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What Causes Fibromyalgia?

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

The answer to “What causes Fibromyalgia?” certainly isn’t a clear cut one. Consult with your doctor to help find a pattern or talk about what was going on in your life at the time that you got sick. There are several different theories about what causes this. Finding this out is the key to your fibromyalgia relief. After researching each theory I was able to better understand where my particular fibromyalgia may have come from.

Pain Signals:

In layman’s terms there may be something wrong with the pain receptors in the brain where they go on a constant loop of being in pain. This theory also involves neurotransmitters. The idea of neurotransmitters has gained in popularity in the past few years especially now that Lyrica is on the market. Whether the medication works for you or not it has worked well in providing information to the general public about the treatment and possible causes of this disease.

Genetics:

Fibromyalgia often occurs in women and sometimes it seems to run in the family. Naysayers of this theory have said that possibly it is because women in families usually will have the same experiences and environment which is why more than one of them would get sick. Make sure that your doctor knows about anyone else in your family with this illness. While I don’t understand the complicated field of genetics I do know that I was the first person in my family and extended family to get this. Recently another family member has been diagnosed.

Trauma:

When I was diagnosed in the 1990s the common thinking was that it was either a stress disorder or it somehow came on after trauma. This doesn’t mean that the disease isn’t real. The trauma somehow engages the central nervous system and neurons. Around this time there was a study of over 2000 patients and 65% of them got fibromyalgia after some sort of trauma.

This could include being hurt on the job or being in a car crash. It also states that it’s possible that the pain starts wherever the person was hurt and then kind of radiates throughout the entire body.

This doesn’t seem to have been the case in my situation. It just randomly showed up on a day when I was happy and feeling relatively well. I have been in a car crash but it was after I got sick.

Autoimmune Disorders:

When I was diagnosed 15 years ago there was a tendency to think of this as an autoimmune disease. Many people theorized it was close to arthritis. This is basically where the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body because they are viewed as a threat. While it hasn’t totally been disproven it’s a theory that is coming up less and less.

The Sleep Theory:

When participating in a sleep study many fibromyalgia patients will find out that they don’t actually get into a stage of deep sleep no matter how long they sleep. This could either be a cause or a symptom of the disease. It’s the stage four restorative sleep that’s missing so it makes sense that this could also attribute to or even cause widespread pain.

My personal experience has been that this is the case. My symptoms always get much worse when I don’t sleep well. Was my insomnia that never responded that well to any medications or natural treatment the reason I got sick? I don’t know, but I do know that it is a major factor in my day to day life now.

My non-medical opinion is that it could be a combination of all of these things that set off the central nervous system. Hopefully in the next few years research will develop more and we’ll finally be able to answer, “What causes fibromyalgia?”

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Living with Fibromyalgia

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

During the past 16 years I have learned how to live with fibromyalgia and have some of my own tips for fibromyalgia relief. Of course the most difficult part is not feeling well. I’ve found that it affects almost every other area of my life from where and how I work to even where I live. The following outlines a few of my experiences; although work with a doctor to figure out what is right for you.

Acceptance: This is the first step in a lot of illnesses. For the first year when I got sick I honestly believed I would get better. There were so many natural cures and inspiring stories out there that surely I was going to be one of them.

I reasoned that if doctors didn’t know what caused it; then surely they didn’t know that there wasn’t a cure. This lead me to have my heart broken later on when I still remained sick but had just spent a lot of money, time, hope, and energy on things that didn’t work.

Adapting Dreams and Lifestyle Changes

Over time I adapted and learned how to make my life as good as it possibly could be. When I was chasing after a lot of the “fibro cures” this wasn’t the case. My life was on hold until I got better. I didn’t think about how my relationships would function if I remained sick because I was going to get better.

I didn’t think of alternative plans for my education or career because I wasn’t going to need that. I think when this period ends is when you need to be the most careful because this is where depression can set in; when you’re faced with the reality that your life isn’t what you had planned it to be.

