Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
i always assumed the daily migraine like head aches (w/ light & sound sensitivity and nausea) that i get were just another FM symptom. since many of us have headaches.....
but
do you remember when i posted some time back about my rapid heart rate? and how the docs don't know what to make of it so blamed it on the effexor i was on ... then have now switched me to cymbalta. remember that post?
well you all know PD5 right? she brought this to my attn about this condition that i want my doc to have ruled out.
if any of you have these symptoms like i mentioned above, you may wanna check this out:
http://www.medicinenet.com/mitral_valve_prolapse/page2.htm#2howdoes
http://www.mvprolapse.com/symptoms_testing.html
i'm printing this out and takin it to my PCM.... so that she can send me to an autonomic neurologist and have this ruled out!!
i wonder if this would explain the intense burning i get in my arms when i raise them or move em?? i just wanna make sure that i don't have other thing(s) that may be contributing symptoms THAT are getting swept under the fibromyalgia rug, you know what i mean??
just thought i'd share this with y'all.....
but
do you remember when i posted some time back about my rapid heart rate? and how the docs don't know what to make of it so blamed it on the effexor i was on ... then have now switched me to cymbalta. remember that post?
well you all know PD5 right? she brought this to my attn about this condition that i want my doc to have ruled out.
if any of you have these symptoms like i mentioned above, you may wanna check this out:
http://www.medicinenet.com/mitral_valve_prolapse/page2.htm#2howdoes
http://www.mvprolapse.com/symptoms_testing.html
i'm printing this out and takin it to my PCM.... so that she can send me to an autonomic neurologist and have this ruled out!!
i wonder if this would explain the intense burning i get in my arms when i raise them or move em?? i just wanna make sure that i don't have other thing(s) that may be contributing symptoms THAT are getting swept under the fibromyalgia rug, you know what i mean??
just thought i'd share this with y'all.....
pepsi
Symptoms include one or more of the following:
* Irregular Heartbeat: This is sometimes felt as "fluttering" or palpitations. The patient may feel as if the heart "stops beating" for a moment. Sudden breathlessness or the urge to cough may be felt. Palpitations may be noticed when lying down at night, particularly when lying on the left side; such palpitations are almost always due to MVP.
* Tachycardia: A sudden speeding up of both the heart rate or the pulse along with a pounding heartbeat are common symptoms of MVP. In some patients, MVP is first noticed when checking heart rate during exercising--the heart rate is found to be much higher than expected.
* Chest Pain: Chest pain is a common but poorly understood symptom of MVP. The pain may be sharp or dull, and it may last from a few seconds to several hours. Chest pain may occur at rest more than with exertion, and it may occur alone or with other MVP symptoms.
* Panic Attack: Panic attack may be another symptom of MVP. A panic attack is a sudden feeling of intense anxiety or impending doom for no apparent reason. A panic attack may be mild or severe and disabling. Have you suffered panic attacks? At least four of the following symptoms appear during an attack:
Dyspnea
Palpitations
Chest pain and discomfort
Sensation of being choked or smothered - "air hunger" (gasping or gulping for breath - or subconscious deep sighing)
Feelings of dizziness, vertigo, unsteadiness or "staggering" (ataxia)
Paresthesias (nerve sensations in our arms & legs)
Hot and cold flashes; sweating; faintness
Trembling or shaking
Fear of dying, "going crazy," or uncontrolled behavior
Dysautonomia can:
- make you sensitive to light, noise & temperatures (even making you feel hot when others are cold, and vice-versa)
- make you become dehydrated because our organs don't communicate well with the brain - so hunger & thirst "signals" are delayed
- cause thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism)
- cause your adrenal glands to act up, releasing too much cortisol, adrenaline & other hormones produced by the adrenal glands (like DHEA, norepinephrine, growth hormone, natural steroids, etc.) - or will keep them from releasing enough
- cause dysregulation of our periods & female hormones (heavy/painful or missed periods, deficiencies in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc.)
- cause brain fog/cognitive impairment (memory, concentration, personality changes)
- cause stomach/digestive problems... and even gallbladder problems
www.anxietypanic.com/mvp.html
The American Heart Association this year formally announced it recognized a connection between panic attacks and Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP), although it did not understand of the connection. But researchers into this problem understand the connection is actually a dysfunction in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
Mitral Valve Prolapse is the most common cardiac problem and may affect 5% to 25% of the population. The condition is most common in women, although men are also affected. With MVP, symptoms do not begin before the early teenage years (approximately age 14 in girls and 15 in boys), but adults of any age may be affected. MVP tends to run in families, so those with blood relatives with MVP have a greater chance of also having the condition. Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome is sometimes called Dysautonomia.
The ANS controls the involuntary system of the body such as heart beat, blood pressure, body temperature, intestinal functions, sweating, etc. The system is made of two parts: the sympathetic (the "accelerator") and the parasympathetic (the "brakes"). When these two are out of balance or goes awry, it is described as Dysautonomia.
There are many types of Dysautonomia, but it is "Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome/Dysautonomia" that we discuss here. The name seems to indicate maybe the problem is with MVP when actually MVP is just one of the myriad symptoms of MVP SYNDROME/DYSAUTONOMIA.
These symptoms can include:
- Mitral Valve Prolapse (in 2/3 of patients)
- Anxiety and/or panic attacks
- Depression and/or mood swings
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Palpitations or feelings of skipped heart beats or flip-flops
- Dizziness and/or unsteadiness
- Almost passing out (presyncope) or passing out (syncope)
- Pallor or redness of extremities
- Malaise, a general sense of being ill
- Weakness, fatigue and/or loss of stamina
- Inability to tolerate heat or sun for long
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Headaches or migraines
- Numbness and/or tingling in the extremities
A lot of fibro sufferers also complain with symptoms of/have been diagnosed with:
- POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
- RSD (Reflexive Sympathetic Dystrophy)
- CRP (Complex Regional Pain)
- IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
- Reynaud's Phenomenon/Reynaud's Syndrome (cold/hot hands & feet - extremities turn blue, red & white)
....and all of these problems RESULT from Dysautonomia - or the dysfunction of our autonomic nervous system!
___________________________________________________________
There are certain doctors who are trained to detect both mitral valve prolapse and Dysautonomia through tests such as a tilt table test, treadmill/stress test, EKG/ECG, ultrasounds & a careful review of your lifetime symptoms (past & present) and your medical records.
If you want to find a doctor who specializes in MVP & Dysautonomia, you can check these websites & contact them to find doctors in your area:
www.dinet.org
www.ndrf.org
More information about Dysautonomia... but you don't have to experience ALL these symptoms in order to have it:
www.mvprolapse.com/dysautonomia.html
www.dinet.org/symptoms.htm
This link has support groups broken out by state, and they can give you more info & help you find a doctor who specializes in MVP/Dysautonomia:
www.mvprolapse.com/support.html
i keep losing shit around here
thanks for sharing the info and yes know what you are saying about things getting swept under the fibro rug...
take care genlte hugs