Although there has been a great deal of recent interest and writing on
subject of Fibromyalgia and how to mange painful symptoms, it is almost never suggested that avoidance of certain environmental triggers may be an important management practice. I learned slowly and painstakingly that this is indeed case for me. My fibromyalgia was diagnosed after I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysregulation and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Many of symptoms of these conditions overlap, but characteristic painful tender points and extreme diffuse pain were a signal that my condition included something distinctly different from what other MCS and CFIDS patients typically experience.
Because medical practitioners did not tell me that environmental and chemical exposures could trigger or aggravate my FM pain, I did not assume that this would be case. I only discovered this to be true because of being diagnosed with MCS and I had learned to pay very close attention to my body’s messages and to any possible environmental triggers of my symptoms. It was through this process that I discovered that my Fibromyalgia symptoms were aggravated by chemical exposures, certain foods, and hormonal fluctuations and I came to believe that all three diagnoses were actually one in same with a different subset of symptoms for each syndrome. I unfortunately had all three syndromes symptoms.
The first thing I noticed was that at different times in my menstrual cycle, particularly at ovulation, menstruation, and right after menstruation my Fibromyalgia symptoms would flare. There was a definite and repeated patter. The tender points on my head, shoulders, legs and buttocks would become extremely painful. I would have accompanying headaches, diffuse body pain, and sleep difficulties. My neuro-cognitive difficulties, often referred to as “brain fog” would also worsen at these times in my menstrual cycle.
If I had been out in world a great deal being exposed to common everyday chemicals in days and weeks before my menstrual period, I would invariable notice that all these symptoms would be worse. I also began to see that my Fibromyalgia symptoms would be worse if I had been eating high levers of refined carbohydrates during my cycle.
I discovered that if I washed my clothes in water that was chlorine free and eat organic foods then that made an enormous difference in my Fibromyalgia pain. If I wash my clothes in chlorinated water then pain is so bad I can’t function and I must take my clothes off. If I shower in chlorinated water I will feel comatose. If I have an exposure to pesticides or herbicides such as a neighbor spraying their yard or mosquito control then my all my symptoms flare severely. If I would sit in a room full of people with someone wearing cologne or an air freshener present then trigger points and widespread pain are excruciating and cognitive functioning is impaired severely. If I leave this room and take a shower in filtered water then my symptoms improve. If I stay in that same room for an extended amount of time then next day I will be bedridden and barely able to walk or function because of pain and brain fog.
