Exercise with CFS

Exercise has been a hot topic on the CFS and fibro message boards lately; with good reason too. It has been shown that exercise is a key component to overcoming these illnesses. The problem is figuring out the right balance of rest and exercise that will allow you to keep going for the long term.

You and I both know that if we went for a six mile hike we would probably end up in bed for a week. However, those who suffer from chronic illnesses such as FMS or CFS need to look at exercise differently. It isn’t reasonable to expect to have a fitness routine like those who aren’t sick.

A Fitness Routine
One thing to realize is that any physical activity counts as exercise. At my house, Monday is “recover from the weekend” day. There is always a mountain of laundry along with dishes and mopping, etc. These activities all fall under the category of exercise and so should be figured in to your fitness routine.

Consider, too, the importance of starting slow. Maybe you used to jog 10 miles a day. Well, you are sick now, so start out by walking for 10 minutes instead. Consider it a triumph over staying in bed instead of a failure compared to what you used to do. Gradually, each week for example, add a few minutes to your walk. Even one or two minutes is an improvement, however small that may seem.

Also, start with gentle exercise. Relaxing, gentle stretching or pool exercises are great. Remember, you only need a few minutes to start. After a week or so, add a few more minutes. Slowly but surely you will see your abilities increase. So what if it takes a year to get up to 30 minutes a day! As long as you are continuing to progress, that is all that matters.

Keeping a Journal
Journaling is a great way to track your successes as well as your failures. Keeping track and looking back at the results can aid you in developing a program that you can stick to. Write down what you did (including the house work) and how it made you feel. Are you slightly worn out? Are you stuck in bed the next day? Do you feel like you could still do more?

Realize that you can’t always trust what your body is telling you. If, on day two of your new routine, you feel like you can walk much farther than you did the day before resist that temptation. It may take a day or two before it hits you, but it will hit you. Take baby steps and monitor your body’s reactions.

Take a Break
Many people find that frequent breaks allow them to continue longer without the exhaustion that they would feel by continuing on without a break. If you want to increase from a 20 minute walk to a 30 minutes walk, try a five or ten minute break after 15 minutes of walking. Then finish your walk. You may find that you can get more accomplished.

Follow this technique with your housework too. Do a load of laundry and rest a few minutes. Then vacuum the bedroom, and take another break. You will find that by the end of the day you have accomplished a great deal without suffering for it later.

Types of Exercise
A balanced routine should consist of a bit of stretching, like yoga, for a couple of minutes. Strength training with light weights (maybe a can of vegetables) for a few minutes should also be included. You also need cardiovascular exercise like walking. Remember, even one or two minutes is better than nothing.

I found a new exercise program that says it can help you to live pain free. It is all about staying in proper alignment and can be used as part of your strength training workout. It is called the P.A.S.T. Core Training system and it is endorsed by the American Academy of Musculoskeletal Medicine. This system can improve your balance and posture, build your core strength and reduce your muscle tension even while at rest.

As you go about your everyday activities, including adjusting you body to ease the pain you may be feeling, your muscled get accustomed to being in those positions. Since they are not in the correct positions this can lead to more pain.

The P.A.S.T. system teaches your muscles to be in the correct position, thus eliminating some of the pain you are feeling each day. I contacted the manufacturer and told him I was skeptical.

He said that he would never claim his system to be the sole answer to chronic pain, but by improving your posture you can release muscle tension. This improves your body’s systems overall, allowing you to feel better. He went on to say that if you can stand for five minutes, why not do it on his balance boards.

He has had MS patients and stroke victims use these products with success, so it may be a great resource for others who suffer chronic pain. After viewing the Pain Free Program Demo Video I have to say, I am intrigued. While I don't see myself doing push-ups, it looks like a system that I could incorporate into my routine.

If you have tried this system, let us know how it works for you. If I manage to get the system for myself, I will keep you updated on how it works.

Heart Chocolate

Since we were discussing chocolate the other day, I wanted to bring your attention to a new chocolate product that is actually formulated to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol. It also acts as an anti-oxidant and reduces vascular inflamation. I find this absolutely amazing so I wanted everyone to know about it.

It is called Heart Chocolate and it is produced in Canada. I emailed the manufacturer about the benefits that we discussed earlier about the 85% cocoa helping with CFS. I recieved some interesting information.

Company president David Solomon said that many of the beneficial molecules can be destroyed in the processing of chocolates. In fact, a product that is only 60% cocoa may have more of a benefit than a product that is 85% cocoa.

I guess the only way to know for sure if the chocolate we are eating will help with our CFS symptoms is just to buy more chocolate and eat it! I think that is the best news I have heard all day.

