Fibromyalgia Symptoms HOME

After over 7 years of tests, I finally found somebody that correctly diagnosed my problem. A MRI and a few other tests found degenerative spine disorder was causing nerves in my back to send messages to my brain that my legs and feet were hurting. Sounds crazy, but with the proper nerve medication, I have been virtually pain free for nearly a year. My savior was a Nurse practitioner that I met by accident one day. None of the doctors or specialists were worth 10 cents. I actually had 1 doctor tell me 'Welcome to middle age!!' Moron.

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Hi My leg pain was so bad when I first got FM that I could barely walk for three months. I cannot stress enough that acupuncture really helped me to become mobile again. Good luck

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Hi. My leg pain is so bad I sometimes can't sleep or sit. The wintertime is even worse. When the seasons change to fall, the pain begins to worsen. I end up going back on hydrocodone until spring hits again. I just weaned myself about two weeks ago (I live in the South where springtime comes earlier). I can't wait for spring--I hate taking meds that make me sluggish and reduce me to a couch potato. During spring and summer I take a combination of Advil, aspirin, and Tylenol. Advil and aspirin seem to work best. My pain first began in my hands, arms, neck and shoulders. Soon it spread to my legs. I had severe foot pain, as well, but that has subsided since I lost weight. It has now moved into my right knee, too. My legs hurt every single day, but I try to use a heating pad, take hot, hot soaking baths, and keep my muscles warm under a blanket or sweat pants. The heat from my laptop also helps. Heat definitely helps--cold makes it much worse. My pain doctor gave me Lidocain patches, but they really don't get down deep into my muscles and joints. I have also found that aqua therapy is wonderful. That is probably the only thing that helped mobilize me after being bedridden for about six years. I was taking so many meds prescribed by my rheumatologist, I had to take even more meds to alleviate the side effects from the original meds. It was a vicious circle. I spoke to my doctor and told him that I wanted to wean myself from most of the meds and only take the bear minimum, since this is a chronic illness and I worried about the long term function of my liver and kidneys. He put me in aqua therapy along with pain meds until I began to feel better and better. I slowly stopped taking most of the other meds (including steriods, which caused my weight to balloon and only seemed to aggravate the fibromyalgia) and I'm finally out of bed and functioning. My level of movement isn't like it used to be prior to the onset, but it's a million times better than being bedridden. Listen to your body and be proactive in your treatment. I plan to take Helou's advice and try acupuncture. I've read great things about it.

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If you still have that pain going on. I wonder, do you own a laptop? Yes, a laptop computer or a notebook computer? ever since i've had one, i've had terrible knee pain and pain in joints. i've been through tests for migraines and even bleeding internally and they come up with nothing these doctors. i've had a doctor tell me it was depression. its not. but, my children are also complaining of pain in the knees, the back and odd places. in fact, i looked on the internet and found a site of people who are saying the same thing. the laptop and pain connection in the legs and knees. i'm sure if i look harder i will find a lot more out here on the net. sorry this comes to you are such a late date.
another thing, the games like wii, x box and all sorts of games and cell phone users are complaining of pain and illness.
Plus, i see you are under the Fibromyalgia section of this site. well, i thought that was what i had and 2 doctors, in this day and age, say that there is no such disease as Fibromyalgia. it shows you how unhelpful the medical community is. ignorance is making people suffer. i hope you are better and have found what started all your pain and you are in a position to be well again.

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I get a lot of leg pain too. I'm sure it is toxins building up in the muscles. Have you tried gentle massage and foot baths to help the circulation. As acid seems to be the main problem with fibrom. have you tried an alkalising diet and ionised water which has really helped me recently. If the pain gets too bad just rest your legs up for a while , then go for a gentle walk. Driving and sitting seems to make things worse. Good luck, Angela

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Hi Beverly, I have shoulder and arm pain as well. I have a pain in my left shoulder-blade and burning sensations also a little weaknes in the hand 1 month ago

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I have been going through the same thing and nothing has really helped yet. Does your feet turn colors? What has the doc put you on for pain?

