Fibromyalgia and Depression

By Carly Murphy


Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain, sleep disorders, fatigue, major depression, severe headaches, bowel problems and many other conditions. Fibromyalgia effects as many as 10 million Americans, with up to 90% of sufferers being female. There isn't any known cure for Fibromyalgia however, many treatment options exist.

Depression is a very common symptom linked to Fibromyalgia with research showing 30% of patients suffer from major Fibromyalgia and depression during the course of diagnosis with Fibromyalgia and 20% fighting generalized anxiety disorder. It is believed that as much as 80% of men and women told they have Fibromyalgia have problems with some degree of depression. Common depression related difficulties encountered by people that have Fibromyalgia consist of worry, anxiety, irritability, sadness, and a general lack of interest in life.

Although no certain causes have been confirmed relative to Fibromyalgia, presently there is information that indicates key causal factors that influence both Fibromyalgia and the depression so common to it. Several causes associated with Fibromyalgia include abnormalities in brain chemicals linked with nerve signal transmission, particularly nerve signals having to do with pain. Trauma, both psychological and physical, have been shown as probable causal factors linked to Fibromyalgia. Genetics also is suspected of playing a role.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by causal symptoms. This refers to the tendency for symptoms to feed on each other and foster an ongoing pattern of symptoms interacting in a downhill spiral. These "negative feedback loops" consist of causal symptoms that lead to other symptoms getting a whole lot worse. For example, a Fibromyalgia affected person will experience persistent severe pain. This type of pain may cause trouble sleeping which leads to fatigue. The fatigue and pain can foster depression which feeds putting on weight, stress and anxiety that all play a role in amplifying Fibromyalgia pain.

Treating despression symptoms in Fibromyalgia is a bit more complicated than managing depression as a stand alone problem. It is very important establish how and when depression is presenting itself and work to identify its relationship with other Fibromyalgia symptoms. This approach will allow a process of aiming treatment choices not only at the depression itself but at the other Fibromyalgia symptoms that could be feeding the depression.

Treatment plans include pharmaceutical drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Wellbutrin as well as a number of other potential pharmaceutical options. There are numerous research proven alternative treatment options for depression with St. Johns Wort and SAMe both being previously demonstrated via multiple research studies as being just as successful as depression drug treatments for many patients. Patients must coordinate with their doctor to make the most suitable choice and ensure no undesirable drug interactions are encountered.

Fibromyalgia patients also are likely to show noted improvement for their depression and its impact on their other Fibromyalgia symptoms when treatment therapies are used. One of the many treatment therapy choices; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Modification Therapy and traditional Psychological Therapy have shown extremely good results.




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