i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia & would like to learn more about it.
i have viewed many web sites but would like to hear what other's have experienced, thanks so much
i hurt all the time
the medicine just seems to make me bloated & gain weight despite watching my calorie intake.
help please My wife has it.
You can decrease the painful symptoms by taking good care of your diet & fitness activities (when you feel able)
Here are some good ideas:
1. Do something that gets your heart rate up a bit like, walking, running, biking, and swimming.
2. Eat Whole, Organic foods like: Broccoli, Cabbage, Organic Brown Rice, Beans, Spinach, Sweet Potato, Apples, and other fruits and vegetables in their Natural State.
3. Avoid eating corn, white bread, white rice, white potatoes, candy, sodas, chips, and anything else that you already know you shouldn鈥檛 be eating.
4. Drink clean water as your beverage of choice. Avoid Fruit drinks and fruit juices (unless YOU juice them yourself)
5. Stop smoking, drinking beer & wine, and drinking coffee.
6. Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
7. Hang out with people who want to be healthy.
8. Avoid anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Tone up the muscles:
1. Join a gym and get a trainer.
2. If you鈥檙e short on cash, start a light stretching & yoga regimen.
3. Do push-ups, and light dumbbell curls for the upper body.
4. As I said above, walk, run, swim, and or bike
5. Take an aerobics class, a yoga class, or some other fitness class.
6. Join the local YMCA.
7. Buy or borrow this book by Bill Pearl called GETTING STRONGER. http://www.billpearl.com
In the book, he describes everything you need for a great fitness plan.
8. Compare your fitness scores to other people by clicking on the President鈥檚 Challenge Brochure link here: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/...
Mental Health:
1. Get a friend to talk to each day about your feelings.
2. If you have some money or insurance, get a counselor to talk to.
3. Learn how to meditate.
4. Join a support group for the issue you鈥檙e dealing with.
5. Ask your Higher Self (or God) for guidance.
6. Start keeping a diary or journal about your feelings & thoughts.
7. Write a 鈥榞ratitude鈥?list every night.
8. Do something that makes you happy each day like: listen to your favorite music, draw, paint, write, or anything creative.
9. Do something for someone else who needs help.
10. If the above suggestions don't improve your mental health, talk with your therapist about the possibility of taking some medication.
Take care of yourself
Yam King My grandfather has it i think that meditation & yoga help. he has already suffered from Fib for 10 yrs. It is something that you can live through you just need to think positive. recently they have been advertizing the first FDA approved drug for fib its called lyrica. Report It
My sister has it, she has terrible muscle pain and suffers from extreme tiredness, the only way to manage this is to get plenty of rest try to get and up and go to bed at the same time every night, healthy diet and plenty of support. My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago, her younger sister has Juvenile arthritis and I have Lupus. We are very familiar with what you are experiencing. Please feel free to e-mail me. I would happy to share our experiences and how we try to handle the situation. Al least through e-mail we can get specific.
Christine Try a rheumatology sites as well. You would think your provider would have given you some hand outs or leaflets on your condition. I use to work at a physicians office and we had group meetings twice a week for fibromyalgia sufferers just b/c there's a demand for knowledge. It helped our patients that suffered to share and know that they are not alone in this fight. You should try something like this in your area or generate your own site for others in need of information and see what methods help them. Good luck If you are looking for an alternative to the meds I have heard many testimonies of people whose symptoms go into remission after taking a supplement called OPC-3 in an Isotonix form. I am not trying to sell you something since I don't sell anything. I'm simply trying to pass on some info for you. Google OPC-3. If you decide to take the stuff make sure you get it Isotonix. Fibromyalgia: 3 Things Patients Can Do for Themselves
Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Medical Editor: Leslie J. Schoenfield, MD, PhD
It is not unusual for a patient with fibromyalgia to ask the doctor: "What can I do to help relieve my symptoms? After all, I am not very interested in medications."
Some patients with fibromyalgia make this or similar statements to their doctors because they are often younger and many do not have underlying (additional ongoing) medical conditions (although some do). Therefore, they are not accustomed to taking medications regularly.
Are there really ways that patients can help themselves? Yes. Here are the big three:
Self-education. Understanding the battlefield is often half the battle. As persons with fibromyalgia develop a better understanding of their condition, it becomes far easier to cope with and address. Furthermore, for some, simply the realization that the condition does not threaten the body's organs and often improves over time can greatly relieve anxiety. The anxiety is often due to concern about the cause of the frequent pains of fibromyalgia. I would like to offer MedicineNet.com's Fibromyalgia article as an excellent resource for patients and their family members to become more familiar with the basic concepts of fibromyalgia and its diagnosis and treatment options. To further complement the consultation with the doctor, other sources of information include the Arthritis Foundation and local hospital support groups.
