Comments on: A drug for fibromyalgia? http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/ Ancient writings, current events, and my other whims Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:16:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: little light http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/comment-page-1/#comment-37 little light Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:58:49 +0000 http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/#comment-37 sam, novalis. that makes sense to me on both counts. I've just noticed that even medical professionals don't just dismiss my mother's diagnosis, they also--and I've seen this in a few cases called fibromyalgia--dismiss the patient's claims of pain at all. Over and over in these discussions where the condition's called into question--an important inquiry--I see, tethered to that, inevitable claims that the pain isn't real, or is all in the patient's head. So I think it's important to lay out that the symptoms are, indeed, very real. I think novalis is on something, here, with the comparison to carpal tunnel syndrome. I do think that sexism is intimately wrapped up in how we discuss this issue, though I agree that it's an issue that needs discussing, is more or less where I'm at. sam, novalis. that makes sense to me on both counts. I’ve just noticed that even medical professionals don’t just dismiss my mother’s diagnosis, they also–and I’ve seen this in a few cases called fibromyalgia–dismiss the patient’s claims of pain at all. Over and over in these discussions where the condition’s called into question–an important inquiry–I see, tethered to that, inevitable claims that the pain isn’t real, or is all in the patient’s head. So I think it’s important to lay out that the symptoms are, indeed, very real.

I think novalis is on something, here, with the comparison to carpal tunnel syndrome.

I do think that sexism is intimately wrapped up in how we discuss this issue, though I agree that it’s an issue that needs discussing, is more or less where I’m at.

]]> By: novalis http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/comment-page-1/#comment-36 novalis Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:44:22 +0000 http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/#comment-36 Sam, I noticed yesterday that my reaction to fibromyalgia, MCS, and CFS were similar to yours -- that they are at least in large part psychological (not any less real). Then I thought about it, and remembered that a co-worker of mine had mentioned that carpel-tunnel syndrome had a lot of the same characteristics. The difference (for me) was that my experience with people reporting carpel-tunnel were mostly (male) computer programmers (even though in fact most reporters of carpel-tunnel are female). My different evaluation was probably subconsciously based on sexism. So I thought about it and decided that now I will class carpel-tunnel syndrome with fibromyalgia as generally psychogenic or psychosomatic. Sam, I noticed yesterday that my reaction to fibromyalgia, MCS, and CFS were similar to yours — that they are at least in large part psychological (not any less real). Then I thought about it, and remembered that a co-worker of mine had mentioned that carpel-tunnel syndrome had a lot of the same characteristics. The difference (for me) was that my experience with people reporting carpel-tunnel were mostly (male) computer programmers (even though in fact most reporters of carpel-tunnel are female). My different evaluation was probably subconsciously based on sexism. So I thought about it and decided that now I will class carpel-tunnel syndrome with fibromyalgia as generally psychogenic or psychosomatic.

]]> By: Sam http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Sam Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:20:46 +0000 http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/#comment-35 Not to trivialize your mother's pain, but anecdotal evidence does not constitute proof. Also, fibromyalgia is, at least according to what appears to be the consensus among those who believe in it, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079" rel="nofollow">not a progressive condition</a>. Nobody's claiming that the pain isn't real, or that it's simply a symptom of drug-seekiness or anything like that. (Anyone who does claim it is at best insensitive and at worst arrogant and dismissive.) However, the question remains whether or not fibromyalgia is a real condition, and to what other factor or combinations of factors its symptoms are attributable. That is what should be under investigation here, not whether or not to believe in people's physical suffering. Not to trivialize your mother’s pain, but anecdotal evidence does not constitute proof. Also, fibromyalgia is, at least according to what appears to be the consensus among those who believe in it, not a progressive condition.

Nobody’s claiming that the pain isn’t real, or that it’s simply a symptom of drug-seekiness or anything like that. (Anyone who does claim it is at best insensitive and at worst arrogant and dismissive.) However, the question remains whether or not fibromyalgia is a real condition, and to what other factor or combinations of factors its symptoms are attributable. That is what should be under investigation here, not whether or not to believe in people’s physical suffering.

]]> By: little light http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/comment-page-1/#comment-34 little light Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:13:29 +0000 http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/#comment-34 My mother has fibromyalgia, actually, and has long before this drug company decided to publicize it. I've been there to deal with her chronic, debilitating, progressive and very real pain for most of my life. I can't speak to the legitimacy of this new drug or its makers, but this is not a made-up disease, and you can't talk about skeptical doctors without also pointing out that a bunch of doctors are dismissing the personal accounts of a specific group of people: middle-aged women, the group most affected. And that's not a new pattern. It's easy to say, finding no cure for a pain disorder that's not leaving much in the way of obvious physical damage, that your patient is just being hysterical and drug-seeking and making it all up. It's happened many times with other illnesses, especially those primarily or exclusively affecting women, and especially those that frustrate the doctors doing the dismissing. Yes, other diagnoses might be possible, but I've seen what this illness has done to my mother, I've watched her in too much pain to sit up, and it really doesn't deserve the contemptuous scare quotes. My mother has fibromyalgia, actually, and has long before this drug company decided to publicize it.
I’ve been there to deal with her chronic, debilitating, progressive and very real pain for most of my life.

I can’t speak to the legitimacy of this new drug or its makers, but this is not a made-up disease, and you can’t talk about skeptical doctors without also pointing out that a bunch of doctors are dismissing the personal accounts of a specific group of people: middle-aged women, the group most affected.
And that’s not a new pattern. It’s easy to say, finding no cure for a pain disorder that’s not leaving much in the way of obvious physical damage, that your patient is just being hysterical and drug-seeking and making it all up. It’s happened many times with other illnesses, especially those primarily or exclusively affecting women, and especially those that frustrate the doctors doing the dismissing.

Yes, other diagnoses might be possible, but I’ve seen what this illness has done to my mother, I’ve watched her in too much pain to sit up, and it really doesn’t deserve the contemptuous scare quotes.

]]> By: Alexa http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Alexa Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:28:19 +0000 http://www.xyre.org/2008/01/14/a-drug-for-fibromyalgia/#comment-32 I am so glad to see that the New York Times published this. It is a very disturbing, though less than shocking, development. If doctors are going to prescribe this to treat 'fibromyalgia', possibly instead of depression, has anyone looked at how it interacts with other anti-depressants? I am so glad to see that the New York Times published this. It is a very disturbing, though less than shocking, development. If doctors are going to prescribe this to treat ‘fibromyalgia’, possibly instead of depression, has anyone looked at how it interacts with other anti-depressants?

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