Fibromyalgia Syndrome Relief

Research Brief

New information is coming out about the retrovirus tentatively linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer.

According to research presented at the 2010 Genitourinary Cancer Symposium, XMRV appears to be transmitted similarly to HIV — through contact with blood and semen.  Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic say that semen appears to make XMRV more able to slip into human cells.

The study also showed that XMRV is an infectious agent in primates and produces an immune response.

It’s too early to say whether XMRV plays a role in chronic fatigue syndrome.  A study published in October 2009 suggested a strong tie, but subsequent research has failed to confirm the link.

While sexual transmission does appear possible, it’s important to remember that there are other forms of transmission as well.

More XMRV Information:

• XMRV & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• XMRV Glossary Terms

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XMRV: Latest Research originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at 06:00:59.

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Sinus problems are almost as common pain and exhaustion in those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and this is a bad time of year for them. We’re in the last dregs of the cold and flu season, allergy season is getting underway, and lots of triggers are in the air for non-allergy rhinitis.

Why do we have so many sinus problems? Several reasons:

• We’re more prone to allergies & sensitivities (because of central sensitization).
• Our immune systems can be slow to conquer illnesses, which leaves us congested for a long time.
• Many researchers believe our secretions, including mucus, are usually thick.  (I believe it — I often feel like there’s glue in my sinuses.)

It can take more than a decongestant to clear us up, and if you’re like me you can’t even tolerate decongestants.  I’m especially prone to sinus infection and bronchitis, so I’m doing everything I can to clear things out before I get sicker.  Here’s what I’ve been using:

• Mucinex (guaifenesin)
• Flonase (fluticasone)
• Neti pot
• Asthma inhaler (don’t use unless you have asthma)

I’m new to the neti pot, but so far I’m really happy with the results.  After my first use one of my ears popped, so I can almost hear and almost breathe through my nose — very exciting developments.

Do you have a lot of sinus problems?  How bad are they?  What helps you?   Leave your comments below!

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• Fibromyalgia Symptoms
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
• Allergies vs. Non-Allergy Rhinitis

Photo © ballyscanlon/Getty Images

Sinus Problems in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 06:00:24.

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Food of the Week: Bananas

While there’s no perfect diet for everyone with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, certain nutrients can help with our symptoms. We talk a lot here about supplements, which are a great way to make sure you’re getting consistent daily amounts, but it’s also important to make sure you’re eating the right foods. I’m starting a Food of the Week series to look at the nutritional value of different foods and see how beneficial they might be.

Inside the Banana

Bananas are probably best known for being rich in potassium — there’s about 400 mg in a medium-sized one.  If you complain about nighttime leg cramps, your doctor will probably tell you to eat a banana before bed.  Why is that?  Potassium is important for muscle function, including contraction.  It’s crucial for cardiac, skeletal and digestive health.  Potassium is also an electrolyte, which means it helps conduct electricity around your body.

Those are all good reasons for us to get enough potassium.  If you have problems with absorption, sweat a lot, eat high amounts of salt, or have frequent diarrhea, you may be at risk for potassium deficiency.

But potassium’s not the only important thing inside a banana peel — this fruit also contains magnesium and malic acid, which many doctors recommend for our muscle pain and tenderness.  They also help your body produce energy.

Do you think you need to eat fish to get essential fatty acids?  You might be surprised to learn that bananas contain both Omega 3 and Omega 6.

Bananas vs. Potassium Supplements

Potassium supplements, in doses higher that what’s in multi-vitamins, come with several warnings and should only be taken under your doctor’s supervision.  If you’re on NSAIDs or ACE inhibitors, they can interact badly with your medication.  It’s generally considered better to get potassium through natural sources.

Food sources of potassium don’t come with the same dangers.  Along with the banana, you can get potassium from apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, peas, beans, potatoes, fish and beef liver.

