Nola for most of her life suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibro Myalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Don't be fooled by the name. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, also known as M.E. or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is a serious and debilitating illness that can last for years, and sometimes for life. The latest research suggests that the symptoms o f CFS may be caused - at least in part - by a continuing immune response to a real or perceived challenge. Symptoms of CFS include overwhelming exhaustion, both physical and cognitive, memory and concentration impairment, an intense 'flu like fe eling, muscle pain, sleep disturbance, headaches, disturbance of balance and other symptoms. There is no effective treatment for CFS, so correct management of the illness plays an important role. This is where the Society can offer guidance.
Source:- M.E./Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society of Victoria Incorporated http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mecfs/
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Fibromyalgia Syndrome
FMS is not a new syndrome. It was first described by William Balfour, a surgeon at the University of Edinburgh, in 1816, but for many years the medical profession called it many different names, including chronic rheumatism, myalgia, pressure po int syndrome, and fibrositis, and the condition was also thought to be psychological by some physicians.
In 1987, the American Medical Association (AMA), recognized FMS as a true illness and a major cause of disability. Now, nearly ten years later, it is still, unfortunately, too often dismissed as the "newest fad disease", and most physicians stil l lack the diagnostic skills needed to differentiate it from other chronic pain conditions. In fact, until recently, it was rare to find a doctor who had even heard of FMS as a "real" condition, and very few doctors have received any substantia l training in treating the syndrome.
It is important to understand that FMS is not a catchall, "wastebasket" diagnosis. FMS is a specific, chronic non-degenerative, non-progressive, noninflammatory, truly systemic pain condition. Very recently, however, the National Institutes of H ealth have reclassified it as a true disease, but most authorities today still say that, technically, FMS is not a disease. Diseases have known causes and well-understood mechanisms for producing symptoms. Instead, FMS is called a syndrome, whic h means it is a specific set of signs and symptoms that occur together. Don't let this categorization fool you into thinking that fibromyalgia is any less serious or potentially disabling than a disease. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other se rious afflictions are also classified as syndromes. Laboratory tests for fibromyalgia are valid only to rule out other conditions. There is still no blood test that can accurately identify fibromyalgia.
The official definition further requires that tender points must be present in all four quadrants of the body - that is, the upper right and left and lower right and left parts of your body. Furthermore, you must have had wide-spread, more-or-le ss continuous pain for at least three months. Because tender points can fluctuate and vary from day to day, if you don't have "11 out of the 18" on a given day, your doctor may diagnose "possible FMS" and may need to count the tender points agai n on future visits. Tender points occur in pairs on various parts of the body. Because they occur in pairs, the pain is usually distributed equally on both sides of the body. Tender points can vary from person to person, which can cause furthe r problems with diagnosis. In traumatic FMS, for example, tender points are often clustered around an injury instead of, or in addition to, the 18 "official" points. These clusters can also occur around a repetitive strain or a degenerative and/ or inflammatory problem, such as arthritis.
FMS can occur at any age. Most patients, when questioned carefully, reveal that their symptoms began at an early age. Often the first sign is "growing pains." About 25 percent of the FMS patients I see are men. This ratio differs from most sourc es in the literature. I think that this is due to FMS being underdiagnosed in males.
Pain is frequently the most prominent symptom of FMS, but there are many others. For example, your eyes may be too dry, but at other times they will water. Your thermal regulatory system is out of whack. You may notice this thermal fluctuation w hen you get out of bed (often due to bladder irritability) during the night. You may have to wait for your temperature to cool down after getting back in bed, before you can pull the bedcover up again. Another symptom of FMS is spasticity (tight ness) which can constrict the peripheral blood vessels - those close to the skin. This symptom, especially in the winter, makes certain parts of our bodies - most often the buttocks and thighs - feel like cold slabs of meat. You may experience s kin mottling, and nail ridges. Fingernails can break off, often in crescent-shaped pieces. If nails do grow, they sometimes start to curve under.
FMS is a sensitivity-amplification syndrome. This means that fibromites are sensitive to smells, sounds, lights, and vibrations. The noise emitted by fluorescent lights can drive you crazy. FMS sensitizes nerve endings, which means that the end s of the nerve receptors have changed shape. Because of this, for example, your body might interpret touch, light, or sound as pain. Your brain knows pain is a danger signal - an indication that something is wrong and needs attention - so it mob ilizes its defenses. Then, when those defenses aren't used, it become anxious.
Sleep plays a crucial role in FMS. Perhaps you aren't getting enough sleep, or the right kind of sleep. You may have insomnia, or a host of other sleep-related problems. People with FMS often have the alpha-delta sleep anomaly. As soon as we rea ch deep delta level sleep, alpha waves (awake) intrude and either jolt us to an awakening or to a lighter stage of sleep. Our body heals and many of our neurotransmitters are restored during delta sleep, so we soon suffer the from sleep deprivat ion. Neurotransmitters are electro-biochemical agents that cross nerve synapses. They are the vehicles that carry information back and forth between your body and mind. One might say that neurotransmitters are the "information superhighway" betw een the body and mind.
Much of our mental and physical sense of continuity and security depends upon our ability to repeat appropriate and predictable actions, but this is disrupted in FMS. Neurotransmitters normally inform muscles constantly about what they're doin g so their actions can be modified. For fibromites, much of our muscle tension function is improperly controlled by these neurotransmitters. Healthy people think nothing of picking up a glass of water and bringing it to their lips. They know jus t how tightly their hand has to grip, how heavy the glass of water feels, and how much speed is appropriate to accomplish this act smoothly. Fibromites, however, lack proper sensory feedback. The thumb grasps with too little pressure, and the wr ist muscle lets go when flexed. The economy of effort is not there. To enable us to sit, walk, and stand, the entire musculature must be able to feel its own activity.
Only about 20% of FMS cases have a known triggering event that initiates the first obvious "flare." During a flare, current symptoms become more intense, and new symptoms frequently develop.
Source:- The ACT ME/CFS Society, Inc. http://www.masmith.inspired.net.au/docs/devin.htm#F
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1965 - 2005 (39 years) Has 52 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