Taking Action

Then I settled into a phase where I realized I wasn’t totally powerless. I had plenty of options to experiment with diet and exercise. I needed to reorganize my life so I could sleep better and have less stress. Learning tools for dealing with stress has had a huge impact on my life.

I’m still sick and I’m still in pain; but my muscles aren’t as tense and I don’t wake up in the night a lot worrying. I was able to work out a routine where I still wasn’t healthy; but I was as healthy as possible.

Finding Hobbies and Interests

I’ve read a lot of books about being chronically ill. Several writers have pointed out how people start identifying themselves as the disease. It takes over their wholes lives. I can see how this could happen just because being in intense pain all the time and not sleeping puts a person in survival mode. There have been lots of days where my main objectives included cooking or emptying the dishwasher because every movement was like moving through quick sand and required so much effort.

This leads to a lot of hobbies and relationships deteriorating over time. Instead, I try to put in a little bit of effort where I can so my personality remains intact. If I’m not up to going out then I can call or write to a friend so there is still contact there. I used to play the violin and when I was just getting good my hands became too stiff and painful to practice regularly. I still play around Christmas time for a little bit.

While this could have been a huge disappointment I focused on what I could do; which was simply listening to music more when I wasn’t feeling well. I built an extensive CD collection so I could still have the things in my life that I love even if it’s just a different form.

Support Groups for Fibromyalgia

When visiting support groups and sites I’m often struck how many people find the gratitude and good in life even when they don’t feel well. The fact that I’m sick forced me to move to the desert and live a quiet and simple life. Had I not been sick I never would have had these experiences; some of which were good and some of which were bad; but all of which amounted to an adventure I never would have gone on. It’s been a chance to define who I am on the inside because I haven’t been able to be as busy or active as I would have been if I’d never gotten sick.

When I first was diagnosed my main question wasn’t medical. It was “What is going to happen to me next?” After years of dealing with this illness I’ve learned that no one has an answer to that; even healthy people. Living with fibromyalgia is still living. It might be a different life than the one you had planned on but it’s still a life that can be full of almost anything you choose if you’re willing to adapt it somewhat.

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Diet for Fibromyalgia

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

For my own fibromyalgia diet there are a few criteria I follow besides just trying to eat healthy. When you don’t feel well it’s easy to justify having sugar, chocolate, or caffeine just so you get a boost to start the day. Also prepackaged foods are easy to grab when you don’t feel well enough to cook. This deprives your body of many nutrients when you need it most.

Just like people experience fibromyalgia symptoms in different ways there is a lot of controversy about diet. Work with a doctor to find the best solutions for your disease.

The first thing I wanted to know was how was I supposed to manage any dietary changes? It would be worth it if I got fibromyalgia relief. However, cutting out a lot of carbohydrates also equaled a lot of work and I didn’t have the energy.

Foods to Avoid

While I’ve never heard this from a doctor there are many suggestions online for people with fibromyalgia to avoid the nightshade food group. This includes peppers, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. I don’t follow this suggestion just because I haven’t noticed a substantial difference after eliminating these foods.

Also I find it difficult to eliminate any fruits or vegetables when also trying to get rid of refined sugars, red meat, and many carbohydrates. There needs to be at least some food groups that are left alone. However, if you have a problem with nightshade vegetables then you’ll need a different approach.

Compromising Saving Energy with Increasing Energy

I look for recipes that I can prepare quickly. Usually healthy food takes longer to cook. You can’t just open a box or microwave something like if you were eating processed food. While this is fine most of the time on days when I’m in a fibromyalgia flare it just isn’t practical.

A lot of my favorite recipes are in the style of summer salads and may technically classify as raw foods. It usually just involves chopping and mixing instead of standing at the stove for long periods of time and cooking.

I also try to find meals that have several servings in them and can be stored in the fridge or freezer for one or two days. When fibromyalgia is at its worst I know it’s going to last for two or three days. The less I have to cook the better.

