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🗝️ TLDR/ Key Takeaways
- Overlap: Fibromyalgia and ADHD often co-occur, sharing symptoms like pain, fatigue, and cognitive challenges.
- Treatment: Addressing ADHD can lead to improvements in fibromyalgia symptoms, particularly cognitive issues like fibrofog.
- Holistic Approach: Combining medications, therapy, and lifestyle changes is often the most effective strategy.
- Self-Help: Incorporating stress management, sleep hygiene, regular exercise, and cognitive-behavioral techniques can enhance your ability to manage both conditions.
Living with fibromyalgia—a condition marked by chronic pain and fatigue—or ADHD, characterized by inattention and hyperactivity, is challenging enough on its own.
But when these conditions overlap, the challenges can become even more complex.
The rates are high; one study found that fibromyalgia patients had a 45 percent rate of adhd, and other studies have also found high rates of cooccurrence between fibromyalgia and adhd.
You will get little support, attention, or compassion. As an adhd woman, you will be doubly discriminated against.
Recognizing this and understanding the connection between fibromyalgia and ADHD is crucial for taking charge of your care and advocating for yourself.
🌟 Understanding the Fibromyalgia and ADHD Connection
🤔 Why Do Fibromyalgia and ADHD Often Show Up Together?
Research indicates a significant overlap between fibromyalgia and ADHD. This could be due to shared symptoms and underlying mechanisms like central sensitization, neuroinflammation, and dopamine dysregulation. Addressing and supporting both can often lead to better outcomes, as improvements in one area can positively affect the other.
🔍 Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Widespread Pain: Persistent pain affecting muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
- Fatigue: A constant feeling of tiredness, not relieved by rest.
- Cognitive Difficulties ("Fibro Fog"): Problems with memory, concentration, and focus.
- Sleep Disturbances: Issues with falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling unrefreshed.
- Sensitivity: Heightened sensitivity to touch, light, and temperature.
- Headaches and Migraines: Frequent and potentially severe.
- Digestive Issues: Such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Depression and Anxiety: Emotional challenges that often accompany chronic pain.
💊 How Treating and Supporting ADHD Can Help with Fibromyalgia
Treating ADHD can significantly impact fibromyalgia symptoms. ADHD medications may help reduce pain, improve sleep quality, and alleviate the cognitive difficulties known as "fibro fog."
🧠 The Link Between Fibromyalgia and ADHD
Here are some things we know about the links between fibromyalgia and ADHD.
1. Central Sensitization
People with fibromyalgia have increased central sensitization. Central sensitization refers to an increased nervous system sensitivity, leading to heightened pain perception. ADHD symptoms, such as chronic stress and anxiety, can exacerbate this condition, making fibromyalgia symptoms more severe.
2. Neuroinflammation
Both ADHD and fibromyalgia involve brain inflammation, which can disrupt nervous system function. Addressing neuroinflammation might reduce symptoms of both conditions, potentially improving overall well-being.
3. Dopamine Dysregulation
Dopamine is a crucial brain chemical involved in both conditions. Low levels of dopamine can contribute to the inattention and hyperactivity seen in ADHD and may also be linked to chronic pain in fibromyalgia.
4. Chronic Stress
Stress exacerbates both ADHD and fibromyalgia symptoms by increasing pain and cognitive dysfunction. Managing stress effectively is essential for reducing the impact of both conditions.
5. Genetic Factors
There may be a genetic component to the overlap between fibromyalgia and ADHD. Some families exhibit patterns of both conditions, suggesting a hereditary link.
🧠 Understanding Fibro Fog
"Fibro fog" is a term used to describe the cognitive difficulties associated with fibromyalgia. These include problems with concentration, memory, word-finding, and mental clarity. For many individuals with fibromyalgia, these cognitive symptoms can be more debilitating than the chronic pain itself. Of course, executive functioning issues compound fibrofog. It can be more challenging to recognize when you are struggling with it.
Even without adhd, fibro fog often goes under-recognized and undertreated, even though it significantly impacts daily life.
Key Symptoms of Fibro Fog:
- Difficulty Concentrating: Struggling to focus on tasks or conversations.
- Memory Issues: Forgetting names, appointments, or where you put things.
- Word-Finding Problems: Difficulty retrieving words when speaking or writing.
- Mental Fatigue: Feeling mentally drained after simple tasks.
You'd be correct in noticing the common overlap between concentration and memory issues in people with ADHD. Luckily, all the things you can do to help yourself with Fibro Fog and Fibromyalgia will also help with ADHD stress and executive functioning.
Here is what you can do to help yourself with Managing Fibro Fog:
🟢 Prioritize Sleep and Self-Care: Improve mental clarity through good sleep hygiene.
🔵 Mindfulness Practices: Use meditation and similar techniques to enhance focus.
🟡 Practice Self-Compassion: Be gentle and kind to yourself, acknowledging the difficulty of your struggles.
🟣 Practice Self-Accommodation: Provide yourself with ample support and accommodations.
🔴 Speak Up: Ask for help and set boundaries to minimize stress.
🟠 Outsource Your Executive Function: Use planners, reminders, and lists to manage daily tasks and reduce brain stress.
🟤 Exercise Regularly: Engage in physical activity to boost cognitive function, even if in small amounts.
🔵 Don't Expect to Be Neurotypical: Recognize that the world is designed for neurotypes different from yours. It's unfair and unhelpful to compare yourself to a standard that isn't better, just different.
🌱 Self-Help Strategies for Managing Both Conditions
Managing fibromyalgia and ADHD requires a comprehensive approach that includes both professional treatment and self-help strategies. Here are some self-help tips that can empower you to take control of your health:
Stress Management
Stress management is crucial for both ADHD and fibromyalgia. Techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga can help regulate emotional responses, reduce stress, and potentially lessen pain perception.
Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep is essential for managing both conditions. Establish a regular sleep routine, create a comfortable sleep environment, and address any underlying sleep disorders to improve both pain and cognitive symptoms.
Exercise
Regular physical activity, tailored to your capabilities, can help manage pain, improve mood, and enhance focus. Even light exercise, like walking or stretching, can have significant benefits.
Diet and Nutrition
Maintaining a balanced diet and being mindful of food sensitivities can contribute to overall health and symptom management. Certain foods may exacerbate symptoms, so it’s important to identify and avoid them.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Principles
CBT can be an effective tool for managing both fibromyalgia and ADHD. By identifying and challenging negative thought patterns about your self-worth value, pacing activities, and setting manageable goals, not pushing yourself beyond what you are comfortable with, you can reduce being overwhelmed and improve your quality of life.
Psychoeducation
Understanding the interplay between ADHD, pain, and cognitive stress is empowering. Educating yourself can reduce self-stigma, communicate more effectively with healthcare providers ( who are often unsupportive), and connect with supportive communities.
Reflecting on Fibromyalgia and ADHD in Your Life.
🟦 Symptom Awareness
- ☐ Do you notice any overlapping symptoms of fibromyalgia and ADHD in your daily life?
- ☐ How do these symptoms impact your daily activities?
🟨 Symptom Tracking
- ☐ Track your fibromyalgia symptoms daily for the next week.
- ☐ Focus on cognitive symptoms like concentration or memory issues.
🟧 Current ADHD Treatment
- ☐ Are you currently treating your ADHD?
- ☐ Has this treatment affected your fibromyalgia symptoms?
🟥 Exploring New Treatments
- ☐ What ADHD treatments or lifestyle changes could also help with fibromyalgia symptoms?
🟪 Sleep Improvement
- ☐ Try one new sleep hygiene practice this week to improve mental clarity.
🟫 Mindfulness Practice
- ☐ Do a short daily mindfulness exercise to enhance focus and concentration.
🔵 Fibro Fog Impact
- ☐ How does fibro fog affect your daily life and responsibilities?
- ☐ Can you identify any patterns or triggers that worsen your cognitive symptoms?
🟡 Stress Management
- ☐ Pick one stress management technique to use daily.
- ☐ How might this help reduce your overall symptoms?
🟠 Exercise Planning
- ☐ Create a realistic exercise plan for the week.
- ☐ How can you adjust your activity to match your energy levels and manage pain?
🟤 Diet and Nutrition
- ☐ How does your diet affect your symptoms?
- ☐ Are there any changes you could make to help manage fibromyalgia or ADHD?
🔴 Holistic Approach
- ☐ What could make your current treatment plan more holistic?
- ☐ How could combining different approaches improve your well-being?
🟣 Professional Support
- ☐ Have you considered professional help to manage the overlap of these conditions?
- ☐ What type of support might be most helpful for you?
🔷 Reflection
- ☐ What new insights have you learned about the connection between fibromyalgia and ADHD?
🔶 Action Plan
- ☐ What are the top three actions you plan to take next month to better manage your symptoms?
🎯 Wrapping it Up
By recognizing the connection between fibromyalgia and ADHD, you can adopt a more comprehensive treatment approach that enhances your quality of life. Kristen McClure, a neurodivergent-affirming ADHD therapist and coach with 30 years of experience, offers virtual therapy and coaching services across North and South Carolina. Her approach can provide the support and guidance needed to navigate these overlapping conditions.
This blog not only informs but also empowers women living with ADHD and fibromyalgia to take proactive steps towards better health and well-being.
Van Rensburg R, Meyer HP, Hitchcock SA, Schuler CE. Screening for Adult ADHD in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Pain Med. 2018 Sep 1;19(9):1825-1831. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx275. PMID: 29099955.
