Magnets for Migraines

I just read a very intriguing article on the use of magnets for migraine pain. According to the article, by applying a magnet to the back of the head migraine sufferers can reduce their pain significantly.

The process, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), involves transmitting two magnetic impulses into the brain at the first sign of a migraine aura. Scientists feel that this actually aborts the abnormal electrical impulses that lead to migraines. I guess if you don't have an aura preceeding your migraine, you'll have to try other options.

However, this idea is interesting, if not a bit unusual. It seems to work for a fair number of people, with 39 percent of the people in the study who tried this therapy were pain free within two hours. This is in contrast to only 22 percent of the people who tried the placebo.

Oddly, one possible side effect of TMS is headache. Funny how so many treatments can have side effects similar to the problem it is supposed to treat. This treatment has also been used to treat depression, Parkinsons Disease, stroke and a few other health issues.

Check Out Diet Rundown!

I'd like to introduce my newest blog, Diet Rundown. On this blog I will be reviewing diet, nutrition and exercise books as well as offering other helpful information on being healthy.

I feel like this goes well with Easing Chronic Pain because they are both health-related blogs. I have discussed foods that trigger migraines as well as healthy chocolate. I have also shared my personal struggles with exercise.

I am hoping that Diet Rundown will take things a step further by helping everyone learn to be healthy whether they have a health condition or not. Of course, if you are on this blog you probably already aware of how eating right and mild exercise can help you feel better. So you can will now be able to learn even more by visiting my newest blog.

Don't forget about my travel blog, A Postcard from Paradise either. Even if you aren't well enough to travel, you can always dream. :)

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng; Photographer: Andrzej Gdula)

More Prescription Help

Yesterday I posted about a company that helps Medicare recipients with their Medicare Part D. Today I want to mention another company that helps offset the cost of medicines for those with no insurance by offering a prescription discount program. The company is called Caremark and they can save you a bunch on your prescriptions.

I discovered them quite by accident actually. When I was given five prescriptions by my new doctor, we drove around the all the closest pharmacies to see where we could get the best prices. The cost for name brands on all of them would have been about $1100! There was no way I could do that.

We decided to drop a couple off here and a couple off there to take advantage of the best prices at each pharmacy. Then we had to make the loop again to pick them up at all three pharmacies. When I got to CVS, the pharmacist handed me my bag and told me that he had given me a discount card that would save me money on my meds since I had no insurance. I saved even more than I thought I would! This card saves you an average of 20 percent on your medications.

You can also save even more if you sign up to get your meds through mail order via Caremark. One prescription that I had a 30-day supply of for around $49 will cost me around $51 for a 90-day supply if I order it through the mail! That is some real savings!

While this isn't available everywhere, it is worth asking about if it is available where you live. You can check if this program is available where you live by asking at your local pharmacy. I was told my card would be accepted by Walgreen, CVS and Publix pharmacies. You can also check Caremarks's County Locator page which lists the counties all over the U.S. that uses this program. This opens a PDF file so be aware of that when you click it.

On this list you'll find the counties in each state that participate as well as a contact number to call or website to visit for more information and help obtaining your card, which is free. This is a great program that is well worth a look.

Choosing a Medicare Part D Drug Plan

A while back I did customer service work for a work at home company. Many of the calls I took involved helping people get a drug plan for their Medicare Part D . I found it totally confusing unless I had all the information right in front of me.

There are many chronic pain sufferers who are on Medicare and they may need help with choosing a Medicare Part D drug plan. Well, here is a place that can help you to figure it all out; My Part D USA. They can help you to understand your Medicare Part D coverage as well as the benefits of Medicare Part D.

It is important to understand how all of this works so that you can rest assured that your necessary drugs and pain medications are covered and you are getting them at the best possible price. You will find loads of helpful information on My Part D USA. If you are eligible for Medicare Part D, you need to check this out.


(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng; Photographer: Andrzej Pobiedzinski)

Sleep Hygiene

I have been reading several articles lately about "sleep hygiene" and I think this is an important concept for chronic pain sufferers to understand. It is common for those who are suffering from many chronic pain disorders to also have a problem with getting adequate sleep. While it isn't often possible to "cure" this problem, proper sleep hygiene can help to minimize it as much as possible.

Why Does it Matter?
All too often, those with sleep problems will decide to just watch TV in bed until they are ready to go to sleep. Others, like my self, do things that are not sleep related in their rooms. Paying the bills for example, or bringing the laptop to bed to finish work or surf the 'net. All of these are examples of poor sleep hygiene and can contribute to a lack of restful sleep.

