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A MyFibroTeam Member asked a question 💭
Pittsburgh, PA

I was fairly recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as well as fibromyalgia. Wondering if anyone else is as well. I honestly cannot tell the difference in symptoms sometimes!

March 18, 2018
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Answer Summary

Members connected over the shared experience of being tested for autoimmune conditions alongside fibromyalgia, with many describing extensive... Read more

Members connected over the shared experience of being tested for autoimmune conditions alongside fibromyalgia, with many describing extensive diagnostic journeys that included blood tests for auto-antibodies, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Lyme disease, and MS before receiving a fibromyalgia diagnosis through trigger point testing. Several members shared that they live with multiple overlapping conditions, including Hashimoto's thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and rare diseases like IgG4-Related Disease, noting that untreated autoimmune conditions can worsen over time and require medications like Plaquenil to protect organs. A recurring theme was the difficulty of distinguishing between fibromyalgia and autoimmune symptoms, the exhausting process of ruling out other diseases, and the importance of working with a good rheumatologist to identify inflammation and get proper treatment for lasting relief.

A MyFibroTeam Member

They tested me for ra, lyme, lupus and I think ms. They usually do that before they diagnose people with fibro. They rule out anything that can be found from testing and if they rule out all other diseases with the fibro symptoms then they do the 18 point trigger point test and diagnose fibro. This is what they did for me 30 years ago. So I am not sure if things have changed or not.

March 18, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

I am being evaluated to see if I have IgG4 Related Disease. It is a rare auto-immune disease. It can affect many different organs. It has affected my Salivary glands and my eyes. I am just getting over Iritis in both eyes. I was really concerned I was going to lose the sight in 1 eye. It is likely to return.

March 20, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

@A MyFibroTeam Member Blood tests to diagnose an autoimmune disorder may include: Auto-antibody tests. For some autoimmune disorders, there are blood tests that can look for auto-antibodies in the blood. Auto-antibodies are antibodies made by your immune system that cause it to attack your own cells, tissues, and organs.

March 18, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

Blood test...

March 18, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

My dad had progressive ms so it was one of the first things they tested for. I think i had just about every test imaginable to try and figure i had fibromyalgia and M.E. it was horrible. They figured that because i kept getting viral and other types of infections it was an autoimmune disease. I was overjoyed when i finally got my diagnosis. Although i was also told i had functional neurological problems so that was fun

March 19, 2018

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