Shopping in a Fibro-Friendly Way

While this may sound silly to the part of the world that don’t have fibromyalgia I think that other fibromites will understand. I look for foods that are easily available. Of course this means that they should be at almost any store and the closer to my house the better. However, on really bad days I’m usually not going to walk all the way to the back of the store. Luckily the produce section is right in the front.

I’ve heard some dieticians for weight loss that isn’t fibromyalgia related recommend that you just shop around the perimeter of the store. This includes fruits, produce, and dairy. When you go up and down the aisles to the packaged foods your calorie count and your sugar intake goes up. I do find that this is a much more expensive way of shopping but it’s healthier and faster too.

Find a Diet You can Stick With

I need a diet that is easy to follow. If I haven’t slept or am experiencing lots of fibro fog it’s going to affect how much I feel like cooking. I do eat some processed foods because of this. I have found that just like with anyone else the word diet is a trigger.

In all of the years of modifying how I eat I haven’t felt deprived or even like I was giving up anything. I don’t think of it as a diet as much as I think of it as being as healthy as possible. Reducing the steps in my food preparation has helped with this long term.

Fruits and Vegetables are Your Best Friend

I knew from tracking how I felt after eating that it just felt better to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. The other food groups are important too; but these are the food groups that I felt more energetic after eating.

I am not vegetarian or vegan but I do concentrate a lot on fruits and vegetables. This also makes cooking easier because most diet books have ingredients I’ve never heard of or that aren’t readily available where I live. I also think it leads to a healthier diet overall.

Some vegan fibromites claim to experience less pain. Many forums and blogs suggest this is because of phytonutrients. This also helps with the antioxidant connection. While it sounds like a big scientific word it just means eating more fruits and vegetables. You probably don’t need more than what is recommended for the average diet.

General Diet Recommendations

The USDA recommends on the older version of the food pyramid to have 2-4 servings of fruit a day and 3-5 servings from the vegetable group. That food pyramid is now outdated and instead some experts just suggest going with five servings across both categories. Who do you know that actually meets this requirement every day?

The most important thing is to pay close attention to the foods you eat to see which ones are triggers for you.

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Natural Fibromyalgia Treatments

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

My favorite natural fibromyalgia treatment started when I was in a fibromyalgia flare. This was a part of my fibromyalgia relief but isn’t a total cure. Over the years I’ve tried to think of accurate ways to describe the pain. It feels like being run over by a truck and then the truck went in reverse. It feels like a flu that multiplied. As always, before implementing any of these suggestions discuss it with a doctor first.

Paying more attention to my body taught me that there are actually layers of pain. I have all over muscle pain. I have joint pain. I also have an all over painful sensation on my skin. This particular type of pain is why there are so many forum posts about being sensitive to touch, clothing, or even being hugged.

On more than one occasion when someone tried to hug me it was so painful that I wondered why they would do that before remembering they didn’t have fibromyalgia. This is the only pain that comes and goes depending on whether I’m in a flare or not while the others are more constant with differing degrees of intensity.

Finding the Proper Balance

On this day maybe it was fate or maybe it was luck but I just blurted out that the burning pain was akin to being constantly soaked in acid. My dad is a scientist; not a doctor, he works with plants. He said “Well maybe you are”. He went to the basement and picked up pH litmus test strips that I could just put in my mouth. It wasn’t a blood test. I wasn’t even on the chart I was so acidic.

I always believe in working with a doctor whenever using natural treatments. This helps to avoid a lot of the scams that are associated with the disease but also ensures proper medical treatment. In the five years it took me to get a proper diagnosis; I never had a pH test. I can understand how some natural treatments don’t add up in the medical world; but this is just basic science that we all learned in middle school. I still don’t have an answer for why doctors don’t test pH levels more. It’s considered more of an alternative test. When asking at the pharmacy for pH test strips my dad was told that they were sold at the health food store.

