by Julia Nelson The darkness is all-encompassing. I can’t breathe, and there is an almost unbearable weight on my chest. I feel like I’m being crushed and the pain is excruciating. All I can hear is thump, thump, thump – although at this point I’m not sure if it’s the beat of my heart, or if it is…

Patients Often Have Lifelong Histories of Chronic Pain Presentation by Daniel Clauw, MD Much has changed about our understanding of the etiology of fibromyalgia (FM) since the beginning of this century. Although still widely misunderstood, FM is now considered to be a lifelong central nervous system disorder, which is responsible for amplified pain that shoots through the…

Employees with fibromyalgia report greater work productivity loss compared to those without musculoskeletal pain conditions. In Short There has been a noticeable trend among employees, especially with desk jobs, who are complaining of body ache and fatigue. While deadlines and stress have become paramount in workplaces, many employees are overlooking a lifestyle disorder called fibromyalgia….

Fibromyalgia is a common condition, affecting roughly 10 million Americans and about three to six percent of the word population. Despite its prevalence, the exact cause of the condition is still unclear, but scientists are getting closer to understanding the basic mechanisms behind the disease. Most researchers believe factors like immune system imbalances, hormonal changes, biochemistry…

What Causes Urticaria? How It is Linked With Fibromyalgia Antihistamines are medications designed to combat the natural hormones that lead to hives in the first place, histamines. And there are a number of different kinds. Over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl are often pretty effective for treating hives. And you can also pick up a topical antihistamine that you…

f you have fibromyalgia (FMS), chest pain may be one of your symptoms. A condition called costochondritis, which causes pain around the breastbone and rib cage, could be to blame. It is caused by inflammation in the cartilage that connects your ribs and sternum (breastbone). It’s believed to be common in people with FMS.1 Costochondritis is also called noncardiac chest…

Small fiber neuropathy, a pain-inducing condition that resembles and overlaps with fibromyalgia, may be significantly under-diagnosed in the U.S., according to a presenter at the 2021 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology-West. “The etiology and pathophysiology of fibromyalgia is not completely understood,” Khosro Farhad, MD, assistant professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in his presentation. That said,…

Two simple assessments — questioning whether a patient has persistent deep aching pain over most of their body and determining if pain is elicited by pinching the Achilles tendon — should be added to routine evaluation in primary care to help physicians diagnose fibromyalgia, according to recent findings. “Data from the U.S., Europe and Asia…

Julie Stewart Not a morning person? For patients with fibromyalgia, the answer to that question could be a clue about their treatment response with a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), suggested a new cross-sectional study published on July 29 in Rheumatology International. Compared with patients who had 30% or more pain relief after 8 or…

While the exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, possible contributing factors include genetics, infections and physical or emotional trauma. My mother has experienced widespread chronic pain, fatigue and brain fog, among other symptoms, for years. After much uncertainty, she received a final diagnosis: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). In addition to pain and fatigue, those with FMS…