When we are stricken

When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us:
Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. Let God speak within you, and your thoughts will grow silent. You are anxious because your path leads away from mother and home. But every step and every day lead you back again to the mother. Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all. Hermann Hesse, in his book 'Bäume. Betrachtungen und Gedichte'

PHOTO: This photo presents a unique perspective, looking up one of the magnificent, ancient trees in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Photo by Bill Lea, courtesy of National Scenic Byways Online (www.byways.org)

Fibromyalgia and stress

The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but many sufferers can trace its onset to a significant increase in stress in their life.

DO YOU KNOW THIS FEELING OF STRESS?

Stress has both a mental and physical response in the body. The stress may be physical trauma to the body like a car accident, an illness or infection or surgery or emotional stress.

Stress can be anything extra in our life - even a good thing - like a birthday, moving to a new home or a wedding.

Fibromyalgia often occurs together with other conditions including hypothyroidism, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome and Lyme disease. Obviously, any chronic illness causes stress to the body.

Stress is thought to play a significant role in the development of Fibromyalgia. Apparently, there is a high connection (approximately 42%) between the development of Fibro and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Stress is often described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried or run-down.  By definition, stress is any uncomfortable “emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.” mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension.

Is it Fibromyalgia or is it Stress?

When I looked at a list of how to identify stress it was like reading a list of Fibromyalgia symptoms.

• Psychological Signs
• Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions
• Memory lapses
• Easily distracted
• Less intuitive & creative
• Negative thinking
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Prone to accidents
• Insomnia
• Waking unrefreshed

This really got me thinking. We live with so much stress when we have fibromyalgia or any chronic illness. It's sometimes hard to identify what is stress and what is fibromyalgia, especially when looking at the list above.

The strange thing is that Fibromyalgia impacts a person's mental and physical health, but it is unclear what exactly defines stress and whether or not stress is a cause, an effect, or the process connecting the two. Whatever is true we need some ways to reduce all this stress.

4 simple suggestions to reduce stress

Remember this simple acronym... Remember your SELF:

Sleep, Exercise, Leisure (something fun), and Food. 

I found this little suggestion at The Story on Stress

1. Sleep - Your Brain Needs Zzzzzs

Your body and your brain need sleep. Though no one is exactly sure what work the brain does when you're sleeping, some scientists think that the brain sorts through and stores information, replaces chemicals and solves problems while you snooze. Many people with fibromyalgia have sleep issues and need extra support in resolving these. 

2. Exercise Feels Good

Exercising can also put you in a better mood. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel happier. It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea! Exercise causes a bit of a conundrum in many people with fibro as we need to find our comfort zone between too much exercise, which can cause a flare of symptoms and not enough exercise. 

3. Leisure

Anything that you do for fun is leisure. It could be watching a TV show or walking to the park or even going for a drive in the countryside. Any hobbies you have or things you enjoy are called leisure activities and should help us unwind from the stresses of everyday life. They are also great distractions that can take our mind off our worries, pain or other symptoms. 

4. Food

Eating more fruits and vegetables will help you eat fewer calories overall, which helps you keep a healthy weight. Eating fruits and veggies also gives you lots of vitamins and minerals.

These suggestions may seem simplistic, especially when you have so many complex symptoms but any healthy changes we make can have a huge impact on our quality of life. That's what we want when living with fibro... an improvement in the quality of our life.

What do you think about stress and fibromyalgia? Do you think about the stressors in your life or ways to reduce them? Do you think stress may be the cause of your fibro symptoms? Can you trace the cause of your fibromyalgia back to more stress in your life at a certain time?

SOURCES:  KidsHealth  Seeking Alpha ISMA UK

Fibro news round up

Treating juvenile fibromyalgia By Jennifer Cerbasi

Published October 11, 2012 Fox News

 

Pain is associated with short leukocyte telomere length in women with fibromyalgia.

Hassett AL, Epel E, Clauw DJ, Harris RE, Harte SE, Kairys A, Buyske S, Williams DA. RESEARCH paper published American Pain Society, 13th October, 2012. Source: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, USA.

 

Premature-Aging Marker Linked to Fibromyalgia Pain

By Adrienne Dellwo, About.com Guide, October 15, 2012 Put above research into everyday language and explains what we can do about it. Thanks Adrienne.

Serenity required

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;...

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)

The Serenity Prayer is the common name for a prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr . 

