Is Fibromyalgia the cause of my anxiety and depression?

[PEACEMAN]

I have been reading up about Fibromyalgia, its symptoms are exactly the same as somebody suffering from general anxiety and itself can cause the anxiety and/or depression due to severe, persistent muscle tensions. I have been suffering with these muscle pains for years and can feel it just as bad when I do not feel stressed or anxious, this has always been very confusing and frustrating for me and I wonder why Doctors have never ever mentioned Fibromyalgia as a possible cause.
I used to be such funny, confident person in my teens and now I am a mid-30's nervous wreck with absoultely no confidence atall, this is largely due to anxiety and stress for which I have never been able to find a real cause, the longer life goes on I seem to attach childhood relationships or parental let-downs as the major factors  for my problems but is it all just an excuse for the physical pain I am feeling, I mean I never had a problem with all my childhood days before Anxiety reared its ugly head.
There is a lot of info on this on the web about Fibromyalgia  and the more I read the more it would seem that there could be another reason for my conditon.
I thought that if any one out there is feeling the same as me and cant put a finger on the cause of all there pain and suffering then it may help.

Peaceman.
p.s-I decided to become a Postman and walk many miles a day as exercise is suppose to be good for muscle tension, it does nothing for mine!

[sarahgotsissues]

Well about 5 days ago the doctor told me I have fibromyalgia.
She said "I am thinking that you might have more fibro than you do anxiety. But it just presents itself as anxiety."

Food for thought.

[apple]

I believe they are separate issues but work hand in hand with some people.  Many doctors dont believe Fibro is real, thus many people go untreated.

If you treat the Fibro and anxiety both...that is the key.  Less anxiety=less muscle tension...less mucle tension=less anxiety...make any sence?  sorry I dont know how to explain it properly

[dizziegirl3]

well its funny that you sould post this PEACEMAN because I am sitting at work right now and was just reading all about Fibromyalgia. I am having this weird buzzing sensation on my top left thigh and I am convinced that i have something serioulsy wrong with me since I cannot find anyone to respond to my post about this feeling. i have just diagnosed myself with about 4 different conditions and my most recent was fibro. its a scarey question you pose because fibro and anxiety symtpoms are so closey related but i also know that each week is another problem with me. eithe my headaches, my eyes, my twitching, my depersonalization, my tingling in my arms. i am just hoping this buzzing feeling is just another anxiety symptom to add to the list. it also seems almost all of my problems stem from muscle tension so that too i do not know howto fix. i'm just afraid that my anxiety and muscle tension is going to lead to something really wrong with me eventually!

[Bigmack]

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for about 25 years and have concurrent GAD.  There are many crossover symptoms.   Muscle pain, neck and shoulder soreness, IBS.  The CDC now recognizes fibromyalgia as a real disease and is spending millions on education and research. Not everyone with fibromyalgia is depressed or anxious.  This is why the CDC considers anxiety and depression as stemming from fibro, not the other way around.  It is also true that not all people with GAD have somatic symptoms, but they are very common.

My doctors are treating me for both as they cannot find the line between them. 

If you would like some help with this, a good place to start is a rheumatologist.  I also suggest that you do not tell them you have GAD or fibro, just lay out your issues.  You will get blood tests and other tests.  Let them come up with what they think it is.

One of the leading medical/nursing schools on the West Coast, Oregon Health and Science University has a major study of Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia.

Good luck in dealing with this.  If you have fibromyalgia it is controlable but do not expect an instant cure.

[basm101]

Interesting thread....I was diagnosed with GAD and am doing very well on meds. I still have constant neck and shoulder tightness though
and am always begging my bf for massages. I also have IBS. The neck/shoulder pain persists even when my anxiety is not bothering me.

What are the possible treatments for fibro, if anyone knows ?

My shoulders make a huge clicking/grinding sound when I move them. Funnily the left shoulder is far worse than the right, even though i
am right handed. Maybe it's stronger or something.

[apple]

Best to see a rheumatologist like Bigmack said.  They can run tests and do an 18 point tenderpoint test to see if you do suffer Fibro.

There is no real treatment for fibro...more maintenance.  Muscle relaxors and pain relievers are sometimes helpful.  Along with massage therapy, chiropractics, and other alternative ways to help you cope.

