What's happening to me?

September 9, 2008

Hi - I realize this is not a true support group, but I'm looking for

any information regarding my symptoms and what condition I might

have, and what might help me.

I'm male, 51, with fibromyalgia for 20 years. For a long time I've

been on 30mg of amitriptyline for sleep and pain. About six months

ago I developed pelvic spasms during physical therapy for a groin

strain. Actually, they don't quite feel like spasms. Instead, they

feel like pulsating vibrations in the peritoneum area. They initially

were intermittent, and but eventually became constant. I tried

significantly increasing my magnesium dose and stopping the physical

therapy, but that had no effect. I don't have any pain related to

the spasms, so I sort of ruled out that I had a pudendal nerve

problem.

I was given Klonopin, which definitely helped, lowering the symptoms

to a manageable level, but did not solve the problem. My

orthopedist, urologist, and rheumatologists supposedly ruled out any

other condition, so about three weeks ago I restarted the physical

therapy, this time only doing gentle strengthening and stretching

exercises. This quickly caused a huge flareup of the spasms. Even

worse, the spasms now seem to be triggered simply by sitting, which

was not the case before. I have tried both adding both Felexeril and

Skelaxin without any effect. This leads me to believe that the

problem is neurological and not muscular.

After about a week of stopping PT, I was doing a bit more standing

and walking than usual, and then I started to have similar pulsating

vibrations under the heel of my left foot. Because of the groin pain

in the right leg, I have been tending to favor the left foot. The

vibrations in that foot have now also has become constant, and they

are made worse by standing and walking. Increasing the Klonopin had

little effect on either spasms. I have now made an appointment to

see a neurologist, something which I should have done a long time

ago, but I was under the assumption that my original spasms were due

to the groin strain, and that treating the groin strain would

eventually treat the spasms. My rheumatologist has now prescribed

Cymbalta, starting at 20mg for three weeks and then going up to 40mg.

I'm looking for any suggestions as to what my problem is, and any

recommendations for any treatments, supplements, meds, or tests which

I should consider having. I.e., why am I suddenly having these

problems, and what can I do to help them? Thanks! - Mark

September 9, 2008

Dear Mark

I have had similar problems in the past, now have more or less constant

localised pain in thighs and toes. My guess is that I have a pars defect

with spondolisthesis that is causing more or less constant nerve pressure.

The duc said, " I've never mentioned it because I can't do anything about it "

A little Voltaren takes the edge off which seems to confirm. My daughter(who

is in the Army with much better resources) is in the process of being

invalided out for a pars defect with the advice that they can do nothing for

her. Pars defects can be hereditary. See

http://www.brispine.com.au/condition/spondylolisthesis.htm