Post by TishArby on Apr 9, 2002 4:12:16 GMT -5
Common Questions Asked About Fibromyalgia
Question: Who gets fibromyalgia?
Answer: Demographically (what we call "patients by the numbers"), it's usually females, age 30-50, usually white, who tend to be bright, and have had some type of life event or life stressor. This might be a car accident, etc. I, myself, believe there is a genetic predisposition as well as a hormonal influence involved here. A certain percentage of men do suffer from this disease, as well.
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Question: Can children get fibromyalgia?
Answer: There are very strong feelings about children with fibromyalgia. At this time, some do not believe that young children experience fibromyalgia. There is a threshold age. I'm not sure you can have the reactive seconardy changes of fibromyalgia at a young age. This is just a personal opinion. I've not known of any hard science to back this up. It's a gray area.
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Question: What are some symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Answer: The main symptom of central activation is pain basically everywhere. As we evolve our understanding, it makes sense that concomitant dovetail problems, such as migraine headaches, interstitial cystitis, chronic fatigue, and irritable bowel, etc. share a common heritage. It is not a simple problem, but it is very real. Because we do not have a test or marker for this disease does not invalidate its existence. Our understanding is evolving rapidly.
Specific symptoms described in the literature are tender points, malaise, and generalized progressive deconditioning. Interrupted sleep pattern, especially restorative sleep needs of the individual, are compromised. These symptoms are vague and nonspecific. I am not a believer in classic symptom expression that is defined by Travell and Simon, and others in the popular literature. Believing as I do that this is a disease of the central nervous system and the fact that Travell and Simon and many other authors have virtually no scientific foundation (despite many, many years of researching) leads me to believe that we're chasing the cat up the wrong tree.
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Question: How do I know if I have fibromyalgia?
Answer: There is no specific test at this time. Fibromyalgia might be considered at this juncture a disease of what we call "exclusion". We need to rule out other problems that fibromyalgia might be similar to in presentation. Many times physicians will order thyroid studies, inflammatory panels (arthritis-like tests), and overall health analysis work-ups. Most times, these are unrewarding. An occasional abnormal blood test frequently leads to more testing, chasing the venerable cat up the wrong tree. As is imperative with any fibromyalgia patient, ruling out other diseases (examining the differential diagnosis) is an absolute necessity. We want to first identify easily treatable or potentially damaging organic disease, and a medical doctor should do this. Alternative providers are eventually fine, especially if they help, but they are not trained in medical diagnosis and, unfortunately, I've seen many tragic cases of misdiagnosis and late diagnosis of serious disease.
***********
Question: Who gets fibromyalgia?
Answer: Demographically (what we call "patients by the numbers"), it's usually females, age 30-50, usually white, who tend to be bright, and have had some type of life event or life stressor. This might be a car accident, etc. I, myself, believe there is a genetic predisposition as well as a hormonal influence involved here. A certain percentage of men do suffer from this disease, as well.
***********
Question: Can children get fibromyalgia?
Answer: There are very strong feelings about children with fibromyalgia. At this time, some do not believe that young children experience fibromyalgia. There is a threshold age. I'm not sure you can have the reactive seconardy changes of fibromyalgia at a young age. This is just a personal opinion. I've not known of any hard science to back this up. It's a gray area.
***********
Question: What are some symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Answer: The main symptom of central activation is pain basically everywhere. As we evolve our understanding, it makes sense that concomitant dovetail problems, such as migraine headaches, interstitial cystitis, chronic fatigue, and irritable bowel, etc. share a common heritage. It is not a simple problem, but it is very real. Because we do not have a test or marker for this disease does not invalidate its existence. Our understanding is evolving rapidly.
Specific symptoms described in the literature are tender points, malaise, and generalized progressive deconditioning. Interrupted sleep pattern, especially restorative sleep needs of the individual, are compromised. These symptoms are vague and nonspecific. I am not a believer in classic symptom expression that is defined by Travell and Simon, and others in the popular literature. Believing as I do that this is a disease of the central nervous system and the fact that Travell and Simon and many other authors have virtually no scientific foundation (despite many, many years of researching) leads me to believe that we're chasing the cat up the wrong tree.
***********
Question: How do I know if I have fibromyalgia?
Answer: There is no specific test at this time. Fibromyalgia might be considered at this juncture a disease of what we call "exclusion". We need to rule out other problems that fibromyalgia might be similar to in presentation. Many times physicians will order thyroid studies, inflammatory panels (arthritis-like tests), and overall health analysis work-ups. Most times, these are unrewarding. An occasional abnormal blood test frequently leads to more testing, chasing the venerable cat up the wrong tree. As is imperative with any fibromyalgia patient, ruling out other diseases (examining the differential diagnosis) is an absolute necessity. We want to first identify easily treatable or potentially damaging organic disease, and a medical doctor should do this. Alternative providers are eventually fine, especially if they help, but they are not trained in medical diagnosis and, unfortunately, I've seen many tragic cases of misdiagnosis and late diagnosis of serious disease.
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