Dear Fibromyalgia

Tag: Chronic Disease

Understand chronic diseases, their causes, common symptoms, and effective management strategies to improve long-term health and quality of life.

  • Why Are My Joints So Stiff? What Can I Do?

    Why Are My Joints So Stiff? What Can I Do?

    You’re Getting Older

    As you age, your cartilage — the spongy material that protects the ends of your bones — begins to dry out and stiffen. Your body also makes less synovial fluid, the stuff that acts like oil to keep your joints moving smoothly. The result: Your joints may not move as freely as they used to. It sounds a little crazy, but the best thing you can do is keep on trucking. Synovial fluid requires movement to keep your joints loose.

    It’s Morning

    When you’re asleep and still for several hours, the fluid that helps your joints move easily can’t do its job. That’s why you wake up with knees or hands that are stiff and swollen. To make it better, try to move around more during the day.

    Osteoarthritis (OA)

    A joint is a place where two bones meet. The end of each bone is covered in a layer of rubbery stuff called cartilage. This keeps them from rubbing together. But cartilage can wear away over time or after an injury. When it’s gone, the bones hit one another, and sometimes, tiny pieces break off. The result is a stiff, swollen, painful joint.

    Treating Osteoarthritis

    Your first move might be to do fewer things that bother the joint in question. Over-the-counter drugs can help with pain and swelling. If they don’t, your doctor might inject stronger treatments directly into problem areas. You can wrap joints to protect them and stop overuse, but this could weaken your muscles, so don’t overdo it. Some people need surgery, but it’s rare. Your doctor will discuss treatments with you.

    Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

    Your immune system is supposed to protect you from outside germs. Sometimes, it attacks the lining of your joints instead (your doctor will call this the synovium). RA is most likely to affect your wrist or finger joints, but it can show up anywhere in your body. It often causes constant pain and stiffness. Sometimes, it stays in the background and only flares up now and then.

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    Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Doctors treat RA with medications that slow or stop the disease process. You might hear yours call them DMARDs, which stands for disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The goal is for you to have no signs of inflammation in your body. Your doctor will refer to this as this remission. Along with drugs, you can also take care of yourself — eat well, rest when you need to but keep moving, and take good care of your joints.

    Another Type of Arthritis

    OA and RA are the most well known, but other types also affect your immune system and result in stiff joints:

    • Ankylosing spondylitis: This type mostly affects your spine, but it can make your hips, hands, or feet feel stiff.
    • Gout: The first sign of this build-up of uric acid in your body is often a searing pain in your big toe.
    • Infectious arthritis: It often starts with an infection somewhere else in your body that travels to one big joint, like your hip. Your doctor might call it septic arthritis.

    Psoriatic arthritis: People with psoriasis or family members who have it are most likely to get this type. Signs include swollen fingers and pitted nails.

    A Change in the Weather

    Did your grandma say she knew when a storm was coming because her joints ached? She was right. Doctors aren’t sure why, but joint pain seems to get worse when the weather changes. It’s most common when the air pressure (the weather forecaster will call it barometric pressure) falls. That typically happens just before a storm.

    Fibromyalgia

    This chronic condition causes joint and muscle pain, along with sleep, mood, and memory problems. Scientists think your brain takes normal pain signals and makes them worse. They aren’t sure what causes it, but it often follows an illness, surgery, or intense stress. It doesn’t damage your joints the way arthritis does, though.

    Treating Fibromyalgia

    There’s no cure, but over-the-counter meds should ease your pain. Your doctor might prescribe other medications. A physical therapist can teach you special exercises to help. You might also try a relaxation technique like deep breathing or a gentle exercise like yoga or tai chi. They’ll help you stretch and strengthen your muscles and tendons.

    Joint Injury

    The two most common types are both forms of inflammation. They usually result from overuse or misuse of a joint over time:

    Bursitis involves the bursae, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between your bones and other moving parts.

    Tendinitis affects the tendons that attach muscles to your bones.

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    Treating a Joint Injury

    These conditions are easy to treat. You’ll likely make a full recovery. The first thing to do is give that joint rest and take over-the-counter pain medication. Your doctor will probably give you a splint to wear and tell you to put ice on it. She might show you some exercises to do, too. If that doesn’t help, she could inject a stronger drug straight into the bursa or tendon to manage pain and swelling.

    Exercise

    The more you move your joints, the less likely they are to get stiff. A little afternoon gardening or a walk around the block can help. You’ll strengthen the muscles that support your joints, keep your bones strong, improve your balance, and burn calories. Start slow, so you don’t get hurt. Talk to your doctor first if even gentle exercise makes the stiffness worse.

    Heat Therapy

    If your joints are extra stiff in the morning, try a hot shower or bath. It’ll get the blood flowing to the area, which loosens things up. You can also buy moist heat pads from the drugstore or make your own. Toss a washcloth into a freezer bag and microwave it for 1 minute. Wrap it in a towel and leave it in the area for 15-20 minutes.

    Cold Therapy

    Ice down an achy joint. It narrows blood vessels, which slows blood flow to the area and eases swelling. You can use a store-bought cold pack, or try a bag of frozen veggies instead. Put it on the area, but use a towel to protect your skin. Don’t do it for more than 20 minutes at a time. If you really want to chill a problem joint, try an ice bath.

