Fibromyalgia vs Tendonitis and Neurologic Symptoms?

by Roxy
(edmonton, ab, canada)

I got married in July 2005 and shortly after started to get abused. My arms and wrists were constantly being twisted ways they weren't supposed to along with getting kicked and punched on every part of my body/head.

In Jan 2007 I began to have problems typing, no matter how hard I tried to keep typing I couldn't move my fingers. I began to have a real bad short memory, so bad that I wouldn't remember what was JUST said to me(lasting half a year, after that it became blurry occasionaly).

I waited for this to heal but since it didn't in late of 2007 I went to see a doctor. He laughed in my face and said I was fine, I told him no I'm not, I can't even bottle feed my son, hold him, drive, write, type, shaky hands, couldn't hold drinks in my hand or they would get weak and I would want to drop it and dropped things occasionally. He did an x-ray of my hands and it came up good so said I was fine and just wear braces for 3mnths and to come back if it didn't go away. I went for a second opinion since I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING NORMAL in my life. The next doctor suggested he same thing. Shortly after it started spreading to my elbows than shoulders.

I left my office job in 2008 because it was to hard on my body and no one helped me. I got a job in construction(driver) and was to be a laborer later on. This was PAINFUL but easier on me since I used my whole arm instead of just my fingers. I started to get Trigger Finger, wake up and unable to move my arms(fully fallen asleep), pins and needles feeling, numbness, tingling, weakness, electrocuting feeling in my arms. Tingly fingers(last 2 - smallest ones) after brushing my teeth for about 30 minutes. Still couldn't drive short distances nor do simple tasks such as shovel the snow, brush my dog, hold my son or wash dishes. No painkillers were working for me.

I got sent to a specialist and he thought I had R.A. or Tendonitis but said he never seen someone like me where it spread from the wrists up... I got diagnosed with tendonitis and got anti-inflammatory pills that semi-worked but still caused me GREAT pain.

Worst pain being when I woke up and when I was "still" at home(couch or bed etc.). I would get my bf to massage my arms as hard as he could cause the new pain he gave me was better than my current pain. I seen a neurologist, he tested my lower arm only, said I was fine and ppl only who can't fall asleep or get woken up at night etc. have a real problem.

I told him I have all of that and he just stuck to what he said and told me to wear a Wrist Splint and I said I did that and it still didn't get better, he told me that's shocking cause it SHOULD???

He didn't ask me my symptoms or history I felt he just dismissed me because of my age. When the neurologists assistant was doing my tests, the one arm she did it didn't get any feedback so she looked at me and kept moving her machine around to find it and couldn't so I seen her crank up the "power" and tried again and my arm jumped EXTREMELY HIGH...yet I was okay? Because they test how fast it goes from point a to b but why did she have to increase the power if that is the case?

I seen a chiropractor cause he said he knew what I had and could help but if it doesn't get better in 2 weeks he will have to stop. At this point I wasn't working, and still aren't for over a year(yet I am still feeling pains!!!)..he was focusing around my neck area to loosen my muscles so that my nerve wont be so compressed..but he made my symptoms come out more and more so he finally had to stop. He was blown away the neurologist ignored me with everything I have and said my symptoms are nerve related and not muscle because of the questions he was asking me(ex. when you massage it does it get better? I said no)

I get relapses though, seems to be mainly when the weather gets cold. When someone shakes my hand it can feel like it has been squashed as I am very sensitive to the touch many times. I had a mri done as he thought I had M.S. but it was clean, I had a full body scan and discovered my left arm was broken in 2 diff places from before which I never knew. But other than that NOTHING.

My GP finally quit and said "no more tests" you have a muscle disorder..time for physio therapy. I told him now my pinky and other finger are turning blue an purple sometimes and I have a lump inbetween my 2nd and middle finger which is making them "stick together". He didn't say anything. But I know muscle disorder isn't the problem as it is only in my arms and my symptoms are more nerve related.

I am out of all options and want to work. I am not faking it because every doctor just tried to put me on disability when I said no I want you to fix me so that I can WORK. After almost 2 years of not knowing what is wrong with me I asked to go on disability and all he could offer me is physio?? after all my credit cards were maxed out. He wouldn't give me cortisone shots cause he said he can't just randomly inject me as the pain is everywhere and not one specific spot?????

EVEN though he seen how badly I was suffering and saw my symptoms and I EVEN TOLD HIM that I want to be healed and not go on disability. He never offered me tendonitis surgery or nerve surgery(the nerve that is responsible for the pinky and half of the other finger).

Any suggestions as to what you think I may have? I don't think it is Symptoms of Fibromyalgia because it says you need to have pain in a specific # of body parts, which I don't I only have it in my arms and hands. I am pretty healthy, I work out but I can smell sugar in my urine (you can smell it about 2 meters away, very strong so I am not imagining this) for about 6 years now but the doctors say I am fine and dont have diabetes?? I am desperate and have given up because every doctor I visit suggests the same stuff(braces, anti inflammatories (barely work) or painkillers which don't work).

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help I ran out of options and just want to feel normal again and live a pain free life!