First, let me say that I am not a doctor and I do NOT diagnose nor prescribe. I have Familial Mediterranean Fever, I found it, and diagnosed myself. My doctor confirmed it. My DNA proves that I have the ancestry to have this illness. I have done a LOT of research on FMF and I am sending you what I have found. You can take this information to your doctor and feel free to share it with anyone who needs it. FMF has many symptoms, one of which, is that many of the muscles of your body are sore. Drs can diagnose this as 'fibromyalgia.'  Fibromyalgia may have hundreds of causes, but one of them is FMF.

 

The newest information on FMF and ‘fibromyalgia’ comes from Medscape Medline article that I found while searching on the internet.  This study corroborates what I understood and had known intuitively, from the first time that I heard about Familial Mediterranean Fever and realized that this was what I had.

Fibromyalgia in familial Mediterranean fever.J Rheumatol 1994 Jul;21(7):1335-7 (ISSN: 0315-162X)
Langevitz P; Buskila D; Finkelstein R; Zaks N; Neuman L; Sukenik S; Smythe HA; Pras Heller Institute of Medical Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.

OBJECTIVE. To determine whether chronic lower body pain in a subpopulation of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is due directly to the musculoskeletal manifestations of FMF or whether they are connected to mechanical problems in the low back and leg/foot or to other factors operative in fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS. In 93 consecutive patients with FMF a point count of 14 tender points (TP) was conducted by thumb palpation. Tenderness thresholds were assessed in some of the TP and of control point sites by Chatillon dolorimeter. RESULTS. In female patients with FMF dolorimeter thresholds of fibrositic and control point sites were significantly lower than in male patients with FMF (p < 0.004). Also patients with FMF with back pain and foot/leg pain are more tender than patients with FMF without this characteristic (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION. The detection of FM and definition of tenderness thresholds is relevant to this disease, since musculoskeletal complaints are common in this group of patients but not always explained by objective findings.

 

The symptoms of ‘fibromyalgia’ are a part of the problems of FMF. From the source document, the study conducted by doctors from Israel concludes: “The detection of FM (fibromyalgia) and definition of tenderness thresholds is relevant to this disease, (FMF) since musculoskeletal complaints are common in this group of patients but not always explained by objective findings.” 

 

IF you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you need to eliminate as a cause, FMF and 3 other illnesses that can also cause 'fibro.'  These other three are: Chiari Syndrome, Hemochromatosis, and Wilson's Syndrome. There may be hundreds of causes of fibromyalgia pain, but these 4 are prominent and should be ELIMINATED before accepting a non-specific diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Doctors will tell you that fibromyalgia will NOT kill you, YET 3 of these 4 illnesses CAN be DEADLY if left untreated.

 

A COMPARISON OF FIBROMYALGIA, CFIDS, AND FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER

 

The following list compares symptoms given for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome  with the symptoms that I have had with Familial Mediterranean Fever. The fibromyalgia symptoms and the Chronic Fatigue Symptoms were taken from the Internet sites of both groups. I have taken the symptoms of FMF from the paper on the disease, sent to me from the National Organization of Rare Diseases.  The other symptoms, which I suffered from my variation of FMF, are easily explainable secondary symptoms of the primary ones.

 

I believe that the symptoms of FMF are erroneously diagnosed in many patients because I believe the heredity behind the disease is unknown by many people and is much more prevalent than previously thought. I also believe that the original mutations for FMF have mutated beyond what has already been found and is not being recognized as the same disease. I have talked with people who were diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, MD, MS, scleroderma, anklyosing spondolitis, lupus, Lyme Disease and any number of different maladies including KIDNEY problems and recurring flu, when what they actually had was a variant of FMF or one of the mutations of this illness.

 

All the muscle pain, trigger spots and muscle soreness of my `diagnosed,' fibromyalgia are GONE since I have been treated with colchicine! EXCEPT when I have some sort of infection. Then these spots will hurt again, but taking an anti-biotic to cure the infection stops the hurting as well.

 

In the following chart, I am not saying that fibromyalgia or any of the other illnesses actually are FMF. I have only recently found the study that says that fibromyalgia is ONE of the symptoms of FMF. There may be many causes of fibromyalgia. What I am saying is that this inherited illness is not well know in America and therefore this illness is frequently being misdiagnosed.

 

The stomach pain in my case has been mis-diagnosed as inflammation of the gallbladder, colitis, appendicitis, etc and usually had vomiting and diarrhea as well.  Everyone has a cough from time to time, and flu-like symptoms. To read this chart:

 

The items in the first column are the SYMPTOMS. The three columns following are (f) fibromyalgia, (c) chronic fatigue and (F) Familial Mediterranean Fever. An X beside one of these initials means that the illness HAS that symptom. Some ? marks are used when the symptom is debated and a NO is used IF the illness does NOT have that symptom.

