CHRONIC FATIGUE &
FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
Many experts believe that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and
fibromyalgia are related. Fibromyalgia patients suffer more
from the muscle pain than from the fatigue component; CFS patients
suffer predominantly from the fatigue component. Chronic fatigue
syndrome is generally thought to be associated with the Epstein-Barr
virus, a virus that belongs to the herpesvirus family. About
90 percent of all adults carry this virus.
According to specialists, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) "...is
a specific, chronic non-degenerative, non-progressive, non-inflammatory,
truly systemic pain condition -- a true syndrome" (van
Why, 1994). Since FMS and CFS appear to be related or at least
in the same family, procedures that work to ameliorate one symdrome
will also exert positive effects on the other.
FMS was first described by William Balfour in 1816. Fibromyalgia
has been known by many names including "rheumatism,"
chronic rheumatism, myalgia, pressure point syndrome and fibrositis.
Most current thinking suggests that fibromyalgia belongs in
the rheumatoid family of diseases. If FMS and CFS are indeed
related, then chronic fatigue syndrome is also one of the rheumatoid
diseases. Whether suffering from CFS or FMS, most patients suffer
from chronic muscle pain that is characterized as "achy"
and sometimes as sharp, burning, shooting and throbbing. This
pain is unresponsive to standard analgesics.
FMS and CFS patients most often describe pain in the lower
back, shoulders, back of the neck, often extending up into the
back of the head, upper chest and thighs. However, FMS pain
has been reported in all muscle groups. The pain is usually
associated with morning stiffness and often with scleroderma-type
skin disorders (another member of the rheumatoid family of disorders).
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires that at least 11 of 18
specified tender points be confirmed as tender to painful under
slight thumb pressure. Moreover, these pressure points must
be distributed equally in all four body quadrants. The diagram
in the appendix shows the location of these tender points. The
diagnosis of CFS does not require the presence of equally distributed
pressure or trigger points.
FMS is far more common in women than men and typically begins
in early adulthood or late teenage years. CFS is three times
more prevalent in women as men. As with most rheumatoid disorders,
the symptoms begin gradually and slowly increase in strength
over a 5 to 10 year period. The symptoms are typically made
worse by overexertion, stress, lack of exercise, anxiety, depression,
sleep loss, injury, temperature extremes, and illness.
CFS appears related to the Epstein-Barr virus. When the immune
system is healthy the Epstein-Barr virus usually poses no risk
and remains silent, a life-long companion. In the absence of
immunity however, Epstein-Barr can cause the high fevers and
malaise of infectious mononucleosis. Epstein-Barr also promotes
the development of smooth muscle tumors as well as active infections
of the body's white cells. The virus appears to spur these infected
cells to proliferate. Most such tumors (leiomyomas) seem harmless
and go away. However, in some patients these growths turn malignant
(leiomyosarcomas). These same smooth muscle tumors are also
seen in young people with AIDS. They usually occur in the lungs,
colon, stomach, intestine and liver.
FMS and CFS patients also suffer from diverse additional disorders.
All of these disorders are part of the FMS / CFS syndromes.
These disorders may include "...headaches, irritable bladder,
dysmenorrhea, cold sensitivity, Raynaud's phenomenon, restless
legs, atypical patterns of numbness and tingling, exercise intolerance
and complaints of weakness." (Starlanyl and Copeland, Fibromyalgia
& Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome, New Harbinger Publications,
Oakland, CA 1996). Moreover, fibromyalgia can also cause symptoms
like sleep disturbances, visual disturbances including blurring,
hearing losses, and the inability to maintain balance resulting
in falling, itching, pelvic discomfort including pain. Depression
is often present and is more predominant in older patients.
In younger patients skin disturbances similar to scleroderma
seem more common. But regardless of age "...the presence
of unexplained widespread pain or aching, persistent fatigue,
generalized morning stiffness, non-refreshing sleep, and multiple
tender points..." confirms the diagnosis. (Starlanyl and
Copeland, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome,
New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, CA 1996).
