Guest guest Posted October 11, 2000 Report Share Posted October 11, 2000 this is certainly not a comprehensive look at FMS but thought i would pass it along anyway. robin http://www.drkoop.com/conditions/fibromyalgia/library/fibromyalgia_symptoms. html?nl=dkc & sct=top & dt=082900 What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia? F.C. Rigby, M.D. and Kathleen Burge, Medical Writer The most common fibromyalgia symptom is pain. People with fibromyalgia describe the pain as deep, aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning. Often, they wake up feeling stiff and achy. People who have fibromyalgia say they feel the pain nearly all the time, although it may recede a little. The pain is usually above the ankles and above the elbows. And nothing seems relieve it, including over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Although fibromyalgia may feel like joint pain, it usually affects muscles and the places where they attach to bones. Unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause swelling or other joint deformities. Anecdotally, many people with fibromyalgia say they suffered from " growing pains " as children. Most people with fibromyalgia -- up to 90 percent -- have major sleep problems. They may be light sleepers and wake easily during the night. However, it is difficult to tell whether sleep deficiency is a cause or an effect of fibromyalgia. For some people, the fatigue of fibromyalgia is more bothersome than the pain. Many people with fibromyalgia do not experience the deepest level of sleep, reached when delta waves flood the brain. In the brains of those with fibromyalgia, research has suggested, short alpha waves tend to barge in and interrupt the delta wave phase. Perhaps as a reaction to reduced sleep, people with fibromyalgia report difficulty concentrating. They often call these mental lapses " fibro-fog. " In 1975, one researcher produced fibromyalgia-like symptoms among a healthy group of college students when he prevented them from getting deep sleep for three nights in a row. After they returned to regular sleep patterns, however, they quickly recovered. Interestingly, the athletes in the group didn't suffer the symptoms of fibromyalgia. About one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are clinically depressed, although many others say they feel down or anxious. As with sleep problems, researchers do not know whether depression is a cause of or reaction to fibromyalgia. Given the role of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin in depression, sleep regulation and pain processing, it is no surprise that all three symptoms are reported. Doctors have also found that fibromyalgia often co-exists with other conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis. People with fibromyalgia often complain of migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ. People with musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may develop fibromyalgia if their joint pain results in poor quality sleep. Fibromyalgia may get worse with stress or poor weather conditions, but it is not a progressive disease. Occasionally, patients with fibromyalgia have a full recovery. In most cases, however, the symptoms improve with treatment and education about the condition. F.C. Rigby, M.D. Professor of Medicine and Microbiology Dartmouth Medical School Kathleen Burge Medical Writer Date Published: April 15, 2000 Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2000 Report Share Posted October 11, 2000 hi colby, hope all is well with you... i am forwarding some fibromyalgia info... always robin wright this is certainly not a comprehensive look at FMS but thought i would pass it along anyway. robin http://www.drkoop.com/conditions/fibromyalgia/library/fibromyalgia_symptoms. html?nl=dkc & sct=top & dt=082900 What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia? F.C. Rigby, M.D. and Kathleen Burge, Medical Writer The most common fibromyalgia symptom is pain. People with fibromyalgia describe the pain as deep, aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning. Often, they wake up feeling stiff and achy. People who have fibromyalgia say they feel the pain nearly all the time, although it may recede a little. The pain is usually above the ankles and above the elbows. And nothing seems relieve it, including over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Although fibromyalgia may feel like joint pain, it usually affects muscles and the places where they attach to bones. Unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause swelling or other joint deformities. Anecdotally, many people with fibromyalgia say they suffered from " growing pains " as children. Most people with fibromyalgia -- up to 90 percent -- have major sleep problems. They may be light sleepers and wake easily during the night. However, it is difficult to tell whether sleep deficiency is a cause or an effect of fibromyalgia. For some people, the fatigue of fibromyalgia is more bothersome than the pain. Many people with fibromyalgia do not experience the deepest level of sleep, reached when delta waves flood the brain. In the brains of those with fibromyalgia, research has suggested, short alpha waves tend to barge in and interrupt the delta wave phase. Perhaps as a reaction to reduced