There is a connection between fibromyalgia and MCS confirmed by studies. Patients suffering with fibromyalgia (FM) have reported frequent complaints which are outside of their problem area of the musculoskeletal system, and chemically sensitive patients, in addition to their reactions to low doses of chemicals, repeatedly experience pain in different body regions. Fibromyalgia is commonly regarded as an atypical soft-tissue rheumatism. The diagnosis is made mainly by an examination of 18 pressure sensitive parts of the body, called tender points. Scientists from Scandinavia reported more than ten years ago that there is an overlap between MCS and fibromyalgia, which has major relevance for the medical diagnosis for patients. A recent Canadian study in February 2010 confirmed this result. The authors of this study, in a medical journal, appealed for adequate education and specific related information in the health field and to the public in order to improve the prognosis for patients.

Pain on pain

Patients with fibromyalgia or chemical sensitivity often experience pain which they describe as a “toothache all over the body.” Scientists from Scandinavia reported in the late nineties of the existing relationship between these two diseases.

What exists for fibromyalgia patients also exists for MCS patients?

The objective of a pilot university rheumatology study was to determine how often MCS occurs in patients with Fibromyalgia. The research team designed a questionnaire decided whether the patients indeed also had MCS. The physicians used criteria from a new study by using an immunological profile of patients who could be identified with this disease. Patients responded with a yes or no response to confirm the presence of 48 FM-related symptoms. (1)

Study finds link between MCS and FMS

The results of the study were published in the first half of 1997 in the medical journal, “Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology.” Thirty-three of the 60 patients with fibromyalgia fulfilled the criteria for MCS. Eleven of those patients met more restrictive criteria, which demonstrated the high severity of chemical sensitivity. In addition, scientists found that the sensitivity symptoms and reactions of the triggering substances that were most frequently cited by the FM patients were similar to those reported by MCS patients in other studies. A chemical sensitivity existed in more than half the patients with fibromyalgia, thus the Scandinavian researchers concluded that MCS may be an additional symptom in the complex spectrum of fibromyalgia.

Canadian study confirmed the simultaneous existence of MCS and FMS

The fact that both conditions exist simultaneously has been affirmed by studies in recent years. The targeted diagnosis should be considered because of the potentially dramatic effects on the sufferers of MCS and FMS. This was evident in a study of the environmental clinic (EHC) in Toronto. The Canadian researchers studied 128 patients for the presence of MCS, CFS, and FMS, and identified the impacts in their everyday lives. Eight of the 70 patients received the MCS, CFS, or FM diagnosis, while the remaining patients had two or three overlapping diagnoses. What a great impact in the study of environmental disease for patients and readers of the magazine for Canadian GP, in the February 2010 edition. Most of the study participants (68%) had to leave work, on the average of three years after the onset of their symptoms due to their illness. (2)

Relevance for the diagnosis of environmental and mainstream medicine

The studies of 1997 and early 2010 reveal that medical practices must take a thorough medical history of the patient and make an appropriate diagnosis at the onset of one of these two diseases of FM or MCS. After the clinical results indicate a patient has MCS, then there needs to be a clarification whether or not the patient also has fibromyalgia. This can be detected with little effort by any doctor by checking the 18 tender points. At the same time, fibromyalgia patients must be asked about a hypersensitivity to chemicals which is likely, despite the lack of the study results being integrated into mainstream medicine over the last ten years. It is extremely important for rheumatologists to be familiar with the diagnosis of MCS for their FM patients. The prognosis for fibromyalgia patients significant improvement could be then specifically targeted with treatments and appropriate prevention strategies which deal with the triggering affects of chemicals.

Author: Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, August 2010

Translation: Thank you to Christi Howarth.

Related articles:

• New Criteria Proposed for Diagnosing Fibromyalgia
• Unanimous Vote for Research Center for MCS, CFS, FMS, GWS in New Jersey
• Research on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
• Fibromyalgia Patients Show Decreases In Gray Matter Intensity

P.A.N.D.O.R.A. NeuroEndocrineImmune (NEI) Center Resolution Approved by the New Jersey State Senate

Coral Gables, FL, July 17, 2010 –(PR.com)– Resolution SR-20 supporting the establishment of the NeuroEndocrineImmune (NEI) Center™, the first research center in the state of New Jersey and in the U.S., dedicated to understanding and treating chronic neuroendocrineimmune (NEI) illnesses which includes chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, Gulf War Illness and other bacterial & viral infections chronic illnesses was passed unanimously by 38-0 votes by the New Jersey State Senate on June 10, 2010.

Senate Resolution (SR) 20, sponsored by Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R), Senate Deputy Conference Leader, and Senator Loretta Weinberg (D), Chair of the Senate Health Committee, cited studies that an estimated 20 million American adults and children suffer with NEIDs. The economic impact and loss of worker productivity in the United States due to CFS/ME, alone, is estimated to be over $9 billion per year. Chronic illness represents 75% of all the health care costs in the U.S.

“It makes sense to locate the NEI center in New Jersey,” said Senator Weinberg. “As the nation’s medicine chest, New Jersey is home to research institutions and private businesses that can cooperate to find a cure for these debilitating diseases.”