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hello, i have the same proplem and find that percocet helps but its hard to get a doc to give them to you for leg pain, sometimes i feel like a drugie but everytime i try to quit me legs hurt so bad i cant sleep, this is horrabble ,damed if you do and damed if you dont,i hate it ,insurance companies dont want to pay for anything anymore just give you a drug instead of fixing the proplem, i do see alot of peopel still deal with the pain and just take something mild , id rather not fell the pain at all, but iam now addictied to percocets., i just hate it when i tell the doc that iam having severe leg pain and they act like iam crazy ,

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Yes, leg pain can be a problem with fibromyalgia (FMS). It is possible that part of your leg pain is due to restless legs or the muscles twitching continually. You may not be aware of either. If the muscles are not getting sufficient rest due to either of these problems your pain level will be terrible.

You can try a couple of things to see if they give you any relief. You could try a dose of Gabapentin at night which will help you sleep and may reduce some of the pain.

Have your knees been examined for possible osteoarthitis? That can also cause pain in the knees and legs. I speak from experience as I have it.

In addition to Gabapentin, go to the health food store and buy some Malic Acid (825 mg). This is a magnesium supplement that blocks the impluses that cause your muscles to twitch and cramp. I usually take it (825mg - 1 tablet)at night so I stand a chance of getting some decent sleep.

Last but not least, ask your doctor to write a prescription for 20% Ketoprofen, 5% Gabapentin and 5% Lidocaine. This is a topical cream which is a very effective pain killer. It does not get into your bloodstream so it will not interfere with other meds. Ask that it be written for a larger size (120gnz) otherwise you get a small tube which is useless when repeatedly covering large areas.

This cream has to be made up by a compound pharmacy. There is likely one in your area and you don't know it. If not, the script can be faxed and the medication mailed to you.

There are a couple of tricks to using ketoprofen. NEVER layer it; always apply it to clean warm skin. You can use rubbing alcohol or put it on after a hot shower. To help the cream absorb, you can also apply a layer of saran wrap for NO more than 2 hours. This helps the cream really absorb.

I would like to point out that since you have had severe pain issues in your legs for sometime, it may be awhile before you notice any improvement. Breaking a chronic pain cycle can be tough. You might also want to see a pain specialist to see if they have any thoughts on your situation.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful to you. Take care and keep in touch.

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I too have FM.. I have had pain in my right leg only, off and on for about a year. The pain is in the left side of my calf near my shin bone, about 2-3 inches below the side of my knee.... I have some "showy" veins in that area, but when I ask my DR about the pain, he tells me it is muscular and I should do more stretching.... it often comes and goes, but when it is around it lasts for several days to a week... I currently have the pain, and nothing seems to resolve it.... Is it normal to have this pain only on one side and be able to write it off as FM?

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Yes I have horrible leg pains - from hips to toes - they are much worse in cold or rainy weather and warm water does help a little. I also rub my legs all over the sheets in the bed - for some strange reason the feel of cotton is soothing to sore legs! Hugs to everyone suffering with this horrible condition

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I have terrible leg pain too and like another writer here am 32 and contracted chickenpox and varicella pneumonia before symptoms got really bad - I wonder if that is some kind of link of post infectious agents hanging around?? The leg pain is eased by codeine but I know my doc will not prescribe it forever - we have tried many other meds but codeine is the only one that deals to the leg pain in any useful way.

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i too have leg pain just at night mostly both my legs just ache. and I get pain in my knee caps. anyone else get this?

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I have had fibromyalgia for several years now. I also have terrible leg pain. It starts in my hip joints, I have it in my knee joints and it goes all the way to my feet. It makes me limp badly during the day. At night, it can be much worse. I try sleeping on one side, then flip over to the other side, then try sleeping on my back. No position seems to relieve it. I still work, so I have to be careful as to how much pain medication, (I've been prescribed Oxycontin 5 mgs., 3 times a day, can take an extra one at night if the pain is really bad), I take. Otherwise, it can make it extremely hard to get out of bed for work the next morning. The pain can be a dull, but painful ache, sometimes it's sharp and stabbing. If I try to exercise, it can make the pain worse. I know exercise is important, but I don't feel like doing it if it's going to make me feel worse (pain-wise). Since I used to be a very active person; that makes me feel very depressed. I'm taking Zoloft for the depression, but it still bothers me that I don't have the strength and stamina that I used to. Thanks for letting me vent! I wish we could ALL find relief from this kind of pain!

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Oh yes, calf muscle pain can be severe and last days. I've gone for a quick ultrasound wondering whether or not I had a DVT, but the tests always came out negative. I just put up with it now, like every other weird pain.
Jacquie

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My legs hurting was one of my worst first symptoms. We went on vacation shortly before I was diagnosed. We didn't do much walking, but I got to the point that I couldn't hardly even walk at all because I was in so much pain. I still have some VERY bad days with my legs, even on 300mg of Lyrica.