Migraine a Disease

It may seem that I am focusing quite a bit on migraines. That is because I have been battling a killer one for weeks. However, I have stumbled on a new thought, perhaps it is new to others as well: Migraine is actually a neurological disease. With 33 million sufferers, there are more with this disease than those with heart disease, diabetes and asthma combined.

These are facts that I never knew before, but according to the book Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches, these are unfortunately very true. I haven't had the opportunity to read this book yet since I just today discoved it. I still plan to delve further into the web site that I found it on, Help for Headaches.

My question now is this: If migraine is a disease, why is it so hard to get treatment for it? I have tried for years and years to get something that will help the pain. I have been on so many medications--many that made me even sicker--and nothing helps.

The trend now seems to be (for me anyhow) to prescribe antidepressants. I understand that this is intended to reduce the frequency of the attacks, but for me these are useless. I just want to stop the pain. Is that really so much to ask?

Low GI, Gluten Free Can End Pain?

I was reading a post by Dr. Thomas L. Taliaferro on his blog Ask Your Doctor where he discusses a low glycemic diet for people who suffer from FMS and CFS. It was one of those “Duh!” moments for me because I recently interview Dr. Shari Lieberman on the subject of the glycemic index of foods for an article on LoveToKnow Diet.

It is very interesting how following this type of diet can help chronic health issues. Eating high glycemic foods on a regular basis can lead to all kinds of health problems as well as weight problems.

Low glycemic foods, on the other hand, will not only help you control your weight, but will also give you more energy and better health. It all has to do with blood glucose levels and how your body processes the food you eat. This isn’t too difficult to understand since you already know how certain foods can trigger problems like migraines.

In another book by Dr. Lieberman, The Gluten Connection, she writes about how being gluten sensitive can also be the cause of numerous health issues. There is a chapter in this book on undiagnosed conditions. Guess what the first condition that she mentions is. CFS and Fibromyalgia!

She brings out that these conditions are linked to other similar conditions such as
*Rheumatoid arthritis
*Lupus
*Ankylosing spondylitis

All of these conditions can often be associated with gluten sensitivity!

I haven’t finished the book yet, but it would seem reasonable to me that following a diet that is gluten free, as well as being low glycemic, could produce some amazing results for those who suffer from chronic pain.

Has anyone tried this? I think I will finish the book and figure out where to start. I figure there is nothing to lose except a few extra pounds and chronic pain.

Foods Can Trigger Migraines

I’ve never really noticed before how foods can trigger migraines. I usually eat what I want and have never noticed any problems until recently. I finally made the connection that red wine hits me like a freight train. It isn’t something that I drink often, so it took a while. But I get it now. :)

I found it interesting to read an article about migraine triggering foods. Many of the foods listed are foods that I enjoy. It is important to note that a trigger for one person may not be a trigger for another. That said, I thought it might be helpful to provide a list of foods that are common migraine triggers.

Foods that contain tyramine, an amino acid, often cause problems for migraine sufferers:
*Aged meats and cheeses
*Avocados
*Bananas
*Bacon
*Cabbage
*Canned fish
*Dairy products
*Dried fruits
*Eggplant
*Hot dogs and lunch meats
*Potatoes
*Raspberries
*Red plums
*Tomatoes
*Yeast breads

Anything with MSG,nitrates or aspartame should be avoided. Some experts also say to avoid chocolate and caffeine. However, these things can sometimes help a migraine so you’ll need to decide if this applies to you.

This may seem like a lot to avoid, but if you cut it all out and then gradually add back one at a time you can keep track of how your body reacts. This will help you to determine which foods are triggers for you.

The article I read at Health Central.com recommended a food diary. At the bottom of the article you can download a free workbook to help you track your trigger foods.

Sleep Better Just by Changing Your Pillow?

A company called Sleep Better.org recently gave new pillows to the residents of Pillow, Pennsylvania. According to the web site, three out of four people experienced better sleep simply by changing their pillows.

I wonder if something so simple could help those of us who have sleep problems due to Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue? For that matter, I wonder if a different type of bed would make a difference?

Has anyone tried either of these things with success? I’d love to hear from you.

New FMS Drug in the Works?

Japanese based biopharmaceutical company Sosei has completed phase two of their testing of a drug called AD 337 for the treatment if Fibromyalgia. While this test did not show a significant outcome after the four week trial was completed, they did notice some “statistical significance” after one week of testing and “positive trends” were seen throughout the study.

While this may not mean a great deal now, it may have some potential for the future. If approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia, this drug would be one of two. Currently, the only drug approved for treating fibromyalgia symptoms is Lyrica. From what I have read on various message boards, Lyrica produces terrific results for many people. It is still far too soon to know if this new product will show any promise. However, it should be interesting to see if AD 337 works as well as Lyrica.

