According to his research, patients with 'marginally adequate metabolism', compounded by sudden or prolonged stressors, may be diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. He contends that the symptoms are actually metabolic in nature and indicate hypothyroidism or a resistance to thyroid hormones.
What's the theory?
The stress-induced hormone cortisol, when elevated over a period of time, or as the result of a sudden trauma, has the ability to disrupt and suppress the thyroid system. According to Dr. Lowe, the resulting system-wide metabolic malfunction is the root of the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue manifestations. This is a subtlety that many doctors and endocrinologists fail to take into account. If you want to delve into this theory further, Dr. Lowe has written a book entitled The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia. It is geared towards those in the medical profession, but you may want to buy yourself a copy. There are some very positive reader reviews on Amazon.com.
This theory of the onset following a trauma really makes sense to me personally.
Indeed any type of surgery can be traumatic in a physical sense. A hysterectomy, especially one that includes removal of one or both ovaries can be traumatic emotionally. Within months of my hysterectomy, I was experiencing nearly all of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, which I accepted as part of sudden menopause. Most everything that I read substantiated this belief and I was resigned to accept my new stiff and aching body! Thankfully, in my case, a caring nurse practitioner allowed me to try a very small dose of Armour thyroid medication over a period of a few weeks. As I reported in a previous post, this improved the severity of my symptoms and I am now taking the medication daily. Of course, this is by no means scientific proof and is merely my personal experience. However, it sure looks like more than coincidence in my situation.
Indeed any type of surgery can be traumatic in a physical sense. A hysterectomy, especially one that includes removal of one or both ovaries can be traumatic emotionally. Within months of my hysterectomy, I was experiencing nearly all of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, which I accepted as part of sudden menopause. Most everything that I read substantiated this belief and I was resigned to accept my new stiff and aching body! Thankfully, in my case, a caring nurse practitioner allowed me to try a very small dose of Armour thyroid medication over a period of a few weeks. As I reported in a previous post, this improved the severity of my symptoms and I am now taking the medication daily. Of course, this is by no means scientific proof and is merely my personal experience. However, it sure looks like more than coincidence in my situation.
Be sure to check out The Fibromyalgia Research Foundation web site and print some things off to take along on your next doctor's visit. If you have a physician who is open-minded, they will be glad you did.
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