This prayer is something I find my self saying in my head, often, when trying to deal with the strange symptoms of fibromyalgia. 

Did Frida have Fibro?

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.

- Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (1907- 1954) was a Mexican artist.  She suffered lifelong health problems, many of which derived from a 1925 vehicle accident. There is thinking she might have had Fibromyalgia as some of her self-portraits, depict the emotional effects of her pain.

If you read even a very small part of her biography you will understand that there were many traumas that caused Frida's physical pain. She experienced life-long severe pain but she would not be diagnosed with fibromyalgia even today in my opinion. She had too many other specific causes of her pain. If she went to the emergency department of any hospital, these days, they would not be diagnosing fibromyalgia as she had enough traumas to explain her pain. What do you think?

Read on to find out more the pain aspects of her pain.

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait, The Broken Column, 1944.
Collection of Dolores Olmedo,
Mexico City.
Photo courtesy of petrus.agricola

On September 17, 1925, Kahlo was riding in a bus that collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. Also, an iron handrail pierced her abdomen and her uterus, compromising her reproductive capacity.
The accident left her in a great deal of pain while she spent three months recovering in a full body cast. Although she recovered from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk, she had relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. She had as many as thirty-five operations as a result of the accident, mainly on her back, her right leg, and her right foot. The injuries also prevented Kahlo from having a child because of the medical complications and permanent damage. Though she conceived three times, all her pregnancies had to be terminated. Frida Festival

Can you imagine enduring all of this? I personally think the trauma of her accident and subsequent medical procedures caused the pain she endured but many people, with chronic pain of many kinds, like to use her as their strong mentor because of her bravery in taking her pain and transforming it into paintings. She presented herself as an image of strength and defiance in her public life and she will always be glorified for this.

Self Portrait Very Ugly 1933
oil on canvas

After her death and still now even more Frida is seen as a strong symbol of strength and endurance for many minority groups... not just those living with physical chronic pain, like fibromyalgia, but also those living with emotional pain such as loss of all kinds and the grief that it brings. She did not shy away from the pain of her life but embraced it.

I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.  Frida Kahlo. 

See a list of her pain related quotes taken from her diaries here 

FRIDA KAHLO PAIN FACTS

She contracted the poliomyelitis virus at the age of 6.

She was bullied as a child for having one leg thinner, weaker and shorter than the other (due to polio).

In 1925, aged 18, Frida Kahlo was in a tram crash which caused multiple traumas – her spine was injured in several places, her foot and leg broken and her pelvis badly damaged by a piece of the metal handrail and she was confined to bed for 3 months. 

An X-ray examination taken 1 year after the accident revealed a number of displaced vertebrae. She was re-admitted to hospital and for several months wore plaster corsets that considerably restricted her mobility.

This tram accident prevented Frida from being able to have children and she endured failed pregnancies, numerous miscarriages and at least three therapeutic terminations.

She underwent more than 30 surgeries on her spinal column in attempts to relieve her back pain.

She became addicted to pain medications and alcohol.

From 1934 onwards, several unsuccessful operations on her foot and leg were performed that eventually led to gangrene and amputation of the leg below the knee in 1953.

REFERENCES: 
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes
Frida Kahlo 1907-1954: Pain and Passion by Andrea Kettenmann
The History Show on RTE Radio 1, Sunday 17 April 2011
Smithsonian Magazine

Neurological Deficits in the Life and Works of Frida Kahlo

WARNING WARNING MAJOR FIBRO FLARE!

Where does it hurt ? I asked the lady next to me this morning at hydrotherapy.
She said "From the top of my head to my toes."  

What happens to you when you get a flare up of Fibromyalgia? I get:

• increased pain in most of my joints (Notice the word increased)
• increased pain in my calf muscles
• a headache - usually mild and in the temples
• an electric feeling that I can feel in my lower limbs and hands
• usually a lack of taste
• blocked feeling in ears
• increased tinnitus that is louder than normal
• increased fatigue

That is how I feel today, so please have a look at any old posts that may interest you until I can post again:

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR FIBROMYALGIA
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Fibromyalgia
Ayurvedic Treatment for Fibromyalgia?
Why Omega 3 is so important
Guaifenesin Protocol
Yoga improves Fibromyalgia symptoms
Nutrition-Based Approach to helping relieve symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Homoeopathy effective in fibromyalgia
Magnesium
Did acupuncture help your fibromyalgia?