Bring On the Chocolate!

A study being conducted by Hull Royal Infirmary of England suggests that people suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue, may find some relief by eating chocolate! According to the study, those who ate a specially formulated chocolate that is made from 85 percent cocoa felt less fatigued. They enjoyed 45 grams of this chocolate every day for eight weeks with no significant weight gain.

The key, it seems, is that this chocolate contains polyphenol chemicals which also reduce the risk of developing illnesses such as cancer, stroke and heart disease. Chocolate also is known to increase serotonin levels in the brain. This increase can be helpful in regulating mood and sleep.

So, where do we find this stuff? Lindt Dark Chocolate offers 600 grams (six bars) for $16.74. Sounds like a bargain to me! At 45 grams per day, that is almost half of a bar, so this would last about 12 days. Gosh I wonder how we’d feel if we had a whole bar? With my luck, I’d probably make myself sick.

Lupus

After reading Sandy's post on the Fighting Fatigue blog about the Lupus Walk, I thought it might be good to address this illness here as well. Certainly those with Lupus also suffer from chronic pain. My mother has Lupus and when I was told that I have fibromyalgia I was told I may have Lupus as well. It seems though, that this is a difficult to diagnose illness. Apparently I have to be having a flare for it to show up on the ANA blood test. So I may not know for sure for quite some time.

About Lupus
For those who do not know, Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. In people with Lupus the body’s immune system can’t tell the difference between foreign substances and the body’s own cells. Because of this, the immune system creates antibodies that target the body’s own cells causing tissue damage that can occur anywhere in the body. Lupus can range from mild to life threatening, even causing kidney disease and heart disease is some cases.

A Few Statistics
Did you know:

*Studies estimate that 1,500,000 people in the U.S. have some form of Lupus

*Nine of ten sufferers are women

*Eight of ten are aged 15 to 45

*Women of color are two to three times more likely to have Lupus

*One in three suffer from another autoimmune disease as well

This information came from the Lupus Foundation of America.

Types of Lupus
There are actually four types of Lupus:

Discoid—This type affects the skin and is characterized by a rash or skin lesions.

Systemic—This type can affect any organ of the body. Commonly goes through periods of remissions and flares.

Drug-induced—Caused by taking hydralazine (for high blood pressure) or procainamide (for irregular heart rhythm). Not a common form.

Neonatal—Also a rare form of Lupus, this is when the mother passes antibodies to her baby that affect the baby’s skin, heart and blood.

Symptoms
Just a few symptoms include:

*Achy joints

*A prolonged fever of 100 degrees or more

*Arthritis

*Prolonged fatigue

*Skin rashes

*Anemia

*Kidney problem

These are just some of the most common symptoms. For more detailed information, visit the Lupus Foundation of America. Feel free to share some of your experiences concerning this disease.

Fibro Sleep Disturbance

I was reading an article about sleep problems in people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue over on Health World. It discusses how our unique sleep problems affect our other symptoms.

Nearly half of FMS sufferers have disturbed delta (deep-sleep) stages. The other half suffer from other sleep disturbances. However, the problem with missing out on delta stage sleep is that this is the time when 80 percent of our growth hormone is produced. 80 percent! This is vital to understand because growth hormone is what affects the growth and repair of our muscles. No wonder we hurt so bad!

It is interesting becuase they conducted a test on six volunteers who had their delta sleep disturbed for three nights. They all developed Fibro symptoms including the sore muscles and reduced cognitive function. Wish I only had to deal with it for three nights.

This explains to me why I can't remember simple things like how to log in to my Blogger account this morning or how to turn off my Jeep last night. Boy, did I get some goofy looks on that one. ;)

Not only do I suffer from disturbed sleep, but no one in my house seems to understand my need for sleep. I would love to lock everyone out of the house and just sleep all day.

Anyhow, the article goes on to explain that this lack of growth hormone can also lead to immune repression. Which also explains alot, don't you think?

What are some things that you do to improve your sleep? I take melatonin at bedtime. It does help but it can only be truly successful if I somehow get my own room. My husband is constantly keeping me awake. Maybe I am just more easily disturbed. Either way, I am always exhausted.

If you are interested, the article I read can be found at Healthy.net. It is titled Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia The Brain/Sleep Connection by Dr. Leon Chaitow.

My favorite part of this article is this statement made by FMS researcher Dr. Muhammad Yunus: "DPS (that is doctors treating people with FMS) people are troubled because of their preoccupation that FMS patients are psychologically disturbed. It is not the FMS patients who are disturbed it is the physicians who are psychologically disturbed because they ignore the data and whatever data there is they manipulate to say what they want."

