[Brandy]

I have felt very bad this past year. For a period of about three months, I had stomach aches and gas every day. They were very short but painful sessions. I never went to the doctor because I thought it was some bug. I also have a sensitive digestive system and I thought I was just going through a phase.

For the past 2 months, those symptoms have come back and then some. I've felt fatigued, mostly apathetic (but still have mood swings throughout the day), mild pain jumps all around my body and affects my joints and muscles, I've had trouble falling asleep and then waking up, I wake up with headaches, feel overwhelmed by lights when I'm in stores, and can feel my heart skip beats a few times a day. And then the stomach issues have come back.

None of these symptoms have been very painful, but they are starting to worry me. The pain in my joints and muscles will last for a few seconds in one spot, then jump to another, and so on. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not breathing deeply enough and I have to stop and take a few good breaths. I wake up with headaches every single morning so tylenol have become part of my daily routine. I don't understand what's going on with me. I'm young (17) and have felt alright up until this past year.

Fibromyalgia runs in my family, and I was thinking that would explain the pain that jumps around. The thing is, it's very mild and I don't have the "tender spots" that are characteristic of people with fibromyalgia. Maybe this is the beginning stages?

I've also considered depression as a possibility. I definitely have the emotional symptoms and I know that it can lead to physical pain and fatigue. The problem is, that doesn't explain my heart acting strangely or feeling as if I'm not breathing deeply.

Maybe my problem is a combination of conditions less serious than fibromyalgia or depression (hopefully). I'm not a panicky person, but these health problems I have are real and they are starting to worry me. I would love to go to a doctor but we currently have no insurance.

Does it sound more like depression or a combination of smaller issues?
This is also a strange symptom to add, but once every few days I feel a shooting pain on the left side of my vagina. Sorry if that's too much info, but it's so weird...

[psanchez95]

I hope someone answers because I have almost all of the same symptoms (including pain in the left side of the vagina)! I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 4 or 5 years back but I was told that some people don't think that it is real so I don't know if that's what it is or not. Also about the deep breaths I experienced that and one day I started experiencing a lot of pain in my chest and I was diagnosed with Asthma. About the sensitive digestive system I was diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) which I have heard accompanies Fibromyaligia many times. I have recently become quite sensitive to light and Have headaches but mine are at night.

[Addie23]

You are showing signs and symptoms of an autoimmune disease or condition. There are many, many different types of autoimmune conditions with many, many causes.

Please read about SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus) at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000435.htm. If this sounds familiar, see your physician promptly. SLE does not have to be a serious condition, but you will want to make sure this isn't what you have.

In order to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, most physicians look for the tender-point symptoms. However, the "tender-point test" is considered controversial by some physicians--they look for widespread pain, thinking and sleep difficulty, and fatigue and will give you a fibromyalgia diagnosis without tender point pain.

Depression (and panic attacks) can cause the symptoms you describe. It can be difficult to separate "physical" from "mental" illnesses as one can certainly cause the other.

At this point, the most important thing for you to do is see a physician to rule out the many causes of your symptoms. A physical exam and blood tests can help your doctor narrow down your diagnosis.

I have had fibromyalgia for over 10 years. I have been tested for SLE (lupus) and one doctor said I had it; one doctor said I didn't.

It's important when you've had symptoms like yours for longer than 3 months that you see a doctor promptly.

[DR. Raed]

depression can explain ALL your physical stops--includingnague heart feeling strange-

formulaicGoaself is higly over diagnosed--many docs use it as a general term for pain---your relatives need to research and be sure tehy really ahve it--and the doc is actually competant

[Kitty Kat]

While it is possible you have an auto-immune disease like Fibromyalgia, it is also possible that your body is fighting off some kind of infection. It is also possible that because of your worrying about your health you are showing signs of depression. If you're starting to get concerned about your health than it is time to see a doctor. If you cannot afford one, there are usually health clinics that you can go to that are either free or at little cost. I would ask friends and neighbors if they know of any in your neighborhood. Otherwise you could call a nearby hospital, tell them your situation and ask if there is a free clinic near you.