My body felt acidic because it was. It seemed like a big problem to me at the time. I was used to every problem being expensive to both diagnosis and fix. With my dad’s help I found that my pH level can be balanced in the following ways:

Tums. This was the first thing I tried and it was pretty effective. The downside is that it is full of sugar and has some ingredients that I just didn’t need. I still keep a few in my purse for when I’m on the move.

Dissolving a small amount of baking soda in water. I laughed because both of these solutions were so cheap and I already had them in my house. Of course being high in sodium and not very tasty it was just something I did once a week.

A combination of these solutions worked quite well for about six months. Whenever I felt my skin burning I would test my pH level; and it was always very acidic. Then when this particular pain disappeared I would test it again and it was balanced.

Finally a Natural Pain Relief that Worked for Me

In recent years I’ve given up on a lot of natural treatments. I get discouraged about all of the inspiring stories that never seem to pan out for me. I also don’t like the idea that with a lot of things you’re told that it takes several weeks or months to make a change. This is common in many of the scams out there although it does make sense that your body takes longer to adjust to a milder natural remedy. With balancing my pH level though I noticed an almost instant reduction in pain. Also, it was so affordable that for me it was worth a try.

At about the six month mark I noticed that it would only stay balanced for a short period of time. Both the baking soda and the tums just weren’t holding anymore. After talking to my dad again it was decided that I needed to balance it through my diet. I learned that a lot of the foods that are considered healthy for fibromyalgia such as spinach and unsalted almonds are also foods that balance these levels.

I haven’t tracked down the fibro and pH connection anywhere else in research though. It has helped me with one specific type of pain. It still comes back especially if I eat a lot of refined sugar. I am still sick. It isn’t a cure or even a treatment. It’s more of an explanation or at least a partial one for why there is a connection to eating healthy with fibromyalgia.

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Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

The main fibromyalgia symptoms include widespread muscular pain and fatigue. It can be accompanied by anxiety, depression, or secondary intestinal illnesses. Many patients also suffer from a sleep disorder. You’ll need to get in contact with your doctor to find out about the specific medications for you. This is the first tier of treatment. Then you’ll need to find ways to deal with the remaining pain. Here are a few tips on how I personally avoid some triggers.

Living with fibromyalgia includes a lot more than just taking medication or eating healthy to get the maximum fibromyalgia relief. While these are important aspects and the elements that you should work on with your doctor you will find that the overall landscape of your life has really changed. You can still do most of the things that you did before, but you may have to do them in different ways.

Give yourself time to get better including lots of rest. Since this is a chronic condition it won’t ever be cured completely. However, I found that just the initial phase of being diagnosed with all of the doctors’ visits was exhausting. Slowly add in exercise over time and simplify the rest of your life as much as you possibly can while you adjust to the new medicines and way of life. Pushing yourself too hard can actually mean you get fewer things done in the long run if it makes you sicker.

Simple Steps to Limit Fibromyalgia Pain

Notice what parts of your daily routine exhaust you and cause you a lot of pain. If driving in the car is difficult then look at different neck pillow designs or try adjusting your seat. You will always still need to keep safety in mind. I’ve also found when I’m driving that I can’t sit for long periods of time. If I’m on a road trip I need to get out and walk every few hours. I also have a massage pillow that I use on my back before and after the trip.

For me I had to buy a lightweight vacuum to get housework done. I noticed that on the days when I would clean I would have a lot of pain in my arms the following day. The lightweight vacuums were also less expensive. They might not get my floors as clean, but they did help me to still keep a clean house when I don’t feel well.

Another big cleaning trigger for me was actually actively scrubbing things. This includes everything from the floor to the shower. While I’m usually frugal I do make a point to invest more money in my cleaning supplies. I buy brand names that do actually fight the soap scum so I don’t have to do a lot of scrubbing. There are even special pan scrubbers that will automatically clean the pan for you. I haven’t tried this option, but I think it would really alleviate some of the negative effects of everyday cleaning. You can still get things done with fibromyalgia. You just need to take a different approach.

