Hello,

I'm desperate to help my mom who has suffered from FM for years but it's just getting worse. I have been reading all the threads and there are so many things recommended that I don't know where to begin. I want to help her feel better. Somedays she just lays in bed wishing to die because her pain is so horrendous. She also suffers from arthritis which might not help but her main problem is the FM. Where can I start? Multi Vitamins, Pottasium, Magesium, Relacore....???? Please! Thanks in advance.

First thing to do, is get her to start a low carb diet.

That seems to be one primary thing that helps with the pain of fibro.

Along with her diet, she should be getting multiple vitamins, but especially Calcium/Magnesium/Potassium.

Also, this time of year can cause a flare-up, so make sure she is getting enough Vitamin D. That means at least 800 IU a day. Some of us have gone up to over 2,000 iu a day during the winter months. She may have SAD along with her fibro. I do, and so do many others I know.

SAM-E may help her with her arthritis. Try it. It's kind of expensive, but may be worth it for her. It also helps as an anti-depressant, so that may be a secondary benefit for her. It helps with the dopamine, which may give her a little more energy too.

Also, make sure she gets plenty of water. That will help with her joint movement too. Her weight in ounces of water is the best way to go.

Why does a low carb diet help fibro?

No one knows why, exactly. Although there is a theory out there, one of many, that fibro is actually a result of a food sensitivity (i.e., wheat) and that may be why it helps so much.

Hi,

Just wanted to share w/you one of the theories on why low carb diets are good for Fibro:

Fibro & Hypoglycemia
here is the main page on it: Hypoglycemia & Diet

They are from Dr. Paul St. Amand, who is responsible for the Guaifenesin Protocol. You might want to check that out as an option for your mother as well.
Whether she does decide to give the Protocol a try or not, she will need to find a way to control her pain.
Do you know what meds she is currently on? I had a dramatic improvement (and still manage to keep the pain, at least under reasonable control) with a mixture of meds, namely
Elavil (an anti-depressant which, taken in small doses, helps with restorative sleep and cuts pain perception) Tramadol (a non-narcotic pain reliever which acts on the central nervous system;it not only helped me with pain, but with energy levels as well) and Soma (a muscle relaxant that helps with muscle spasms and knots) I take the Tramadol first thing in the morning, as it takes a bit to kick in, but lasts several hours. Before bedtime, I take the Soma (because I had such a hard time getting comfortable enough to sleep with all the tender and knotty spots) and Elavil. I used to take Vioxx occaisionally for any pain that seemed caused by inflamation (costochondritis i.e. rib pain, stiff fingers, knee pain, morning stiffness) but since that's been banned I take Mobic. Also, at first, when the pain was really bad, I took Xanax, because it's hard to feel better when you're so tense with pain and frustration, and wondering how you're going to live, and it can be a vicious cycle if you let it go on.
Not everyone finds things that work so easily, but I guess controlling the symptoms at the core is a good start. Hope I can be of some help.

Jen

I had that severe pain for years, and have taken many different meds for it. Finding a good Dr. is crucial. Tell the Dr. that sleep is unrestorative. Helping your Mom get good sleep will help her heal.
There seems to be a strong autoimmune component to FM. I think one reason low carbing may be so helpful is getting off food sensitivities-especially wheat. When I started lcing, my symptoms dramatically improved, and later when I ate one pancake for breakfast (visiting, stuck with what they served) all my symptoms came back for a week. I researched, and have found a lot of information about wheat being hard to digest for many people and can cause the bowels to become inflamed which allows food particles to escape into the blood stream in too large of strands. They don't look like food in that form and the immune system attacks and sets up a cascade effect. There's a strand of protein in wheat that looks like the protein in the lining of our joints. That helps me to understand why I'd have joint pain a few days after eating wheat. They say if you get off grains for several months and allow the colon to heal, some grains can be added later without the same effect. I am staying away from grains since I found this out, and have much better quality of life.
Find books about gluten intolerance to learn more. One really good one is called "Life Without Bread" and another "Blood Sugar Blues" and I think anything by Dr. Mercola? I may be wrong, I'm relying on memory here. If you need more help, come to my journal and I'll look into it more.
Hope this helps your Mom.--Gail

Wow that's really interesting. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the info! I was recently diagnosed with Fibro/CFS but with my sugary diet I am almost sure that it is really Hypoglycemia/wacky blood sugar swings causing all my symptoms and not fibro. I think that before someone with fibro starts meds they should take a look at their diet to see if maybe they are experiencing reactive hypoglycemia. There is another post about how candida symptoms can also masquerade as fibromyalgia. So if you are either consuming too much sugar/carbs or allergens/yeast/gluten you can experience alot of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Although I guess it is possible to suffer from both

Hi! I've carefully read all the above advice (having been diagnosed with FMS-fibromyalgia-since 1995). The one thing I have to add is once you have a good doctor (and one who is updated on his pain medications) you could also ask him about Topamax, which when added slowly to a person's regime, greatly reduces pain alone. Just a thought. I don't think that there is one great answer, just one that works for you. And if you mom is anywhere near where I was (before I was diagnosed) counseling was very important, because I was very depressed. Just me.... Anyway, my very very best to your mom, and I hope all goes well! Take good care. Mary

They have a new med for Fibro. It has given me my life back. It's called Cymbalta. its an anit depressent I take it with zanaflex at night. The best part is I am not repeat NOT gaining any weight but losing. I hope this helps.

Sounds like it is pretty much like Effexor - helps serotonini and norepinephrine.

The only reason I don't do well with Effexor is that sometimes I just don't need the energy/nervousness of the norephinephrine help.

Help me out, Red! What's Cymbalta? Is it prescription? What are the side-effects, if any? I also have panic disorder as well as FM, but I couldn't stand the side-effects of the paxil or the buspar anymore. Right now I'm doing okay with just the St. John's wart and other natural supplements. I've found I can function on an almost normal level when I keep a regular routine both with meds and activities of daily living. And of course the occasional massage is a necessary luxury,LOL.

I take 150 mg of 5 HTP, a seratonin precursor, and that helps with fibro pain quite a lot.

Val

I agree Valewis, 5-HTP is one of my night-time meds. At least it doesn't give me the nightmares that buspar did. I just have to take it early in the evening so that I can get all the cobwebs out of my head when I get up.

I take three, 50mg doses a day. I don't think my fibro is as bad as many anyway, but this seems to keep me feeling more normal, and I don't have the problem with sleep most of the time anyway. Taking magnesium also helps.

Val