Fibromyalgia Support Group

This is pretty interesting too:

Many patients come to our clinic having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). This can be a painful and debilitating health problem closely associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Epstein-Barr Virus. The problem with FMS is that, until recently, medical science did not really have any idea what caused it, nor how to treat it.

Recent meta-analyses of many research studies have narrowed the playing field considerably. Study after study shows that there is a major link between the ability of your thyroid gland to produce a hormone called triiodothyronine (T3) and the incidence of FMS. At the Center for Hormonal Healing™, we always check the T3 level. Time after time we find low T3 levels in the FMS patients. T3 has the ability to send sufficient amounts of oxygen to all the muscles of the body. In FMS patients, it is as if the muscles are so starved of oxygen, the patient aches all over almost all the time. By restoring the T3 levels to an optimal range, we see dramatic improvements in the symptomatology of the FMS patient.

One other common complaint of the FMS patient is profound fatigue. Since the thyroid gland runs the metabolism of the entire body, we see that a low T3 level corresponds directly with the FMS patient who is complaining of constant fatigue. As the T3 level is optimized, the fibromyalgia lessens dramatically and the energy levels improve.

Sweetie.....is this a growth hormone?
If so, taking a synthetic growth hormone has been known to cause cancer.

I read up on this once. The reason why we feel "pain" as we age is because our bodies stop producing the natural growth hormone when we enter into our late 20s/ early 30s. This is why kids can do the exact same activity as we do and they don't feel any pain. They naturally have the hormone. An abundance of it.

But if this is not the same hormone, please ignore my rant.

Hugs!

No. It isn't growth hormone.

It's adrenal glands. On top of our kidneys. They produce adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol and low levels of sex hormones.

I was diagnosed with problems last year, but not treated effectively. When I was dosed with prednisone at an ER visit in April - and wasn't even given it properly (not titrated or tapered off), it slammed my glands and I know they're not working. I'm bed ridden pretty much.

I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidsim, but only given .25 micrograms of Synthroid, which is a JOKE. This doctor uses the most updated thyroid test, which was released in late 2007. Few doctors use this test; they use the old inaccurate test to determine thyroid dysfunction.

Believe me... I'm not grasping at false hope for fibromyalgia. These are problems that are largely due to the dysautonomia, worsened by doctors who are not familiar with either that OR fibromyalgia... plus, I've read a plethora of information about fibro sufferers having undiagnosed adrenal problems.

If you take a look at the symptoms of adrenal fatigue, they pretty much overlap fibromyalgia. But doctors just don't know to test for this. I think it hasn't gotten any respect because just as has been done with fibromyalgia, the health supplement gang of hucksters jumped on it to capitalize on the lack of understanding - which doesn't exactly lend to the credibility of any health theory.

There is a saliva test that is relatively inexpensive that when most people take it who suspect there is a problem, there is one. It is easily treated if you can find a doctor who is willing to try.

Was it the T3 reference that was confusing?

T3 and T4 are references to thyroid hormones.

My doc checked all my T3 and T4's, etc....everything was good. In fact, if I had of had to pay for all the bloodwork he ran it went to insurance at around $700! YIKES!!

Did he check your cortisol levels? Most doctors don't.

This is info on the testing that is done to check adrenal function.

http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T...

http://www.hormonesalivatest.org/a...

"Adrenal Fatigue or 'tired adrenals' occurs when the cortisol level is too low throughout the day. This can happen to people that are under severe emotional or physical stress. People suffering from adrenal fatigue are simply 'burnt out.' Some symptoms of adrenal fatigue or tired adrenals are moodiness, fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and insomnia. People with adrenal fatigue may get a good night’s sleep but are still tired during the day."

Thank You for the info. I have marked the web sites to read again later. I had my T3 and T4 checked last summer and the doctor said they were low but not low enough to start prescribing anything. He said to get them checked again in a year or two and they might be low enough to do something about. I think I'll have them check them again and see what happens.

Hugs

I did the evaluation - my score was lower than the threshold where they suspect adrenal fatigue. My chiro put me on an adrenal thing - a supplement - and I took it for a while but never had any change from it, which didn't surprise me.

I don't suffer from the crushing fatigue that some do - that's just never been my issue - it's all pain and stiffness.

So, what are they going to do to you? I'm confused.

Our province won't check our damn T3 unless your TSH levels come out below or above average. This bothers me. I am waiting for results of new estrogen/hormone etc. (this was good last year) and cortisol levels (new).

I got 24 on the self test. I don't have depression although I do have depressive days. I don't do well on anti-depressants at all and will never take them again.