Searching for cause & hoping to find others
I am searching for the cause of my fibromyalgia.
In 1958 I let the doctor give me a vaccination or flu shot for something called pig flu.
Back at that time, it was a flu that was quite scary. The doctor came to the house & gave me and my husband both the shot. We both got sick, but my husband was only mildly sick. I was bedfast for about a week and was so sick in bed that I would pass out and wake up drenched in sweat repeatedly. It took me almost a week to recover.
I had an identical relapse about 7 years later & ended up in bed for about a week. I went back to work and 3 days later I ended up in bed again terribly sick for an additional week.
No one in the house was sick but me. My husband & 2 children were not sick.
Ever since then I have had fibromyalgia. I wonder if it was the shot (vaccination?) that gave me fibro???
Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?
Also wondering if anyone can remember having a bad experience from one of the yearly flu vaccinations?
Thanks
Betty
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@leoandbear Thank U soo much 4 Ur kind wordz. That rellee meenz a lot 2 mee.
I've heard other people suspect vaccinations, but from what I understand it's caused from extreme stress. This could be from an illness (which you had), car accident, trauma, etc. For along time I thought it was caused by black mold. I was diagnosed in my late 20s after being severely sick with black mold and almost dying. I had met 3 other people who had fibromyalgia and also had gotten sick with black mold. After having it for so many years, I'm in my mid 40s now, I realized that my trauma and ptsd actually played a much larger role and the black mold just jump started the fire. I also think that the pain can intensify because of emotional responses, at least it does for me. The Psychiatrist prescribes the same medication for pstd as a Doctor prescribes for fibromyalgia, so I really think emotional responses can play a huge part. I take low doses of gabapentin to calm the fight or flight response in my body.
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1 ReactionNamaste,
I'm back again! Now that I have plenty of time on my hands, I've been writing and attending courses to gain a deeper understanding of chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and other conditions.
I've read a lot of research on fibro and have written an easy-to-read blog that is backed up by peer-reviewed research. As a former college lecturer with a BSc in Sports Therapy and various holistic qualifications, I wanted to create something clear and accessible.
You can check it out here:
https://rootstowellness66.substack.com/p/fibromyalgia-101-a-basic-guide-to
If there are any topics around fibro you would like me to cover, please let me know and I'll do the research and write a blog post. As I'm currently too unwell to work, and grieving over the loss of my 28 year old cousin who took his own life last month. I'm enjoying getting acupuncture and looking forward to starting hydrotherapy next week!
Wishing everyone comfort while they navigate their symptoms, you are all Warriors! x x
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3 Reactions@apagano7 Thanks for sharing your story. And yes, childhood trauma changes the way the brain processes things, and then on top of that, dealing with the trauma and mild injuries from the car crash.
As the saying goes, "the body keeps the score."
Your brain and body certainly do. It’s all about the coping mechanisms we use to navigate it, alongside managing any chronic symptoms with the help of healthcare professionals. In the UK, our healthcare is free at the point of access, funded through National Insurance contributions based on salary, so I'm very grateful for their excellent care and service.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
@heise006, thank you for saying this. There’s so much negativity around vaccines, most of it false.
tin555, fibromyalgia is a recently “discovered” syndrome and there’s still a lot not known. When I was diagnosed around 1994, the testing was to see if you have anything else and, if you didn’t, it was fibromyalgia. I was about 32 when I was diagnosed snd, based on my last symptoms, my doctor said I’d probably had it since I was at least 19, or 1981. I was just thankful to have someone believe me and not tell me it was all in my head.
It most often is caused by physical trauma and affects women more than me. However, I didn’t have one thing I could point to before I was 19. I was active, didn’t drive (still don’t) so walked or biked or bussed everywhere. I’d have plenty of bike accidents but none really bad until 1984. Even that one, though, didn’t cause any breakage or tears. Sometimes there is no one thing we can point to. It’s what makes this so hard to live with. We don’t know why.
Another problem is that we don’t all have the same symptoms. I know people - women - who can’t function because they’re exhausted or in pain - or both. Maybe it’s because I’ve had it so long that I’m not that way. I’m in constant pain and discomfort. I’m tire a lot, even when I sleep 9 hours. But I am so “used to it” that it’s just part of my life. I do wish I could find some drug its treatment that would make it all better. However, I self medicated for so many years that even pain killers scare me. (As one woman said in an NA meeting, “I can become addicted tho a glass of water”.)
There is a lot of info available online. There is a foundation now that researches the syndrome. There are support groups online. The most important is to be your own advocate. Maybe ask to go to a pain clinic. Mild yoga and swimming helps. Bicycle riding is suggested, but not running or jogging (impact aerobics can cause us more pain).
We don’t have to suffer in silence anymore. When it first was diagnosed I would hear people say it was a made-up disease. Those people weren’t living with what were. It took tears for it to be an accepted diagnosis. Let me say again, don’t suffer in silence. Educate yourself. Talk to your doctor. Ask about alternative treatments. And good luck ❤️
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4 ReactionsOh, I did break my ankle when I was 13 but there’s no telling if that was the cause or if it set it in motion or….
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1 ReactionWhy am I do sleep after having 7 hrs sleep last night?
I have had Fibro for about 77 years.
I have the pain that usually goes with Fibro.
But I have a whole long list of other problems.
I will list some of them in this message.
Wondering if anyone else has a bunch of problems similar to me?
Interstitial Cystitis, Internal and External.
Allergy to corn resulting in Diahhrea.
Neck sore & sometimes a stiff neck.
Lips tend to peel, especially at the corners.
Allergy to Fluoride (they put this in the water supply & toothpaste.)
My esophagus has a kink in it & hurts if I eat too fast.
My legs are very very sore if you touch them & whole body is tender.
I get depressed (from the pain I think)
I have anxiety.
I am too hard on myself and tend re-live over & over any imperfection or mistake.
Thanks for any replies.
@tin555 here are my symptoms right now and previously because they have changed and are changing all the time:
Had interstitial cystitis about 15 years ago , recently had it again.
Had chronic sinus infections and over a year of continuous antibiotics then went away .
Feet and shoulder pain that have gone away.
Pelvic pain has gone away.
Ankle stiffness.
Chronic Migraines
Headaches
Extreme back of eye pain
TMJ (recently had dental procedure 17 days and it was aggravated and pain hasn’t gone away so I’m asking muscle relaxant, Tylenol and ibuprofen everyday for this right now.
Lower back pain that radiates to the right hip (recently and for quite awhile.
Pain from bottom of feet to hips.
IBS
GERD
SLEEP apnea
High blood pressure
Insomnia (forever)
Chronic diarrhea
Fatty liver
Kidney stones (many many times), 4 surgeries have passed hundreds recently had 3 on left 1 on right kidney.
High triglycerides
Nerve pain on upper thighs and hip pain .
Cold sores
Eczema or something like that that causes extreme itchiness on scalp and shoulders, ear.
Anxiety
Severe depression
I’m sure i’ve left some things out. I’ve seen many in this group that have so much more than me.
Peace and love.
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2 Reactionsthanks for your reply.
I am sure that I have left some things out.
I have cysts on my kidney.
In the past I had cancer of my appendix, but it has been a long time & so far it has not returned.
Thanks again for your reply.
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