Overlapping Symptoms: Fatigue Mood Pain
It is not clear that this updated definition for CFS will advance the understanding of the disorder or its acceptance as a diagnosable condition.22,25 There was little evidence that the new case definition was an improvement over prior CFS case definitions given continued diagnostic uncertainty.28 The new diagnostic criteria do not offer clinicians the ability to distinguish CFS from overlapping functional somatic syndromes, and in particular FM.
Most studies have found a significant clinical overlap of FM and CFS symptoms, with the majority of individuals meeting criteria for both syndromes.29,30 In 1 report, 50 patients with primary FM who had been followed in an academic rheumatology practice frequently reported symptoms thought to be typical of chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection , but not of FM. These included recurrent sore throat , recurrent rash , chronic cough , recurrent adenopathy , and recurrent low-grade fevers .29 In 55% of the patients, the illness had begun suddenly, with what seemed to be a viral syndrome.30 However, antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus in the patients were not significantly different from those in age- and sex-matched healthy and unhealthy control subjects.30 This overlap is not surprising since fatigue is the second most prominent symptom in FM, right after chronic widespread pain.
Pain Catastrophizing
Be Protective Of Your Spoons
The idea of spoon theory is a great way to explain the realities of Fibromyalgia. In short, spoon theory says that you have a certain number of spoons to use everyday . When finding ways to fight fatigue, the most simple answer is conservation. Try to protect the energy stores that you have. This means learning to say no to things. Sometimes, pain sufferers have to say no to things that they want to do, so it is important to also say no to things that we do not want to do, or dont have the energy to do. If you are trying to do activities that take your spoons, simply because you are trying to protect someones feelings, then you may need to evaluate some priorities. Is it more important to keep your body functioning, and to have energy left over for your loved ones? Or, is it more important to protect a persons feelings, and agree to do something that you may not have energy to do? It may be important to you to make that person a priority, and that is a choice that you have to make for yourself. Conservation is the most obvious and conservative way to maintain your energy.
Take Some ‘me Time’ Every Day
Fibromyalgia can pose unique health challenges and make life complicated. So make time for yourself every day as a part of your treatment. Lose yourself in a hobby, put on some music, rest — whatever makes you feel good. It may bring more balance to your life, help you fight stress, and boost your energy for the things you need to do.
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- Causes, triggers, and risk factors
- Understanding the symptoms
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Signs You Have Fibromyalgia Fatigue And Aren’t ‘just Tired’
Most people know what its like to be really tired maybe youve had a stressful week at work, pulled an all-nighter to study for an exam or even spent a fun-filled weekend with friends. The exhaustion and sleepiness can feel overwhelming, but for someone without chronic health challenges, its usually nothing a good nights rest and strong cup of coffee cant fix!
But when you live with a chronic illness like fibromyalgia, one of the most common symptoms is chronic fatigue and this type of fatigue is a lot different than your average tiredness. We wanted to better understand what fibro fatigue feels like and how it differs than the tiredness or exhaustion a healthy person may experience, so we asked our Mighty community to If you can relate to the following experiences, know youre not alone.
Heres what our community shared with us:
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Fibromyalgia Chronic Fatigue And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Editors Note: This article is excerpted from Dr. Goldenbergs new book, Chronic Widespread Pain: Lessons Learned from Fibromyalgia and Related Disorders. To purchase the entire e-book, go to ppmjournal.com/fibro and use the promo code READPPM for a 15% discount.
Persistent exhaustion is almost always present in patients with fibromyalgia and is prominent in each of the overlapping chronic functional illnesses, including irritable bowel syndrome , chronic migraine, and chronic bladder and pelvic pain. Unfortunately, there is no universal definition of what constitutes pathologic fatigue. The most common description of excess fatigue suggests that it is an extreme and persistent form of mental and/or physical tiredness, weakness, or exhaustion.
Chronic fatigue, like chronic pain, is a common symptom in the general population, with prevalence estimates between 10% and 40%.
