| Associated Conditions: MAIN MENU | |
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| Fibromyalgia (FMS) |
| This page was written by Shelley Ensz and has not yet been medically edited. These illnesses affect everyone differently. Just because something is listed here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience it. See Disclaimer. |
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| What is Fibromyalgia (FMS)? |
| What is Fibromyalgia? "Fibromyalgia (formerly known as fibrositis) is a chronic condition causing pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening feeling tired, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disturbances in bowel function." MedicineNet. |
| Fibromyalgia: present to future. Before 1990, and for most of the 20th century, fibromyalgia was considered to be predominantly a muscle disorder; now the critical abnormality is described as "central sensitization." Clinicians also recognize an association between the initiation of fibromyalgia and chronic psychologic stressors and inflammatory disorders. PubMed. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004 Oct;8(5):379-84. |
| History of fibromyalgia: past to present. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is now a recognized clinical entity causing chronic and disabling pain. The first American College of Rheumatology criteria were published in 1990 and neurohormonal mechanisms with central sensitization were developed in the 1990s. Serotonergic/norepinephric drugs were first shown to be effective in 1986. PubMed. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004 Oct;8(5):369-78. |
| Causes of FMS |
| Increased frequencies of hysterectomy and early menopause in fibromyalgia (FM) patients: a comparative study. The objective was to determine the relationship between symptoms of FM and early menopause and hysterectomy. Early menopause and hysterectomy may be one of the factors contributing to the development of FM. (PubMed) Pamuk ON. Clin Rheumatol. 2009 May;28(5):561-4. |
| May genetic factors in fibromyalgia (FM) help to identify patients with differentially altered frequencies of immune cells? We demonstrate that genetic factors may help to identify FM individuals with differentially altered frequencies of immune cells. (IngentaConnect) Carvalho, L. S. C. Clinical & Experimental Immunology. December 2008. (Also see: Fibromyalgia) |
| Scans Reveal Brain Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia Patients. Researchers have detected abnormalities in the brains of people with fibromyalgia, a complex, chronic condition characterized by muscle pain and fatigue. MedPageToday 11/03/08. |
| Hippocampus Dysfunction May Explain Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FM). A Study with Single-Voxel Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. The hippocampus was dysfunctional in patients with FM. As the hippocampus plays crucial roles in maintenance of cognitive functions, sleep regulation, and pain perception, we suggest that metabolic dysfunction of hippocampus may be implicated in the appearance of these symptoms associated with this puzzling syndrome. J Rheumatol First Release May 15 2008. |
| Fibromyalgia Pain Caused By Neuron Mismatch, Suggests Study. The unexplained pain experienced by patients with fibromyalgia is the result of a mismatch between sensory and motor systems, new research suggests. ( Science Dalily.) University of Bath (2007, November 2). |
| Neck Injury and Fibromyalgia—Are They Really Associated? Whiplash injury and road accident trauma were not associated with an increased rate of FM after more than 14.5 months of followup. J Rheumatol 2006;33:1183–5. May 01 2006. |
| Fibromyalgia: The Nerve of That Disease. In view of prominent characteristics that FM shares with other generalized pain conditions, we suggest that a key mechanism in such disorders may be that of altered activity in the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve. J Rheumatol. 2005 August;32 Suppl 75:29-37. |
| Interrelations Between Fibromyalgia, Thyroid Autoantibodies, and Depression. Our results suggest an association between FM and thyroid autoimmunity. J Rheumatol. OCTOBER 2004;31:2036-40 (Also see: Thyroid Disease) |
| Fibromyalgia and Thyroid Dysfunction. The most frequent thyroid functional disorder found in fibromyalgia women was SCHT (subclinical hypothyroidism), more than in healthy population. Presence of TPO antibodies was the most frequent related to this disfunction. R. M. Morlà. AB0169 EULAR 2004. (Also see: Thyroid Disease) |
| Diagnosis of FMS |
| Accuracy of the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia (FM) by Family Physicians: Is the Pendulum Shifting? Of 196 patients referred with an initial diagnosis of FM, the consultant rheumatologist confirmed this diagnosis in 71% of cases. Family physicians in our region are able to accurately diagnose FM. E. Shleyfer. J Rheumatol First Release. Dec 1 2008. |
| Substitution of specialized rheumatology nurses for rheumatologists in the diagnostic process of fibromyalgia (FM): A randomized controlled trial. Substituting specialized nurses for rheumatologists in the diagnostic process of FM is a trustworthy and successful approach that saves waiting time, provides greater patient satisfaction, and is cost-effective. (UnBound Medline) M. E. A. L. Kroese. Arthritis Care and Research. August 29,2008. |
| Dysautonomia, fibromyalgia and reflex dystrophy. Hormonal and neurochemical abnormalities are observed in fibromyalgia whereas activation by peripheral trauma and hyperosteolysis are observed in reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007, 9:105. |
