Can anyone explain Fibromyalgia to me?

[JayR17]

Hello everyone, I would like to know some info about Fibromyalgia. My mom has it and has had it since she was young and I am yet to understand fully what it is and what causes it. So can you people explain the following questions:

What does it mean to have Fibromyalgia?

Is it just chronic pain or is there more to it?

What is the pain like compared to regular pain from nonsufferers?

What causes it? Genetics? Hygiene?

What can be used to lessen the pain?

If anyone can please help me understand that would be very helpful, thank you.

 

[Trellum]

I don't think someone here will be able to tell you what causes fibro to be honest, truth is not even the medical community knows and I suspect we will not know for sure for a while. Some people think it could be genetic tho, but there isn't a certainty to that claim. Fibro acts differently, it really varies from person from person, but most people with it do suffer from pain for life, so yeah you could say it is chronic. Some people have reported a remission tho, but it usually comes back.

Point is... fibro's symptoms vary from person to person and very little is known about this disease.

 

[JayR17]

I don't think someone here will be able to tell you what causes fibro to be honest, truth is not even the medical community knows and I suspect we will not know for sure for a while. Some people think it could be genetic tho, but there isn't a certainty to that claim. Fibro acts differently, it really varies from person from person, but most people with it do suffer from pain for life, so yeah you could say it is chronic. Some people have reported a remission tho, but it usually comes back.

Point is... fibro's symptoms vary from person to person and very little is known about this disease.

I see. Do you think that some people could be mistakenly diagnosed with Fibromyalgia? If anything are there any methods of naturally getting rid of the pain? I would like to give my mom as much information as I can get so she can feel better (since she's mostly against medications).

 

[allovertheplace]

I have been using self care methods and seeing a massage therapist for some time to deal with the pain. However, that being said I have a pretty decent pain tolerance, but then again most fms folks probably do too.

When we had a bathtub, (only a shower now) I took epsom salt baths
That seemed to help me with the all over pain more than anything. My massage therapist uses an arnica oil that is wonderful.

 

[allovertheplace]

I dont use pain meds as I have a high pain tolerance and I do a lot to. That being said, it doesnt mean I havent done a lot to get to this point. One thing that helped me the most was to get a temperpedic knockoff mattress from walmart dot com. The difference in my pain in the morning has been drastically improved since we got it. My husband who has chronic back pain has said the same thing. They ship it right to your door but the sucker is heavy she will need someone to help her set it up.

Epsom salt baths were wonderful when we had a bathtub. That helped me a lot when I was working a desk job.

Now I take a chelated magnesium since I cant take epsom salt baths. Although on occasion I have been desperate enough to hop into a rubbermaid tub filled with hot water and epsom salts. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

I also do a lot of gentle stretching throughout the day and I use a foam roller.

To answer your question it is possible to be misdiagnosed with anything, but seeing as how many have difficulty getting that diagosis, consider yourself lucky your mom isnt going nuts not veing validated. Pain is pain any way you look at it and if that is her main issue then that is what you have to focus on.

Oh and finding a good massage therapist is about like finding a good hair dresser. She needs someone who does myofascial release. I have been to about 20 different ones in the last 15 years and only 3 of those were really able to help me. Best of luck to you and your mom.

 

[trayne91]

Here's my best stab at it:

What does it mean to have Fibromyalgia? Chronic widespread pain throughout the body and various tender spots. Pain can move from one location to another day by day.

Is it just chronic pain or is there more to it? Recent research has shown hands being different than normal people's - I think it was inflammation in some nerve endings. Brains are different as well. I suffer from muscle cramps, muscle twitches, knife cutting pain, electric taser pain, pins and needles, tingling, anxiety, painful nodules in my abdomen, swollen lymph nodes, tender spots all over my body, my body feels like a giant bruise, brain fog, disorientation, tinnitus, sensitive to loud noises, etc., etc. . There are many organizations you can probably look up on Google to find symptoms, etc. I think there are over 200 symptoms.

What is the pain like compared to regular pain from nonsufferers? Pain is all over the body in different forms, moves around, and does not go away.

What causes it? Genetics? Hygiene? No one knows, but most say it can happen after a stressful event, accident, surgery, or other trauma.

