Re: To re fibromyalgia, etc.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I have had 6 ANA tests done in the last year, it goes from 1:320 to

1:640; from speckled pattern to anti centromere pattern. As far as

I know, nothing else has been abnormal. My dad has systemic lupus

so I have a family history of auto immune disease. I am just as fed

up with rheumatologists at this point as I had been with

gastroenterologists in the past. The only medication that I was put

on that I felt helped me was Plaquenil. This is a drug for

scleroderma (even though my rheumy wasn't sure if I had sclero or

not) but with minimal side effects she thought it couldn't hurt to

try me on it. When I finally made it to the Mayo Clinic and was

diagnosed with CP and SOD, my doc there wanted me off the Plaquenil

so I haven't been on it now in about 4 months. I have tried other

meds for fibromyalgia; Flexeril for muscle pain and Celebrex for

joint pain. And I have been advised to exercise

regularly........hard to do when there's pain virtually everywhere

in the body and SOD attacks daily. Mayo Clinic thinks I was wrongly

diagnosed with fibro when all of my complaints have been abdominal

and back pain and of course the terrible achiness after an attack.

Fatigue is something I suffer daily as well, but I would guess

anyone with as much pain as those that suffer with CP like us would

be fatigued! Flexeril does help me relax and I only take it at

bedtime. Celebrex I have taken off and on..........off at the

moment. I can't tell that it really helps sometimes and Tylenol or

Advil does a fairly decent job with my joint pain. I guess all in

all I try to focus on CP more than the hidden " possible " auto immune

disease that I " may " or " may not " have. I know you understand what

I mean.

Very sorry about your bulging disc. I hope all goes well with the

traction. I still work full time (don't ask me how, because at this

point I don't even know) and my job is office manager at a

chiropractic clinic. We just got a Lordex spinal decompression unit

about 4 weeks ago. I understand it works well for patients with

lumbar disc problems but so far we haven't had it long enough for

any of our patients to have undergone all of the treatment schedules

yet. But I am hearing that they are having better days as far as

their pain is concerned.

Oh yes, I am in Tennessee. Where are you?

I hope you are having a pain free day as well. Let me know if you

do consider the new drug and kept me updated on how you are doing.

Hugs

Zoie