I could just hug him. :)

The Price of Pain

It is scary how expensive it is to get relief, isn't it? One of my prescriptions at Walmart (in the generic form) is only $4. However, when we moved to a place where Walmart is two hours away, I thought I would just go fill it at a local drug store. How much could a generic prescription be?

I nearly fell over when the pharmacist told me the price was $150! I can't afford that and I know many others can't either. Someone recently told me about assistance for those with no insurance. Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help you get the medicine you need without taking out a loan. I believe this is the same program that Montel Williams talks about.

I haven't checked it out thoroughly yet, but I'd love to hear from people who have.

September: National Pain Awareness Month

The American Pain Foundation has declared September to be National Pain Awareness Month. This means that the states involved have made a proclamation to create awareness in the public of pain as a national health care issue.

Is your state taking part? You can find out by looking at the list of states participating in this event and see what they are doing. If your state is not participation, you are encourages by the APF to give your state leader a little nudge. Find out more about the Power Over Pain Campaign on the APF web site.

I seem to be taking Pain Awareness Month a bit too literally. I feel like I have been run over by a Mack truck. I know many of you can relate. Isn't it aggrevating though when you have to deal every day with people who can't?

It never ceases to amaze me when people, who say they understand, still expect someone who suffers from chronic pain to do everything. Truly, only those actually suffering understand. I guess that's why this whole initiative by the APF is so important. Maybe someday people who don't suffer from constant pain will understand.

8 Tips for Chronic Headaches and Migraine Pain

I thought I'd post a few tips here after a brief discussion on Deb Ng's Freelance Writing Blog on the subject of easing headache pain. Whether your pain is "just a headache" (as if that somehow makes it insignificant) or a full blown migraine, there are a few things you can try before reaching for traditional pain relievers.


1. Drink a glass of water. This is the first thing I do when I start feeling pain. Often headaches are caused by dehydration, even though you may not feel thirsty. This may be especially pertinent if you drink a large amount of caffeine, which tends to cause dehydration.

2. Eat some protein. This is something I do when I haven’t had protein at the previous meal. Protein can help stabilize your blood sugar which, if out of balance, may be triggering a headache.

3. Supplement with magnesium. Some studies have shown that a deficiency in magnesium, which can be caused by too much caffeine, can trigger headaches and migraines. Magnesium can be purchased in a powdered form that is dissolved in water. A brand that I use is called Natural Calm. It never ceases to amaze me how much this product helps when I hurt. Include some calcium with this to help relax muscles.

4. Have a caffeinated drink. Yes, caffeine can trigger migraines, but it can also help ease the pain if all else fails. In fact, many pain killers that are designed to relieve headaches contain caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to reduce pain from headaches by up to 40 percent. If I’ve tried the other options and I find that I still hurt, I reach for a Dr. Pepper.

5. Exercise. If your pain isn’t too severe, a walk or a few stretches can do wonders to increase blood flow and work out stiff muscles. Try a little yoga for a few minutes. It doesn't have to be anything difficult.

6. Try some herbs. Feverfew is one that is know to be helpful in relieving headaches. It can be taken as a tea or in a capsule, however you shouldn't take it if you are pregnant.. Others to try include cayenne, valerian, or ginko biloba.

7. Get a massage. This is a huge help if you can get someone to massage your neck and shoulders. You will actually feel the blood start to flow and the pain will begin to ease. If you can't find someone to help, try a hand-held massager. Mine even has heat. :)

8. Have a cup of tea. I personally love pepermint tea to ease my headaches. Other enjoy chamomile or ginger. If you have allergies to ragweed you should avoid chamomile tea.

If none of these tips are able to fend off your pain, by all means take a pain reliever. Don't feel like you are doing something wrong just because some people don't take your pain seriously. If you hurt, get the relief you need so you can get on with your life.

Abuse and Chronic Pain

In a study by the American Academy of Neurology, it was found that women who were abused as a child, either physically or sexually, are more likely to suffer from depression as well as migraines as opposed to only suffering from migraines.

Apparently childhood abuse predisposes women to suffer from both of these health issues. I can see a possible relationship myself since I was abused as a child. I always felt that when I suffered from depression, it was due to the constant pain. I had never considered past abuse as an issue until I read this article.

BTW, if you would like to read the article, it can be found at NewsWise.com.

An Introduction

Hi!

I'm Kathleen and I suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and migraines. I do quite a bit of reading about what is new in the world of modern medicine as well as alternative aids to dealing with chronic pain. I'd like to use this blog as a place to gather information, not just for my own use, but for others to share as well.

I hope that others who suffer, or who have loved ones that suffer, will feel free to post information or ask questions. As a community, we can help each other to ease chronic pain. The only think I ask is that everyone be nice to each other. No one is perfect and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Please be considerate.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and participation.