FMS is difficult to diagnose and CFS for years was laughed
off by mainstream medicine as psychosomatic. Both syndromes
can occur at any age. Pain is usually the first symptom to appear
but not always. Sometimes the body's temperature regulation
system is the first to show signs of disorder. You may notice
that you begin to feel hot at night during sleep. This hot feeling
wakes you up and you have to get up believing that you have
to urinate. Sometimes bladder irritability is the cause of waking
up. Then when you get back in bed you often have to wait until
you cool down to go back to sleep or pull the covers up.
Sometimes the symptoms (especially of FMS) begin as spasticity
or tightness of muscles. This tightness can be so strong that
it feels like your hands are swollen and edematous. Sometimes
you experience Raynaud's phenomenon (blanching of the fingers)
especially during the cold seasons. Not only are the finger
vessels constricted, but often the vessels of the buttocks and
thighs. These areas feel markedly cold to the touch.
Sometimes you may begin to see skin mottling (blotchy looking
skin) as the first signs of fibromyalgia. Many FMS patients
suffer from brittle finger nails which can break off in moon-shaped
or crescent shaped pieces. Many times the nails begin to grow
under or they may even "spoon."
Unlike most CFS patients, FMS patients may exhibit signs of
figidity, attention deficit disorder or an inability to sit
in any one position for longer than 15 to 20 minutes. If they
remain immobile they tend to get stiff. In fact, generalized
morning stiffness is typically severe.
But, on the other hand excessive muscle movement (to prevent
the onset of stiffness) becomes exhausting and often leads to
over exertion. Tremendous fatigue can also accompany these symptoms.
Similar to multiple sclerosis patients, fibromyalgia patients
also show reduced coordination.
According to Starlanyl and Copeland "FMS is a sensitivity-amplification
syndrome. Because of this it has been called the "Irritable
Everything Syndrome." This means that fibromites are sensitive
to smells, sounds, lights, and vibrations. The noise emitted
by fluorescent lights can drive them crazy."
"FMS sensitizes the nerve endings, which means that the
ends of the nerve receptors have changed shape. Because of this,
for example, your body might interpret "touch, light, or
sound" as "pain." This typically leads to anxiety,
pituitary-adrenal axis stress and increasing negative feedback.
While CFS patients may suffer similar distress to environmental
stimuli it usually is not as severe as in FMS.
Confounding the picture even more, both FMS and CFS can co-exist
with diverse other conditions including: carpal-tunnel syndrome,
cerebral palsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, HIV disease,
AIDS, hypoglycemia, thyroid disorders, hypermobility syndrome,
lupus myositis (discoid lupus) [limited to the skin]
and lupus erythematosus [occurs in connective tissue].
Discoid lupus creates "a scaling red, pink or brown rash,
often in the shape of a butterfly over the face, although it
is not limited to that area. This rash is very photosensitive,
and patients with this condition must avoid the sun." Systemic
lupus erythematosus "can also cause a butterfly rash, but
all of the connective tissue can be involved, not just the skin."
Both FMS and CFS may also be found in patients with mitral
valve prolapse, multiple chemical sensitivities, multiple sclerosis,
osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, post-polio syndrome, Raynaud's
phenomenon, reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, rheumatoid
arthritis, TMJ disorder, and Candida (yeast) infections.
FMS and CFS and most of the above mentioned disorders are
the end result of pathological increases in permeability of
the intestinal mucosa. Such increases in gut permeability
have been referred to as Leaky
Gut Syndrome. Therefore, FMS and CFS are referred
to by this writer as essentially leaky gut disorders.
An understanding of the causes (etiology) of Leaky Gut Syndrome
may help you understand the probable mechanisms involved in
a wide range of systemic disorders.
Much literature and hundreds of studies show leaky gut syndrome
(LGS) to be the primary problem in inflammatory bowel diseases
such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel
syndrome. LGS is involved in virtually all food allergies and
certain "auto-immune" diseases such as rheumatoid
arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus erythematosus and atopic
and eczematous dermatitis, vasculitis, intestinal toxemia (endotoxemia)
microbial translocation, dysbiosis, joint pain and inflammation,
fatigue, malabsorption and other diseases including chronic
fatigue, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, herpes
and fibromyalgia. Obviously, correcting LGS dysfunctions is
critical to the success of any program designed to conquer fibromyalgia,
chronic fatigue or any of the LGS disorders.
Kits to help in cleansing your body and helping to reverse
CFS & FMS are available through Spirit of Healing. Some
of these kits are listed below.
