
Diagnosed With Fibromyalgia. Given Cortisone. Have Pain. Having Throughout Body And Cymbalta?

Question: I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and just had an x-ray of the left hip and it shows I have severe ostoarthritis in the hip. The doc is going to give me a cortisone shot in the hip to see if it will relieve the pain. If I still have pain after the shot then it is fibromyalgia and not the hip. If I have no pain whatsoever then it is the hip. Is this a good way to check? I have terrible pain throughout my body and cymbalta (90g) is not helping and either is amtriptyline (50g). What should I do. I am at the wits end with all the pain and cant get the right meds.
Brief Answer:
Its the correct way to diagnose hip problem.
Detailed Answer:
You have very valid doubt however fibromyalgia is the diagnosis of exclusion. When no pathology found and still having intolerable pain then it is termed as fibromyalgia. Definitely if the injection relieves the pain then it has to be from the hip arthritis. Sometimes transdermal analgesic patch helps to relieve the pain. Thanks.
Its the correct way to diagnose hip problem.
Detailed Answer:
You have very valid doubt however fibromyalgia is the diagnosis of exclusion. When no pathology found and still having intolerable pain then it is termed as fibromyalgia. Definitely if the injection relieves the pain then it has to be from the hip arthritis. Sometimes transdermal analgesic patch helps to relieve the pain. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar


My question now is, if I have no pain he assumes I don't need hip surgery, but what if i still have fibromyalgia pain and how can he tell it is not from the hop.
Brief Answer:
depends on your pain pattern
Detailed Answer:
If pain is from the hip then hip movements should be painful. Hip pain is usually in the front aspect of the hip radiating to thigh. It does not go below the knee.
If the cortisone injection relieves the pain then it confirms hip problem and in that case definitive treatment such as hip replacement will resolve the problem. If the injection does not give much pain relief then it may be fibromyalgia which is a psychosomatic illness without any particular anatomical pathology which is difficult to treat. Thanks.
depends on your pain pattern
Detailed Answer:
If pain is from the hip then hip movements should be painful. Hip pain is usually in the front aspect of the hip radiating to thigh. It does not go below the knee.
If the cortisone injection relieves the pain then it confirms hip problem and in that case definitive treatment such as hip replacement will resolve the problem. If the injection does not give much pain relief then it may be fibromyalgia which is a psychosomatic illness without any particular anatomical pathology which is difficult to treat. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

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