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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.
Parasite Eradication & Herbal
Home Colonic Program
Parasite
Eradication Program
Herbal
Home Colonic Program
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