| Pressure pain thresholds and tender point counts as predictors of new chronic widespread pain (CWP) in somatising subjects. Data from this population-based prospective study suggest that a low pain threshold in subjects with CWP is likely to be a secondary phenomenon as a result of pain or associated distress rather than the antecedent of symptoms. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2007;66:517-521. |
Overall fibromyalgia (FM) pain is predicted by ratings of local pain and pain-related negative affect—possible role of peripheral tissues. Peripheral factors (maximal/average local pain and number of painful body areas) predicted most of the variance of overall clinical FM pain, suggesting that the input of pain by the peripheral tissues is clinically relevant. Rheumatology 2006 45(11):1409-1415 |
| Is There Benefit in Referring Patients with Fibromyalgia to a Specialist Clinic? An important value of specialist rheumatology contact for patients with a symptom suggestive of diffuse musculoskeletal pain is to ensure that some other potentially treatable condition is not overlooked, rather than the provision of ongoing care for those with FM. Continued followup in a specialist clinic for patients with a primary diagnosis of FM is of questionable benefit. J Rheumatol. December 2004;31:2468-71. |
| Further clues to recognition of patients with fibromyalgia from a simple 2-page patient multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ). Patients with fibromyalgia had high ratios of pain:physical function and fatigue:physical function scores, and a high number of reported symptoms. PubMed. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2004 Jul-Aug;22(4):453-61. (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis) |
| Treatments of FMS |
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| Complications of FMS |
| Neurologic Findings Are Common in Fibromyalgia Patients. Researchers found that people with fibromyalgia were more likely than those without the chronic pain condition to have poor balance, tingling and weakness in the arms and legs, and other "neurologic" signs and symptoms. Michelle Rizzo. Reuters. 09/18/09. |
| Virtual reality tasks disclose spatial memory alterations in fibromyalgia (FM). These results are the first to demonstrate that there is a spatial learning deficit in people with FM. R. Canovas. Rheumatology Advance Access. August 4 2009. |
| Autonomic Dysfunction in Fibromyalgia (FM) Assessed by the Composite Autonomic Symptoms Scale (COMPASS). There is a correlation between a questionnaire that measures FM severity (FIQ) and an autonomic dysfunction questionnaire (COMPASS). Such correlation suggests that autonomic dysfunction is inherent to FM. C. Solano, MD. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. June 2009. |
| Effects of anger and anger regulation styles on pain in daily life of women with fibromyalgia (FM): A diary study. Our study suggests that anger and a general tendency to inhibit anger predicts heightened pain in the everyday life of female patients with FM. Henriët van Middendorp. European Journal Of Pain. 20 April 2009. (Also see: Pain) |
| Personality Features in Female Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). Using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), this study investigates whether differences in temperament and character exist in FMS patients compared with healthy normal controls (HNC) of the community. Both aspects of TCI, temperament and character, are different and changed in FMS compared with HNC, mainly high harm avoidance, high persistence, low self-directedness, and high self-transcendence. G. Lundberg. (InformaWorld) Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain. May 2009. |
| Executive function and decision-making in women with fibromyalgia (FM). In this study FM women showed poorer performance than healthy comparison women on the number of categories and non-perseverative errors, but not on perseverative errors. FM patients also showed altered learning curve in the original Iowa Gambling Tasks (where reward is immediate and punishment is delayed), suggesting compromised emotion-based decision-making. A. Verdejo-García. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. March 11, 2009. |
| Spatial-temporal parameters of gait in women with fibromyalgia (FM). Gait parameters of women affected by FM were severely impaired when compared to those of healthy women. Different factors such as lack of physical activity, bradikinesia, overweight, fatigue, and pain together with a lower isometric force in the legs can be responsible for the alterations in gait and poorer life quality of women with FM. (SpringerLink) J. Jimenez. Clinical Rheumatology. January 24, 2009. |
| Fibromyalgia (FM) is associated with impaired balance and falls. FM is associated with balance problems and increased fall frequency. These results suggest that FM may affect peripheral and/or central mechanisms of postural control. (PubMed) K.D. Jones. J Clin Rheumatol. February 2009. |
| Fibromyalgia pain may cause memory blips. People with the disease may have disruption in their memory because of the pain. Those patients that were on narcotics or opiates had much better memories. Q. Phillips. PhysOrg.com. 12/19/08. |
| Related Symptoms or Disorders |
| Autoimmune, Arthritis or Rheumatic |
