How Can I Get A Good Night’s Sleep
Fibromyalgia often disrupts sleep due to pain, restless legs syndrome, or other reasons. Try to set a sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day and avoiding naps. Develop a relaxing bedtime routine — maybe reading and a warm bath. And make your bedroom conducive to sleep by keeping it dark, cool, and free of distractions like TV and computers. This is called practicing sleep hygiene.
Be Aware Of Whats In Your Food
Food additives are found in nearly every processed or packaged food we eat, so its important to understand how additives can affect your health. Glutamate is one such additive, which is a flavor-enhancing amino acid. Its also considered an excitotoxin. Monosodium glutamate excites nerve cells, but can damage or kill nerve cells in high doses. Aspartate, found in artificial sweetener aspartame, is another such excitotoxin.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia
The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are
- Pain and stiffness all over the body
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Problems with thinking, memory, and concentration
- Headaches, including migraines
Other symptoms may include:
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Pain in the face or jaw, including disorders of the jaw known as temporomandibular joint syndrome
- Digestive problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and even irritable bowel syndrome
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I’m Having A Hard Time Getting Things Done What Can I Do
Because you have good days and bad days with fibromyalgia, start each morning assessing how you feel. If you didn’t sleep well the night before, plan your day accordingly and arrange to do less. If you feel well rested and your pain is tolerable, do more — but remember that moderation is key. Always be flexible. You never know when you’ll have a flare, so listen to your body and take breaks when you need them.
What Are The Best Treatments
At this time, there is no cure for fibromyalgia. However, there are ways to manage the pain and other symptoms. Pain management specialists understand the full range of pain relief options, including how to use them in combination to achieve a successful outcome.
Physician anesthesiologists specialize in pain control, and some focus their practices on treating patients with chronic pain. Ask your doctor about a referral to a physician anesthesiologist who specializes in treating chronic pain.
Treatment options generally fall into three categories: medicines, lifestyle changes, and complementary therapies. Most patients do best when they use components from all three options. Patients may also need to try different medications to find the one that is the most effective for them.
Medicines
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen
- Muscle relaxants
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Sleep And Fibromyalgia Fatigue
When Rose first sees a patient with fibromyalgia syndrome and chronic fatigue, she makes sure that other causes of fatigue, like anemia and thyroid problems, have been addressed.
Improving a patient’s sleep is an important part of easing fibromyalgia fatigue, Rose tells WebMD. “We know from research that sleep improves mood, pain, and in general how people feel during the day. Regardless of the reasons for the chronic fatigue, if we can get some control over quality of sleep, we’re likely to see positive benefits to mood, fatigue, concentration.”
The chronic lack of sleep affects a patient’s overall health as well as their pain, Rose adds. “They feel lousy, exhausted, and their immune system can be damaged.”
Steven Berney, MD, chief of rheumatology at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, agrees. “In fibromyalgia, all treatments are geared toward helping people sleep better,” he tells WebMD. “If we can improve their sleep, patients will get better.”
I’m Overwhelmed By My Fibromyalgia Symptoms What Can I Do
It may not be easy, but you may have to become a little bit selfish. When you are pressured by too many demands, it’s time to learn how to say “no.” That means not accepting every invitation or going on every outing — you might even have to back out at the last minute once in a while. Your friends and family will understand when you just don’t have the energy for everything and have to put your own needs first.
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Treatment For Fibromyalgia: The Big Picture
Theres not necessarily a straightforward or universal way to treat fibromyalgia, as the condition affects each patient differently and many fibro patients are also managing other co-occurring diseases at the same time, such as different kinds of arthritis. Many treatment options are available to address fibromyalgias various symptoms, so treatment for fibromyalgia should be multifactorial, individualized, and based on what specific issues and symptoms are affecting you most.
Not everyone gets the same fibromyalgia treatment, says Dr. Hackshaw. We figure it out based on the symptoms that are most concerning for that patient. He adds that doctors aim to use medications that treat multiple symptoms instead of prescribing multiple medications. The key is that you need to find your magic combination that works for you, says Stackelhouse.
Fibromyalgia Treatment And Adrenal Fatigue
Fibromylagia is an enigma to the medical community. In this article, my aim is to take the mystery out of the condition and FIbromyalgia treatment for you.
