Fibromyalgia Syndrome and PTSD
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I am one of those who has both Fibromyalgia and PTSD. I am also diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. Today my 25 year old daughter finally received a Fibromyalgia diagnosis. Like me it took nearly ten years. Like me she was sexually molested as a child, in fact her abuser was also one of my abusers. When she told me about his actions I had what I today know was a full blown PTSD episode that led to me giving my ex-husband custody of my two boys who were younger than my daughter. I also ran over 600 miles away from them and the area I had grown up in. I have been reading about the link between Fibro and PTSD and thought perhaps I would post some information on it here. If it is on the wrong board please let me know. This article comes from WebMD at http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/88/99964.htm?pagenumber=1

Posttraumatic Stress, Fibromyalgia Linked

Chronic Pain Condition Seen in Half of Veterans With PTSD

By Salynn Boyles WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Thursday, June 10, 2004

June 10, 2004 -- The mysterious chronic pain condition fibromyalgia is widely thought of as a woman's disease, but new research suggests it is also common among men with posttraumatic stress disorder.


In a study of male Israeli war veterans, half of the men with combat-related PTSD also had the tenderness and pain characteristic of fibromyalgia. The findings were reported today in Berlin at a European rheumatology meeting.


There is a growing body of research linking posttraumatic stress and chronic pain, but the Israeli investigation is the first to limit its study population to males.


"A consistent relationship has been seen between PTSD and chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia," says psychologist John D. Otis, PhD, who is also studying the link in veterans. "The fact that the pain is often independent of the traumatic event leads us to believe that there is something else going on."


Pain and Trauma


While the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, the condition often occurs following physical trauma -- such as an illness or injury -- which may act as a trigger. In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology developed a standardized diagnostic evaluation for fibromyalgia, which includes a history of widespread pain for a minimum of three months and pressure-associated pain at 11 of 18 specific sites on the body.


The ACR standards were used in the Israeli study to evaluate 55 war veterans with severe PTSD, along with 20 veterans with major depression and 49 veterans with neither condition.

About half -- 49% -- of the PTSD patients met the criteria for fibromyalgia, but only 5% of the patients with major depression did. None of the men who had neither condition had fibromyalgia.


In his presentation to the European League Against Rheumatism, lead investigator Howard Amital, MD, notes the fibromyalgia-PTSD link was much stronger than that for PTSD and major depression, despite the fact that the severity of the two psychiatric conditions was similar.


"Psychiatric illness is (not) necessarily correlated with fibromyalgia, but PTSD certainly is," he notes. "The symptoms may overlap, but the degree and the intensity of these disorders are so closely related that it cannot be just a coincidence."


Integrating Treatment


Peter Roy-Byrne, MD, who is chief of psychiatry at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center, has also studied the association between posttraumatic stress and chronic pain and fatigue. He tells WebMD that patients with fibromyalgia should be evaluated for PTSD, and PTSD patients should be evaluated for the chronic pain condition. Roy-Byrne is also professor and vice chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine.


"Even though the pharmacological treatment of these conditions may be similar, the behavioral and cognitive approaches to treatment may differ in patients with both," he says.


Otis says his own VA experience also suggests a very high incidence of unexplained chronic pain among veterans with PTSD. He is evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of patients with both conditions.


"Our thinking is that that we will do a better job of treating both conditions using an integrated, behavioral approach," he says.



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SOURCES: Annual European Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, Berlin, June 9-12, 2004. Howard Amital, MD, Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem. Peter P. Roy-Byrne, MD, professor and vice chairman, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; chief of psychiatry, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle. John D. Otis, PhD, director of psychology pain management, VA Boston Healthcare System.

Posted by Beakerless on a PTSD forum

People with Fibromyalgia More Likely to Develop PTSD
March 2004

Women with fibromyalgia-like symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may share some psychobiological risk factors that predispose them to having both disorders, according to a study in the March issue of Pain Medicine, the journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Fibromyalgia is a medically unexplained condition involving widespread pain. “This finding helps us understand why some people respond to traumatic events with PTSD or fibromyalgia-like symptoms and others do not,” says Pain Medicine Editor-in-Chief Rollin M. Gallagher, MD, MPH. To evaluate the frequent coexistence of fibromyalgia and PTSD, investigators compared responses to a pre- September 11th pain survey of 1,312 women in New York and New Jersey to a second survey administered six months after the terrorist attacks to which PTSD questions were added. They found that the odds of probable PTSD were more than three times greater in women with fibromyalgia-like symptoms, both assessed after Sept. 11. “Individuals with fibromyalgia symptoms often respond to highly stressful event, such as Sept. 11, with one of two reactions – psychological arousal and distress or avoidance and numbing of the experience,” cautions Dr. Gallagher. “Clinical observations suggest that psychological distress often worsens symptoms of fibromyalgia as well as neuropathic pain conditions. These reactions suggest that those with fibromyalgia must pay particular attention to stress control following a highly traumatic event.

