Is Fibromyalgia and Lyme disease related?

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Later I got diagnosed with Lyme. I definately can tell the difference. The Lyme disease was unbearable. With the Fibromyalgia, I was tired and felt flu like and had muscle spams all over. Now with the Lyme, which I feel like I have again now, I have symptoms of major dizziness, migraines, extreme and quick exhaustion. Then when I lie down to sleep my heart rate goes up and I jump up wide awake every 2 hours unable to sleep. I feel more anxious and also nauseated. I get unberable pain as well. So I think I have it back. Do you have to be bitten again or can it just come back? And once you have either can they cause the other to come back? Its hard enough to have the Fibromyalgia. I cant bare to have Lyme again. The other thing is that I wonder if Lyme can cause other things to flare up as well, like IBS, etc? Having all these symptoms makes it impossible to function and I havent found any remedys. Anyone have any ideas or answers for me?

fibromyalgia is a "bi-directional" disease associated with many types of infection. so without the causative agent, fibromyalgia would not occur. so yes, there could be some revelence in being infected with lyme and having fibromyalgia and ibs as a symtpom thereof....remember fibromyalgia is a symptom of something not a disease in itself!

good luck!

FMS is not always linked to some other form of "illness." I know many that have not experienced any sort of illness prior to becomig sick with primary fibromyalgia. The cause of FMS is not yet known. There are many theories but they are just that...theories.
Check out Men Surviving FMS on the web! Report It

I happen to have secondary FMS along with an auto immune disorder called MCTD. I am very much lke you in that my 'Primary illness" can cause my FMS symptoms to flare up. Report It

To directly answer your question though, the Lyme disease is one that has been studied as being a cause of FMS.
Some of the other "causes" that have been studied are; severe trauma, (emotional or physical) poor sleep patterns, etc. Report It

No. Lyme's disease is caused by a tick bite, fibromyalgia they're not sure what it's caused by.

Fibromyalgia can be seen as part of Lyme disease, as chronic fatigue syndrome can be, but these 2 disorders can be caused by other things as well. And yes, Lyme disease can cause MANY gastrointestinal problems. Also, the test for Lyme disease gives a lot of false positives. Make sure the right condition is being diagnosed and treated maybe by getting a second opinion other than that of your GP.

Hi Stephanie

Here are some ideas on how to heal the issue.

Here are some ideas to start the healing process. Contacts on the bottom.

Quick Action Steps for Lyme Disease

1. To help determine if you have Lyme Disease, go to Dr. Burrascano's symptom checklist (a.k.a. Risk Profile) using the following link: www2.lymenet.org/domino/file.n...

2. Avoid all alcohol and sugars, all processed and fried foods, all refined flour products, commercial fruit and vegetable juices, artificial sweeteners, and foods that contain hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids. Dairy products, caffeine, and non-herbal teas should be consumed sparingly, if at all.

3. Emphasize a diet of organic, whole foods, with plenty of fresh fruits, complex whole grains, organic free-range meats, poultry, and wild caught fish, and drink an abundance of pure, filtered water.

4. Also be sure to be tested for food allergies and sensitivities and eliminate all foods for which you test positive.

5. Useful nutrients include vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin B1, biotin, inositol, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, omega-3 oils, calcium pantothenate, magnesium, and zinc, as well as CoQ10, acidophilus, the amino acid L-carnitine, and thymus gland extract.

6. Helpful herbs include astragalus, gingko biloba, ginseng, and maitake and reishi mushrooms, as well as cordyceps and Laryx.

