The Risk of Suicide

I recently saw this posted online:

I recently saw this Statistic online.. Given my history I’m not surprised, but is it true?

What my research shows is that a Dutch study published in October 2019. found that women with Fibromyalgia have a 10-fold increase in risk for suicide.

“Our data show that both suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide were higher in both patient groups compared with the controls, but they were highest in patients with fibromyalgia. Depression was the factor most strongly associated with both suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide. Examining the characteristics of both patient groups, it was apparent that pain intensity and physical health were similar but that the severity of depression and mental health status were significantly worse among patients with fibromyalgia. Sleep quality was poor in both groups but was worse among patients with fibromyalgia.”

Anothervarticle expands in that, claiming mutiple studies support this, but I have not found additional studies. This same articles states that Fibromites are about three times more likely than other chronic pain patients. Given he lack of confirmation of the first comment, I’m not sure how reliable the second claim is.

Multiple studies conducted as a result of the Dutch research has encountered a slightly different conclusion. These additional studies have determine that while yes, Women with Fibromyalgia do have an increase risk of suicide. However, this statistic is only accurate within a sub-set of this. They determined that women with Fibromyalgia who *also* have depression are ar a 10 tunes increase in the risk of suicide.

The most recent independent study shows a mild to moderate risk of a suicide in fibromyalgia patients. This study also, unlike previous, takes into account other factors including age, gender, occupation status, monthly income, NSAID use, and comorbidities. .

My Conclusion: People with Fibro have no more risk of suicide than other chronic pain patients. But people with Fibro AND depression/anxiety are at significant risk of suicidal ideologies.

However, it is important to remember that fibromyalgia and depression are strongly related. Patients with fibromyalgia frequently suffer from a comorbid major depressive disorder,

When treating women with fibromyalgia, doctors should be on the lookout for depression and warning signs of suicide, according to a new study.

Source articles:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/730633

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998848/

https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2018/9/22/fibromyalgia-and-the-high-risk-of-suicide

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5591103/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998848/

“https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fibromyalgia-suicide-idUSTRE66F3JJ20100716

https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2016/11010/increased_risk_of_a_suicide_event_in_patients_with.20.aspx

Susceptibility

Despite what some people think, we DO NOT have a compromised immune system.

People taking immuno-suppressant medications, transplant recipients or with cancer / HIV have had their immune systems destroyed and can not fight off any new invading bug. They have compromised immune systems cuz essentially that system does not currently have much function in their bodies.

Our systems are impaired. So many variables impact each person’s impairment, but we are definitely impaired. Even the lady with only Fibromyalgia & is in long term remission has an impairment, as low as it might be. But she is not as much as the girl next door that has has uncontrolled Lupus and uncontrolled Fibromyalgia. We each have our unique set of variables that makes our own levels of impairment & thus susceptibility different.

IMO, persons with autoimmune conditions are definitely impaired. With these diseases their bodies are constantly fighting with themselves making it difficult to the immune system to fight the real infection as well as the phantom from the disease. So they’re taking a bit more of a hit than those without an auto-immune disease.

& No. Fibromyalgia is NOT an autoimmune disorder. I believe they are now thinking it’s neurological, which makes sense.

IMO, Fibromites, because of our declined health and it’s harder for us to fight off bugs, we also have impaired immune system. Our immune systems are fully intact but because of the impact fibro has on other system, we are definitely at a higher risk than the general public.

At this point I had actually made a list of various medical condition & where I thought they fit on the susceptibility scale. But there are too many other factors, the biggest two being additional medical conditions and the amount of control of one’s conditions.

So, I am only going to rate my own susceptibility cuz I know all my factors. My factors: I have fibromyalgia & about a dozen other issues are, for the most part, controlled. I do not have an autoimmune disorders (or determined to be, at this time). I am, otherwise, in good health.. So cuz I’ve got fibro, I’m at risk, but it’s controlled so that lowers the risk, but I’ve got a whole bunch of other non-autoimmune issues which increases my risk, but I’m healthy, which lowers the risk. So, I’d say on a scale of 1-10, my risk level is at about 6/10.

Remember, I am not a medical doctor and have no medical training. This is just my opinion based on the research I’ve done.