Fibromyalgia Community

Hello and welcome......MiMi in NC....sorry that you have had so much to deal with....and yes, there are people here who have had trauma which might have caused the FM....we all know that something triggered the wrath of the dragon, aka FM...for all of us....just depends on the person...

I do hope that you will ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D level....which is so very important to a lot of people these days....low Vitamin D can cause additional pain for some of us...and it can also affect other illnesses as well...

A lot of us FMers also have multiple health issues....and I will share with you that in my case, I had to get to the bottom of each and every health issue that I had....before I eventually began to get better....

I hope that you will check out the information under "Tips" and "Resources" to the right of this page...as I am sure you will find something that will help you cope better...

Unfortunately....there are no "cures" for FM....so you will need to find "tools and tips" that might help you cope better....we are all different and what helps one may or may not help another....only you will know when you have found something that helps you...it does take a process of trial and error...

Take care and good luck...


MiMi

Thank you so much for your reply MiMi for your respone. So much more encouraging to talk to a person and not simply researching information. i have started reading some of the post, just when you think you have it bad you read someone else story and realize its not so bad after. Had a doc appt today and he said be thankful i am alive. i agree after 3 accidents in 8 months. Once again thank you so much.

I feel as though I have had FM for close to 20 years but my symptoms have been in high gear since I injured my cervical and thoracic spine 2 years ago. I was used to the level of pain and fatigue I had before the injury and could plow through my days and collapse at night. Since the injury I have yet to get used to my new level of pain and discomfort not to mention the fog, fatigue and sleep issues and am still trying to figure out how to cope so that I may be a productive member of society again.

I had a car wreck about 3 years ago and ever since then i've had pain mainly neck pain but it just kept getting worse i also tietze's disease as well all test came back neg. exeptct low ana witch doc said was nothing then went back to the rhemy this year looked me over and said i have fibromyalgia

i've done alot of researching and I belive that there is a connection between car wrecks ( neck trama ) and other forms of trauma mental problems( stress anxiety etc.)


also from what i've found about 70-80% of people with fibromyalgia have tietze's ot costochronditis ( pain in brest/ sternum bone )

here is one link that might help http://mattlaw.com/VidLandpages/Fibromyalgia/Fibromyalgia.html

aslo google it you'll find alot of information




also here on webMD I posted a question and you should see the results of my questions here is the link
http://forums.webmd.com/3/fibromyalgia-exchange/forum/18056

let me know if it is helpful

also good link is http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/fibromyalgia-and-car-accidents.html

Hi vah1914,

I think "Understanding Post Traumatic Fibromyalgia is an awesome book! I know the author very well.

I diagnose someone with post traumatic FM if they meet all of the following criteria:

1. No pre-existing widespread chronic pain or previous diagnosis of FM.
2. An injury occurred causing soft tissue pain.
3. The pain never resolves completely (unbroken chain of pain)
4. The pain eventually becomes widespread
5. Meets criteria of FM on basis of clinical evaluation
6. Causes other than trauma are considered and ruled out.

Sometimes people develop FM from a first accident, and then additional accidents make the fibromyalgia worse. Or they already had FM and an accident caused it to become permanently worse.

Trauma-induced FM (post traumatic fibromyalgia) is very common. About half of the fibro patients I see report some type of trauma (including a whiplash injury) that triggered their fibro problems.

I hope this info helps. Take care.

Dr. P

Hi New Friends!
I think the first signs of FM came after having 2 wisdom teeth pulled (in my 40s). The pain wouldn't go away, so my surgeon went back in again and found no reason for the continued pain. I developed another dry socket and had pain for a very long time after. Then I started noticing that every procedure (root canal) or injury lasted longer than normal. The allover FM pain didn't start until I had 3 days of cold exposure at my son's soccer tournament. I felt "cold to the bone" until Winter ended. But looking back, I realize that I probably had FM pain several yrs before. I was actually diagnosed with PTSD from experiencing 5 years of fighting cancer with my mother and brother and losing both of them within that time. I haven't noticed any posts related to stress-induced FM and I think that is such a huge component. I worry about the new generation that we just created through going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. All of these young men and women are coming back with PTSD and there will be enormous effects on our society. I think many of them may end up with FM, whether it's trauma to the body or mind. This will eventually bring more attention to FM and hopefully lead to more research and more resources for those who live with it. I would like to know what others think about my theory related to body/mind trauma-induced FM. Sending you light and love, TGG

totally interesting, thanks Dr. P.

I like the part about the additional accidents adding up.

now,

what do you think of someone who was a premature baby, 4 lbs 3 oz, born feet first (not sure what that is called)

anyway,

do you think that this kind of tramatic birthing, might have been one of the beginnings?

this was way back in the late 50's. so, I do know things premie wise, have vastly improved, also with being born feet first.

oh heck, I just posted something to what Dr. P said,


I can't go back and make corrections once it's bee sent.

the premie that was born feet first, now if I remember correctly, the doctor used a forceps to turn the baby around. So some trauma there.

Dr. P.
Thank you so much for that assessment. I have an appointment with a new neurologist this month... I would with your permission like to cut and paste it and take it with me to the appointment.
I love my PCP, but she believes that you HAVE to have 11/18 trigger points, and I'm finding out that is old school thinking.

I am nearly 5 years post MVA (rear ended) I have not had ONE day where I'm not in pain in one form or another.

Thanks for your input.
Bonnie

Hi vah1914 and Welcome!

I was also in a car crash (rear-ended) in Oct '03, and never got rid of the pain. I saw my PCP in December, told him about the aches and burning sensation, and he booked me an appt with my rheumatologist. For a year, he tested me for everything he could, and I did a few stints in PT, but in Mar '05 I was diagnosed with FM.

No matter where it came from, we're all in the same boat!
Lou

I have spent so much time looking for an answer, and time off work, that I am about to run out of quarters of earning and if this isn't settled by Dec I'm so screwed...As I said above, I have an appointment with a new neurologist, and I am practically writing a book on my symptoms aches pains, sensitivities to light...the whole magella.

I feel that there is a connection between fibro and ptsd. Ive been in one accident when i was young. But I have alot of sexual abuse too in my life...molestation, rape, different things. So i dont count car wrecks only for fibro. I have had so much trauma in my life. I also am bipolar, have asthma etc. I was diagnosed by my primary doctor. She took all blood tests and they came back normal. So she used the point test..ouch. She never ordered ex rays, mri's and I havent been to a neurologist or a rhumatologist....probably spelling all that wrong. I feel the fibro has been slowly coming on for a long time. I asked my primary doc if i needed to see any of those docs and she said no that they wouldnt tell me anything different. That they would probably say same thing.

Sabrina
PS sorry if none of what i said made no sense.

it's called "breech birth", I came out feet first, and guess what, I believe I have fibro ALL my life. Thats not a scientific survey lol but I keep searching for causes way way way back in childhood. I also got dropped on my head a few times, by accident, so who knows, chicken or the egg.