    See the Doctor Right Away If …

    Make a Doctor’s Appointment If …

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  • Fibromyalgia Project Wins One of Three Purdue Pharma Research Grants for Chronic Pain and Pain Assessment

    A research project focused on developing an objective measure of pain-related interference with cognitive performance in people with fibromyalgia is one of three awarded research grants recently by Purdue Pharma.

    An independent steering committee oversaw the competition and selection of the three recipients of Purdue’s research grants to study chronic pain and the assessment of pain.

    Robert R. Edwards, Ph.D., of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, will lead the project dedicated to pain in fibromyalgia. The project is titled “Development and application of an objective measure of pain-related interference with cognition.”

    The goal is to identify a set of cognitive tasks that are affected by variations in pain levels when they are being performed. Once an appropriate set of tasks is developed, they will be used in a randomized, controlled trial to test an intervention designed to improve cognitive performance in this patient population.

    Another of the selected projects, led by David A. Seminowicz, Ph.D., at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, is titled “Development of a reliable neurophysiological pain assessment tool: alpha as a predictive biomarker (APB).”

    This study aims to determine if EEG alpha wave activity is an accurate and reliable measure of acute pain and neuropathic pain (chronic pain resulting from injury to the nervous system) in healthy volunteers. Alpha waves are a type of brain wave that allow the assessment of electrical impulses in the brain that reflect the brain’s activity.

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    The third project, led by Tassilo Baeuerle, president and chief executive officer at CognifiSense, Sunnyvale, California, is titled “Study on the use of virtual reality for pain measurement.”

    The goal of this research is to explore the potential for the use of virtual reality technology as a tool in the assessment of chronic pain. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that can be explored interactively by a person.

    The study will also evaluate the potential of using movement, among other measures, to assess pain intensity. The association of specific movements with pain will be investigated.

    “We are excited to support three investigator–led studies, which we believe will contribute important new information to our body of knowledge about the assessment of chronic pain,” Monica Kwarcinski, PharmD, head of Medical Affairs, Purdue Pharma, said in a press release.

    “The assessment of pain levels is important in making a correct diagnosis, determining appropriate therapy, and studying responses to treatment. By addressing these data gaps through research funding, we remain committed to offering innovative solutions to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.” Kwarcinski added.

    Purdue is a pharmaceutical company founded by physicians, and it is known for its pioneering research on pain.

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  • Prince Did Not Die From Pain Pills — He Died From Severe Chronic Pain

    The media can’t look to get its stories about Prince right. As the news feed overflows with stories with the word Prince and drug addiction in them, not many of them feature the word chronic pain. Multiple reports show that Prince had suffered from years with Fibromyalgia pain and Severe Chronic Pain in his hips due to injuries racked up during when his performances started.

    His body was wracked with pain, Prince relied on opiate pain medications to provide him some relief. And yet even today the stately New York Times features a long article about Prince looking for help with an addiction.

    Prince was not addicted to pain medication. Prince had a medical problem— Severe Chronic Pain — which is criminally under-treated. It is also a medical problem that is more likely to be reacted to with stigma and condescension, even dares about the chronic pain patient’s moral character. Severe Chronic Pain is still the condition that we treat by telling its sufferers to just pull it up or keep a stiff upper lip, or to terminate acting like a wuss.

    When anyone dies from complications of the disease, for that is what Severe Chronic Pain is, we react surprisingly, sympathy and anger that the patient died from a drug overdose. Some outlets make money off our doubt about overdose and medications and our interest in drugs.

    Reports of 2009 surfaced that Prince was in chronic and debilitating pain. His friends reported that he was taking Severe Chronic Pain medication to try to control the constant, severe pain from damaged hips.

    The supposed disagreement between Prince’s conversion to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and his potential to accept a blood transfusion — should the need emerge during hip replacement surgery — was bandied about by the vultures who pose as whispering reporters. The idea that Prince would forego surgery in order to serve his faith granted to the undercurrent that Prince was “strange”. however, some news channels report that Prince did have double hip replacement surgery in 2010.

    But it’s not just about how the media doesn’t realize how Severe Chronic Pain works. They are also ignoring the realities of the impact of race upon the carry out of medicine. Into the mix must definitely be added the element of race. Prince was a black man with severe chronic pain. Strong racial disparities in how doctors and other medical staff replied to pain in the emergency room have been documented.

    For example, a new study published in one of the most important pediatrics journals studied the treatment of appendicitis, a situation that is often initially suspected after a chandelier test. In medical slang, if a fibromyalgia doctor places her hand on the pain point in the lower abdomen affected by the Severe Chronic Pain of an inflamed appendix, the Chronic pain patient will try to jump up into the metaphoric chandelier on the top limit above their head.

    Surgeries can fail to repair the issues that trigger intense Severe Chronic Pain. And they fail repeatedly.

    In medical problems in which Severe Chronic Pain has been abiding, scientific evidence recommended that the brain’s pain receptors short out. whereas, regardless of even whether the painful part of the body has been removed — as in amputations — the brain’s pain receptors persist to process signals that the body is under attack.

