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Explore effective treatments for Fibromyalgia, including medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and holistic approaches to manage symptoms.

  • These Are the Methotrexate Side Effects That Make Arthritis Patients Stop Taking It

    These Are the Methotrexate Side Effects That Make Arthritis Patients Stop Taking It

    Methotrexate (MTX) is considered a “first-line” therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is also used to treat psoriatic arthritis (PsA). But despite the well-known benefits of helping to reduce symptoms and prevent disease progression, methotrexate has a very mixed reputation among arthritis patients.

    Perhaps because MTX is so commonly prescribed, many inflammatory arthritis patients start to worry about whether or not they’ll have to take it almost as soon as they’re diagnosed. “For anyone with RA, initiation into the MTX club seems particularly harrowing,” RA patient and Chronicwoman contributor Dibs Baer wrote about starting to take methotrexate. “I admit that I waited weeks to start taking it when I first got diagnosed with RA.”

    In particular, many patients have questions, concerns, and fears about side effects from taking methotrexate — everything from hair loss to serious, though rare, issues like liver toxicity.

    Do patients’ concerns about the bothersome effects of methotrexate have an impact on whether they take the medication consistently? The benefits of early and consistent treatment of inflammatory arthritis are well established, so the fact that a patient’s discomfort with methotrexate could prevent them from taking their prescription is a serious issue.

    If doctors knew more about patients’ main concerns regarding methotrexate, could they do a better job at preparing patients for the potential side effects and giving advice for how to manage them? These are all issues the rheumatology community needs to know more about, so researchers, including those from our nonprofit organization, the Global Healthy Living Foundation, set out to study this.

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    In research presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ACR/ARP) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, researchers surveyed 371 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis in the ArthritisPower research registry who were currently taking or had previously taken methotrexate. Here’s what we learned.

    The Most Common Methotrexate Side Effect

    Not surprisingly, the majority of patients surveyed reported that they experienced one or more side effects while taking methotrexate: 58 percent of current methotrexate users and 79 percent of people who had taken methotrexate but stopped. More research is currently underway to understand the degree to which MTX side effects play a role in whether people stop taking it.

    When patients in the survey were asked about specific MTX side effects and whether they experience them, the most commonly reported one was fatigue. About 44 percent of patients reported fatigue or tiredness from the medication, both among those currently taking methotrexate and those who had previously taken methotrexate.

    Methotrexate and GI Issues

    Patients who stopped taking methotrexate reported having substantially more gastrointestinal issues — including nausea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite — from methotrexate than current users did.

    • Just 26 percent of current MTX users reported nausea, compared with 40 percent of those who used it previously.
    • Just 9 percent of current MTX users reported abdominal pain, compared with 25 percent of those who used it previously.
    • Just 14 percent of current MTX users reported diarrhea, compared with 18 percent of those who used it previously.
    • Just 10 percent of current MTX users reported loss of appetite, compared with 17 percent of those who used it previously.

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    Overall Perceptions of Methotrexate

    However, despite many patients reporting side effects, those who currently take methotrexate consider the drug important in managing their disease and health. Nearly two thirds (65 percent) of current MTX users agree that the medication “protects me from becoming worse.”

    About half (47 percent) said that their health depends on methotrexate. Forty three percent agreed that “my life would be impossible without my methotrexate.”

    Managing Methotrexate Side Effects

    If you’re taking methotrexate for your rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis, it’s important to talk to your doctor about any side effects that you may be experiencing.

    “We know many RA and PsA patients discontinue methotrexate with or without their physician’s knowledge,” says study coauthor W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD, director of Patient-Centered Research at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. “We hope this research provides insights to both patients and doctors about the side effects patients most often report and are most concerned about. Improving communication about these side effects and how to manage them may help patients to keep taking this beneficial medication or to request an effective alternative. Either way, it’s important to keep in mind that early, aggressive, and consistent treatment is the best way to improve their long-term outcomes.”

    You and your doctor may discuss taking some of the following steps to reduce the side effects from taking methotrexate:

    Take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that you need for your cells to divide and grow normally. Folic acid is also essential in the production of red blood cells. Methotrexate blocks some of the actions of folic acid, which can lead to side effects such as mouth sores, abdominal pain, liver problems, hair loss, and anemia. Taking folic acid supplements can help offset MTX side effects.

    Take methotrexate after meals, which may reduce the risk of stomach upset. Your doctor may also consider prescribing other medication to help treat symptoms like nausea and vomiting.

    Use a lower dose. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, many MTX side effects can be resolved by lowering the dose. However, you should never lower the dose or stop taking methotrexate without the guidance of your doctor.

    Take MTX close to the weekend. For patients who report fatigue to be an important side effect, taking the medication, which is often given weekly, on a Friday or Saturday can allow you to rest and recover over the weekend.

    Consider the side effect profile of other medications you take. Many other drugs used to treat RA or PsA can also cause similar side effects. For example, some patients who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medication (NSAIDs) report gastrointestinal (GI) upset as a symptom. Make sure your doctor knows all of your medications and supplements, both over the counter and prescription, so they can help you minimize side effects and interactions.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • The Arthritis Symptoms That Matter to Patients May Not Always Be the Ones They Discuss with Their Doctor

    The Arthritis Symptoms That Matter to Patients May Not Always Be the Ones They Discuss with Their Doctor

    One of the main reasons people with arthritis visit the rheumatologist frequently — every three months is common among patients with inflammatory arthritis — is for doctors and patients to assess how arthritis patients are managing their disease. Typical check-ins may include a doctor’s physical exam and assessment as well as reviewing the results of blood tests and imaging tests.

    What’s also critical at these visits is something arthritis researchers and doctors call PROs, or patient-reported outcomes. PROs are a patient’s own assessments of how arthritis affects daily tasks — including how you rank or define the difficulty of simple activities like getting in and out of your car or buttoning your shirt — and are a very important tool for measuring and monitoring your disease.

    PROs are also important during clinical trials for medications or other treatments, as they can assess how different therapies affect patients and the symptoms that matter to them.

    There are many different PRO measures and questionnaires doctors and researchers can use, but which symptoms are most important to patients? This is an important topic that the rheumatology community needs to know more about, so researchers, including those from our non-profit organization, the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), set out to study this.

    “PRO measures are important indicators of disease activity, but as we learn more about the importance of their role in evaluating treatment effectiveness, we need to also learn more about the specific symptoms that patients find most important to track,” says study co-author Kelly Gavigan, MPH, manager of research and data science at GHLF.

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    In research presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ACR/ARP) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, researchers surveyed 253 patients through our ArthritisPower research registry with various self-reported conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA), and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

    At the start of the study, patients could select up to 10 different symptoms they wanted to track via short health assessment questionnaires. Study participants would then go on to complete the assessments once a month for the next three months. The symptoms that patients could track included:

    On average, participants chose to track seven different symptoms at the start of the study.

    The Symptoms that Matter Most to Patients

    In evaluating the PROs that were most popular among study participants at baseline, three stood out:

    • Fatigue: 83 percent of patients chose fatigue as a PRO they wanted to track.
    • Pain: 83 percent of patients chose pain as a PRO they wanted to track.
    • Mental health: 82 percent of patients chose mental health as a PRO they wanted to track. Within mental health, 54 percent of patients wanted to track depression and 44 percent of patients wanted to track anxiety.

