I have Fibromyalgia

Hello, my name is Jeff and I have Fibromyalgia.  I've actually probably had it for decades, but it has just been diagnosed and doctors either though I was a drug addict, or that the pain was all in my head.  I have suffered from low back pain and sciatica, IBS, Insomnia, Stiffness in the AM, TMJ, Numbness in the hands, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc.  It was so bad that I was finally put on morphine, codeine, soma, and ambien for sleeping along with other meds for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  For the past 4+ years I have had carpal tunnel syndrome that has now spread to my elbows.  I wake up stiff every morning with my hands feeling like 2 grapefruits (if you know what I mean) and pins and needles from my fingertips to my elbows.

Over the past decades, I have been bouncing from doctor to doctor looking for a cure, or at least a diagnosis.  I have had so many nerve block injections in my back that I have lost count!  Until I finally read this Do You Have Fibromyalgia?

I have EVERY symptom in that list!  There is also is a test they do by pushing on 18 points on your body.  If you have pain in 11 of those 18 points, you have a positive diagnosis for Fibromyalgia.  Many people out there who have Fibromyalgia don't even know it.  Most of those that have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also have Fibromyalgia.  Most people think that Fibromyalgia is a woman's disease...I can tell you that is totally false.  Men can get it to and though it is more common in women, men usually fail to report it because their bravado tells them to work through the pain or just "walk it off" which I was doing for over 20-30 years until I hit 40 and just couldn't do that anymore.

So I showed the symptom list to my wife and she said,  "That's you!"

So I took the document to my Pain Management doc on the 16th of May and showed him the list and he agreed that I do have those symptoms.  He did he 18 point test and holy cow, I failed the test...meaning I did have OVER the 11 points.  Hallelujah!  After searching for an answer for decades and not wanting just tons of pain killing medicine...I just wanted answers for what I have.  I knew there must be some explanation for my symptoms.  I have been looking for so long I about ready to give up!  Finally, I have an answer.  Next, what to do about it.