[krausko2]

Has everyone here diagnosed with Fibro undergone the 18-point test?  I have seen the chart and "self-examined" the spots and while I have general overall aching and pains, I can't say for sure that all or 11 of those points are tender all the time. 

[Bigmack]

krausko2:

I have had the tender point test done by several doctors and a physician's assistant.  Each time I have reacted to some of the same ones and some different ones.  Many doctors believe that the test is only part of the story.  It helps in a diagnosis, but the lack of specific points does not mean you are fibro-free.  The physician's assistant did extensive reading on the topic and showed me some points that were not on the list -- just about killed me.  It is hard to self-examine yourself as the pressure must be equal at each point to see if the individual place hurts.  Not very scientific, but some people who are trained in massage are good at this too.  I encourage folks who think they have fibro to "google" it and do some reading and especially read the Mayo Clinic, CDC, and OHSU sites.

[2anxious]

Hey Dizziegirl!  Just wanted to let you know that I get that weird "buzzing" feeling as well!  It is kind of like tingling but not quite.  Very strange and hard to describe!

[gloomy]

PEACEMAN,  Its a normal thing for childhood experiences to not start affecting us consciously until our 30's we dont always react accordingly at the specific point of the stimulus.  This is often our psyche's way of protecting our consciousness some think.  I actually believe that too it was my late 20's before my anxiety really kicked in after a bereavement and then everything seemed to rear its ugly head, every buried painful memory I hadnt thought of in years came out.  Like someone else on this forum quoted 'the genie came out of the bottle'  and I havent got him back in yet.  I have tried to work through a lot of my past experiences but I will be scarred always I accept that, but I cant let it rule me either.  I am currently also thinking I may have fibro maybe as a result of the anxiety who knows?

I know your post was mainly about the fibro issues but I couldnt help but pick up on that sentence.

Good luck

[Bigmack]

One step farther...
Fibromyalgia symptoms and fatigue (based on reading the posts on this site) are common to people with GAD.  And fatigue, anxiety and depression can be a major result of Fibromyalgia.  When you hurt all of the time and you look well., or when you feel "foggy" in the head and your doctors cannot find anything, it is depressing.  As well, because you know something is not right, but no one can find anything, you start to worry until you are anxious. 

A common denominator is exercise.  Both GAD and fibromyalgia benefit from exercise.  As odd as it seems, even though you hurt, you need to do at least light stretching, walking and even weight training.  It makes a big difference.  Those who try it, curse those who suggest it, until the beneficial effects kick in. 

Instead of buying nutritional supplements, I say invest in a dog -- an active one who loves to go for walks.  Take the dog for a walk twice a day and you will feel better.  My dog is also a very good therapist.  He listens for the price of kibble.  I like my regular psychiatrist, but at the end of fifty minutes my dog is still ready to go another mile.

And finally, my dog helps with my fibro and my GAD by making me laugh.  Laughter is really helpful to me.

[Mikem]

anxiety disorders are comorbid with alot of disorders... It's hard to say which causes which... The chicken or the egg thing would go good here.. lol..comon things comorbid with anxiety include depression(the link here is known) IBS(doctors arent 100% sure why.. lots of theories) GERD(anxious people tend to over produce/secrete bile causing the stomach to produce more acid... most accpeted theory) and even migraines... There are a very wide array of disorders that are comorbid with anxiety.. Some of which a physiological link has been established... and others are theoretical.. so your question is a pretty hard one to answer. I don't actually think there is an answer yet.

[Mikem]

Has everyone here diagnosed with Fibro undergone the 18-point test?  I have seen the chart and "self-examined" the spots and while I have general overall aching and pains, I can't say for sure that all or 11 of those points are tender all the time. 

^That is based on the american college of rheumatology 1990 diagnostic criteria... Everyone diagnosed will go trough that test.. I must say to be technical... medically.. on digital palpation.. the sites must be "painful", not just "tender"

digital palpation is just a fancy way of saying.. examine/feel with finger or fingers.. lol.

[Mikem]

I feel like i must add... modern experiments show that certain SNRIs (Serotonin - Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) have shown promise in treating fibromyalgia.. But.. they can't be perscribed because they are not approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia.