Question from a member: does anyone think that the rise in FM/CFS/ME could be linked in some way to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986?

*The increase is reflected worldwide. I doubt it.

*No I think the increase is down to people becoming more aware of chronic illness. Although no where near aware enough yet.

*I agree I believe it's just the knowledge and get more Dr's on board and the numbers will increase more.

*The DR didn't come up with my diagnosis, I spent years going to the dr and hospital about my pains, they said it was something else then I has tests that said they were wrong.
so I looked it up on line, all of my symptoms flagged up Fibro, I said it to the DR and she said I was right then my consultant said it was it too, finally I'm getting medication and help.

*Shouldn't think so, as my Mum had it before then.

*I was in high school in 86. I am finding out that I have had symptoms since before 86. However, it runs in my family on my mothers side.
I have been researching a connection to two possible culprits during the time my Grandmother and Grandfather lived in Washington state. There was a chemical plant and Nuclear plant in the close vicinity to their home.
I do know that the chemical plant has been under scrutiny in the past due to illegal chemical discharges into the land and water table in the area. My grandmother had a vegetable garden as well, possible soil contamination.
I do know that she suffered from extreme pain as far back as I can remember and she was always fatigued! None of the women on that side has escaped having severe symptoms which I now know is Fibro.
I do believe that contamination either chemical or radioactive is probably to blame in our case!! Keep looking into any ideas that you have that may have caused your chronic illness. The research is so new on this terrible illness that anything could be possible.

*You're likely right, but I think pollutants, depleted crop soils, modern vaccinations, and radiation (think medical scans and microwave towers) contribute. In the past, I suspect such ailments went misdiagnosed, or that the sufferers were generally too unwell (poor living conditions in less advanced times) to survive very long. And, of course, much of it was passed off as "hysteria", and dosed heavily with laudanum.

*Fibro got a name in 1990. It was around when Chinese acupuncture was started, not a new illness at all.

*I don't have any of the above, but I was born with a congenital birth defect. My mother would have conceived a few months after the disaster. I have no idea if it was a factor in my defect or not. I wonder if there were more deformed babies born after the disaster, but I don't have any numbers to crunch.

*Fibromyalgia was formerly known as Fibrositis. It's in a home doctor book I was given by my Nan which is from the 1950s. So no I don't think its linked. I think it has more to do with more advanced research into the condition and more diagnosis's being made.

*Who knows? I am from the Ukraine and lived there in 1986 when that tragedy happened.
I recall some mild symptoms that I had starting in 1989.It's very possible.

Interesting that you should say that. My Dad recently commented that both him and my Mother and me and my husband were on the west coast of England when Chernobyl happened and the weeks following. My Mother, my husband and I have had cancers in the past ten years and I also developed ME about ten years ago too.
I had never linked it but now it makes me wonder and it obviously did my Dad too!

*Sorry I should have mentioned that the Chernobyl cloud was supposed to have reached the west coast of England fairly quickly. Farmers are apparently still seeing abnormalities in their animals all these years later.

*Fibromyalgitis has been around for years and has just had a change in names.

*No because fibro comes from a faulty hereditary gene we are born with and is triggered by a trauma or op. I will post details of a very good book over the next few days.

*No

*love to hear about that book please.

*Since I am in California, I'm going to say no.

*My mother was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the early 70's, so it can't be connected to Chernobyl.

*Without a shred of evidence to support my answer, I'm going to guess the rise is more related to better information and better searching technology. Now, we can go into the doctor's office with a list of concerns and know what to expect that doctor to say/do.

Here in the States (at least), I know Fibro was treated as a "wastebasket syndrome" -- when nothing else fit, it was Fibro. Now we know more and there's more research helping doctors to diagnose patients.

*How would that even be possible? That was in one area. Neither me nor any of my ancestors were there for it.
The rise in these syndromes is due to a better understanding of them. Same as schizophrenics are no longer thrown in a mental institution; we understand what they are afflicted with and it's not miss attributed to something else like it was a couple hundred years ago.

*The rise could be due to finally more research, awareness & diagnosis being made. But if you do research Fibro actually is not a new condition it was just under different names like fibrositis and rheumatism. Research has documented the symptoms as far back as biblical times. But I'm sure that there are many other reasons.

*NO.

*Hope not.

*Not sure but don't think so. Anything is possible I suppose.