Underlying causes of fibromyalgia
Disclaimer:
I am not a trained medical professional. The information presented here is from other sources and fully referenced. It has been useful to me in understanding the nature of my own fibromyalgia and will hopefully be helpful to others.
I believe that it is necessary to understand the underlying cause(s) of fibromyalgia, in order to understand its prevalence in people with ADHD.
Immune system irregularities
There is evidence that fibromyalgia can be caused by dysregulation of the immune system:
Passive transfer of fibromyalgia symptoms from patients to mice - PubMed (nih.gov)
What causes immune system dysregulation? - Stress (highly prevalent in people with ADHD)
Viruses
Could fibromyalgia be caused by chronic reactivation of a virus, such as Epstein-Barr, cytalomegalovirus or parvovirus?
Fibromyalgia and parvovirus infection - PubMed (nih.gov)
Seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 in fibromyalgia syndrome - PubMed (nih.gov)
Joint hypermobility
Although I do not have joint hypermobility myself, I am aware that quite a few people with fibromyalgia do. In fact, there is an increasing body of evidence that ‘Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder’ (HSD) and ‘Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome’ (HEDS) are linked to both autism and ADHD. For some people, their symptoms may be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
Thyroid issues
Is there a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity and thyroid issues? Can it be induced by stress?
Fibromyalgia – A Medical Mystery Solved | TPAUK
Position statement on Fibromyalgia/CFS/ME - Thyroid UK
Thyroid problems are estimated to be higher in children and adults with ADHD than in the general population. However, it is unclear whether the people with ADHD + thyroid issues are those who also have fibromyalgia.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and thyroid function - PubMed (nih.gov)
Dysautonomia
‘Autonomic nervous system dysfunction’ has been found to be common in people with fibromyalgia:
as has sympathetic hyperreactivity’: