In The Dark
Fibromyalgia (FM) Feels Like!
If we all woke up in the morning,
every morning, feeling like a truck just ran over us,
we'd have a hint of what fibromyalgia feels like. If our days
were filled with constant muscle soreness that varied
from bad to excruciating, but we barely had the energy
to do anything about it because of the fatigue, brain
fog, poor sleep and flu like symptoms, we just might
understand what life is like for someone that suffers
from FM. But while the Arthritis Foundation lists FM as the second leading form of arthritis,
most of us have never even heard of it.
People that suffer from FM are sensitive to smells, sounds, light, and
vibrations. Headaches are a common symptom. So are
muscle twitches, ringing in the earns, dry eyes
alternating with watery eyes and a chronic runny nose
that isn't caused by a virus or bacterium. Added
stress will cause flare ups. During a
flare up, people with FM are more likely to
misplace their keys and forget where they parked their
vehicle. They may lose their balance or get dizzy if
they turn their head to quickly. If they are required
to sit still for a long period of time such as on a
plane trip or in a board meeting, their muscles get
rigid and painful. They may gain weight. Though pain
is the most common symptom, the list is long and is
different for everyone.
Fibromyalgia can occur at any age and
tends to fluctuate from hour to hour and day to day. A
thunderstorm may worsen the pain. So much for the old
saying " these old joints can feel a storm a
com-en". A good night's sleep can do wonders.
Unfortunately, a common symptom of FM is
poor quality of sleep, called the alpha-delta sleep
anomaly, where as soon as you reach a level of deep
delta sleep, alpha brain waves bump you back to
shallow sleep. The body needs delta sleep to do its
repair work. Many people with FM suffer from
Restless Leg Syndrome, which also disturbs their
FM is associated with more
than 46 different infections, metabolic,
neurologic and neoplastic conditions including
esophageal reflux, Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, low-back pain
and osteoarthritis. But FM alone has no
visible signs, which is probably why people who suffer
from it can't always get the help and support they
Is Fibromyalgia A Real Disease?
FM has been called an "invisible
illness" because, no matter how awful it feels,
people who have it don't look sick and the usual
medical tests come back negative. Suffers have been
told everything from "it's all in you
head/mind" to "everybody experiences pain,
just live with it". Without the possibility of a
lab test result, many physicians have been reluctant
to recommend anything but a recommendation to a
psychiatrist's office. Devin J. Starlanyl M.D., author
Fibromyalgia Advocate, refers to this common
reaction as a "hardening of the attitudes."
FM is in fact, a chronic disorder involving the entire
body above and below the waist and on both sides.
The syndrome isn't new. William
Balfour, a surgeon at the University of Edinburgh,
first described FM in 1816. The American
Medical Association recognized FM as a true illness
and a major cause of disability in 1987. In 1990, the
American College of Rheumatology set the criteria for
diagnosis as the existence of pain in 11 of 18
"tender points" for three months or longer.
That, and the tendency of sufferers to say they felt
like a truck hit them, led researchers to describe it
as looking for the "18-wheeler sign."
Still, even today, many doctors
dismiss it as a "fad disease" and give
sufferers little sympathy or support. Not
surprisingly, suffers have a hard time finding a
physician trained to diagnose and treat their illness.
One patient said it was as easy to find help as
fighting in the dark.
Where's the Proof?
People with FM know their
pain is real, and now there is medical proof.
Researchers can look at the brain with functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to see differences
in activity and identify the variations in how FM patients process sensory information.
In a study reported in the journal
Arthritis & Rheumatism, Richard H. Gracely, Ph.D.
and Daniel J. Clauw, M.D., gave fMRI scans to both FM
patients and people without FM. The brains
of the people without FM only became active
when they felt pain. But the brains of the FM patients became highly active even when
they felt only slight pressure. Gracely says this is
important because it shows the brain response is
consistent with what patients are saying.
Researchers say fibromyalgia seems to
be at least partially inherited and can show up after
episodes of stress, illness or injury. But only 20
percent of FM cases have a known
triggering event that initiates the first obvious
flare up. During a flare, current symptoms
become more intense and new symptoms may develop.
FM has no known cure. The good news is it
isn't progressive, and it isn't fatal.
Acknowledging its existence is only
the first step out of the dark ages of FM research. Still, this validation offers some comfort
to sufferers. No one should have to prove they are in
pain, but the existence of medical research can help
others understand what people with FM are
Some physicians prescribe a grocery
list of drugs in an attempt to control the multiple
symptoms, but patients complain of disappointing
results and distressing side effects. A program of
good nutrition, gentle stretching and moderate
exercise can help, even though the prospect of
exercising my be overwhelming. Some people find relief
through physical therapy, acupuncture, tai chi and
Many curable conditions mimic FM, so people should ask their doctors about
tests. Simultaneous conditions will also need to be
addressed. And, of course, they'll need to find a
doctor who believes in and knows how to treat FM.
Before seeing a doctor, people can track their
symptoms by writing down a list of stressful
activities, noting dates, times, symptoms and levels
of pain, from aching, burning, numbness to pins and
needles to full on stabbing or shooting pain.
Social support is essential. Isolation
can lead to thoughts of suicide-the number one killer
of people with FM. Talking to others who share the
same experiences can shed new light on living with FM.
People may have to learn to live with a chronic
"invisible illness." But as Oscar Wilde once
wrote, "The true mystery of the world is the
visible, not the invisible." Hearing about others
who are managing well encourages people not to let
their FM define them-they are so much more than this
Many fibromyalgia suffers turn to
Vitalzym to relieve their
Read Doctor Heals Own
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