Over the past couple weeks I've had incidences of a strange, intense, almost paralyzing pain. It's difficult to describe, but I'll give it a shot anyway. For example, I tapped the side of my finger on something by accident and it was unbelievably painful. It stopped me in my tracks, I couldn't move my finger at all, and it took a minute to dissipate. I looked at my finger - no bruising. I touched it - no bumps, no pain. This has happened with other fingers, my wrist, my head, my knee, my elbow ... just about everywhere.
Anyone have any ideas?
I really need to remember to call my rheumy's office during office hours to ask about this - but brain fog has taken over as well!! LOL
Definitely something to call up the doctor about. This is why notes were invented. . . .I totally forget to do things without lots of notes. I've had those types of pains, and they seem to be tendon related for me. I had it happen in my shoulder the other day, this sharp pain that had me convinced I had torn something, It was painful in certain positions for a few hours, and fine (just continued weakness) since.
I've also had the sharp pains where a tendon was actually injured, usually with a finger. Those take a few days to a few weeks to heal up.
Your head is clearly not going to be a tendon issue. . . Ice pick headache? I get those too. Blinding pain for a very brief period. Just have to remember to breathe through them. I wish you luck with this.
Nym, this may be out of order to say this, especially as I know you don’t need anything more on your plate (as it were) but a close friend of mine was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last year and one of the criteria was over sensitivity to pain stimuli…she described pain very much like you described it.
I’m not saying that this is your issue but that it shouldn’t be ignored as it could be a symptom that needs investigating. X
This does sound like fibromyalgia to me too ( although I’m sure you’re as sick of another diagnosis just like the rest of us!). I get weird sharp pain too that doesn’t seem to be PsA related especially in my arms and ribs ( which I’m sure is also intercostal pain). I would at least call your rheumy if not go in and let them know what’s going on. I take Gabapentin at night for it and it helps some.
I have Peripheral Neuropathy (diagnosed with a VERY painful test!) that I take Lyrica for (300mg a day). I have the same sensations in different areas along with the "tinglies" at night. The Lyrica has helped but I went to a Neurologist for the diagnosis. Lyrica is also used for Fibromyalgia.
hi nym, sorry to hear this. Im only new and this is my first interaction and all i can say is that i also had the exact same introduction to fibromyalgia… Took 4yrs before they diagnosed me and it steadily got worse and spread. I was started on lyrica 2 months ago and has made a huge difference! I really hope that you get a diagnosis quickly and find some relief. Good luck.
I wouldn't be surprised if I have fibro as well. One of my friends who has fibro also suggested this as a possibility when I told her about it. I'll definitely talk to my rheumy.
I have PsA, osteoarthritis everywhere and Fibro. If someone has an appt. with their Rheumy soon can you ask if PsA suffers are more likely to have other immunological/rheumatoid issues than others. I think this could be fibro. I was having pain everywhere and the Rheumy did a test touching eighteen or so points on the body. I felt pain at everyone when she pressed on them . You could probably look them up and have someone press on these spots for you. It will surprise you to feel pain in some spots that you were positive wouldn't hurt. This is with gentle pressure, not hard pressure. Lyrica helps keep the fibro pain managable. Good luck!
Here is my question. I see that the new diagnostic criteria focuses on symptoms rather than trigger/tender points. But many of these symptoms have major overlap with other illnesses, such as fatigue and sleep disturbances. It seems as though it would be easy to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia without being evaluated for inflammatory based problems on the basis of the survey. Simply ruling out rheumatoid arthritis doesn't seem sufficient. Are people typically given a nerve conduction study, for example, in order to be diagnosed? How is it differentiated from other diseases?
Nym I have had pains like that in my hand or hip or foot. Absolutly intense and gone in a sec or two . For me I am in gasping pain . I think it is an enthesitis thing or just PsA with fangs thing. Who knows I just put it down to my crazy can't show you but I have it pain.
good luck at your Doc appt. Maybe he can tell us what it is I keep forgeting to bring it up too. :)
I 'd have a nerve conduction test if they could assure me it would not hurt. I had a nreve test done on my ankle. Nope never again.
Okay, don't know if this can apply to you Nym, I know you have been off your regular regime until very recently. I wonder if you have been using narcos? The firbro description may be apt BUT I can also tell you from personal experience and out of the "ordinary" flares (or treatments failing) where I have taken them or pweriod I depended on them, that your symptoms mimic Hyper analgesia. This is temporary and an VERY painful. Slowly it is dawning on the medical community that treating pain with narcos actually creates pain and new sources of pain by developing an almost fibro like nerve response.
It most often effects the limbs but I have worked with folk for whom a simple soothing (for most) back rub absolutley sends them.
Remember Narcos just like alcohol have their effect on the frontal lobe. As anyone with a spectrum kid knows they have huge sensitivity issues all of which emanate from frontal lobe activity (or lack of).... You could run over their foot with a tractor and get no response but put a sock on with the seam in the wrong spot and they scream in agony. (Sorta like bumping your finger) Narcos can have hyper analgesic effects in a s little as 7 days (usually longer) This coming on the heals of everything you have been through Nym is just too coincidental for this ol' statistician to accept as yet "another disease" Certainly share with your doctor but until you get back to a "normal" (for you) regime I would be very cautious about another disease, another med, another treatment platform.....
No narcos here. I was given one dose a couple months ago in the ER, but that's it.
Suspecting fibro as a part of my dx isn't anything new, and even if I'm diagnosed with fibro, I wouldn't be going on any more drugs, as my docs want to limit what I'm on until I see the hepatologist in April and see my endocrinologist again for more testing.
Thanks for all the responses. I can definitely say that my body seems to be keeping me on my toes lately!!! LOL
I have had similar pain on my left pinky which is most affected by PsA and part of why I went to a Rheumy. The pain is intense and can be triggered by a simple vibration to the hand. I am new to all this and have not yet started on MTX/Humira but will be startingthem in 1 1/2 wks. I have had no reason to consider the pain anything other than part of PsA as it occurs where the PsA symptoms appear.