help! How can i find relief for fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis?
I am a 23 yr. old female and have been living with fibromyalgia and rheum. arthritis for about 2 1/2 years. It all happened after the birth of my daughter. These conditions affect my every day life so negatively that i have trouble performing the easiest tasks. I'm on multiple medicines for these conditions, but nothing eases my pain. I'm on pain relievers as well, but the barely even take the edge off. anyone else dealing with this? What should i do? pain management doc?
Public Comments
1. Here i s an excellent site with some wonderful options for you. It will definitely help you. Have a look. http://webmd19.notlong.com/AA0gpJe2. Did you know that a few simple changes to your diet can help you stop arthritis pain? In the recent years, scientists have identified foods that are friendly to your arthritic conditions:
- GREEN, YELLOW and ORANGE VEGETABLES. They contain high amount of antioxidants, Vitamins C and E. and help to neutralize free radicals which attack the joints.
- BROWN RICE is better for you than corn, wheat, oats, rye, and barley
- COOKED or DRIED FRUITS such as pears, cranberries, and prunes don’t ‘trigger’ arthritis pain the
way citrus fruits can
People with rheumatoid arthritis should include juices high in the anti-inflammatory nutrients as part of their daily diets. These nutrients include beta-carotene (found in parsley, and broccoli juice) and copper (found in carrots, apples and ginger juice).
According to Prevention magazine, 85% OF PATIENTS enjoyed at least partial relief of pain symptoms by simply drinking two glasses of black cherry juice (four ounces of juice diluted with four ounces of water) twice a day
Hope this helps.
3. I managed my chronic pain from fibromyalgia with guaifenesin for 10 years til I learned about vitamin D3. Guaifenesin is no "cure" but it does manage the pain. My theory is that the lymph fluids thicken & pool. They pool around nerves and create pressure on the nerves. Do you wake up with muscle pain that "drains away" in a few hours if you sit up but the longer you stay in bed the more pain?
Three months ago, I started high levels of vitamin D3 for 3 weeks & became pain free. I knocked the dose down to 2000iu's a day & a week later the pain is back. After restarting high levels, the pain is managed again. I am very hopeful that this may help improve my health.
I personally did 30,000iu per day for a couple of months trying to refill my stores. It is highly recommended that you have your vit.D levels tested but my research shows toxicity only at outrageous, long term levels.
Vitamin D3 deficiency is becoming an epidemic. U.S. RDA are much too low & the prescription vitamin D supplements are the wrong type (ergocalciferol ). Luckily you can buy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and the upper limits are extremely high. Current recommendations are for 35iu per pound - a 150# person needs minimum of 5250iu per day & the rda is 400iu. This amount is for minimal needs and does not account for depleted stores. March is when our stores are at their lowest. Low Vitamin D levels greatly increases your risk of cancer, diabetes, MS & heart attack.
My current research is leading me to believe that fibromyalgia may actually be a thyroid problem & possibly insufficient iodine (which causes iodine problems) Iodine like guaifenesin thins the mucous membranes. Iodine unlike guaifenesin is a needed nutrient. Testing is showing that 95% of people are iodine deficient.
My thyroid lab tests have always shown as "normal" but I have obvious symptoms of thyroid dysfunction (basal temp of 95F among many others) The basal temperature test is (in my mind) a more accurate testing of thyroid function.
The Barnes Basal temperature test is a simple, do it yourself test, that you can do at home. It is accurate and requires nothing more than an oral thermometer. Here’s what you do. At bedtime shake down a mercury thermometer to 94F and place on the nightstand, within easy reach. DO NOT USE a DIGITAL thermometer for taking the axillary temperature because they are not as accurate. When you wake up in the morning, make sure you stay in bed quietly and take the thermometer and place it securely under your arm in your armpit. Hold it in place for ten minutes and then write down what the thermometer reads. During the ten minutes you’re waiting, take your pulse for one full minute and record what this result is also.
Do this exact procedure each morning for several weeks. Make sure you do not get up to go to the bathroom or anything else. It must be done before you have any activity. You must be in bed for a minimum of two hours before reading your temperature and the reading will not be accurate if you move around or get up. Do not use an electric blanket or other electrical devices in your bed. Do not sleep on a waterbed to perform this test. A waterbed will elevate your temperature artificially. It has also been found that a woman’s body temperature varies with the different phases of her menstrual cycle. The second and third days of your menstrual cycle are when the most accurate/reliable temperature can be found. Therefore, it is recommended that you make note on your records with red pen on the days you were menstruating and make sure you perform your test during this week.
If you’re basal temperature consistently runs below 97.8 or your pulse runs below 65 you may benefit from a trial period of thyroid medication
From what I've read, people I've talked with natural thyroid hormones are more effective than synthetic.