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What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

The shortest and most accurate answer to “What is Fibromyalgia?” is that it’s a syndrome dealing with widespread and persistent pain. The pain can be described as shooting, stabbing, aching, or even like a very severe sunburn. To get an accurate diagnosis or treatment plan you’ll need to talk to your doctor.

There are several theories about what fibromyalgia is and how to treat it. However, there isn’t a known cure and there are three different medicines for treatment. It’s not actually related to the joints although often there is pain and stiffness there.

Getting Fibromyalgia Syndrome Diagnosed

The process for getting diagnosed can take a while depending on which doctor you start with and what your main symptoms are. You can ask for the trigger points test. These are painful spots throughout your body that will show up when your doctor runs a finger over them.

Fibromyalgia can look like several other chronic illnesses and some of them are more serious or more easily treated. When I was diagnosed in the mid-1990s I was told this was a disease of exclusion. I asked what that was and was met with the reply of “We diagnose you with everything else first and if we rule them all out then you have fibromyalgia”.

It took me two years to get to an incorrect diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Then it was three years after that until I was correctly diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I don’t know how many dozens of other illnesses were discussed in that time as potential possibilities.

Outlook for the Future of Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

I had hoped that the diagnostic process had become more advanced than what was basically the process of elimination. The medical texts that I have been reading though still state that it’s a diagnosis of exclusion.

Now there is the tenders points test which I hope helps to get to the diagnosis quicker. However, I am glad to know that I don’t have more serious conditions with similar symptoms so I understand why the process goes the way it does.

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Fibromyalgia Symptoms

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

Fibromyalgia symptoms can be general and vague at times which defines how this illness is treated both by doctors and the general public. You’ll need to work with your doctor over the course of several visits so that you can narrow down some of the symptoms that also overlap with other diseases. Then you will have to go through the tests to eliminate the other diseases because there is no conclusive test for fibromyalgia. If you want fibromyalgia relief you need to take them all into account.

There can be two different schools of thought with this illness. One is the doctor’s list of symptoms which is quite short and I’ll refer to it as official symptoms. The other list is one that actual fibromyalgia patients have described.

Some of these might be side effects from medicine or just the side effects that come from a combination of extreme pain, fatigue, and lack of sleep. Some of these minor symptoms will help to exclude other disease or show your doctor if it’s a different syndrome entirely. Many patients with this condition have multiple conditions at once so every little symptom you experience does count.

Official Symptom List

Both the description and placement of fibromyalgia pain can be vague. However, being in pain for at least 3 months is one of the diagnostic criteria and it needs to be widespread pain. This is one of the things that differentiates it from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome where fatigue will of course be the main symptom.

Fatigue is another symptom of this disease. It’s often referred to as fibro fatigue. While many patients have this symptom it hasn’t always been necessary for the diagnosis. This could also stem from sleep disturbances which are common with the syndrome.

Another symptom is tender points on both the front and back of the body. This is where the only real test for fibromyalgia comes in. Your doctor can do a physical exam to see if you have these points. Like with the rest of the disease there is no known reason for there being tender points in such similar locations across so many patients.

The Unofficial Symptom List

While your doctor will consider those as the main symptoms there are a few common complaints or threads that run through many fibro sufferers.

Brain fog or fibro fog as it’s more commonly known is an issue. Some sufferers complain of being dizzy while others complain of often mixing up or forgetting words. Again this could be a side effect from the lack of sleep.

Unusual sensitivities are another problem. This could stem from the neurotransmitter theory of the disease or just the stress that comes from being tired all the time. This could be chemical sensitive or being overly sensitive to smell, touch, or cold. If the cold hurts your joints then you may have a secondary illness. It could also be an indication of a thyroid problem.

Tell your doctor about all symptoms you are experiencing no matter where you are at in the diagnostic process to get the most effective treatment.

