On New Year's Day, 1993, the World Health Organization officially recognized fibromyalgia as a medical syndrome. It was declared the most common cause of widespread chronic muscle pain and became a new entry in the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems).
WHO Accepted Symptoms
The WHO added: "Fibromyalgia is part of a wider syndrome encompassing headaches, irritable bladder, dysmenorrhea, cold sensitivity, Reynaud's phenomenon, restless legs, numbness and tingling, exercise intolerance and complaints of weakness." It also recognized that patients are often depressed.
Yet amazingly, 17 years later there are still doctors who insist this is merely a catchall term for a collection of symptoms shared by a group of neurotic women. Such has been the difficulty down the years of raising awareness of fibromyalgia within the general public and the medical profession.
The reality is that fibromyalgia can be the equivalent of a living death for many of the most severely affected and finding effective help and support can be just as hard.
Signs of Fibromyalgia
There are various checklists to be found on the internet listing as many as 52 different symptoms attributed to FMS but the following is written after 10 years' personal experience of living with a sufferer.
- Fatigue: The number one indicator by far, found mainly, but not exclusively, in women between 25 and 50. This is not just feeling tired. FMS sufferers encounter extreme bouts of complete exhaustion when even getting out of bed is difficult. However, this is often accompanied by an inability to get restful sleep.
- Irritable bowel, often dismissed as just that. But when considered alongside other symptoms, this may well be down to FMS.
- The "fog:" Hazy recall, inability to concentrate, dull heavy feeling affects ability to speak clearly.
- Stress: Often not present in patients until the onset of FMS, but then mistakenly blamed as a trigger.
- Depression:This is a catch-22 effect – FMS symptoms are very debilitating, leading to depression, which exacerbates FMS.
- Skin rash: Tell-tale spots on arms and legs may be a sign of FMS.
- Tingly ears: An irritating ringing noise in the ears often present from early childhood.
- White finger:Often diagnosed separately as Reynaud' syndrome, but a lack of blood flow to the index or first finger, coupled with numbness is another classic FMS symptom
- Muscle pain: The neck, shoulders and back are very susceptible and mobility and flexion can be severely limited
- Restless legs:A complete inability to settle down and rest calmly, which also affects quality sleep.
Many of the above are often diagnosed and treated individually to no avail. FMS is the "invisible illness" where patients will often look outwardly well, but inwardly are feeling chronically ill.
Fibromyalgia Remedies And Chronic Pain Relief
Sadly, there are none. Even effective palliatives are hard to find although some patients do report that the illness can lift unexpectedly, never to return. However, this is rare. The search for chronic pain relief amongst patients can be a long and tortuous process.
Most sufferers simply adjust to living with, and managing the illness in a way which they can handle best.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Guaifenesin, an expectorant usually used to clear the airways and dislodge mucus, has been extensively trialled by many patients under the care of Dr. Paul St Amand with some claimed success. Anyone who thinks they may be suffering from FMS can learn more about this treatment and the side effects at Fibromyalgia Help
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Keith Higginbottom - Keith Higginbottom is an award-winning journalist and publisher based in the UK. During a 30-year career spanning newspapers, consumer ...
