FIBROMYALGIA - RESEARCHING THE CAUSE
Dr. Jai Maharaj
Fibromyalgia: Researching The Cause
Twenty Years Ago
As recently as twenty years ago, fibromyalgia was
unrecognized. The symptoms of the syndrome which include
muscle pain and chronic fatigue led people on a quest for
help. Clinical examinations often revealed no concrete
physiological findings. X-rays, blood tests, and muscle
biopsies appeared normal, and therefore the symptoms
seemed unexplainable. The patient was frequently told the
symptoms were "all in their head". Psychological stresses
have long been regarded as contributory to the syndrome,
but now much new research is ongoing. New physiological
and biological evidence is being gathered.
Sleep Abnormalities
In 1975, two Canadian physicians and researchers, Harvey
Moldofsky, MD, and Hugh Smythe, MD, were asked by
colleagues at the University of Toronto to interview
patients complaining of chronic muscle pain for which no
physiological cause could be found. Following the
interviews the two Canadian researchers suspected sleep
abnormality and further studied the patients using EEG,
electroencephalography. The device measured the patients
brain waves during sleep and it was found that the
patients had a deficiency in the deepest stage of sleep,
known as stage 4.
The researchers continued studying sleep disorder as a
factor in fibromyalgia. One of their studies involved
awakening healthy people and disrupting their sleep
pattern as they entered stage 4 of sleep. Interestingly,
it was found that the healthy subjects developed
fibromyalgia symptoms when their sleep was disturbed, but
the symptoms subsided when they were permitted to sleep
undisturbed.
As the two researchers analyzed the study results, they
concluded that the patients not only had sleep
abnormalities but also had disregulation of normal body
circadian rhythms affecting periods of wakefulness too.
Muscle Abnormalities
Until about ten years ago, fibrositis was the term used
rather than fibromyalgia. Fibrositis was an incorrect
term because it means muscle inflammation, and it is now
known that inflammation does not exist in the muscles of
fibromyalgia patients. In the early 1980's some
researchers described varied muscle biopsy abnormalities
in people with fibromyalgia but by 1989 a controlled,
blinded study was done which revealed an opposite
conclusion that there were no more muscle abnormalities
in fibromyalgia patients than in pain-free control
subjects.
In 1986, a team of researchers from Sweden theorized that
the muscle pain of fibromyalgia is a result of tissue
hypoxia because of the inability of the muscles to
functionally use oxygen. It is thought to this day that
this applies to some patients.
Robert Bennett, MD, from Oregon, along with other
researchers have analyzed the connection between sleep
disorders and muscle damage. Growth hormone which is
important in muscle maintenance and repair, is secreted
during sleep stage 4. The research of Dr. Bennett
indicates that about one-third of fibromyalgia patients
have a growth hormone deficiency.
Substance P and Serotonin
There has been some research which has focused on the
chemicals of the nervous system which help regulate pain
messages sent out to brains. Substance P and serotonin
are two such chemicals. Normally, substance P begins the
pain signal process which follows painful tissue injury.
Serotonin normally reduces the intensity of pain signals.
Serotonin has also been found to play an important role
in sleep regulation. There are studies which show
abnormal levels of both of these hormones in people with
fibromyalgia.
Recent research also has described some people with
fibromyalgia as having decreased blood flow to certain
areas of the brain which help modulate pain signals sent
from the spinal cord to the brain. The theory that some
people with fibromyalgia have exceptionally high
intensity pain messages sent to the brain, along with a
deficiency in pain inhibition, is supported by the
research indicating abnormal levels of substance P and
serotonin, and decreased brain blood flow.
Hormones
Researchers also have taken the fact that fibromyalgia is
more common in women than men and suggested that the sex
hormone estrogen is involved. However, little correlation
has been discovered. It also has been suggested that the
lower levels of testosterone in women than in men is more
likely involved since testosterone is involved in
building muscle strength.
A team of researchers from Massachusetts found that
cortisol levels are low in people with fibromyalgia.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal gland and affects
many bodily systems. Low levels of cortisol are ever
present in the body but we produce more during times of
stress. When the body is deficient in cortisol, the
symptoms of fibromyalgia are mirrored, such as fatigue,
weakness, muscle pain, abdominal distress, plus thinking,
mood, and sleep disturbances. The research team from
Massachusetts found that fibromyalgia patients produce
less cortisol in response to stress than do healthy
people, possibly having to do with a defect in the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which controls
cortisol production.
It is not clear how important cortisol deficiency is in
the onset or course of fibromyalgia. Giving patients
corticosteroid medications does not improve the
condition.
Genetics
The relationship between children and parents having
either fibromyalgia or other pain related problems has
led some researchers to suggest a genetic cause.
Particular genetic markers have been mentioned, but those
markers have been different in different studies. Most
recently HLA, human leukocyte antigen markers, have been
implicated.
Another study published in 1996 proposed that
fibromyalgia is more common in people who have a family
history of alcoholism and depression. Biological and
genetic factors have been studied in these areas as well.
Relationship to Autoimmunity
Since fibromyalgia is often diagnosed in people with
autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and
lupus erythematosus, it has been theorized that
fibromyalgia has an immune system basis too. One study
indicated an increased number positive antinuclear
antibody blood tests among people with fibromyalgia. This
finding may be coincidental though since it is known that
a small percentage of healthy people are also positive
for antinuclear antibodies.
