Stop Chronic Fatigue

Posts Tagged ‘Fibromyalgia Treatment’

Fibromyalgia, a disease whose symptoms include chronic fatigue (regardless of the amount of sleep attained), muscle and joint pain, has no known cause. It affects up to 5% of the population, mostly women.

With so many people afflicted with this disorder, I am amazed at the number of my clients who have told me that they had to see several doctors before one would actually acknowledge that fibromyalgia is even a health condition.

Not only did they often times not have the support of friends and family, they were then subjected to experts who, at best, summed the condition up to depression. They were then prescribed assorted antidepressants, all with dangerous side effects.

Theres nothing worse than knowing something is wrong with you and being told that its all in your head.

The correspondence I have received has been heart breaking, with the exception of the gratefulness expressed by my clients over how my Fibromyalgia program has helped them significantly.

Several have asked if there is something in their diet or environment that could be triggering this condition. Emerging findings shows that diet can, in fact play a very large role.

While diet is not thought to cause or even trigger fibromyalgia like say, migraine headaches, the growing belief is that fibromyalgia symptoms are exacerbated by other conditions which can be caused or triggered by certain foods. Once these conditions subside, the result is that fibromyalgia symptoms dissipate.

The thing to keep in mind is that fibromyalgia loves diversity. Just as not everyone is affected to the same extremes, there is no all-inclusive list of foods to avoid. The key is to take note of certain known foods that affect many with fibromyalgia and test to see if your condition is eased over time as you test removing these foods from your diet.

Some foods experts say now to avoid Aspartame and MSG. They are known to stimulate certain pain receptors which for fibromyalgia sufferers are already heightened.

Getting rid of caffeine from ones diet has also shown to work. While many are tempted to drink caffeine drinks for the pep, it can actually make fatigue worse.

Dairy foods also make the list, although this is contended. Several believe strengthened bones can help to ease joint pain.

Also included are yeast, mold, gluten and vinegar. This is believed to be because TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and migraines, all known to affect fibromyalgia symptoms, are set off by these foods.

A macrobiotic diet (whole foods) has shown hope for some fibromyalgia patients, as well as Omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax see, certain nuts and also added to specific foods such as cereal).

I also encourage you to try my Fibromyalgia program. Its results have been amazing!

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Christian Goodman is internationally recognized for his unique solutions to many complicated and even incurable conditions. His revolutionary Fibromyalgia Treatment program has helped thousands of people all over the world. Learn more about Christian and his solutions on his Health alternatives blog.

Fibromyalgia is a serious medical condition and is generally associated with low serotonin levels. Fibromyalgia, formerly know as fibrositis, is a common and chronic condition affecting the muscles. Fibromyalgia affects about 3 million to 6 million people in the United States each year. The disorder mostly affects women, aged 30 to 59 and typically develops in early-to-middle adulthood. Fibromyalgia pain is more common in the trunk, neck, low back, hips, and shoulders, and it is rare in the hands and feet.Symptoms Of FibromyalgiaThe symptoms of fibromyalgia resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis and due to this fact, fibromyalgia may be misdiagnosed. However, unlike people with physical illnesses, the people with fibromyalgia seem to be in perfect health. Fibromyalgia usually displays a variety of symptoms including generalized aches and pains, increased sensitivity of the skin, chronic fatigue, weakness or dizziness, muscle stiffness or joint pain and migraine headaches. Symptoms of fibromyalgia vary greatly between individuals but almost all suffer from an associated sleep disorder. Depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, numbness and tingling of the extremities and heightened sensitivity to stimuli may also be present.Other physical symptoms of fibromyalgia are:  lack of concentration, body weakness, decrease of the short-term memory, accelerated heart rate, nausea, abdominal pain and bloating, vomiting and diarrhea.Fibromyalgia TreatmentsThe treatment of Fibromyalgia is focused on improving the health of the person and minimizing the symptoms, especially sleeping disorder, which is believed to cause the occurrence of other symptoms. The natural treatment options fall into four categories that create balance in the body: exercise, diet and nutrition, stress management, and rest.Fibromyalgia treatments mostly consist of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (used solely for their analgesic properties). However, apart from intense pain, many people with fibromyalgia complain about having trouble sleeping and feel a pronounced state of fatigue throughout the whole body. Therefore, in some particular cases, fibromyalgia treatments may include sedatives in order to correct the patients’ sleeping problems.Since Fibromyalgia is still largely a mysterious condition, even to the medical community, it is beneficial to try and find an organization or doctor who specializes in treatments aimed specifically at fibromyalgia patients.Nutrition is very important with this condition as with any serious physical condition. Avoid caffeine products, sugar, processed foods and fried foods. Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia) is often a factor in causing the person with Fibromyalgia to feel fatigued. That is why a good nutrition program is very important, eating frequent small meals with some protein is very important in keeping the blood levels even.The Fibromyalgia Treatment Centers of America is based in Chicago and offers treatments based on an individualized multi-disciplined approach. They also advocate self-help through education and application by their patients.

