FIBROMYALGIA
THE hidden WAY car emissions CAN KILL YOU.
Traffic pollution invades your home—triggering respiratory distress often mistaken for bad indoor air or asthma, while hidden toxins silently block your body’s smallest blood vessels.
Children are among those particularly vulnerable to traffic-related air pollution.
ATP
ATP is the primary energy molecule used by cells. Nearly all cellular functions — including muscle activity, nerve signaling, and repair processes — depend on ATP availability.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide is a gas that binds strongly to hemoglobin and interferes with oxygen transport. Even low-level exposure can reduce oxygen delivery to tissues and increase physiological stress.
Cellular energy production
Cellular energy production refers to the processes cells use to generate ATP. Under normal conditions, this mainly occurs through oxygen-dependent mitochondrial respiration.
Chronic hypoxia
Chronic hypoxia means tissues experience long-term reduced oxygen availability. This can force the body into continuous compensatory stress responses and altered metabolism.
Circulation
Circulation is the movement of blood through the body. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues while removing carbon dioxide and waste products.
Compensatory mechanism
A compensatory mechanism is the body’s attempt to maintain stability during dysfunction or stress. These responses may help temporarily, but chronic compensation can eventually contribute to symptoms.
Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia refers to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. It can affect heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, digestion, temperature regulation, and stress responses.
Endothelial dysfunction
Endothelial dysfunction means the inner lining of blood vessels no longer regulates circulation normally. This can impair blood flow control, oxygen delivery, vascular relaxation, and microcirculation.
Endothelium
The endothelium is the thin inner lining of blood vessels. It plays a central role in regulating blood flow, vascular tone, inflammation, and oxygen delivery.
Energy deficit
An energy deficit occurs when cells cannot produce enough ATP to meet demand. This can contribute to fatigue, reduced physical capacity, impaired recovery, and physiological stress.
Glycolysis
Glycolysis is a form of energy production that does not require oxygen. It is less efficient than mitochondrial respiration and produces lactate as a byproduct.
Hypoxia
Hypoxia means insufficient oxygen availability at the tissue level. Even when blood oxygen appears normal, impaired circulation can still create localized hypoxia.
Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when cells respond poorly to insulin signaling. This disrupts glucose regulation and is commonly associated with metabolic dysfunction.
Lactic acid
Lactic acid is produced when cells rely more heavily on glycolysis for energy production. Increased lactic acid production can occur during hypoxia or impaired oxygen utilization.
Lactate
Lactate is a metabolic byproduct generated during glycolysis. Elevated lactate levels may indicate increased reliance on anaerobic energy production.
Metabolic dysfunction
Metabolic dysfunction refers to impaired regulation of energy production and cellular metabolism. It can affect glucose handling, mitochondrial function, circulation, and stress physiology.
Metabolism
Metabolism includes all chemical processes required to maintain cellular function and energy production. It involves how the body uses oxygen, nutrients, and energy.
Microcirculation
Microcirculation refers to blood flow through the body’s smallest vessels, including capillaries. This system is critical for oxygen delivery directly to tissues.
Microvascular dysfunction
Microvascular dysfunction means small blood vessels no longer regulate blood flow properly. This can create uneven oxygen delivery and localized tissue stress.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are structures inside cells responsible for most ATP production. They generate energy primarily through oxygen-dependent metabolism.
Nitric oxide (NO)
Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule that helps blood vessels relax and regulate circulation. Reduced nitric oxide activity can contribute to vascular dysfunction and impaired blood flow.
Oxidative phosphorylation
Oxidative phosphorylation is the mitochondria’s primary oxygen-dependent energy production pathway. It produces large amounts of ATP under normal physiological conditions.
Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species exceed the body’s antioxidant defenses. Excess oxidative stress can damage cells, blood vessels, and cellular signaling systems.
Oxygen delivery
Oxygen delivery refers to the transport of oxygen from the lungs to tissues. This depends on blood flow, hemoglobin function, vascular regulation, and microcirculation.
Parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system supports recovery, repair, digestion, and energy conservation. It is often described as the body’s “rest and recovery” system.
Perfusion
Perfusion refers to blood flow reaching tissues and organs. Reduced perfusion can impair oxygen and nutrient delivery even when circulation is still present.
Physiological stress
Physiological stress refers to biological strain placed on the body. This can result from impaired oxygen delivery, metabolic imbalance, inflammation, or chronic compensation.
Redox balance
Redox balance refers to the balance between oxidation and antioxidant defense systems. Disruption of redox balance can contribute to oxidative stress and cellular dysfunction.
Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system activates the body’s stress response. It increases heart rate, blood pressure, alertness, and circulatory compensation during physiological stress.
Tissue hypoxia
Tissue hypoxia means specific tissues are not receiving sufficient oxygen. This may occur even when standard oxygen measurements appear normal.
