Do you think fm gets "exposed" by trauma?

[Love being a mom and wife]

I KNOW I've had fm my whole life and looking back can see how it got progressively worse and worse and how in my 20's I self-diagnosed my "problems/ailments" by using lots of different meds that my md would readily give me.

When I was 32 I went through a GRUELING divorce, which led to an emotional breakdown, and the loss of my children and family & friends.

Obviously it was extremely traumatizing, but I'm quite certain that's what "activated" my fm.

Has something traumatizing happened to most of you?

 

[mariposa]

I don't know for sure, but I do know that I've heard more than one person say they think the fibro either appeared or got bad enough to be diagnosed after a trauma, either physical or emotional. (Whoa, take a breath, mariposa... that was a mighty long sentence!)

I'll be interested to see what others say here... without a cause being known, that would surely be a huge breakthrough if it turns out to be something like this!

 

[Broken Cowgirl]

I believe I have had it for at least 10 years but it wasn't diagnosed until recently, I severe back issues and desperately need surgery, I am in constant pain and cannot walk some days, I also heard that Fibro can be brought on by anything traumatic including an extended amount of pain over many years....I don't really know, just seems like I've always had it, just didn't have a name before now.

 

[suzy666]

I CERTAINLY saw the obvious symptoms start rapidly appearing after an emotional trauma, severe shock that I ended up just unable to function in every day life.
I had rapid weight gain, aches, tiredness and other symptoms from a size ten to a sixteen in space of 6 months. I have now 5 years been diagnosed and have pain and restriction in movement, brain fog or loss of cognitive functions that I cannot do my usual job, of nursing as I cannot remember anything which is funny to many, but devastating to my quality of life. so yes from a massive psychological trauma I saw acute symptoms and rapid symptoms.

 

[mariposa]

I CERTAINLY saw the obvious symptoms start rapidly appearing after an emotional trauma, severe shock that I ended up just unable to function in every day life.

This is turning into a very interesting conversation! With so many people feeling the same, I hope that researchers are seriously considering this aspect as they grasp for causes!

I know that emotional traumas can cause physical pain, so it just makes sense that prolonged emotional suffering could be a core factor when it comes to fibro.

 

[julesbud]

In 2007, I needed an emergency hysterectomy, and had lost half the blood in my body and I almost went into cardiac arrest because of the loss of blood. The second I woke up from the surgery, I was screaming from the severe pain and was flopping like a fish on the bed. I couldn't see the nurses but was able to hear their voices and one of them sad "Oh..no wonder" I'm assuming they read the Fibromyalgia in my chart? Then they knocked me out again. After my surgery I started having severe pain, aches, burning in hands, pins, needles, neck, shoulder pain, feet pain, and sleeplessness.. I made many trips to the ER when I couldn't stand te pain. They would only give me Valuim. It didn't take the pain away, they were at a loss and would release me. Finally my chiropractor suggesed I see an rheumutalogist. I had to go through countless blood tests but was finally diagnosed in 2007. My doctor saved my life. As most of you know...there are days when the pain is intolerable and I wonder of my future days and quality of life.

 

[mweber]

I think there is truth to that. My daughter was diagnosed with autism last year and I think the stress of watching her with therapies and scheduling her for schooling and such brought mine on. I am not blaming her by any means...I am just a high strung person in general...

 

[MercyL]

I think human beings are nearly as resilient as those who would use us to their advantage, would have us believe. Emotional and physical trauma stays with us.

I know that my injury caused much of my pain, but I have several layers of pain. Each type of pain - arthritic, nerve, and overall pain with fogginess and fatigue - each require a different medication and/or approach to attain relief. I believe the portion of my pain that could be described as fibromyalgia is the result of stress generated by my not experiencing effective pain relief for the arthritic and nerve pain associated with my neck injury.

I truly believe that fibromyalgia is the result of insurmountable stress changing the biochemical make up of our bodies.

 

[poppymom]

My fibromyalgia symptoms started a few months after I had surgery to have a baclofen pump placed to treat the severe spasticity I have from my MS. The surgery was harder on me than expected. I had a reaction to the anesthesia and vomited for 12 hours. Then I couldn't walk at all when I had been able to walk with a walker for 5 minutes at a time (I know not a lot, still some). I spent 8 days in rehab. I was also in a lot more pain than the doctor expected, but I had been living with chronic pain already from my MS for several years. My incision for my pump was over the exact spot where I had a significant amount of nerve pain. After the surgery, I had to spend 6 weeks in an abdominal binder and was not allowed to twist my torso at all, bend at the waist, or lift my legs up from a sitting position past 90 degrees. After the 6 weeks, I had so many knots in my back and shoulders and I was so stiff that I could hardly move without pain. I made an appointment with the chiropractor, then started also having massage therapy. It helped some at first, but then I started having more pain the day after the massage. We stopped the massages before they actually started to hurt. My surgery was in July and I was diagnosed as tentatively having fibro in November and it was confirmed in April. I am convinced that the surgery was the catalyst for my fibro, although my rheumatologist says that I was showing symptoms before that and she had her suspicions that this was coming. I've been seeing her for several years because of Raynaud's syndrome. It can happen with several different autoimmune diseases, but not with MS.

 

[DBacher]

I am very sure that my fibro came OUT in 1999. I had been in a bad divorce in 98, then lost a child in childbirth end of 98 and then got pregnant again ( I was on the pill) and was in a severe car accident while pregnant. That is when everything started hurting all the time for me. It is also when I got cervical stenosis and broke my tailbone, so maybe that "helped" with all the pain I felt.

So YES I think emotional and physical traumas can start it up.

 

[atmylimit37]

I so agree in my situation as well mine started around 18 but i just thought i was a working, mother and choked it up to that bad bed bad shoes excuse one right after another. I was taken advantage of when i was 13 and now have a beautiful 23 year old that i made into a very positive situation. Got married for the first time 19 years ago then i had to file for a divorce in 7/2000 it started to progress single mother of three and then my grandfather burned to death in front of my eyes screaming for me in 12/2003 witch cause PTSD. My family had a very close friend that ODed in June 2011 then My brother in law lost his life 8/2011 due to a motor cycle accident i had to hold my sister over his body at the hospital UGH... son moved 1500 hundred miles away at 16 with his father i have'nt laid eyes on him sense and the only time i hear from him is when he wants money.... My Daughter moved out on 8/2011... My Mentally retarded step daughters mother passed away in her sleep December 2012. My fourteen year olds child hood best friend / neighbor died in an auto accident on 3/2012. I caught my Current husband cheating on me in 2009 and i have to admit my life has been nothing more than a living hell no one to talk to and with all this i am at the point that there is no relief with the pain, Chronic Fatigue, etc etc. So yes i totally agree with it thanxs for listening