    Here is the percentage of patients who wanted to track other PROs in the study:

    • Physical Function: 72 percent
    • RA Flare: 70 percent (only offered to RA patients)
    • Social Health: 67 percent
    • Sleep Disturbance: 65 percent
    • Duration of Morning Joint Stiffness: 57 percent
    • Sexual Function: 11 percent

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    Putting a Spotlight on Mental Health

    Study participants were also asked to share any self-reported comorbidities, or other diseases they have along with their arthritis diagnosis. The most common comorbidity was depression, reported by 51 percent of participants. This may partly explain why so many participants were interested in tracking aspects of their mental health.

    National data show that depression and anxiety are common among people living with arthritis. According to a 2018 CDC report, 23 percent of people with arthritis reported symptoms of anxiety and 12 percent reported depression. These rates are likely even higher among specific populations of arthritis patients. For example, a 2019 study found that people with ankylosing spondylitis were twice as likely to have depression as people without AS. Other research has indicated that depression rates are higher among people with psoriatic arthritis than other rheumatologic conditions.

    “Our research shows us that mental health is a top priority for patients and they do want to keep track of it,” says Gavigan. “But we know it can be challenging for some people to discuss mental health issues with their rheumatologist or other providers.”

    In fact, other GHLF data suggest patients aren’t talking about their mental health with their rheumatologist. In a 2018 poll of ArthritisPower users, 59 percent of nearly 1,000 respondents said that their rheumatologist or primary care doctor does not ask about their mental health.

    “We hope that being able to log and track mental health symptoms through ArthritisPower can facilitate these discussions and ensure that patients get the care and support they need to cope better with chronic illness,” Gavigan adds.

    Fatigue: As Important as Pain

    As many patients — 83 percent — reported wanting to track their fatigue as they did pain, which is important for rheumatology clinicians and researchers alike to know.

    “We often hear from our arthritis patient community that fatigue is difficult to talk about with care providers,” says Seth Ginsberg, president and co-founder of Chronicwoman, which is part of GHLF. Patients report that doctors don’t always take their fatigue as seriously as other symptoms. What makes this even more challenging is that loved ones and caregivers also often struggle to understand the impact of fatigue on someone living with arthritis — that it’s more than just feeling tired. People who have fatigue from chronic illness are not “lazy” or “just need to get more sleep.” Fatigue is a physical manifestation of their disease, just like pain, stiffness, or swelling.

    “The more patients can quantify difficult-to-discuss symptoms like fatigue, and mental health concerns, the more we as a rheumatology community can evaluate disease activity, treatment effectiveness, and overall health in a broader context that more fully takes into account patients’ complex experiences living with complicated, lifelong chronic diseases,” says W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD, director of Patient-Centered Research at GHLF.

    Found This Study Interesting? Get Involved

    If you are diagnosed with arthritis or another musculoskeletal condition, we encourage you to participate in future studies by joining Chronicwoman’ patient research registry, ArthritisPower. ArthritisPower is the first-ever patient-led, patient-centered research registry for joint, bone, and inflammatory skin conditions.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Fibromyalgia vs. Lupus: What’s the Difference?

    Fibromyalgia vs. Lupus: What’s the Difference?

    Fibromyalgia and lupus are both chronic diseases with no cure, can both cause some similar symptoms, and can both take a long time to get the right diagnosis. But fibromyalgia — often called fibro — and lupus are two very distinct health conditions with very different causes and treatments, despite having some features in common.

    Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that involves widespread inflammation and impacts many organs throughout the body. Fibromyalgia a disorder that causes widespread chronic pain and tenderness. Unlike lupus, fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory or autoimmune disease.

    Still, many signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia and lupus overlap and it’s not uncommon for fibromyalgia to be misdiagnosed as lupus, says rheumatologist George Stojan, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Lupus Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Both fibromyalgia and lupus can cause muscle/joint pain, brain fog, and fatigue. Both are also more likely to occur in younger and middle-aged women.

    Interestingly, another factor that makes fibromyalgia and lupus difficult to differentiate from each other is that some people have both at the same time. “Having both lupus and fibromyalgia is extremely common,” says Dr. Stojan. “In our cohort here at Hopkins about 30 percent of lupus patients have fibromyalgia too.”

    People with other rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis are also at an increased risk of also having fibromyalgia.

    Read more to learn about the different symptoms of fibromyalgia vs. lupus, how fibromyalgia and lupus are each diagnosed, and how treatments for fibromyalgia and lupus differ.

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    The Basics of Fibromyalgia

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 4 million American adults have fibromyalgia. While doctors don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, it is a disorder in which people often experience widespread chronic pain and sensitivity to touch, in addition to many other symptoms (more on this below).

    Unlike lupus, fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease, which occurs when then body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own cells and tissues. Fibromyalgia is not related to inflammation, nor is it a joint or muscle disorder caused by physical injury.

    People at higher risk of fibromyalgia include women, the middle-aged, and those with certain diseases, including different types of arthritis, or a family history of fibro. While fibro can impair your quality of life, it doesn’t damage your tissues and organs, or cause medical problems like heart disease. It is not life-threatening.

    Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

    Widespread musculoskeletal pain all over the body

    Fibro’s hallmark symptom is persistent pain in soft tissues and muscles all over the body. It may involve tender points, or areas of tenderness in specific parts of body. Frequently described as a deep ache, fibro pain may move around, persist for long periods, and disappear.

    Fatigue

    More than nine in 10 fibromyalgia patients experience exhaustion. Fatigue can be especially noticeable when you first wake up in the morning, even when you’ve gotten plenty of sleep; light activity can make pain and fatigue worse.

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    Cognitive issues

    People with fibro can have difficulty concentrating or switching between tasks, frequently referred to as “fibro fog.”

    Tension or migraine headache

    More than half of patients with fibromyalgia have frequent headaches.

    Weird body sensations

    Some people with fibro report tingling, burning, numbness, or creepy-crawly sensations in both arms or legs.

    Other symptoms

    Fibromyalgia patients often also have irritable bowel symptoms, pelvic pain, and jaw/facial pain.

    Read more here about fibromyalgia symptoms.

    The Basics of Lupus

    The Lupus Foundation estimates that 1.5 million people in America have a form of lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system cells — which are supposed to protect the body from different germs — start treating normal, healthy cells like invaders, attacking them and causing flare-ups that can affect the joints, skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and almost any other system in the body.

    Women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44) are at the highest risk of developing lupus, according to the CDC; some 90 percent of people with lupus are women. People of color — particularly African Americans — are at a higher risk of lupus than white people are, and the disease tends to affect populations differently. Native American and black patients tend to have higher mortality rates than white patients, while Hispanic and Asian patients have a lower risk of lupus.

    There are several types of lupus, but most people refer to the most common form: systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as SLE. About 70 percent of people with lupus have SLE, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. Lupus can cause a range of complications; some, such as heart disease and kidney disease, can be severe and even life-threatening without early and proper medical treatment. Regular medical care that utilizes an integrated team of specialists is important to help lupus patients avoid life-potentially serious complications.

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    Common Symptoms of Lupus

    Painful, swollen joints

    These are usually far from the center of your body, such as joints in the fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, knees, and elbows.

