Fibro Myalgia?
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I am not sure I necessarily agree with Dr. J's assessment of what constitutes a diagnosis. There are many disease entities that we don't know what causes them, yet they clearly remain a disease - hypertension, MS, depression, and Alzheimer's Dementia are among many others. He also made a point about Vit D deficiency and he's probably right about most Doctors not testing for it.
Fibromyalgia is a funny syndrome. There are definite definable similarities between patients. Unfortunately we have not been able to isolate any pathology to "fix." It may be a matter of we just don't know what to look for. I suspect that we will eventually discover that this syndrome is literally all in people's head. (Not to be confused with an imaginary thing)but a disorder in the brain either is causing the pain and fatigue or sensing it too acutely.
The symptoms you typically have with a virus - achey, tired, are not the virus rather it is our own body causing this and signalling us - hey, you are ill, slow down. I bet this normal process has gone bad and is implicated in fibromyalgia. When we figure out why this area is working overtime, or at least how to treat that area, I bet we will have a legitimate treatment for FM.
There are treatments now, however - and people do get over the problem. Two areas of high importance in my experience is treating anxiety or depression if it exists (almost always does) and treating any sleep disorder (frequently exists too). These are two areas that have the biggest impact on a patient's outlook and there lies the rub. Those who are positive and manage not to look at this like they are a victim do much, much better. Those who feel helpless and victimized do much worse. Check out some of the links above. I wish your Mother well.
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It's one word.This link should help you an dit's not considered a disease.http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw196365
I dont know how much it will help, but please try these links. hope these will be helpful..
http://www.fmnetnews.com
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fibromyalgia.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079
http://www.myalgia.com
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/Fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia.asp
wishes to ur mother to get well soon.
There is a book called "Women and Autoimmune Disease : The Mysterious Ways Your Body Betrays Itself" by Robert G. Lahita. It was an entire chapter about it. My dad (an immunologist) found it very informative and well written.
My mother-in-law has it. I don't remember how she was diagnosed. I know it started because she knew someone who had been diagnosed and shared many of her same symptoms. Unfortunately there isn't a lot you can do about it. Good luck with the tests.
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.
Hi Luna. Fibromyalgia (FM) is not a diagnosis - it is a label. If the actual cause of your mother's symptoms can be determined, then she will get a specific 'diagnosis'. For example, vitamin D deficiency is at epidemic levels in the U.S. (note: darker skinned people and older people are at very high risk of this). Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle pain and weakness that often is labeled Fibromyalgia. But the proper 'diagnosis' in this case is actually vitamin D deficiency. (Hopefully your mother's docs are testing for this, but I bet they are not!). In this example, the label of Fibromyalgia is the result of failure to make the proper diagnosis (diagnosis means the cause has been identified).
Anyway, after the doctors have ruled out diagnosable causes of chronic pain, they then give the 'trash-can' label of Fibromyalgia.
So, if your mother's docs do not find a condition they can diagnose (e.g. cancer, certain types of myopathy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal nerve compression syndromes, etc.) they will give her the 'label'. Note: you will know it is a label and not a diagnosis by asking the doctors a simple question: "Doctor, what exactly causes Fibromyalgia?" The answer "no one knows" proves it is a label and not a diagnosis.
I would like to suggest an excellent book that can help you and your mother actually find the cause of her symptoms (if she gets the Fibromyalgia label) called "Pain Free in 6 Weeks". It is written by Sherry Rogers, M.D. I highly recommend this book. You can order it at Amazon.com or from the publisher at 1-800-846-6687.
Best wishes and good luck!
OK, from a doctors perspective.
Fibromyalgia is what is known as a diagnosis of exclusion. That means that everything else has been ruled out. But, many doctors (at least in the UK) tend to diagnose it on the fact that the symtoms do not fit any other disease profile. There is also a sort of pattern of fibromyalgia where pain is felt in certain points that don't point to any source of pain.
It is thought that the cause of FM is pshychological. That it is a physical outlet for a persons psychological anxieties or worries. Most often the treatment is to work on the patients psychological problems as treating this almost always treats the FM.
There are many conditions where there is a physical manifestation of a pshychological problem, such as IBS, and is quite a common thing.
well i have rheumatoid arthritis very painful at times,i was having bad pain in my shoulders and neck my doc said i had fibro,it is also painful my arms are the worst sometimes i cannot move them you need rest you get it in you legs arms neck and other places there are points .there are no meds really for it it can make you depressed some docs give you Zoloft. for the depression because if you get depressed the pain can be worst there are no test for this so don't waste your money.also have blood test for RA as i said pain can be the same.good luck
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