Fibromyalgia Support
"Fibromyalgia: A comprehensive Approach"
by Miryam Williamson
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
Join our health discussion groups | search this site

Fibromyalgia
Many people have never heard of this word yet they may have this potentially debilitating syndrome and not even know it.

Fibromyalgia has long been a mystery to its victims and the medical community.   Because it mimics other diseases and conditions it  is usually very hard to diagnosis.  But the people who have it know something is wrong with their bodies and can spend both years and money trying to find out what is wrong with them.

Until recently very little information has been available for the 10-12 million Americans with fibromyalgia, or FM, and for the people who suspect they have this syndrome.

Thanks to medical pioneers, like author Miryam Williamson who wrote Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach, there is both hope and treatment in the area of FM. Ms.  Williamson, a technical journalist and a charter member of the on-line Fibromyalgia Discussion Group, has written THE book about fibromyalgia.  It is thorough, easy to understand, and full of the information that people have been searching for.

Ms.  Williamson, through her own personal journey with FM has gathered information from the top medical specialists, research studies, and practical advice from FM sufferers who share their strategies for working around FM's disabling symptoms.  She has put all of this together in her book fibromyalgia: a comprehensive approach.

Miryam has written many important chapters that focus on FM and what people can do to feel better.

She includes:

• How to find the right doctor
• Which pain medicines and nondrug therapies work best
• The role of sleep deprivation plays in FM and what you can do to remedy sleep disturbances
• Massage, meditation, and relaxation techniques that help

Miryam has worked tirelessly to help those who lives have been affected by FM.  In addition to her writing she also counsels people who find themselves with FM.

I'm very excited about talking with Miryam; about her tremendous book and
all the work she does on behalf of FM.  She is a true health advocate and a
very generous person.

Miryam, thanks for joining me : )

What is Fibromyalgia

Sue:
What exactly is fibromyalgia and how do you know if you "have it" and not something else?

Miryam:
Fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system brought about by certain imbalances in brain chemicals. It's characteristics are pain all over the body, muscular stiffness especially in the morning, and non-restorative sleep.

There are no lab tests
that can help diagnose fibromyalgia,
but if you've had all three of the problems listed in the last sentence you probably have it and would do well to live as though you do.

Successful treatment of fibromyalgia involves certain lifestyle changes more than medication, and those lifestyle changes would be good for everyone, regardless of whether they had FM or not.

Fibromyalgia & Sleep disorders

Sue:
Could you please talk about the relationship(s) between fibromyalgia and sleeping disorders?

Miryam:
The sleep disorder in FM is probably caused by a deficiency in the hormone serotonin. It may also be caused by obstructive sleep apnea (this is more often true in men than in women.) There is a genetic component to FM -- that is, the tendency to develop it tends to run in families. Anything that disrupts sleep for more than a couple of nights can trigger fibromyalgia in people who have that genetic tendency.

The diagnosis of FM

Sue:
What can a person do if the suspect they have fibromyalgia, but their doctor doesn't believe them?

Miryam:
Live as though they have it.
Doctors aren't much help.
A doctor can help with pain relief and sleeping medication so the person who is suffering can get enough relief to be able to think straight about what to do about her/his lifestyle (diet and nutrition, sleep hygiene, exercise, stress management, and work on posture and body mechanics), but the drugs that doctors prescribe to relieve the symptoms of FM make things worse as often as they make them better.

Fibromyalgia is a do-it-yourself disease,
and people willing to put forth the effort with patience and persistence can often make themselves feel much better without drugs.

Miryam's Personal Story

Sue:
You are such an advocate for people with fibromyalgia and have done incredible work. Could you tell us a little bit about how you started your crusade and what keeps you going day after day?

Miryam:
I was diagnosed in 1993 after a lifetime of not knowing what was wrong with me, but knowing something was definitely wrong. When I heard the word "fibromyalgia" I knew I had some researching to do. There wasn't a book that could help me to feel better, so I wrote Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach. I truly believe that I was given both fibromyalgia and a talent for research and writing so that I could help others in a similar situation. My life's mission is to provide information and encouragement so that others don't have to suffer the way I did.

What keeps me going is the feedback I get from others when they find their way through this forest and come out the other side smiling, and feeling better.

Trigger Points in FM

Sue:
I have read about the "tender points" and how they relate to fibromyalgia. Could you explain a little bit more how these areas can help in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia?

Miryam:
The American College of Rheumatology identify 18 specific points on the body, 9 on each side, that are exquisitely tender when one has FM. Actually, there can be many more than 18 tender points, but ACR declared that in order to decide whether to include someone in clinical trials related to FM, that person must have at least 11 of the 18 tender points.

This has been translated by less sophisticated doctors into a way of diagnosing FM, which it was not intended to be initially. Some doctors will go as far as saying that if you don't have 11 tender points you don't have FM, which is not accurate and causes distress to some people.

I understand that the ACR is currently working on a different, more accurate way of diagnosing FM, but for the moment the tender points are all we have. I expect we'll hear the new diagnostic criteria around the time of the MYOPAIN conference in Portland, Oregon, in 2001.

FM & Perimenopause

Sue:
Since perimenopause and menopause can be times of stress for women, do you see a connection between developing fibromyalgia and perimenopause/menopause?

Miryam:
Many women experience insomnia during menopause because of hormonal shifts. That time of insomnia can trigger FM in women susceptible to it. In my case, my FM became much worse at the time I menopaused (also in 1993) and that worsening led me to see the doctor who gave me my diagnosis.

Excessive stress can also trigger FM,
and it invariably makes it worse.

Sue:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We will now move on to an excerpt from the book.

Book Excerpt from:
Fibromyalgia: a comprehensive approach

Chapter 1
What you can do about chronic pain and fatigue
Featuring: Fibromyalgia Trigger Points
see this excerpt

see more info on Fibromyalgia

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia: The Revolutionary Treatment That Can Reverse The Disease
Fibromyalgia: A comprehensive Approach
What is Fibromyalgia?
FREE Tender Point Chart

more dieting books
more Healthy Living Books
FREE Fit & Trim Support

The Fibromyalgia Relief Book:
213 Ideas for Improving Your Quality of Life
by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson, Mary Anne Saathoff

The author says, "A comprehensive strategy for managing fibromyalgia
In The Fibromyalgia Relief Book I share what I have learnedover a lifetime of dealing with the condition. The book sets out a strategy that anyone can adopt. Subjects covered include sleep; nutrition; exercise; dealing with pain and stress; making life easier at home, at work, and while traveling; intimate relationships; and more."

Strong Women, Strong Bones:
Everything You Need to Know to Prevent, Treat, and Beat Osteoporosis
by Miriam Nelson (Contributor), Sarah Wernick

For those to whom osteoporosis is a serious concern, this will be welcomed as a straightforward, single-purpose guide to its prevention and treatment. Nutritionist Nelson and writer Wernick (Strong Women Stay Slim; Strong Women Stay Strongneither reviewed) recommend exercise and nutrition measures as the building blocks of prevention, bolstered by medications when needed.