A detailed guide to understanding Fibromyalgia symptoms, early warning signs, and how they are diagnosed.
Fibromyalgia itself is still very much a mystery. Although doctors now have more information, and many doctors now accept it as a “real” issue, we still have a LOT to learn about fibro and chronic pain conditions in general. I personally agree with doctors who believe that fibro is not a condition in and of itself, but the result of other traumas or illnesses. I was diagnosed with fibro in 2002 when I was in…
I can tell you as someone who was diagnosed with PMR and fibro, most PMR info on the internet isn’t all that accurate. PMR usually affects elderly women, but it’s not so rare for younger folks to have it. And, most who are below the age cut off aren’t even given the blood tests needed to confirm the diagnosis because doctors just think it’s impossible to have PMR at 30, 40, 50 years of age.…
Fibromyalgia was first described in the early 1800s. It was considered a psychiatric ailment for decades. It wasn’t until a study done in 1980 that doctors were able to identify it scientifically. I got sick with it in 1989, a very stressful time in my life. The problem was that even though the year 2000 many, if not most, doctors continued to refer their patients to a mental health professional. Doctors refused to believe it…
Improving Communication The stresses brought by serious illness can make good communication difficult. To complicate matters, CFS and FM create the additional challenge of cognitive problems. Here are seven ideas for how to improve communication if you or your partner have CFS or FM. Pick a Good Time and Setting If you have something important to discuss with a significant person in your life, select a time when both of you will be at your…
Fibromyalgia and CFS put couples under stress. This chapter offers strategies for addressing three problems faced by couples: sexual difficulties, strained communication, and caregiver burnout. Improving Intimacy When CFS or fibromyalgia enters a marriage, one casualty can be intimacy between the partners. Pain, reduced energy, reduced interest, health problems of the partner, and increased responsibilities for the healthy spouse can all affect a couple’s sex life, but, like other aspects of long-term illness, intimacy problems…
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, fibromyalgia 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…
Experiencing Fibro fog can make you feel like you’re lost in a maze. You might feel confused, alone, frustrated, disoriented, bewildered, unclear, and adrift. Fibro fog can also affect your emotional well-being. Being unable to think clearly may make you feel powerless, irritable, and downcast. Constantly feeling this way can put a damper on your mental health. Having a mental illness can trigger Fibro fog, as can other conditions. Understanding Fibro fog, its causes, and…
“Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Objective Medical Evidence Requirements …” was the subject of a memorandum from Social Security Deputy Commissioner, Susan M. Daniels, Ph. D., (“the Deputy Commissioner”) to a Social Security administrative law judge (ALJ) in May 1998. This memo has been widely circulated. The memo was in response to memoranda from the ALJ to the Deputy Commissioner, to an appeal judge, and to the general counsel for Social Security. The ALJ asserted…
Len Chung, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the UCLA/CURE Neuroenteric Disease Program, Director of the UCLA Motility Unit Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common gastrointestinal condition, which is present in 8- 20% of the general population. Several population-based studies have demonstrated IBS symptoms to be more common in women, with prevalence ratios ranging from 2 to 3:1. It has been estimated to affect 14-24% of women and 5-19% of men. The…
Wrist Stuck is a condition that typically involves fibromyalgia pain. This fibro wrist stuck diagnosis can have many different manifestations. The fibromyalgia wrist stuck is generally considered to be centered around a heightened sensitivity of the veins system stuck, especially in the arm pain. Many people with fibromyalgia experience multiple wrist symptoms including: The wrist symptom that most people have in common is stuck pain. This wrist pain can affect many parts of the body,…