Chronic Pain

hello friendly people,
so im 22, my story is i got carpal tunnel (had surgery for it) and something called tarsal tunnel syndrome (trying to get surgery) which is a kindof rare ankle pinched nerve problem. however, since last year i have had quite severe upper back/neck pain that is progressively getting worse (trying to get treatment but i have no $$$). i have also bad pain in my shoulders and possibly tennis elbow. these conditions are GREATLY worsened by the tiniest bit of stress, alcohol, and exercise. i also find i have *incredibly* low energy now which is not me at all (ive always been very hyper+active even when i got carpal tunnel and even after the initial ankle injury).

any ideas? my doctor referred me to a rhumatician (which will take months to see) to see if it might be fibro or something...all my blood tests came back normal (incl. thyroid). my sleep has also been very bad, i wake up 3-4 times a night for no reason and even though i sleep a long time i almost always wake up very tired, never replenished. doctor said symptoms arent severe enough to be sleep apnea though.

i take ultram for the pain right now almost daily, i hate to take anything stronger. strange thing is i find mood affects everything a lot.

well, thats all i know for now. i would just like to know if this is systemic of just CTS and TTS (and also PTSD which i have) or if it sounds like something else...anything would be helpful really (even just an opinion on symptoms).
thank you all in advance!

Hi Tom,

The symptoms you describe are not typical for CTS, TTS or PTSD, but they do sound a great deal like fibromyalgia. FM is usually triggered by a physical injury or illness or sometimes by a significant emotional trauma. So if you do have FM, it could have been triggered by the CTS, TTS, or PTSD – or possibly the combination of all three. We have lots of information on FM if you'd like to learn more about it: Fibromyalgia

I have fibromyalgia and take Ultram (tramadol) for the pain. I've also found myofascial release therapy and acupuncture to be very helpful in controlling the pain and other symptoms of FM. Here's more info on both of those in case you might be interested:

Myofascial Release Therapy

Acupuncture

Hope some of this is helpful. Let us know if you have any more questions or if there's anything else we can do for you.

Best,
Karen

Karen,
thank you so much for your post! Your info and input are incredibly helpful. I can't thank you enough. FM had only occurred to me because I have a couple friends with this...but it seems to be very different symptoms with people(??)
from the little research I've done it does seem like FM, but maybe a more mild one? cause while I am sensitive to some touching (especially grabbing, pinching, etc.) I'm fine with normal skin contact...and my clothes don't feel painful or anything like that. I also don't have pain anywhere other than where I described, i.e. none in knees, thighs, lower back, etc.

the myofascial stretches I've done have been extremely helpful though (a friend gave me a program to follow) and accupuncture did help a lot too (though I only tried it once since I can't afford it). hrm...so maybe those are signs that it's FM?

I did have a really really horrible emotional/mentally abusive childhood (well, actually almost my whole life, around 19 years) since my mother is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. a bit of physical abuse too, but the emotional is far worse. that and the afteraffects are why I have PTSD (and the afteraffects of how I hurt myself from the abuse are bad)

I forgot to mention I also suffer from panic attacks 2-3 times a year. trying to get a doctor to look at that, cause it seems like maybe i have panic disorder.

kind of seems like a recipe for FM, huh? apparently FM is also *extremely* common among borderline child survivors..

if you know anything about how symptoms range that would help a lot, or if maybe it sounds plausible that i have a milder FM that would help to look into. again, thank you for your help, it means a great deal since I have been lost in the medical sea of beauracracy and poverty so I haven't been getting the help I need.
yours,
Tom

Tom,

Glad the info was helpful. You asked about how FM symptoms range. Symptoms can vary quite a bit from patient to patient. The three symptoms that seem to be present in almost all people with FM are pain in all four quadrants of the body, fatigue, and unrefreshing sleep. Other symptoms that some have may include: irritable bowel (constipation and/or diarrhea), allergies, restless legs, sensitivity to cold and/or heat, headaches, Migraines, depression, anxiety, cognitive function problems (memory loss, difficulty concentrating) and allodynia (sensitivity to touch) to name a few.

The intensity of symptoms can range quite a bit, too. For some the pain is somewhat mild, while for others it is quite severe. Most report stiffness when first waking up or after sitting for a long period of time in one position. As you mentioned, some (like me) are so sensitive that their clothes hurt, while for others it takes more pressure before they feel pain. Most of us have one part of our body that tends to hurt worse or more frequently than other parts, although we usually have some pain from time to time in other areas as well. The neck, shoulders and arms tend to be fairly common painful areas for many. For me, my legs and hips have always been the worst.

I hate to hear that you had such a difficult childhood. Yes, that could be a recipe for FM. One theory as to the cause of FM is that a trauma or other significant stressor turns on a person's "fight-or-flight" response. Usually this response kicks on in an emergency situation, but then turns itself off when the emergency passes. But when the stress lasts over a long period of time, the body's fight-or-flight response gets stick in the "on" position. The body essentially stays in a state of high-alert. This can eventually damage the body in a number of ways – one of which is the loss of deep, restorative sleep, which results in pain amplification.

I suspect this is why, in addition to people who have had abusive backgrounds that caused a lot of stress, a lot of people with FM describe themselves as "Type A" personalities. (I was one of those.) I was always on the go, taking on lots of high-stress jobs, until one day my body just said, "Enough!" and refused to keep going.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Let me know of you have any other questions. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

Karen

karen, thank you again for your response. a lot of what you mentioned seems to be exactly my experience. I wake up with a ton of stiffness or even when I sit down for a long time to watch a movie I get very stiff and it becomes very painful, especially if I am watching a movie with my head turned at an angle. this is very different from my carpal tunnel problems because sitting for a long time always solved those.

i had a lot of memory problems growing up (from the PTSD i think) but this has gotten a little bit better recently, although its hard to tell. i am very sensitive to cold and i bring a large puffy jacket with me everywhere i go, even on bright and warm sunny days. sitting on the bus (hard plastic back seats) is super painful now that symptoms are getting worse.

i heard FM isn't supposed to be degenerative though. do you know anything about this? Im really scared because everything has been getting worse and worse even though im trying to take the best care of myself. im eating better, going to the park to relax, trying to stay away from all stress, and trying to sleep as much as i can.

but it still gets worse, i cant even read anymore which i loved to do with my other chronic pain cond. to take my mind off it.

anyway thank you again for your help, it means a lot to me since i still cant see the rhumatician for a diagnosis until next month (and maybe not even then..)
Tom