    Swelling around the eyes and extremities

    Kidney inflammation can cause fluid retention that can make ankles, feet, legs, hands, and sometimes eyelids feel puffy and swollen.

    Unintentional weight loss (or sometimes gain due to swelling)

    Unexplained weight loss — not due to dieting, other illness, or medication side effects — can be a sign of lupus. On the other hand, weight gain caused by fluid retention can also be a sign of the disease.

    Rashes and skin lesions

    The characteristic rash across the cheeks and nose (called a malar rash) is one of the most recognized symptoms of lupus, although a similar-looking rash can also occur in other skin issues. Another type of lupus skin issue is a discoid rash that causes raised, red, and scaly patches.

    Sensitivity to sunlight and cold temperatures

    Sun exposure can cause a lupus rash to develop or flare. People with lupus are also at risk of developing Raynaud’s, a condition in which the small blood vessels in the hands and feet suddenly constrict when exposed to cold or stress.

    Other lupus symptoms include fever; neuropsychiatric issues such as depression, anxiety, seizures, or psychosis; brain fog; fatigue; headaches (including migraine-like attacks); mouth ulcers; kidney problems; and chest pain.

    Read more here about lupus symptoms.

    Symptoms that Lupus and Fibromyalgia Have in Common

    • Pain
    • Cognitive issues
    • Fatigue
    • Headaches

    Key Ways Fibromyalgia and Lupus Are Different

    Despite the similarities in some of the symptoms, there are a few clear differences doctors and patients should be on the lookout for, says Dr. Stojan.

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    1. The nature of fatigue: Fatigue is common during a lupus flare, but it will subside once the attack is over, says Dr. Stojan. In fibromyalgia, however, exhaustion is more chronic — it’s less likely to come and go.

    2. The nature of pain: Although both fibromyalgia and lupus can cause muscle and joint pain, lupus pain persists until it’s treated, says Dr. Stojan. The pain of fibromyalgia comes and goes. “The transient quality of the symptoms is a reliable sign that pain is not related to lupus,” he says.

    3. Whether skin is involved: Fibromyalgia doesn’t cause nose and/or mouth ulcers or rashes like lupus does, such as the typical “butterfly” rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose that can pop up during a lupus flare.

    4. Whether there is inflammation: In lupus, a patient’s immune system starts to attack organs and other body tissues, leading to widespread inflammation that will likely show up in lab tests or imaging, says Dr. Stojan. Fibromyalgia, on the other hand, does not cause inflammation.

    Getting the Right Diagnosis

    There are no definitive tests for either fibromyalgia or lupus, so differentiating between the two relies mostly on a thorough history of your symptoms, a physical exam, and sometimes blood tests or imaging to rule out other conditions. Read more here about how fibromyalgia is diagnosed.

    Your doctor will ask you to describe your pain — and if they suspect fibromyalgia, may perform a “tenderness” test, pressing on several parts of your body to gauge where the tenderness is, and how severe it is.

    Your doctor will likely also ask whether you experience fatigue, wake up tired every morning, or have trouble concentrating or experience brain fog — and for how long you’ve had these symptoms.

    Your doctor may order some blood tests in order to rule out diseases that can cause fatigue, such as hypothyroidism type 2 diabetes. They may order blood tests to check for levels of inflammation in the body or for antibodies that could signal an autoimmune disease. One test ordered to help confirm or rule out lupus is the blood test for antinuclear antibodies (ANA). A positive test can be one sign of lupus, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have it. “ANA is a very common marker people have in the blood. Almost one-third of people in the U.S. will test positive — and that alone doesn’t mean you have lupus,” Dr. Stojan says. However, most people who have lupus will have a positive test.

    If you have a positive ANA test and other signs that point to lupus, your doctor may do additional antibody tests that help confirm or rule out the illness.

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    Your doctor may also order imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs to narrow down the cause of your symptoms. Neither fibromyalgia or lupus cause erosion in the joints (the way rheumatoid arthritis does) or visible inflammation of the lower back (the way axial spondyloarthritis does).

    Treatment for Fibromyalgia vs. Lupus

    Neither disease has a cure, but medication can treat symptoms and help prevent serious lupus complications. The medications used to treat lupus are very different from those used to treat fibromyalgia.

    For fibro patients: Some drugs commonly used to treat depression, called antidepressants, may ease pain and fatigue; these include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella). Anti-seizure medications, frequently prescribed to people with epilepsy, can also help manage pain in fibromyalgia. Among these, the FDA has specifically approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibro.

    For lupus patients: Many different types of medications can be used to treat lupus, including:

    • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain and inflammation
    • Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, a malaria drug that is also useful at treating lupus flares, joint pain, and skin rashes
    • Glucocorticoids, or steroids, to relieve inflammation and treat flares
    • Immunosuppressive medications, such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, mycophenalate mofetil
    • Targeted biologics, such as rituximab (Rituxan) and belimumab (Benlysta), which reduce the activity of the immune system by targeting specific immune cells
    • Other medications to help manage complications of lupus, including those for cholesterol, blood pressure, osteoporosis, and others

    Patients with lupus and fibro can also benefit from healthy lifestyle practices, too, including:

    • Exercise: Regular physical activity can help manage symptoms of fibro or lupus, and may improve mood, fitness and function. Swimming, walking, tai chi, and yoga are smart options. Exercise can be very important in helping people with lupus reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease complications. Consult a health care provider or physical therapist about a new exercise regimen, so it can be adapted to individual needs.
    • Diet: Though there is no specific diet recommended for lupus or fibro, a healthy eating plan may boost your immune system, help manage co-existing conditions, and promote overall good health. Read more about a following a healthy diet for lupus and a healthy diet for fibromyalgia.
    • Sleep: Getting adequate rest is vital for both conditions. It’s recommended that adults between ages 18 and 64 should aim for seven to nine hours nightly.
    • Complementary practices: Some patients report that activities like meditation, acupuncture, deep breathing, and massage help them relax and ease symptoms.

    While lupus and fibro may have some symptoms in common, they are ultimately distinct conditions with very different causes and treatments. Visiting a health care provider can help you get to the bottom of your symptoms quickly and begin the correct therapies. The faster you start, the faster you can start feeling better.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Fibromyalgia Symptoms: 10 Clues You Might Be Ignoring

    Fibromyalgia Symptoms: 10 Clues You Might Be Ignoring

    If you’ve had a nagging sore throat, your doctor may take a swab to check for strep. If you’re suffering from a high fever and bad cough, your doctor may order a chest X-ray to look for pneumonia. But not all diagnoses are that straightforward.

    Case in point: Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread chronic pain — as well as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties — is often challenging for a physician to pinpoint.

    “Fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose because there’s no gold standard test like an X-ray or blood work,” says Lenore Brancato, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care in New Hyde Park, New York. “It’s a diagnosis of exclusion, which means you first have to rule out other diseases that may be causing symptoms. It’s not a cookie-cutter condition.”

    Fibromyalgia is also a diagnosis that’s been subject to change. Back in 1990, when the first diagnostic criteria were set by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), a doctor had to find the following elements in order to say their patient had fibromyalgia: pain in at least 11 of 18 designated “tender points” throughout the body, plus a history of widespread pain lasting more than three months.

