Fibromyalgia Support Group

I can't wear cheap earrings. They make my ears get all red & they bleed & ooze as well. My daughter is the same way. I hardly ever wear earrings anymore because of this. I don't really have any other problems w/the cheap necklaces, rings & whatnot(except that they leave the dreaded green mark).

yes i do unfortunatly.. i can not sleep with any jewelry on and i am not able to wear the nickel free stuff even .. it has to be 10kt or higher and for some odd reason i have always been able to wear sterling silver.. anything else and my skinn eats the metal....odd huh

I can tarnish gold. It's become worse as I've aged.

I haven't worn any for a long time now because it seems that no matter what I try, I do the same! I can wear my wedding band without any problem but earings and necklaces...forget it!

If necklaces are not at least 18KT gold or platinum my neck also breaks out to the point of exteme itching, welts, oozing and bleeding. This first occurred when I was about 18. I can not wear gold filled, 10kt or 14kt and the nickle free makes no difference. I don't wear anything but at least 14kt earrings, bracelets or rings either. Sterling silver breaks me out too. I also sweat a lot and that's why my neck is the worst place. I've been allergic for a long time - I don't think mine has anything to do with fibro but who knows.

I've heard (somewhere, don't remember where at the moment) that it has someting to do with the ph balence in our skin or something like that.

I can only wear good quality silver, titanium, and platinum (like anyone can actually afford that LOL).

You think there's some relation to the fms in there?

Yes, always have had some sensitivity but I am quite allergic now. Never thought to associate that with fibro! Interesting.

Hi when I saw this discussion of metals I had to jump in because of what happened to me. They put a stainless steel/nickel biopsy clip in my breast and I am highly allergic to nickel and have been all my life. Not only that I started to get flu like symtoms right away. Then came the joint pain and the muscle weakness and it was all on my right side same as the biopsy clip. For five years I didn't know what was wrong and thought I had CFS. Now I know it was the nickle all along. It has been an incredible journey for me. Here's a study abstact regarding nickel and the relationship to CFS and Fibromyalgia. Of course we haven't had any follow up studies because of the incredible control of information by the FDA, big pharma and the manufacturers of medical products.

Nickel Allergy Is Found in a Majority of Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Muscle Pain- And May Be Triggered by Cigarette Smoke and Dietary Nickel Intake
Björn Regland, MD, Olof Zachrisson, MD, Vera Stejskal, PhD, Carl-Gerhard Gottfries, MD. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 8(1) 2001

Two hundred and four women with chronic fatigue and muscle pain, with no signs of autoimmune disorder, received immune stimulation injections with a Staphylococcus vaccine at monthly intervals over 6 months. Good response was defined as a decrease by at least 50% of the total score on an observer's rating scale. Nickel allergy was evaluated as probable if the patient had a positive history of skin hypersensitivity from cutaneous exposure to metal objects. The patient's smoking habits were recorded. Fifty-two percent of the patients had a positive history of nickel contact dermatitis. There were significantly more good responders among the non-allergic non-smokers (39%) than among the allergic smokers (6%). We also present case reports on nickel-allergic patients who apparently improved after cessation of cigarette smoking and reducing their dietary nickel intake. Our observations indicate that exposure to nickel, by dietary intake or inhalation of cigarette smoke, may trigger systemic nickel allergy and contribute to syndromes of chronic fatigue and muscle pain.
I have much much more to share if you are interested.