Stress reduction. Reducing stress can help with muscle relaxation and improve non-Rapid Eye Movement (non-REM) sleep. Inadequate sleep of this type is felt to play a central role in promoting the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The response to stress differs from person to person. The reduction of stress in the treatment of fibromyalgia must be individualized for each patient. Stress reduction might include simple stress modification at home or work, biofeedback, relaxation tapes, psychological counseling, exercise activities such as yoga and/or support among family members, friends, and doctors. Sometimes, changes in environmental factors (such as noise, temperature, and weather exposure) can exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, and these factors need to be modified.
Exercise. Aerobic activities that exercise the muscles can work together with the methods above to greatly relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Many experts on fibromyalgia feel that exercise works by promoting the non-REM sleep that is commonly deficient in patients with this illness. Low-impact aerobic exercises, such as swimming, cycling, walking, and stationary cross-country ski machines can be very effective. For patients who are unfamiliar with exercising options, a physical therapist can provide an ideal source of instruction. With any new exercise program, it is important to understand that a mild increase in aching in the first two weeks is expected. This increased aching is especially likely to occur when the patient has not been exercising and the muscles are deconditioned. Sometimes, applications of cold packs to sore muscles and tendons after exercising can help relieve muscle inflammation and soreness.
The big three methods above may be all a patient with fibromyalgia needs in order to regain optimal health. However, especially early on in treatment, it should also be understood that medications are available that can work with these methods to improve sleep, reduce pain, and relieve fatigue. Typically, these medications do not have major side effects and they may only be needed for temporary periods.
The treatment of fibromyalgia, therefore, is often a classic blend of the efforts of the patient and the doctor who together can address the condition. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known. Once thought to be a psychological disorder, the condition is now ascribed by some to low levels of serotonin, one of the chemicals that transmit messages throughout the brain and nervous system. Lack of serotonin may produce the muscle pain directly or, more likely, interfere with sleep, thus aggravating the pain.
1.Everyone with fibromyalgia should take magnesium and malic acid. These are important for energy and muscle relaxation. Many people with this condition are deficient in magnesium; the malic acid enhances its absorption as well as its fatigue-fighting effect.
2.Consider adding either the herb St. John's wort or 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan, a form of the amino acid tryptophan); both raise serotonin levels, ease depression, and improve pain tolerance. Unless directed to do so by a doctor, don't use either of these with prescription antidepressants.
3.To help protect muscle cells from damage, take vitamin C with or without grape seed extract; both are powerful antioxidants.
4.If you feel you need more support, add coenzyme Q10. It helps relieve the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, which may accompany fibromyalgia.
5.And if you're having difficulty sleeping, try melatonin or the herb valerian.
6.Eat several small meals during the day to keep a steady supply of protein and carbohydrate available for proper muscle function.
7.Take hot baths or showers -especially in the morning -- to soothe soreness, increase circulation, and relieve stiffness.
8.Find a massage therapist familiar with fibromyalgia. A technique called trigger point therapy can be extremely helpful in reducing pain.
9.Cut back on caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, which often cause fatigue.
10.Get at least eight hours of sleep a night.
11.Exercise. Rather than further taxing chronically sore muscles, aerobic exercise may actually help them and relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to a recent study.
When combined with stress management techniques, 45 minutes of exercise three to five times a week eased pain and fatigue. If you don't currently exercise much, gradually work your way up to 45-minute sessions. Doing too much too fast can backfire.
12.Meditation, movement therapy, and knowledge of the connections between mind and body helped fibromyalgia patients in one study. After eight weeks, standardized tests showed improvements in the sleep, fatigue, pain level, and mood of the study's participants.
Supplements Recommendations -
Magnesium/Malic Acid : 150 mg magnesium and 600 mg malic acid twice a day. Sometimes sold in combination as magnesium malate.
St. John's Wort: 300 mg 3 times a day.
Comments: Standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin.
5-HTP : 100 mg 3 times a day. If drowsiness occurs, reduce to 50 mg 3 times a day.
Vitamin C: 1,000 mg 3 times a day.Reduce dose if diarrhea develops.
Grape Seed Extract : 100 mg twice a day. Standardized to contain 92%-95% proanthocyanidins.
Coenzyme Q10 : 100 mg twice a day.For best absorption, take with food.
Melatonin : 3 mg before bedtime. Helpful if sleep disorders accompany pain. Well, my Doctors , once toyed around with that Diagnosis, But , Being Bi-polar... can have pretty much the same symptoms, and as I've found, the lower my GFR, (Kidney Function) the more often I have symptoms. I'm sorry to hear you are in pain. My suggestion is to learn some relaxation tecniques and practice them after you have gotten in bed each night. It's kind of a process of zeroing in on where the pain is and mentally removing it from your body.. some times the brain forgets, and needs to be prompted as to what needs doing... Before you toss this theory aside. try it... It can help.. |
