[garc2626]

:confused:

Hi, my name is Jessica. I am 28 years old, I am 5'4” and I weight 128 pounds. I apologized for any grammar mistake. English is not my first language. I am an Active duty member of the USAF.

My problem started 3 years ago when the right side of my neck and my shoulder starting to bother me. Since then my pain had progress. Now I have TMJ and have to wear double mouth guards at night so my jaw doesn't pop. My neck and my shoulder still hurt on the right side and it gets aggravated if I do anything with my right arm to the point that the pain all the way to my ribs and it radiates to the front of my ribs. A couple months ago my lower right leg started to cause pain from the buttock and it will radiate all the way down to my anckle. Recently my left leg started to hurt the same way but it is never both legs at the same time, sometimes is the right side, sometimes is the left side. Also, I have started to get exhausted, by mid day I feel like I can't do anything anymore, that's how tired I get. They started giving me pills to sleep because I can't fall asleep due to the pain and I barely sleep through the night.

The following tests have been done:

Cervical MRI – C4-C5 bulging disc
Brachialplexus MRI – Negative
Thoracic MRI – Negative
Shoulder MRI – Tendinitis
Lumbar MRI – L4 bulging disc, 3cm cyst
Nerve/Muscle test in right arm/shoulder – no significant findings

Treatments:
Physical Therapy
Biofeedback
Epidural injections
Nerve block injections
Neck traction
Ultrasound therapy
Steroids treatments

Medication I remember:

Pamelor, Cymbalta, Robaxin, Flexeril, Tramadol, and many others I don't remember

Flexeril is the only one that aliviate my neck/shoulder pain but it makes me very drowsy and unable to work

I am desperate. I used to be very active, always working out, very good worker. Now, I get tired to easily, I am afraid to do anything because of the pain it may cause. They put me on a profile that prohibit me from doing any physical activity which makes me non deployable. I have been serving the Air Force for almost 8 years now and my performance had always stand out. I am a workaholic that love to be busy and love working and love the military.

My mom and my aunt had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I am wondering if I have the same or if anybody have an idea of what its going on with me. Im desperate

[ROLCAM]

A wonderful article that you might find
helpful:-

Fibromyalgia, is a condition in which people experience long-lasting, severe pain in muscles and other soft tissues throughout their bodies. Patients with fibromyalgia also have places on their bodies called tender points that are unusually sensitive. Physicians test for tender points by pressing firmly where the points are known to occur. Fibromyalgia patients feel pain from an amount of pressure that would not seem uncomfortable to people without the disorder.

In addition to pain and tenderness, most fibromyalgia patients experience fatigue and sleep problems. Headaches and abdominal pain are also common symptoms. Many patients report feeling anxious, depressed, or stressed. The disorder usually occurs in people in their 30's or 40's. More women than men are affected by fibromyalgia.

There is no laboratory test, X ray, or other procedure that proves conclusively that a person has fibromyalgia. Doctors usually diagnose the condition by taking a careful history of symptoms and determining that a patient has tender points.

Experts disagree about the cause of fibromyalgia. Some doctors believe that the condition arises chiefly due to mood disorders. These experts think that stress, depression, or worries disturb sleep. Troubled sleep then increases sensitivity to pain, possibly by changing the balance of messenger chemicals in the brain and nervous system. Two messenger chemicals that may be involved are serotonin and norepinephrine. Other doctors think that an imbalance of messenger chemicals occurs first. The imbalance then leads to altered moods, sleeplessness, pain, tenderness, and other symptoms.

Treatment of fibromyalgia almost always includes an exercise program. Exercise decreases pain sensitivity and improves physical fitness. Doctors often prescribe drugs called antidepressants, which reduce pain, restore sleep, and improve mood. Physicians may also suggest pain-relieving drugs. Because stress and depression may cause fibromyalgia or make it worse, psychological treatment may help relieve symptoms.

Contributor: David S. Pisetsky, Ph.D. Chief of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunity, Duke Univ. Medical Center.

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