Fibromyalgia-no imflammation?

I have been reading past questions-soem resolved-some open for voting-it is scary about the misinformation.

The biggest misconception I am seeing is that ther is Imflammation-

LACK of imflammation is a hallmark of Fibromyalgia-

if you have imflammation-then you are misdiagnosed or have at least 2 different conditions

So-NSAIDS are the best treatmentr-they have a small chance of helpingthepain-but anti imflammatories are not good treatments for FMS

Someone said that everyone ther knew with FMS had arthrits-I have FMS and do not have nay related arthritis

It is believed to be neurological at this point-that has benthe known tehory by the real experts for 10 years-incompetant professionals are still calling it musculoskeletal or autoimmune...

There is no real question here-but I was unable to email the questioners directly to give tehm corect info as they do not allow email access-

I can ask-what other 'false' info have you seen/heard?

autoimmune is thenext most popular theory-but the real experts discount it--I'm not saying that is it definately neuro-I'm saying that a neuro cause is currently the most accepted theory-

I definately do not have Hep C

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease. If you were misdiagnosed, you could suffer from seronegative rheumatoid arthritis or Lyme disease.

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis for more than 27 years. The telling signs of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid Factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR).

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

For fibromyalgia, a low dose of antidepressant, 25 mg, at bedtime, can relax muscles, favor a deep sleep and lead to a pain free condition.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of arthritis, you should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Fibromyalgia is even easier to treat. For more info, please join the antibio group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...

I will say that there is still ALOT to be studied and learned about Fibro-----it is also a "catch all" for some lazy or incompetant DRs....if they can't come up with a valid diagnosos for a persons condition well then okay you have Fibro!
Motrin may help or may not in some people but for some it is no help at all-at least for the pain.
This is extrememly painful and for a Dr to only give a patient who really has it Motrin or other drugs like it is ridiculous-
Im not saying they need to live on pain meds-but there are other ways of managing the pain they should be taught.
Arthritis is a whole nother thing and i do not feel you have to have it or get it if you have Fibro

First of all, fibromyalgia stems from many things, not one set issue involving the nuero side of fibro. Many things can cause an upset in how the brain chemicals work. It could be viral as seen in those with HCV infection or it could be bacterial in nature. It could be caused by exsposure to toxins, ie, chemicals.

As far as fibro goes, I haven't really heard of anything false. Most people with fibro do not have inflammation, however, a person can be diagnosed with two or more issues at once.

My fibro started early in age. The doctors thought since RA or arthritis ran in my family, that was the cause of the pain without the inflammation, however, years later I had hepatitis c.

Have you been tested for diseases that can leave one with fibro? I bet you haven't! There are many out there well known that can cause fibro- even the flu can leave one with pain.

Since I have a resolved case of HCV (sustained post 6 years) antiviral chemotherapy, the only time fibro bothers me is if I have experienced physical or emotional stress. It soon subsides. Before chemo, It would literally take me hours just to get out of bed to use the restroom- thats how bad my fibro was.

Stress releases toxins in the body, these toxins can end up in joints.

So, there are many issues to fibro- it is not as one sided as one may think.

As for HCV and fibro? It often goes hand in hand. Those that have normal enzymes, ie, alt and ast levels in a liver panel lab often go misdiagnosed. They then take medications that are chemicals and if the liver is not working correctly the medication can actually cause the fibro pain in joints.

As always, everyone has one risk factor for hcv whether they belong in a high risk group or a low risk group. Many who have hcv have no idea how they got hcv. It's best to test for diret antibodies regardless of what the doc says about alt and ast levels.....many are undiagnosed and improperly diagnosed and medications to help the extrahepatic diseases can actually make the situation worse.

GET TESTED!!!!

Very good point about the lack of inflamation in Fibromyalgia. I have to admit that I have described my condition to some of my acquaintances as an arthritis-like condition, just because I realized that may be the only frame of reference those people might have for a disease that causes you constant pain.

I have seen some (either here in Y! Answers or generally at other websites) claim that there is a "cure" for Fibromyalgia. That always bothers me. I know there's no cure. There are some more and less effective treatments, but not a cure as yet.

Mine started as a result of having lupus for many years. It took quite a few years for them to diagnose it and they blamed my symptoms on the Lupus because they can be simuilar.Recent studies indicate that seratonin reuptakeinhibitors or benzodiazepines are the new preferred meds to treat the symptoms.go to the National Fibromyalgia Association. They have all the information you need.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1982 - my story is at http://www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm - even though you may FEEL like there is inflammation in your muscles, I don't think there is. I don't think it is related to arthritis either.

I believe like you, that it is neurological. It has a lot to do with the function of the glands of the brain (hypothalamus) and also dysfunction of the autonomic and central nervous systems.

There are many fascinating articles on my homepage - look in the yellow box at http://www.fms-help.com

You do have a good point! No inflammation is present in fibromyalgia. The bottom line though, is that no health authority in the world knows what fibro is. Every major hospital and university in the world is working in scientific research as we speak. Just a few years ago, fibro was still considered a "mental sickness" of unhappy women because the bast majority of people with fibro are women. I keep very hopeful that really soon we will know more about it, as I have been suffering for the past four years.鈾?/div>

• 3 weeks ago