    In 2010, however, those diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia were updated to eliminate the tender point requirement and instead focus on findings that a patient has widespread pain, as well as sleep disruptions, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties.

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    Whereas the validity of fibromyalgia as a diagnosis was once questioned in the medical community — leading to a stigma it’s still overcoming — ongoing research has led to a number of possible explanations for physical causes of fibromyalgia (ranging from genetics to physical triggers) and mechanisms (involving the central nervous system).

    What we know for sure is that fibromyalgia affects approximately 2 percent of adults in the United States, and your risk of developing the condition increases if you are middle-aged or older and have been diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You may also be at a higher risk if you are female (most fibromyalgia patient are women), have suffered a trauma or repetitive injury, or if you are obese.

    But statistics and risk factors can’t describe how fibromyalgia actually feels to the person living with it. What follows are the descriptions doctors hear patients use when they talk about both usual and less common symptoms of fibromyalgia.

    Widespread pain

    While every fibromyalgia patient is different, their descriptions of overwhelming, debilitating pain throughout the entire body are very common. “My patients report feeling sore and stiff with an achy pain that goes from the top of their head to their toenails,” says Christopher Morris, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist with Arthritis Associates in Kingsport, Tennessee, and a fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. “They tell me the pain is in the muscles and soft tissues rather than joints.” Dr. Brancato hears similar concerns, with some of her patients saying the pain is lacerating, “like being cut by knives.”

    Sensitivity to touch

    Fibromyalgia could also make you overly sensitive to touch and temperature. “If you’re a patient with fibromyalgia, and someone brushes up against you in a crowded room it can be very painful,” says Dr. Brancato. “I’ll hear that my female patients can’t tolerate a massage.” Even though the stimulus is taken away, like removing your hand from a hot stove, the pain can continue, she explains.

    Sleep issues

    If you have fibromyalgia, you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. “My patients say they toss and turn, or their mind wanders,” Dr. Brancato says. “I’ll hear that my patients wake up throughout the night and end up feeling as tired as when they went to bed,” Dr. Morris adds.

    Daytime fatigue

    One of the most common issues for fibromyalgia patients is fatigue. “It’s exhausting for them,” says Dr. Brancato. “If you ask a patient how they feel in the morning, you’ll hear they felt awful, they never feel ready to go, they feel like they can’t get their head above water.”

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    Cognitive problems

    “My patients describe having a ‘fibro fog,’” says Dr. Morris. “They have a hard time concentrating.” For her part, Dr. Brancato sees a lot of memory problems. “If you tell a fibromyalgia patient three things during an office visit, then ask them to recall them later during the same visit, they have difficulty,” she explains. “With fibromyalgia, short-term recall can be very poor.”

    Depression and anxiety

    For many patients, fibromyalgia may also bring feelings of sadness and other negative moods. Some researchers suspect a connection between fibromyalgia and certain types of chronic anxiety and depression.

    Headaches

    Though less common, headaches can occur among fibromyalgia symptoms. “Stress- and tension-type headaches tend to travel with fibromyalgia,” Dr. Brancato reports, adding that they can be triggered differently than in patients without fibromyalgia. “These headaches can be induced by regular sounds, background music, or even odors like perfumes.”

    Digestive issues

    Fibromyalgia can sometimes occur alongside digestive problems, such as bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), says the CDC.

    Pelvic floor dysfunction

    Some patients with fibromyalgia might also have an increased incidence of interstitial cystitis, says Dr. Brancato. This condition can cause chronic pain or pressure in the bladder and pelvis.

    Jaw and facial pain

    It’s possible for fibromyalgia to be linked to pain in the muscles of the jaw and face (temporomandibular joint disorder) or to myofascial (skeletal muscle) pain in one part of the body. Such occurrences could be considered forms of regional or localized or incomplete fibromyalgia.

    Fibromyalgia and Arthritis: What’s the Link?

    The relationship between fibromyalgia and different types of arthritis can be complicated. For one thing, there’s misdiagnosis: Depending on how your symptoms present, you could be told you have fibromyalgia when you actually have a kind of arthritis, or vice versa. Read about how ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia can be mistaken for each other, for example.

    At the same time, having a painful chronic disease like arthritis may in turn trigger the onset of fibromyalgia. Inflammatory diseases like arthritis can affect the way your central nervous system processes pain, creating a double-whammy of having both diseases at the same time.

    If you suspect your combination of symptoms could be fibromyalgia, it’s a good idea to start with your primary care doctor. Because fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of exclusion, you’ll likely need a through physical exam, blood tests, and imaging tests to figure out what could be causing your symptoms. 

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Does Fibromyalgia Cause Back Pain?

    Does Fibromyalgia Cause Back Pain?

    Fibromyalgia — a disorder that causes widespread chronic pain and tenderness — affects 2 to 4 percent of women and men in the United States (women ages 20 to 50 are the most affected) and impacts patients in many different ways.

    Thus, fibromylagia remains mysterious, and questions still linger — like why are more women affected by fibromyalgia than men? And why is fibromyalgia so hard to diagnose and treat? Why do some patients with fibromyalgia have more back pain than others?

    “What causes fibromyalgia has puzzled many scientists for a long time,” says Elena Schiopu, MD, a rheumatologist and internist at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. While the exact cause of fibromyalgia isn’t certain, doctors do know that the disorder can be triggered by an injury, surgery, infection, psychological trauma (like an extremely stressful period), or even just from an accumulation of symptoms that leads to the eventual classification of fibromyalgia.

    The reason for the heightened pain? Fibromyalgia may affect the way your brain interprets pain signals. “Fibromyalgia is basically a miscommunication between the central, peripheral, and autonomic [vegetative] nervous system, which results in abnormal or amplified sensations,” says Dr. Schiopu. This is known as central pain sensitization. It causes your nervous system to become “wound up” and in a constant state of hyperactivity, which creates a lower threshold for experiencing pain.

    When you poke someone without fibromyalgia, for example, it might be no big deal, but for someone with fibro, that same level of touch can cause significant pain or discomfort.

    The Nature of Pain in Fibromyalgia

    Unlike arthritis, in which pain occurs in specific joints, the pain that fibro patients experience is more in the muscles. It’s a widespread pain, which means you feel pain all over you body. According to the latest diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, patients must experience pain in four out of five general regions of the body. These include left upper, right upper, left lower, right lower, and low back.

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    What Causes Back Pain in Fibromyalgia?

    People with fibromyalgia may experience long-term back pain along with a number of other symptoms. “Back pain that’s patient-reported and physician-observed — called paraspinal lumbar tenderness — is very common,” says Dr. Schiopu. “All the areas of the body that are being ‘used’ on a regular basis could hurt, like your hands, neck, or upper or lower back.”

    “The back is a common area to have pain in fibromyalgia because muscles in general are often painful in fibromyalgia, and the human back has a large quantity of muscle fibers to support posture,” says Amanda Sammut, MD, a rheumatologist and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

    Also, says Dr. Schiopu, patients with fibromyalgia could have a degree of wear-and-tear arthritis of the lumbar spine, which is amplified by fibro. In fact, it’s common to have fibro at the same time as other diseases, such as inflammatory arthritis or osteoarthritis.

    Back Pain in Fibromyalgia: Could It Be Something Else?