| Autoimmune Fibromyalgia may occur by itself or along with any other autoimmune, arthritis or rheumatic disorder, including scleroderma. ISN. |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Fibromyalgia (FM): A Frequent Unrelated Association Complicating Disease Management. The association between RA and FM does not appear to be a marker of worse prognosis, but rather a fortuitous association between the 2 diseases and one that may afford these patients some protection against joint destruction. F. Choury. J Rheumatol. January 2009. (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis) |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Fibromyalgia (FM): A Frequent Unrelated Association Complicating Disease Management. The association between RA and FM does not appear to be a marker of worse prognosis, but rather a fortuitous association between the 2 diseases and one that may afford these patients some protection against joint destruction. F. Coury. JRheumatol Dec 15 2008. (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis) |
| Is there a predisposition for the development of autoimmune diseases in patients with fibromyalgia (FM)? Retrospective analysis with long term follow-up. The risk of connective tissue disease (CTD) is not increased in FM. The detection of ANA (antinuclear antibodies) does not predict the development of CTD. However, in individual cases, FM may be an early sign of an autoimmune disease. (IngentaConnect) Rheumatology International, Vol 27, No 11, Sept 2007, pp. 1031-1039(9). (Also see Connective Tissue Disease) |
| Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Fibromyalgia |
| Increased Frequency of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients with Fibromyalgia (FM) and Associated Factors: A Comparative Study. In patients with FM, the severity scores of dyspepsia symptoms, constipation, and dyspepsia-related QOL disturbance were higher than in patients with RA and controls. O.N. Pamuk. JRheum. June 30 2009. |
| Altered intestinal permeability (IP) in patients with primary fibromyalgia (FM) and in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is often associated with an increased intestinal permeability (IP) in patients with FM. A. Goebel. Rheumatology Advance Access. June 7, 2008. (Also see: Bowel Dysfunction) |
| Symptom overlap and comorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome with other conditions. Symptom overlap and comorbidity between IBS and other gastrointestinal motility disorders are frequent. PubMed. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2005 Aug;7(4):264-71. (Also see: Bowel Involvement) |
| Fibromyalgia: the gastrointestinal link. Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) frequently have gastrointestinal symptoms and signs. Of those patients with FM, 30% to 70% have concurrent IBS. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is associated with hyperalgesia and IBS-like complaints, is common in FM, and responds transiently to antimicrobial therapy. PubMed. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004 Oct;8(5):364-8. |
| Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder) and Fibromyalgia |
| Clinical evaluation of 30 patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) complicated by fibromyalgia (FM). Approximately 11% of patients with IC have a complication of FM. They feel isolated due to the lack of understanding of the disease and endure generalized intolerable pain. PubMed. Nippon Hinyokika Gakkai Zasshi. 2005 Jul;96(5):554-9. (Also see: Interstitial Cystitis) |
| Lupus and Fibromyalgia |
| Fibromyalgia (FM), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Evaluation of SLE Activity. The prevalence of FM in SLE is minimally increased compared with its prevalence in patients with arthritis. F. Wolfe. J Rheumatol. November 1, 2008. (Also see: Lupus) |
| Number of Fibromyalgia Tender Points Is Associated with Health Status in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. A strong association between the number of FM TP and health status was found in patients with SLE. The number of TP, and not just the presence/absence of FM, is associated with health status in SLE. J Rheumatol. NO. 1 January 2005;32:48-50. (Also see: Lupus) |
| Premenstrual Syndrome |
| The Premenstrual Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (FM): Similarities and Common Features. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical similarities and common features of FM and premenstrual dysphoric syndrome (PMDD). In this study, patients with PMDD were found to have higher levels of tenderness, higher psychiatric comorbidity, greater level of physical disabilities, and a lower quality of life. (SpringerLink) D. Amital. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology. June 25 2009. |
| Restless Leg Syndrome |
| Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Is Common among Female Patients with Fibromyalgia. This study shows that 64% of a group of female patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia also concurrently suffered from RLS. These patients experience more sleep disturbances and pronounced daytime sleepiness as compared to those suffering from only fibromyalgia. (Karger) R. Stehlik. European Neurology. Dec 9 2008. (Also see: Sleep Disorders) |
| Scleroderma and Fibromyalgia |
| Microcirculation abnormalities in patients with fibromyalgia - measured by capillary microscopy and laser fluxmetry. The peripheral blood flow in FM patients was much less than in healthy controls but did not differ from that of SSc patients. The data suggest that functional disturbances of microcirculation are present in FM patients and that morphological abnormalities may also influence their microcirculation. PubMed. Arthritis Res Ther. 2005;7(2):R209-16. (Also see: What is Scleroderma?) |
| Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and Fibromyalgia |
| Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and Other Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, and Fibromyalgia. It would be helpful if clinicians would resume using and teaching tender point assessments in patients whose unexplained symptoms may be due to referred pain. J. Rheumatol. 2005 Dec;32:2288. Editorial: Hugh A Smythe, MD, FRCPC. (Also see: Dental Involvement) |
| Relationship Between (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FMS) |
| Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Information on the relationships between the rheumatological condition known as fibromyalgia, fibrositis, or FMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, myalgic encephalitis, ME, hypometabolism and thyroid disease, including hypothyroidism. About.com. |
| Sleep structure and sleepiness in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with or without co-existing fibromyalgia. CFS patients had significant differences in polysomnograpic findings from healthy controls and felt sleepier and more fatigued than controls after a night's sleep. This difference was due to a decrease in the length of periods of uninterrupted sleep in the patients with more sleepiness in the morning than on the night before. Arthritis Research & Therapy May 12 2008, 10:R56. |
| Disability Information for Fibromyalgia |
| CFS/FMS Objective Medical Evidence Requirements for Disability Adjudication Regarding Social Security Disability in the U.S. Susan M. Daniels, Ph. D. |
| Research about FMS |
| Cardiovascular Reactivity in Fibromyalgia: Evidence for Pathogenic Heterogeneity. Study of cardiovascular reactivity utilizing a head-up tilt test and processing the data using the FRAS method did not reveal a specific FM-associated abnormality. J. Rheumatol No. 2 February 2005;32:335-9. |
| Stress and autonomic dysregulation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis of a hyporeactive stress system in FMS patients for both peripherally and centrally mediated stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. PubMed. Schmerz. 2004 May 12. |
| FMS: Psychological and Sociological Research |
| Habituation and sensitization to heat and cold pain in women with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy controls (HC). There were large overall differences in pain thresholds, with the FM group showing greater sensitivity to heat and cold pain stimuli compared with the HC group. (PubMed) Smith BW. Pain. October 21, 2008). (Also see: Fibromyalgia) |
| Health-Related Physical Fitness in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) or Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Compared to healthy subjects, FMS adversely affected the physical fitness performance of the subjects to a greater degree than did Myofascial Pain Syndrome. (The Haworth Press) Neslihan. Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain. October 20, 2008. |
| Speed of Mental Operations in Fibromyalgia (FMS): A Selective Naming Speed Deficit. Abnormal processing of information in FMS may hold clues to brain abnormalities in this illness. Abnormalities in naming speed are an unappreciated feature of FMS. Selective deficits in naming speed in association with otherwise well preserved global processing speed set patients with FMS apart from controls with memory complaints. Leavitt, Frank PhD. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. August 2008. |
| Sleep-Disordered Breathing Among Women With Fibromyalgia Syndrome. A large proportion of women with fibromyalgia in a general rheumatology practice had sleep-disordered breathing, which can be detected using sleep polysomnograms. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 12(6):277-281, December 2006. |
| Fibromyalgia in Men: Comparison of Psychological Features with Women. There was no significant difference between men and women with FM in their psychological status. J Rheumatol. December 2004;31:2464-7. |
| Fibromyalgia in Men and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In male patients, PTSD is highly associated with FM. Howard Amital. OP0029 EULAR 2004. |
| Patient-Physician Discordance in Fibromyalgia. There is a gap between what patients with FM and rheumatologists examining them experience during the office visit. J Rheumatol NO. 6 JUNE 2003; 30:1326-34. |
| Medical Research: Pain |
| Is Fibromyalgia a Neuropathic Pain Syndrome? The fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) seems an unlikely candidate for classification as a neuropathic pain. The disorder is diagnosed based on a compatible history and the presence of multiple areas of musculoskeletal tenderness. J Rheumatol. 2005 August;32 Suppl 75:38-40. |
| Aspects of Diurnal Rhythmicity in Pain, Stiffness, and Fatigue in Patients with Fibromyalgia. This has important implications for scheduling activities of daily living, for measurement in clinical trials, and possibly for timing the administration of medications. J Rheumatol No. 2 Feb 2004;31:379-89 |
| Support for FMS |
| Arthritis Foundation. Support groups and information on arthritis illnesses. |
| The National Fibromyalgia Partnership, Inc. (NFP) is the largest non-profit, membership organization for fibromyalgia (FM) in the United States. It provides medically accurate information on FM to individuals with fibromyalgia and their families, health care professionals, and the general public—both nationwide and in many other countries. |
| FMS Stories |
| Do you have Fibromyalgia or CFS? Submit your story to help raise awareness and share support with others. |
| FMS Stories in English and Español/Spanish |
