I developed my fibro after a car accident. I suffered a whiplash and a neck trauma. As a consequence I first developed hypothyroidism and then I started developing the fibro with very severe chronic fatigue. I read some people developed fibro first and then hypo. This is supposed to be very common but there is far more research on this in America than over here.
What was the reason why you developed fibro? Or what do you think was the reason?
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Smily
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Thanks Butterfly, I'll try to remember. It's amazing to think that stress and psichological trauma can cause a chronic illness - it's really not rumour any more.
I started with CFS first in 1996, it was the trauma of trying to keep my job and the hell they put me through that the pain started in 1999, I think my family history of Vit B12 deficiency, not drinking any fluid had a detrimental effect on my body which lead to the CFS but that is just a guess, I dont think it helped. I did have the mumps at about 7 which didn't go but it turned out it was swollen glands had replaced it so the theory of glandular fever ect as a possible start ?? Who knows Good question thou xx
I was in a violent relationship and I'm sure that's what started my fibro off, both the physical pains I suffered but more importantly the mental ones. I was depressed after my dad died and then got into a violent relationship so can't say for sure what caused the fibro, but it was one or both of the 2.
i was diagnoised with thyroid about 3 years ago and my fibro symptoms started after i lost my mum at christmas 2010 then i was diagnoised with fibro june 2011..thinkshock and grief brought mine on .xxx
They may have triggered the fibro - you were already quite vulnerable I can imagine -if you already had the thyroid X : ) what a nightmare the thyroid too!!!
mine was violence so i think it was like shock turned in wards sometimes but i know tramma is a big cause
hi i got mine due to being abused physically and mentally by my mother and then4 times of sexually abuse aswell as illness ie glandular fever and then having a couple of violent relationships but also i have had a jaw (tmj) for 11 years aswell xxxx
I was in a car crash and hurt my lower back and neck though i already had osteo arthritis inmy neck and shoulders. since the accident i have had so many x rays and scans to have other conditions ruled out.
I have a long list of other conditions namely raynauds, carpal tunnel, cervical spondylosis, psoriatic arthritis, migraine, oA as i already said and of course our mutual friend FMS.
I have also had glandular fever twice once in my teens and again in my mid twenties.
I have also been in a domestic violence situation ending up with me being a single parent to our five children.
I wonder if i was always predisposed to FMS. As a child i had loads of trips to A & E with broken bones, sprains and a dislocated shoulder which was where my OA was first diagnosed.
I think that our health records should be looked at in depth as a way of really understanding our condition.
hi smily mine was due to the sudden death of my lovely husband 29years a go i worked for 6years after that i new something was wrong but the doc couldnt tell me what it was i also became diabetic at same time and have quite a few other ailment besides x
Thanks for all your answers and, please, feel free to tell me more. You have opened a new dimension of knowledge in my life which I thought only existed in literature of the magic realism gender.
I guess one person could make me doubt about the cause of fibro and other illnesses being psichological - but so many people's experiences and intimate perceptions can simply not be wrong-simple science.
All this also hlps me understand how much all the stress I went through after the accident and developing hypothyroidism has helped to developed my fibro so aggressively. I always put the blame on the accident itself but I guess it could not just be that simple when I am three years after my accident still having such a difficult time and so nervious and afraid with this insensitive guvernment-I am not surprised I am getting worse everyday when the sun is sunshine and I should be jumping like a goat above the cliffs and swimming in the sea. How can one single episode of our lives change it so drastically for good? We are each of us an amazing novel!!! At least there is something good about all this XXX
Hey there Smiley, x [Sorry if this is a bit long- I deleted my last comment and replaced it with this one which is a lot shorter, hope its not caused too much hassle]. Heres what happened to me:
I started to feel unwell at the end of secondary school- when I was stressed about exams and pressured to make decisions, I wanted to leave. Looking back at my years of high school I was harassed and unpopular, and unhappy because of this (but I won't go into that). Anyway, all I wanted was a fresh start, but my parents didn't understand and wouldn't support me in what I wanted to do, this sparked off a lot of arguements, disagreements, frustration, and general anxiety, as well as isolation and anger, which added to the stress. But thats not even the half of it.
I'm a generally anxious person. Just before turning 13 I started to develop an inexplainable anxiety (seemed to be a consquence of the harrassment).Over time I started obsessive behaviours which provided me with short term relief, for example, frequently washing myself- at school I hated myself so much I think I was metaphorically washing some part of myself away. I felt 'dirty' . (Of course, I understand that these beliefs were irrational but at the time I was confused and couldn't make sense of what I was feeling).
Anyway, soon enough I realised something was wrong. But I couldn't understand what it was and felt like unable to talk about it. And a few years later, it just hit me. I'd heard about a condition called OCD and realised it could be some mild form of that. Eventually, having realised what it might be I told my mum, who, having not noticed any strange behaviour, reassured me (problem is, people with OCD tend to hide their, and my behaviour, and mine was not an obvious problem anyway, it was mainly the anxiety about the behaviour- which can't be seen). So, relieved, I carried on as I was.
At some point, I was put on the Contraceptive Pill for my period (it was so severe it would cause me to be sick). The problem was, being on the pill made my thoughts worse- not that I realised that at the time. So, my behaviour started to become more noticeable and detrimental. At this point, I was crying when I felt I couldn't get clean, refusing to sit on the sofa because I didn't want to 'dirty it' ,my wrists were raw and flakey from where I'd been washing them so much, and I took days off for no real reason. Then panic attacks began to creep in. My parents grew increasingly concerned, finally able to see something was wrong.