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    Phantom limbs can cause severe pain. It does not make the pain fake. It is the brain that can feel pain. And the brain can remain to experience severe chronic pain even after surgery has been performed.

    And yet, despite the facts that Prince was being given Percocet for documented pain, the media narrative has shifted to a story in which Prince died of an overdose of drugs. An overdose is a self-inflicted wound. It’s a moral judgment. That is how we react to it.

    He was such a brilliant actor. Why overdose of drugs? Or She had such a dominant voice. But she was a demon for drugs.” That story allows us to distance ourselves, to see it as the mistake of a weak personality an addictive personality. It’s part of the mythos we create around brilliant folks.

    The idea is that the really gifted are also the ones in the worse psychological pain, and their psychological weaknesses make them mature for drug addiction. Prince is being pressed toward that precipice over which we have pushed Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michael Jackson, and every other artist who has died from a drugs overdose in the past century — especially those who succumbed to heroin.

    But heroin and Severe Chronic Pain medication are not the same things. certainly, some will gain fame for their discussions of the abuse of chronic pain medication.

    Severe Chronic Pain managing requires, in many cases, the taking of power, frequently-opiate-based medicines. any patient who takes these drugs on a daily basis will become “physically needy” in a short time. Physical needy is not addiction. Diabetics physically rely on insulin, and yet we can’t call insulin an addictive drug. Without it, diabetics would die.

    Stopping pain medication that has been used for Severe Chronic Pain can kill you if it’s done suddenly. Under a doctor’s care, a change in pain medication is handled on a strict schedule in which the body is weaned off one drug in order to either begin a new medication or to determine whether the body is reacting in an unusual way to the condition causing the pain.

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    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • Fibromyalgia Disease Patient’s Difficulty Smelling Linked to Decreased Olfactory Bulb Volume

    Patients with Fibromyalgia Disease may have reduced volume of the olfactory bulb, a key structure in how we perceive and distinguish smell, a study found. That finding may help explain why some patients report impairments in olfactory perception.

    The study, “Decreased olfactory bulb volumes in patients with Fibromyalgia Disease,” was published in the journal Clinical Rheumatology. Olfactory perception, including being able to identify and distinguish different types of odors, is a feature often reported to be impaired in Fibromyalgia Disease patients.

    The olfactory bulb is the first structure involved in our perception of a smell. It is composed of two types of nerve cells that receive input from cells in the nasal cavity. But, while “self-reported olfactory functions have been studied with olfactory tests, olfactory bulb volumes have not been studied” in Fibromyalgia Disease patients, the research team wrote.

    The volume of the olfactory bulb is known to be reduced in other diseases, too, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and depression. Some of these patients also experience olfactory dysfunction.

    To determine the volume of the olfactory bulb in a group of Fibromyalgia Disease patients, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In total, the study enrolled 62 female participants — 30 with FM and 32 healthy controls — with mean ages of 44.2 and 41.7, respectively.

    MRI analyses showed that the olfactory bulbs of patients with Fibromyalgia Disease had a reduced volume compared to healthy controls. Specifically, the mean volumes of the right olfactory bulbs were 74.9 mm3 in the Fibromyalgia Disease group and 92.6 mm3 in the control group. The mean volumes of the left olfactory bulbs were 74.3 mm3 and 92.8 mm3, respectively.

    The mean of total olfactory bulb volume (the volume of both right and left) was 146.6 mm3 in the Fibromyalgia Disease group and 186.5 mm3 in the healthy control group, a 1.2 ratio difference.

    The team suggested that the decrease detected in Fibromyalgia Disease patients is the potential result of alterations in neuronal structures in patients’ brains, evidence that may support the notion defended by some that Fibromyalgia Disease is a brain disorder.

    Overall, the team concluded that patients with Fibromyalgia Disease are at risk of having decreased olfactory bulb volumes.“Outcomes of the present study should be kept in mind for proper and reasonable management of this tough syndrome and for future studies,” the team wrote.

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  • Showering with Fibromyalgia: Why Causing more Pain?

    When you are first told that the pain and tiredness that you have is due to having fibromyalgia, it can be devastating.

    You are going to find that this new diagnosis could mean that you have to change the way in which you live your life.

    Everything that you do, even the most mundane of activities, can make a difference in how you feel later.

    Even a shower could be something that causes more pain or even makes the symptoms of fibromyalgia flare up more than they already are.

    Fibromyalgia is something that affects numerous people. The key to having this illness is learning what you can do to lessen the symptoms while still maintaining the life that you have always dreamed of having.

    There are numerous people in the world who are functioning with fibromyalgia easily and they are still doing what they always want to do. How can you be one of these people?

    Realize There are Obstacles

    One of the first things that the person needs to realize is that there are going to be obstacles that you must learn to deal with.

    Whether you attack these obstacles head-on or you learn what you can do and what you need to pace yourself with, you will find that your life is going to be better for learning this control.

    There are several obstacles that you may have to come to realize in order to gain more control over your life. Some of these obstacles may include:

    • What was your regular workout routine like? It could be you have to change this.
    • Did you work in a physically demanding job? If so, it may be time to look for something else.
    • You may have to start getting more sleep–in order to give your body the rest that it needs

    These are the most common obstacles that people think of when they are told that they do have fibromyalgia.

