Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a particularly painful and disabling condition for which there is no known cure. Public awareness and knowledge of fibromyalgia is relatively low given that there are estimated to be 4 to 5 million fibromyalgia sufferers in the US. In the UK, between 1.8 million and 2.9 million people may have the condition, which is very likely under-diagnosed. Fibromyalgia could affect as many as 1 in 20 people, given that it is complex, has symptoms similar to other conditions, lacks a simple diagnostic test, and most people who have it are women.

The following description of fibromyalgia is from the excellent website of Versus Arthritis, a charitable organization in the UK consisting of carers, researchers, healthcare professionals, friends, parents, fundraisers "united in our ambition to ensure that one day, no one will have to live with the pain, fatigue and isolation that arthritis causes."

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

  • pain – you may feel as though you’ve got pain that spreads throughout your entire body, with certain parts – such as your neck and back – feeling particularly painful
  • tiredness, fatigue and generally feeling like you have no energy
  • sleeping badly – waking up feeling unrested
  • aching and stiffness, which often feels worse during or after you’ve been active.

It is common for fibromyalgia to flare-up, making symptoms suddenly worse. Fibromyalgia can also cause: forgetfulness or poor concentration; stress, worry or low mood; tingling, numbness or swelling of your hands and feet; headaches; restless legs syndrome – a tingling, uncomfortable feeling in your legs, especially at night; irritability, or feeling low or weepy; feeling like you urgently need to pee, especially at night; diarrhoea, constipation and stomach pain – sometimes separately diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); increased sensitivity to things like cold, sound, knocks and bumps; tender or overly sensitive joints and muscles.

The pain may feel like it’s affecting your whole body, or it may be particularly bad in just a few areas. Some people say their pain gets worse in extreme temperatures, such as very hot, cold or damp weather.

People often say that besides the pain, fatigue is the worst part of fibromyalgia. This can be linked to a difficulty to think clearly or remember things properly, which is sometimes called fibro fog or brain fog.

The Fibro - GH connection

When a person is found to be suffering from chronic fatigue, the question naturally arises: what is causing this? Answering this question becomes more complicated the more underlying conditions a patient has, sometimes referred to as comorbidities. In my partner's case, three such comorbidities are genetic haemochromatosis, fibromyalgia, and traumatic brain injury. In our experience, there are very few doctors who specialise in the study of comorbidities, and we have not encountered any who had the time or resources to explore those with which my partner is afflicted.

For example, a study published in 2013 found a high prevalence of fibromyalgia in patients with genetic haemochromatosis. The authors concluded: "This study reveals a high prevalence of FMS (43%) among subjects with HFE-related hemochromatosis. Prospective studies are needed to better understand the risk factors for FMS in such patients." Ten years later, I have yet to find any further studies on this particular example of comorbidity, despite having emailed the primary author of the 2013 study.

Reference: High Prevalence of Fibromyalgia in Patients with HFE-related Hereditary Hemochromatosis, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 47(6):p 559-564, July 2013. | DOI: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e31826f7ad7, Mohammad, Ausaf et al. Reprints: Ausaf Mohammad, MBBS, MRCPI, MSc, CCD, Department of Rheumatology, Unit 1, Merlin Park University Hospital, Galway, Ireland (e mail: ausafmohammad@gmail.com).


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