Is Fibromyalgia a disease or a condition

Is Fibromyalgia a real disease or just an imaginary condition??

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For those who suffer from it, the answer is “Yes – it’s real!” For the doctors who treat it, the answer is not so clear. Fibromyalgia encompasses of a host of symptoms. Chronic muscle pain, stiffness and  fatigue are the most common complai…

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Is Fibromyalgia proven and actually a medical condition/disease?

Q: My mother has comlained about hurting all over ever since I was a small child. She now swears that she has this Fibromyalgia disease. I always thought she was working to hard or her head was playing tricks on her & making her think she was hurting. Or simply just trying to get sympathy from everyone. Stuff like that. Now she tells me that this disease is genetic & me & my sister could possibly have it or end up with it. Both me & my sister have various aches & pains like our mother describes but have never checked into it. Is it something we should be concerned about enough to go get checked? And is there a cure or medication for this disease to treat or relieve it at all?

A: go to:http://www.fmnetnews.com/

Any one with Fibromyalgia or Lyme Disease?

Q: My husband , whom I believe contacted lymedisease last year, has had a heck of a time getting diagnosed. Tests for lyme are very bed and only test positive for around 5% of patients who are actually positive for the disease. His Lyme tests were neg. and the Dr.’s just want to say that he didn’t have it . I have studied probably 100 hours trying to figure out what was going on with him. I believe he has Lyme. The only other condition that resembles his is Fibromyalgia.He was almost paralyzed at first. He did get the Dr.s to go ahead and treat with antibiotics. He is much improved but not 100%.The question he has is to those who have experienced Fibromyalgia or Lyme disease… Did your muscles feel like they were swelling in lumps and stinging, stinging, stinging? I put it that way because that’s how he described it. Not like a constant sting but sting,stop,sting,stop,sting, stop?He once said that it felt as if something were eating his muscles. He lost so much muscle mass, and lost about 35 pounds. At it’s peak I thought he was dying. His Dr. doesn’t want to give him another round of antibiotics and if it’s Lyme you are supposed to take a round a year after.Thanks Amy for the prayers and hugs. You’re sweet!His pain started in his shoulders and around the muscles in his elbows, and moved to various parts of his body. He would say he could almost feel it moving around his body.It was always worse in his arms and shoulders. He would sling his arms to get up momentum if he had to reach up at all.During onset (close to a year ago) he slept about 10 min. at a time then woke up crying out in pain. This went on all night long. We didn’t sleep for 2 or 3 mos. He sleeps better now but not great.

A: His symptoms sound familiar, but my pain moved from a single joint/muscle group to another area. I went to numerous doctors before I found my neurologist. A spinal tap was the test my neurologist performed to give a conclusive answer. I was treated with CV infusion for six months. But de-stressing my life is the #1 non-medical procedure that has allowed me to live in remission. Good luck, keep up your research and trust your instincts!

What medical conditions have the same symptoms as fibromalgia?

Q: A certain number of tender points are required to diagnose fibromyalgia, but I was only sensitive at about half of them. I have most of the other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, so, if that’s not what I have, what is my disease or condition? (Also tested negative for lupus.)

A: Conditions That Commonly Occur in Fibromyalgia PatientsA number of conditions overlap or often co-exist with fibromyalgia that have similar symptoms. It is not clear if these conditions or others are risk factors for fibromyalgia, are direct causes, have common causes, or have no relationship at all with CFS.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There is a significant overlap between fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In a 2003 study, for example, 43% of CFS patients also were diagnosed with fibromyalgia. As with fibromyalgia, the cause of CFS is unknown and its course is chronic. Both disorders can be diagnosed by a physician only on the basis of symptoms reported by the patient and cannot be confirmed by laboratory tests or other objective measures. The two disorders share most of the same symptoms. They are even treated almost identically. The differences are primarily the following: * Fatigue is the dominant symptom in CFS. It is severe and not relieved by rest or sleep and not the result of excessive work or exercise. * Pain with tender points is the primary symptom in fibromyalgia. (Some patients with CFS exhibit similar tender pressure points. However, muscle pain is less prominent in patients with CFS.)Some physicians believe that fibromyalgia is simply an extreme variant of chronic fatigue syndrome. There is some physical evidence, however, that the two disorders are distinct, with treatments that are specific to each.Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome can be confused with fibromyalgia and may also accompany it. Unlike fibromyalgia, myofascial pain tends to occur in trigger points, as opposed to tender points, and typically there is no widespread, generalized pain. Trigger-point pain occurs in taut muscles, and when the doctor presses on these points, the patient may experience a muscle twitch. And unlike tender points, trigger points are often small lumps, about the size of a pencil eraser.Major Depression. The link between psychological disorders and fibromyalgia is very strong and problematic. Certain studies report that between 50% and 70% of fibromyalgia patients have a lifetime history of depression. Only between 18% and 36% of fibromyalgia patients, however, have concurrent major depression, a severe form of depression. It should be noted that some researchers have observed that people who have both psychological disorders and fibromyalgia are more likely to seek medical help than patients who simply have symptoms of fibromyalgia. Such findings may bias study results and favor a higher-than-actual association between depression and fibromyalgia.