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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Mar-14-08, 06:04
sveltecelt's Avatar
sveltecelt sveltecelt is offline
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Posts: 90
 
Plan: my own/semi low carb
Stats: 153/151/127 Female 64 inches
BF:u bet!
Progress: 8%
Location: southern Arizona
Question ??Could stress be the trigger??

With a whole slew of autoimmune disorders and dormant genes-gone-bad: like fibro, cfs,celiac,thyroid problems, etc....those of you who suffer from these...I'm wondering if there were one or more highly stressful events or chronic lfe stresses the lead up to finally developing full blown symptoms.

I've only seen one book that addresses stress as a trigger for dormant fibro genes. But it seems that a large % of the population have genes that lead to gluten problems...and then thyroid problems...and then...autoimmune disorders...

Why do some people eat gluten and garbage-food with impunity and live to be 80 without any adverse symptoms and others develop cfs/fibro/lupus/thyroid/adrenal etc problems ? Surely there can't be that big of a diffrence in genes?

I'm just wanting to get some feedback from you: did some negative life events precede the development of your disease symptoms? I think that's the case for acquaintances and family members of mine.

What do you think? Maybe we are healthy and asymptomatic until stress turns on the dormant bad genes????
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Mar-14-08, 08:10
kelly77's Avatar
kelly77 kelly77 is offline
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Posts: 184
 
Plan: my own
Stats: 215/170.5/145 Female 69
BF:
Progress: 64%
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Yes, I strongly believe that stress is primary trigger for fibro flares. I have noted a stong correlation for me between stress or stong emotional upset, and the onset of fibro symptoms. I have just experience 3 years of the most stressful time of my life concerning job instability and a relationship that caused serious ongoing stress in my life - the likes of which I had never experienced before. Each time I go thru a high level of sustained stress or upset, a few days later, here come the fibro aches, brain fog, exhaustion, tenderness, flu-ish feeling, restless leg syndrome, no rest from sleep, etc. i've seen it cycle several times like this over the last 2 years, when the fibro first showed up. I've had to take steps to get rid of the things causing such a stressful life and try to keep my world as calm and quiet as possible and always looking for new ways to decrease stress. The relationship is GONE - that was the most major stressor, and i'm working on getting work to a less stressful point. I do find that refraining from eating grain products and staying generally low-carb/higher fat makes me feel better all the way 'round. So I conclude that I have a wheat sensitivity.

Also, physical exertion seems to be a trigger too. if i work out too hard, or even mow the lawn on a hot day, i feel utterly miserable for days afterward. So I'm always try to take it easy, while still trying to get some exercise into my life. Walking/hiking seems to be the right balance for me. Extreme heat and humidity seem to make me feel sick too.

To sum up - for me - high stress or emotional trauma, and physical overexertion are the two main triggers that i've identified so far.
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  #3   ^
Old Sat, Mar-15-08, 06:03
sveltecelt's Avatar
sveltecelt sveltecelt is offline
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Posts: 90
 
Plan: my own/semi low carb
Stats: 153/151/127 Female 64 inches
BF:u bet!
Progress: 8%
Location: southern Arizona
Default triggers

Kelly77, thanks for your input.
Yes, what you mentioned---those major life stresses---you've had a lot to deal with!! But you made a good point that even physical exertion can be a trigger.

For me---it was a series of things over a period of years that finally slid me into health issues. The old divorce/bankruptcy/stolen car/stolen purse/job-from-hell thing.

But I think for a lot of people that stress is what happens before symptoms show up. There's a good book by Gabor Mate' called "When the Body says No" that talks about it.
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Mar-16-08, 07:58
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kelly77 kelly77 is offline
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Posts: 184
 
Plan: my own
Stats: 215/170.5/145 Female 69
BF:
Progress: 64%
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svelt - youve had a lot to deal with too! Those are my thoughts too - that some years of increased, sustained stress does take a huge toll. mine took years before my body finally screamed, "ENOUGH ALREADY - GET IT SORTED OUT!!!" it was a rude awakening to realize that the body mirrors your psychological health - which puts a spotlight on all those coping mechanism that you thought were fairly effective. yes, maybe they were when life was easier and calmer. but when enough crap happens to you (whether by your own fault or not), then things start to break down. i've spent the last couple of years trying to take a serious look when things began to take a nosedive, what part was my responsibility, and finding new ways to cope with difficulty. so the fibro came on after probably about a 5-year, slow progression of increased stress until the relationship problem coincided with losing a job and having trouble getting resituated. kinda like the "perfect storm"! that's tough when several things converge simulateously to throw you for a loop.

I"m going to look into that book. just the title says it all! I hope things begin to look up for you. it's probably true what they say - "this too shall pass", ... if you will let it, that is!

