Fibromyalgia

A relatively common condition, estimated to effect about four percent of the population, fibromyalgia is a disorder causing chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Other symptoms include chronic headache, neurological and psychological complaints, joint swelling, numbing or tingling sensations and irritable bowel syndrome.

Although fibromyalgia has many aspects, the central cause of pain is low levels of the relaxant hormone serotonin. This may cause altered sleep patterns with insomnia and/or reduced REM sleep and increased non-REM sleep. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep occurs when the eyes move rapidly and dreaming takes place. The severity of the pain which occurs with fibromyalgia correlates with the rate of poor sleep quality.

An important neuro-transmitter to serotonin called 5-HTP has shown considerable benefit in treating fibromyalgia. St John's wort extract (also known as Hypericum), and the mineral Magnesium have also produced very good results in treating this condition.

There is tremendous overlap with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).