They even made up a pill to treat it. Lyrica.
For what it is worth, 100% of my observations of people suffering from this are:
Female
“Middle” aged
Sedentary
Overweight
Hopelessly addicted to those extra large fountain sodas of high fructose corn syrup.
magnesium deficiency.
A psychogenic illness. The pain is very real, but triggered by the brain incorrectly sensing danger in the vexations and vicissitudes of everyday life.
For my ex, “Fibromyalgia” was eventually the great excuse to keep four separate opioids going.
I was originally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my mid 30s. The “drugs” used to treat it caused horrible side effects. I stopped both after only 1 dose.
I went to a chiropractor who also offered holistic/homeopathic remedies. Turns out, I didn’t have Fibromyalgia; I had systemic candidas. Changed my diet, used a system cleanse, and in 3 days 8 years of pain went away.
I had always been a picky eater as a child. My younger self knew instinctively what my body could process. As a married adult, I expanded my diet to accommodate my husband...only to later learn my body could not break down those foods and started storing them as toxins.
Swollen joints, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, blinding migraines, it was a real slog getting through every day with two toddlers, a house, and a full-time job.
Accidents, illness, injury, certain antibiotics, food allergies, and pregnancy can all impact the candida in our system. I firmly believe most women suffering from Fibromyalgia have systemic candidas instead. The symptoms overlap completely. One can be fixed with an easy diet change an $40 in system cleanses, the other requires pharma meds for a lifetime.
My battle with candidas and the medical industry prepared me to question EVERYTHING later in life, including my daughter’s condition and Fauci’s ridiculous sputterings about COVID.
It’s 2025, I’m surprised this is still a question.
Everyone I know who learned to practice medicine through the 80’s-90’s would know how to diagnose FM.
Easiest thing ever.
If you think you have a patient with FM, you send them to a Rheumatologist for a consultation.
If the specialist sends the patient BACK to you, it’s FM.
EZPZ.
[it’s medical humor, not everyone gets it]
Can FM be put in same catagory as Autism?
They are not diabetics, do not drink and do not have any of the other normal causes.
Yet they have it.
And the various medical tests which are not based on their word alone prove that they have it.
Idiopathic does not mean imaginary.
It means they do not know what causes it.
CFS/ME has the added complication of a neurotropic viral infection, usually a herpes virus such as varicella zoster. In such instances, the myalgic encephalomyelitis can be regarded as an aspect of a cryptic shingles attack.
Treatment is simple but not always easy. Supplements of Vitamin D3 and magnesium L-threonate are essential, along with collagen peptides and a general vitamin and mineral supplement. Liposomal Vitamin C is also helpful. This combination works but may cause pain due to the inflammation that accompanies the body's rebuilding and replacement of impaired mitochondria and cells. In time, the pain eases.
Notably, the treatment described improves circulation. This will usually redress the paleness and cold hands that is often a feature of these disorders.
It’s not like its new. In the middle of the last century, there was something called “PPP Syndrome”. For P*** Poor Protoplasm.
AI even can list some of the symptoms:
Poor circulation
Excess body fat
Poor muscle tone
Fragile skin
Prematurely aged appearance
General weakness
Sound familiar?
I had it. I caught a flu over one Christmas and was sick the longest and worst of my life. And it never seemed over after that. Exhausted and achy. My doctor sent me to a psychiatrist, which was pretty amusing. I worked 12 hours a day when exhausted instead of 16. He said if there were 3 of me I’d still be exhausted. We spent a few sessions with him telling me all about himself and asking if I could turn his book into a screenplay. I couldn’t afford amusing myself with him so quit seeing him, but have fond memories.
And was still exhausted.
Then I put my back out at work and was sent to PT. As soon as she touched my back, she announced that I had fibromyalgia. The pain came exactly from the correct pressure points for that. She told me to go to a neurologist and ANNOUNCE that I had it. So I did. He gave me a pill to deepen my sleep and I was cured of something I’d had for several years in a month. Did I mention that I ADORE physical therapists!
My primary care doctor wanted to put me on Lyrica instead. I took one pill and was in a mental state I’d never ever imagined getting in. Never took another one. She tried to push me into taking more, so I assume there was some value to her in putting me into a study, but I refused.
So, yes, I believe fibromyalgia is real and treatable. I also believe that there are few doctors that understand it.
I should add. I went to a research meeting on the topic that was fascinating. The gentleman was from New Zealand, I believe. He believed that fibromyalgia was caused by the change in shape of blood cells that slowed down the movement of oxygen in the blood, leading to fatigue. He was touring the world to collect blood samples to test his theory with world populations. I don’t do needles, so I never followed up with him. But he did have people who let him stick them frequently near a microscope. He discovered that the blood cells could change shape very quickly and pretty dramatically. I don’t know if this was observed only for people WITH or also for people WITHOUT fibromyalgia.
Talking to a wise old insurance consultant with a PhD who has read widely, he traced a correlation between fibromyalgia and a bitter unforgiving spirit.
FM appears sort of psychosomatic but also a more sedentary lifestyle in middle age. From what I remember most were females and had depressives dx’s. Every one
So they’re be popping Neurontin, Lurica, SSRI’s and the occasions opioid.
My elder brother had Fibro., it followed a bout with winter flu’.
He had to retire early because of it and it lasted many, many years. He has recovered somewhat, no one seems to know why or what it really was.