    However, did you know that something as mundane as taking a shower could require that you change your way of doing this?

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    A Shower Means Exertion

    When you step into the shower, most often you are not thinking about how much exertion this is going to require, but it does.

    We often link a shower with relaxation, but if you look at all that you do in the shower, it does take some exertion.

    For example, you are standing the entire time, you are going to be doing a fair amount of bending stretching, and reaching while you are lathering and washing your body.

    Those who have fibromyalgia often find that these repetitive movements are almost as if they have run a marathon.

    While it should not make a person tired, this is just one of the issues that fibromyalgia patients have to deal with.

    Showers can Promote Too Much Relaxation

    Is too much relaxation something that a person should worry about? If you have fibromyalgia, then yes this is something that you need to worry about.

    This is especially true if you are taking a shower in the morning before your day gets going. Why is this?

    Those who have fibromyalgia often find that they are tired constantly. This tired feeling is normal when dealing with fibromyalgia, but a shower can make this tired feeling even more pronounced due to the way it makes a person relax.

    If you are taking a shower first thing in the morning, you want to be woken up, not relaxed, and falling to sleep all day long.

    The Temperature can be an Issue

    Who doesn’t like to take a nice, hot, soothing shower to relax those muscles and basically rejuvenate us? Most everyone!

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    References:

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    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • Swelling and Fibromyalgia: How Fibromyalgia Swelling Hurts

    Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal condition, followed by fibromyalgia. More often than not, fibromyalgia is misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Characteristics of this disorder/condition include muscle and joint pain/tingling, fatigue, and many other symptoms. Quite often, individuals who have fibromyalgia also experience social isolation and depression. Many also experience both swelling and fibromyalgia.

    Fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose. The main reason for this is that the symptoms of fibromyalgia are often in line with the symptoms of other illnesses, which leads to the individual being misdiagnosed. One of the most basic symptoms of fibromyalgia is swelling and inflammation. Due to this fibromyalgia swelling, can sometimes be confused with arthritis. This is due to the fact that both fibromyalgia and arthritis affect the joints.

    Fibromyalgia and Arthritis Compared

    Though fibromyalgia does exhibit many of the same symptoms of arthritis and the two conditions are often confused, there are some differences.

    Individuals who have fibromyalgia typically experience more of a feeling that their joints are swelling rather than the joints actually swelling. Additionally, an individual who has fibromyalgia may actually experience what is known as a “creepy-crawly” sensation on their bodies, which is very uncomfortable for them. Though it’s almost the same as with arthritis, the “swelling” of the joints that is part of fibromyalgia isn’t actually swelling at all, but a feeling of swelling.

    Arthritis is actually swelling and damage within the joints. Individuals who are affected by arthritis can also be affected by fibromyalgia. The swelling that is caused by fibromyalgia in this case is typically in the feet and hands.

    This can be used to find out if the individual is suffering from fibromyalgia or arthritis. The swelling of the hands and feet in those suffering from fibromyalgia actually resembles edema, while the swelling in those suffering from arthritis is primarily located in the joints.

    There is no specific cause of fibromyalgia. However, there are several risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of arthritis in individuals.

    Genetic variations could possibly contribute to arthritis, though researchers don’t completely understand the role played by genetics in this disorder. Due to the fact that as individuals age, the cartilage becomes much more brittle and loses its capacity to repair itself.

    Joint damage depends on the amount of weight that the joints must support, so body weight can cause an individual to develop arthritis. These factors and others can all contribute to arthritis, but don’t necessarily have anything to do with individuals developing fibromyalgia.

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    How to Control Fibromyalgia Swelling

    One of the most important things to remember is that the swelling in individuals with fibromyalgia will never be located in the areas that are painful. The amount of swelling and fibromyalgia is actually directly related to the amount of stress that the affected individual is currently undergoing.

    If the individual is under very minimum emotional stress, the swelling on their body will be barely noticeable. If the individual is under a lot of emotional stress, then the swelling will be obvious. Therefore, the amount of swelling on the individual’s body indicates their present emotional condition. This exacerbates swelling and fibromyalgia.

    If you find that as a fibromyalgia patient, you are experiencing swelling and fibromyalgia, do what you can to calm down and relax. The more stressed out you get, the more you will begin to swell. The calmer you are, the more that swelling is going to go away.

    Swelling is one of the most common symptoms that an individual with fibromyalgia will experience. Both swelling and inflammation are one of the first things an individual will notice when there is a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This is what makes it so difficult to diagnose- the swelling takes on the appearance of arthritis. The swelling can actually occur at any time and almost anywhere in your body. It can last a short time or a long time.

    Understanding Swelling and Fibromyalgia

    Many times, medical professionals will diagnose arthritis, when actually the swelling and inflammation are actually because of fibromyalgia. However, as mentioned earlier, there is a major difference between the two: arthritis affects the joints, while the swelling and inflammation due to fibromyalgia do not. 

    Since the swelling in individuals with fibromyalgia is not in the joints, it can actually look more like edema. Most of the time, those who are experiencing this type of swelling also complain that the skin in those swollen areas turns red- but this is not always the case.

