Personally, I think our complex diagnosis can confuse our doctors due to a lack of research and understanding about how all of this connects and affects our entire human system. They can say, "your stressed, that probably brought it on". I say bullshit in my case. At lease be more specific and tell me the hormones my body is releasing during intense emotional states, are triggering a series of reactions in my body and these are the the causes of your symptoms." Everyone has stress. Not everyone has Fibro. Maybe we have certain strains of hormones that cause these reactions so common in Fibro.
I've been through a Rheumatologist that diagnosed my fibro, but refused to treat it due to the other anti-depressants I was on. Thus my psychiatrist was prescribing my Cymbalta and monitoring me for mental health side effects. I've seen four neurologists that only can say, "Your case is really complicated, with the unknown involuntary movements, RLS, Spine disorder that is compressing some nerves, the diabetes that may be causing some neuropathy. You should see a neurologist that can address all the neurological issues and the fibromyalgia as well."
Going to my 5th neurologist next week, who supposedly treats fibro too. In an area with a doctor office on every single street, for miles and miles around, how is it possible that so few know about the complexities?
My psychiatrist has been the only doctor who has been able to see the entire picture and acknowledge that just because lack of sleep won't kill me, nor myoclonus, nor fibro, that a quality of life and ability to function is just as important. He was actually angry that they were telling me it was all stress and just kept referring me to psychotherapy. He's known me for 15 years, he's the only dr. who believed I was sane and not making symptoms up. He still says, "If anyone gives you a hard time or dismisses you by telling you its just stress, give them my card and sign a release. I'll talk to them." I can't even get some of the specialists to actually call him for my history or additional information. I've actually had two of them outright say No, they'll just read his notes.
So sad and so utterly true. It's as if they have only one piece of the puzzle, if that, and only want that one piece. And you're lucky if you get a doc who holds one piece. it's beyond insulting for them to say that it's just stress. That shows their incredible ignorance of the illness, to me, and their unwillingness to learn any more. Time for a new doctor, if possible.
I sure wish I could provide an answer for you but the truth is that I think that most of us run up against the same thing. There are so many unanswered questions about fibro and SO many doctors with NO sense of curiosity about the illnesses that they diagnose. Do some of these people ever update their medical information that they gained back in 1960 or 1980? Seems not.
What a coincidence that I should find this being discussed on the board today. I was talking to an acquaintance while waiting in the car for my husband to finish collecting my meds. I have had a lot of pain the past week including sudden sharp pains down my legs into my feet. The suddenness makes my legs spasm so of course it is unsafe for me to drive. My husband had just told him that I had been diagnosed with fibro in March. He told me that his sister has fibro as well. He then said, "Of course women can't cope with stress like men. But at least it gives you an excuse to have someone running around for you." After taking several deep breathes,I replied "No comment."
I agree that research apparently reports that more women than men suffer from fibro. BUT why not investigate whether the condition is associated with oestrogen or, in deed, a lack of testosterone. Instead, it seems that for some the diagnosis of fibromyalgia has taken the place of saying that our physical symptoms are caused by hysteria. It seems that for some Freud still rules and so does ignorance!
You've never heard a Dr. explain how stress makes some have fibro, because they are not taught that. They are only taught about illnesses that have a drug remedy, cuz pharmaceutical companies fund medical schools and decide their curriculum. They are only taught 4 hours about pain and painkillers in all those years! Those who become pain specialists have studied it on their own. Pain meds and alternative pain control methods don't make pharmaceutical companies rich, so it's not taught. There is a Dr. who knows what the stress connection is. He is an M.D. and a naturopath. I have been helped by his suggestions of what helps fibro, and my daughter's fibro is in remission from his suggestions on his website. His website is www.endfatigue.com. His brother is in the same business and is the writer for the Dr. Oz show, which is why all the things on that show are natural remedies. He says that stress can cause many illnesses, but in we who contract fatigue-based illnesses, our adrenal glands start to fail, causing endocrine and metabolic imbalances. He describes how D-ribose, an amino acid that is already in our body, helps get oxygen and nutrients to each cell individually, something that we use more of, so need to replace if we have fibro. Each cell that doesn't get enough oxygen and nutrients will hurt (muscles, tendons, nerves) and malfunction. (Like every organ that controls every hormone and chemical in your body, including the brain which controls your pain sensation and the misfiring of nerves, causing pain.) I don't buy his brand of D-Ribose though. (Corvalen). Too expensive. I buy affordable ones from www.iherb.com and www.vitacost.com . He has other supplements he has created himself which are really amazing, addressing all nutritional needs of people with fatigue based illnesses such as lupus, CFS, FM, Lyme disease, Epstein Barre, MS, etc. Instead of buying from his website, I get his exact brand from www.iherb.com, much cheaper.