sleep, people with fibromyalgia report difficulty concentrating. They often call these mental lapses " fibro-fog. " In 1975, one researcher produced fibromyalgia-like symptoms among a healthy group of college students when he prevented them from getting deep sleep for three nights in a row. After they returned to regular sleep patterns, however, they quickly recovered. Interestingly, the athletes in the group didn't suffer the symptoms of fibromyalgia. About one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are clinically depressed, although many others say they feel down or anxious. As with sleep problems, researchers do not know whether depression is a cause of or reaction to fibromyalgia. Given the role of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin in depression, sleep regulation and pain processing, it is no surprise that all three symptoms are reported. Doctors have also found that fibromyalgia often co-exists with other conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis. People with fibromyalgia often complain of migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ. People with musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may develop fibromyalgia if their joint pain results in poor quality sleep. Fibromyalgia may get worse with stress or poor weather conditions, but it is not a progressive disease. Occasionally, patients with fibromyalgia have a full recovery. In most cases, however, the symptoms improve with treatment and education about the condition. F.C. Rigby, M.D. Professor of Medicine and Microbiology Dartmouth Medical School Kathleen Burge Medical Writer Date Published: April 15, 2000 Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2000 Report Share Posted October 11, 2000 hi colby, hope all is well with you... i am forwarding some fibromyalgia info... always robin wright this is certainly not a comprehensive look at FMS but thought i would pass it along anyway. robin http://www.drkoop.com/conditions/fibromyalgia/library/fibromyalgia_symptoms. html?nl=dkc & sct=top & dt=082900 What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia? F.C. Rigby, M.D. and Kathleen Burge, Medical Writer The most common fibromyalgia symptom is pain. People with fibromyalgia describe the pain as deep, aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning. Often, they wake up feeling stiff and achy. People who have fibromyalgia say they feel the pain nearly all the time, although it may recede a little. The pain is usually above the ankles and above the elbows. And nothing seems relieve it, including over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Although fibromyalgia may feel like joint pain, it usually affects muscles and the places where they attach to bones. Unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause swelling or other joint deformities. Anecdotally, many people with fibromyalgia say they suffered from " growing pains " as children. Most people with fibromyalgia -- up to 90 percent -- have major sleep problems. They may be light sleepers and wake easily during the night. However, it is difficult to tell whether sleep deficiency is a cause or an effect of fibromyalgia. For some people, the fatigue of fibromyalgia is more bothersome than the pain. Many people with fibromyalgia do not experience the deepest level of sleep, reached when delta waves flood the brain. In the brains of those with fibromyalgia, research has suggested, short alpha waves tend to barge in and interrupt the delta wave phase. Perhaps as a reaction to reduced sleep, people with fibromyalgia report difficulty concentrating. They often call these mental lapses " fibro-fog. " In 1975, one researcher produced fibromyalgia-like symptoms among a healthy group of college students when he prevented them from getting deep sleep for three nights in a row. After they returned to regular sleep patterns, however, they quickly recovered. Interestingly, the athletes in the group didn't suffer the symptoms of fibromyalgia. About one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are clinically depressed, although many others say they feel down or anxious. As with sleep problems, researchers do not know whether depression is a cause of or reaction to fibromyalgia. Given the role of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin in depression, sleep regulation and pain processing, it is no surprise that all three symptoms are reported. Doctors have also found that fibromyalgia often co-exists with other conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis. People with fibromyalgia often complain of migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ. People with musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may develop fibromyalgia if their joint pain results in poor quality sleep. Fibromyalgia may get worse with stress or poor weather conditions, but it is not a progressive disease. Occasionally, patients with fibromyalgia have a full recovery. In most cases, however, the symptoms improve with treatment and education about the condition. F.C. Rigby, M.D. Professor of Medicine and Microbiology Dartmouth Medical School Kathleen Burge Medical Writer Date Published: April 15, 2000 Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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