Vasoconstriction
Vasoconstriction means blood vessels narrow. This can reduce blood flow to tissues and increase circulatory resistance.
Vasodilation
Vasodilation means blood vessels relax and widen. This improves blood flow, oxygen delivery, and tissue perfusion.
The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Some content discusses hypotheses and proposed biological mechanisms based on an integration of published research. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Use this information as a starting point for discussion with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about medications, supplements, devices, or changes to your health regimen. See full disclaimer and ai disclosure.
Example of Systemic Dysfunction
Hypothesis
Fibromyalgia
THE CARCO STRESS MODEL: Carbon Monoxide Exposure → Peroxynitrite Formation in Capillaries → Fibrin Amyloid Formation → Microvascular Obstruction → Reduced Mitochondrial Oxygen Availability → Aerobic Energy Production Failure → Systemic Dysfunction
Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain, severe fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, brain fog and poor recovery after ordinary activity. These symptoms are often discussed separately. However, they may all develop from the same underlying chain.
Carbon monoxide may be the factor that initiates and maintains this disease process through fibrin amyloid formation.
Research has already linked fibromyalgia with changes in blood clotting, fibrin-related proteins and cellular energy production.[1–5] Researchers have also proposed that fibrin amyloid microclots may play a central role in fibromyalgia.[3]
The Carco Stress Model brings these findings together and proposes that carbon monoxide may cause fibromyalgia through the following mechanism:
carbon monoxide exposure
→ fibrin amyloid formation
→ accumulation in the smallest blood vessels
→ reduced tissue oxygen availability
→ cellular energy production failure – poor recovery, pain, fatigue etc.
Fibromyalgia and Fibrin Amyloid “Microclots”
Studies have found changes in clotting and fibrin-related processes in people with fibromyalgia.[1,2]A recent scientific review has proposed that fibrin amyloid microclots may help explain how these blood changes connect with fibromyalgia symptoms.[3]
These abnormal fibrin structures can resist normal breakdown and accumulate in the smallest blood vessels.
The Carco Stress Model proposes that this accumulation is the missing link between carbon monoxide exposure and fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia and Reduced Oxygen Availability
When the smallest blood vessels become obstructed, blood cannot move evenly through tissues. Blood oxygen saturation may remain normal because it only shows how much oxygen is carried in the blood. It does not show whether that oxygen reaches every tissue in sufficient amounts.
In fibromyalgia, reduced or unstable tissue oxygen availability could help explain why symptoms become worse during activity, heat, standing or other situations that increase oxygen demand.
Fibromyalgia and Energy Production Failure
Research has found reduced energy-producing capacity in people with fibromyalgia.[4,5] Lower energy capacity has also been associated with more severe fibromyalgia symptoms, wider pain and greater fatigue.[4]
The Carco Stress Model explains this as a downstream effect of impaired oxygen availability.
When tissues do not receive enough oxygen, cells cannot maintain normal energy production. Ordinary activity then consumes available energy more quickly, while recovery becomes slower.
One Shared Mechanism Behind Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia symptoms may not require separate causes. Widespread pain, severe fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, heat intolerance, activity intolerance and slow recovery may all develop from one connected process:
carbon monoxide exposure
→ fibrin amyloid microclots
→ impaired microcirculation
→ reduced tissue oxygen availability
→ energy failure
→ fibromyalgia symptoms
Sources
1. Wåhlén, K., Ernberg, M., Kosek, E., Mannerkorpi, K., Gerdle, B., & Ghafouri, B. (2020). Significant correlation between plasma proteome profile and pain intensity, sensitivity, and psychological distress in women with fibromyalgia. Scientific Reports, 10, 12508. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69422-z
2. Han, C. L., Sheng, Y. C., Wang, S. Y., et al. (2020). Serum proteome profiles revealed dysregulated proteins and mechanisms associated with fibromyalgia syndrome in women. Scientific Reports, 10, 12347. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69271-w
3. Kell, D. B., & Pretorius, E. (2026). Some potential roles of fibrin amyloid (“fibrinaloid”) microclots in fibromyalgia syndrome. International Journal of Advanced Medical and Clinical Therapeutics, 3(1), 1–38. https://ijamct.com/ijamct/article/view/24
4. Macchi, C., Giachi, A., Fichtner, I., et al. (2024). Mitochondrial function in patients affected with fibromyalgia syndrome is impaired and correlates with disease severity. Scientific Reports, 14, 30247. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81298-x
5. Gerdle, B., Ghafouri, B., Lund, E., et al. (2020). Evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in fibromyalgia: Deviating muscle energy metabolism detected using microdialysis and magnetic resonance. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(11), 3527. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9113527
6. Rose, J. J., Wang, L., Xu, Q., McTiernan, C. F., Shiva, S., Tejero, J., & Gladwin, M. T. (2017). Carbon monoxide poisoning: Pathogenesis, management, and future directions of therapy. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 195(5), 596–606. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201606-1275CI
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