Fibromyalgia and Digestive Problems

Fibromyalgia and Digestive Problems

Eating is one of the most enjoyable pleasures in life, yet for Fibromyalgia sufferers this is not always true. Poor guts and eating habits can lead to major gut problems, especially in those suffering from Fibromyalgia. Keeping your body in balance through healthy eating and exercising is important for fibromyalgia sufferers. Being attentive to your body will help fibromyalgia sufferers deal with the common symptoms and digestive problems that plague these sufferers.

A good, healthful, balanced diet is a key factor for helping the digestive tract for fibromyalgia sufferers. Digestion problems such as constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, ibs, and other horrible bowel problems are common. We all have different foods that we should avoid and different nutritional requirements for optimal health. However, there are a few things you can do right now to help you with your digestive problems.

Eating a variety of fresh foods keeps us supplied with vitamins and minerals and essential fats that we need to keep our health. Knowing what our bodies need and what our bodies don’t need is a key factor in how well our digestive systems help us.

So let’s take a look at some general advice that can help sufferers of fibromyalgia deal better with their digestive systems.

First, eat slowly. I know this sounds like your mother but eating slowly and chewing your food well is the first step to good digestion. Your digestive system begins with your mouth and ends, you know, at the end. So having the proper start, by chewing your food thoroughly, helps you on the right path. This gets the proper digestive enzymes going so that processing your food happens correctly.

Second, if constipation is something you struggle with, make sure you are getting enough fluids. Water is a wonderful remedy to constipation and making sure you get enough can help more than you think. On average, a person should drink half their body weight in ounces. For instance, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink approximately 50 ounces of water daily.

Third, eating at regular hours facilitates digestion because the digestive system gets used to working at regular times and is more efficient. Efficiency is key to good digestive systems. If your system is sluggish you may have more health problems. Keeping it tuned up will help rid your body of toxins that may contribute to your fibromyalgia symptoms.

Next, your lifestyle can have a major impact on your digestive system. It is really easy to

Lifestyle affects on eating habits and digestion system Never in history has it been so easy to find food, yet it is so difficult to eat right. Many suffer from eating or digestive disorders mainly because of poor eating habits. The rush of modern times has driven many of use to eat too fast, too much, and at irregular hours—often in a stressful environment. Additionally relieving stress often improves digestive symptoms. Stress can manifest itself through the digestive system in the form of symptoms or “signals” like canker sores and / or heartburn. Recognizing and listening to important signals from our digestive system When the body begins to become off balance, we often know it through our digestive system: mouth, stomach, intestine, liver. Staying healthy means being attentive to the signs our body sends us. Homeopathic medicines are a safe and reliable option to restore our balance before the situation worsens, and should be taken at the first sign of symptoms. The homeopathic approach of treating illness is based on the understanding that symptoms are an expression of the body’s attempt to correct an imbalance. Because they work with the body instead of directly suppressing symptoms, patients and physicians are able to detect and respond faster should a more serious condition arise. In the case of stomach pain, the body is alerting us that something is wrong. Pain can be a sign of a serious condition, which could lead to the formation of an ulcer or other conditions requiring a physician’s care. A painkiller will mask the pain without treating the underlying disorder. Since homeopathic medicines do not mask symptoms, a physician will know if another problem is present and be able to treat it.

University of Pisa Study On Fibromyalgia and Thyroid Abnormalities

Bazzichi L, Rossi A, Giuliano T, De Feo F, Giacomelli C, Consensi A, Ciapparelli A, Consoli G, Dell'osso L, Bombardieri S.
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine
University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100, Pisa, Italy
Our objectives were to investigate thyroid abnormalities and autoimmunity in 120 patients affected by fibromyalgia (FM) and to study their relationships with clinical data and symptoms.
Thyroid assessment by means of antithyroglobulin antibodies, antithyroid peroxidase antibodies, free triiodo-thyronine, free thyroxine, and thyroid stimulating hormone analyses was carried out.
The clinical parameters "Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire", pain, tender points, fatigue, and other symptoms, and the presence of depression or anxiety disorders were evaluated.
The basal thyroid hormone levels of FM patients were in the normal range, while 41% of the patients had at least one thyroid antibody.
Patients with thyroid autoimmunity showed a higher percentage of dry eyes, burning, or pain with urination, allodynia, blurred vision, and sore throat.
Correlations found between thyroid autoimmunity and age or with the presence of depression or anxiety disorders were not significant.
However, in the cohort of post-menopausal patients, the frequency of thyroid autoimmunity was higher with respect to pre-menopausal patients.
In conclusion, autoimmune thyroiditis is present in an elevated percentage of FM patients, and it has been associated with the presence of typical symptoms of the disease.
PMID: 16790074
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006 Published 21 June 2006
Alteration of Serotonin Transporter Density and Activity in Fibromyalgia
Laura Bazzichi , Gino Giannaccini , Laura Betti , Giovanni Mascia , Laura Fabbrini , Paola Italiani , Francesca De Feo , Tiziana Giuliano , Camillo Giacomelli , Alessandra Rossi , Antonio Lucacchini and Stefano Bombardieri
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology,
University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate the kinetic parameters of a specific serotonin transporter (SERT) and serotonin uptake in a mentally healthy subset of patients with fibromyalgia.
Platelets were obtained from 40 patients and 38 healthy controls.
SERT expression and functionality were evaluated through the measurement of [3H]paroxetine binding and the [3H]serotonin uptake itself.
The values of maximal membrane binding capacity (Bmax) were statistically lower in the patients than in the healthy volunteers, whereas the dissociation constant (Kd) did not show any statistically significant variations.
Moreover, a decrease in the maximal uptake rate of SERT (Vmax) was demonstrated in the platelets of patients, whereas the Michaelis constant (Km) did not show any statistically significant variations.
Symptom severity score (tiredness, tender points index and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire) were negatively correlated with Bmax and with Vmax, and positively correlated with Km.
A change in SERT seems to occur in fibromyalgic patients, and it seems to be related to the severity of fibromyalgic symptoms.