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I had leg pain and was told I had RLS, but that was the beginning for me with fibro. The only thing I did was walk it off. It was hard and I didn't care what time it was, or the weather. I would wake my husband and say, I need to walk it out. My gp at the time, didn't think I had fibro either, it's only when I couldn't take it anymore and was crying at my mom. She told me about her doctor, so I went to her. At first she said she did not believe in fibro, funny thing is. I was tested for MS, because my MRI suggested I had MS. Went to two neuro and both told me, I did not have MS, but by process of elimination and only this year was I told I had fibro and I'm 51.
Go figure it out, my gp is now treating me for fibro and she keeps telling me, if I have leg problems to walk it off. No pain management helped.

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My leg pain is unbearable. I wake up continuously during the night with cramps and pain in my legs and knees. I went to an amuzement park this past summer and had to go back to the hotel every afternoon and soak in a hot tub and have my husband rub them. I can take pain but this is just too much. I find myself crying all the time.. It's affecting my whole family.

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Hi there,

leg pains are the bane of my life. I have pain from my pelvic area to my toes. My right leg has terrible weakness and i am disabled by it. I cannot walk very far at all and have to use a mobility scooter or wheelchair. I am very unstable on my feet and fall or trip easily. My muscles tend to "lock up" and exercise makes them much MUCH worse!! I am currently on my period and every time I come on my right leg locks up and the pain is unbearable.

I have had to attend hospital on several occasions over the last 7 years and have to be given Diazepam (which I am intolerant of) to unlock my muscles.

In the UK we do not have Tylenol. I take Tramadol with dihydrocodeine and paracetamol together to relieve the pain. Often this does not work either.

I was actually coming to this forum to post about my legs and am relieved that the topic is already here.

Good luck all. I can feel your pain right now. I have been awake since 3am and I went to bed at about midnight. It is now 7.30 and I have to get my daughter ready to take to school. Fatigue? Yep I am really tired, but I doubt I will get any more sleep today.

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Oh, by the way I am just 35. I also have urinary problems and am oxybutynin for it. I suffer very badly with FMS. I have most of the associated problems, like tmjd, IBS, bloatedness and weight gain, PAIN!! and sensitive skin. You can barely touch me tbh. I have had symptoms since I was a teenager but was written off as a hypochondriac!! It has been a long painful journey. My mother has Lupus and was diagnosed with FMS on top of it. She is VERY ill.

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I was here looking for some ideas for my aunt who has been suffering with fibro for many years but felt I should share her trick. She has had terrible leg pains making it difficult to get basic chores accomplished but has found that soaking in an epsom salt bath helps with the pain. She’d been buying the same box for years but while in Walgreen a couple days ago, we found a new Epsom salt product in the elastic bandages section, called Pepsom Sports. She decided to try it and really loved the new spearmint formula as well as the relaxation from soaking. Just thought I would pass this information along to anyone struggling with this disease.

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Wow, I have recently been dxed with fibromyalgia and I have had terrible leg pain for several years now! It looks like a common thread with many of us here!
I truely has been my worst complaint and is quite debilitating to me!
Itsme Wayne

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Does anyone just have pain when laying on side at night? I have severe pain in my right leg from my hip down past my knee if I lay on either side. The pain stops if I lay on my back. I never get more than an hour or two sleep since I have enormous difficulty sleeping on my back. My orthopedist has given me injections in my hip and knee bursus which hasn't helped at all. Xrays show slight arthritis but the pain appears to be my muscles and not my joints.

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I think we all have leg pain, and yes it mimics PAD, I got tested and was told there was nothing wrong with my legs. Sometimes you get leg cramps, or just plain pain and discomfort, sometimes I get the restless leg syndrome or the just simply trigger points in my legs. Upper or lower leg cramps, that's because of dehydration, electrolytic imballance. It could also be because of the medication you are on. If you have nocturnal calf cramps. Alot of these pain are caused by a vitamin or mineral imbalance. Try taking a multivitamin that is complete with minerals. One that I recommend because it has no fillers, no yeast, no color, or dies is Materna, for men try the Centrum brand, but make sure you go for the one that has the most complete vitamins and minerals. You pain should come down some.

