Fibromyalgia News: Regular update on fibromyalgia information and relief

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Fibromyalgia News: New articles, Archives, Q&A

I have had questions on the best places to live fibromyalgia (dry climate is best), fibromyalgia back itch (toxins are the culprits), men with fibromyalgia (the published ratio is more women than men but plenty of them do suffer).

Before it becomes a full page, you'll find information here!
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Fibromyalgia News

That's it! It's on.

It explains why fibromyalgia is a muscle cell disease and gives a step by step of what happens in the cell. You'll understand better all the symptoms you're suffering from.

It also gives a good explanation of all the other theories and their shortcomings.

To understand why you suffer from fibromyalgia, click on the book!

Fibromyalgia, Loss of Balance & Falls

A new study has shown once more that fibromyalgia is associated with balance problems and increased fall frequency.

The mechanism is most likely plurifactorial, involving many processes. Whatever the cause, treatment of fibromyalgia should include preventative measures against falls and their consequences.

Jones KD et al. Fibromyalgia is associated with impaired balance and falls. J Clin Rheumatol. 2009 Feb;15(1):16-21

Obesity and Fibromyalgia

Obesity and fibromyalgia is a common problem, so says a new study: Okifuji A, Bradshaw DH, Olson C. Evaluating obesity in fibromyalgia: neuroendocrine biomarkers, symptoms, and functions. Clin Rheumatol. 2009 Jan 27.

Small study on fibromyalgia evaluating the occurrence of obesity in FM. Half the patients were obese and another 20% were overweight. It also indicated an association between obesity and inflammatory markers as well as sleep disturbance.

Unhappily, the number of patients is small (38) and there is no group control with obese patients not suffering from fibromyalgia.

We do know that obesity is an inflammatory disease and that patients do have sleep disturbance.

We also know that fibromyalgia necessitates a diet avoiding pro-oxidants that in itself is not enough to treat fibromyalgia but helps. This type of diet is also useful for obesity.

24 Hours Measurement of Cytokines in Fibromyalgia

Plasma Cytokine Fluctuations over Time in Healthy Controls and Patients with Fibromyalgia. Togo F et al. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2009 Feb;234(2):232-40

In this article we discover that at last we have the proof that there are sudden releases of pro-inflammatory cytokines during a 24 hours period.

This is compensated at night by a an increase in IL-10 which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine known to disrupt sleep.

Those sudden burst of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the day have not yet been studied in a possible relationship with stress or after a massage. This is what we called the sudden release of toxins.

The increase of nighttime anti-inflammatory cytokine may explain, at least partly, the sleep disturbance.

Phosphate Levels

Phosphate levels should be part of any diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Low serum levels can be part of the fatigue, the muscle pain and the depression.

Do You Have Fibromyalgia? Drug Company Hopes So

One Bad and One Good News

We have talked about the importance not to miss a low Vitamin D level that increases muscle pain.If you are on statin, you better be careful because your muscle pain may increase due to statin induced myalgias.

Now the good news: vitamin D may improve statin induced myalgias

This has been very well shown in the following study

Ahmed W, Khan N, Glueck CJ, Pandey S, Wang P, Goldenberg N, Uppal M, Khanal S. Low serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels (<32 ng/mL) are associated with reversible myositis-myalgia in statin-treated patients.Transl Res. 2009 Jan;153(1):11-6.

Summary:Our specific aims were to determine whether low serum 25 (OH) vitamin D (D2 + D3) (<32 ng/mL) was associated with myalgia in statin-treated patients and whether the myalgia could be reversed by vitamin D supplementation while continuing statins. After excluding subjects who took corticosteroids or supplemental vitamin D, serum 25 (OH) D was measured in 621 statin-treated patients, which consisted of 128 patients with myalgia at entry and 493 asymptomatic patients. The 128 myalgic patients had lower mean +/- standard deviation (SD) serum vitamin D than the 493 asymptomatic patients (28.6 +/- 13.2 vs 34.2 +/- 13.8 ng/mL, P < 0.0001), but they did not differ (p > 0.05) by age, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes, or creatine kinase levels. By analysis of variance, which was adjusted for race, sex, and age, the least square mean (+/- standard error [SE]) serum vitamin D was lower in the 128 patients with myalgia than in the 493 asymptomatic patients (28.7 +/- 1.2 vs 34.3 +/- 0.6 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Serum 25 (OH) D was low in 82 of 128 (64%) patients with myalgia versus 214 of 493 (43%) asymptomatic patients (chi(2) = 17.4, P < 0.0001). Of the 82 vitamin-D-deficient, myalgic patients, while continuing statins, 38 were given vitamin D (50,000 units/week for 12 weeks), with a resultant increase in serum vitamin D from 20.4 +/- 7.3 to 48.2 +/- 17.9 ng/mL (P < 0.0001) and resolution of myalgia in 35 (92%). We speculate that symptomatic myalgia in statin-treated patients with concurrent vitamin D deficiency may reflect a reversible interaction between vitamin D deficiency and statins on skeletal muscle.

Comments:So if you are on statin, you better ask your doctor to either stop them or to test your vitamin D levels.

And you better change your nutrition!http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0902/S00309.htm

IL-6 in Fibromyalgia: Is It Bad?

We had a bloglet about "A 24 hours measurement of cytokines in fibromyalgia".

H.B of Houston asks if the increase in IL-6 (Interleukine 6) is a problem other than an inflammatory signal.

IL6 increases bone destruction by direct and indirect action on the osteoclasts and on inhibiting the osteoblasts (bone is permanently destroyed by osteoclasts and rebuilt by osteoblasts--if osteoclasts work more than osteoblasts we develop osteoporosis).

An excess of IL-6 increases

- atheroma (risk of angina, heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease)

- osteoporosis

- fatigue.

Those diseases are more frequent in fibromyalgia than in the normal population and IL-6 could be the reason!

We will come back on how to help decrease IL-6 and inflammation.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is a condition that limits the movements of the shoulder joint. Very often, muscles around the shoulder are tight. It is more frequent in women around the age of 40.

Fibromyalgia is a muscle disease with muscle spasms and is more common in women.

A frozen shoulder is more common in fibromyalgia than in the non fibromyalgia population.

Is it directly related? That is not sure as the exact causes for frozen shoulder are not known. We know that it is more common in people with diabetes, Parkinson's and after immobilization following surgery to the shoulder joint. So it is not sure that there is a direct relationship between the two.

However, it is obvious that the morning stiffness of fibromyalgia is also a factor that may help develop a frozen shoulder.

No Comment!

Question or Comment: I think I have just found an answer to all my problems! I am a 40 year old female and am off work as I am sleeping approx 18 hours out of every day. I also have a frozen shoulder and am awaiting some blood test results. I have been diabetic on insulin for 18 years. I am so happy that I found your website after typing "tiredness" into Google.

If you suffer and want to contact Joanne to exchange tips and tricks...

Dry Eye

A majority of fibromyalgia sufferers reports a dry eye problem.

This article shows the problem to be related to a decreased corneal sensitivity, especially to cold.

Protect your eyes with glasses if you're outside in the cold!

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Mar 25. Decreased corneal sensitivity and tear production in fibromyalgia. Gallar J et al

Sexual function in women sufferers

Here is a very interesting study showing that many FM women sufferers have sexual dysfunction. They also showed that those with major depression did not have more sexual dysfunction.

This problem should be specifically treated.

J Urol. 2005 Aug;174(2):620-3. Sexual dysfunction in female subjects with fibromyalgia. Tikiz C et al

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