Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease. If you were misdiagnosed, you could suffer from Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, just like myself.
The telling signs of Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's;
- Fatigue;
- Joint deformities of the fingers, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor;
- X-Rays showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Elevated levels of C-Reactive protein and Sedimentation rate.
NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, and codeine are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis and fibromyalgia.
A low dosage of antidepressant, 25 mg or 50 mg, at bedtime, can be used to relax muscle and provide significant relief for rheumatic patients.
Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming are also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis.
You should consult an Orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (http://www.aaos.org) maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.
The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:
http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm
Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.
Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.
There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.
Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Fibromyalgia is even easier to treat. For more info, please join our group at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/antibio