Fibro CFS theory - Aches, Pains and Fatigue mechanisims
Flu pains persist in Fibros
Date: 4/19/2008 2:09:47 PM ( 16 y ) ... viewed 1797 times Ok, so it is not completely MY idea, but parts of it are...
Most people know the feeling of tiredness and aches and pains during a bout of the flu or a cold. It has been suggested that this is a "method of the immune system" that gets us to slow down so that more bodily resources can be used to fight off the illness or infection. Otherwise, people tend to just keep going hard when ill, but pain generally will slow us down because pain is a great motivator.
BUT, for Fibromyalgia and CFS [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome] victims, that particular "method of the immune system" that causes aches and pains DOES NOT SHUT OFF after the illness is cured. Fibro people will surely say that their pains do feel like those pains of the flu, and that activity knocks them down pretty quickly. It makes a lot of sense.
SO WHY does this happen? Why do the aches and fatigue remain for Fibros? This is my own suggestion now... I propose that it might have something to do with the drugs we use, such as antibiotics, to help us get over colds and flus. These drugs are "artificial means" of fighting illness, and therefore they do not fit in with our immune system. It is very possible that when we get over our illnesses with pharmacueticals, etc., that our bodies do not know to shut off that "method of the immune system" that gets us to slow down - the aches and pains.
Ok ok, hold the applause. Almost nobody in medical research is even looking at what turns on the aches and pains, much less how they relate to chronic pain conditions, or what role pharmaceuticals might play in it all. Also, this may or may not relate to my favorite theory of chronic pain where the "sensory processing" has gone wild [also described in this blog].
But remember - "you heard it here first".
Ever so humble,
Karlin.
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