Possible Drawbacks

If you’re on a low-carb or diabetic diet, a banana may not be the right choice for you — they’ve got about 25-30 carbs, or 2 diabetic exchanges. For a snack, however, you might be able to combine a banana with a good source of protein such as peanuts or peanut butter.

Benefits of Bananas

Bananas are a quick, easy, portable snack that can help your muscles function properly, support heart health, aid digestion, prevent dehydration and more.  They’re a simple way to get a boost of the nutrients that help alleviate symptoms without taking more supplements and possibly getting into dangerously high amounts.  In addition, banana allergies are rare.

Personally, I’ve eaten bananas when my muscles are tight and sore, and also for charley horses, and they do seem to help.

Have you had good luck with bananas?  What other foods would you like to know more about?  Leave your comments below!

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• Your Diet for Managing Symptoms
• Supplements: Getting Started
• Find Your Food Sensitivities

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Bananas for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 06:00:11.

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I’ll say it again — those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can learn more from each other than from anywhere else!  Don’t believe me?  Look through some of the blog comments here, swing through the forum, and check out my Readers Responds — you’ll find more knowledge, wisdom, strength and inspiration there than you’ll ever find in a doctor’s office or medical library.

Many of us with these conditions have taken to blogging.  It takes time and energy, and of course some days we have to fight through the fog to get the right words out, but it’s well worth the effort.  We have a lot of different reasons for blogging — it’s a way to share information about treatments that have worked; it’s a way to connect with other people who get what we’re going through; it’s a way to vent about anger and frustration over having a chronic illness that’s not well understood or accepted.

If you have a blog about fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, or one that’s applicable to people with these conditions, I hope you’ll tell us about it here:

• Talk About Your Blog

And here’s where you can read about the many great blogs that are out there, written by and for people like us:

• Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Blogs

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• Finding Support With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• How to Pace Yourself
• Accepting Your Illness vs. Giving Up

Photo © Buccina Studios/Getty Images

Share Your Blog — Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 06:00:47.

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Blog Classic: Apr. 22, 2009

The grass is turning green, my forsythia’s about to bloom, spring is in the air — along with ever increasing amounts of pollen. A big percentage of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have allergies, which can make this time of year especially hard. As you’ve probably learned, even mild hay fever can make your other symptoms worse.

There are a few things to keep in mind this time of year:

1. Don’t forget your allergy meds! If you need to take them every few hours, make sure you carry them with you at all times. Have an extra stash in your car and your desk at work, in case you forget them. If you also have asthma, consider getting an early refill on your inhaler so you won’t run out at the wrong time.
2. Check for drug interactions: If you’ve started any new medications, be sure to check for negative interactions with your allergy meds. Your pharmacist is the best source of information, but you can also check About.com’s Drugs A-Z.
3. If your symptoms are bad even on medications, you could have non-allergy rhinitis. It feels like an allergy, but its different and needs different treatment. Read Allergies vs. Non-Allergic Rhinitis.
4. Watch for new allergies: Our allergies tend to shift from time to time, so be aware that new things may trigger an allergic reaction. If you suspect new allergies, you might want to talk to your doctor about getting tested.
5. Wash your hands & face frequently: Especially if you’ve been outside, you may have pollen and other particles on your skin. Also, be sure to change your pillowcase more often.

What helps you get through allergy season? Have you been taken off guard by new allergies? Leave a comment below!

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More on Allergies, from About.com’s Allergy Guide Daniel Moore, M.D.:

• Symptoms of Allergies
• Treating Allergies
• Allergy Prevention

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Allergy Season With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 06:00:14.

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Blog Classic: Feb. 3, 2009

How often do you find yourself searching your brain for a simple word that you just can’t remember? Do you have problems writing, or understanding things you read or hear? If so, you’re certainly not alone! This kind of language impairment is a symptom of both fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).