Chronic fatigue, like chronic pain, is a common symptom in the general population, with prevalence estimates between 10% and 40%. In 1 study, nearly 20% of 31,000 men and women in a general practice reported substantial fatigue lasting 6 months or longer.2 During the past decade, most studies have defined chronic fatigue as fatigue lasting 6 months or longer with fatigue scores of 8 or greater on the Fatigue Scale.3 Women are more likely to report fatigue and more often report severe fatigue.2-4 The prevalence of fatigue was 30% in older women compared with 15% in older men.5
Dont Push Yourself Too Hard During Fibromyalgia Flare
Sure, there are going to be times when something just has to get done. But you have to discern the difference between something that is important versus something vital that cant be left for tomorrow. Its very rare that you cant put off housework or something of that nature until the next day if you are feeling bad. Pushing through the fatigue may result in you being even more exhausted for the next few days. That could leave you without enough energy to do something that absolutely cant wait. Then youre stuck in a stressful situation that can lead to an even worse flare-up.
Also Check: Signs Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
How Is Fibromyalgia Treated
Treatment for fibromyalgia focuses on managing the pain and other symptoms. This often involves a combination of medicines and lifestyle changes, such as exercise, relaxation, and stress-management techniques. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but treatment can improve the quality of life for those who have it.
Before giving medicines, doctors usually will try other treatments, such as:
- Regular exercise. This may increase pain at first, but exercise can help ease symptoms when done over time and regularly. Some kids and teens benefit from working with a physical therapist. Others can show improvement from stretching and relaxation exercises.
- Stress-relief methods. This can include yoga, tai chi, and other methods, as well as light massage, breathing exercises, and acupuncture.
- Good sleep. Getting enough sleep is one of the most effective ways to treat fibromyalgia. Kids with fibromyalgia should try to avoid caffeine and sugary beverages and snacks late in the day. They also should go to bed and get up at the same time each day and limit napping during the daytime.
- Healthy lifestyle choices. This includes eating a healthy diet and finding activities that help distract from the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
If these steps arent enough to manage symptoms, the doctor may prescribe medicines. Some used to treat fibromyalgia include:
Antidepressants. Some prescription antidepressants can ease pain and tiredness, and help promote better sleep.
Aching Around The Tender Points
One of the most usual signs of the illness is that the tender points have a habit of getting quite tender around the joints in the body. The tenderness is known as the pain points and as soon as the pressure is applied on these points it results in a great deal of pain. The pain is only around the skins surface. The regions around the neck, the buttocks and the back are the most generally hit. Still, the pain is frequently invisible and not quite identified.
Management : Among the recommended treatments, acupuncture is an effective option for reducing the pain sensitivity and improving quality of life.Over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen may be recommended. Drugs such as milnacipran and duloxetine work by changing brain chemistry so pain levels are controlled. One drug, pregabalin, blocks nerve cells involved in the transmission of pain.
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Be Protective Of Yourspoons
The idea of spoon theory is a great way to explain the realities of Fibromyalgia. In short, spoon theory says that you have a certain number of spoons to use everyday . When finding ways to fight fatigue, the most simple answer is conservation. Try to protect the energy stores that you have. This means learning to say no to things. Sometimes, pain sufferers have to say no to things that they want to do, so it is important to also say no to things that we do not want to do, or dont have the energy to do. If you are trying to do activities that take your spoons, simply because you are trying to protect someones feelings, then you may need to evaluate some priorities. Is it more important to keep your body functioning, and to have energy left over for your loved ones? Or, is it more important to protect a persons feelings, and agree to do something that you may not have energy to do? It may be important to you to make that person a priority, and that is a choice that you have to make for yourself. Conservation is the most obvious and conservative way to maintain your energy.
Learn To Pace Yourself
Its tempting to push your body on good days, but you will end up paying for it later on. The first step is understanding your particular limits and agreeing to work within them, which means you need to pay close attention to your bodys signals. Moderation is important, and knowing how and when to say no will help you stay on top of your daily schedule without withering away. Remind yourself that, in most cases, saying no isnt a definitive opt-out: when youre honest about your reasons, and do your best to reschedule, people will understand that your fatigue is just too much to handle at the moment.