You may think that these things are minor, but really, a lack of proper sleep doesn't just make you tired the next day. According to an article on Everyday Health, lack of sleep also contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure and an increased risk of diabetes. Not only that, but a lack of sleep can also lead to an increase in your pain levels.

Sleep and Pain
The reason that you hurt more when you don't sleep well is simple. Deep, or non-REM, sleep is when your body produces somatostatin, a chemical that helps your muscles and soft tissues to repair themselves. A lack of somatostatin causes your muscles to ache. This shows a remarkable connection between chronic pain and sleep. Do we get poor sleep because we hurt or do we hurt because of poor sleep? This isn't an easy question to answer, but one thing is sure. If you can sleep better you will not hurt as bad.

More information on the relationship between poor sleep and fibromyalgia can be read at WebMD. The article Fibromyalgia and Sleep is very interesting.

Getting Better Sleep
There are several ways that you can improve your sleep hygiene and hopefully get a better night's sleep.

• Set up a routine
• Reduce stress
• Don't eat before bed
• Keep the room dark
• Don't have a TV in your room
• Don't engage in activities that are not sleep related in your bedroom
• Cut out caffeine and cigarettes
• Get a good mattress

You can read more great tips at Online Health News from the National Sleep Foundation in the article 10 Tips For A Better Night's Sleep.

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng; Photographer Steve Woods)

I Signed Up for PPP

I wanted to take just a moment to let my readers know that I have signed up for and been approved by PayPerPost. This will not adversely affect this blog in any way. I think it is a great opportunity to be able to share information with all of you and will also allow me to earn a little bit of money for the time I put in here.

There may only be occasional paid posts; it depends on what opportunities will be available to me. Rest assured though, any paid posts will be about subjects that matter to those of us who suffer from chronic pain. I will not post just for the sake of being paid and I will disclose any post from PPP as being a paid post.

I want this to remain a high-quality blog that provides you all with helpful information. This is a matter of blog ethics. I want to provide useful information; I don't want to bombard my readers with garbage.

I feel that these paid posts will not only help me, but they will help you to learn about relevant sites and services. If I feel like an offer is a waste of your time, I won't take it. If it will offer you valuable information I will pass that information on to you. This will help make Easing Chronic Pain an even better blog for chronic pain sufferers.

As always, I am happy to know your thoughts on this, or any other, subject.

IC Disease Blog Carnival

I'd like to direct everyone to IC Disease to check out the first IC Disease Health Blog Carnival. I have my Clothespin Challenge posted there, but there are also lots of other great posts for you to read.

You can learn about everything from the signs and symptoms of IC to how you diet affects anxiety. There is tons of great information here so head over for a visit and see what you can learn!

Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia

Well, it's official. Cymbalta has been approved as a treatment for fibromyalgia. For years now doctors have been prescribing Cymbalta off-label for fibro sufferers, but now the FDA is officially recognizing this medication as an aid to treating the misery of fibro pain.

Because the cause of fibromyalgia is a mystery, it has been difficult for patients to even have their illness recognized, let alone find a helpful treatment. However, as awareness increases more research is being done. This means that more treatments have the potential to be discovered.

Experts are not sure why Cymbalta helps some sufferers, but it is thought to be due to the way the medication increases the activity of serotonin and norepinophrine. These brain chemicals are believed to play an important part in the way the body suppresses pain.

Approximately five million people in the U.S. suffer from fibromyalgia. While Cymbalta won't work for everyone, at least it is another possible option.

Are you taking Cymbalta for your fibromyalgia? Share your experiences here.

Help CFS Research

The CFIDS Association of America has announced its Campaign to Accelerate CFS Research. The goal of this campaign is to raise $1 million for the reseach of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in order to help the thousands of people who suffer from this debilitating illness.

According to CFIDS, this is a very critical time in CFS research. This will be the largest effort ever undertaken to find the causes and solutions for CFS. The campaign will be to fund at least six to eight in-depth studies that will find ways to prevent and cure Chronic Fatigue.

Visit CFIDS and make a donation. For a limited time, your contribution to CFS research will be matched by the WWW Foundation. That means if you donate $25, CFIDS will receive $50. What an awesome opportunity to beat CFS. It is time to put this illness in its place.

Pfizer Donates to National Fibromyalgia Association

Here is some interesting news: Pfizer will donate money to the National Fibromyalgia Association, the American Chronic Pain Association, the American Pain Foundation and the National Pain Foundation for each person who makes a promise to be better informed about fibromyalgia.

Here is how is works. You promise to:

• Learn as much as you can about fibromyalgia.
• Seek the right help in the form of a reliable support network.
• Stay positive and not blame yourself for being sick.

Then you enter your email address and submit it. For each email address, Pfizer will contribute $1 up to $100,000 which will be equally divided between the above listed organizations. What a simple way to help support fibro research! I already made my promise. Now it's your turn.

The Epstein-Barr Virus

Have you ever considered that some of your symptoms may be due to the Epstein-Barr virus? I had always thought that Epstein-Barr was the same thing as mono. I was wrong.

What is EBV
Epstein-Barr, or EBV, is a very common virus that infects about 95 percent of the U.S. population aged 35 to 40. Many children also become infected, however it usually presents itself as just a mild illness. In most cases, no one even considers EBV. When a teenager gets EBV, it causes mono about 35 to 50 percent of the time. So mono and EBV are not the same, but they are related.

Once a person gets EBV, they have it for the rest of their life. It will go dormant but may become active many times throughout your life. They say that each time EBV flairs up it is more mild than the previous episode.

Symptoms
Symptoms of EBV include sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes and swollen spleen and liver. Cases of EBV can last for many months and it is believed that it can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. There is no "cure" for EBV and often a flair can be debilitating.

It used to be believed that EBV was only transmitted through close contact. Recently though, it has been found that the virus can be transmitted through the air as well.

It is simple for your doctor to test you for the presence of EBV. It is just a matter of taking a blood test. Recently I was tested and at my next appointment we'll see if I have EBV and how it relates to my fibromyalgia. I'll post here as soon as I learn the results.

Hormone Imbalance and Fibromyalgia

Recently I read about a doctor in Texas who is getting amazing results treating some fibromyalgia patients. His name is Dr. Russell Roby and he has founded the Roby Institute in Texas. Here they specialize in treating various health issues from fibromyalgia to migraines.

The reason his treatments are so amazing to me is that he feels, in many cases, that these problems stem from a hormonal imbalance or hormonal allergy. Once the hormones are where they should be, the conditions improve dramatically.

Let me add here that he doesn't think hormones are the only cause of FMS or migraine. It is just another possibility that seems to hold true for many of his patients. Dr. Roby addresses many symptoms of FMS that are helped through his treatment including:

• Irritable bowel
• Headache
• Sleep problems
• Memory problems
• Depression
• Low sex drive
• Skin problems
• Weight problems
  

To solve these issues Dr. Roby uses homeopathic treatments, along with conventional medical treatments and diet, after doing blood testing to be sure that he is able to help. His web site clearly explains how hormonal imbalance can cause many of the problems listed above and more. I was just speechless after reading it.

Before treatments begin, Dr. Roby does a complete laboratory panel to test hormones in your body. If he feels he can help you, he tells you. This is even an option for those who do not live in Texas. He will order your lab work and have it sent to him. Then he lets you know if you should plan a trip. His office even helps you find accommodations while you are there.

So, all this is interesting, but I haven't gotten to the best part. This is what really makes me think he may have something here. He offers his patients' money back if he is unable to help them. He says he is able to help 75 percent of the people he sees to feel better. So the rest are given back the money that they have paid him. How many doctors do you know who will do that?

So is this the cure for fibromyalgia or migraine? Not likely. However, for those who have these disorders as a result of hormonal imbalance, this seems like a miracle. Those I have spoken to about Dr. Roby's treatments say they haven't had any pain since they went to see him--which was months, not just a few days.

I'd love some feedback on this. If you have seen Dr. Roby or if you plan to, please let me know your experience.

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng; Photographer: Sanja Gjenero)

Men with Invisible Illness

I just read an interesting post on the Health Matters Show site. It discussed men with CFS, and while the main point of the post is to tell men where to get help with their questions about CFS, it made me think about a few other points. I left a rather lengthy comment on Ms. Crawford's site, but I wanted to discuss it here too.

A recent discussion on my favorite FMS forum got me thinking about this very subject, so I found Ms. Crawford's post very timely. Men don't think they are allowed to be sick. This is true of most women too, especially if they have children, but men feel like they aren't a man if they show any kind of "weakness".

The only problem with this is that ignoring the problem can cause it to become worse. One example I can think of is my husband. Recently he was very ill. I begged him to go to the doctor because I was sure he would end up with pneumonia. He wouldn't go.