Fibromyalgia is a painful, complex and perplexing medical condition. It is a complex disease in which both genetics and environmental causes play a role.Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle pain, fatigue, lack of energy, poor sleep, headaches, impaired memory or concentration, dizziness, bowel complaints, anxiety and depression.  Fibromyalgia is more prevalent in women of childbearing age. The worst part about fibromyalgia is the pain is not localized to specific joints. Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue FibromyalgiaThere are many people who suffer from the symptoms of chronic fatigue fibromyalgia but because it is not a well known disease many of these people do not realize that they have it. When the symptoms of chronic fatigue fibromyalgia first appear they are usually little more than a minor annoyance that may come and go for several years before they intensify. When these symptoms become unbearable those who suffer them are forced to miss work, family events and seek relief with frequent visits to their doctor.  Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome share many common features in addition to pain and fatigue there may be symptoms of trouble sleeping or sleep disturbances, recurrent on going depression, morning stiffness, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, painful menstrual periods, numbness or tingling of the extremities, restless legs syndrome, temperature sensitivity, light sensitivity, cognitive and memory problems (sometimes referred to as “fibro fog”), lassitude and post exertional fatigue or a variety of other symptoms.  Seeking relief from the symptoms of chronic fatigue fibromyalgia can be frustrating. Relocating to a warmer climate or finding a job that does not require lots of energy are two ways in which one can reduce the symptoms of this condition. Reducing stress in daily life is one of the best ways to alleviate the symptoms as well. Another known way to deal with the symptoms of chronic fatigue fibromyalgia is eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.  Treatments Of Chronic Fatigue FibromyalgiaSimply put, chronic fatigue syndrome is the condition wherein a person suffers from prolonged fatigue that cannot be associated to a definite cause. Hearing you have chronic fatigue fibromyalgia is not the best news you could hope for, but there are treatments to help and other therapies that can help give you some peace from the pain and discomfort of this disorder. I hope that once the medical community reaches more of a consensus as to what exactly fibromyalgia is, they may in turn come up with more accurate diagnostics for it and eventually better treatments as well.While the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is not known, herbal remedies are becoming more and more popular as an effective form of alternative therapy. Nutritional supplements that may help are Vitamin B6 (in the form of pyridoxine hydrocholoride) to reduce platelet stickiness, Vitamin E (400 to 800 IU) daily for some days before and after flying, and Pinokinase, a compound made from fermented extracts of pine bark and soybeans that has shown to be very effective in preventing clots. The one factor that remains the same is the idea that anyone who suffers from chronic fatigue fibromyalgia will have to make lifestyle changes if they are to effectively deal with the disorder. Exercise and massage can be an effective way to loosen muscles and decrease soreness.

