I have Fibromyalgia but with no relief?
I am 24 and recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have been taking several different pills like Cymbalta and various muscle relaxers or pain killers. I also work out and do all the things I am supposed to do. Does anyone know any relief I can find when all else is failing me? I am on one community patientslikeme but i am still not feeling too relieved.
Public Comments
1. ever though about praying and going to church...that always works...if you believe...ill pray for you2. the best advice i can give you is to watch out for quackery
if someone tells you they were cured by a vitamin--they didn't have fms, they had a vitamin deficiency
if someone says anything like Guaifenison cures everyone they are insane
3. Researchers have discovered that certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which controls mood, sleep patterns, and pain, are very low in fibromyalgia patients. Apparently disturbances in brain chemistry are to blame for the changes that occur in muscle structure and metabolism in those suffering from Fibromyalgia.
Currently there are no drugs approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration to treat Fibromyalgia although there are a few currently being developed.
Doctors mainly aim to treat symptoms of Fibromyalgia with the following types of medications:
Eat soft foods high in flavonoids (such as fruits and vegetables) to provide antioxidants to decrease joint pain.
Avoid saturated fats and fried foods as they increase inflammation.
Do not take big bites; rather cut your food into smaller pieces, so you don’t have to overwork your jaw.
Then there are certain herbs & other natural ingredients like Devil's Claw, Glucosamine, Boswellia serrata, Siberian Ginseng, Centella asiatica, Olea europea that can promote healthy levels of energy and stamina without artificial stimulants, romote healthy systemic adequacy for physical performance and endurance without harmful side effects of steroids, ephedra, etc., maintain healthy, mobile joints and muscles; upport health in large joints as well as small joints of the hands, feet, toes, elbows and knees; and maintain healthy cartilage and connective tissue.
You may get more info here http://www.healthherbsandnutrition.com/remedies/f/fibromyalgia.htm
4. I have Fibromyalgia -Vitamin D3 supplementation has cleared the constant muscle pain (for the most part). I did high levels for 3 weeks & was pain free. I knocked the dose down to 2000iu's a day & a week later the pain was back. After restarting high levels, the pain is managed again after 3 days.
I personally did 35,000iu per day for 2 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.
I originally did B12 injections daily for a couple of years & then I tried guaifenesin (Dr.St.Amand's protocol) for 10 years but discovered vit.D3 supplementation only recently & that has worked better than anything else!
Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin at all but a necessary hormone that effects the immune system & nearly every aspect of health. Having low Vitamin D levels greatly increases risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, MS (& maybe even FMS)
I don't think that FMS, cancer, MS, etc. is a vitamin deficiency but being deficient can create or greatly exacerbate health problems.
The prescription vitamin D supplements are the wrong type (ergocalciferol ). As warned by the National Institute of Health -
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023693
Luckily you can buy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) over the counter 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 stores are at their lowest.
Vitamin D3 deficiency is becoming an epidemic. U.S. RDA are much too low. It is possible that upper atmosphere pollution is blocking the needed UVB light from the sun.
I also highly recommend a low carb way of eating to allow the body to regenerate rather than degenerate.
http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1560518#i
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/10/Vitamin-D-Experts-Reveal-the-Truth.aspx
Dr. Joe Prendergast, an endocrinologist /diabetologist has managed over 1500 diabetic patients and, in the last decade, not one of his patients has had a stroke or heart attack. Only one has even been hospitalized! His secret—50,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily. Dr. Joe further reports:
* Reversal of advanced coronary disease
* Reversal of advanced lung disease, avoiding a lung transplant!
* Cure of multiple sclerosis
* Cure of amotrophic lateral sclerosis
* Regression of rheumatoid arthritis
* Improvement in allergies
* Control of many cancers including prostate, breast, colon, brain tumors, leukemia, myeloma, etc
* Reversal of osteoporosis
* Prevention of influenza
* Cure of depression and many other mental disorders
* Hashimoto’s hyperthyroidism
In summary, the evidence for safety and remarkable efficacy of Vitamin D3 suggests that virtually ALL adults should probably take 50,000 units of D3 daily. This is certainly true for those with virtually any illness.
http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com/2008/05/vitamin-dthe-cure-for-many-diseases.html
5. I would go back to your doctor and ask him if there's anything you can do for the pain edge-wise. I like to use heat pads (on low because I'm sensitive to heat changes either way. Cold is worse, but hot is still bad). Other than that, you can lie down and rest! Do something that you feel good enough to that will lift your mood. It sounds like a really dorky tip, but it DOES work.
6. I'm 22 and I just was diagnosed six months ago. I found that Prozac helps for me. I have anxiety/depression, idiopathic hypersomnia (uncontrollable urge to sleep, not as severe as narcolepsy), fibromyalgia and two bad knees. OTC pain relievers don't work well for me, and muscle relaxers do just that, I feel more relaxed but I'm still sore. Taking hot showers and heating pads seem to help. Also it helps if you have a good mattress. My mattress at my apartment is HORRIBLE and I find that when I come to my parents house and sleep on my good comfy bed I hurt less. Also I try not to do more than I think I can do. I live on a farm, and I learned that early on. When we put up hay I overdid it. I could hardly get up for over a week.
I'm still trying to figure out what works for me, but mostly prozac, heat, and not over doing it are what has worked so far.