    Lower back pain is an extremely common medical complaint — some 80 percent of Americans experience it at some point in their lives. So if you have lower back pain, how do you know if it could be from fibromyalgia or something else?

    The answer is complicated. If you’re experiencing back pain as well as other symptoms, it’s possible you could have a different health problem entirely — or a health problem plus fibromyalgia at the same time.

    Misdiagnoses are common with fibromyalgia — both in terms of not being diagnosed with fibro when you really have it, or in terms of being diagnosed with fibro when you actually have a different health problem.

    “Fibromyalgia is technically an exclusion diagnosis,” says Dr. Schiopu. This means you shouldn’t be diagnosed with fibromyalgia until a doctor has fully ruled out the possibility of having other diseases.

    That’s why a thorough visit with a rheumatologist is critical. If you’ve already been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but find that your current treatment plan isn’t helping your back pain, you could have a different or additional diagnosis, such as one of the following:

    A muscle or ligament strain

    Maybe you lifted a heavy box, strained to reach something in a high cabinet, or picked up your child or grandchild, which could have triggered a back muscle strain. A sudden movement can cause a strain, as well as constant use of your back (like doing repetitive motions), especially if you’re not in good physical shape.

    Axial spondyloarthritis

    If you have lower back pain as well as pain in other places — say, your knees, jaw, neck, or shoulders — it could be from the widespread aches of fibromyalgia, or it could be another condition you may not be familiar with: axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), which is an inflammatory type of arthritis in your spine and the area where your spine meets the pelvis (sacroiliac joints). Back pain is a primary symptom of AxSpA, though it can also affect other joints and areas around your body.

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    AxSpA is often divided into two categories. Radiographic AxSpA (which is often called ankylosing spondylitis), means that evidence of joint damage is visible on X-rays. Non-radiographic AxSpA (nr-AxSpA) is essentially the same condition, but without joint damage being visible on X-rays.

    Fibromyalgia and axial spondyloarthritis are caused by very different things (AxSpA is inflammatory and due to an overactive immune system that’s attacking the joints) and thus have very different treatments. It’s important to get the right diagnosis so you can get on the right treatment and start feeling better.

    Scoliosis

    You may have never realized it, but your spine could curve to the side, a condition known as scoliosis. The physical changes of scoliosis often start in childhood but the condition might not start causing back pain until middle age.

    Bulging discs

    The cushiony discs between your vertebrae may bulge or rupture, which can then put pressure on a nerve in your spine. While some people may not feel any pain when this happens, others may find it excruciating.

    Osteoporosis

    A frustrating part about aging: The vertebrae in your spine may develop compression fractures if your bones become too brittle (a condition known as osteoporosis). These fractures can then lead to back pain.

    Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms Aside from Pain

    While you may experience back pain if you have fibromyalgia, if you’re experiencing back pain alone, and not  other fibromyalgia symptoms, then your pain is likely not due to fibromyalgia, says Dr. Schiopu.

    Sleep problems

    In addition to pain, sleep problems are a big part of patients’ experience with fibromyalgia.
    Even if fibro patients sleep for hours, they still may wake up feeling unrefreshed. That could be due to pain waking people up at night, or they may experience other sleep issues, like restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea. This troubled sleep, in turn, can contribute to debilitating daytime fatigue.

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    Fibro fog

    Many patients with fibromyalgia complain of fibro fog, in which people feel like they can’t concentrate, hold conversations, or even remember certain things, like plans or where they placed objects. One reason for the fibro fog could be lack of sleep. Another explanation is that there is potentially something happening in the brain that’s unique to people with fibromyalgia.

    Co-existing health problems

    Fibromyalgia often co-exists with other ailments, like irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, interstitial cystitis (a painful bladder syndrome), and TMJ (a jaw disorder). “That’s all followed by a slew of hypersensitivity to cold, light, noises, smells,” adds Dr. Schiopu. Thus, it can seem like fibromyalgia patients have a laundry list of health woes, which can be incredibly frustrating.

    How Back Pain in Fibromyalgia Is Treated

    If you have fibromyalgia and are experiencing back pain as a symptom, then you’ll want to come up with a treatment game plan with your doctor. “Gentle stretching, warm pool exercises, and even a supportive belt would help,” says Dr. Schiopu. “Daily strengthening of the lumbar musculature [muscles in the lower back] is key as well,” she adds.

    Fibromyalgia medications may help relieve back pain. Some antidepressant drugs are prescribed to help ease pain and fatigue; these include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella). Anti-seizure medications can also help manage pain in fibromyalgia. Among these, the FDA has specifically approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibro.

    If you have back pain — especially back pain that’s lasting more than three months and doesn’t improve with your current treatment — it’s important to talk to your doctor about  your symptoms and medical history. Your back pain could be due to fibromyalgia, but it could also stem from various other health issues.

    “If your back pain continues despite medical therapy and despite physical therapy, patients should then consider seeing a rheumatologist or a pain management specialist,” says Dr. Sammut.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Fibromyalgia vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Differences in Signs & Symptoms

    Fibromyalgia vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Differences in Signs & Symptoms

    Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are both chronic diseases with no cure. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis can both cause some of the same symptoms. They can both take a long time to get the right diagnosis. They’re both more common in women. But fibromyalgia — often called “fibro” — and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two very distinct health conditions with very different causes and treatments, despite having some features in common. Read on to find out the differences and similarities of fibromyalgia vs. MS.

    Fibromyalgia and MS may have some more vague symptoms in common, such as problems with focus and concentration, fatigue, and depression. If you’re Googling potential causes of these symptoms, you may find yourself researching both diseases to see if your symptoms match up. But despite some similarities, “for the most part, there is no mistaking symptoms of MS with fibromyalgia,” says Philip Cohen, MD, a rheumatologist, professor of medicine and professor of microbiology and immunology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia.

    This is especially true once you see a health care provider and start the process of seeking a diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is often diagnosed and managed by a rheumatologist, which is an internal medicine doctor who has specialized training in joint and musculoskeletal diseases. Multiple sclerosis is diagnosed and managed by a neurologist, which is a doctor who specializes in treating disorders of the brain and nervous system.

    Read more to learn about the different symptoms of fibromyalgia vs. multiple sclerosis, how fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are each diagnosed, and how treatments for fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis differ.

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    The Basics of Fibromyalgia

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 4 million American adults have fibromyalgia. While doctors don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, it is a disorder in which people often experience widespread chronic pain and sensitivity to touch, in addition to many other symptoms (more on this below).

    “Fibromyalgia is poorly understood,” says Dr. Cohen. “But it’s thought by many to be a disorder of pain perception, perhaps due to abnormalities in parts of the brain.”

    Unlike MS, fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease, which occurs when then body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own cells and tissues. Fibromyalgia is not related to inflammation, nor is it a joint or muscle disorder caused by physical injury.

    People at higher risk of fibromyalgia include women, the middle-aged, and those with certain diseases, including different types of arthritis, or a family history of fibro. While fibro can impair your quality of life, it doesn’t damage your tissues and organs, or cause medical problems like heart disease and cancer. It is not life-threatening.

    Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

    Pain

    Though someone with fibro may experience a range of symptoms, the condition’s hallmark symptom is persistent pain in soft tissues and muscles all over the body. “Fibromyalgia pain is diffuse [all over], with particular involvement of what are called ‘tender points,’ or areas of tenderness elicited by pressing in specific parts of the neck, trunk, and extremities,” says Dr. Cohen. Frequently described as a deep ache, the pain may move around, persist for long periods, and disappear.

    Fatigue

    More than nine in 10 fibromyalgia patients experience unrelenting exhaustion. The sleep problems that often accompany fibro, including light sleep and repeated awakenings, can contribute to fatigue, but treating fatigue in fibromyalgia isn’t just about getting more sleep.

    Cognitive issues

    People with fibro can have issues with focus, attention, memory and concentration, frequently referred to as “fibro fog.”

    Other symptoms

    “Fibromyalgia patients often have headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, and depression,” adds Dr. Cohen. “Although these problems may occur in MS, they are less commonly seen.”

    The Basics of Multiple Sclerosis

    About 1 million Americans are thought to have multiple sclerosis. Unlike fibro, MS is considered an autoimmune disease in which the immune system is attacking part of the central nervous system. Specifically, MS affects the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers throughout your body, which can cause a wide range of symptoms depending on which nerves are affected. Over time, multiple sclerosis can permanently damage your brain and spinal cord.

    Doctors don’t know what causes MS but believe that it’s due to a combination of genes and environmental factors. Women, Caucasians, people between the ages of 20 and 50, and those who live farther from the Equator have a higher risk of developing MS.

    There are four main kinds of MS; symptoms and disease progression depend on what type you have. While many people with MS develop relatively mild issues (especially with newer treatments that can help prevent MS flares and disease progression), those with severe illness can lose mobility and speech and experience other complications.

    Common Symptoms of MS

    MS symptoms vary among patients, depending on which parts of the nervous system are affected. The most common type of MS — called relapsing-remitting MS, which is what 85 percent of patients are first diagnosed with — is characterized by attacks, or flares, of new symptoms followed by periods of remission. Among the more common symptoms of MS are:

    Muscle issues

    Numbness and tingling in the limbs often occur with MS, as do muscle spasms. Frequently, someone with MS will feel an electric impulse sensation when they move their neck a particular way; this is called the Lhermitte sign.

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    Movement problems

    Dizziness and weakness can contribute to balance and coordination troubles. People with MS often complain of feeling suddenly clumsy or report tripping, stumbling, or falling more than usual.

    Vision difficulties

    When MS affects the optic nerve in your eye, it can cause eye problems such as blurry eyesight, double vision, and vision loss, and may involve eye pain and unexpected movement of the eye. You may find yourself partially color blind and have issues such as picking out clothes that don’t match.

    Bladder or bowel problems

    People with MS may experience loss of control or other complications with function.

    Symptoms That MS and Fibro Have in Common

    Though they have few other similarities, MS and fibromyalgia do have some comparable symptoms. These include:

    Pain

    People with MS may experience eye pain or pain elsewhere in the body. It can be acute or mild, and may be related to neurological issues or musculoskeletal problems. Occasionally, some MS patients do not develop pain. For fibro patients, pain is a defining aspect of the disease. Without its presence, you cannot get a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

    Fatigue

    Constant weariness is widespread in both MS and fibro. The vast majority of people with either condition often feel physically exhausted, and may find it interrupts their lives at home, school and work.

    Cognitive issues

    “Fibro fog” is common in fibromyalgia. About half of MS patients report brain fog-like symptoms as well.

    When considering your symptoms, it is important to keep in mind that people with multiple sclerosis may experience a wide variety of other issues not common to people with fibromyalgia, such as mobility problems and speech troubles. What’s more, many unusual symptoms may be caused by a condition unrelated to either disease. As a result, it’s crucial to get an an accurate diagnosis.

    If you suspect you might have either fibromyalgia or MS, says Dr. Cohen, “begin with [your] internist or general practitioner.” They can assess your symptoms and medical history and refer you to the right specialist for further testing.

    Both fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose. There’s no single test that confirms you have either disease, and doctors must rule out other conditions that can have similar symptoms. Read more about diseases that can mimic fibromyalgia.

    Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

    When diagnosing fibromyalgia vs MS, providers must eliminate the possibility of those other illnesses, which include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, spondyloarthritis, thyroid disorders, and others. To do this, they’ll typically use a combination of patient history, physical exam, and laboratory tests to narrow the field. At the same time, they can look for three diagnostic criteria:

    • More than three months of widespread musculoskeletal pain
    • Symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, and cognitive issues
    • Where in the body you’ve felt pain over the previous seven days

    Read more here about how fibromyalgia is diagnosed.

    Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis

    Diagnosing MS is different from diagnosing fibromyalgia since clinicians can rely on certain tests in addition to symptoms, medical history, and a physical exam. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for example, takes pictures of your brain and helps detect damaged nerves. Other tests may include spinal taps, optical coherence tomography — which scans your eyes for symptoms of MS — and evoked response tests, which look at how your nerves respond to certain stimulation.

    According to the National MS Society, an official MS diagnosis requires the following:

    • The discovery of damage in two or more separate parts of the central nervous system
    • Proof the damage happened at different times
    • The ruling out of other diagnoses

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    Treatment for Fibromyalgia vs. Multiple Sclerosis

    While neither illness has a cure, medication can be used to relieve fibromyalgia or MS symptoms. In the case of MS, drugs can also greatly modify the course of the disease. That’s why — though taking medication as prescribed is often key to the treatment of any chronic illness — medication adherence is especially crucial for MS patients.

    For fibro patients: Some drugs commonly used to treat depression, called antidepressants, may ease pain and fatigue; these include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella). Anti-seizure medications, frequently prescribed to people with epilepsy, can also help manage pain in fibromyalgia. Among these, the FDA has specifically approved pregabalin (Lyrica) for the treatment of fibro.

    For MS patients: There’s been a lot of innovation in recent years to develop different kinds of medications that can help limit damage to the nervous system, reduce relapses, and slow disease progression. These include oral medications as well as medications that are injected or infused. Each medication works differently, but they generally affect immune system activity to prevent it from attacking the nervous system.

    People with MS may need additional medication to treat flares, such as corticosteroids, as well as medications to target specific MS symptoms, such as drugs for bladder issues, sexual dysfunction, and muscle stiffness and spasms.

    Patients with MS and fibro can also benefit from healthy lifestyle practices, too, including:

    • Exercise: Regular physical activity can help manage symptoms of fibro or mild MS, and may improve mood, fitness and function. Swimming, walking, tai chi, and yoga are smart options. Consult a health care provider or physical therapist about a new exercise regimen, so it can be adapted to individual needs.
    • Diet: Though there is no specific diet recommended for MS or fibro, a healthy eating plan may boost your immune system, help manage co-existing conditions, and promote overall good health.
    • Sleep: Getting adequate rest is vital for both conditions. It’s recommended that adults between ages 18 and 64 should aim for seven to nine hours nightly.
    • Complementary practices: Some patients report that activities like meditation, acupuncture, deep breathing and massage help them relax and ease symptoms.

    Keeping a consistent daily routine is often suggested for both fibro and MS, as is leaning on family, friends, and professionals for emotional support. “If there is depression or anxiety, referral to a psychiatrist or counselor is often helpful,” says Dr. Cohen.

