Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Members with fibro
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 84029" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>What's in a name?</p><p></p><p>In Australia, it used to be called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or ME), the name coined by Dr Melvin Ramsay after he noticed a strange epidemic which temporarily closed the Royal Free Hospital in 1955. It was called the Royal Free Epidemic.</p><p>Then in Australia in 1988 (or thereabouts) the Royal Australasian College of Physicians decided to toss out the ME tag and call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS. Most people hated the name, it seemed to be trivialising the condition. But we had some really sharp researchers including one who spent sometime working at CDC in Atlanta, where he and a few others came up with some new and more involved diagnostic criteria.</p><p></p><p>Britain mostly kept the ME label, the US mostly used CFIDS - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. Meanwhile in some parts of Australia, some patients were finding that a CFS label was causing them all sorts of trouble with welfare agencies, employers, politicians - you name it. So the doctors began calling it Fibromyalgia.</p><p></p><p>Now, in my own research, fibromyalgia is a symptom, not a disease in itself, although over the last couple of decades it has been used often as an alternative (and sometimes intermediate) label for CFS (or whatever it's called in your area). In the same way, some people are very slack about using terms correctly - "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" is a distinct, identified and defined medical condition, but "chronic fatigue" is simply a description of a symptom which can affect 1 in 4 people, for a whole range of different causes.</p><p></p><p>So, back to your question - fibromyalgia, the symptom, does NOT cause brain fog in itself.</p><p>However, the name when used as a synonym for CFS, ME or CFIDS, IS associated with brain fog (aka cognitive dysfunction).</p><p>In the same way, long-term (or chronic) fatigue, the symptom, is not necessarily associated with brain fog, but CFS definitely is.</p><p></p><p>It's actually listed in the diagnostic criteria.</p><p><a href="http://www.immunesupport.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-diagnostic.htm" target="_blank">http://www.immunesupport.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-diagnostic.htm</a></p><p></p><p>I also looked up fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria, but as far as I can see, it is most commonly used as another name for CFS, unless it is simply mentioning the symptom.</p><p>Anyway, here is the other link - if you follow it, you will see it does mention cognitive impairment (aka brain fog).</p><p><a href="http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_diagnosis.html" target="_blank">http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_diagnosis.html</a></p><p></p><p>But why is your doctor not considering this? I couldn't say, however she IS right to insist you be checked for other possibilities. In my experience CFS and all its synonyms is a garbage bin diagnosis. Once you get the label, doctors stop looking for reasons and blame everything on the CFS, which can sometimes mean (if the diagnosis was a bit hasty) that a nastier underlying condition gets missed and you suffer for much longer than you should, or fail to be treated more appropriately.</p><p></p><p>So let her check things out, and meanwhile do your own homework. Look for the diagnostic criteria and read them for yourself. Find a local support network and ask them for names of doctors you can see, if you want to go down that path.</p><p></p><p>And meanwhile, the best management is to treat the symptoms; exercise within moderation to the limitation of your condition at the time; keep as fit as you can but don't over-exercise. Go gently with walking or swimming, rather than jogging or weightlifting. As for brain fog - plan plenty of rest breaks into your day, including mental rest breaks. practice meditation, relaxation therapy - and try to keep calm and de-stress as much as possible.</p><p>You can't do better than that.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 84029, member: 1991"] What's in a name? In Australia, it used to be called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or ME), the name coined by Dr Melvin Ramsay after he noticed a strange epidemic which temporarily closed the Royal Free Hospital in 1955. It was called the Royal Free Epidemic. Then in Australia in 1988 (or thereabouts) the Royal Australasian College of Physicians decided to toss out the ME tag and call it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS. Most people hated the name, it seemed to be trivialising the condition. But we had some really sharp researchers including one who spent sometime working at CDC in Atlanta, where he and a few others came up with some new and more involved diagnostic criteria. Britain mostly kept the ME label, the US mostly used CFIDS - Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. Meanwhile in some parts of Australia, some patients were finding that a CFS label was causing them all sorts of trouble with welfare agencies, employers, politicians - you name it. So the doctors began calling it Fibromyalgia. Now, in my own research, fibromyalgia is a symptom, not a disease in itself, although over the last couple of decades it has been used often as an alternative (and sometimes intermediate) label for CFS (or whatever it's called in your area). In the same way, some people are very slack about using terms correctly - "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" is a distinct, identified and defined medical condition, but "chronic fatigue" is simply a description of a symptom which can affect 1 in 4 people, for a whole range of different causes. So, back to your question - fibromyalgia, the symptom, does NOT cause brain fog in itself. However, the name when used as a synonym for CFS, ME or CFIDS, IS associated with brain fog (aka cognitive dysfunction). In the same way, long-term (or chronic) fatigue, the symptom, is not necessarily associated with brain fog, but CFS definitely is. It's actually listed in the diagnostic criteria. [url="http://www.immunesupport.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-diagnostic.htm"]http://www.immunesupport.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-diagnostic.htm[/url] I also looked up fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria, but as far as I can see, it is most commonly used as another name for CFS, unless it is simply mentioning the symptom. Anyway, here is the other link - if you follow it, you will see it does mention cognitive impairment (aka brain fog). [url="http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_diagnosis.html"]http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_diagnosis.html[/url] But why is your doctor not considering this? I couldn't say, however she IS right to insist you be checked for other possibilities. In my experience CFS and all its synonyms is a garbage bin diagnosis. Once you get the label, doctors stop looking for reasons and blame everything on the CFS, which can sometimes mean (if the diagnosis was a bit hasty) that a nastier underlying condition gets missed and you suffer for much longer than you should, or fail to be treated more appropriately. So let her check things out, and meanwhile do your own homework. Look for the diagnostic criteria and read them for yourself. Find a local support network and ask them for names of doctors you can see, if you want to go down that path. And meanwhile, the best management is to treat the symptoms; exercise within moderation to the limitation of your condition at the time; keep as fit as you can but don't over-exercise. Go gently with walking or swimming, rather than jogging or weightlifting. As for brain fog - plan plenty of rest breaks into your day, including mental rest breaks. practice meditation, relaxation therapy - and try to keep calm and de-stress as much as possible. You can't do better than that. Marg [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Members with fibro
Top