THE SCIENCE BEHIND FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Measuring symptoms - new Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria
Accelerated Brain Gray Matter Loss in Fibromyalgia
Groundbreaking study widens treatment options for fibromyalgia
New Approach to Treating Fibromyalgia by Addressing Sleep Problems

But as many people with fibro know it is very annoying when you are doing mostly all of the treatments on this list and you get hit for 6 by the old fibro monster again.
If none of these post are what you are looking for you could visit Fibro Bloggers Directory where people with fibromyalgia tell it like it is when they have a fibro flare.

Fibromyalgia and Depression

Many studies link fibromyalgia and depression. Apparently 30 percent of people have depression at the time of their diagnosis with fibromyalgia. (I don't know how these statistics are arrived at), about 20 to 70 percent of people with fibromyalgia also have depression according to which report you read!

Recently the doctor told me I was depressed, after asking me a series of questions, and then asked if I wanted extra help. I said no as it is just part of the down ride of living in chronic pain. Eventually, or even daily, I do go up again!
I always wonder if depression is part of fibromyalgia, just like the pain, or if depression comes because of the pain.

Signs of depression with chronic pain may include:

• low energy
• difficulty concentrating
• difficulty making decisions
• feeling of hopeless or irritable
• loss of interest in things normally enjoyed
• feeling sad
• worrying or anxious feelings

So what is the link between fibromyalgia and depression?
I am sure there are many theories and here is one of them:
"Ninety-five percent of people with fibro have low thyroid function and 100 percent of them have low adrenal function — and both conditions can cause depression and anxiety." this is according to Pamela W. Smith, MD, MPH 

Vitamin D deficiency, low cortisol levels and sleep problems are also considered contributing factors according to Dr. Smith. She recommends testing to see if a deficiency or another health condition could be bringing depression to the surface in fibromyalgia.

So what are your experiences? Do you think depression is a symptom of fibromyalgia or is it just something we experience because we live with chronic pain and all the other daily symptoms such as grieving for our former active life, inability to do what we use to do, fatigue, brain fog and sleep problems?

RESOURCES:
A.Aguglia, V. Salvi, G. Maina, I. Rossetto, and E. Aguglia, Fibromyalgia syndrome and depressive symptoms: comorbidity and clinical correlates, Journal of Affective Disorders, 2010
V. Maletic and C. L. Raison, Neurobiology of depression, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, Frontiers in Bioscience, 2009

An anti-inflammatory diet for fibromyalgia

How many times have we heard of the value of omega-3? This is because it has an anti inflammatory effect on the body, meaning it reduces inflammation.  Many people believe that it is inflammation that increases as we age and causes many chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia.

Other foods that are anti inflammatory are:

• All fruits and vegetables except the nightshade family - egg plant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes,  - which should be avoided in all inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia
•  A low fat diet, reducing saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, high-fat cheese and fatty meats
• A high protein diet
• Reducing Wheat and other grains especially refined carbohydrates such as white flour and white pasta. Many people are gluten sensitive and should not eat wheat, barley, rye or oats.
• Reducing or eliminating sugar
• Reducing refined and processed foods such as chips

SO WHAT CAN I EAT ON AN ANTI INFLAMMATORY DIET?
Fruit and vegetables (except nightshades)
Fish especially sardines, salmon
Free range Eggs
Nuts especially almonds, cashews and walnuts
Flaxseeds and other seeds like pepitas and sunflower seeds
Extra-virgin olive oil
Whole grains such as brown rice
All beans and legumes such as lentils and split peas
Yoghurt
Seaweeds
Soy foods such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk

PHOTO: Appetizer: salmon, yoghurt dip on wholegrain crispbread.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Mediterranean diet
So what reduces inflammation?
Eat foods that aid the immune system
The oldest diet around

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Did acupuncture help your fibromyalgia?

Acupuncture provides beneficial effects for people with fibromyalgia. See some of the evidence here through published research reports.

New research:
Acupuncture Relieves Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia.


"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture," says David Martin, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist. "It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this complementary medical technique is helpful for patients." Dr. Martin performed the study at Mayo Clinic with co-authors Ines Berger, M.D.; Christopher Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent Williams.

In the Mayo Clinic trial, fibro patients, who received acupuncture, reported improvement in fatigue and anxiety and other symptoms.

Previous research published in Clinical Rheumatology concludes that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FMS). 

How many times are they going to research this? Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment system that has been practiced for more than 2,500 years in China. Acupuncture helps. Acupuncture provides beneficial effects for people with fibromyalgia. Stop wasting money on research and just start telling people that acupuncture can give them some relief.

