Can Fibromyalgia Lead to MS

I'm sorry to hear you both suffer from these terrible conditions, but at least you can find some comfort in the fact that multiple sclerosis is not hereditary disease - in fact, no one knows what is the cause for multiple sclerosis. Yes, some symptoms of MS and fibromyalgia are similar, but these are not linked conditions.

Look, it is pretty much hard to tell since Fibromyalgia and MS  really do have some similar symptoms. Some of those symptoms are headaches, joint, and muscle pain, usually, you can feel the numbness and tingling of extremities, etc. Now, just like a MS, fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men, but MS you can see on the MRI, while a, fibromyalgia does not show up as brain lesions on an MRI Diagnosing either condition can be difficult for doctors, you should know that. If you are going through an enormous pain, seek for some fibromyalgia pain relief. It can help. Good luck! 

Hi. While my rheumatologist was trying to diagnose my condition, he ran several tests on me because my symptoms were similar to MS. At first, I was terrified because he said within one years time I WOULD be confined to a wheelchair. Once the results ruled out the MS, he did a "Trigger point" check on me. I scored 18/18 so he diagnosed me with fibrmyalgia. He started me on 300 mg of gabapentin 3/day, 7.5/500 hydrocodone 5/day, 10mg flexeril 3/day, 100mg elavil at bedtime. This was an overwhelming amount of medicine considering Advil & pamprin knock me out. I begged him to reconsider once I researched the medicines. He said with the severity of my disease, not sleeping, severe pain & lethargy I needed to try it. I slept for three days straight. On the fourth day he tried Lyrica (loved it!) but i gained 40 pounds. Then we tried cymbalta, i became extremely irritable. He tried another SRNI, i cant remember the name. Then we went back to gabapentin. But he cut me back to one flexeril at night & 300 mg of gabapentin at night. Then savella came out. My insurance doesnt pay for it so i paid almost $300 gor a medicine i cant take. Then he put me back on gabapentin. He referred me to a pain management dr & they raised the amounts and dosages back to what the rhuematologist first started me on. I begged to reduce the amount of medication. That was 5 years ago. I am now on 900mg gabapentin, 100mg elavil & 8mg rozerem at night. I take calcium, magnesium, zinc, 20mg kadian(2/day) & 7.5 mg mobic twice day. I take the hydrocodone as needed. Cold, humid, wet & high stress days, i have to increase gabapentin & hydrocodone. My dr prescribes 130 hydocodone a month. I typically only take 60. I am not completely pain-free but at least I am able to go to Church, shop for groceries, do light housework & spend time with my family. Before I could barely move. I'm thankful I have been blessed with wonderful physicians that fiagnosed me properly. Please take your medicines as prescribed by your doctor. If ur side-effects are bad they can adjust ur meds. Please dont do like I did. I was terrified of the opiods & narcotics bc of possible addiction. My doctor assured me by saying u can become dependent on the medication but, as long ad u r taking it as prescribed (not over medicating) & realize that by taking the pain meds, there will still be some pain, just not as severe, u won't become addicted. She said that the dose I am on is good bc once I have my back surgery, I can take the 10mg of hydrocodone or even 7.5mg percocet to take care of post surgery pain. Just font take highest dose available bc once u do, it body can become immune to the higher doses.

Does you Aunt have trigger points/tender points? If she was diagnosed with MS then it was a blood test. Your doctor should have done this test to rule out MS when you were diagnosed with fibro.

Wrong! One of the questions asked at every appointment with an MS neurologist is: any relatives diagnosed with MS? There is indeed a genetic link for some....not all. Having a relative with MS means you are at risk for developing MS. Ask my male cousin.....

PS MS is diagnosed by MRI and or spinal tap.There is no blood test that gives a definitive answer for MS.

I have fibro too, I couldn't move at timess now I feel almost normal I don't take meds your body adjusts to it.

Be thankful that Your Dr will help relieve your pain. I can't take Lydia or Gaba at all. Most of my days are spent in pain and silence. Peace and Love

I have found that suppliments do seem to help - 5HTP (tryptophan)/magnesium/calcium/Vit.D/B6/B complex/St. John's Wort. I had to stop taking these recently as I had a really bad tummy bug (severe diahorrea) which went on for weeks and months, but all my pains returned until my tummy was better and I started on the suppliments again. I am not sure which are the most helpful, as I take a cocktail. Diet also helps, but I am vegetarian, so that is difficult - with no meat and fish. It is worth studying which foods provide these vitamins and minerals naturally. And of course, stress is really bad. Try to avoid stressful situations at all costs. "Keep Calm and Carry On" literally. Meditate, join calming recreational classes (art/crafts/reading,etc.) - do yoga and Tai Chi - whatever it takes to create a calm lifestyle. I think this is far better than taking prescription medication if it helps, but of course, sometimes things are so bad that you just want a "quick fix". One other thing I hesitate to add, an elderly friend in her 80s has had fibro. for years and years and takes huge quantities of anti-depressants and pain killers. She is now uable to empty her bowels normally and has to manually regularly flush herself out. Not a nice prospect - so do not take too many painkillers, etc. I hope this helps, and wish you all well, peace and love. Veronica

Can you tell us why you are now feeling so much better, please. Is it that the fibro comes and goes or do you take suppliments or does anything else help you? Thanks. Veronica

Fact!! MS is hereditary. If you are a female and have been diagnosed with MS, there is a one in twenty chance that a family member also has it. My MS specialist has studied for over 35 years and explained this to me.

My best friend and her sister both have MS

Wow I have to say I am impressed hearing your medication/diagnosis comment. The reason why is because I after 3 years of fybro, me/CFS and lymes had to resign to the fact if I didn't get help with pain relief I would literally go crazy or worse! It's been such a hard road getting help with pain relief....its been 10 years now and finally after years of pain I am on a level that gives me some relief and am much less stressed as a result of less pain....so thank you for this reply.... As for the initial question I would say from loads of research you would have to be unlucky to get MS, however everyone is different so in short it does not mean you will get MS or won't get MS for the pure fact they simply don't know enough about it....lastly I am really sorry that any of us have to suffer with these inflictions they are very cruel illnesses and would not wish them on anyone!! Better days for all, love and light Fee

I refuse narcotics due to family addiction problems. My reumetologist suggested Narcan (naltrexone). It's what they give heroin overdose patients. But they have discovered in low doses that it blocks the pain receptors in the brain.
It works. I get it from a compounding pharmacy. It's $30 a month. I had a little depression the first few weeks I was on it but I'm bipolar too so...
I would talk to my reumetologist about it.