The high prevalence of fibromyalgia in the general
population may suggest that its occurrence in people with
autoimmune disease is purely coincidental. Conversely,
some forms of the over 100 known types of arthritis may
be related to muscle pain and fatigue. Some researchers
conclude then that if physiologic stress is truly a
factor in fibromyalgia, the physical and emotional toll
of having a chronic disease may precipitate fibromyalgia
in people with some arthritis-related diseases.
Fibromyalgia is most likely the result of different
causes. In terms of treating the syndrome, it can be
compared to conditions such as hypertension.......a
condition not completely understood, yet treatable.
Reference - Fibromyalgia-Syndrome of the 90's, by Mary
Anne Dunkin, Arthritis Today, September-October 1997
http://arthritis.about.com/library/weekly/aa121697.htm?terms=fibromyalgia
End of forwarded message
Jai Maharaj
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o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the
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Mike-UK
> Forwarded message posted for discussion
>
The a.m.f. NG has no interest in this prat or his copy/paste trollings nor
does he have any real interest in Fibromyalgia. Please ignore.
--
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---------------------------
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Dan Clore
> On Fri, 27 Jun 2003, Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
> > Forwarded message posted for discussion
> >
> The a.m.f. NG has no interest in this prat or his copy/paste trollings nor
> does he have any real interest in Fibromyalgia. Please ignore.
Mike-UK is right, of course: only someone actually
interested in fibromyalgia would find that article of
interest. He and his clique of trolls, on the other hand,
enjoy flaming anyone who posts information on fibromyalgia
to alt.med.fibromyalgia.
-- The Hoodless Clore
--
Dan Clore
Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_
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*anti*-political statement. The symbol for *anarchy*!"
-- Batman, explaining the circle-A graffiti, in
_Detective Comics_ #608
spodosaurus
> He and his clique of trolls
That's rich, Dan: a sad little turd like yourself calling someone a
troll, when you seem to think it's cute to troll medical and support
news groups.
--
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spam trap: replace shyah_right with hotmail when replying
clark kent
I've found some more stuff on fibro...and it seems that sleep
deprevation plays a part. I would suggest that everyone keep an open
mind about things.
Just trying to help.
supermann
Dan Clore
> Dan Clore wrote:
> > He and his clique of trolls
>
> That's rich, Dan: a sad little turd like yourself calling someone a
> troll, when you seem to think it's cute to troll medical and support
> news groups.
Where I "troll medical and support news groups" by posting
good information on possible treatments, news stories on the
group's subject, and so forth, and the supposed non-trolls
respond with namecalling and complaints to my ISP.
Dr. Jai Maharaj
Dan Clore <cl...@columbia-center.org> posted:
> spodosaurus <stric...@hotmail.com> wrote:
[ in care of:
[ "Rodney Campbell" <rodney....@telstra.com.au>
[ Telstra Corporation Limited
[ webco...@telstra.com.au
> > Dan Clore wrote:
>
> > > He and his clique of trolls
> >
> > That's rich, Dan: a sad little turd like yourself calling someone a
> > troll, when you seem to think it's cute to troll medical and support
> > news groups. - spodosaurus <stric...@hotmail.com>
> Where I "troll medical and support news groups" by posting
> good information on possible treatments, news stories on the
> group's subject, and so forth, and the supposed non-trolls
> respond with namecalling and complaints to my ISP.
>
> --
> Dan Clore
>
> Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_
> http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587154838/thedanclorenecro
> Lord We˙rdgliffe & Necronomicon Page:
> http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/
> News for Anarchists & Activists:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
>
> "It's a political statement -- or, rather, an
> *anti*-political statement. The symbol for *anarchy*!"
> -- Batman, explaining the circle-A graffiti, in
> _Detective Comics_ #608
The complainers and snitches are the
real disruptors of newsgroup discussions.
Dr. Jai Maharaj
superm...@hotmail.com (clark kent) posted:
> Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote in article
> I've found some more stuff on fibro...and it seems that sleep
> deprevation plays a part. I would suggest that everyone keep an open
> mind about things.
> Just trying to help.
> supermann
Your input is appreciated, I am certain, by
many newsgroup participants. All the best!
Snoopy
Johnny Judas Jay "Snitchmaster" Maharaj wrote:
> The complainers and snitches are the
> real disruptors of newsgroup discussions.
That's rich, Johnny boya, coming from you! All you've done for the past
12 years is harass and complain to the ISPs and employers of anyone who
so much as disagrees with your trash-talk. You've complained to AOL,
Earthlink, Frontline Communications, MSN, Hewlett-Packard, Ford Motors
and a host of other companies about their customers or employees, only
because they dared to disagree with you. And all the while you hid
behind the skirts of ISPs who disregard the norms of usenet etiquette.
As for discussions, you bring *nothing* to the table. You merely post
stolen material repetitively, like an "upload mechanic to whom quantity,
not quality"(Bon Giovanni's characterization of you) is important. When
asked to discuss the subject of one of those posts, your standard
response is "ask the writer". So where's your participation in the
"discussion", you cretin?
Got mangoes, boya?