take care.
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Mar-24-08, 17:44
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Hismouse Hismouse is offline
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Plan: Meat, Veggies, Nuts
Stats: 181/185/130 Female 61.5
BF:Falling Fluff
Progress: -8%
Location: Oregon
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Hi girls, I was just diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, my spore counts are 200 x to high my Dr. said. My shoulder x-ray show both the joint and muscle are flared up. I have had severe chronic pain. I had my Left Adrenal gland removed in 98'. So life stresses have really taken a toll on me. 18 months ago I was ridden to bed, my right femur was in frozen pain. I couldn't lay my leg out for 3 weeks. This is where the narcotic's came in to play. Then it was my pelvic, back, spine, and elbow, and now shoulder. My Dr. started me on Avyclovir and I have to take it only during flare ups. Its a anti viral medicine, he said it has showed great results in putting this in remission. I also got a shot in my shoulder Muscle, it didn't help at all. I had gotten 2 in my elbow and it didn't help either. I have been taken off Oxy and moved up to Morphine to help lower the Inflammation so it doesn't affect my heart, I'm told. There is a lab test they take on me every few month to see how the medicine is lowering the pain. One is a CRP level, there is one other. Have any of you had EBV Nuclear Antigens ab, IgG test, or EBV ab VCA, IgG test? My regular Dr. did these test in Nov 07. My new dr. was very upset the fill in dr. did tell me. He said he is the Chief Dr. at this clinic and my Lab test had come to him, and he wrote a note to the Fill in Dr.. to infor me of the Fibromyalgia spores sitting in my body. But he didn't he just gave me more Morphine.
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Mar-24-08, 18:23
ruthla ruthla is offline
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Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 190/169/140 Female 62 inches
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Progress: 42%
Location: New York
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Yeah, stress could definitely be a trigger. I was diagnosed shortly after getting out of an abusive relationship- but for me, diagnosis was more about putting a name to something I'd been experiencing for a long time, not a sudden onset of symptoms.

I do have the most pain (and pain radiating from) an area that was damaged by violence (I was pushed backwards in a chair and landed on the back of my neck and shoulders, and lost consciousness for a few seconds). My neck and shoulders are the most painful parts of my body- at times I have trouble with dressing and undressing because of limited mobility in my shoulders.

Hismouse- what's a "fibromyalgia spore"?
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Mar-25-08, 05:45
sveltecelt's Avatar
sveltecelt sveltecelt is offline
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Posts: 90
 
Plan: my own/semi low carb
Stats: 153/151/127 Female 64 inches
BF:u bet!
Progress: 8%
Location: southern Arizona
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Hi ladies,
Hismouse, I am familiar with fibromyalgia but I also don't know what a spore is. I am so sorry to hear of all the pain you have suffered and the surgeries! It sounds like your pain and symptoms have taken on a life of their own ! I hope you can find a doctor who is competent to help you get well!

Ruthla, you've had a lot of crummy stuff to deal with , too. Traumatic physical damage to your neck and shoulders...and abusive former relationship! How long ago did the injury happen to your ncek/shoulder area? How do you cope with it?

Kelly77---yes, yes! I think it's great that you have been able to take a look at your life and discover what brought you to that point of crisis. I hope things go well for you!

I just wanted to mention a couple more books that addresss this: (I like reading books by doctors who are sympathetic and who CARE about their patients!) The one book is by Ridha Arem. It is about thyroid diease but he mentions many other diseases and autoimmune problems including fibromyalgia. It's called: "The Thyroid Solution--A Revolutionary Mind-Body Program for Regaining Your Emotional and Physical Health">
The other book is called: "The Body Bears the Burden" which is about injury to body parts.

I come from a family background that has the attitude that illness or physical weakness is somehow bad---like a moral failing. Now I know that's not true. And, if a person becomes ill or injured, you need relief from the pain or sources stress in order to fully heal.
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Mar-31-08, 08:20
ruthla ruthla is offline
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Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 190/169/140 Female 62 inches
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Progress: 42%
Location: New York
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sveltecelt
Ruthla, you've had a lot of crummy stuff to deal with , too. Traumatic physical damage to your neck and shoulders...and abusive former relationship! How long ago did the injury happen to your ncek/shoulder area? How do you cope with it?
Um, let me think. I was sitting in a chair nursing DS when his bio-dad knocked the chair over backwards, so I landed on my neck/shoulders and lost consciousness for a few seconds. DS is 6 now so I guess this was about 5.5 years ago.

Most of my fibro pain radiates out from my neck and shoulders, and it's worse on the left side. One advantage to their being a focal point to the pain is that I'm able to use topical pain releivers on that area- capsicaine on the shoulder helps with pain all the way down my arms.
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  #9   ^
Old Mon, Mar-31-08, 21:13
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NoWhammies NoWhammies is offline
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Plan: keto ancestral/IF
Stats: 330/189/140 Female 5'4"
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Progress: 74%
Location: Southwestern Washington
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I was diagnosed with CFS in my twenties. Prior to my diagnoses, I was healthy and active - perfectly fine. It all started with a motor vehicle accident - so I would say that stress could definitely be a trigger. I had the MVA and was never healthy again.
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Mar-31-08, 21:28
KiaKaha's Avatar
KiaKaha KiaKaha is offline
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 352/307/165 Female 5'11"
BF:55/45/25
Progress: 24%
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Stress makes your body release high levels of cortisol which is not at all good for you. Cortisol is implicated in lots of things - maybe it is cortisol that affects the genes. The longer the period of stress the longer the cortisol is floating around (and usually the greater the weight gain as well as cortisol is strongly linked with abdominal weight gain).
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, May-02-08, 12:51
quietone quietone is offline
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Plan: original 72 Atkins
Stats: 201/177/142 Female 65 inches
BF:44/44/25
Progress: 41%
Location: Northern Virginia
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My fibro developed after a car accident with surgeries following.

My sisters RA developed after an abusive marriage.

So, yes, I think that if you have the propensity, then it does take a trigger. but so far we're the only two in the family that suffer anything at all. Or at tleast the only two who have been diagnosed (that's out of 9).
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, May-02-08, 19:54
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kuukuu kuukuu is offline
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Posts: 1,476
 
Plan: atkins hybrid
Stats: 210/179/150 Female 65 inches
BF:that's the point.
Progress: 52%
Location: indianapolis, indiana
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Go here...describes what happens to a "T"!

http://www.fms-help.com/hypothalamus.htm
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