Just a brief history: My mom has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She said that they gave a test to determine if she had it. I have been doing some reading on the condition because I suffer from some of the symptoms. I can't see very well to drive at night due to the bright car headlights, whenever my cat walks across my legs or body it just kills me with pain, my husband will be playing around with me jokingly and grab my arm. It hurts for a long time after that, even though I know he didn't grab me hard.
Is fibromyalgia hereditary?
Why do some doctors discount this as a psychological disorder?
I read today, although I can't find it now, that they found that women who were sexually abused as children have a higher chance of having fibromyalgia, which to them supports the theory of it being psychological.
Just wondering?

hi there,

First, there is no test for fibromyalgia Basically, the diagnosis is made by ruling out every other possibililty for the symptoms .. including diabetes, low thyroid, malnutrition or malabsorption of nutrition, other autoimmune diseases and yes, depression. Also, there are specific tender points, which it sounds as though you have some of them on your arms and legs, but these are present with other conditions too.

Have a read through this thread from a member who was experiencing symptoms that suggested fibromyalgia. There's a lot of good information there, and some guides on how to tell if fibro might be what's ailing you.

On the question about drs' attitudes ... back in the 1970's and '80's, the medical community decided that fibro and chronic fatigue syndrome must be psychosomatic because they couldn't find anything physically wrong. Of course, they were looking in the wrong place Because the PWF (person with fibro) suffers muscle pain and aching, they studied and biopsied the muscles ... and of course, everything looked normal. Thus, drs assumed the problem was in the head, and indeed .. antidepressant medication seemed to relieve pain for many patients (who were mostly women, of course). In the last decade, they've discovered that there's a definite physical disturbance in the amounts of and the way the body utilizes various brain chemicals, hormones and neurotransmitters that affect our experience of pain and fatigue .. and they are similar in some ways to depression. But for most PWF, the depression is a RESULT, not a cause of the unrelenting pain. Low doses of antidepressants help because they regulate some (but not all) of the neurochemicals involved.

A good book is "Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain ... Your self-treatment guide" by Leon Chaitow. pub Thorson's (UK) ISBN - 0-00-711502-4. 3rd edition published in 2001. The information is up to date, and thorough.

hth,

Doreen

Ive had FM since I was a kid altho I wasnt formally Diagnosed until 5 yrs ago. My symptoms tho became worse over 13 yrs ago with the birth of my daughter. I went to Doctor after doctor. My main Doc said U wouldnt be tired if U werent so over weight. I slammed him and said I wouldnt be so freakin overweight if I wasnt so tired!! Kicked him to the curb after that..lol. I eventually went to a rheumatologist and because all of the blood work that had been done previous, and the fact that I had all the tender points was Dxed. As for it being inherited? My opinion is yes. Im sure my grandma had it and my dad has chronic fatigue syndrome. I believe docs are becoming more informed, however there are still lots that think depression causes FM not the other way around. And just to let U know where I am at now. 9 years ago I was extremely sick with FM. Today because of the research I have done, low-carbing and excercise I have put myself in remission!!! Im off all meds and intend to look into becoming a certified fitness instructor in the fall! So even if U have FM there is still lots of hope!

Thanks for the advice! I have read the other threads on the subject for other information too. I will look for the book too.

Thanks again!

I bought my mother a fibromyalgia cookbook. The recipes in there looked like they were fairly low carb (I will have to look again when I visit her) She has been impressed with my weight loss so far, and I am trying to talk her into exploring the LC WOE to help her ailments (and to lose weight!)

Hi,
I'm just new here and I was thrilled to see that they have a group with other Fibroites. I don't know what test your mum had, but this is no particular test to determine if one has FM. FM is dx by seeing if one suffers with chronic pain for at least 3 months and has at least 11 out of the 18 tender points. Many tests are done to rule out other diseases that can mimic FM. It does sound as though you could have FM, considerin the pain that you suffer when your cat walks on you, and the pain when playing around with your hubby.
I do believe FM is heritardy although no one in my family has ever suffered with it, but I have heard of other families that mother and daughter or daughter's suffer together. There are some great web sites on FM with lots of info and many support groups. Up until recent times and I guess even today doctors did think it was just some neurotic women's complaint and that it was all in the mind. Today though it is becoming more readily recognisable and being dx more. I was dx with FM about 5 years ago although I had suffered to a lesser degree for many years before. It would be a good idea to get yourself checked out by a doctor to rule out anything else.

