Why do I have “fibromyalgia “?

@lesligirl02 Interesting. I don't know what fillers my pharmacy uses, but since their LDN works well for me, it must be okay.

Not sure why I have fibromyalgia. I was unhappy after being physically abused and in a near miss when a bomb went off in London . I also got malaria and was out of it for a while. That was in my twenties and I am mid fifties now. To be honest never been right since my first trip to India, got Delhi belly etc. I did also drink ABIT too much in my 20's but don't drink any more. At the moment my pain is bad and I am only managing on pregabalin and amtripuline although I had some weird side effects like hallucinations and speech stutter and had to visit A and E last week.
Sorry to hear of other people's stories, I just wish doctors would fix us....🥺

@guineapiglover So sorry. I ask this question hoping that knowledge of cause will reveal a cure. Right now I’m taking 6 mg of LDN. I have not felt this good in a long time. I vacuumed 3 days in a row and cleaned house without resting often like before. I still have some pain however not too bad and my depression is just about gone. May be the endorphin part of taking the LDN. Hope it stays this way. So yes things could get better. Sending you blessings.

I’ve always believed Fibro is viral. I was diagnosed in 1982, when it was fibrositis. I was teaching in a primary grade school with an open-concept “team teaching” philosophy. I was in a team with six adults, all interacting daily. Half of us were diagnosed eventually with fibrositis, the first being the new-hire teaching assistant. She was young, healthy, active, and a ballet teacher on the side when she started to lose the use of her legs (a common symptom is legs feeling like dead weights - which I experienced when first being diagnosed). No other folks on the faculty were ever diagnosed with fibro to my knowledge - just half of my six member team. I was in my early thirties, diagnosed about a year after the first young teaching assistant was diagnosed. The third individual was my teaching assistant who was diagnosed a few years later (I think the virus might’ve been dormant in her, activating eventually while she was under stress. I, too, was stressed when diagnosed - going through a separation, working on my graduate degree, and teaching full time).

I've read a lot of articles and most say the exact cause is unknown. It's thought to involve changes in how the brain and spinal cord process pain signals, possibly influenced by genetics, infections, or physical and emotional stressors. Triggers can include injuries, surgeries, or significant emotional trauma, but sometimes symptoms develop without any clear trigger.

I doctored with so many specialists before I was diagnosed and then was offered several drugs, like Cymbalta and Lyrica. I read they aren't very effective and come with a lot of bad side effect, including addiction. For example, Cymbalta only helps about 20% of people who take it! And, there have been many lawsuits against the manufacturer saying the company didn't report how addictive it was to patients.

Finally, I read about LDN (low-dose Naltrexone) -- no doctors suggested it. It was a lifesaver for me and seemed to reset my body so my symptoms went away and I feel like a normal person again.

@jakefix82 incredible. I’ve often thought about the viral connection. My son was born in 1982. I was 23 at the time. Fibromyalgia diagnosed in early 50s although I had chronic pain in certain areas throughout previous years. My son was a little baby about 3-4 months old. We were so sick that I just sat on a recliner with him in my arms, we didn’t eat or move. Never went to doctor, too weak. We were living with my mom and a sister and her baby were always around us. None of them got sick. This son was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 19. Maybe just a coincidence.

I've always understood fibro to be another immune system disorder. Like lupus (which attacks the body's organs without "reason"), fibro sends pain signals that are not in response to an actual injury. That makes sense when you take into account that stress makes fibro worse - your body is already in an elevated state of anxious response to stressful stimuli. It's almost like the fibro is along for the ride. I noticed that once I left my stressful marriage and job, my fibro is MUCH improved. It's not gone, but now the triggers seem to be more weather-related. So the "why" of fibromyalgia is that your body is on a hair trigger in its response to any kind of threat, whether a bad marriage or a bad boss or something else. I think it makes sense that so many of us feel better once we are able to embrace quiet and stress reduction. Obviously, I am speaking from my personal experience and I'm sure there are many who continue to suffer even with stress reduction. Hugs and support and wishes for relief.

@winniemercedes Does anyone know, if some of these theories explain the pain, what about the very other very common fibromyalgia symptoms like sleep problems, IBS, brain fog, etc. that come along with fibromyalgia. does that maybe make it more likely to be an autoimmune disorder?

@renich I am now inching toward 80, and I know, for a fact, I have lived my life on “high alert”. I doubt I have ever had 24 hours of complete calmness. My life has been in quiet, but high stress, situations. Maybe this is why I never feel really “good”. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but no offers of relief, of suggestions, of medications, have ever been offered.

Oh yes. I have been in chronic high alert stress mode since a child in abusive situation. Then other traumas throughout life. I don’t know any other way to be unfortunately. When I was younger, raising 2 boys on my own with a high stress job my doctor would say. I don’t know how you do it. You thrive on stress. It drives you. Well I’ve always thought stress had alot to do with this condition. I stopped taking the fibromyalgia meds because of side affects. But they did help. Heating pad, biofreeze, Advil are my best friends. HOWEVER, I recently started taking Low dose naltrexone and feel so much better! Please read the feeds on the LDN (low dose naltrexone) in this group. It has been life changing for a lot of us. Love and peace.