I am an a sever sufferer of Fybromyalgia. Review on Dealing with Fybromyalgia

I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia; 100% of my body if effected.  And combined with my arthritis life is difficult, but manageable.  I won’t die from it or be crippled from it.  At least at this time there are no known deaths from Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia(FS) syndrome is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, multiple tender points and poor sleep.'Tender points' refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. People with FS may also experience morning stiffness, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety, and cognitive symptoms(troubles with concentration, short-term memory, and handling multiple tasks).  It can make you feel so bad and the pain is so unpredictable that it can occur in just one area as opposed to arthritis that can attack the joints.  Fibromyalgia is a combination of arthritis and muscle disorders.

Fibromyalgia generally means muscle pain.  It has been a very controversial topic because there have been no specific laboratory tests. Until the 1990s many doctors thought it was largely psychosomatic because the disease was often associated with depression.  Depression can be a factor with Fibromyalgia. And because of this many doctors in the beginning didn’t think the disease was real, more are changing their minds because more and more people have FS and it is very real.  Pain is always real, I don’t care who you are.  Some doctors being diagnosed with FS has helped as well.  Funny how when a doctor comes down with something it can be “real” all of a sudden.  Sometimes doctors can treat you like you are stupid and don’t know what you are talking about.  I have been to many doctors over the past few years trying to find out what exactly was going on with me, and thank God I finally found several who knew instantly.    However because of the “ignorance” of the doctors, or the “not wanting” to believe something was wrong, even when they couldn’t find anything, I am in a worse stage of the disease.

The American College of Rheumatology, states that the disease affects 3 to 6 million Americans and is the second most common rheumatic ailment after osteoarthritis. As many as 80% of individuals diagnosed with Fibromyalgia are women.   It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men also can be affected.   Fibromyalgia can be disabling: 70 percent are disabled and 26 percent are receiving at least one form of disability payment.

Known as fibrositis and many other names since it was first described in 1816, Fibromyalgia causes pain and/or burning in soft tissue throughout the body. Unlike arthritis, however, it does not cause swelling in the joints. The severity of Fibromyalgia symptoms varies from person to person. For some women, pain or other symptoms can be so intense that they interfere with daily activities. For others, symptoms may cause discomfort, but are not incapacitating.   For me, the attack is mostly muscular and extremely painful.  I can be down and out for up to a week, and I have severe headaches because of this disease. For me when I do finally lay down to rest my legs will shake uncontrollably for brief moments.  This can sometimes go on all night.  Or periodically during the night.

I have read that Lyme disease is under study in which the study found 10% to 25% of patients with Lyme disease have developed Fibromyalgia.  Another study found a link between small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth and Fibromyalgia, with about 78 percent of patients with Fibromyalgia and intestinal symptoms having such an infection.  FS is also associated with autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

People whose bodies make inadequate amounts of growth hormone experience many of the same symptoms as people with Fibromyalgia.  Extreme sensitivity to cold may be misdiagnosed as having lupus or scleroderma.

A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance released by nerve cell endings to transmit impulses across the space between nerve cells, tissues or organs. In the brain, these chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine affect mood as well as other emotional and physical functions. Neurotransmitters help reduce the sensation of pain.  When levels are low, sensitivity to all kinds of stress may rise so that even mild pressures can pain. Low levels of norepinephrine and serotonin have been implicated in Fibromyalgia, and drugs such as Elavil, which boosts the levels of these two chemicals, can relieve pain in some people with Fibromyalgia.  Prozac is also used.  But consult your doctor first.   Sever anti-inflammatory drugs are used as well.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms can mimic those of other diseases.  Your doctor can make a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia based on you history of chronic  pain that has persisted for more than three months.  The American College of Rheumatology(ACR) has developed a criteria for diagnosing Fibromyalgia.  According to ACR criteria, a person is considered to have Fibromyalgia if he or she has widespread pain in combination with tenderness in at least 11 of 18 specific tender point sites.   Those who are arthritic like myself have a harder time of correctly being diagnosed.  Because the disease is so new, people have had it for over 30 years(like my mother) and never knew it.  They just knew something was not right.  Most of the time Fibromyalgia is determined when nothing else can be found.

Some people with Fibromyalgia cannot exercise without causing the more pain and defeats the purpose of even trying.  This has happened to me because of never being diagnosed correctly in the first place.

The disease is controllable however for some people.  With me I have gone into a stage that the controlling is harder.  My doctor has talked to me about the various things I can do.  Over the counter medications can help as well and the generic brands are just as good.  You may need to try several though in finding the right one for you.  Remember that some medications can and do cause stomach problems.

There is no cure and treatments do vary from person to person.  (And it is not really known where it stems from.) There are some people who wear an electronic box powered by a battery that will shoot electronic shocks into them.  Doctors have found that these shocks will stimulate the pain or numb it.  My mother has one and uses it sometimes.  Insurance companies do not always pay for the boxes and they are costly.

You may have to change your daily routine around some.  For instance, a pillow will help to alleviate some of the pain.  Sitting straight may help as well.  Let someone else do the bending for you if necessary.  Don’t over strain yourself in any way with anything you do.  Your eating habits may need to change.  Soy products have been known to help people with Fibromyalgia.   Massages are also helpful.  Heat can and does help.  For instance a hot tub is wonderful.  I had the opportunity to use an aunt’s some time back and it was wonderful.

If you feel that you may have the symptoms, talk to your doctor.  There are ways to help, some more than others if the disease is caught in time.  The advantage that most people have now in being diagnosed correctly is that people like me have already put up with the disbelief of many doctors and they are learning that Fibromyalgia is real.   My doctors can trace my Fibromyalgia as far back as 16 years.

I hope that this has helped in some kind of way.  And remember, going to a doctor for check ups is worth taking the time for.

Good luck and God Bless!