Explore effective treatments for Fibromyalgia, including medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and holistic approaches to manage symptoms.
Anyone who has suffered from an extended flare or has been hit with back to back flares knows how bad fibromyalgia flare stank can be! Hygiene is rarely discussed in the fibromyalgia community. It’s personal and embarrassing. I mean seriously, how many people, besides myself, wake up and think that today is a good day to announce my stench on social media? Personal hygiene is a major issue for the chronically ill and is something…
Love, Men, and Fibro ***WARNING*** This installment is for readers 18 and over because it contains adult topics. Thank you for your understanding. Though this article does not touch on fibromyalgia and love directly I think it is still a very important article to read because it discusses why we women sometimes are not open with our men when it comes to love . Something I cannot stress enough, and I’ve stressed it in my…
I’ve had FMS symptoms for almost 43 years. No one recovers from FMS. There is no cure. If someone tells you that they “used to have” FMS, they are mistaken. Their diagnosis was wrong. You learn to cope with FMS. You learn what your limits are and how to protect your energy. You may have many comorbid conditions such as clinical depression, chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. You learn…
Although fibromyalgia symptoms are often written off as being sleepy, it’s really a much more serious disorder than it seems. With over 5 million Americans over the age of 18 diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia requires more treatment than just taking a nap. Finding the right treatment depends on the individual, but the risks of not treating Fibromyalgia at all can be devastating and more dangerous. Worsening Symptoms A major risk of leaving fibromyalgia untreated is…
Maybe the doctor you followed some patients with the presumptive diagnosis of fibromyalgia. And maybe after years of following them, and checking for objective signs of disease- lab abnormalities, physical changes, etc. your doctor never found anything to document a medical illness. But the patients always had the same complaints, always complained of fatigue, not sleeping, muscle aches and not being able to work (I am not saying that this is a description of many patients with…
How do I be confident using the cane in public when I look like an otherwise healthy, able-bodied person? I can’t give you a direct definite answer to your question. But I will share a couple of things with you. When my oldest daughter was 13 she had surgery for scoliosis. She walked back to the surgery suite turning back, smiling and waving. Totally secure in what she was doing. 13 1/2 hours later they…
As a Nurse Practitioner, patients presenting with chronic pain problems to the ER are problematic. During this so-called opioid epidemic, guidelines were put in place for patients seeking narcotics. Also urgent care facilities. It is a problem, and I’m not implying patients are not in pain, or simply drug seekers. We do use Toradol. Unfortunately, patients with chronic pain problems should be receiving care from their primary care physician or pain clinic. I can’t provide…
I’ve had two difficult pregnancies. Two boys were born healthy This is going to sound awful. It hurts just to say it. It’s the silver bullet, though, against fibromyalgia. Exercise. Don’t stop reading yet. You have to start very, very slowly. 5 minutes of gentle exercise is perfect for the first week. If you have access to a warm pool, then it’s even better because you have less weight in the pool and the warm…
Having an understanding family has been wonderful. My husband and son understand when I having a bad day and pitch in without hesitation. Find those people who understand and support you. But it is also important to remain positive and do the things you can and not allow your chronic illness to define you. Georgia Shaffer, a psychologist, professional speaker, and life coach was given a 2% chance of survival after a recurrence of breast…
For me, it was addressing the root cause of the illness: heavy metal toxicity. I had 8 dental amalgams as well as a couple of root canals. I used to get vaxxed. I ate a lot of fish. I had some imaging with contrast dyes. Nowadays everyone is exposed to multiple heavy metals. So once I had the amalgams safely removed that was a huge step forward I have been working on getting my body’s…