This language problem is the source of a lot of frustration and embarrassment, and has made some of us unable to read very much, or remember what we have read. This symptom alone can make it hard for some to hold down a job. It’s medical name is dysphasia, or in severe cases, aphasia. It’s a recognized speech disorder, so you can tell people you have it without having to go into the whole explanation of what FMS and ME/CFS do to our cognitive function. I feel like a broken record saying this, but (of course) no one knows why we get this problem. It’s usually associated with brain damage or degeneration from diseases. So far, there’s no evidence that FMS or ME/CFS cause this type of degeneration.

As a writer with a lot of public speaking experience, dysphasia drives me crazy! The people closest to me have learned to recognize the signs, so they wait for me to get my words together and continue. I hate talking on the phone, especially to people I don’t know.

If dysphasia or aphasia is a major problem for you, talk to your doctor about speech therapies that may help. Here’s an article (originally written for stroke patients) that talks about various forms of treatment: Aphasia Treatment

What’s your experience with dysphasia/aphasia? Has anything helped you? Leave your comments below!

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• Brain Fog: Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
• Fibromyalgia Symptoms List
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms List

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Impaired Language in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 06:00:59.

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Did you know one of the hazards of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is liver damage? These conditions don’t directly attack your liver, but the medications we take can do a lot of damage.

Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and narcotics, especially those containing acetaminophen (such as Vicodin), send a constant stream of toxins through your liver. This means that the liver has to work extra hard, and that can take a toll. I’ve known this academically for a long time, but I recently came face-to-face with this very real complication of long-term medication use — in a blood test last fall, my liver enzymes were through the roof. My doctor said I was at risk for developing fatty liver, with can lead to cirrhosis.

Now that scared the heck out of me! I can’t really say I was surprised, but I was certainly shaken out of the “it won’t happen to me” state of mind.

I’ve had heavy NSAID use since I was 13, when I was put on a daily dose of 1600 mg of Motrin (ibuprofen) for on-going pain from an earlier back injury. A year later, it was upped to 2400 mg. I stayed on that for a couple of years, until Motrin became available over the counter. I continued taking it then, but less frequently and in smaller doses. In my 20s, I also took a lot of Tylenol (acetaminophen) for carpal tunnel disorder. Since my fibromyalgia symptoms started about 4 years ago, I’d been on Relafen (nabumetone), a prescription NSAID, at the maximum daily dosage. Add in the occasional Vicodin, and my liver’s been racing to keep up.

A couple months ago, I cut out the daily Relafen. I’ve taken some Aleve (naproxen sodium) and a little more Vicodin than usual, but I’ve tried hard not to medicate unless I really needed to. My doctor re-checked my liver enzymes recently, and one is normal and the other is only slightly elevated, so that’s good news. The bad news is that my muscles have been tight, hard and spasmodic. (I should note that fibromyalgia is not considered an inflammatory condition, and much of my problems with inflammation are from myofascial pain syndrome and autoimmune thyroid disease.)

So I have 2 issues to deal with — I need to get my muscle pain and inflammation under control, and I also need to protect my liver. For pain and inflammation, I’m stepping up my use of some treatments, including:

• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Heat and/or ice
• Epsom salt baths

I’m also trying to use my diet to lower inflammation. Here’s more information about that:

• Your Diet for Managing Symptoms
• Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid

To protect my liver, I’m taking an herbal supplement called milk thistle. While it’s not a scientifically proven or FDA-approved treatment, milk thistle is a traditional remedy that’s believed to help your liver process toxins. I’m also considering a detox diet. As I often do, I turned to Cathy Wong, About.com’s Guide to Alternative Medicine, for more information about protecting my liver. Here are some great articles from her:

• Fighting Fatty Liver
• What You Need to Know About a Detox Diet

I’ll be getting my liver enzymes checked on a regular basis to make sure they stay down. If you have a drug history that’s anything like mine, it might be wise to ask your doctor about getting a liver function test periodically.

Have you had abnormal liver tests or liver problems because of medications? How bad has it gotten? What have you done to counter it? Do you get your liver enzymes checked regularly? Leave your comments below!

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Photo &copy A.D.A.M.