    Though fibromyalgia swelling can occur almost anywhere on the body, it is most commonly found in the feet and hands. Most of the time, those who report swelling in their feet often report that the swelling extends up toward their lower legs. Some individuals even report that their swelling is only on some of their toes.

    Swelling related to fibromyalgia can disappear and appear without even a warning. It can last for a few hours, days, or weeks at a time. Sometimes, individuals will even report that their feet swell so large that they cannot wear their shoes. If you are experiencing this level of swelling, you must know that there are some things that you can do to counteract this.

    As mentioned before, many people believe that inflammation and swelling related to fibromyalgia are directly linked to the level of stress in an individual’s life. So, if you have fibromyalgia and you’re suffering from swelling due to your disorder, you will want to do what you can to reduce- or even totally avoid- stress in your personal life. Additionally, getting lots of rest may prove to help reduce or prevent swelling.

    Though swelling and fibromyalgia are very common for those suffering from the disorder, it is not the same inflammation and swelling that is present with arthritis. Additionally, though there really isn’t a specific cause or cure that can be pointed to, researchers do hold hope that a few simple changes in lifestyle can help to control it.

    By simply making sure to get lots of rest and relaxation, and eliminating as much stress as possible from your life, you can make sure that the swelling and inflammation don’t keep occurring.

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    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • Death by a thousand needles: The debilitating condition that leaves sensitive sufferers in excruciating pain

    It is a chronic condition that renders sufferers so sensitive that even the lightest touch triggers waves of excruciating pain. Fibromyalgia is thought to affect up to a million Britons, commonly women over 40, and experts have likened the debilitating sensations to ‘death by a thousand needles’.

    Other symptoms include lack of concentration, memory loss, headaches, and muscle stiffness. And for a long time, there were little doctors could do to help quell the agony.

    Yet today, with the help of sophisticated scanning techniques, pain specialists have been able to pinpoint the parts of the brain responsible for the condition.

    Using a combination of psychotherapy and medicines more commonly used to treat depression and epilepsy, many sufferers are able to find relief.

    ‘Patients with fibromyalgia typically have what we call tender points,’ says Dr. Ernest Choy, consultant rheumatologist at King’s College Hospital in London.

    ‘There are 18 sites throughout the body – in the neck, back, arms, and legs – where, with light pressure, they experience pain, when a normal individual wouldn’t.

    ‘As well as pain, patients usually complain of a degree of fatigue and poor sleep quality. Depression and chronic pain often go hand-in-hand – it’s so hard to cope with such grinding discomfort every single day.’

    There is no specific test for fibromyalgia so it is often diagnosed once other conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, have been ruled out.

    The patient will have suffered widespread pain for three months on both sides of the body, above and below the waist, as well as pain in at least 11 of the 18 known tender points when pressed.

    Side effects: Depression and chronic pain often go hand-in-hand – it’s so hard to cope with such grinding discomfort every single day

    ‘Unfortunately, fibromyalgia isn’t well understood by many clinicians because pain is often a very subjective symptom,’ says Dr. Choy.

    ‘According to a European survey, it takes approximately 18 months to two years to get a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. There are still a lot of clinicians who don’t even know about it.’

    The exact cause of the condition isn’t known but, according to Dr. Choy, research has highlighted that it is likely to be due to a problem with how the nervous system handles pain.

    ‘When a normal individual experiences pain, there is what we call a coping process in  the brain that manages it,’ he explains.‘In some patients with fibromyalgia, that process isn’t working properly so their threshold for experiencing pain is much lower.

    ‘Recent advances in assessing the way the brain works, using functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI], have really changed our understanding of the disease.

    ‘It’s clear that the way the brains of people with fibromyalgia process pain is very different from normal individuals.’

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    There are certain risk factors for developing the condition.
    ‘My symptoms started almost six years ago, with my joints suddenly swelling and feeling very painful’
    ‘There is evidence to show that people who have physical or psychological stress are more prone to developing fibromyalgia,’ says Dr. Choy.

    ‘In some individuals, it may be that they sleep very poorly, while in others it may be that they have other illnesses, such as depression.’

    There is no cure, but treatments can help ease symptoms. Dr. Choy explains: ‘The aim of treatment is to help patients cope with their condition.

    In most patients, we use a combination of non-drug-based treatments, as well as medications.

    ‘Exercise can be helpful. Although many patients get worsening of their pain when they start, if they build up exercise gradually, they’ll get long-term benefits.

    ‘Taking warm baths or exercising in warm water will also help alleviate the pain and tiredness. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, a kind of psychotherapy, can help improve patients’ ability to handle pain.

    ‘Aside from that, some simple painkillers can help, and we often prescribe antidepressants mainly because the chemical substances in the brain that control the processing of pain are also the same as those that cause depression.

    ‘These are given at much lower doses than are used to treat depression, though. Anti-epilepsy drugs have also been shown to be effective. These work on readjusting the nervous system and reducing sensitivity to light pressure.’

    Lifestyle changes are key: Exercise like swimming or t’ai chi can help, but sufferers can experience increased pain when they first become mobile

    One sufferer, Nicki Southwell, 53, runs a fibromyalgia support group. Nicki, who lives in Carlisle with her husband Merlin, 51, a teacher, says: ‘My symptoms started almost six years ago, with my joints suddenly swelling and feeling very painful.

