Fibromyalgia Patients Should Be Screened for ADHD, Study Says

A recent study concludes that fibromyalgia and ADHD may frequently co-occur — possibly resulting in increased symptom severity for one or both conditions.

By Devon Frye, Updated on March 31, 2022 

December 15, 2017 

A small observational study found high rates of comorbidity between ADHD and fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder, as well as some evidence that patients with both conditions experience heightened symptom severity. Though the study’s data is preliminary, its authors concluded that patients with fibromyalgia should receive pre-emptive ADHD screenings. 

The study was published in November in the journal Pain Medicine. Researchers tested 123 patients — all whom had been previously diagnosed with fibromyalgia — for ADHD, using the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Fibromyalgia severity was also measured, using a widely recognized symptom scale called the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-R).

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“ADHD and OCD: My Codependent Frenemies”

“While OCD and ADHD are opposites in some ways, they are also too intertwined to tease apart.” 

 By Rhiannon Giles, Updated on June 5, 2023

On the surface, ADHD and OCD are seemingly impossible bedfellows. “Messy,” “hyperactive,” and “scatterbrained” are just a few common synonyms for the former, while the latter is frequently associated with being exceedingly clean, uptight, and meticulous. (While some of these assumptions about these disorders are accurate for some people, they cannot be generalized or applied to everyone.)

Yet, that’s precisely the combination I have. Research shows that up to 30% of people with ADHD also have OCD.

In my reality, ADHD and OCD are codependent frenemies that sometimes help balance each other, even as they egg on one another. 

OCD and ADHD Feed Off Each Other

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ADHD Relief Music

Today, my colleague showed me this video. Though it doesn't work for me, it works well for her, so I thought I share it with you:

Personally, train sounds help me to relax and concentrate:

Finding the right music for sleeping relaxed

I have to admit, I haven't thought about my ADD for many years after I also developed an Anxiety Disorder and so I totally forgot on my blog *d'uh* I like thinking of myself as someone well organized, but obviously ... 😄 

Anyway, what many people and I have in common is having sleeping problems.

Most people I have talked to in the past have problems falling asleep, some have problems, sleeping through - I have both!

In the media, I have often read that one should not watch TV or be on the phone shortly before sleeping, but I have found those suggestions of no value - for myself.

First I heard about white noise and started listening to it to fall asleep. Then someone was writing about meditation/relaxation music and I searched for it on YouTube - yes, I am old school and am still using YouTube 😄- and to my surprise both worked and still work for me though I usually listen to the music and not the white noise.

The important things to know and what too many don't want to understand or don't want to listen to are:

1. Listen to different styles and don't give up after just trying one piece of music!
   I for example cannot fall asleep to music with a piano in it! Don't get me wrong, I love piano music and find it relaxing - just not for sleeping!
2. Try different volumes! You think the music is already loud but you can still hear your thoughts? Maybe the music is not the right one for that night or maybe the music is not loud enough! Turn on the volume (but also think of your neighbors!) and see if this was the reason.
3. I usually sleep with headphones because I have very loud thoughts, a very light sleep, and at the same time have a loud cat and also a loud neighbor who thinks he has to talk on the phone for hours late at night. The walls between our apartments are so thin, I can hear every word he's saying.
   But sometimes I can listen to sleeping music without headphones - this also depends on the "mood"! So, when you can't fall asleep with headphones then try it without.
4. Only because one piece of music worked one night, it doesn't mean, it will also work the next night or the night after!
   I don't know what the reason is, but I have noticed that I am not the only one who has to listen to a new piece of music almost every night. The good thing is, YouTube suddenly started suggesting new pieces of music, so every evening my time I can choose a new piece of music. Not only do I know which channels I like, but also YouTube, so YouTube suggests music from those channels and also similar channels, which makes it easier to choose a new piece of music before going to bed.
5. If you're used to taking sleeping pills and think you can stop taking them from one day to another because now you have music: This is not the way it works and you will get frustrated, give up on the music idea and start taking the pills again, thinking nothing else will ever help you!
   First of all, such prescription drugs are not discontinued like that. One usually reduces the medication slowly because the body has gotten used to it and now has to get used to the chemical changes in the body. A doctor knows better so please ask him/her/... for advice regarding the medication but what you can do is already start listening to meditation music or white noise so as to ease the changes in your before-sleep routine.
   

I am listening to meditation music every night and so far it has helped me almost every night to fall asleep almost immediately.

This is my white noise playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list...

This is my meditation music playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list...

Give it a try - it is sooooo much better than rolling around in bed for hours while trying to fall asleep and sooooo much better than taking sleeping pills!