    While MS and fibro may have some symptoms in common, they are ultimately distinct conditions with very different causes and treatments. Visiting a health care provider can help you get to the bottom of your symptoms quickly and begin the correct therapies. The faster you start, the faster you can start feeling better.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Fibromyalgia Information (FAQ)

    Fibromyalgia Information (FAQ)

    Fibromyalgia is by any measure a complex syndrome. As I have written (and continue to write) the many articles in the website, I work to answer any question that you might have, and I feel confident that the answers are here. Some of these are also answered on the Facebook postings, in videos, in the blog or informational graphics we provide.

    We still have more to cover and convey, so I thank you for being here. What we provide here at Living Smarter comes not only from experience over many years but also the latest science into fibromyalgia, co-conditions and chronic pain. Working as a practitioner/trainer and living with fibromyalgia for over four decades, this is what I do.

    These FAQs are based on questions I most often receive through the website and on my two Facebook Pages which together represent a community of over 325,000 followers.

    Fibromyalgia Information (Frequently Asked Questions)

    What are the primary symptoms in Fibromyalgia?

    Many fibro websites focus on the primary symptoms of fibromyalgia. They include widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, fibro-fog, and morning stiffness. However, there are many more symptoms and, importantly, not all fibro people suffer with the same symptoms.

    For this reason, I have provided an extended symptoms list with each symptom being a link to a treatment protocol, and secondary symptoms detailed within each symptom link as well. I want to also extend a caution to attributing every symptom to fibromyalgia, that can be dangerous. Yes, fibro is complex and affects multiple systems, but we must not miss other conditions. 

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    Is Fibromyalgia approved for disability? Inside and/or outside the U.S.A?

    Fibromyalgia is now officially approved for disability benefits in the United States. I have provided the USA’s Social Security Administration’s own words as guidance for those considering applying for disability benefits.

    • Since I have readers from over 50-countries, it would be impossible to follow each of those countries’ disability claims and allowances, but the information supplied here can be of benefit to anyone seeking guidance on SSI or disability.
    • What is a fibromyalgia flare and how long does it generally last?
    • Is the heart muscle affected in fibromyalgia?
    • Is Fibromyalgia inflammatory?
    • What can I do about pain in the hip flexors? 
    • Why do my symptoms seem to get worse during my period? Does menopause increase fibro symptoms?
    • Is nerve pain common with fibromyalgia?
    • Is there one particular diet for fibromyalgia?
    • How do I manage symptoms when they can be so unpredictable?
    • How can I explain the difference between fibromyalgia and other pain disorders to my family and friends?
    • How do I know if I have the co-condition of CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)?
    • How can I safely exercise with CFS/ME and avoid post exercise malaise?
    • Is fibromyalgia hereditary?
    • Can you suggest a multi vitamin that is safe for a sensitive stomach?
    • “Mia, do you have fibro?” Yes, you can read more about my experience living with FMS/CFS/ME and MCS.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • What is Fibromyalgia (and What Is It Not)?

    What is Fibromyalgia (and What Is It Not)?

    First, it is important to know that fibromyalgia is characterized by wide-spread muscle pain and specific tender areas of the body. However, it doesn’t stop there, because fibromyalgia affects multiple systems of the body, including the nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system.

    The brain and GI tract are often involved as well. 

    One of the hallmarks of fibromyalgia is a dysfunction in the Central Nervous System. This dysfunction can cause a fibro body to react to things like lights, sounds, toxins, odors, and more. This can cause a lot of physiological stress internally, which often translates to symptoms throughout different areas of the body.

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    You may often hear that Fibromyalgia is the result of “over active” nerves. Trigger points can also exacerbate symptoms in fibromyalgia by their presence in and around muscles and connective tissue. The endocrine system can become challenged due to the stress on thyroid and adrenal glands. 

    The immune system is also working overtime, often times due to the primary co-conditions that affect immune status. This is why people with fibromyalgia often describe fibromyalgia as not just living with chronic pain, but like living with a flu 24/7.

    What Fibromyalgia is Not

    People are often confused and ask what is fibromyalgia because they simply don’t understand what this diagnosis means, but let’s jump right to the second part of this question first.

    Fibromyalgia is not just a reason to complain. It isn’t an excuse not to work or to get out of other responsibilities by choice. It isn’t a source of pain that comes and goes at the sufferer’s discretion.

    While these are the opinions sometimes held by people who don’t believe in or understand fibromyalgia, this is a serious medical condition that impacts multiple systems of the body. 

    Fibromyalgia is not an illness merely associated with mid-life, as in the everyday aches and pains of getting older. No, it is much more complex than that. In fact, many of us have lived with symptoms since a young age.

    In my case, symptoms started at the age of 9, with severe chronic migraine, MCS and later progressing to fibromyalgia. We believe that we must look at all potential toxins, traumas and exposures in early life. Toxic exposures that can actually create a greater propensity to developing fibromyalgia or any auto immune condition. 

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    Fibromyalgia is not what you see depicted in TV commercials. These ads and commercials do not even begin to accurately depict the complexity of fibromyalgia. They cannot, because if they did, they wouldn’t be able to promote their medications for it.

    So, in a sense, they are simplifying their portrayal of fibromyalgia in order to continue to sell medications for fibromyalgia. No, living with fibro is not as easy or simple as taking a pill and getting on with your life. In fact, many of us have severe reactions to medications and the side effects only exacerbate symptoms already present.

    Fibromyalgia is not muscle strain in one area of the body from “over doing”
    We do not have fibro in just one area of the body. Yes, I have heard it before. People self-diagnose and say they have fibro in their legs or shoulders or wherever. No, it doesn’t work like that.

    For instance, many people can have trigger points around muscles and connective tissue, and these can become activated through a stress or strain. But with fibromyalgia, we have a combination of tender areas, trigger point areas and symptoms in multiple systems. So even a “soft trauma” can activate the nervous system in fibro, unlike other conditions. 

    Fibromyalgia does not often stand alone. Many of us live with its primary co-conditions, CFS/ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) and MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) More information can be found throughout our site on these co-conditions. 

    Fibromyalgia and these co-conditions can make keeping up with daily life challenging, but those suffering from the pain and symptoms of fibromyalgia would give anything to make it go away.

    They would gladly take on more responsibility, and they dream of a day when they can guarantee never to miss another important event in the lives of those they love. Just like someone suffering from a heart disorder, epilepsy, or cancer, they simply don’t have a choice. 

    What is Fibromyalgia?

    Fibromyalgia is considered a wide-spread musculoskeletal pain condition, even though it also affects many systems of the body. One of those primary systems is the Central Nervous System.

    With fibromyalgia, it can feel like the body is always on alert. Within our website here, we address the many systems and areas of the body affected, from the muscles and joints to the gastrointestinal tract and brain.

    Fibromyalgia impacts the immune and nervous system to the endocrine system as well. It can impact any of your body’s more vulnerable areas such as tender areas around the neck and lower back, trigger points in the upper back, to the muscles and bones and the various systems including the endocrine, nervous and immune system.

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    For greater accuracy, we list some of the secondary symptoms within primary symptom links in our Symptoms List.

    Some people consider depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses a direct symptom of the condition that is just as real as the pain. It’s more likely a consequence of the illness because living with fibromyalgia is stressful.

    Too often, symptoms in fibromyalgia can be “activated” from external sources that we are not always in control of. This might lead to a few hours of increased pain or to an extended flare, lasting days or weeks. 

    With the absence of a cancer tumor, surgical intervention, or even medical scans showing something physically wrong with the body, it’s difficult for some people to realize how much pain is endured by fibromyalgia sufferers.

    Many sufferers don’t receive the support and care that they need from loved ones, and even with that support, this is a condition that takes a mental, physical, and social toll.

    Ruling Out Other Options/The Good and the Bad

    It is important to determine what is fibromyalgia and what is not. You can visit your doctor frequently with severe pain, stiffness, aching muscles, tingling, burning and extreme fatigue, and they may routinely tell you that there is nothing wrong with you.

    They may pick up on some inflammation in your body, but they often can’t determine where it’s coming from. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia typically comes after a lot of testing because you must rule out other medical conditions first. 

    This is why fibromyalgia is often considered an invisible illness. It’s clearly there, but like many other conditions, you cannot see the pain, you cannot always “see” the symptoms we are experiencing. It’s a chronic illness that can lead to consistent pain and discomfort.

    It may also come and go with flare-ups sparking at unexpected and very inconvenient moments. It can be completely debilitating, even when the sufferers want nothing more than to enjoy an active, healthy life.

    The good and the bad. You feel good when you are not diagnosed with a life threatening illness. Other testing comes up negative. However, you can feel just as bad when the doctor looks at you like everything is fine. Why don’t you feel fine?

    You know that something is not right. This is often the beginning of the journey. You will work with your doctor where you need to, but you will also know that there will be areas of your health that you need to take into your own hands.

    We want you to better understand fibromyalgia and all of the symptoms, but at the same time, it can be dangerous to attribute every symptom to fibro. With all of our specific articles on fibromyalgia symptoms, we offer solutions to help you create a better quality of life, but never false cures or cover ups. See, it is important to know what is happening in our bodies. Why am I having this pain? What is triggering a particular symptom?

    That is why we do this. Our number one goal is to help everyone with fibromyalgia and co-conditions live the best quality of life possible. No false cures, no quick fixes. Refer back to the interactive Symptoms List below at any time. 

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Illness Coming Out With An Invisible Illness!

    Illness Coming Out With An Invisible Illness!

    Yup, I’m coming out today!  Not about my sexuality, but my health. I want to tell everyone that….. I have a chronic illness. I have Fibromyalgia.

    Maybe you’re thinking, “yeah- ok, so do I –welcome to the club”; or maybe you’re thinking “what in the heck is Fibromyalgia?”. Well, for me to come out and say this -is a very big deal. Especially since I was diagnosed in 2014 (Four years ago!).  I have pretty much been in denial for a few years.  I had decided that I wasn’t going to let it affect my life and my goals, until it did, and I had no control over it.

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    There are Four reasons why I am starting this blog about my illness:

    1. The most important one is that by talking about my illness publicly, I have to admit it and accept it.
    2. I also hope that it will give me some accountability in taking care of myself instead of putting my needs on the back burner. I’m sure a lot of us moms tend to do this.
    3. Another reason for this blog is to share my experiences to help others and so that others can maybe help me. There are so many wonderful strong women (and men) out there living with Fibro and still kicking the world’s butt; I want to be one of them.  I figure what better way to become successful at something than by learning from the others that already walked down that road.
    4. Lastly and honestly, I plan for my blog to bring in an income so that eventually I do not have to work my “day job” anymore. However, I’m not counting on this and would only be a perk and a way to manage my illness more easily.

    What will my blog posts be about? Since I am not just someone with an illness.

    • I am married (19 years) with 3 children ages 22, 16 and 9.  I work full-time and am working on my BA online part-time.  Until recently, I have been juggling all these and my illness fairly well. 
    • For the last 8 months I have been in the worst flare I have ever experienced and have been unable to work or attend school. Let me tell you, it has been a huge “wake-up call”.  I am realizing how I need to stop ignoring my Fibro and embrace it, so I can manage it. 
    • The hope is to have posts that any working mom can relate to, but especially those with challenges like physical and emotional disabilities. So there should be something here to relate to for the working mom, student and wife.
    • I am going to go celebrate launching my site and my first blog post now! I look forward to hearing from you and learning from you! Please feel free to follow me on social media for a daily dose of motivation and positivity.  Talk to you soon!

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • 8 Ways To Control Your Itchy Fibromyalgia Rash

    8 Ways To Control Your Itchy Fibromyalgia Rash

    Fibro–Rash!  Is this really a thing you ask? Yes, apparently it is a thing.  If you have trouble with any kind of rash all over your body and you have Fibromyalgia, you could also have Fibro-Rash.  I just visited my dermatologist because my rheumatologist wanted me to rule out psoriatic arthritis. I have had itchy skin for many years and just thought it was my dry skin.  It turns out that it is really folliculitis, an inflammation of the hair follicles brought on by Fibro -and I do not have psoriasis-whew!  My doctor said that there are ways to ease the symptoms but the only way to really control it, is to control the Fibro. Sure, no problem that is an easy fix….(she says sarcastically.)

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    I’ve always had sensitive skin, so it doesn’t surprise me that my Fibro symptoms come out through my skin as well. People with auto-immune illness and chronic diseases are more susceptible to folliculitis.  So, it makes sense that I really started to notice something was wrong when my flare began.  My chest broke out into a red, blotchy rash which waxed and waned with my stress level. It was like my body was doing whatever it could to get me to stop and notice. I was waking up scratching my legs at night – it was horrible!

    Bottom rash is an example of Folliculitis

    How can fibromyalgia folliculitis be treated? Here is what my doctor said to do:

    1. Cure Joy that I found with a simple google search. Please follow the link for complete directions. I have tried a couple of these, please leave your experience in the comments below.
    2. More Ideas To Help You Control Your Itchy Fibromyalgia Rash

    3. White Vinegar – one tablespoon to two cups of water, then apply to the affected area with pressure for twenty minutes.

    4. Tea Tree Oil-best for scalp folliculitis

    5. Garlic– beneficial due to antibacterial properties

    6. Aloe Vera-antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. This is the aloe vera that I use. I love it and it has tea tree oil in it already – I apply after a shower daily.

    For me, this was just another reminder that I have Fibromyalgia and I can’t deny or ignore it any longer. We really need to take care of ourselves, make time for just you- even if you have to schedule it!

    Diet To Control Your Itchy Fibromyalgia Rash

    7. Since I first wrote this article a couple years ago, I have learned a lot about Fibromyalgia. In the last year or so, I have really been focusing on controlling my symptoms with my diet. I go into a lot more detail (see link) of how an elimination diet can help you improve your fibromyalgia symptoms.

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    8. If you want to try an intolerance test to get to what might be causing your rash faster I recommend 5 Strands Affordable Testing, use fibro cure 10 for 10% off. I used this service and hope to write an article on it soon. It really helps narrow down foods that may be bothering you.

    Rashes can be scary, if you have one I recommend going to your doctor. I hope that my story has brought you some comfort and that if you do experience this, you now know that you are not alone. Not only are you not alone but there are steps you can take to relieve the misery.

    https://fibromyalgia-6.creator-spring.com/
    https://www.teepublic.com/stores/fibromyalgia-store

    Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….

    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store