Protecting Your Liver With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 06:00:17.

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I know I need regular exercise, but even before I had fibromyalgia I wasn’t good about it. The only times in my life I’ve been consistent have been when the exercise was mandatory, like when it was a high school or college class, or when I had to walk or ride a bike because I didn’t have a car.

Now, with symptoms that fluctuate from day to day, I find it very hard to be consistent. I know there’s a ton of clinical and anecdotal evidence showing that with fibromyalgia, consistent, moderate exercise can really help, and I know when I’ve been better about exercising it has helped; still, it can be hard to find the motivation. On bad days, I don’t want to do anything, and on good days I have too many other things to do. If I’m cleaning or grocery shopping, that counts as that day’s exercise (and then some!), but too often I find myself at the computer all day. I end up with a numb brain and tight, achy, twitchy muscles.

Lately, though, I’ve been getting consistent exercise — I no longer have a choice! We got a puppy, and he demands it.

I know, you’re probably wondering what in the world I was thinking. A year ago, I wouldn’t have done it, but I felt that I was improved enough to deal with it (especially since I have 2 kids and 1/3 of an acre.)

Still, the amount of exercise I got in the first week we had him put me into a minor flare. It also activated some myofascial trigger points that had been latent (I also have myofascial pain syndrome), so I’ve stepped up my acupuncture treatments.

We’ve had him for about a month now, my symptoms have quieted down, and I’ve gotten into some better habits — when I feel good, I’ll go out and run a little bit so he can chase me, or I’ll take him for a walk. When I don’t feel good, I’ll stand or sit in one place and get him to fetch. On my worst days, I lay on the couch holding one end of his rope while he tugs.

He’s made exercise mandatory for me again, so I’m actually doing it consistently. The result is that I’m feeling better, my muscles aren’t as sore, and I’ve got less fibro fog. I’m already seeing some improvements in stamina and muscle tone. The flare derailed my diet, but now I’m getting back to it and I’m hoping the diet plus increased exercise will help me lose some weight.

Certainly, not everyone is ready for the “puppy exercise program,” but if you’re like me and have trouble being consistent, maybe you can find something that will make you get up and move for a few minutes a day. (Remember that we need to start small and go slowly! Over doing it, like I did, will make you worse.)

Have you found something that helps you be consistent about exercise? Are you still struggling to find out how much exercise is OK for you? Has exercise helped you improve you fibro symptoms? Leave a comment below!

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• Exercise: Getting Started the RIGHT Way
  
• Yoga for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Benefits of Warm-Water Exercise

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Fibromyalgia & Mandatory Exercise originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 06:00:51.

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When conventional medicine fails — as it often does for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome — you have to start looking at what else is out there. When you’re trying to learn about complementary/alternative medicine, known as CAM, it’s tough. Which information is reliable? Which studies are of high enough quality to matter?

A new survey by a highly respected team of researchers aimed to help us identify which CAM treatments are most likely to help us, in order to determine where researchers should put their efforts. Looking through the available research, they did report that the overall quality was less than ideal. However, they determined that these treatments are the most promising prospects:

• Acupuncture
• Several types of meditative practice
• Supplements: magnesium, carnitine, SAM-e

I’ve tried all of those except for SAM-e, and they’ve all helped me improve tremendously. They’re only part of my treatment/management regimen, along with other supplements, lifestyle changes, massage, etc., but I wouldn’t give any one of them up. I’ve also heard from a lot of people that SAM-e is great. Of course, we’re all different, but it helps to know which way the research is leaning.

In another recent survey specifically on acupuncture for fibromyalgia, researchers concluded that acupuncture can provide temporary pain relief, but that results were too inconsistent to recommend it for everyone.

Which of these treatments have you tried? What has worked, and what hasn’t? Have other CAM treatments helped you? Leave your comments below!

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• Getting Started With Supplements
• 10 Important Lifestyle Changes
• Massage & Other Bodywork

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Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on About.com Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 06:00:25.

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