Fibromyalgia can Cause Reactive Hypoglycemia

I was doing a little research last night on another ailment I have, called Tietze’s Syndrome. Tietze’s syndrome is a benign inflammation of the ribs which causes pain that sometimes mimics a heart attack. I found a blog post from a girl who had Tietze’s; she said her symptoms were caused by fibromyalgia. That led me to discover that up to half of fibromyalgia patients also report problems with reactive hypoglycemia.

The Fibromyalgia / Reactive Hypoglycemia connection

There isn’t exactly an abundance of research out there on reactive hypoglycemia in Fibromyalgia patients. However, I did find an article in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology that had a most interesting statement in the abstract:

“Recently, fibromyalgia (FMS) was shown to be a disorder associated with an altered functioning of the stress response system. FMS patients display a hyperreactive pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release in response to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. We suggested that negative feedback of cortisol could be deranged.”

The stress response system in the body and the system responsible for maintaining blood sugar levels are intertwined. If you have some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia in addition to your hypoglycemic symptoms, you might want to approach your doctor about a diagnosis. Here are some of the most common symptoms for fibromyalgia:

• Fatigue
• Sleep Disturbance
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Impaired Memory
• Impaired Concentration
• Nervousness
• Depression
• Leg Cramps
• Disorientation
• Word Finding Difficulty

Sounds similar to many of the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia, doesn’t it?

In addition to reactive hypoglycemia, I’ve had, some bizarre symptoms that so far, no one has had an answer for. I can’t walk more than six blocks without incredible pain in my knee that lasts for days. A knee specialist told me he thought I had a medial meniscal tear but the MRI was negative. I’ve got similar pain in my right foot, jaw, and chest. Until last night, I blamed getting old, and didn’t think any of my ailments could possibly be linked.

I got my husband to press the 18 pressure points that doctors use to diagnose fibromyalgia. I had intense pain in 12 spots (11 are required for a positive diagnosis).

I’m adding “fibromyalgia” to my “causes” page and making an appointment with a rheumatologist today. I’ll post with how that appointment turns out.

Source: Lentjes EG, Griep EN, Boersma JW, Romijn FP, de Kloet ER. Psychoneuroendocrinology.Glucocorticoid receptors, fibromyalgia and low back pain. 1997 Nov;22(8):603-14. PubMed.

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