FIBROMYALGIA

By Joseph Hazan, M.D.,FACOG

FIBROMYALGIA is pain in many areas of the body

for over three months

due to increased pain sensitivity of the brain.

There are related symptoms which accompany

pain such as tenderness in many areas.

The common accompanying complaints

are sleeplessness,

depression, slow or impaired cognition,

forgetfulness, anxiety, stiffness,

social and occupational impairment.

FMS (Fibromyalgia syndrome) is 7 times

more common in women than

man and 90% of cases occur in women.

It is estimated that 3.5 % of women

might have this syndrome.

Between the ages of 70 and 79 it is

estimated that 7.5% of women have it.

Related illnesses are CFS

(Chronic fatigue syndrome,

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome),

migraine headaches, tension headaches,

mood and sleep disorders.

It is thought that other pain or increased

sensitivity related problems such as painful

bladder (IC-interstitial cystitis), vulvadynia

(painful vulva), mastalgia (painful breasts),

chronic pain, PMS (pre- menstrual syndrome),

RLS (restless leg syndrome), TMJ

(temporomandibular joint) 

related bruxism (grinding of teeth at sleep)

could be present

in some of these patients.

OAB (overactive bladder) could

be seen in some.

The causes are thought to be stress,

OA (osteoarthritis), RA (rheumatoid

arthritis), hypothyroidism,

SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus),

EM (endometriosis) and Lyme disease.

There is a FM (fibromyalgia) website

wwww.fibromyalgiahcp.com.

Treatments are available and you

should have a visit and exam for this.