Here is what NIH has to say, there are several articles you can google as "stress related to fibromyalgia' and read several articles by integrative health, that did not allow me to copy and paste.
Hysteria? Or the courage to face the obvious, in the face of ridicule and sometimes scorn. Men, on the other hand, often refuse to acknowledge pain and suffer in silence. Don't forget, women live longer than men...maybe this explains why. We seek help for our medical needs.
I also read somewhere that men have more pain relieving hormones than do women. I seem to recall thinking that it made sense, given that men were always in battle years ago or else hunting. Having unbearable pain while in these life or death situations could certainly mean "end game" for those involved in such battles/hunts. Whereas women didn't face such threats so didn't need the same level of pain killing hormones.
Petunia, your opinions are interesting, and you have a right to express them, so I'll express the opposite. It seemed whehnever a man gets a cold, they act like they're dying. I think God made women more able to handle pain so we could carry and bear children. If a man could have a baby, he'd never do it again. When they get hurt in accidents or hunting or sports, I think they hurt as much or more than women. Women carry on doing their jobs through colds and flu, even multi-tasking to care for all the others in the house who might be sick. Men are laid out flat. One rheumatologist told me that men who have fibro or arthritis seem to suffer much more. He kidded that it was probably prevalently female (fibro) because we can bear it better than men.
I do know stress makes mine worse, but I also know it does not cause it it as do my drs. I am so sorry. Yes, I have seen other drs don’t want to work together. I think it is their egos. Take care. Bsparky.
The thing is, most doctors Don't want to deal with fibro patients. You get frustrated and they get frustrated as well because they really can't do anything more than give us various pain pills until our pain has lessened. Every time I see my rheumotologist I'm giving him information on something I've read. I know he is getting aggravated with me to the point of referring me to a pain clinic (I think he really wants to get rid of me!). I don't know if you can go right to a pain clinic or you have to be referred by a rheumotologist or other doctor, but eventually, if your pain is extremely bad, that is where you will wind up. There are other procedures they can do at a pain clinic and they take over monitoring your medications. Maybe your psychiatrist knows of a pain clinic you can go to and he can make the referral?? Just wondering.
I don't ever want to go to another pain clinic around here. I do like their approach to look at a person as a whole.
The clinics I've been to want to treat everything EXCEPT the pain directly. So I was fine following the recommendations to go to psychotherapy to address any stress, exercise, , etc. They just simply said if I addressed the issues causing the fibro, the pain would decrease and I'd be better. Well, I've not found that to be true. Some days are just bad days, and a bad day for me is level 8 pain with no reliefe from all the other practices I've been taught. Then, I want some pain medication. I consider that humane. I haven't found a pain clinic willing to listen to me, or with a belief that pain medication does have a useful place in dealing with severe fibro.
I'm sorry, I try not to be negative and keep my chin up. I havent mastered the ability to stay "up" when I'm feeling really down.
Heck yea stress makes it worse. I can tell. I try to stay stable; however, that is not always hard to do. I have anxiety disorder as it is. I have meds for the stress. Going somewhere in a vehicle with my manfriend is the worst! He has no patience with other drivers and rushes me when I get there. I may be able to get out one time a week except to go to the dr., and when I do I try to get everything done so I can stay in the rest of the week and crash.
And as for generalized "stress".... most men don't worry like women do. They don't fret over things, or take things as personally, in my opinion. My husband just assumes that everything will work out, and even if it doesn't, there isn't any sense worrying about it now anyway, getting sick over it. He thinks the bills will get paid by magic, the car will run forever... I'm the one that carries all the stress, not him !
Does the d-ribrose really help? every time I hear of something new, I run out and buy it, only to be disappointed. Is it better to buy the cream or the capsules, and which one? what else is she taking?