Conquering Your Fibromyalgia Podcast

By Dr. Michael Lenz MD

When I started this podcast—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. In the exam room, time is limited. But the need for understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions

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The podcast currently has 274 episodes available.

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Number 1: Ep. 3 What is Fibromyalgia?
Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Dr. Lenz describes fibromyalgia. He differentiates structural medical problems which is the most commonly used paradigm for understanding medical problems and then discusses how fibromyalgia-like problems involve how the brain listens to stimuli and interprets them differently, in a noxious way. He offers hope to those through first a better understanding. He is the author of "Conquering Your Fibromyalgia: Real Answers and Real Solutions for Real Pain." The audiobook, Conquering Your Fibromyalgia is now available. You can get a copy of the book here. If you love the podcast, one of the ways to show your support is to check out the book. If you have questions or topics you would like to have discussed on a future podcast, email Dr. Lenz at [email protected]. You can also share a recording of your question. If you have a question, hundreds of others will likely have the same question. Remember, this podcast is meant for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be and should NOT be interpreted as medical advice for any medical condition or individual. It is also not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. The content presented is a starting point in your research and a helpful guide when discussing your circumstances with your trusted medical providers. All listeners are strongly urged to seek medical attention and guidance regarding symptoms and health concerns. Click here for the YouTube Channel Click here for the YouTube channel Support the show When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope. If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD. Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...
August 19, 202133min
Number 2: Ep. 1 Welcome to the Conquering Your Fibromyalgia Podcast
Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Dr. Michael Lenz welcomes you to his new podcast. Dr. Lenz is the author of the book, "Conquering Your Fibromyalgia: Real Answers and Real Solutions for Real Pain." Dr. Lenz is a pediatrician and internist as well as a lifestyle medicine physician. Dr. Lenz shares his background and interest in fibromyalgia. Join him on a journey to go beyond just learning to live with to conquering your fibromyalgia. The audiobook, Conquering Your Fibromyalgia, is now available. You can get a copy of the book here. If you have questions or topics you would like to have discussed on a future podcast, email Dr. Lenz at [email protected]. You can also share a recording of your question. If you have a question, it is likely that hundreds of others have the same question. Remember this podcast is meant for informational purposes only. It is NOT intended to be and should NOT be interpreted as medical advice for any medical condition and any individual. It is also not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. The content presented is provided as a starting point in your research and a helpful guide when discussing your individual circumstances with your trusted medical providers. All listeners are strongly urged to seek medical attention and guidance regarding any symptoms and health concerns. Click here for the YouTube Channel Support the show When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope. If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD. Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...
August 15, 202117min
Number 3: Chronic Pain? Your Heart Could Be at Risk
Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Chronic Illness, Hidden Heart Risk, and the Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score Dr. Michael Lenz, a clinical lipidologist, explains that chronic illnesses involving pain, inflammation, or central sensitization (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia) can silently increase long-term risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death—sometimes doubling or tripling risk—through systemic inflammation, stress-hormone-driven autonomic strain, and associated factors like obesity, tobacco/substance use, and inflammatory diets. He argues standard LDL-based risk calculators can miss this “invisible” danger and discusses advanced assessment, focusing on the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score: a brief, non-contrast CT scan that measures calcified plaque as proof of coronary disease. Citing the MESA study, he describes the predictive value of CAC, including “power of zero,” outlines score ranges and implications, notes limitations such as soft plaque, and urges viewers to discuss CAC, statins, lifestyle, and additional blood tests with their doctor. 00:00 Chronic Illness Hidden Heart Risk 02:10 Invisible Threat Explained 03:50 UK Biobank Wake Up Call 04:11 How Damage Builds Up 06:20 Why Standard Tests Miss It 08:21 CAC Scan That Changes Everything 10:13 MESA Study Power of Zero 12:32 Understanding Your CAC Score 17:04 Treatment and Lifestyle Battle Plan 18:51 Take Back Control Closing Click here for the YouTube Channel Support the show When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope. If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD. Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...
May 08, 202623min
Number 4: Sleep as the Engine of Fibromyalgia
Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Fibromyalgia and the Hidden Sleep Disorder Fueling Your Pain: How Restorative Sleep Breaks the Vicious Cycle The script explains fibromyalgia as a real central nervous system disorder marked by widespread pain, crushing fatigue, and “fibro fog,” driven by central sensitization and neurochemical imbalance (elevated substance P/glutamate and reduced inhibitory neurotransmitters). It argues that non-restorative sleep is a core driver of symptoms, highlighting Moldofsky’s findings of the alpha-delta sleep anomaly in which wake-like alpha waves intrude into deep slow-wave sleep, preventing tissue repair and pain regulation. Fragmented sleep also impairs diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), worsening hyperalgesia and allodynia; experimental sleep disruption in healthy volunteers can induce fibromyalgia-like tenderness, and diary studies show poor sleep predicts next-day pain more than pain predicts sleep. Solutions emphasize prioritizing deep sleep via CBT-I, paced gentle movement (especially aquatic), mind-body practices, warm baths, screening/treating sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, and clinician-guided options such as low-dose tricyclics/cyclobenzaprine (including FDA-approved Tonmya in 2025), gabapentinoids, and melatonin while avoiding benzodiazepines. 00:00 Pain and Fatigue Cycle 01:17 Central Sensitization Explained 02:32 Fibromyalgia Symptom Breakdown 04:25 Neurochemistry Behind Pain 06:01 Non Restorative Sleep Mystery 07:16 Alpha Delta Sleep Anomaly 09:44 How Bad Sleep Creates Pain 13:02 Sleep as the Main Lever 15:05 Lifestyle Sleep Fixes 18:15 Check Other Sleep Disorders 19:04 Medication Support Options 20:45 Take Action and Advocate 21:56 Final Hopeful Wrap Up Click here for the YouTube Channel Click here for the YouTube channel Support the show When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope. If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD. Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...
May 07, 202627min
Number 5: The Diagnosis Gap: Why Fibromyalgia Gets Overlooked
Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Making the Invisible Visible: A Longitudinal, Validating Framework for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Illness Care The script contrasts patients’ experiences of chronic pain, fatigue, and brain fog being dismissed despite normal tests with clinicians’ uncertainty in brief, system-pressured visits, framing “medical gaslighting” as a patient safety issue. It proposes rewriting the clinical approach to invisible illnesses like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, and IBS by starting with deep listening, validating symptoms, and using standardized tools (Widespread Pain Index, Symptom Severity Score, Fibro Score Index, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised) to confirm diagnosis, set baselines, and track change over time like an A1C. It emphasizes longitudinal mapping of symptoms across the lifespan, including early nervous system sensitivity, neurodivergence, hormonal transitions, and cumulative stress, plus screening for ADHD, autism traits, and sleep disorders. The framework includes pacing with activity tracking, trauma-informed care, careful documentation, flexible follow-up, coordinated care, and transparent uncertainty paired with belief and hope. 00:00 Invisible Illness Reality 00:39 Clinician Perspective Pressure 01:10 Why Medicine Fails Here 01:49 Rewriting the Care Script 02:11 Start With Listening 02:41 Measure And Baseline 03:47 Build The Life Timeline 05:50 Hormones And Stress Load 07:05 Track Progress Over Time 08:10 Pacing And Hidden Comorbidities 09:22 The Gaslighting System Trap 10:11 What Better Care Looks Like 11:30 Hope And Closing Call Click here for the YouTube Channel Support the show When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope. If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD. Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...
May 06, 202616min