Fybromialgia, diabetes and stress!

[2everett]

Guess what?

I’ve just been in another forum where two people suffering from the above have been told by their doctors it’s caused by stress!!

Hate to say it but ....

[nightdancer]

And, the point of this in the context of RLS?

[Eryl in reply to nightdancer]

I heard yesterday that a doctor said that fibromyalgia, migraine and IBS seem to be related. I think that all but stress is caused by high blood sugar ( which ties in with diabetes). Sugar is inflammatory, and I believe it causes inflammation in the nerve endings which give rise to the sensations leading to these conditions. I have virtually eliminated my rls by cutting out sweetened foods, and regulating high carbohydrate foods which raise blood sugar levels. The only time I've had it when I can not relate it to diet was last week when I had a stressful couple of days. I found that Voltarol gel gave me enough relief to allow me to sleep.

[Parminter]

This idea was current for a long time, it clearly still is. The 'stressed' persons, that is to say 'neurotics', were usually women. Of course.

I remember an honoured professor of Medicine pontificating on the television, laughing like a drain and saying exactly that.

My own lifelong RLS was already profoundly affecting my life, and I was in despair at his comments. How could anything ever get better when a public personality, much admired, put us all down as neurotics?

[johnh1]

Well there we are you have solved it. You will probably get the nobel prize. ...............For ??? ( all those with RLS will know)

[ookla]

You should visit the forum where they're told by doctors it's caused by bad blood and they need leeches. Or maybe you should visit the forum where they're told by doctors it's caused by evil spirits and they need holes drilled in their heads. Or maybe you should visit the forum where they're told by doctors it's caused by a witch's curse in their village and they need to drown her. Or maybe you should visit any other forum, for a long while, take your time, no need to rush back here.

[Hidden in reply to ookla]

Not cool. She’s just trying to help....

Nobody is sure what causes RLS, so it’s worth looking at all possibilities — even ones that are “outside the box”.

[2everett in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Jess. I often wonder why the moderator doesn’t step in and stop this. Perhaps HU is funded by big Pharma? Perhaps the moderator can tell us who finds this site? I think I’ve read somewhere they feed back the members comments to the pharmaceutical companies. If they only hear about meds then that’s all that they can report which maintains the status quo!

[nightdancer in reply to 2everett]

WRONG, H/U has nothing to with Big Pharma, and the RLS-UK Foundation just "rents" this space for it's forum. They are NOT Big Pharma that is for sure!!!! When people are having a discussion, both sides are allowed to be shown, as long as it stays fairly civil. You HAVE to understand that we do not only talk about meds, if you check. The discussions are driven by questions from new members. In my 28 years of managing RLS groups on and off line, there have been a few people who insist that is mind over matter. The brain shows physical changes on scans when pain is involved and when RLS is involved. So, it is kind of hard to do "mind over matter" when parts of your brain are lit up, clearly showing evidence of a PHYSICAL DISEASE. We have been told for decades that we should be able to "think it away", and while that may be a "COPING" technique, there is no cure in there. Raging RLS is almost impossible to stop even with meds. But go on your merry way. Post what you will, but we are allowed to express our opinions, too. Just because someone does not agree with you does not mean they should be not allowed to post. We dislike fake news on this web site, too. Whatever helps you is what we always say, but we object when the person does not have RLS. 2everett, I will ask you one more time, do you have RLS? Simple question really.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I agree. I have dreadful RLS. But I think there is some sort of consensus that we are more likely to feel the symptoms or else they are worse when stressed. I think the same applies to fibromyalgia.

I don't think anyone is calling these things neurotic any more ( they'd better not be! ) but it make sense that brain chemicals are affected by other brain chemicals. If there's an element involving stress then that might be an alleyway someone can look down for treatment. I don't mean by suggesting current antidepressants etc but there may be other chemicals, not stress related, that might feed into this vicious circle.

I'm certainly stressed but then so are lots of people. It might be that our genetic susceptibility allows the triggering when stress hormones get going.

Who knows!

I just want all avenues explored and someone to find an answer.

Stress doesn't mean 'it'll all in the head', it just means stress with whatever chemicals are released. Who knows, maybe when our ancient ancestors were stressed by looking out for predators or whatever and some folk had to keep awake at night as lookouts, the most successful lookouts were those who were so restless they couldn't sleep - but they could day time later - so the genes were carried on as a success!

[2everett]

The posts were on HU.

[2everett]

I had RLS for 20 years. It was diagnosed by my doctor. I was prescribed Repronole.

[Hidden]

I'm actually convinced that stress causes a lot of the autoimmune conditions we have. My stress at work was out of control my entire career, and I came home to take care of a very difficult mother in law. So I am not surprised that they have recommended this as a possible cause...

[Eryl in reply to Hidden]

I'd disagree that stress causes diabetes, but I would agree that stress can bring on rls. See my answer to Nightdancer's reply.

[Hidden in reply to Eryl]

Hi Eryl - I'm not sure - My husband ended up with Diabetes shortly after dealing with his mother for 15 years.. Stress may not be the only reason, but I'm suspicious that it contributed..

[Hidden]

Stress can be a trigger for RLS but not a cause. Stress for some can make your RLS worse. Stress has no impact at all on my RLS.

[Narcis]

I'm convinced that stress in my trigger. Stilnox helps me much. Someone post this some time ago. But just working since a month ago. Looking now for secondary effects....