[Numbed]

So reading up on Fibro, and I have most of the symptoms.

I don't remember a time where I have been pain free.

But the other symptoms I do have, how can I distinguish them from things like ADHD (fibro-fog) or (sleep problems) childhood abuse, or stiffness - back problems since 14, although would of been caused earlier than that (like at 10), (numbing/tingleness) possible nerve damage from back problems/not great circulation, etc.

Is it to necessary to distinguish what's what, for a diagnosis, since they all over lap?

I've been looking up the causes, and "not known", well aside it being pretty obvious (so I think at least)

I do have a history of emotional abuse for 15~ years, and I'm most definitely suffering from anxiety and C-PTSD. So I have the extreme stress aspect, and my body has took quite a few physical blows growing up, one causing top of my spine to be bent, landing on my head on concrete slab from 6 foot fall as a kid. (numb enough to not cry, only argh and growl through teeth through this massive heavy ache on the top of my skull)

I ask this question, as while I do have many of the symptoms, I am physically numbed from the abuse in my childhood, detached additionally, and the pain I do experience over my body in different places, comes and goes, but it could just go because i'm not focusing on it. So I can't really tell if it's constant or not, I know I have a past of blocking out/detaching/ignoring/used to pain.

I mean, my focus on things is so intense and it blocks everything out. I found myself at the counter in a store a few weeks back, and when asked by the clerk "any thing else?", when grabbing my money, I noticed I had blood dripping down my finger, only just realised I had hurt myself, and promptly asked "yeah, where are your plasters, lol".

The above happens all the time.

When I have blood taken, due to my childhood, I force myself through pain, only rely on myself, gotta "act tough", which I have my whole life, ignoring my pain, blanking it out, not reacting kind of thing, when I have blood though, I force self to focus, on the needle going in, because in my mind, to not look would be a sign of weakness to myself etc, but my point is, I can feel myself detatch, "Freeze response" even.

So if I go to my GP, and mention Fibro, I'm not sure i'm going to be able to communicate my symptoms properly and get an accurate diagnosis, due to my mental health issues blocking, hiding and always fighting it out with each other (ADHD impulse creativity say, with linear organised strictch ASD) all of it, hiding my physical pain and skewing my symptoms.

I mean the "rate pain thing", when asked I would probably just shrug indifferently, due to the above.

Is it possible for someone to have fibro and experience what I said about moments of pain, different places, but tuning out, or is a diagnosis of fibro something which has to be constant, and would override what I mention above?

Feeling kinda stupid in this post.

Sorry about the messiness of this, first time I'm learning about Fibro, and I have a lot of other overlapping and clashing disorders.

This one is a bit too much to wrap my mind around.
On that note, the symptom of headaches and fibro, I don't get headaches, had maybe 5 in 28 years, Idk though if that serious blow to the head I had when I aws 10, would result in all other lower pains in the head not register?
Which now I think about it, shouldn't I be getting headaches with trapezium muscles and neck muscles being so tight for so long?

I do have the odd pain in my head in the last year though, last 3 years have been incredibly stressful and uhm, probably damaging!

Hmm.

What to do?

[Travelinglady]

Hi, Numbed. I think the answer to your question is "Yes." I have fibro, plus other conditions that cause pain. So I take a pain med for fibro (Cymbalta) as well as prescription meds for for other sources of pain, such as a bad back. I can tune my pain out sometimes.

I would just lay my cards on the table with the doc, if I were you.

[Auja11007]

Hi Numbed,

Don't feel stupid about your post. You're concerned with the symptoms you're feeling and seeking information is a good thing rather than just continuing on.

I'm not a Dr but I do work in neurology and fibro is a condition that's symptoms are almost always never described the same by each patient. It effects everyone differently from sensations felt, areas they're felt in and the frequency of occurrences. There really isn't a medically known "pattern."

Fibro effects the peripheral nervous system and usually the mental overriding of sensations to numbness usually stems from the central nervous system.Our brains have the capability to "shut down" the synapses of communication of the nerve impulses that control sensation.

