7 Severe Diseases Associated With Fibromyalgia. Probably You are not Aware
About 10 million Americans have fibromyalgia, which is characterized by painful, tender points along the body; fatigue; sleeplessness; and cognitive issues known as fibro fog.
Unfortunately, people with fibromyalgia are more likely than people in the general population to have certain other conditions too.
If you have fibromyalgia, here are seven other health concerns.
Migraines
A significant number of people with fibromyalgia also experience migraines and/or tension headaches, says Robert Duarte, MD, director of the pain institute at the North Shore–Long Island Jewish health system
in Manhasset, N.Y.
“An underlying disturbance in the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine plays a role in causing headaches and fibromyalgia,” he says. Also Read New Finding: New Daith Piercing relieves CM & Fibromyalgia Flares.
Antidepressants that target these brain chemicals may relieve migraine pain, he adds. Tension headache may also respond tobiofeedback.
Autoimmune diseases
Up to one-quarter of people with inflammatory autoimmune diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis(RA), lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and ankylosing spondylitis—also experience fibromyalgia symptoms. The precise nature of this connection is not yet understood.
Fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory disease, but some research suggests that RA and other inflammatory diseases may somehow increase the risk for fibromyalgia.
Restless legs
Sleeplessness and other sleep problems are common for fibromyalgia patients, says Lesley Arnold MD, a psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Restless legs, or the overwhelming urge to move your legs when resting, may be up to 11 times more common in people with fibromyalgia than those without it. Exactly how the two are linked is not fully understood, but many fibromyalgia treatments also improve restless legs, not to mention overall sleep quality.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is marked by abdominal cramps and bouts of constipation and/or diarrhea. Between 30% and 70% of people with fibromyalgia have IBS too.
“Like fibromyalgia, IBS is a pain syndrome,” says Dr. Arnold.
Pelvic pain
People with fibromyalgia are more likely to report pelvic pain, bladder irritability, and menstrual cramps, and some of the medicines that relieve fibromyalgia symptoms can also ease these other pains.
More research is needed to understand how these pain conditions are related to fibromyalgia.
Depression and anxiety
More than half of people with fibromyalgia also experience mental or emotional problems, such asdepression and anxiety, at some point in their lives. “It is less of a causal or chicken-and-egg relationship,” Dr. Arnold says. “(But) they may share common, underlying causes.”
A deficit of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine is involved in both mood and pain disorders, she says. Many medications used to treat fibromyalgia are also antidepressants.
Obesity
Obesity and fibromyalgia share a complicated relationship, and it’s one that we can’t ignore,” says Dr. Arnold.
Many people with fibromyalgia lead sedentary lives due to their chronic pain, and a lack of regular physical activity increases their risk of becoming overweight or obese.
“Being overweight places more mechanical stress on your joints, which can cause more pain and aggravate the fibromyalgia,” Dr. Arnold says. Plus, fat stores are pro-inflammatory, which can also exacerbate pain.
Fibromyalgia Is Often Linked to These 7 Unexpected Conditions
Fibromyalgia-related illnesses include anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping. Factors like a sedentary lifestyle and pain sensitivity contribute to their development.
Why Do Migraines Often Accompany Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia and migraines are strongly connected. In fact, people with fibromyalgia are more likely to develop chronic migraine as they age. According to a study published in 2019 in the BMJ Open, the conditions share a bidirectional relationship.
Brain Chemicals Causing Migraines
The link between fibromyalgia and chronic migraine may result from changes in chemical messengers in the bodies of people with fibromyalgia.
“An underlying disturbance in the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine plays a role in causing headaches and fibromyalgia,” Robert Duarte, MD, a board-certified neurologist specializing in pain and headache medicine, told Health.
Treatments for Migraines
Antidepressants targeting these brain chemicals may help relieve migraine pain. Tension headaches might respond to biofeedback, a treatment where you learn to control involuntary
How Are Autoimmune Diseases and Fibromyalgia Connected?
Inflammatory autoimmune diseases also commonly co-occur with fibromyalgia. Those autoimmune diseases include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Lupus
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Some evidence suggests that RA and other inflammatory autoimmune diseases increase the risk of fibromyalgia.
However, keep in mind that fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory autoimmune disease. Instead, researchers have identified abnormalities in how the central nervous system processes pain as the main cause of fibromyalgia.
Why Is Sleep Difficult with Fibromyalgia?
Sleeplessness and other sleep disturbances are common among people with fibromyalgia, Lesley Arnold, MD, a psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, told Health.
In particular, some evidence suggests that nearly 90% of people with fibromyalgia have sleep problems. Painful symptoms adversely affect sleep quality, including duration and efficiency. Poor sleep quality leads to daytime sleepiness, which can negatively impact the quality of life.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is the overwhelming urge to move your legs when resting, causing sleep disturbances. One study published in 2016 in the Turkish Journal of Neurology found that in people with moderate-to-severe symptoms of RLS, the frequency of fibromyalgia was about 37%.
Fibromyalgia treatments also help with RLS, which may improve sleep quality
How Does Fibromyalgia Affect Your Gut?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causes abdominal cramps and bouts of constipation, diarrhea, or both. As with fibromyalgia and migraines, the relationship between fibromyalgia and IBS is said to work both ways.
A 2017 study published in Medicine linked fibromyalgia to a 1.54-fold increased risk of IBS, after adjusting for age, sex, and other health conditions.
What Causes Pelvic Pain in Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a possible musculoskeletal cause of chronic pelvic pain. Research has found a positive correlation between fibromyalgia and pelvic pain. According to one study published in 2015 in Pain Management Nursing, women with severe fibromyalgia showed severe pelvic pain.
In addition to pelvic pain, people with fibromyalgia are more likely to report symptoms such as bladder irritability and menstrual cramps. Some medicines that relieve fibromyalgia symptoms can also ease those ailments.
How Are Depression and Anxiety Linked to Fibromyalgia?
More than half of people with fibromyalgia experience mental or emotional problems, such as depression and anxiety, at some point in their lives.
For example, a study published in 2018 in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports found that of the people studied, nearly 97% of those with fibromyalgia also had co-occurring mental health conditions.
Fibromyalgia and mental health conditions] may share common, underlying causes,” explained Dr. Arnold. A deficit of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine is involved in pain and mood disorders, added Dr. Arnold. Therefore, many medicines that treat fibromyalgia are also antidepressants.
Why Are Obesity and Fibromyalgia Connected?
“Obesity and fibromyalgia share a complicated relationship, and it’s one that we can’t ignore,” said Dr. Arnold.
Many people with fibromyalgia lead sedentary lives due to chronic pain. A lack of regular physical activity can increase their risk of becoming overweight or obese. Also, being overweight can aggravate symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Being overweight places more mechanical stress on your joints, which can cause more pain and aggravate fibromyalgia,” explained Dr. Arnold.
exercise may help alleviate pain in people with fibromyalgia. One study published in 2020 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that women with fibromyalgia who reported low-intensity physical activity had lower pain, fatigue, and anxiety levels.
