Muscle Syndrome May Go Undetected

By Jim Killackey, The Oklahoman

May 27–Ada photographer Lisa Sharp knew it was not all in her head. But how to explain the mysterious chronic pain in her legs and shoulders that some mornings prevented her from getting out of bed?

“Some doctors would tell me that nothing was wrong with me … that I just needed to ‘get over it,’” said Sharp, 20.

It took her a long time to find out that her ailment is fibromyalgia, a medical syndrome shared by an estimated 38,000 Oklahomans, many of whom have never been properly diagnosed.

Many see several doctors Many people see as many as 15 doctors over five years before the condition is diagnosed and treatment recommended, said Dr. Rachel Franklin, an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

The condition is characterized by widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Other symptoms include extreme fatigue, sleeplessness and painful trigger points that are sensitive to the touch. Muscles, tendons, connective tissues and even skin hurt in a severe attack of the syndrome.

Women are more likely to have it than men, Franklin said. There are no race distinctions.

Certain meds didn’t help Carol McClintock, 62, of Oklahoma City was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 12 years ago after seeking medical help for insomnia, low levels of energy and all-over aches and pains.

“Arthritis and other chronic pain ailments run in my family, so the first order of treatment involved anti-inflammatory medicines,” she said. “But they didn’t help.”

“Fibromyalgia doesn’t respond to the drugs Motrin, Relafen and other drugs in that class,” said McClintock, a retired middle school teacher.

Antidepressants such as Elavil, which help some people, caused side effects for her — dry mouth and a “dopey feeling” — worse than the pain, McClintock said.

“I’ve found that my discomfort is best managed with regular rest helped by sleeping pills and over-the-counter pain medications, including Tylenol. When it’s at its worst, a prescription muscle relaxer also helps,” she said.

McClintock recommends regular exercise that includes walking, water aerobics and weight training.

“The most important thing in my view is attitude,” she said. “You can give in, or you can get on with life. Staying active and involved, being with people you love, laughing, doing the things you enjoy … do more than medication to relieve the pain.”

There is one theory about the cause Franklin said doctors don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, but current thinking focuses on a theory known as central sensitization.

The medical theory states that people with the syndrome have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals, Franklin said.

The brain’s pain receptors seem to develop a memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can overreact to pain signals, she said.

In this way, pressure on a spot on the body that wouldn’t hurt someone without fibromyalgia can be very painful to someone who has it, she said.

“But what initiates this process of central sensitization isn’t known,” Franklin said.

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