If you head to your doctor with complaints of body-wide pain for three months or more, they will try to rule out several well-known causes. They will look for arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and muscle strain.
If those causes can be ruled out, they may then consider a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, especially if you are also fatigued. Fibromyalgia is medical jargon for chronic transient pain of unknown cause with no known effective treatment.
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Treating Fibromyalgia At Home
How Can I Exercise When I Feel Tired
At times, moving may be the last thing you feel like doing. But moving can actually make you feel better and more energized. Regular, gentle exercise can help ease pain, stress, and other fibromyalgia symptoms. Start slowly and try activities like walking, swimming, and stretching, even if it’s only for a minute or two at a time. If you feel good, you can increase how long you work out and how hard.
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What Steps Can I Take At Home To Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
You can take the following steps at home to help relieve your symptoms:
- Getting enough sleep. Most adults should try to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. But fibromyalgia can make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Talk to your doctor about any sleep problems you have and ways to treat them. Your doctor may recommend:
- Going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time every day
- Not drinking caffeine, alcohol, or eating spicy meals before bedtime
- Not taking daytime naps
- Doing relaxing activities, such as listening to soft music or taking a warm bath, that prepare your body for sleep.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials Of Diagnosis And Management
- Alison C. BestedAffiliations
- Lily ChuCorrespondenceCorrespondence: Address to Lily Chu, MD, MSHS, Independent Consultant, 16 Lorton Ave, Unit 4, Burlingame, CA 94010.
- Nancy G. KlimasAffiliationsInstitute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Jose G. MontoyaAffiliationsDr Jack S. Remington Laboratory for Specialty Diagnostics, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
- Irma R. ReyAffiliationsInstitute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Help Others See What You Feel
Because fibro fog and fatigue aren’t obvious, it can be hard for friends and loved ones to understand what you’re dealing with.
Let the people in your life know that you have a disease that affects your muscles and causes pain, fatigue, and thinking problems. It might help to say researchers are pretty sure that certain areas of the brain don’t process nerve signals correctly, leading to a wide range of symptoms.
When you ask for help — and it’s OK to do that — be specific about what you need.
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Make Your Day More Fibro
Take a fibromyalgia education program to learn healthy behaviors and how to tweak everyday activities for less stress.
If you work outside the home, talk to your employer about things that might help you do your job:
- Take breaks more often
- Change your work schedule
- Switch to a different position that better matches your abilities
A psychologist or neurologist may be able to suggest more adaptations, or use biofeedback or cognitive behavior therapy to boost your focus. An occupational therapist can show you how to make physical changes, from a better workstation to stretches you can do at your desk.
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Treat Other Sources Of Pain
While nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs arent effective at treating fibromyalgia, they can help you treat other pain-causing conditions, such as arthritis or tendonitis. Eliminating other sources of pain can help make it easier to manage the pain caused by fibromyalgia. Before starting a new medication, be sure to speak with your doctor. Some medications can interact with NSAIDs and cause further complications.
At Pain Medicine Group, we are dedicated to helping patients manage their pain from injuries and medical conditions, including fibromyalgia. Our Orlando pain management doctors can help you understand your symptoms and develop a custom plan to treat your pain and make it easier to enjoy your life and participate in your daily activities. Call today to schedule an appointment and learn how we can help you.
Contact our office by calling 832-3597.
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What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
“Myalgic encephalomyelitis” is another name for chronic fatigue syndrome. It means muscle pain with brain and spinal cord inflammation. This term is used in part because its more descriptive of the illness. Its also because ME/CFS is now considered a disease, not a syndrome.
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Studies Show That Turmeric And Curcumin Is Good For Muscle Pain
In a study conducted in 2015, researchers tested the efficacy of turmeric on muscle soreness in a group of mice. This trial was randomized and placebo-controlled using oral curcumin on seventeen male mice.
The researchers measured the discomfort, swelling, inflammation, and muscle damage. The results showed that curcumin reduced pain related to muscle soreness and enhanced their muscle performance and muscle recovery.
Another study used a curcumin formula to figure out whether or not it can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in twenty healthy male volunteers. Each group received 200 mg of curcumin twice daily, or they received a placebo.
