Can drug abuse cause fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia refers to a group of common rheumatoid ailments characterized by achy pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles. The pain in the joints are rare but under special circumstances, you can feel them.

For both beginners and fibromyalgia veterans, the excruciating pain that emanates from this condition can be too much to bear.

Accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, many patients end up prescribing themselves with many sorts of medications-both OTC and non-OTC alike. Surely, the pain may go away for some time, but is that the best long-term solution?

Besides the unending cycle of chronic pain, Fibromyalgia drags a long other unpleasant symptoms like fatigue, cognitive changes, headaches, sleep disturbance, irritable bowel syndrome, Painful menstrual periods, Sensitivity to bright lights, odors or certain foods, and many more.

All the above symptoms contribute to the gruesome pain that comes with Fibromyalgia making one unable to exercise or go about their daily activities.

Unfortunately, doctors are not sure what the cause of this ailment is and are trying to come with ways to help its victims find relief. Therefore, pain relief is currently the most sought after mode of pain management for fibromyalgia.

What’s the connection between Fibromyalgia and drug abuse?

Since there is no sure method of curing fibromyalgia, many patients have been left to seek relief from pain relievers like opioids.

There is no research revealing the benefits of opioids use on fibromyalgia yet about 30% of people in every country have been found to use it.

One thing you should understand about this ailment is that its pain is continual and use of pain relievers will result in dependency syndrome.

Fibromyalgia is not fatal and therefore you should not be overly scared about experiencing more severe symptoms.

Resorting to pain killers will offer you temporary relief and when your body becomes resistant to the drug, you may be left helpless. Some studies advocate using pain killers a certain number of times a week or a month- particularly during the flare-ups.

Let’s see exactly how abusing drugs doesn’t help/agitates fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia does not respond well to the conventional pain medications-including opioids. As explained earlier on, the pain from this condition is long-term.

Therefore taking pain medication just blocks the pain signals from being transmitted. When this happens, the spinal column decides to bark. “Hey, I think my signal is not getting through!” to get heard, it turns its signal a notch higher.

Your brain too jumps in. “Hey, whatever is happening down there, I can’t get the signal. You better turn the volume up” As a result, your brain will try to listen more closely thus focusing on the pain.

Now, when your spine and brain decides to amplify the signal, imagine how agonizing that pain is going to be. You will end up suffering even more.

Therefore, when you decide to use pain medications, make sure to do so when the pain is too much to bear. The dosage should not be overstretched in anyway.

Many doctors currently don’t prescribe some anti-inflammatory drugs like opiates due to their addictive nature. Some have resulted in patients becoming moody, sleepless, physically and mentally weak and at times losing the grasp of life.

If you have a medic that is treating you through the use of drugs, you could be better off on your own or with another medical practitioner.

Drugs that cause reversible fibromyalgia-related symptoms

There are some drugs that when you abuse, you will get classic fibromyalgia symptoms. When you stop using them, your illness will recede completely.

Examples of these medications include Cholesterol Lowering Agents, Antiarrhythmics, Anticonvulsants, Antibiotics, Antihypertensives, Gout medicines, cocaine and several others.

So, what’s a safe and effective treatment approach?

First, if you have developed dependence to opiates and pain killers, the first step would be going for a detox process under the guidance of people with medical experience.

A thorough investigation of your condition should be carried out to come up with a treatment approach that is unique to your problem. A post-detox care can also be of importance to ensure total recovery.

Another avenue of treatment includes pain management strategies. These techniques include acupuncture, professional massage, meditation classes, yoga classes and several other chronic pain management approaches.

When exercising, take baby steps. Don’t run for an hour or spend a whole afternoon in the swimming pool. You need to be gentle on yourself and quit when it hurts. With fibromyalgia patients, it’s very easy to tear or pull body muscles- the reason you should take it slow.

Exercises and other therapeutic movements are essential in your road to full recovery. However, experts advise that you choose activities that you can easily execute without much pain. Take some days off for rejuvenation. When upping your exercises, do so in small, manageable units.

Can diet help in minimizing fibromyalgia?

Some diets and supplements play a vital role in minimizing pain sensitivity. While they may not curb flare-ups, they will help in keeping the pain within bearable limits.

Some of the supplements you need includes ginger (for muscle), Ascorbigen (from vegies like broccoli), magnesium, HTP (mood lifter), Omega 3s (combats symptoms of rheumatoid) and melatonin to sort out sleep issues.

The options you have for diet include Vitamin D foods, Omega 3 foods, and magnesium rich foods. Avoid foods filled with chemicals as they can excite fibromyalgia symptoms.

The bottom line

Drug abuse can cause or even agitate fibromyalgia symptoms. While its pain may beckon you to pop some pills, you should learn to evade the trap.

Nevertheless, there are other multi-faceted ways you can deal with fibromyalgia and get back to your normal life rather than subjecting yourself to addictive drugs.

All the best in your efforts to lead a normal, healthy life.