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Fibromyalgia Pain Relief

January 25th, 2012 by Sara

Fibromyalgia pain relief is best handled by your doctor. The different available medicines are by far the most effective ways to handle this disease. Most natural supplements just aren’t going to be fast acting enough or reliable enough for the quick pain relief that is needed when you are in a flare or having a bad day.

Even with the medication now there are a few different home treatments that you might find effective. You can try to alleviate some of the remaining pain. You will need to discuss these options with your doctor to make sure that they don’t conflict with your treatment plan.

A big downside to natural or home remedies is that your insurance doesn’t cover then. Throughout my years with fibromyalgia I’ve always tried to find something that helps but also make sure that it’s affordable enough that I can consistently keep up with it.

Massage Away Fibromyalgia Pain

I would only go to a massage therapist if they are trained specifically in dealing with people with fibromyalgia. There are a lot of painful points in the back that should be considered when looking for fibromyalgia relief. These are tender points that are even used for diagnosis. I’ve been to a few massages that were much more painful than helpful. The same rule applies to a chiropractor. I haven’t found a chiropractor to be as helpful just because it isn’t necessarily a skeletal issue. For me this is an area where I did spend a lot of money without much benefit.

I did eventually find a massage therapist that could deal with fibromyalgia. I found that the effects lasted for about a day or so. It probably reduced my pain by half. Unfortunately it’s just too expensive for me to do this on a consistent basis. Now that I have a knowledgeable practitioner though it’s something that I would consider if I had a special event where I needed to feel really good. I never tried it when I was in lots of pain because these things usually need to be scheduled in advance and fibromyalgia isn’t that nice about giving advance notice.

The tricky thing about massage is that massage almost always starts off quite painful. I first noticed this with massage chairs that were just sitting in the mall. It almost brought me to tears. However, when I stood up I had a renewed sense of energy. This is one of the few things that has really helped to boost my energy. Granted again, since it is so painful you will need to discuss this option with your doctor. I couldn’t afford to buy one of these massage chairs because they were several thousands of dollars and again aren’t covered by insurance.

Fibromyalgia Friendly Furniture

I tried a lot of different massage pads to put on top of chairs. They usually had a vibrator effect. Eventually, I was given a gift of a massage pillow with shiatsu massage. It is from Homedics and around 40 to 60 dollars. What made this different and more effective for me was that this had shiatsu massage. It was more of a kneading motion instead of just vibrations. Plus, I could use this in a very comfortable chair so it was less expensive and less painful than the versions at the mall. Also it’s easy to move around to certain parts of my back, neck, or shoulders whichever one was bothering me that day. Most massage pads didn’t have anything that could work my shoulders.

While this next tip doesn’t help to alleviate pain immediately during the day I found it to have very long lasting effects. With this syndrome you need a nice bed. Every expert is going to tell you differently about what that entails. When I went shopping for a mattress when people found out that I was sick they immediately tried to sell me memory foam mattresses or latex mattresses that were thousands of dollars. Again, this wasn’t an affordable option. I didn’t even find it to be comfortable either.

A Better Mattress for Fibromyalgia

One mattress salesman who was versed in fibromyalgia was able to tell me why this was. With these type of mattresses you sink into them. A lot of people with this disease have problems with restless leg syndrome. They tend to move a lot throughout the night. You don’t necessarily want to be held captive by your mattress because this can interrupt your sleep too.

Instead, he suggested a pocketed coil system. For me, at least, springs work the best. They support movement throughout the night, but the pocketed system does make it much gentler and also doesn’t necessarily wake me up every time I move. Your fibromyalgia pain might be different since sleep disorders are so common and there may still be some residual effects even if you have the best mattress. However, giving yourself the best chance of a good night’s sleep is important.

I also found a pocketed coil system with a very light layer of memory foam to make it softer. I also have a down mattress pad on top of this. Luckily, with all of the mattress options this was probably the cheapest. It really wasn’t more expensive than a typical pillow top mattress. While it probably can’t eliminate your symptoms completely there are a few products out there that can greatly help to alleviate your pain.

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