Fibromyalgia Information

A little bit of information about Fibromyalgia since this is why I am scheduled to see the Rheumatologist in early May and this is what the PA and the GI specialist think that I might have.

According to the Mayo Clinic …”Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. (Yes)

Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. (Yes)

Widespread pain and tender points
The pain associated with fibromyalgia is described as a constant dull ache, typically arising from muscles. (Yes) To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by additional pain when firm pressure is applied to specific areas of your body, called tender points. Tender point locations include:

• Back of the head - Yes
• Between shoulder blades - Yes
• Top of shoulders - Yes
• Front sides of neck- Yes
• Upper chest - Yes
• Outer elbows
• Upper hips - Yes
• Sides of hips - Yes
• Inner knees

Fatigue and sleep disturbances
People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. (Yes) Experts believe that these people rarely reach the deep restorative stage of sleep. Sleep disorders that have been linked to fibromyalgia include restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.

Co-existing conditions
Many people who have fibromyalgia also may have:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome - Maybe
  
• Depression - Yes
• Endometriosis - No, but PCOS
• Headaches - Yes
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - Yes
• Lupus
• Osteoarthritis
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Restless legs syndrome
• Rheumatoid arthritis”

WebMD says that people who suffer from Fibromyalgia should avoid 7 foods in particular.

1. Aspartame or NutraSweet
2. Food Additives such as MSG and Nitrates
3. Sugar, Fructose, and Simple Carbohydrates especially High Fructose Corn Syrup
4. Caffeine including Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, and Soda
5. Yeast and Gluten
6. Dairy
7. Nightshade Plants such as Tomatoes, Peppers, Potatoes, and Eggplant. However, these should only be eliminated if they are specifically a problem for the individual because they are highly nutritious.

Yeast, Gluten, Dairy, MSG, and Aspartame all make sense to me as these things do greatly play a role in my health. The Caffeine, Sugar, and Nightshade Plants I am not sold on.

Then you have a ton of information from Anne Hillebrand at FibroFix. A lot of this information is based on her personal struggle with Fibromyalgia and on the food front it conflicts with the information from WebMD in more than a few points. But there is a lot of good information there I just need time to process it all and start trying some different things.