The distinctions between Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are very difficult to arrive at. In fact, not only are these terms used interchangeably, but also one is sometimes juxtaposed with the other like “Fibromylagia Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Nonetheless, these disorders are classed as separate disorders. A true test in determining “which is which” may be done by observing your symptoms and the conditions under which it developed, and comparing it with the dominant symptoms of Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
The distinctive symptoms of fibromyalgia are persistent, generalized pain and tender points of the body even against light touch. The patient may also suffer from oversensitivity of the skin (also called allodynia), needle-like sensations over the skin, painful muscle tissues, abnormally long duration of spasm in the muscle, lack of strength in the limbs, and pain in the nerves.
Likewise, persistent sleep disorders are also attributes of fibromyalgia. Some studies have shown that the brain patterns of sleeping fibromyalgia patients have periods of being similar to brain activity when awake. This prevents sleep from being restorative and you wake up feeling non-refreshed. Also, stages where sleep is deeper (stages 3 &4) are often reduced, sometimes considerably. All of this adds to the daytime fatigue.
There are a number of theories as to how Fibromyalgia can develop; as a result of some injuries, major operation or virus. Some evidence seems to establish that Lyme Disease could be a cause. Nevertheless, there is at present, no established relationship between any particular type of cause and the onset of the symptoms.
Symptoms can have a slow development, and sufferers can initially have mild symptoms during childhood, which are often diagnosed as growing pains, however when these continue on into adulthood it can be a sign of fibromyalgia. Symptoms are often made worse if another illness or condition impacts the body, or even when the climate changes.
The syndrome does not result in inflammation like in rheumatoid arthritis, although some anti-inflammatory treatments, such as Ibuprofen and Iontophoresis, could provisionally help to ease the pain.
Continue reading for details on CFS and to sign up for the free Fibromyalgia newsletter below.
For CFS there are a number of symptoms, many of which do overlap with fibromyalgia symptoms, including:
* Fatigue: People with CFS experience deep, incapacitating exhaustion mentally and physically, which is aggravated by physical exertion. This feeling of exhaustion does not disappear through rest. In order to arrive at a diagnosis of CFS, this fatigue should be felt for not less than six months.
* Pain: Pain in CFS may be in the muscles, joints (without swelling or redness), lymph node pain, and irritable bowel syndrome is common. Patients also complain of sore throats and chest pain.
* Cognitive problems: people with CFS may be forgetful and confused. They may also have difficulty in thinking and focusing. The verbal skills of individuals with this syndrome can also appear to be affected.
* Hypersensitivity: people with CFS are more often than not, overly sensitive to light, sound, and multiple chemicals and foods. Many CFS sufferers complain of oversensitivity to foods, odors, substances, and medications, which can make treatment more difficult. Patients with pre-existing allergies and conditions such as asthma usually complain of heightened symptoms. Patients also complain of oversensitivity of the senses resulting to abnormal tiredness, migraines, and even seizures.
* Poor temperature control: people with CFS often complain that it is too hot or too cold, probably due to the affected hypothalamus, which is the area responsible for controlling the body’s temperature. Many CFS patients even report of frequent fever-like symptoms.
* Sleep problems: “Unrefreshing sleep” and rest are indications of CFS, and inability to sleep is also common. Having a regular sleep schedule is likewise very hard for CFS sufferers.
Patients also complain that exercise only worsens their condition, instead of arresting their insomnia.
The overlap between these two conditions is great a figure of 75% similarity between the two conditions being suggested. So although fibromyalgia chronic fatigue are two different conditions they are not mutually exclusive. The treatment options for both these conditions are also very similar.

They display many of the same symptoms and are both often misunderstood, but what are the fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome similarities?
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition whose origin is still unknown, pretty much like fibromyalgia. Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is characterized by extreme fatigue as its main symptom but it also has a numerous of other symptoms. It has been observed that fibromyalgia and CFS overlap in around 75% of cases.
It was also observed that patients suffering from CFS manifest symptoms very similar to those that are used to diagnose fibromyalgia. Other than overwhelming fatigue, CFS patients have symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint pain, headache including migraines, flu-like symptoms and mental fogginess and other forms of myalgia (muscle pain). Moreover, clinical depression and anxiety were also observed to be common in CFS sufferers.
Interestingly, when we look at fibromyalgia (FM), we see that it is not all that different form CFS. For FM patients widespread muscloskeletal pain is the main symptom and this is accompanied by stiffness, fatigue, sleep problems and cognitive difficulties, among others. The main symptoms of pain and stiffness in FM patients compared to the extreme fatigue in CFS are what differentiate the two conditions.
In order to be diagnosed as having FM, patients must be experiencing consistent pain in most of the upper and lower parts of the body for three months, with between 11 – 18 of the specific tender points as set out in the diagnostic criteria.
Even though the pain can be unbearable and very discomforting for some most of FM patients, the reassuring thing is that the syndrome is not fatal. FM does not damage tissues and is not progressive, although a number of sufferers do report a decrease in mobility and the severity of the syndrome varies from patient to patient, so treatment correspondingly varies also.
Continue reading for more information on FM and CFS and discover natural ways to combat fibromyalgia by signing up for the free newsletter below.
Both CFS and FM affects the lives of the patients and also the people around them. Regardless if a person suffers from CFS or FM, patients do need ample support from family and friends to help them adapt to the limitations the disorders bring.
Family and friends must learn to be patient and understanding to the needs of those afflicted with these disorders. There is a lot of social stigma that accompanies CFC or FM, with people wrongly believing that it’s ‘all in your head’ and you should just ‘pull yourself together’.
What remains crucial when suffering from either of these conditions is that you don’t lose your social contacts no matter how much effort it may seem. True friends will stick around and help you through and they can provide some much needed emotional support even if they can’t help in other ways.
There are a number of treatment options for both CFC and FM and as you may expect they are fairly similar. There are conventional and natural treatments to choose from or which can be used in conjunction with each other for an integrative approach.
Experts, attest that the best results they have come to observe so far are when patients employ combinations of medication and various conventional and natural treatment program. This means becoming involved in your treatment rather than relying solely on medication to improve your health.
At present there is no known cure for either CFC or for FM, however people do manage to overcome their symptoms and lead lives that are either with manageable symptoms or symptom-free.
One of the safest ways to treat the two conditions (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome) is by knowing the symptoms, discovering what triggers them for you, learning how to control your environment, adjusting your eating habits and making necessary changes to your way of life.