The groups treated with turmeric noticed a reduction in lower limb pain. The placebo group still struggled with delayed onset muscle soreness. The turmeric group also showed less MRI evidence of muscle damage, and they reported less pain and stiffness.
What To Take Away From These Studies
Turmeric and curcumin appear to overcome the issue of low bioavailability. In each study, the subjects saw improvements in levels of fatigue, performance, muscle regeneration, and they saw a lift in mood. Turmeric curcumin capsules contain antioxidant properties that demonstrate the ability to aid in recovery and it assists with fibromyalgia symptoms.
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What Is Fibromyalgia Fatigue
To put it in a very basic form its extreme fatigue, as mentioned above each individuals symptoms can range however, for the most part, its extreme exhaustion. Do you know when you have the flu or a cold and feel like getting up to have a shower is the most exhausting thing ever, or you get winded walking to your kitchen for a glass of water when unwell? This is similar to what most fibromyalgia fatigues feel when a fibromyalgia flare occurs. These symptoms can mimic and feel similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, and overall they drain you of all your energy.
This can also impact sleep quality and folks who live with fibromyalgia syndrome can have difficulty sleeping or feeling rested when they wake. This lack of energy can often then lead to the symptom of fibro fog which is when patients have a difficult time concentrating or remembering things that commonly would not be an issue.
How long can fibro fatigue last? On average it can last anywhere from a couple of days to weeks at a time for most fibromyalgia individuals. However, the severity and duration are unique to each individual, as well as the prescribed treatment plan with a health care professional to help remedy fibro fatigue.
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Overlapping Symptoms: Fatigue Mood Pain
It is not clear that this updated definition for CFS will advance the understanding of the disorder or its acceptance as a diagnosable condition.22,25 There was little evidence that the new case definition was an improvement over prior CFS case definitions given continued diagnostic uncertainty.28 The new diagnostic criteria do not offer clinicians the ability to distinguish CFS from overlapping functional somatic syndromes, and in particular FM.
Most studies have found a significant clinical overlap of FM and CFS symptoms, with the majority of individuals meeting criteria for both syndromes.29,30 In 1 report, 50 patients with primary FM who had been followed in an academic rheumatology practice frequently reported symptoms thought to be typical of chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection , but not of FM. These included recurrent sore throat , recurrent rash , chronic cough , recurrent adenopathy , and recurrent low-grade fevers .29 In 55% of the patients, the illness had begun suddenly, with what seemed to be a viral syndrome.30 However, antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus in the patients were not significantly different from those in age- and sex-matched healthy and unhealthy control subjects.30 This overlap is not surprising since fatigue is the second most prominent symptom in FM, right after chronic widespread pain.
Pain Catastrophizing
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Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia: Usual Symptoms
A majority of people with chronic fatigue states and fibromyalgia have low thyroid hormone. Many of these people have normal thyroid blood tests, despite being low on thyroid hormone.
They may have dirty thyroid hormone receptors from heavy metals being attached to them or a genetic malformation of thyroid hormone receptors. This is called Type 2 hypothyroidism, and thyroid blood tests are usually normal in these people. There is a large reference range for the different thyroid hormones, and some people need to be in the upper 75-100 percentile. Also, some people may have low normal T3 , but their T4 is within the normal range.
95% of people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, which some doctors define as fatigue lasting over one year have thick blood.
They also have elevated CRP-HS and fibrinogen. The labs upper reference range is not at optimal levels, so we use a lower upper reference range cut-off.
At the Holistic Bio Spa, we look at signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism and afternoon oral temperatures, which should be between 98.2-98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or between 36.7-37 degrees Celsius. One must either buy a digital basal thermometer that reads to the hundredth of a degree or an accurate basal mercury thermometer. Mercury thermometers are now outlawed in the United States. However, Mercury thermometers are available in Mexico.
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Schedule In Your Rest Time
A good way to manage fatigue caused by fibromyalgia is to schedule rest into your day. Sitting or briefly lying down at some point could be what you need.
Try to plan your most rigorous tasks for times when you think youll have the most energy. Similarly, take time to pace yourself and find balance within your day.
The National Fibromyalgia Association offers a helpful guide to pacing, including:
- setting a schedule