7. Get plenty of rest and learn how to effectively minimize and manage stress.

8. To ensure full recovery, also seek out the help of support groups and organizations dedicated to providing information about Lyme disease. The following doctors and organizations are a good place to start:

Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., M.D., 139 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton, NY 11937; (631) 324-7337

Lida Mattman, Ph.D., Nelson Medical Research Institute, 11664 Martin Road, Warren, MI 48093; (810)755-6430

JoAnne Whitaker, M.D., Bowen Research and Training Institute, Inc., P.O. Box 627, Palm Harbor, Florida 34682; (727) 937-9077. Website: www.bowen.org

The following organizations provide further resources and information about Lyme disease:

International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. P.O. Box 341461, Bethesda, MD 20827: (301) 263-1080. Website: www.ilads.org

Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103; (860) 525-2000. 24-hour Hotline: (800) 866-LYME. Websites: www.lyme.org, www.jstd.org

The Lyme Disease Network. 43 Winton Road East Brunswick, NJ 08816. Website: www.lymenet.org

Vonner Health Services. 500 Spring Street, Suite 104, Gainesville, GA 30506; (770) 654-9400. Website: www.vonner.com

*** This explains the diagnosis****

The majority of people with Lyme disease, because they do not exhibit the EM rash, typically are unaware that they have the illness. Instead, they, as well as their physicians, mistake it for other types of chronic, degenerative disease. Diseases that Lyme is often mistaken for include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and other thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis (MS), Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), and various types of environmental illness.


Here is how to resolve the IBS issue.

Causes
IBS can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor diet and nutrition, food allergies, imbalanced levels of hydrochloric acid, impaired immunity, infections, lack of exercise, pharmaceutical drugs, and stress.


Quick Action Plan for IBS

1. Avoid all sugars, refined flour products, and carbohydrates, milk and dairy products, processed foods that contain preservatives and artificial sweeteners, alcohol, hydrogenated and trans-fatty oils, as well as foods that are common allergens.

2. Emphasize organic, fresh vegetables and non-citrus fruits, organic grains, as well as organic, free-range meats and poultry and wild-caught fish.

3. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day.
Cleansing (especially colon) and Detoxification therapy such as short fasts, elimination diets, and colonics.

4. Enteric-coated peppermint oil and aloe vera juice.

5. Soothing baths two to five nights a week, as well as alternating hot and cold water packs placed over the abdomen.

6. Use Probiotics and soil-based organisms.

7. Therapeutic juices include wheatgrass juice; cabbage, papaya, and carrot juice.

8. Stress reduction techniques, such as biofeedback, hypnosis, and meditation.

9. If you are a smoker, stop and refrain from taking aspirin or other NSAIDs.

10. Examine the possibility of withheld emotions as the cause of your symptoms and get support through emotional and physical expression, especially movement therapies such as NIA, Qi gong, Yoga or Total Integration Therapy to name a few options.

Best of health to you

Mine is!

I was diagnosed with IBS, Fibromyalgia and several other conditions (migraine, vertigo etc.) prior to my Lyme disease diagnosis. The Lyme aggravates those conditions.

Lyme disease is very difficult to kill. If you were not treated properly the first time, there is a high chance it can come back. Proper treatment would be antibiotics for a month or more, depending on how long you had the infection.

I am on my second year of antibiotics and still have a long road ahead of me. Not all symptoms are always cured.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news... but it sounds like you may need to get re-checked (western blot and clinical diagnosis as the simple blood test is often faulty).

Good luck!

I know a lot about lyme, and have heard many stories similair to lyme. People with lyme have also experienced fibromyalgia. Muscle spasms, flue like symptoms, anxiety, severe headaches, chronic fatigue, dizziness, neaseau, cardiac problems, and IBS are all symptoms. I dont get the immpression that your lyme disease came back, like many people you didn;t recieve proper treatment. Despite what you doctor may say medication should be continued for an addition six moths after your symptoms subside. I know it sounds crazy but it takes a long time to kill all the bacteria growing inside of you. At first when medication is first bengun you syptoms get worse becuase the medication breaks the sists containing the bacteria and as the bacteria comes out to be killed so do your symptoms. It;s important to keep taking the medication and not give up although it may be discourageing, impovement will be made. I strongly recommend you at lead call a lyme specialst.
-best of luck