Has anyone noticed that when your symptoms flare up, that you have hightened irritability? I have been sick with colds, flu, and any other sort of illness and not be in a bad mood. It is not because I feel bad. I think it has something to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain area that controls aggression or a neurological problem. If you have had the same problem please let me know.

I find that I have anxiety and irritabilty for several hours, and then I have pain. So, now I take it as a warning sign!

Yep! It warns you that a real bad spell is coming. My wife is just now realizing that she needs to leave me alone at these times. After the fact, I feel so bad because I have been so mean to people. But I know during that time I cannot help it, it just won't go away.

Do we have irritability because we are in pain or does the irritability cause worse pain??? I have to go to the dr in a week and I would like to talk to her about this issue but I have to get all my thoughts together first so I can sound like an intelligent person instead of the screaming lunatic I am at home. lol angie

Like I stated before, I have been sick with the flu or common cold and even after numerous surgery's. I have never been in a bad mood like I am when my FM flares up. It has to be that when it happens, there is a chemical imbalance or a neurological problem that occurs at the time my symptoms flare up. I talkwd to a DR. about it, but he thought it was because of the pain and just because I have FM. No one can say they are depression free and have this illness, but it does not mean that it is depression, that causes bad moods.

My situation seems to be, that I will be feeling relatively normal..low on the relative pain scale, feeling happy, and then my anxiety level raises and I get short tempered for no apparent reason. I will be in that state for several hours, and then by the end of the day the fibro pain hits me full force. I will have my most painful days for the week or two following that episode.

isn't all of this somehow related to low levels of serotonin in the system. i'm guessing 5-HTP would help with pain, sleep, and moods. i'm sure that more factors are involved...

I was reading old postings and came across this one. anyone know what 5-HTP for pain is?