Yeah, I would start over too, it can be confusing starting in the middle.

yea i mean i understand how he got "the powers" but everything is just confusing.

The plotlines for the manga and the anime completely split around the time Greed is introduced. Entire concepts are different. For example, Dante is not even a character in the manga, homonculi are not created from failed human transmutations, the whole concept of the gate is different, etc.
In the anime they focus on the philosopher's stone, but in the manga they give up on after discovering its true nature. Instead they focus more on the gate itself. Hope I didn't spoil much...

I've finished the series, I hadn't really thought about reading the manga since usually I read the manga first. But I may try it if it's slightly different. Thanks!

anime is better then the manga... watch the show first

You've read the manga? Or are you just generalizing? Manga is sometimes much better than Anime. Didn't the FMA manga come out after the series? I can't remember...I've already watched the anime. I collect the Dvds and the movie.

The manga started in Feb 2002. The anime was started Oct 2003 and finished Oct 2004. The movie came out 2005. The manga is still going.
The anime caught up with the manga releases so the writers for the anime made up their own bunk storyline that has absolutely nothing to do with the manga.
The manga storyline is much deeper and more interesting than the anime was.

Manga >>> Anime