Fibromyalgia syndrome affects about 5 million people in the US today. Eighty to ninety percent of them are women. Most women are diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 55… which raises an interesting question. This age range coincides with the onset of menopause in most women! Could there be a link between estrogen and fibromyalgia that could lead to a new treatment for this debilitating disease?
A recent study of the phenomenon of estrogens and fibromyalgia has indicated that giving estrogen replacement therapy to fibromyalgia patients does not reduce pain. And you should be aware that there is a risk in long-term estrogen use, including breast cancer and cardiovascular problems. However, there do appear to be some positive effects in treating other fibromyalgia symptoms such as fatigue, sleep, and mood disorders (anxiety and depression).
Estrogen and fibromyalgia together play a significant role in the severity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), where women with fibromyalgia experience more severe symptoms such as back pain, abdominal cramps, insomnia, and headaches. Women with estrogen and fibromyalgia issues are also much more likely to have dysmenorrhea and breast cysts along with PMS…and women with fibromyalgia have more severe pregnancy symptoms, as well as a higher level of pain, fatigue, and stiffness muscular. During their menstrual cycle, these women will also be more likely to experience emotional distress and mental confusion than women who do not have fibromyalgia.
Estrogen Dominance and Fibromyalgia
The estrogen-fibromyalgia connection may be more symptomatic in cases of estrogen dominance. In premenopausal women, estrogen dominance is a condition in which the body’s level of estrogen is not in balance with progesterone. It doesn’t matter if the estrogen level in the body is low, normal or high… there is not enough progesterone to create a natural balance. What can cause this imbalance? We get extra estrogen from many outside sources including: birth control pills, commercially fed cattle and poultry, from our health and beauty products (absorbed through the skin), from our body fat (in obesity, the fat is converted in estrogen), caffeinated beverages like coffee (which stimulates the body to produce estrogen), and stress from adrenal gland fatigue… to name a few.
Some symptoms of estrogen dominance (More details and symptoms can be found online via the Natural Progesterone Advisory) that can simulate other diseases such as fibromyalgia, diabetes and hypothyroidism, are:
- brain fog
- cold hands and feet
- Depression and anxiety
- chronic fatigue
- Migraines and headaches
- Decreased sexual desire and infertility
- cervical dysplasia
- dry eye syndrome
- Increased body fat around the midsection
- insomnia
- Water retention
- Memory loss
- increased irritability
- thyroid conditions
- Irregular menstrual cycle and PMS
This is not to say that estrogen dominance only mimics fibromyalgia. A person with estrogen problems may also be suffering from fibromyalgia. But the connection between estrogen and fibromyalgia makes these conditions much more difficult for doctors to diagnose. Treatment for estrogen dominance is usually synthetic progestin. However, there is a problem with the side effects, many of which can be at least as miserable as fibromyalgia and include joint and muscle pain, weight gain, swelling, fatigue, depression, etc.
Only your doctor can determine the best treatment approach for an estrogen dominant fibromyalgia patient condition. The trick, it seems, is finding a balance in treating the symptoms of estrogen and fibromyalgia.
For the patient, be sure to keep records on estrogen and fibromyalgia symptoms, and the results of prescribed treatments, to help your doctor make the best medication decisions for your specific condition. And to support any treatment your doctor recommends for your estrogen-fibromyalgia connection, you may benefit from:
- An exercise program for fibromyalgia
- keep a healthy weight
- Begin a nutritional program to rebuild your body from the inside out.
Because fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease, there is a need to strengthen your body at the cellular level where the damage to your immune system is occurring…as recognized by the AMA. For more information on natural fibromyalgia symptom treatment, contact me now by clicking one of the links below.
