A new question:  Is there a correlation between allergies and chronic pain, or onset of fibromyalgia, or trigger of fibromyalgia attack?  I read one article that indicates that nicotine suppresses the body’s natural pain killers (see Bokarewa in the library; “Nicotine – the Theory” under the Sorcerer’s Cauldron), and therefore people with fibromyalgia should definitely not smoke.  This seems to answer my question of why I was having such a downward turn in my previous workspace where I was exposed to consistent third-hand smoke.  Add to that an allergy to tobacco (genetic testing shows I can’t metabolize nicotine), and it makes sense.  Leaving that office has done a world of good in terms of physical pain.  I’ve done other things to help, reducing stress, addressing hip pain, etc (see other blogs), but there is a definite correlation between taking myself out of a toxic environment and reduction of pain.  I was doing well.  Until this week.

I’m taking care of a friend’s dog this week so am uprooted from my own little litter box to someone else’s.  And I’m reacting to something.  I feel exactly the same way as when I was in my last office.  It’s not just allergies (probably to dust/dirt – it’s a semi-rural setting with horses, dirt road, etc, that make their way into the house), but also a return of the fibro pain.  I can feel it in my hands (yes, my flip-em-the-bird finger is acting up), shoulders, legs, neck, etc.  I’ve gone from remission at the beginning of the week when I first arrived to new onset by the end of the week.  In addition, my head is foggy – clarity of thinking has decreased.  The inability to sit down and read is probably due to the allergic reaction – eye pain and dryness.

Since this is a completely different type of allergy that seems to be triggering fibro pain, I’m wondering what the correlation between allergies and fibro is and whether there have been studies on it.  I’m going to have to check it out.