Have you tried acupuncture? Did it help you? Please post below so we can get a list of evidence from real people with fibromyalgia.

Read my own treatment results with acupuncture

RESEARCH ON ACUPUNCTURE AND FIBROMYALGIA:

These studies all demonstate that acupuncture can reduce symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, specifically pain and quality of life..

Effects of acupuncture on patients with fibromyalgia: study protocol of a multicentre randomized controlled trial. 2011 Pain Treatment Unit, Doña Mercedes Primary Health Care Centre, Dos Hermanas, Spain.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatment of fibromyalgia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. 2010 Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. CONCLUSION: Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies appear to be effective for treating FM

Effects of acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia: A preliminary randomised controlled trial Department of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, Nantan, Kyoto. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that acupuncture treatment is effective to relieve pain for FM patients in terms of QoL and FIQ.

A randomized controlled trial of acupuncture added to usual treatment for fibromyalgia.2008 Departamento de Patologia, Sao Paulo, Brazil. CONCLUSION: Addition of acupuncture to usual treatments for fibromyalgia may be beneficial for pain and quality of life for 3 months after the end of treatment.

Effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia.2006 Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, USA. CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvement was experienced by participants at 8 weeks of treatment. Acupuncture treatment as delivered was effective at reducing FMS symptoms in this outcome study.

Improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms with acupuncture: results of a randomized controlled trial 2006 Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA. CONCLUSIONS: We found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms of fibromyalgia. Symptomatic improvement was not restricted to pain relief and was most significant for fatigue and anxiety

Is acupuncture effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia? 1999 Complementary Medicine Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21207, USA.

This article is linked up at Fibro Friday

New Approach to Treating Fibromyalgia by Addressing Sleep Problems Leads to Patient Improvement

The National Institutes of Health estimates that there are five million Americans with fibromyalgia.

Dr. Lederman, of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, says that by treating sleep problems in fibromyalgia patients, symptoms of the entire syndrome improve.

He pointed out that opiate addiction is a major problem among chronic pain sufferers and acknowledged that fibromyalgia has not been optimally treated by the medical community.

He added that the growing drug market for fibromyalgia is $1.2 billion a year and that only the U.S. and Canada have approved drugs to treat fibromyalgia. 

Only three drugs are indicated for fibromyalgia, none of which have been shown to address the underlying sleep disturbance that is a hallmark of the disorder. 

TONIX plans to use a low dose formulation of cyclobenzaprine in a new treatment for fibromyalgia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Cyclobenzaprine is the active ingredient in two prescription muscle relaxants that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are marketed by other companies.

Read full article.

Find out about my own experiences with cyclobenzaprine here. 

Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome : A Survival Manual by Mary Ellen Copeland & Devin Starlanyl.

If you can only buy one book on fibromyalgia, you have found it. Look no further!
When I got my copy, I stayed up all night until I had read the whole thing (not recommended by the authors, by the way.) This and 170 other reader reviews of this book and I think only 1 negative review at Amazon.

This book was written by two Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) sufferers, one an M.D. and the other a psychologist. It covers both the technical medical theories and treatment approaches and the coping aspects in a readable and lively format. A whole section on coping strategies useful in one's relationships with family, friends, workplace and doctors is included. Other chapters deal with meditation, the body-mind connection, and how to cope with the cognitive dysfunction familiar to CFIDS patients, termed "fibrofog". The personal experiences of the authors are included in boxes along the margins of this large soft-cover book.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome is discussed in detail in this book. Myofascia provide a tough film of connective tissue that surround muscle fibers and hold them in place. At the ends of the muscles, the myofascia band together to form the tendons and ligaments. The system of myofascia connect muscle groups, so that pressing on a sore area, called a trigger point, causes referred pain in another muscle trigger point. Fibromyalgia experts disagree as to the relationship between FMS and MPS, but it is clear that they often occur together in the same patient.

Read more reviews.

You can buy this book for as little as $7.49

This book review is linked up at The Book Nook and Read With Me and Booknificent Thursdays

Sorry to be controversial about Fibromyalgia but...

if it was mostly men who got fibromyalgia and other autoimmune conditions do you think we would have a cure yet or at least be taken seriously or have some better medications?
Yes I am angry and I am fed up.

