Monday, February 27, 2012

More Symptoms Part 2


This is the second part of my commentary on a long list of symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. See Part 1.

Teeth Grinding
I do notice I do a lot more of this since getting fibromyalgia, or at least, I am a lot more aware of it. My jaw often feels clenched. I had not thought of it as a symptom though until I read this list. I dismissed it as more a result of the constant stress my body is under when I go through such a dizzying array of unpleasant symptoms. Teeth grinding has an official term: Bruxism. It is considered a sleep disorder. Why it should be worse with fibromyalgia, especially since it is often considered a habitual behavior, I do not know. I notice it happening and have to consciously relax my jaw. I can only assume that it also happens when I sleep. It is associated with Parkinson's, which is also a central nervous system condition, so there may well be some connection.

Abdominal Problems
I've already written about the IBS problems. Other symptoms include bloating and nausea, abdominal cramps, and pelvic pain. I get nausea when my pain levels get too high. IBS includes pain and cramping, but the difference is that a bowel movement can relieve the pain, which can be quite intense. You can also get pain and cramping for which there is no relief.

Twitchy Muscles at Night
I do get this from time to time. It is annoying.

Sensitivity to Stimuli
There are a lot of things you can have a high sensitivity to. These include odors, light, and noise. For me, a lot of noise is the problem. It can send me into sensory overload. As is common in fibromyalgia, I am extremely sensitive to changes in pressure, although less sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. If a storm is coming in and the barometer changes, I know that I am going to be very adversely affected. It is the only consistent trigger for my symptoms I have discovered. When we went away to Las Vegas and we knew when the storm was coming in, we just planned for me to be down while that was when my wife went out to gamble, an activity I have little interest in. That worked out great. We want to go back to Hawaii, though, and I have no idea how I'll be able to a adapt to that climate.

Sensory Overload
Sensory overload is a problem. If I am already having cognitive difficulties, going into a mall can be a real problem. The sound and movement floods my brain and overwhelms it, making it difficult for me to maneuver. Sometimes I just have to stop and let the crowd flow by me before I can continue forward. Sensory overload can also happen at parties. I may have to just sit down someplace quiet or go outside to let my brain reset.

Heart Problems
My problems with tachycardia were caused by the Savella. I do get the reported rapid, fluttery, irregular heartbeat, but I don't know how much of that is caused by the constant balancing act between Savella and Metoprolol to keep my heartbeat from racing out of control. I have certainly had the pain that mimics a heart attack, which sent me to the hospital before I understood what it was. This is one of the more frightening pains you get with fibro. I do not know whether my intense chest pain was caused just by fibromyalgia, or an overlapping condition common to fibromyalgia sufferers called costochondritis. That is an actual inflammation of costal cartilage in the ribs which is very painful. Why they often occur together is still unknown. Some believe that fibromyalgia somehow makes costochondritis chronic, while others believe that fibromyalgia simply mimics costochondritis.

There is also something called mitral valve prolapse. Wikipedia describes it as “a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole.” None of that sounds good, nor is it very clear. Put simply, you have a floppy valve. It seems to effect up to 75% of people with fibromyalgia. That is in contrast to an incidence of about 3% in the general population. Why? You know the drill. We don't know. It can cause some problems, like backflow of blood from the ventricle to the atrium. In serious cases, this causes an enlargement of the cardiac chambers, a weakening of the heart, and heart failure. While it is something to be aware of, it only becomes a serious concern for about 5% of the people who have it. I have even read reports that seem to indicate that those with MVP tend, in general, to live longer than people without it, even factoring in the relatively rare incidence of dropping dead from it. Still, for a condition that is considered to have a large genetic component, it is odd that it effects so many with fibromyalgia. As of now, science offers us no real answers, and it could just be coincidence.

Panic Attacks
Not so far. Well, I may have gotten panicky when it felt like I was having a heart attack, a not uncommon symptom, but I wouldn't call it a panic attack. It was the heart attack like pain that triggered the panic, and not vice versa.

Mood Swings, Unaccountable Irritability, and Tendency to Cry Easily
The crying thing, not so much. Recently when I had been hurting a lot for days, had had little sleep, and the kid in the next booth was kicking back of my booth, I turned and yelled at him to knock it off. It may not have been wholly appropriate behavior, but I would call it accountable irritability.

(Part two of two)

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