You thought you only had one issue. You thought wrong.
Fibromyalgia wrecks havoc on your body. To go into the details of how and why, read my previous post here. Now there are a variety of problems that begin to manifest after your body has been compromised for so long.
That makes sense. Think of your body as an engine. If you keep it running and never slow down, you’re unable to do proper maintenance on it to make sure it’s in good shape. After a while of this, it’s going to start having issues. Keep it up long enough and you’ll be running on fumes (I don’t know if that analogy is correct, I’m not really a car person).
So, what are these ripple effects that I am talking about?
- Chronic stomach pain
- Chronic headaches/migraines
- Autoimmune diseases
Stomach Pain
No one likes stomach pain. Whether it be a virus, cramps, or bloating, we are always quick to alleviate the issue. Naturally, Fibromyalgia wouldn’t leave such an enticing opportunity alone, so most fibromites have some form of stomach pain. There are a few ways this can develop (you can blame Fibromyalgia for many things, but not for a lack of creativity). The overarching umbrella is called Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome. It encapsulates Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Centrally Mediated Abdominal Pain Syndrome (CAPS) (formerly known as Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome (FAPS)).
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Now, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is again an umbrella diagnosis, but the symptoms do not vary as much as they do in patients who have Fibro. Thankfully it’s a bit easier to wrap your mind around (though just as cumbersome to try and manage).
“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you’ll need to manage long term.” (Mayo Clinic)
While the connection is unfortunate, it is quite common. According to various sources including healthline.com, up to 70% of people who have fibromyalgia also have IBS.
“IBS and fibromyalgia fall into a broad category called functional disorders. This is when your body isn’t working as it should, but doctors can’t see anything wrong with you.” — (Webmd)
Researchers tend to believe this is because the part of the brain that processes pain is the same part that is affected by both conditions. The main difference between the two is that Fibro affects the skin and muscles while IBS manifests itself in the intestines.
“The altered patterns of colonic motility and sensation appear to be due to disruptions in the communication between the brain and gut. This interaction is known as the brain-gut axis.” (About IBS)
Pretty much, while the pain of fibromyalgia is more ‘skin deep,’ IBS tends to sit in the middle of your body, making its nest in your internal organs. So, not incredibly helpful but it’s a start. Also, it’s nice to have a condition that’s just a tad more straightforward to explain.
Chronic Abdominal Pain
Now, IBS may sound like chronic abdominal pain and sometimes it’s difficult to understand the difference. The main key point, though it is subtle, is that IBS symptoms tend to come and go. Chronic Abdominal Pain is a consistent pain that is present for over three months.
Chronic Headaches and Migraines
Migraines and chronic headaches are an unfortunate common ally of both Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, to the point that some doctors treat it as a symptom of the illness while others treat it as a comorbid illness.
If we keep in mind the central nervous system, however, the connection becomes more clear.
“Both fibromyalgia and migraine may reflect problems in the brain’s pain processing center. It is believed that both conditions are caused by excitation of the nervous system or an over-response to stimuli. Stress is usually cited as a trigger for both migraine and fibromyalgia attacks.” (ncbi.com)
So, what’s the difference between chronic headaches and migraines?
Chronic tension‐type headache (CTTH)
The key aspect that differentiates chronic tension-type headaches from their cousin, chronic migraines, is the tension.
“Tension-type headaches most commonly last from 30 minutes to seven days. The pain is commonly described on both sides of the head (bilateral), as “a band around the head” or vice-like.” — (American Migraine Foundation)
Chronic Migraine (CM)
Chronic migraines are diagnosed if you have a migraine at least 15 days out of every month for at least three consecutive months. IT also much involve the following characteristics for at least eight days in one month:
- Moderate to severe pain
- Causes a throbbing or pulsating sensation where the headache was
- Is made worse when doing physical activities
- Predominantly affects one side of the head
Autoimmune Problems
If you couldn’t tell by now, fibromyalgia is by no means a lone wolf. A social butterfly, fibro has friends all over the place. Arguably fibromyalgia’s best friend is hypothyroidism. This is the case because they are similar enough to share many of the same interests while being different enough to keep things interesting.
Let’s see just how close of friends these two disorders are, shall we? Hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia share many similar symptoms. Hypothyroidism signs and symptoms may include:
- Body aches
- Muscle weakness
- Exhaustion and fatigue
- Cognitive problems or ‘Brainfog’
- Depression and anxiety
Other symptoms that pertain solely to hypothyroidism (this is the ‘keeping things interesting’ part) are:
- Hair loss/thinning of hair
- Weight gain
- Dry skin
- Menstrual irregularities
- Temperature sensitivity
- Constipation
The unfortunate aspect of dealing with these two issues, and 40% of fibromites do, is that they feed off each other.
“Autoimmune thyroid disease often leads to a worsening of fibromyalgia symptoms. Fibromyalgia may also enhance the symptoms of thyroid disease, or make it more difficult to know if thyroid hormone replacement therapy is optima.” (Very Well Health)
Why are they connected? Ready for this? We still…don’t know. Mainly because doctors are still wrapping their minds around fibromyalgia, which then makes it very difficult to make concrete conclusions about the correlation to comorbid illnesses, and that includes hypothyroidism.
We do, however, understand thyroid autoimmune disorders.
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid glands fail to produce enough hormones, and the chemical imbalance triggers all of the symptoms mentioned above. The most common reason for this is Hashimoto’s disease, which is an autoimmune disease where autoantibodies damage the thyroid tissue.
Now, through studying Hashimotos, research supports the presence of antithyroperoxidase antibodies (TPO), which is what triggers the autoimmune disease. A study has also found that people with fibromyalgia also had a high level of these antibodies present as well. Theories still vary, but the concept makes sense.
There’s one other thing that we need to discuss. The hypothalamus.
“The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that has been linked to the utility center. It functions to maintain homeostasis…by regulating hormone levels (including thyroid hormones), sleep, temperature, hunger, and the autonomic nervous system…suppression of the hypothalamus may occur due to problems with the mitochondria (the ‘energy furnaces’ of the cell).” (Valley Integrated Wellness)
Following this train of thought, some researchers believe that hypothalamic dysfunction can be the common core between both hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia.
With all of that said and done, it’s easy to see why chronic illness can be debilitating. The body is complex and interconnected, and it becomes quite apparent when you deal with a long-term disease. But even if it all sounds bleak, don’t lose hope. Even with the war that your body was waged on itself, your resilience can be stronger yet.