What can be used to lessen the pain? You'll need to talk with a doctor about what is best for you. 3 approved meds by fda are Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella (I believe). I don't take any of them as I don't do well on those. Another symptom is sensitivity to meds so something finding the right med is a long trial and error period. I'm still on that roller coaster. I currently take only Cyclobenzaprine as so far I am tolerating that and it has helped with cramping, but not other things. I just couldn't barley walk all weekend. You have good days and bad days and you never know when they are coming. It's hard to plan things.

 

[JayR17]

Here's my best stab at it:

What does it mean to have Fibromyalgia? Chronic widespread pain throughout the body and various tender spots. Pain can move from one location to another day by day.

Is it just chronic pain or is there more to it? Recent research has shown hands being different than normal people's - I think it was inflammation in some nerve endings. Brains are different as well. I suffer from muscle cramps, muscle twitches, knife cutting pain, electric taser pain, pins and needles, tingling, anxiety, painful nodules in my abdomen, swollen lymph nodes, tender spots all over my body, my body feels like a giant bruise, brain fog, disorientation, tinnitus, sensitive to loud noises, etc., etc. . There are many organizations you can probably look up on Google to find symptoms, etc. I think there are over 200 symptoms.

What is the pain like compared to regular pain from nonsufferers? Pain is all over the body in different forms, moves around, and does not go away.

What causes it? Genetics? Hygiene? No one knows, but most say it can happen after a stressful event, accident, surgery, or other trauma.

What can be used to lessen the pain? You'll need to talk with a doctor about what is best for you. 3 approved meds by fda are Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella (I believe). I don't take any of them as I don't do well on those. Another symptom is sensitivity to meds so something finding the right med is a long trial and error period. I'm still on that roller coaster. I currently take only Cyclobenzaprine as so far I am tolerating that and it has helped with cramping, but not other things. I just couldn't barley walk all weekend. You have good days and bad days and you never know when they are coming. It's hard to plan things.

Thanks for replying and thanks for making the post as detailed as possible. Wow so I guess my mom is in constant pain that doesn't go away. She doesn't like medication however (because my grandma always says they're bad) so any good home remedies of any kind? I'm hoping that I don't start to develop Fibro especially if it can come from accidents or stressful events. Again, thanks for the reply it was really helpful.

 

[nascarmike]

All right here is my two cents. From talking to different dr.s and looking up peer reviewed material on it, it seems that for whatever reason fibro is caused by a short circuit between the brain and the nerves constantly sending ever changing pain messages to the brain. IT SUCKS!

 

[jrk1288]

Fibro, like others have said, is a disconnect between the nerves and the brain that results in the brain interpreting pain that shouldn't be there (i.e. there was no injury or event that caused it). What it feels like is different to everyone; my everyday pain is like when you have a bad case of the flu and you're wiped out and your entire body is sore as all hell. I am very sensitive to medications (even ones that are considered really benign like antacids), I can't deal with loud/high-pitched noises, I often have trouble concentrating or finding words (brain fog), and my coordination is worse than it was (I trip on things, walk into doors, etc). I also have several conditions that they have found to commonly be connected to fibro: IBS, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and gluten sensitivity. What helps is hard to say, because everyone is different. Some people who can tolerate pain meds get some relief from those, others do stretching, change their diet, the list goes on and on. The things I've found that helped are minimizing the amount of sugar and processed food I eat (this is made a lot easier by the fact that I can't eat gluten), yoga and light exercise (the key is to start SLOW), minimizing stress as that can cause a flare, and being sure that I take time to rest after doing anything strenuous. Fibromyalgia is a difficult condition to live with and manage, but it can be done as long as you respect your limits. Also they suspect there might be a genetic component to fibromyalgia (it can run in families but not always), so there is a chance you could get it, but also know that it's much more common in women; the estimate is that approximately 90% of the people who have fibro are female.

 

[Treeca86]

Fibromyalgia is a deep set in burning, tingly pain in the nerves. It is hereditary most of the time. It can set in due to injury, trauma, a surgery, stress, abuse(how mine set in), etc. Fibromyalgia can be hard to deal with, but is manageable with physical therapy, medication, reducing stress, and for me, injections, among other things. You and your doctor can figure out the best management plan for you.
Good luck!