    ‘It got so bad I couldn’t climb the stairs. I was eventually diagnosed early last year, though no one knows what caused it. In the meantime, I had to stop work as a carer.

    ‘And although I’m usually very organized, suddenly I couldn’t find my diary or manage the housework. I felt totally out of control and I hated that. Along the way, I’ve suffered from depression too, but I don’t know if that’s because of the fibromyalgia.’

    More than a year on from her diagnosis, Nicki sleeps normally but wakes with aching, stabbing pains – mainly in her back and legs. Her short-term memory is also still poor so she makes lists.

    ‘I take painkillers and I use a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation [TENS] machine for pain relief, which delivers electrical impulses to the body,’ she says. ‘I also did an NHS hydrotherapy course, which involved exercising in warm water and was brilliant.

    ‘I know lifestyle changes are key, so I’m going to try swimming, t’ai chi – anything. I still have bad days but things are getting better.

    ‘My message to other sufferers would be to persevere for diagnosis and treatment. Don’t give up hope.’

    Dr. Choy says: ‘What works for one patient might not for another. It is important to remember there are treatments already available that can help ease symptoms. I think the future is looking bright for patients with fibromyalgia.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • How to Avoid Leg/Foot Cramps in Bed

    A leg cramp is a pain that comes from a muscle in the leg. It is due to a muscle spasm which is when a muscle contracts too hard. It usually occurs in one of the calf muscles, below and behind a knee, but painful spasms can occur in the ankles, shins, and quads (the big muscles of the thigh). The small muscles of the feet are sometimes affected, usually starting with curling your toes toward your heel. These steps may help alleviate this painful condition.

    Part 1 Cramps and your health status

    1. Think about your general condition. Do you have a medical condition, such as fibromyalgia or neuropathy which may make you more prone to cramps? Are you taking any medications? Some can cause cramps, or make them worse.

    2. Be sure you are being treated properly for any condition you may have. Nocturnal leg cramps become more frequent as one age, but they can also be precipitated by a host of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and fibromyalgia. Getting the proper treatment and medications for these can alleviate some of the tendency to have spasms.

    3. Tell your doctor about your cramps. Look over any prescriptions you are taking together. Some medications may be causing leg cramps or making them recur more often. Alternative medicines may be available. Also, if you have other symptoms apart from cramps, see your doctor who may examine you or do some checks to rule out a secondary cause for the cramps.

    4. Talk to your doctor about muscle relaxants. There are many prescription drugs that are available, which help relax tense muscles and keep them from going into painful spasms. Be aware that some cause dependency, and ask your doctor how to avoid becoming hooked.

    Part 2 Stretching and positioning

    1. Try stretching exercises. Stretching exercises are commonly advised. Some doctors swear by these exercises to relieve nocturnal cramps, others aren’t sold. Either way, stretching will not hurt you, so if you try them and find they help you, that’s a good thing. Stretch your hamstrings, inner thigh muscles, and quadriceps, but stretch gently and don’t overdo. There are lots of instructions with pictures available on the internet for each exercise.

    2. Position your legs properly. This is strongly advised. Positions that prevent the calf muscle from shortening when you are asleep may help. The following are not proven treatments (from research studies), but some experts believe that they help to prevent cramps.

    • Positioning your feet is helpful. If you can “trap” your toes against your sheets, it can keep your foot from turning down and allowing your calf muscles to seize.

    3. Walk. If you do get a cramp, stand up and walk around. This loosens the muscle in your leg, thus relieving the cramp.

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    Part 3 Warmth

    1. Stay warm. Cold muscles are much more likely to cramp. Even if it is a warm night, as you sleep, you become more sensitive to cool drafts. A light sheet will help reflect some of your body heat back to you, and warm muscles are much less likely to cramp.

    • In winter, use a covered hot water bottle to place near the area of your legs that cramps most often.
    • Try a warm shower if mid-cramp. It might help ease the pain.
    • Very hot water can get rid of cramps if you stay in it for a while. Your cramps will be less likely come back. Just be sure to use water that is hot but not burning.

    Part 4 Diet and supplements

    1. Ensure your diet is supported through good nutrition. Prefer foods rich in magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

    2. Take potassium, calcium, and/or magnesium supplements after getting your doctor’s advice. These supplements are available at most pharmacies or health food stores. Be careful not to take too much; ask your doctor what the right amount is for you, as well as the right form (for example, magnesium citrate versus magnesium gluconate). The deficiency of any of these minerals can cause leg cramps.

    Do not use quinine. Serious safety concerns, including fatalities, associated with quinine are well-documented. Quinine can cause tinnitus, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, visual changes, and auditory deficits. There is also evidence that quinine causes serious cardiac arrhythmias.

    Serious adverse reactions associated with quinine use also include severe skin reactions, thrombocytopenia (a decrease in blood platelets that can cause hemorrhage or clotting problems), and other serious hematological events, permanent visual and hearing disturbances, hypoglycemia, kidney failure, and generalized anaphylaxis.

