Fibromyalgia refers to a group of musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders characterized by fatigue, persistent pain around the joints, and stiffness in the muscles, tendons, and surrounding soft tissue.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that combines three factors: moderate to severe pain in the muscles and joints, along with sleep disturbances and profound fatigue.
In biological medicine, fibromyalgia is always accompanied by viral or bacterial infections, such as Lyme disease, or heavy metal poisoning, acidic pH, oxidative stress, etc.
Lyme disease causes 80% of fibromyalgia cases, according to statistics. Mariano Bueno confirms this: 80% of fibromyalgia cases are Lyme disease, as you can see in the following video.
Many cases of fibromyalgia are actually caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete that causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a great imitator of other diseases, and its symptoms are very similar to those of fibromyalgia: extreme fatigue, rheumatic and neurological symptoms, among others.
It is essential to rule out Lyme disease, and to do so we will perform the Lyme test, the Lymecheck. In addition, the Immunocheck, lymphocyte and protein profiles, Canditest and/or Koprocheck, and other tests are also necessary.
Lyme disease, transmitted by tick bites, mimics common illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and psychiatric illnesses such as depression or anxiety. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently published new statistics showing that 10 times more individuals have been affected by Lyme disease than previously suspected. Since some blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease have proven to be unreliable, it would be expected that a certain percentage of cases diagnosed with fibromyalgia are in fact Lyme disease. This has been my personal experience, says Dr. Richard Horowitz, a specialist in Lyme disease.
Over the past 26 years, I have seen more than 12,000 people with chronic Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses, many of whom have visited 10 or 20 doctors seeking answers for their chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infections were often one of the underlying causes of their problem.
Using the 1990 classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia was previously established, requiring a certain number of specific tender points on physical examination. This method proved to be insensitive for making the diagnosis and has been revised. The newer criteria include diagnostic variables such as the generalized pain index associated with cognitive symptoms, non-restorative sleep, fatigue, and a number of somatic symptoms. Unfortunately, these symptom criteria overlap with other diseases and are not specific. They do not tell us why someone develops fibromyalgia.
In medicine, it is essential to get to the root cause of symptoms. In addition to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, which can cause fibromyalgia, we find that patients often have multifactorial causes for their illness. I call this Lyme-MSIDS syndrome. MSIDS stands for Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome, and represents sixteen possible medical problems that contribute to the overlap of persistent symptoms in my patients.
The first point on the MSIDS map is infections. Ticks carry multiple bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections that can be transmitted simultaneously with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. Patients infected with Lyme disease and associated co-infections are highly resistant to standard therapies. An example of a viral infection that causes fibromyalgia symptoms is human herpesvirus type 6. It is one of many infections that can cause chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain.
Medicine has long sought a common etiological mechanism to explain diseases that share many common symptoms, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic Lyme disease. Dr. Martin Pall, Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, notes that the above pathological conditions share many common symptoms. These symptoms include chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, memory and concentration problems, depression and anxiety, and an inability to sleep. As early as 2001, he postulated that these diseases with similar symptoms may be triggered by a variety of factors, such as viral infections, bacterial infections, physical or emotional trauma, and exposure to environmental toxins, such as volatile organic solvents, pesticides, etc. All of these various stressors can increase nitric oxide. Although nitric oxide has been shown to have very beneficial effects on the body, such as lowering blood pressure and vasodilation of the coronary arteries, it can also have harmful effects in certain diseases. What are the negative effects of nitric oxide?
When we stimulate nitric oxide production, we increase the production of peroxynitrite. This molecule acts as a free radical and increases oxidative stress., which can damage DNA and proteins within the cell.
It can also stimulate the production of NF-κB, a switch within our nucleus that turns on the production of inflammatory molecules such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN (interferon gamma). These are proteins that can contribute to the symptoms seen in fibromyalgia and Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a multisystemic disease, and there are certain characteristics of the disease that differentiate it from other medical conditions. Symptoms tend to come and go with good days and bad days. Musculoskeletal pain and neuropathy (tingling, numbness, and burning) tend to migrate throughout the body. Symptoms often improve or worsen with antibiotic treatment, and women often report that symptoms worsen just before, during, or after their menstrual cycle.
Unfortunately, because their symptoms are so similar, Lyme disease and fibromyalgia are often confused. Many people with Lyme disease suffer from the same widespread pain and tender points as those with fibromyalgia. There is a diagnostic test for Lyme disease, but it sometimes produces false results. As a result, many patients are left suffering for long periods of time.
It is believed that between 15% and 50% of patients diagnosed with Lyme disease actually have fibromyalgia. It is important to test for Lyme disease using a variety of different diagnostic tests to rule out this disease. Long-term antibiotic treatment can result in serious side effects and do nothing to alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