 

 

 

SYMPTOMS          Fibro             Chronic Fatigue          FMF

 

1. fatigue       (f)X   (c)X  (F) X

 

2.widespread pain     (f) X  ( c ) (joints) (F)X

 

3. 3 mos. Duration    (f)X   ( c ) (6 mos.) FX

 

4. Fever       (f) NO ( c ) X  (F)X

 

5. Headache (f) X (c ) X (F)X

 

6.Sleep disturbance (f) X (c ) X (F )X

 

7.Morning stiffness (f) X (c) ? (F) X

 

8. Depression  ( f ) X (c ) X (F)X

 

9. Anxiety (f ) X ( c )X (F)X

 

10. Sore throat (f) NO    (c ) X (F)?

 

11. Chills/night
       sweats (f) ? (c )X (F)X

 

12.Swollen lymph (f)NO  (c )X     (FX)
     nodes            

 

13. Skin rash (f)NO ( c ) X (F)X

 

14. Muscle weakness (f) NO  (c)X (F)X

 

15. Confusion/disorientation (f) X ( c ) X (F)X

 

16. Difficulty Concentrating (f) X (c ) X (F)X     

 

17. Memory Loss  (f) X ( c ) X  (F) X

 

18. Inability to Exercise (f) ? ( c ) X (F) X

 

19.Reduced sex drive  (f) ? ( c ) X (F)X

 

20. Dizziness/Lightheadness (f) ?  ( c ) X (F)X

 

21. Irratibility (f) ?  ( c ) X (F)X

 

22. Personality Changes (f) ? (c ) X (F)X

 

23. Mood swings  (f) ? ( c ) X (F) X

 

24. Possibly inherited (f) X ( c ) ? (F) X

 

25.acute, short-lived (f) NO    ( c ) NO  (F)X      
painful, bouts of  
stomach pain, (may
be followed by
diarrhea)

 

26. pleuritis, inflam- (f) NO ( c ) NO  (F) X      
mation of the lining
 of the body cavities,
which in acute stage
may produce stabbing
pain in the side.

 

27. short, dry cough (f) NO ( c ) NO (F) X          

 

28. nephropathic        (f) NO (c ) NO  (F) X
amyloidosis which            
can lead to kidney failure.

 

29. Infertility and preg  (f) NO ( c ) NO  (F)X
 loss more common.          

 

I received the following from a doctor who diagnosis FMF patients. The following is his criteria for diagnosis of this illness:

 

Major Criteria:
Typical attacks (3+ of same type; temps 100degrees, lasting 12-72 hours)
       Peritonitis
       Pleuritis or percarditis
       Arthritis (typically hip, knee, ankle)
       Fever

 

Minor Criteria:
       Incomplete attacks with variation on severity; duration, temperature), involving 1 or more sites:
             Abdomen
             Chest
             Joints (multiple, lower back, upper ext.)
       Exertional leg pain
       Favorable response to colchicine

 

FMF Criteria: Supportive Criteria
       Family history of FMF
       Appropriate ethnic origins
       Age <20 yrs at disease onset
       Episodic proteninuria/hematuria
       Unproductive laparotamy or normal appendix removal
       Consanguinity of parents

 

FMF Criteria: Supportive Criteria Cont'd

 

       Features of Attacks
             Severe, requiring bed rest
             Spontaneous remissions
             Symptom-free intervals (at least in youth)
             Transient inflammatory response, with one or more abnormal lab test:
                   WBC, ESR, Serum Amyloid A, and/or fibrinogen

 

FMF Diagnosis: Requirements

 

       1+ major criteria, or
       2 minor criteria, or
       1 minor criteria plus 5+ supportive criteria or,
       1 minor, plus 4 of the following:
             Family History of FMF
             Appropriate ethnic origin
             Age under 20
             Severe attacks
             Spontaneous remission

 

FMF Patients: Other diagnoses given/suspected - these are ACTUAL diagnoses given to patients later identified as having FMF.

 

Sprain/strain/injury
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polychondritis

Manic-depressive disorder
Depression
Chronic recurrent chemical depression

Lyme Disease
Reiter's
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Rheumatoid Arthritis including palindromic
Scarlet Fever

Rheumatic Fever
Colitis
Sepsis
Anxiety Disorder
Malingering
Sciatica
Glandular Fever
Osteo-arthritis.

Sleep apnea
Sleep disorder with myoclonus
Restless Leg Syndrome
spastic colon
gallbladder inflammation
possible kidney stones with their concurrent problems of vomiting and diarrhea
chronic respiratory problems
allergies
asthma
thyroid problems that bounced up and down
Lupus
Somatoform Disorder
Migraines
Hypochondria
Pituitary tumor
Chronic Staph infections
Chronic kidney infections
Chronic Bronchitis
Diabetes