Debbie

Hello
I have had fibromyalgia for the past 18 years. It is very important to keep moving all the time. I've done a lot of research on Fibromyalgia and there are some terrific web sites out there to check out. My doctor believes that a good percentage of people who develop the disease were in an accident of some sort. (car, work etc.) A bad fall at work started mine.
Contact your local Fibromyalgia/ arthiritis society for more informatin on this disease. There are usually a long list of other ailments associated with Fibromyalgia such as headaches, IBS, depression, etc. It's not all in your head.
The better you understand the disease the more you will be able to cope with it on a daily basis. Just don't give up.. Hang in there, it ususally gets better.

Linsue

I have been researching fibro hard for the past six months as I have gone through the riggors of trying to find out what was wrong with me. I have also joined several fibromyalgia email groups and followed every link and bought every book they recommended. The following links are the best I have found, the first is written by the author of two of the best books on the topic as well. It is VERY comprehensive and an excellent place to start. There are also a list of printable articles that your mother will benefit greatly from as a place to begin learning. Both links are the Web sites of doctors that have tirelessly dedicated themselves to helping people with FMS. They also volunteer their time to answer medical questions about FMS and MPS (Myofascial Pain Syndrome) on one of those email lists I joined. In my opinion, you couldn't start your journey in a better place. I believe the mailing list info is there on those sites, but if not, please feel free to write me in person and I will be glad to give you more information.

http://www.sover.net/~devstar/

http://fmaware.org/doctor/nye.htm

As to the depression question, I fought the idea that I was depressed despite doctor after doctor telling me I was, because I really wasn't--at least not until I received the cortisone injections in my back and hip. 24 hours later I had an acute episode of depression that has persisted for two months now. I have been depressed before, but then I have also been fighting doctors for the past 28 years (age 11) when my IBS and joint problems first started. After so many years of pain and coming up with nothing again and again, and losing so much of my life to this disease without knowing what was wrong with me...well, eventually you WILL develop some emotional problems. Who wouldn't?

However, I do not believe that the depression has in any way caused the muscle spasms and joint pain I have had nearly my entire life, whether I was depressed or not. Another point I would like to make, though, is that organic depression CAN coexist with FMS; they are not mutually exclusive. Recovering from FMS is very possible (though it is not curable), but it takes tireless committment and the strength to exercise when you really just want to lie down and be unconcious. That kind of strength and committment is impossible to do when you are also depressed.

Part of my personal journey has been to give up all the pain meds they had me taking on a daily basis. I took one pill for IBS and one for pain and one for sleep, and all they did was exacerbate my brain fog and coordination problems to the point where I could not drive to the pool, I could not think my way out of a paper bag, and in the end were a large part of why I ended up having to go on medical leave. They were as incapacitating as the pain. So I gave up on the doctors recently, and went off all the meds and took control myself. I am now to the point where I am working out at the pool five times a week. I am starting to build strength and endurance. I am simultaneously working (why I am here!) at losing 120 lbs--if for no other reason than to prove to the doctors that it is not the cause of my pain--rather, the pain is the reason I have gained so much weight. I've been in pain when I was thin, too, and as a child, but they don't believe it. I am also working very hard with a therapist at finding ways to control my responses to daily stress, as stress is a major aggravator of FMS pain.

FMS must be treated through a multi-treatment approach, as you will soon learn.

I wish you and your mother a speedy rehabilitation.

Sincerely,

kaelen

i've had fibro most of my life.was only formaly diagnosed 2yrs ago.
my mom also has it as well as my brother. my rheumatologist prefers to call it inter muscular rheumatism.it's like a combination of arthritis in soft tissue and cerebral palsy.the messages that are being sent to the nerves are wrong.
like when you have a sprained ankle it's supposed to hurt , only when you haven't injured yourself you feel as though you have.this is why things like amytriptiline work,they block the receptors partially.gotta watch it though,i don't notice things like hot stove elments as easily and once thought an element was off when it wasn't,gotta a nice burn.
i've found that getting consistantly 8hrs sleep a night keeps me from having flare ups.losing weight has helped to manage pain so that i could reduce my meds.i also find that i can't stay in one position to long,sitting or standing,i need to move every 20min even if it's just to stretch.
i've also noticed that a flu can trigger a bad flare,as well as severe stress,my allergies ,and cold /damp weather.
one of the most irritating symptoms of fibro ,i find,is that if i allow myself to get overtired or off routine when i go to bed and finally try to go to sleep my skin all of a sudden gets really itchy.doc says that has something to do with the mixed signals being sent to my nerves.extra motivation to keep on track