“This research found that there are individuals who are vulnerable to developing symptoms – PTSD like or fibromalygia like – in response to traumatic events,” comments Dr. Gallagher. “People with this vulnerability may respond with more symptoms than people who do not have this vulnerability. If someone has fibromyalgia-type symptoms, generalized aches and pains, always look for other factors, such as PTSD, anxiety or traumatic life events, that may activate or worsen symptoms of the disorder.”

Principal investigator: Karen G. Raphael, Ph.D., from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark.
(Pain Medicine 2004; 5(1): 33-41)

Founded in 1983, the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) is the authority on the evaluation and care of patients with pain as a symptom of disease (eudynia) and primary pain diseases (maldynia). With members originating in a number of medical specialties, including anesthesiology, internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, physiatry, and psychiatry, the AAPM has evolved as the primary organization for physicians practicing pain medicine in the United States. As a major force in advancing the practice and science of pain medicine, AAPM works hard to provide consumers and healthcare personnel with the most up-to-date information available on the science and practice of pain medicine.

For more information or to interview the investigators, call Amy Jenkins at 312/664-2717 or email amy@jenkinspr.com.

Posted by Beakerless on a PTSD forum

Food and Diet affects sleep


Alternative and Integral Therapies


Food and Diet

Diet is especially important when treating sleep disorders, and it is essential to rule out food intolerances as a cause. In one study of infants, sleeplessness was eliminated by removing cow's milk from the diet and then reproduced by its reintroduction. See Food Intolerance for more information.
Certain types of food promote sleep while others inhibit it.

Foods to Eat

Chlorophyll-rich foods, such as leafy, green. vegetables, steamed or boiled.

Microalgae, such as chlorella and spirulina.

Oyster shell can be purchased in health food stores and taken as a nutritional supplement.

Whole grains: Whole wheat, brown rice, and oats have a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system and the mind. Carbohydrates also boost serotonin, which promotes better sleep.

Mushrooms (all types)

Fruit, especially mulberries and lemons, which calm the mind.

Seeds: jujube seeds are used to calm the spirit and support the heart. Chia seeds also have a sedative effect.

Dill

Basil

Foods such as bread, bagels, and crackers that are high in complex carbohydrates have a mild sleep-enhancing effect because they increase serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that promotes sleep.

A glass of warm milk with honey is one of the oldest and best remedies for insomnia. Milk contains tryptophan which, when converted to seratonin in the body, induces sleep and prevents waking.

Lettuce has a long-standing reputation for promoting healthy sleep. This is due to an opium-related substance combined with traces of the anticramping agent hyoscyarnin present in lettuce. Lettuce should be an integral part of your evening diet if you are suffering from sleep disorders. The meal should also include legumes, peanuts, nutritional yeast, fish or poultry. These foods contain vitamin B3 (niacin). Niacin is involved in seratonin synthesis and promotes healthy sleep. Mixed with a little lemon juice for flavor, lettuce juice is an effective sleep-inducing drink highly preferable to the synthetic chemical agents in sleeping pills.

Foods to Avoid

Coffee

Tea

Spicy foods

Cola

Chocolate

Stimulant drugs

Alcohol

Refined carbohydrates (They drain the B vitamins.)

Additives

Preservatives

Non-organic foods containing pesticides.

Canned foods or any source of toxicity or heavy metals.

Sugar and foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. These raise blood-sugar levels and can cause a burst of energy that disturbs sleep.

Foods that are likely to cause gas, heartburn, or indigestion, such as fatty or spicy foods, garlic-flavored foods, beans, cucumbers, and peanuts.

Foods such as meat that are high in protein can inhibit sleep by blocking the synthesis of serotonin, making us feel more alert.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), often found in Chinese food. This causes a stimulant reaction in some people.

Avoid cigarettes and tobacco. While smoking may seem to have a calming effect, nicotine is actually a neurostimulant and can cause sleep problems.

Alcohol and caffeine are two beverages/food that you must avoid for a healthy sleep. Avoid caffeine in all forms (tea, coffee, cola, chocolate). See Also: Caffeine Content of Common Beverages for a table of caffeine in common beverages.

The sensitivity to the stimulant effects of caffeine varies greatly from one person to the next. This is largely a reflection of how quickly the body can eliminate caffeine. Even small amounts of caffeine such as those found in decaffeinated coffee or chocolate, may be enough to cause insomnia in some people.

Alcohol produces a number of sleep-impairing effects. In addition to causing the release of adrenaline, alcohol impairs the transport of tryptophan into the brain, and, because the brain is dependent upon tryptophan as the source for serotonin (an important neurotransmitter that initiates sleep), alcohol disrupts serotonin levels.

