Springtime flare-ups

[AimB143]

Yes, having a flare as well. I recently realized the warmer months are my flare times. A lot of sun is a trigger so that kinda stinks. Still learning to navigate my way through this- just diagnosed last summer.

 

[Flexecif]

I guess extreme weather temperatures give the flares as some have in the cold weather.

 

[djhsix]

I'm having a flare right now. It started a few weeks ago, which roughly coincides with some warmer weather. I hope it's my body thawing out from the winter and not a reaction to the warm weather.

 

[WhoDat83]

A very recent research-article (May 1st) on aafp about the FM/a-test is unfortunately behind a paywall (40$ for the issue) apart from the beginning where it says
"However, this type of study design, which uses a control group of healthy patients, overestimates accuracy. In the same study, when using a more appropriate comparison group of patients with known rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who did not have co-occurring fibromyalgia, the specificity was only 70%, with a positive likelihood ratio of 3.1 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.1. The most appropriate study design would enroll patients with clinically suspected fibromyalgia, but this type of study has not been performed."

Have you done the test? what s your feedback?
i didnt know it did exist so i just booked one.

 

[srdodla123]

Is it recognized by medical community etc?

 

[catnel]

I am having a flare up like no other....my spine area up and down my back is on fire. Yesterday it was my feet and legs which I have had before but, not this....the weather is really humid here and I think it has something to do with it so, yes I do think the weather can cause a fibro flare.

 

[JayCS]

Have you done the test? what s your feedback?
i didnt know it did exist so i just booked one.

Is it recognized by medical community etc?

No, I haven't done it, and am not interested in doing it either. Main reason is I don't need any proof that I have fibro as on the one hand the diagnosis doubtlessly fits to my symptoms and on the other I am "treating" each symptom on its own with quite some success. The test will and cannot change that in any way.
I've said some of this above already: Reading up about it months ago, I saw that it uses cytokines and chemokines as biomarkers for FM and that this is not (yet) recognized. Their claim of accuracy is hence not objectifiable. It costs 1000$+, but is paid for by Medicover. I think they are paying for it to help people accept the diagnosis and hence stop further even more expensive tests. I've had every alternative tested any of my docs can think of, the rest is detective work and pacing. The company EpicGenetics is in California and only now offering it increasingly worldwide, incl. Europe. They are working on using a BCG vaccine to try to heal or improve FM, but are far from having succeeded. I've become more interested in their work after realizing that cytokines are being seen as a possible part of the FMS by the medical community and that one of the treatments I use, cryotherapy, seems to work on the cytokines, according to research. Doesn't change the fact that I see no need for the test tho...

 

[cjshipi]

Weather changes do affect me. We had a week of 80 degrees then dropped to 45 degrees and rain for three days. I had a flare up with little pain but severe fatigue.