Fibromyalgia References: Triggers, Symptoms, Treatments - & Hunting & Tracking them

Seemingly all fibro forums are pretty much hibernating, so here goes on this project…
First I’m completing this cause/trigger list, cos there’s not much new.
I’m not hiding the details at the moment, so it’s easier for me to edit. Click here if you want the old tidier list.

Before listing any of of the causes or triggers, most important is that we are in a chicken-and-egg-dilemma: Any biomarker, symptom etc. that may be present can be an effect or a cause or both, or a vicious circle. Article etc here on this thread: Sort of example: If we are depressed, is this an effect of the fibromyalgia (or it’s pre-form) or part of its causality?

Cause/Trigger list

A. HYPOTHESES (“THEORIES”) (pathogenesis; etiology)

A.1. CSS, central sensitization syndrome, central sensitivity syndrome (pain only)

A.2. Autoimmune (“AI”) (e.g. - perhaps! - biomarkers cytokines (e.g. IL-6) / chemokines, cf. B.1)

A.3. SFN = Small Fiber Neuropathy (pain)

A.4. AV-shunt-disorder

A.5. Neuroendocrine

A.6. Mitochondria/ATP/Q10

Studies about Q10 & FM mention this connection as a cause (or biomarker?). (Cf. Kuklinski, Rostock.)

A.7. Underlying issues like chronic pain, sleep disorder, low GABA, other diseases (e.g. SPD)

A.8. genetic predisposition: twins; translocator protein gene

A.9. (Not accepted in any way: Extinction memory damage, EMD

A.10. (Unclear idea: HPV vaccination syndrome)

History of FM: FMA UK - The History of Fibromyalgia

B. BIOMARKERS (‘tests’ for FMS, more validation needed)

B.1. Proinflammatory/neuroinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8) / chemokines / mast cells…

B.2. Salivary Biomarkers

B.3. Muscle pressure

B.4. Less gut bacteria & serum: molecular biomarkers and altered glutamate metabolism

B.5 Hormones: serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, cortisol…

  • abnormally low levels of the hormones serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine.
  • other hormones such as cortisol.

B.6 protein backbones and pyridine-carboxylic acids using vibrational spectroscopy

B.7 Branched-chain-amino acids and phenylalanin lower

B.8 Insulin resistance

C. Possible general STARTING POINTS

C.1. Virus Infections:

  • For flu, swine flu, Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) the evidence is only anecdotal: Real studies are >30 years old and don’t really see much of a connection: 1987, 1989, newer: EBV-Research - Fibromyalgia Resources, EBV & FM - Wellness Resources (interesting to me, as I’m using glutamate and serotonin increasing amino acids like GABA, whilst catecholamines are also something Trudy Scott recommends amino acids for.)
  • COVID-19 - long CoV/long haulers in future?

C.2. Psychological:

C.3. Functional - intolerances, deficiencies:

“10 causes of fibromyalgia your doctor may not know about” and as livingwithfibro-post

  1. gluten,
  2. candida,
  3. thyroid,
  4. mg/D3/B12,
  5. SIBO/leaky gut, (small intestine bacterial overgrowth here.
  6. mycotoxins,
  7. mercury fillings
  8. adrenal fatigue as result,
  9. MTHFR mutations (B6, B12, folinic acid nec.),
  10. glutathione deficiency

(C.4 Extreme unexplained sunburn (sebailey on inspire))

D. Causing LONG-TERM FLARES (weeks or months)

http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/151398/fibromyalgia/ found by @Sheila_W here: 10 Causes of Fibro Flares
Flares/flare-ups can take hours, days, months or years, can start 48h later than the trigger.
A journal / log / diary / blog can help identify triggers/causes.

D.1. Illness, common cold…
D.2. injury,
D.3. long-term stress (often hard to identify)
D.4. allergies, incl. seasonal,
D.5. sleep problems
D.6. vicious circles of sleep, stomach/gut problems, etc.
D.7. hormonal changes (menstrual cycles, menopause, etc.)
D.8. treatment changes
D.9. meds/supps/herbs, even without changing them. e.g. Statins may be a nocebo!
D.10. traveling: Travel disrupts sleep, nutrition, environment& activity levels, cf. NAD+

E. Causing SHORT-TERM FLARES (hours or days)

E.1. Physicallly overdoing it/overexertion:
carrying on physical activities altho we are over our limits/capacities

E.2. Mental Stress
social: socializing/peopling

E.3. Weather, esp. temperature, esp. changes
Cold, hot, sunny, extremes, changes, wind, humidity, seasonal allergies, rainy

E.4. sensitivies: light, noise, smells

E.5. changes in sleep routine

Version 2021-12-10 = Dec 10th

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