Is it all in my head?

Understanding fibromyalgia is hard for many people. It's easy to say that it's just all in a person's head because there is no obvious source of pain. It's also easy to dismiss because many of the patients also suffer from depression and it's easy to write it off as just another “problem” that they're having. I personally know that fibromyalgia is very real because I suffer from it almost daily. My husband on the other hand has a hard time understanding what I'm going through. It's easy for him to disbelieve the things I tell him because he doesn't understand that it's a real condition and not just “all in my head.” There is still so little that is actually understood about fibromyalgia. As more research is done the face of fibromyalgia is changing. Scientists once classified fibromyalgia as an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease, but now believe it is more of a central nervous system disorder. In fact many doctor's once believed that fibromyalgia was all made up anyways. As doctors and scientists begin to understand the causes of fibromyalgia it will start to lead to better treatment options in the future. For now all we can do is to help spread awareness in the hopes that more people will begin to understand this often misunderstood disorder.

Can acupuncture help ease Fibromaylagia pain?

First let us define what acupuncture really is. It's not just some weirdo sticking a bunch of needles into people. It is a treatment that is based on ancient Chinese medicine. That the body has an energy flow that can become blocked or disproportionate. The Chinese believe that when this happens the body gets sick and develops different diseases. To help restore this energy flow needles are inserted into specific points in the body that correspond with the affected organ or area of the body.

Now that we know what acupuncture is we can discuss if this type of treatment is a good way of dealing with fibromyalgia pain. Studies have shown that while acupuncture can help provide some temporary relief from pain, that this relief is fleeting. Some participants in the studies reported pain relief for a few days to a few weeks while others have had pain relief for up to six months. Other studies have reported that acupuncture provides no improvement for fibromyalgia pain.

So with all these contradicting reports I believe that the only way to find out if this is a viable option for pain relief for yourself is to go out and try it. I am in no way promoting acupuncture as cure for pain. But I have realized that every fibromyalgia sufferer finds pain relief in different ways. The only way to find out what is going to work for you is to try them out till you find the right combination of treatments.

A Day In The Life

A typical day dealing with fibromyalgia is filled with ups and downs. How the day is going to go all depends on the night before and how much sleep you get. I usually don't get as much sleep as I would like. I could sleep for eighteen hours and still feel like I need to sleep for more. After a usually fitful night of sleep, I wake up stiff and sore. It takes me a little while just to be able to get out of bed. I have to slowly stretch out and get my muscles working after having laid still for so long. I try not to plan too many things to get done in one day. The more things that need to get done, the less time I have for them. And with less time to do things, the more stress comes with them. When I'm stressed I have more complications from my fibromyalgia. In the middle of running my errands I feel the intense urge to sleep. It's so over powering that I need to just go home and nap. It's frustrating not to be able to get everything done, but I've learned that not everything is always going to get done when I want it to. I've learned that I have to ask for help sometimes. I hope that advances in fibromyalgia research can be made soon to help deal with the pain that can be so debilitating.

Treatment Options part 2

Last week I discussed the medications that can treat fibromyalgia. This week I would like to discuss other methods of treatment that do not involve drugs. One of the major triggers of fibromyalgia is stress. I know personally that being stressed is what normally sets off the most pain in my body. I've learned that I need to take things slowly and to take care of myself. One of the ways to treat fibromyalgia without medications is therapy. Being able to talk to a professional can help because it allows you to get things off of your chest that are upsetting you. I find that this helps me out a lot because all it takes sometimes is just someone to listen to my problems and give me a little feedback. Another way to help fight fibromyalgia is by living a healthy lifestyle. Eating right,getting enough sleep and learning ways to unwind can all help. There are some alternative treatment options such as acupuncture and yoga. I've never tried any of these options so I can't personally recommend them,but I feel I should put all the treatment options out there. What will work for one person doesn't always work for the next when it comes to dealing with a condition like this. Each person must find their own combination of treatment methods,with the help of a medical professional of course. For more information on treatment options check out the Mayo Clinic's website.

Medication Options

In this weeks installment I'm going to discuss treatment options for fibromyalgia. While there are many different treatment options,both traditional and non-traditional,I'm going to stick with the traditional methods this week. I'm going to be focusing on medication options in particular. There are three different types of medication classes for the treatment of fibromyalgia. The first one that doctors recommend are called analgesics. An analgesic is a drug that relieves pain,as defined by the Merriam-Webster's dictionary. These medications include:Tylenol,Ultram,NSAIDs,and Aleve. These types of medications are often used along with other medications. They are typically used to help relieve pain and stiffness. The second class of medication used to help treat fibromyalgia is antidepressants. These types of medications are used to try and help alleviate two of the major symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression and difficulty sleeping. The last class of medications used in treatment are anti-seizure drugs. These drugs include Neruontin and Lyrica. I have personally taken Lyrica in the past and while it worked very well to help reduce the pain that I experienced,I would not recommend taking this drug if you are also experiencing depression. One of the known side affects of Lyrica is it may cause suicidal thoughts. I personally experienced this side affect earlier this year. After the birth of my third child I wanted to go back on my medication so I spoke to my doctor. She told me that it would be just fine for me to go back on Lyrica. After less then a month on Lyrica I started to experience suicidal thoughts. I later found out that I should not have been put back on that medication so soon after having a baby,only about a month after giving birth. I ended up in a mental ward from a combination of taking Lyrica,stress,and postpartum depression. Needless to say I have never gone back on Lyrica after that experience. Next week I will discuss other treatment options that do not involve medications.