Avoid too many ingredients in a meal and too much food late at night.

Recommendations

If you want to fall asleep more easily, eat a high-carbohydrate snack and avoid high-protein foods in the hour or two before bed time.
In the evening, eat turkey, bananas, figs, dates, yogurt, milk, tuna, and whole grain crackers or nut butter. These foods are high in tryptophan, which promotes sleep. Eating a grapefruit half at bedtime also helps.

Avoid bacon, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, sausage, spinach, tomatoes, and wine close to bedtime. These foods contain tyramine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
Our digestive system slows at night. So, it is harder to digest late meals. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime.

How To Avoid Nocturnal Hypoglycemia

Nocturnal hypoglycemia (low nighttime blood glucose level) is an important cause of sleep-maintenance insomnia. When there is a drop in the blood glucose level, it causes the release of hormones that regulate glucose levels. These compounds stimulate the brain. They are a natural signal that it is time to eat.

Many people suffer from faulty glucose metabolism, either hypoglycemia or diabetes, because of overeating refined carbohydrates. Good bedtime snacks to keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the night are oatmeal and other whole grain cereals, whole grain breads and muffins, and other complex carbohydrates. These foods will not only help maintain blood sugar levels, they actually can help promote sleep by increasing the level of serotonin within the brain.

http://www.holistic-online.com/REMEDIES/Sleep/sleep_ins_food-and-diet.htm
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Potatoes Not Prozac

(Note-- sugar is a mood altering drug not a food) Older people after consuming sugar in various forms thru a life time have a growing Sugar Sensitivity issues.

From a book by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

Introduction:

A Natural seven-step Dietary Plan to stabilize the level of sugar in your blood, control your cravings and lose weight and recognize how foods affect the way you feel.


Forward:

While we think of sugar as a food, it is actually a drug--an eternal substance action throughout the brain and body on cellular receptors designed for an internal chemical called glucose. Since glucose is usually the only fuel the brain can ever use, and is critical to mental clarity, mood states and the controlled release of energy in the body, it is astounding how cavalierly we sprinkle sugar, or its inferior substitute, into everything from children’s breakfast food to ketchup. If sugar were to be put on the market for the first time today, it would probably be difficult to get it past the FDA.

Like many drugs that work through receptors, sugar has a paradoxical effect characterized by two phenomena: First, the more of the drug you take, the less of the drug’s internal analog is produced in you brain and body. Second, the receptors for sugar or any other drug become less sensitive--sometimes actually decreasing in number--as protection against the drug bombarding them. We can easily become physically dependent on exogenous sugar for mood boosts--but our habit now results in depression instead of well-being, exhaustion and anxiety instead of a burst of energy.

CH 1 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Are you aware of yourself, smart and sensitive to others’ feeling? Are you committed to your own personal growth? Do you care about things deeply? Do your friends value you and respect your opinion? Are you successful in your work? Are you usually confident and hopeful about your future?

But do you sometime feel your confidence slip away, leaving you in self-doubt and despair? Does it seem “crazy” that you can be so clear one day and so desperate the next? Worse, you may drop from the heights to the depths in the same day. It’s almost as if another person were inside you.

You hate to admit it, but you can be moody and impulsive. You want to get things done, but your attention drifts. You lose energy and get tired. You crave sugar and turn to sweets and snack foods to get yourself going again. Sometimes you eat compulsively. You put on weight. You seem to have no self-discipline. You often feel depressed and overwhelmed. …If this description fits you, you may be sugar sensitive. Your body chemistry may respond to sugars and certain carbohydrates (such as bread, crackers, cereal and pasta) differently than other people’s.

Diagnosing Sugar Sensitivity

How can I know if I am sugar sensitive?

The core issues are:

I really like sweet foods.

I eat a lot of sweets.

I am very fond of bread, cereal, popcorn, or pasta.

I now have or have had a problem with alcohol or drugs.

One or both of my parent are/were alcoholic.

One or both of my parents are/were especially fond of sugar.

I am overweight and don’t’ seem to be able to easily lose the extra pounds.

I continue to be depressed no matter what I do.

I often find myself overreacting to stress.

I have a history of anger that sometime surprises even me.

This thread is for PTSD links and PTSD specific information. It has worked well if this thread is reserved for PTSD info and links and minimal or no discussion that can be done on other threads.

Thankyou,

Cherry

bump

PAIRS Foundation Offering Free Classes to Help Combat Veterans Impacted by PTSD

The nonprofit PAIRS Foundation will offer a series of free 90-minute online classes this month to help returning combat veterans and family members impacted by PTSD. Early intervention through effective education and skills training is critical for combat veterans and families. For more information please visit: pairs.com/splash/ptsd.html