He had lots of "reasons" for this. It cost too much. He didn't want to take time off work. He thought it was just allergies (yeah, right!). What I got out of all his excuses was that, in his mind, he just needed to man up and deal with it. He got better but he was very sick for weeks. I don't know how he even got to work.

This is the type of thing he does all the time. He needs to watch his health because there are serious health issues in his family; but he thinks if he ignores the problem it will go away. Sometimes it will, but what if it won't?

So how does all this tie in with invisible illnesses like CFS or FMS? Men need to realize that they can't just will themselves to be healthy any more than they can will their loved ones to be better when they are sick. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't fix it.

If you have a chronic illness, get some help for it. Allow yourself the time you need to rest. This doesn't mean you are weak; it means you are smart. Pushing yourself until you collapse it just foolish. What good does it do?

I guess the whole point of this little rant is that being sick doesn't make you less of a man. A smart man will get help and allow himself to rest as he needs to. Accept help. Accept that you are sick. You are still valuable. It's okay.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng; Photographer: Philippe Ramakers)

Living with Fibromyalgia: One Perspective

I saw this video on the NFA site under the educational listing in their store. This is a must-have for anyone with fibromyalgia. It gives one perspective of life with fibromyalgia. What better way to help people to understand what it's like? Check out the trailer from the Living With Fibromyalgia website:

The Clothespin Challenge

I thought this sounded like fun so I wanted to pass it along to those who hadn't heard of it yet. The National Fibromyalgia Association has launched the Clothespin Challenge. It is a great way to help people begin to understand what people with fibromyalgia suffer with every day. Here is how it works:

• Put a clothespin on your finger.
• Set a timer for 30 minutes.
• See how long you can stand it.
• Imagine how this would feel if it was forever
  

The idea here is that for each minute the person keeps the clothespin on their finger, they donate a certain amount to the NFA. It also gives others a slight idea of what we go through on a daily basis. The biggest difference being that we can't just remove the clothes pin and feel better. Not to mention that the pain is all over, not just our fingers.

Maybe we can step it up a bit and clip clothespins all over someone and see how long they can take it. Is it wrong that I am smiling as I type that? I don't really want other people to be in pain. I do, however, like the idea of something that will wake people up to the reality of what we go through.

I was discussing this with a friend yesterday. He has fibro along with Lyme's disease. He said he gets tired of people asking how he is feeling. He has started answering, "Well, I feel most of me today", or "Usually with my hands." After all, they way he feels is the same as it always is --terrible. People don't really want to know, they just ask to be polite.

I responded that it doesn't help when people don't take the pain seriously. They are always skeptical and even with friends it is hard to feel safe telling them how you feel. They can't understand unless they feel it too. I guess the Clothespin Challenge is a great way to demonstrate this. It is certainly better than backing over them with a car and saying "How do you feel?"

If you want to try the Clothespin Challenge, you can actually get a kit from the NFA. While it seems a bit pricey when you can get a bag of clothespins for pretty cheap, keep in mind that this money goes to support the NFA as well as fibro research and support. You do get more than just a clothespin. :) If any of you try it, let me know how it goes.

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng, Photographer: Loleia)

Goji Berries for Chronic Pain Conditions

I have been seeing quite a of of hype lately about goji berries so I decided to do a little research on them and see what all the commotion was about. First I checked out Wikipedia which gives quite a bit of information on the goji berry, also known as the wolfberry.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, goji berries are good for improving eyesight, liver function and circulation among other things. So how does the goji berry help people with chronic pain? Well, for one thing they are believed to help slow the growth of cancer cells. They also give you more energy because they are full of B vitamins and other nutrients. I also found testimonials from people with fibromyalgia and lupus who say their pains were lessened and sleep improved when they tried goji juice.

One thing is for certain, goji berries are good for you. This little orange berry is packed full of nutrients including 19 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, vitamins C, B and E and Beta sositosterol. Beta sitosterol is a compound that reduces inflammation and may be one reason that it is so helpful for people with chronic pain. Not to mention all the nutrients that help to ease anxiety, regulate blood pressure and enhance memory.

If you want to learn more about goji berries I found a great Goji Juice blog that you will enjoy. You'll learn that you aren't just limited to the dried, raisin-like berries. You can also enjoy them in juice form. Or how about chocolate covered goji? Everything is better with chocolate, right?

I think they are worth a try. The only potential issue I found was a possibility to interfere with blood thinners. If you are on blood thinners, talk to your doctor first. If you have tried goji berries, let me know what you think.

(Image courtesy of Stock Xchng, Photographer: Gary Scott)