They finally have a test for Fibro

https://www.fmtest.com/

"The FM/a® Test analyzes your immune system’s white blood cells for their chemokine and cytokine protein patterns. Those who suffer from fibromyalgia will show an abnormal pattern of these protective proteins."

This is encouraging because it means that they are beginning to understand the cause of Fibro instead of just how to mask the symptoms. I looked into it a bit. Here is a summary of what chemokines and cytokines do for those who are interested.

Cytokines are a class of small proteins that act as signaling molecules at picomolar or nanomolar concentrations to regulate inflammation and modulate cellular activities such as growth, survival, and differentiation. Cytokines are an exceptionally large and diverse group of pro- or anti-inflammatory factors that are grouped into families based upon their structural homology or that of their receptors. Chemokines are a group of secreted proteins within the cytokine family whose generic function is to induce cell migration. These “chemotactic cytokines” are involved in leukocyte chemoattraction and trafficking of immune cells to locations throughout the body. Chemokines belong to two categories based on their biological activity, namely, the maintenance of homeostasis and the induction of inflammation. Homeostatic chemokines are involved in immune surveillance and navigation of cells through hematopoiesis and are typically expressed constitutively. Inflammatory chemokines on the other hand are produced during infections or as a response to an inflammatory stimulus and facilitate an immune response by targeting cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. The binding of a cytokine or chemokine ligand to its cognate receptor results in the activation of the receptor, which in turn triggers a cascade of signaling events that regulate various cellular functions such as cell adhesion, phagocytosis, cytokine secretion, cell activation, cell proliferation, cell survival and cell death, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation

Hi, Dianna, and welcome! Inflammation. I know it quite well. I have fibro along with Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and ankylosing spondylitis…among other things. The AS is a rheumatic disease of the spine. I thought my increasing back pain was caused by fibro until I reached a point my hips hurt and I had shooting pains going down the insides of my legs and I barely could walk. It was a very bad time in my life and I was sent to a rheumatologist to see why my back was getting worse. That’s when I was diagnosed with AS and sacroiliitis.

After researching that illness I asked to take ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer called Robaxin (methocarbamol). These two are my wonder drugs! My pain gradually got less and less and I now feel human again! See if you can try these out. It’s worth a shot!

Along with ibuprofen and methocarbamol, I take Tylenol, vitamin D3, and magnesium Malate. All these things work together to help my all over pain.

Be sure to read Fibro 101…the first thread on the forum. There are links to good info about fibro and you can learn a lot there.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. Don’t hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine