| This is a really good question, which comes up | | | | body, and can have a dramatic effect on health, |
| regularly among women over 50. Most of the | | | | resulting in a number of the symptoms of |
| women who thought they had fibromyalgia, once | | | | hormone imbalance that are similar to those of |
| they went on bioidentical hormones, no longer | | | | fibromyalgia. |
| experienced the symptoms they were having | | | | But the primary symptom of fibromyalgia is |
| that are associated with fibromyalgia. | | | | chronic widespread body pain, and most people |
| What is fibromyalsia? Symptoms of fibromyalgia | | | | with fibromyalgia also experience sleep |
| -- also known as fibromyalgia syndrome or FMS | | | | disturbances, moderate to extreme fatigue, |
| include many of the very same symptoms of | | | | cognitive difficulties, and sensitivity to touch, light, |
| menopause or hormone imbalance. | | | | or sound. Many individuals also experience a |
| Widespread pain is the most common symptom | | | | number of other symptoms and overlapping |
| of fibromyalgia, according to research, which | | | | conditions, such as lupus, arthritis and irritable |
| states this is said by 97 percent of patients with | | | | bowel syndrome. Symptoms also include poor |
| fibromyalgia. | | | | stamina and profound exhaustion. Fibromyalgia |
| Currently one of the most common yet complex | | | | symptoms may vary widely from one person to |
| chronic pain disorders, fibromyalgia syndrome, | | | | the next. |
| affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S., | | | | Recent research shows that women on |
| physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a | | | | bioidentical hormones have experienced relief |
| syndrome, not a disease - a collection of | | | | from symptoms like insomnia, muscle aches and |
| symptoms, and medical issues that typically occur | | | | pains, chronic fatigue, depression, and many other |
| together, but are not related to one identifiable | | | | typical fibromyalgia symptoms. |
| cause. | | | | One woman talks about her sister who takes |
| The challenge is that women in menopause are | | | | bioidentical hormones. She stated, "She has |
| confusing the many symptoms of hormone | | | | recently run out and has been suffering the |
| imbalance with those of conditions like chronic | | | | consequences of not having the hormones in her |
| fatigue or fibromyalgia. Women taking bioidentical | | | | system. (Her fibromyalgia is acting up; she has |
| hormone replacement therapy are finding relief | | | | osteopenia in all her joints - her pain levels are |
| for their fibromyalgia symptoms. | | | | highly escalated when she's not on the |
| About 75-90 percent of the people who have | | | | bioidenticals)." |
| fibromyalgia are women, although it also occurs in | | | | "It's actually diminishing hormones that are the |
| men and children of all ethnic groups. Often seen | | | | cause of the classic lower back pain common in |
| in families, among siblings or mothers and their | | | | middle-age people," said author T.S. Wiley. "The |
| children, the disorder. Diagnosis is usually made | | | | backache of old age is really just a case of |
| between the ages of 20 to 50 years, but the | | | | threadbare sciatic nerves. Scientists found that |
| incidence rises with age so that by age 80, | | | | natural progesterone increased in the expression |
| approximately 8 percent of adults meet the | | | | of the gene that remyelinates the nerves in the |
| American College of Rheumatology classification | | | | rats lower back. At the main nerve junctions of |
| of fibromyalgia. Severe fibromyalgia can be | | | | communication, like the heart and brain stem, |
| debilitating as it interferes with basic activities of | | | | wires start to fray when hormones levels fall off. |
| everyday life. | | | | Estrogen must peak and cause ovulation, or |
| The condition is often characterized by abnormal | | | | there's no progesterone. Without progesterone to |
| pain processing, multiple tender points, fatigue, | | | | remyelinate nerves, peripheral nerve bundles that |
| psychological distress and sleep disturbances. | | | | are farthest from the brain fray first. The biggest |
| Whereas hormone imbalance symptoms are | | | | ones, farthest down, after the one in the base of |
| primarily caused by the incorrect relationship | | | | your neck, is at your tail bone area in the lower |
| between progesterone and estrogen levels in the | | | | back. |