I think people make a mistake when they consider fibromyalgia as less serious because it could be psychologically based. That doesn't make it less painful or damaging to one's life. Personally, I think there is good evidence that fibro can begin following a serious bodily injury or surgery. It appears that the brain's pain receptors go bonkers. I don't have fibro but my ex had fibro following hip replacement surgeries. If you weren't depressed before fibro you sure will be after you have it! It is shocking to me that physicians can be so heartless to those who have this disease. I do believe there is a physical cause and that it ultimately will be found. Hang in there!

I have been reading on this forum, because I already know that I have S.A.D., and for awhile I have been wondering why I am so sensitive to pain on certain body areas. I checked out a link that was left on another thread, and I experience the following symptoms:

- blurred vision (this has been happening for yrs! I was happy to have ruled out glaucoma,just attributed it to tiredness)
- chest pains and pressure beneath the breast bone
- cramps
- dizziness
- fatigue
- gastroesophogeal reflux (GERD) – sometimes called heartburn or acid stomach
- general aches and pains
- intermittent hearing problems and low-frequency hearing loss
- memory and reasoning problems ("brain fog")
- morning stiffness
- muscle twitching
- nighttime grinding of teeth (bruxism)
- pelvic pain
- pre-menstrual syndrome
- sleep problems, insomnia
- temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- tingling or numbness in arms, legs, feet or face
- water retention and swelling; especially in the hands, face and feet
The dr.s have been trying to figure out for almost 3 yr. now why my feet swell up for no apparent reason. They all suggested blood clots, or my heart... had medical tests done & all come back negative for that. I also checked out the post of where the pain points are., and gadz I almost came through the ceiling when pushing on some of them! I guess that this will be something that I will be bringing up the next time I visit a doctor. They are going to think I am a hypochondriac! It's a good thing that I've been griping about the same thing for some years now!

i started having joint pain, sometimes excrutiating in my thirties. I'm 49 now. I had a pretty good doc at the time who ruled out other stuff pretty quickly and came to fibromyalgia. She sent me a big shot rheumatoid specialist to confirm. He ran a lot of tests on me, spend a couple hours with me and concurred: fibromyalgia plus light arthritis.. My arthritis more serious now, mostly my knees . . but that's another illness that shows up in x-rays. No one questions the xrays.

My good, primary doctor referred me to a six week clinic that helped people learn how to cope with fibromyalgia. To get my insurance to cover it I had to pick up the specialist's diagnosis. He was at a behemoth hospital so I went in person to get the report. My doc had requested twice and never gotten it.

So I had a chance to read the jerk's report. He spelled out all the physical stuff that led him to diagnose fibromyalgia, evaluation he had done, etc. HIS CONCLUSION, however, was that I was extremely unlikely to be open to treatment. "These people, who are so obese, are not very treatable" he wrote to my doctor.

The medical field is getting crazier and crazier. If he thought my fibro came from obesity, why wouldn't he just diagnose my problem as obesity.

The clinic, BTW, helped me tremendously. I know each fibro sufferer has different thresholds of suffering and pain so my experience might not directly relate to the next victim of this illness. But I have learned how to be pretty darn good at managing fibro.

The key, for me, is to sleep well. Docs don't know what causes fibro but many have concluded that poor sleep contributes to it. I believe rhythym to sleep is very important so I have become fanatical about going to bed at the same time. I have long periods when I take a sleep aid. If I wait up unrested a few mornings in a row, I'm back on the sleep aid asap.

Another key for me has been exercise, esp. swimming because it puts no pressure on joints.

And another key has been surrender.

I weighed 330 back in the days when I was diagnosed and I weigh a lot less now . . . and that helps but I still have fibro.

I have been under intense stress the last two weeks and for the last week my fibro has flared up as painfully as it can get. Everything hurts. I am exhuasted every moment. I'm not sleeping, even with sleep aids.

But I have been on the path to treat myself better for a long time. It takes too long but change takes as long as it takes.

The most important element of managing my fibro is self love.