Fibromyalgia affects over 5 million Americans, primarily women. (Let alone the rest of the world)
The research funding money given to fibro in the USA is quite small compared to the amount of the population who suffer from this condition.

Lack of Government Funding for Fibromyalgia Research

US government funding figures for 2011 for ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia research in comparison with other conditions:

Multiple Sclerosis – $144 million funding – 500,000 Americans

Lupus – $121 million funding – 1.5 million Americans

West Nile Virus – $63 million – 3,630 Americans (in 2007)

Lyme Disease – $26 million – 150,000 Americans (since 2002)

Fibromyalgia – $12 million – 3 – 6 million Americans

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – $5 million – 1 – 4 million Americans 

You can read more about the lack of funding at fighting fatigue.org

Medications used for Fibromyalgia

There is no best or safest treatment for fibromyalgia.

It is hard to predict what will be helpful for each person.

In some people, a combination of medicines, may be more effective.

Here is a list of the types of medications most often used to treat fibromyalgia:

1. Analgesics: commonly called pain killers. They include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), corticosteroid anti-inflammatories like prednisone and dexamethasone, opioids such as codeine, oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl and tramadol, a narcotic-like opiate agonist.
2. Anti-anxiety Medications
3. Antidepressants including including amitriptyline, fluoxetine and duloxetine.
4. Anti-convulsants including gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica)
5. Sleep Modifiers
6. Muscle Relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine.

In some people, a combination of medicines, may be more effective.

Medication is just one of options to treat fibromyalgia and many people find some relief from alternative treatments like massage, Ayurvedic Treatment, movement therapies (such as Pilates, the Feldenkrais method and yoga) homeopathy and acupuncture.

You may be interested in More indepth information on medications.

Starting hydrotherapy for Fibromyalgia

Last week I started hydrotherapy at the local hospital pool. Every doctor I have spoken to and many studies always say it will help reduce Fibromylagia symptoms. It is one of the Top Ten Tips for fibromyalgia. 

I also have other conditions that can benefit from doing water based therapy in warm water - arthritis and polymyositis. 

Hydrotherapy involves the use of water for pain relief and exercise. It takes advantage of the physical properties of water, such as the temperature and the pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases, injuries and conditions. 

The hydrotherapy class I attend is a combination of walking in warm water and gentle movements in water such as squats which are much easier to do in water than out of the water and balance exercises. The program is run by a physiotherapist and many of the participants in the class have rheumatoid arthritis.

Studies done at the Universities in Spain and Portugal showed participants doing hydro experienced improvement in their fibromyalgia symptoms including:
(1) mobility
(2) self-care
(3) daily activities
(4) pain and discomfort
(5) anxiety or depression.

So far I have only done 2 sessions, and I know these improvements need to be felt over the long term, but mostly it has all been the opposite to improvement (whatever that word is?)
I have felt less improvement in (1) (2) and (3) and more of (4). The only thing that may have improved is (5) because on one day a week I get out of the house to do something for myself and when in the water I actually feel good and positive. But the night time is when the problems start and the next day and night and then the next day and night too! The pain is so bad that it wakes me at night and I am taking extra painkillers. This is extra pain that I don't usually have. This is not good!

Do you think it will slowly settle down over the weeks and I will get these improvements mentioned in the study? Stay tuned for the next hydrotherapy update.

Water Exercises for Fibromyalgia: The Gentle Way to Relax And Reduce Pain

Should you take Vitamin D?

I thought I was getting enough of this important vitamin from the sun but have a look at what I found out when I investigated a little more. 

                                                       

When I went to my new Rheumatologist the first thing she suggested was vitamin D tablets, even the brand.  I live in sunny Sydney, Australia so I was a bit shocked.  I thought I would be getting enough of this vitamin from incidental sun exposure. You see, she said, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle pain.

After checking with some reliable sources such as Cleveland Clinic I found that symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. It is interesting that these are some of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia too. 

Dr. Ramakrishnan of Our Lady's Hospital in Ireland currently gives all his fibromyalgia patients vitamin D. He recently conducted a small study which showed only 15% of fibromyalgia patients had adequate levels of the vitamin.

This was a relatively small study, of only 36 people, and more studies are needed to see if early detection and replacement of vitamin D may help in the overall management of fibromyalgia.

But in the meantime is there any harm in taking the recommended dose of Vitamin D? No I don't think so especially if it may help reduce muscle pain. We all know any reduction in pain is a blessing when we live with chronic pain.