Don't stress to much about how your concern will sound to your GP. I'm a NDT and perform nerve conduction studies to detect neuropathies, nerve damage, etc. and I'm told all kind of symptoms from patients who usually say "I feel like I'm crazy for thinking I feel this" and in reality they really aren't. Most GPs can recognize the symptoms of fibro right off the bat.

But if you don't mind me asking, have you had any diagnostic studies performed to detect the source of your pain? I say this because you mentioned head trauma and if there have been other physical trauma the pain could be originating from an untreated source. (I hope I'm not asking anything inappropriate and you don't have to answer and I apologize if I am.) Sometimes if there's injury to the neck or back nerves can get damaged, entrapped in the areas but can cause symptoms system wide.

I know I'm cutting this short. I have to meet with my parents tonight but I wanted to send this out there. I'll tack on to it when I get home. You're welcome to PM if you'd like if you have any questions I don't mind offering answers with the knowledge I do have.

But don't be discouraged there are a multitude of ways they can treat it.

[Numbed]

Originally Posted by Auja11007

Hi Numbed,

Don't feel stupid about your post. You're concerned with the symptoms you're feeling and seeking information is a good thing rather than just continuing on.

I'm not a Dr but I do work in neurology and fibro is a condition that's symptoms are almost always never described the same by each patient. It effects everyone differently from sensations felt, areas they're felt in and the frequency of occurrences. There really isn't a medically known "pattern."

Fibro effects the peripheral nervous system and usually the mental overriding of sensations to numbness usually stems from the central nervous system.Our brains have the capability to "shut down" the synapses of communication of the nerve impulses that control sensation.

Don't stress to much about how your concern will sound to your GP. I'm a NDT and perform nerve conduction studies to detect neuropathies, nerve damage, etc. and I'm told all kind of symptoms from patients who usually say "I feel like I'm crazy for thinking I feel this" and in reality they really aren't. Most GPs can recognize the symptoms of fibro right off the bat.

But if you don't mind me asking, have you had any diagnostic studies performed to detect the source of your pain? I say this because you mentioned head trauma and if there have been other physical trauma the pain could be originating from an untreated source. (I hope I'm not asking anything inappropriate and you don't have to answer and I apologize if I am.) Sometimes if there's injury to the neck or back nerves can get damaged, entrapped in the areas but can cause symptoms system wide.

I know I'm cutting this short. I have to meet with my parents tonight but I wanted to send this out there. I'll tack on to it when I get home. You're welcome to PM if you'd like if you have any questions I don't mind offering answers with the knowledge I do have.

But don't be discouraged there are a multitude of ways they can treat it.

What a great response, this clears a few things up for me. Thank you!

I've never had any diagnostic studies performed to detect the source of my pain, no. (I've detatched and been numb and forced myself to be non-reactive to pain over most of my life, until recently)

Uhm, other physical trauma, not that I remember, however growing up, my body was always jacked up on adrenaline and anger, so my body was pushed to extreme levels. One example would be playing bulldogs charge in primary school, they threw the rugby ball to me last, because they knew what I was like, and by the time I got 3/4 accross the field, I had the entire rugby team of 9 or so classmates on me, and I still got about 10-15foot with everyone on me. (physics being the thing that stopped me - one of my friends used his brain, lol, and got off the moving pile took several steps back and charged knocking me and everyone else over)

I probably have had other physical traumas, I just don't remember them because pain and struggle has been a constant thing for me, that it became normalised.

I'm afraid of speaking to my GP about this, especially because of the last 2 years where my Somatization anxiety stuff was in full drive due to stress from pdoc and stimulant medication (and environment) (additionally, I feel like a right idiot).
I'm also afraid of speaking to my GP about it, because of pain killers.
Whilst i'm dealing with my strong aversion to medication and help from others,
I'm afraid of being judged for asking for painkillers and the whole drug seeking thing. I got this from my previous pdoc (who was the one with overwhelming obvious issues with medication).

Love the art btw