breathe hard enough, because of weakness, to talk loud enough through the phone.

If I had to say what helped me.....I would say three main things......1st of all, I had to allow myself rest when my body demanded it. It doesn't matter if it was all day or just a few catnaps throughout the day. I had to give my body what it wanted in rest !!!!
2nd- I have been going through a very deep emotional and mental healing. What I mean by this...is that I have been reaching out through different avenues that could help me understand different aspects of why I think the way I do and why I was so depressed...etc. This was the beginning of me feeling the sunshine on my face again.
3rd and MOST importanta - Was me realizing that I am not God. I can not help everyone and fix their problems and I can not heal myself. So I had to accept my limitations and lean upon God to do everything that I couldn't. Or, just let things go that I couldn't do and God's peace to help me let it go.

As I began to work on me, my body began getting stronger and the pain levels began dropping. The depression, too, began to leave.

Now, I am functioning ALMOST normal. I still have pain and fatique spells alot. But I am learning how to not allow them to bring fear, depression or anxiety upon me. Because when that is all together, I thought I was dying, literally.

So, my word to you is to just encourage you to remain calm, take a look at how you look at things (stress-related) and try to baby yourself.
One more thing....if all you can do in a day is brush your hair and get dressed..you have accomplished a great deal. The small things you do throughout your day keeps your strength from weakening even more.

God bless,
jimsbride