According to Health Direct, an Australian government site, "Vitamin D is important for general health and especially for bones. It is needed to make muscles move, for nerves to work properly, and for the immune system."

Here is what else I discovered about the sun vitamin:

• we don't absorb vitamin D easily as we get older
• people with darker skin need more sun exposure to get the same benefits of the vitamin
• vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the intestines
• deficiencies can cause soft bone conditions such as rickets or osteoporosis.
• it is recommended that people with fat absorption issues, lactose intolerance, milk allergies, take it as a supplement.
• Buy supplements that offer the daily recommended allowance (RDA) you need for your age - For most people, it’s 600 IU per day, but for people over age 70 who need a little more—it’s about 800 IU.

Do you take this vitamin? Let me know if you think it is helping you or why you take it in the comments below.

VISIT MY FIBROMYALGIA STORE to see the types of vitamin D recommended to me.

VITAMIN D QUESTIONS

What foods contain vitamin D? Not many foods contain vitamin D especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan. The foods that have the highest amounts are salmon, herring and mackerel, and egg yolks. The highest vegetable is shitake mushroom. 

How much sun exposure do I need to get adequate vitamin D? Exposure of arms and legs or face, arms, and hands to direct sunlight for 5–15 minutes at least three-times a week is recommended for the synthesis of a sufficient amount of vitamin D in the skin.

How do I know if I'm getting enough vitamin D? The best way is to have a blood test to check as due to a variety of factors including skin color, sunscreen, obesity, smoking, air pollution, health conditions and food quality, you may not be getting enough even if you are sitting in the sun and eating fatty fish. 

Why is vitamin D called a vitamin? It is actually a hormone. Vitamin D is also called  known as calciferol, a group of fat-soluble steroids. 

What stops the absorption of vitamin D? Some chronic health conditions are known to lower the absorption of vitamin D including Celiac disease, Crohn's disease and Cystic Fibrosis. This is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed in the intestines and these are affected in these conditions. 

What is Hypovitaminosis D? It is a deficiency of vitamin D which is quite common and especially seen in the elderly. People with either dark skin or over 65 years of age should have their levels checked in a blood test. 

RESOURCES: 
Medpage Today
Cleveland Clinic

Yale Medicine

Vitamin D deficiency and chronic widespread pain

READ MY OTHER ARTICLES ON VITAMIN D:

• What is the best supplement for Fibromyalgia?
• Vitamin D and serotonin among Fibromyalgia patients
• Autoimmune Disease: Stop Your Body’s Self-Attack
• Clinical trial to assess omega-3 and vitamin D supplementation on type 1 diabetes
• NPF Dietary Recommendations for Psoriatic Disease

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR FIBROMYALGIA

Many people find relief, and some even say recover, from the symptoms of Fibromyalgia through alternative medicine. Here are just a few. Have you found success with any of these treatments?

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Fibromyalgia

Ayurvedic Treatment for Fibromyalgia?

Why Omega 3 is so important

Guaifenesin Protocol

Yoga improves Fibromyalgia symptoms

Nutrition-Based Approach to helping relieve symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Homoeopathy effective in fibromyalgia

Magnesium

Don't forget to answer the questionaire in the side bar at right on alterative treatments.

Perceptions of Fibromyalgia sufferers

2012: Forty-one percent of the general public feel that people with fibromyalgia are courageous. These two Surveys Reveal Striking Differences Between Public Perceptions and Private Realities of People With Fibromyalgia. National findings suggest better understanding and support may empower people to seek help early for fibromyalgia symptoms. 

In a unique approach that compares the attitudes of people living with fibromyalgia with those of the general public, the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) in partnership with Forest Laboratories Inc. released results from two national surveys, revealing substantial differences between public perceptions and the private realities of fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that affects up to 12 million Americans.

The survey shows that people with fibromyalgia inaccurately believe the public views them negatively. Forty-one percent of the general public believes people with fibromyalgia are courageous, while only 17 percent of people who have the condition believe society actually views them this way.

“Imagine, for some people living with fibromyalgia, having to deal with a persistent pain condition while feeling isolated from society,” says Penney Cowan, founder and executive director of ACPA and someone who has lived with fibromyalgia. “These survey results show that some people with fibromyalgia have misperceptions about how society views them, and our hope is that they learn about these findings and feel empowered to speak openly about their experiences with this condition.”

The surveys had other interesting findings according to the fibromyalgia patients participating:

Read on...