Senator Bateman added, “I look forward to the passage of Senate Resolution 20, solidifying legislative support for the research center, and have high hopes that this will, in fact, be a great step forward toward finding answers for the sufferers of these debilitating diseases.”

Assembly Resolution 202 passes unanimously

Late last year, a similar resolution unanimously passed the New Jersey State Assembly 78-0. “Having a research center… is essential to promoting research into the etiology of, and therapeutic interventions for neuroendocrineimmune disorders (NEIDs),” according to Assembly Resolution (AR) 202 which was sponsored by Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D), Deputy Speaker; Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Jr. (D), Chairman, Health Committee; Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D), Vice-Chairman; and Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R), member of the Health Committee

P.A.N.D.O.R.A. partners with the Lanford Foundation-Lifelyme™, Inc.

To be based in Newark, New Jersey, the NeuroEndocrineImmune (NEI) Center™ is a community patient-driven project of P.A.N.D.O.R.A, (Patient Alliance for Neuroendocrineimmune Disorders Organization for Research & Advocacy, Inc) in partnership with the Lanford Foundation-Lifelyme™, Inc.

The NEI Center™ is the first research center to incorporate scientific and clinical research, quality in patient care, and social services, all in one state-of-the art facility. The establishment of The NEI Center™ is based on the philosophy that the similarities in symptoms of neuroendocrineimmune disorders (NEIDs) are the human body’s response to similarities in the underlying pathophysiologies that cause these disorders.

The cornerstone of the NEI Center’s mission is that discoveries and advances made in any one of the NEIDs will be applicable and beneficial to other NEIDs, thereby bringing medical researchers closer to a cure. At its inception, the NEI Center™ will include research of the following disorders/illnesses:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War syndrome or illness (GWS/I), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and other associated bacterial and viral illnesses.

“Moral and political victory,” said Marly Silverman, a CFS and fibromyalgia patient who founded P.A.N.D.O.R.A. in July 1, 2002, “On behalf of P.A.N.D.O.R.A., we are mindful of the historical significance of the unanimous vote by the New Jersey Senate as well as by the New Jersey Assembly in 2009. Patients across this country will be celebrating what is an amazing and pivotal moment in the history of the neuroendocrineimmune disorders community. The New Jersey Legislature has demonstrated a caring commitment to a community of patients who for the first time in the state of New Jersey can look forward to a brighter and fruitful future.”

Veny W. Musum, chairman of the NEI Center Project, who was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in 2004 along with his wife, Patricia, added, “The passage of SR 20 is a moral and political victory for millions of individuals stricken with neuroendocrineimmune disorders who have been living far too long without the compassionate support, research and treatment options they deserve. I am proud of my state of New Jersey!”

Advocates Extraordinaire™ & community support

“The overall community support has been outstanding for this patient-driven, physician-approved project. The unanimous votes by each New Jersey senator came about because of the involvement of individuals who participated in the Advocate Extraordinaire™ program, by making calls, writing e-mails and thanking the New Jersey Legislature for their vision and support of the Center,” said Dr. Kenneth Friedman, one of the founding board trustees of the NEI Center, as well as former member of the CFS Advisory Committee, and a member of the Executive Board of P.A.N.D.O.R.A.

“The New Jersey legislators unanimous support for the NEI Center reflects the kind of leadership needed to bring about positive change in our nation’s Health Care,” said Sandi Lanford, Co-founder of the NEI Center™ and the President-Founder of the Lanford Foundation-Lifelyme™, Inc, who was born and raised in New Jersey. The overall community support has been outstanding for this patient-driven, physician- approved project. The unanimous votes by the New Jersey Legislature came about because of the involvement of individuals who participated in the Advocate Extraordinaire™ program, by making calls, writing e-mails and thanking the New Jersey legislators for their vision and support of the Center,” said Dr. Kenneth Friedman, one of the founding board trustees of the NEI Center, as well as former member of the CFS Advisory Committee, and a member of the Executive Board of P.A.N.D.O.R.A.

Dr. Lesley Fein, member of the NEI Center Project team, stated “This center will be a beacon of hope for patients nationwide, and a place which will bring scientific innovation in New Jersey as well as in the rest of the country.”

Present at the passage of the law were Veny Musum, Chairman of the NEI Center Project and Debbie Floyd, team member of the NEI Center™ project.

NEI Center set to open by 2012

The NEI Center founders are already preparing fundraising efforts to make the Center operational by late 2011-early 2012. For more information about The NEI Center™, visit www.neicenter.com.

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About P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc- Patient Alliance for Neuroendocrineimmune Disorders Organization for Research & Advocacy – Based in Coral Gables, Florida, P.A.N.D.O.R.A. was founded on July 1, 2002 by Marly C. Silverman, a chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia patient. Its mission is to raise awareness of the plight of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic Lyme disease, multiple chemical sensitivities/EI, and Gulf War illness, and advocate on quality of life issues. P.A.N.D.O.R.A.is Built on Hope – Strong on Advocacy – Finding a Cure through Research. For more information, visit www.pandoranet.info.