    Tips

    • If you sense an imminent cramp, try putting your shoes on before you go to sleep. It sounds weird, and you will wake up with sore heels because of the unfamiliar pressure. Still, your shoes will keep your toes from curling under, which is often the way a spasm starts – as the muscles on the bottom of your feet contract, your foot turns down, which in turn causes the muscles on your calf to shorten, resulting in a painful Charley Horse. Wearing your shoes is not cozy and comfy, but it’s better than a leg cramp.
    • Rub in cream such as emu oil, Pain Away or Dencorub. Keep active the following morning by exercising the muscles.
    • Other medicines and supplements have been suggested as possible treatments for leg cramps. These include: Quellitall, naftidrofuryl, vitamin E, verapamil, diltiazem, methocarbamol, Flexeril, painkillers, aspirin, orphenadrine, magnesium, calcium, and sodium chloride. TENS machines have also been suggested as a possible treatment.Some of these treatments work better than others. Your doctor can help you decide if one is right for you.
    • Don’t worry if you have leg cramps. They are painful and can leave you sore for days, but usually they aren’t damaging in any major way. They hurt but it’s not like a heart attack.
    • The moment you feel a leg cramp, stretch both arms up while still in the lying position for one minute. You will feel the pain is slipping away slowly as blood is flowing into your legs.

    Warnings

    • Don’t overexert yourself. Little to no activity will cause you to have cramps if you’re prone to them, but too much activity can trigger them, too. Keep exercise gentle and moderate – not too much, not too little.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Heavy Sweating in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    “I have a problem—unexplained excessive sweating, like just stepping out of the shower, hair dripping wet, clothes soaked! … It has put a big damper on my lifestyle.”

    “My limbs get so cold and painful … and yet my face will be sweating from the heat inside.”

    “What exactly causes the excessive sweating? … I don’t bother to wear makeup in the summer because there is no point—it just melts off.”

    These are all comments made by people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Excessive sweating is one of those bizarre symptoms that rarely make it onto symptoms lists or grab the attention of researchers.

    That’s understandable since we have much bigger problems. Still, it can have a major impact on your life.

    While doctors and researchers have noted that excessive sweating can be a symptom of these conditions, you may want to talk to your doctor about complex regional pain syndrome. It has similar symptoms and some research suggests excessive sweating may be more common in that condition.

    What Causes Excessive Sweating?

    Several factors could be responsible for our sweating, either on their own or in combination. They include:

    The only cause that’s “curable” is the medication side effect, and that may not be an attractive option to you if the drug is doing more good than harm.
    Your doctor may have ideas about medications that help control sweating.

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    Living With Excessive Sweating

    If you do have to live with this symptom, you may want to keep some items on hand to keep it from being obvious and embarrassing.

    • Loose powders: Powder on your face may help absorb sweat before you even know it’s there. You can also apply it after drying sweat off of your skin to keep from being shiny.

    You may find that you need to keep a stash of extra clothing in your car, purse, locker, desk, or another convenient place.

    Preventing Excessive Sweating

    If your sweating isn’t tied to any particular stimulus, you might not be able to keep it from happening. However, if it’s tied to heat—and especially our tendency to become overheated—you may find that some of these things reduce the problem.

    • Extra antiperspirant, re-applied a few times during the day, and applied to non-typical places where you tend to sweat a lot may help.
    • Taking cooler baths or showers, or running cooler water over your body before you get out, may keep you from getting overheated and sweating more.
    • Especially if you tend to be cold a lot, you may frequently find yourself dressed too warmly for the environment. Dressing in layers gives you more temperature-control options.
    • Choosing cold drinks over hot ones and avoiding hot foods can help.

    ​Once sweating starts, it may be difficult to stop. You’re better off trying to prevent it in the first place.

    Dehydration From Excessive Sweating

    One important thing about excessive sweating is making sure you stay hydrated. It’s important to replace both the water and the electrolytes you sweat out.

    Electrolytes are minerals, including:

    If you think you need to replace electrolytes but don’t have a sports drink handy, you can get them via supplements or through food.

    It can be hard for us to tell when we’re dehydrated because the symptoms can be similar to some we already have.

    You should make sure to know the symptoms of dehydration.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • How Chronic Pain Killed My Husband

    So much has been written about the opioid epidemic, but so little seems to be out there about what living with true chronic pain is like. My husband, the Jay, lived and died in incredible pain at the age of 58.  As his wife, I lived that journey with him.

    Jay is no longer here to tell his story, but I want the world to see what I saw.  I want you to know how he went from working 60 hours a week doing hard physical labor until his pain grew worse and he could not even get out of a chair on his own.

    I want you to know the deterioration Jay went through over the last ten years. I want you to know what a good day and a bad day are like when you live with chronic pain.  I want you to know exactly what happened when the doctor decreased his pain medication. And I want you to know how my husband finally made the decision to commit suicide.

    I want people to understand that when chronic pain runs your life, eventually you just want the pain to stop.

    First a bit of history.  I met Jay in 2005 when we both stopped drinking.  Two years later, Jay began to lose feeling in his legs and started having fallen, as a result of compressed nerves in his spine. The pain was so bad Jay had to stop working and go on disability, which started his depressive episodes.