By chance I read an article which stopped me taking the pill. After coming off the pill, I think I suffered from a bit of depression. Looking back I think it was the sudden withdrawal, but I didnt realise this until much later. When the depression lifted, I was back to normal again. I still had the previous anxiety from when I was 12, but that was much less by comparison. I know looking back, that taking the Pill was what blew it out of proportion. (I really don't advise taking the Pill. It gave me a lot of aggrevation psychologically, but I think the hormonal influences associated with it also contributed to the FMS. I've read a lot of negative things about the pill - but won't go into detail here.)
So thats about it in terms of life experiance. I think it was a lot of stressful things, all working against me put strain on my body, until it developed into FMS. The emotional relief occured around the same time as the symptoms of fibro crept in.I went downhill then stayed the same until I was finally diagnosed- but thats another story. I can't say the exact cause of my Fibro, but its been interesting to speculate.
Now I'm also wondering if I have a genetic susceptibility to the condition. My aunt has an inflamed thyroid- I know some cases of fibro is associated with thyroid problems, so there could be a link there. Some of her symptoms are similar to fibro, although she has not been diagnosed with this. Both my aunties have a rare blood condition called Porphryria (Pretty sure thats the correct spelling). It seems to have similar symptoms as well. My mother, their sister, was tested for it and, altho it came back clear, thinks the test was messed up, so she could have Porphryia too without realising it. We're wondering if the condition was passed down to me or if a genetic link could have affected the likeliness of fibro. So theres all of this. Then theres the depression/anxiety in the family, which I seem vulnerable to as well.
*Sigh* So thats all. I could go on for much longer about my diet, lack of sleep etc.- theres so much more I want to add, but I've written enough! So now I am stopping. I hope this was of interest to you. Its been good to share my story, anything you want to ask, feel free. Best wishes, wanderingwallflower x
I asked a question yesterday prompted by this conversation. I developed Fibro after an accident and my insurance company wanted me to have another mri scan. I think to prove that i am still suffering. The other side want to settle now without the mri being done.
Has anybody been awarded anything for developing fibro after being in an accident or should i just settle now.
I would really like some advice. If it is possible to get a larger sum it would really help but if there is no chance i will just settle.
Hi TiddlyF,this is a hard one isn`t it,The only problem with the MRI is unless the get you to flex your neck,it won`t show if there is stenosis (I think thats what it is called).
If you google it there is some information about it.
If you have soeone to stand by you while you do it,stand with your feet together hold your hands out and see if you can stand still.
It`s called the Hoffman technic google that and you will get the information you want.
See what you think and maybe your solicitor could make sure that the MRI is done as I say.
You can develop fibro after suffering a whiplash and neck trauma. A mri doesn't show if you have fibro, it's only to make sure there is not damage to the spine. You can google it - you will find plenty of information about this. According to my solicitor this is very well documented. Good luck.
This is an interesting Q, I have noticed by browsing throught the different Q and A and note that a very high percentage of FMS/CFS suffer from some kind of
trauma such as illnesses/accidents and wonder if there is a link from this?
I have suffered with wear and tear athritis and some OA but it was the trauma of dealing with cancer that seemed to set me off in the fibro route.
I presumed it was just one of those things but on looking at others diagnosis there seems to be a high rate of diagnosis following trauma, so will read the answers to see what pattern emerges.
Hi Smily, I had a bike accident 8 yrs ago & cracked my tailbone (OUCH)
My back wheel went in a pothole & then 6mths later I fell playing with my grandson. I was off work for nearlly 2 yrs. My employer gave me medical retirement which was a blessing to me. I recieved my pension straight away
My regular doctor was on hols & I went to another one, she said with all my symptoms she needed to do my bloods. The results came back & she wrote to me to make an app with her & bring my husband, PANIC!! She explained all about LUPIS (I had never heard of it before)
I was sent to a hospital in Glasgow, The specialist said it was FM after I had told him my history. Yes,! lots of people get it this way.
After over 3yrs I am on MST (slow release morphine
900 x3 Gabapentin
Citalopam
Omeprazole
Clonidine
Sumatriptan
I feel as if I rattle, but they do help at times. I still have flare ups but not as often.
Take care & fibro hugs to all ((((O)))) Julie X
This is a great discussion. I figure I was a fibromite waiting to happen. Tick so many of the boxes. Hypothyroid, traumatic childhood, violent relationships, CFS 20 years ago which I recovered from I think, pernicious anaemia you name it. The only thing I don't remember is whiplash but I figure that some of the violence could easily have mimicked that.
My own interpretation is that as a child I wasn't allowed to have emotional feelings so began somatising really young. I then found other ways (none of them healthy) of holding down my feelings. When I stopped that I got CFS at first but seemed to recover from this. Then I got really successful and as with all emotions, I coudn't cope with this so after a brief attempt at the old bad coping methods, I started having pain, first one place, then another, the rest you've all lived.
We all sseem to have gone through a hard emotional time but the ones who suffered body injuries, these injuries started in different parts of the body. I thought it did always started in the neck. I thought there was a strong link between the neck and fibro but this was obviously missunderstanding.
It seems that it is triggered by any muscle suffering with a myalgia anyhere in the body.
Can you, please, tell me in what part of the body started and how did it expand?
My Fybro started after unsuccessful surgery that made me ill requiring further surgery. I became depressed and then developed Fybro. Its a very puzzeling illness, I would just like my life back, I would love to be the person I was
I do suffer from depression due to some events and have since an early age im only 18 now, so it could have sped fibro up however I think It was in my genes so I was always going to get it at some point in my life. Just wish it had been later x
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