New Treatment Option for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

[David Baxter PhD]

New Treatment Option for Difficult Diseases: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
By Lindsey Kay, MD
March 31, 2008

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are two diagnosis that remain difficult discern, both to patients and physicians. Both produce nonspecific symptoms of fatigue and pain, with no clear underlying cause. They are a diagnosis of exclusion, given when all other possibilities have been ruled out.

Many people believe that chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia result from an underlying psychiatric illness, based on the associated of anxiety and depression. Still others think an underlying autoimmune disorder or viral infection may be to blame.

A recent report published by a leading expert in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome states that an underlying endocrine disorder may be partly to blame. Based on a literature review of more than 50 published studies, it was determined that the majority of patients with these disorders have a dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system. The HPA system is a complex pathway involving hormones released from the brain that promote the production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Cortisol has a huge range of effects on a variety of body systems, including metabolism, inflammation and mental function.

The review supported the theory that problems with the hypothalamic or pituitary gland, both located in the brain, result in decreased production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. More importantly, treatment with a low dose oral cortisol medication resulted in improvement in the majority of patients. A further study found 94% of patients to show improvement by their fourth office visit, with the majority reporting a doubling in their energy level and sense of well-being.

 

[DocPixel]

I would like to share my own experience with fibromyalgia, if that's okay. I have been able to keep it at bay for years now, and some might be interested in how I've done this.

Mine first started in 1990. I had major pain from my wrist to my shoulder blades. Each episode would last for 2 months, then go away and I'd be normal again for several months.

I feel I was extremely fortunate in the doctor I saw, who had seen a lot of fibromyalgia patients. He put the responsibility right back onto me, and kept telling me that I needed to make lifestyle changes in order to get better. And no matter how I pleaded, he refused to give me pain meds or anything other than an anti-inflammatory.

He told me to stretch, exercise, eat healthier and make any other changes that were affecting my life. In my case, this also meant separating from a long-time boyfriend, since our relationship involved a lot of anger.

That doctor was 100% right. Major life changes are hard, but I finally got fed up enough with the pain that I started making the changes he advised.

And he was right. After several months of healthier living, the fibromyalgia stopped. And it didn't come back again for several years. And when it did, it was because I hadn't yet learned that for me, living with anger for several months is another cause, so I also had to learn to prevent that from happening too. Apparently, I turn my anger inwards. :hissyfit:

I think the biggest prevention is the stretching. I have a routine of arm stretches that I do, but I also work out at least 3 times a week, maintain a good weight, eat pretty healthy, do things with friends, and monitor the amount of anger in my life. The last time I had an episode was about 5 years ago, because of a micromanager boss who picked on me.

These days, I look upon the fibromyalgia as one of the good things that has happened to me, because it forced me to change to a healthier lifestyle that undoubtedly helps prevent many other health problems. And it took that much pain to make me change.

And I bless that doctor. It couldn't have been easy for him to stay firm against my pleading for more pain relief, "Doctor, you don't understand. I can't work this way! All I can do is sit around." I really pressured him, but bless his heart, he did the right thing for me by putting the responsibility on me to fix it.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Interesting connection between anger and your physical symptoms, Pixel. Thanks for sharing that information.

 

[Halo]

These days, I look upon the fibromyalgia as one of the good things that has happened to me, because it forced me to change to a healthier lifestyle that undoubtedly helps prevent many other health problems. And it took that much pain to make me change.

What a great way to look at it, very positive indeed.

 

[DocPixel]

Thanks, David and Halo. I know I probably made it sound overly simple, because it probably wouldn't be this cut and dried for everyone, and many people have much worse cases than I did.

But if it helps anyone else, that'd be good.

And then there's the problem of how to deal with anger instead of turning it inward; having gotten into the menopause years, I've gotten crankier and more outspoken. :argue: So I need to learn more about that so I can manage it better. :frown:

 

[MadJohn]

DocPixel, I find your story quite amazing. It made me think of my former mother-in-law who has fibromyalgia, has gotten help from counseling and changes in her nutrition (however, she just avoids gluten) and my ex-wife who has had both panic attacks and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. My former mother-in-law is a perfectionist to a rather high degree and is a highly talented water-color artist who makes a decent amount of money with commissioned works. I married her daughter unaware of the OCPD and a rather poor understanding of just how important perfectionism is to her...apparently more important than anything else in her life including me. Anyhow, it also became that my ex-wife had an extraordinarily high amount of anger stored up and it spewed out all over me during our first year of marriage. She has had at least 3 panic attacks in the first two years I knew her, one of which included a very expensive work-up to rule out a blood clot in the lung with a MRI. My ex-wife also had extreme pain in her back and shoulders and it was to my observation due to a combination of the pent-up anger and her inability to effectively deal with her stress - she has no real capacity to deal with stress. Physical therapy and massage is the only thing that she could tolerate that helped...muscle relaxers really zonked her. She comes home from her full-time job and just collapses a lot of the time, unable to face any thing else in her day. It is so sad for people who stuff their anger and stress. It may not be quite so bad for you to be more outspoken these days as that may help alleviate your stress and anger. I encourage you to find other, more constructive outlets for your anger.

 

[DocPixel]

Thanks, MadJohn. Isn't it amazing what our feelings can do to our bodies?

Hmmm.... more constructive outlets.... well, I am an artist; a photographer. Perhaps I could think of ways to channel the anger into art. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[MadJohn]

You are quite welcome. Why, yes, some art certainly be created as an outlet for anger, but it may also strongly reflect that anger...be careful with that! I would also be careful that your creativity not lead to frustration and eventual anger. Then again, outlandishly angry works can be destroyed and that in and of itself may be beneficial for you, too! Good luck with it...understanding is the first step to healing!