    Jay had a series of lower back and neck fusion surgeries.  This was when he has first prescribed painkillers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications.  From 2008 to 2011, Jay tried various treatments to control the pain that lingered even after third back surgery.  These included steroid shots, nerve blocks, and a spinal cord stimulator.  Ultimately he had a drug pump implanted that delivered morphine, in addition to the pain pills he was being prescribed.

    In 2012, Jay was diagnosed with trauma-induced dementia.  I believe that diagnosis was right, based on his symptoms, but not all of the doctors agreed.  Some believed the confusion was due to high doses of morphine and/or his sleep apnea.

    By 2016, Jay’s confusion and memory issues were increasing. He was on a steady dose of 120mg morphine daily, in addition to the medication he was receiving from his pain pump.

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    Jay’s depression seemed to come and go, depending on the day and his pain levels.  He was weaned down on his Xanax to 2mg a day to help him sleep. He was aware of the risks of combining Xanax and morphine.

    Let me tell you what a good day was like before they changed his medications. I worked a full-time job from 2 pm to 10 pm five days a week. I would get home, and Jay would have my coffee ready for me at night.  We would stay up and watch TV until 2 or so.  When it was time for sleep, I went to bed and he slept in his recliner.

    We started sleeping apart after his first surgery in 2007. He was more comfortable sitting up in the chair, but could never sleep more than three hours at a time.  He knew sleeping in bed would just keep me awake.

    A good day always meant it was not cold or raining.  On a good morning, he would be up first and get the coffee started.  He would take our two miniature pinchers outside in the yard on their leash for potty time.

    We usually had at least one appointment a week, but if not we could have a nice quiet morning.  That meant coffee in front of the TV.  After a couple of hours of that, he might switch over to playing his computer games, but he was never far from his chair.

    A typical adventure for us would involve going to Walmart.  Jay was not able to walk through the store, but he hated using the handicapped carts. I could always see a look on his face when he had to do it.  After going to the store, we might have lunch or an early dinner at Steak n Shake or Cracker Barrel.  It always needed to be someplace familiar and comfortable for him.  More than once we sat, ordered, and then took our food home because he was in too much pain.

    In the summer we might walk the dogs after dinner. Just a quick two-block walk, but a lot of times he would have to stop halfway and go back home.  A couple of times I had to go get the car and pick him up because his legs just would not support him anymore.

    A bad day was awful for me to watch, and absolutely horrible for Jay to live. It meant no real sleep, just catnaps in the chair whenever he could.  He always made coffee for us, but on a bad day he would forget to add coffee to the coffee maker and we would just have hot water.  The pain was so much he was just distracted.

    On many bad days, I would look over and see tears just running down his face because he was in so much pain.  It also made Jay’s depression worse.  We spent many cold winter nights talking about how much pain would be too much and would make life not worth living.  It is the most horrible feeling in this whole world to hear the person you love most talk about ending their life.

    In January 2017 Jay’s pain clinic decided they could no longer prescribe the high doses of morphine he was on.  In addition, they were not going to continue seeing him if he decided to stay on Xanax.  The Xanax was prescribed by another doctor, but they did not care.

    I begged the pain doctor — yes, literally begged — for some other option. The doctor said that if Jay continued the Xanax he would no longer see him.  He would not give another option for medications, and at one point even said that most of his patients with pain were “making it up.”

    The last thing the doctor said to us will stick with me forever.  He said, “My patient’s quality of life is not worth losing my practice over.”

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    When we left that day, we were barely in the car and I knew what Jay was going to say to me.  I will never forget how sad his voice was when he told me this was it for him. He was not going to continue to live like this.

    Through the month of February, as Jay’s medication was decreased, we spent time doing things we did not normally do.  We went out on Valentine’s Day, he bought me the first jewelry he had bought since my engagement ring, and we went out to a fancy restaurant for dinner.  Jay tried to cram in as many good memories as he could into that last month, but I knew it was costing him.

    Jay’s next doctor’s appointment was scheduled for March 2, and we knew they were going to decrease his medications again.  The night before, he woke me up to tell me it was time.  I knew what that meant, but I tried to be strong for his sake.  We talked all night long about what it meant, and how it should be.  It was the saddest, strangest, longest night of my life.

    Jay knew he did not have enough pills to kill himself.  He also knew that if he were to try and purchase a gun, they would not sell it to him.  It would have been almost obvious what he was going to use it for.

    In the end, I bought the gun that Jay used — and yes, we talked about the ramifications of that action.  We went to the park where we had renewed our vows in 2015.  We talked in the car for a while, and then we sat in the same place we had cut our wedding cake.  I was holding his hand when he pulled the trigger.

    Through the shock and horror, my immediate feeling was one of relief for Jay. To know that he was finally out of pain was a weight lifted off both of us.

    Because I purchased the gun that Jay used to end his life, I was charged under our state’s assisted suicide law.  This charge was later reduced to reckless endangerment, and I am currently on probation. People close to me want me to be quiet about my role in Jay’s death, and I was at first. But I cannot continue that way.

    I know Jay wanted me to put his story out there.  I know he wanted people to know what it was like to live with the pain he lived with daily. When the doctor took away Jay’s medications, they took away his quality of life. That was what led to his decision. Jay fought hard to live with his pain for a long time, but in the end, fighting just was not enough.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store