Is Fibromyalgia a real disease?

[DrCommonSense]

Drug Approved. Is Disease Real?

After reading this article and sorting through the initial experts that quantified this "disease", I have noticed that the vast majority of them have subsequently recanted.

However, the disease took a life of its own after Pfizer and other drug companies appeared to find it a very "lucrative" diagnosis to treat with Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc whereby they paid off consultants like "Clauw" who came in after the fact to push the diagnosis.

The problems with Fibromyalgia include:

There is ZERO objective evidence noted in imaging, blood tests, EMG/NCS, etc. Despite Daniel Clauw claiming he notices some "changes on fMRI studies in the brain", doesn't really mean much. Depression, Anxiety, etc can lead to many "changes" as well.

How do we know this isn't mostly a psychological (DSM) disease that should only be treated with simple SSRIs?


I have already read the counter arguments online after the NYT article that can be read here:

Doctors Respond to New York Times Article

Notice in the "defense" of the disease there is ZERO objective counter analysis offered.

Please offer the scientific data to confirm this "disease"

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[lobelsteve]

Not a disease. A syndrome.

 

[ampaphb]

Not a disease. A syndrome.

The difference being a lack or eitiology? I thought the Lobel hypothesis was that these folks had all been sexually abused in their youth. (Sucks to have a former trainee who remembers ...)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using SDN mobile

 

[lobelsteve]

The difference being a lack or eitiology? I thought the Lobel hypothesis was that these folks had all been sexually abused in their youth. (Sucks to have a former trainee who remembers ...)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using SDN mobile

Prior physical, sexual, or emotional abuse are known risk factors and should be part of tbe history taken.

 

[DrCommonSense]

The difference being a lack or eitiology? I thought the Lobel hypothesis was that these folks had all been sexually abused in their youth. (Sucks to have a former trainee who remembers ...)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using SDN mobile

Actually many of the initial believers in this disease actually believe that or a variation.

They think it's mostly psychosomatic in origin.

I see no reason to conclude otherwise objectively.

I also see no reason an anti epilepsy drug is now used to treat this, especially at the high price point of lyrica.

Got to give big pharma credit though, this scam allowed lyrica to be pfizers number one revenue generator.