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Hi Haligoo - can I ask what nerve medication you are taking? Sounds like you have had some great dr's! I can relate to you !!! I had a spinal fusion at two levels and immedialty after the surgery my legs hurt so bad I was screaming and that was 4 years ago and no change!! I have also have fibro.

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I was diagnosed with fibro 13 years ago. About 6 months ago the pain and symptoms were at a point that I could not just "get by" and basically ignore them. I told my doc that I was ready to get on one of the fibro drugs but that I could not work with brain fog (paralegal/notary). I researched the recommended drugs and decided on Cymbalta. I took about 6 weeks to get comfortable with the drug and to find the dosage that I am feel is working. Most docs start with 30mg a day. That made me feel drunk. I asked to take 20mg a day (which a 20mg is recommended 2x daily). I began 20mg a day and it did not make me feel anything strange. My pain was better but still some days/nights would come back. I am now taking 20mg morning & night and the fibro is much better and I do not feel drugged. The docs may tell you that it does not come in 20mg because the drug reps do not tell them but you can educate your doc as I did and request to try the regimine. Most of the time I no longer have that awful leg pain at night.

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Hi Liquid_Niki - Has your doctor considered that what you may be experiencing is nerve pain. Nerve pain and Fibromyalgia (FMS) are common. I have a lot of problems with pain in my legs. My problem is caused by degenerative disc disease. I take gabapentin at night so I sleep off some of the side effects.

Another culprit may be that your muscles are twitching or sramping while you are sleeping which would make your calf muscles really sore. You might try going to the health food store and picking up some malic acid tablets. I take 825 mg a day to control twitching and cramps. If you do decide to take malic acid make sure you undersrand how to use it and any risks associated with its use. Take care.

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{I was wondering if anybody expierences pain in legs down to feet? when you try to get to sleep you seem you can not get comfortable.}

Dawn,
I know this feeling. When I get into bed, especially in winter, the pain is unbearable, sometimes. If I stretch my legs out I have a hard time bending them after a while. If I bend them, then it is hard for me to straighten them out!This all started with me in 2003 in the middle of the night I woke up with my body on fire! The pain was excruciating. My husband took me to the ER and they could not understand what was happening. My blood pressure was 198/95. The doctor said that my blood pressure was so high because of my pain. They finally gave me something for the pain. They took all sorts of blood tests and all were normal except my SED rate was 48. Normal was around 10. So that showed there was inflamation in my body. Well Yea! The burning went away but the pain in my legs is still with me every moment of my life. I have been to many doctors and no one can tell me what is wrong. Some say Fibromyalgia and some say Osteo arthritis and one doctor said he didn't think I was in as much pain as I claimed. Nobody knows what it is but they don't want to admit 'I DON'T KNOW' I pray that someday I will find someone who will say "I know what it is and we can treat with such and such medication!"
God Bless all of you who suffer as I do.

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I have chronic leg pain also. I've been tested for everything under the sun!! The only outcome was restless leg syndrome. My legs hurt 24/7. They seem to hurt worse when it's cold. Sometimes i can't walk very well because of it. When i walk it looks like I"m shuffling!!! I am trying to make light of it because if I don't......I'll be crying. The pain is horrific!
I also hurt all over my body.....24/7. Just when i think the pain can't get worse......it does.
I hope you get a diagnosis......I didn't really. Just the RLS] and now I don't have any meds for that. Lost my job and my insurance......so now I can't even go to the doctor.......sorry about my whining......
Hope all have a good day

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I have severe pain in my legs where I have to use a cane to get around-sometimes it even seems my skin hurts-having trouble finding someone to diagnois Fibromyalgia-but have ruled out everything else-over the counter pain killers don't seem to help at all-can't get into the bathtub anymore and hot showers just don't cut it-I also have several other health problems and wonder if they aggravate my Fibromyalgia symptoms -Thyroid and Diabetes-does anyone else have these problems--Thanks

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Hi,
You are not too young. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia when I was 30 years old by a Rheumatologist on my first visit. I had already been to my regular doctor. I have pain in my hands, muscle pain in my whole body, I have all of the 18 tender points, extreme fatigue, TMJ, the irritable bowel that's part of it, trouble sleeping, and even numbness in my left hand. I've since developed ridged nails, gum and mouth pain, headaches, dropping things, sensitity to cold,and leg pain. Try another Rheumatologist. :)

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