Photo Credit: docstockmedia / Shutterstock.com
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Tips To Help Achieve Better Sleep
How You Can Fight Fatigue: Ask For Help And Understanding
When it comes to living with a chronic illness, its better to openly discuss issues the illness causes with your friends, family, and loved ones.
Living with a chronic illness is easier when you have the support of people who fully understand your symptoms and the hardships you have to face because of it.
Getting help from your loved ones can help you deal with any chronic pain or fatigue, and give you less to worry about when your FMS is flaring up.
Hopefully, you can take this information to help yourself and a loved one deal with the symptoms of fatigue that come from fibromyalgia.
Though it cannot be cured, with the proper medication, methods, and support, and person who suffers from it can lead a normal life.
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Ways To Fight Fatigue For Fibro Sufferers
In the fight against Fibromyalgia, fatigue is one of the most challenging battles to face. How can you regain energy, or find new sources of energy to access. How can we find extra spoons to put in our pocket? There are several things that can be done, but every person is different. What works for some may not work for another person. Here are some suggestions of some ways to fight fatigue.
In the fight against Fibromyalgia, fatigue is one of the most challenging battles to face. How can you regain energy, or find new sources of energy to access. How can we find extra spoons to put in our pocket? There are several things that can be done, but every person is different. What works for some may not work for another person. Here are some suggestions of some ways to fight fatigue.
Fatigue Correlates: Insights Into Etiology
The key symptoms of fibromyalgia – pain, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, dyscognition, and depressed mood – do not occur in isolation. Rather, they often present concurrently, in varying severity, and are intertwined with and influence each other . Indeed, studies demonstrate that chronic persistent pain , poor sleep quality , depressed mood, anxiety, or combinations of these are associated with fatigue . In addition to common fibromyalgia symptoms, clinical characteristics , health behaviors , and psychological variables , also demonstrate strong associations with fatigue . In addition to cross-sectional associations, diurnal rhythmicity and lag relationships have also been demonstrated between fatigue and other fibromyalgia symptoms , suggesting that one variable can influence or predict the others . Appreciating these associations is important in fatigue assessment because daily assessment of fatigue may uncover lag relationships with other symptoms, providing avenues for intervention. Collectively, these studies indicate that many symptoms feed into fatigue and the implication of this finding, for both clinical practice and research, is that fatigue assessment must consider this multi-dimensionality. This is not unlike pain in fibromyalgia, which is increasingly demonstrated to be multidimensional, with contributions from central pain, peripheral musculoskeletal pain generators, and neuropathic pain, among other pathways .
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Accept That Youre Dealing With A Long
Accepting that chronic fatigue is just thata chronic illnessis essential to helping you cope. This is a long-term situation, not a short-term problem.
Knowing this will help you face each day with the right mindset so you dont get frustrated with your productivity day-to-day.
Being productive is hard when youre exhausted, but staying committed to the big picture helps! Know what your ideal productive day, week, and month will look like, but know that it has to fit into a much bigger landscape of your chronic fatigue diagnosis.
From there, you can focus on building consistency over time.
Fibromyalgia And Social Security
Many people with fibromyalgia find themselves unable to work or resume a normal standard of living.
For such people, Social Security rulings in the United States dictate that so long as a medical or osteopathic doctor can determine that the disease causes medically determinable impairment , the condition will qualify as a disability for Social Security payments.
This means that a doctor should be able to confirm:
- a history of widespread pain
- a minimum of 11 tender points following examination
- repeated instances of at least six fibromyalgia symptoms
- evidence that other explanations or conditions have been ruled out.
The Social Security Administration requires medical documentation dating back 12 months related to the disease, and may conducts interviews with relatives, friends, neighbors, and past employers to confirm the diagnosis.
In some cases, the SSA may fund a consultation to confirm the debilitating nature of the disease.
Treating fibromyalgia flares can be tricky. Preventing a flare developing in the first place is less complicated than treating a flare.
Fibromyalgia has several symptoms, which means that no one treatment will fix them all. Also, a treatment that works for one person may not work for another.
Various treatments in different combinations may have to be tried before someone finds a plan that works for them. The treatment plan will often be a blend of medication and lifestyle changes.
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