1. < Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia..Is It an autoimmune disease?

Posted by Darlia @darlia, Feb 13, 2018

Hi all! I have Fibro. I also have many autoimmune diseases. I am being challenged by my comment to a FB discussion on Fibromyalgia about whether or not it is an autoimmune diseases.. any info appreciated! Thank you and ..just keep swimming.. just keep swimming!
Darlia

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

cool7766 | @cool7766 | May 18 12:04am
In reply to @thenazareneshul "I think it's an autoimmune disease (or condition) but can't prove it. It might be caused..." + (show)
@thenazareneshul

I think it's an autoimmune disease (or condition) but can't prove it. It might be caused by damage done to our immune systems by some virus, or by massive allergies. There's not a lot known about it, even yet. My PCP who first gave me my official diagnosis of CFS then made a referral to Rheumatology and (in Seattle) they got back to him that they don't do fibromyalgia. He was truly confused about that. Like he didn't know what to think. I, on the other hand, am 70 and so used to these medical people here, I just laughed. Which is kinda sad. If my kidney's hadn't decided to take a nose dive, I wouldn't have gotten a referral to pain management, but the PM doc is the one who ordered me Cymbalta. So, it's not all 100% in the exact right diagnosis, it's in getting the right treatment that counts.

Jump to this post

There is a 2021 study done by King's College that suggests its actually linked to the immune system and not in the brain as originally thought. They noticed that mice that were injected with antibodies of Fibro patients vs healthy people showed the mice had a sensitivity to hot and cold and other factors. Once the antibodies cleared from the mice a few weeks later they were back to normal. This likely indicates that our body is in a constant state of developing antibodies similar to MS patients.

REPLY
1 reply
covidstinks2023 | @covidstinks2023 | May 18 11:01am
In reply to @cool7766 "There is a 2021 study done by King's College that suggests its actually linked to the..." + (show)
@cool7766

There is a 2021 study done by King's College that suggests its actually linked to the immune system and not in the brain as originally thought. They noticed that mice that were injected with antibodies of Fibro patients vs healthy people showed the mice had a sensitivity to hot and cold and other factors. Once the antibodies cleared from the mice a few weeks later they were back to normal. This likely indicates that our body is in a constant state of developing antibodies similar to MS patients.

Jump to this post

cool7766, I personally think that Fibromyalgia is autoimmune. I have developed Hashitmoto's & subclinical hyperthyroidism & bilateral osteoarthritis & Raynaud's Disorder since being
diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 30 years ago.

Usually if you have one autoimmune disease, you will have another one.

Blessings & Prayers....

REPLY
mmmerrimac | @mmmerrimac | May 18 6:02pm

This does seem to be a hot button issue for some. My former rheumatologist was adamant that fibromyalgia is NOT an autoimmune disease, but my anecdotal experience, as well as some of the most recent research I've read, suggest that it is, or at least could be.

Here's the link to the 2021 Kings College study:
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/new-study-shows-fibromyalgia-likely-the-result-of-autoimmune-problems
Here's a link to an even more recent (2024) NIH article:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11172859/

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.