Would this Help Fibromyalgia Sufferers With Brain Fog??

I found this little study and thought it was interesting in that maybe this would help with brain fog. We talk about daily meditation in our fibromyalgia ebook. There are many fibromyalgia symptoms that meditation can help with. Let us know if you have tried meditation and your results at info@ridfibromyalgia.com.

Improve Your Concentration

Researchers have found that even short periods of daily meditation can improve both focus and performance.
Subjects in a study were split into two categories. The first, consisting of those new to meditation, underwent an eight-week course including 30 minutes of daily meditation.
The second group, which was composed of those already experienced with meditation, attended a full-time, one month retreat.
Even for those completely new to the practice, meditation improved performance and the ability to focus attention. Their scores on tests measuring cognitive function improved after only a few weeks.
Throughout, participants took computer tests that measured response speeds and accuracy. At the beginning of the study, those who were experienced in meditation demonstrated better voluntary focus, task management, and goal setting skills.
But after completing the eight-week course, those who were new to meditation showed greater improvement in focusing their attention.University of Pennsylvania May 9, 2007Science Daily June 26, 2007

Disability, Hope or No Hope

Found this comment about fibromyalgia and disability. Have you had any luck with getting disability? Let me know of your comments.

"At the moment, there is no entry in Social Security Disability 's Listing of Impairments manual for the condition known as Fibromyalgia, also known as fibromyositis and Myofacial Pain Syndrome (The disability listing's, of course, provide the approval criteria for a number of different impairments ranging from amputations to seizure disorder). Nevertheless, many claimants with fibromyalgia apply for disability, and many go on to win their cases. For this reason, the fibromyalgia disability claimant who's been denied should not give up on their case. Instead, they should pursue their disability claim through the appeals process, keeping in mind how the Social Security Administration views this particular impairment."

For more info on how to gain disability, visit www.ridfibromyalgia.com/how.html.

Findings offer new theraputic perspective in Fibromyalgia Sufferers

This data was posted on pub med as a study that may have implications for better treatment down the road for fibromyalgia patients. Yeah! Until then, check out http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com/.

All data obtained in experimental animal pain models support the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) as a putative candidate intervening in the pathogenesis of chronic pain, including chronic daily headache (CDH). Few studies have been carried out to establish its role in maintaining pain states in humans. The present study was aimed at investigating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of NGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), both measured by sensitive immunoassay, in 20 chronic migraine (CM) patients and 20 patients affected by primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFMS), compared with those of 20 age-matched control subjects. Significantly higher levels of both neurotrophins and glutamate were found. A significantly positive correlation emerged between CSF values of BDNF and those of NGF (r = .61, P < .001; r = .53, P < .01) and glutamate (r = .44, P < .02; r = .51, P < .01) in CM and PFMS patients, respectively. These findings suggest the possibility of a NGF-mediated up-regulation of BDNF involved in the pathophysiological events underlying long-term neuroplastic changes in persistent chronic painful conditions, such as CM and fibromyalgia. NGF might indirectly exert its effect through enhancing glutamatergic transmission via BDNF. The above mechanisms could account for sustained central sensitization in both chronic pain states. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents findings of higher NGF and BDNF levels correlated to increased glutamate levels in the CSF of both chronic migraine and fibromyalgia patients. This opens new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of chronic pain and offers clinicians new therapeutic perspectives targeting the above mechanisms in both painful disorders.

New Drug Approved for Fibromyalgia

On June 21, 2007 the FDA approved the first medication to specifically treat Fibromyalgia symptoms. Lyrica has been approved for use in adults only.The drug, marketed by Pfizer, was previously approved for the management of post-herpetic neuralgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy,and as an additional therapy for adults with partial onset seizures. Lyrica has been found to reduce pain and improve function in Fibromyalgia sufferers, exactly how Lyrica works is unknown at this time.The effectiveness of the drug, for Fibromyalgia treatment, was established by two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials that involved 1,800 people. Participants given doses of 300 mg or 450 mg per day experienced a lessening of their symptoms, some as early as the first week of treatment. When patients stopped taking the drug their fibromyalgia symptoms worsened. There were some side effects reported during clinical trials for patients taking Lyrica compared to placebo, I do not have numbers at this time to tell us just how many patients, out of the 1,800 experienced side effects. According to Pfizer,some common side effects reported included: dizziness drowsiness dry mouth edema blurred vision weight gain swelling of hands and feet constipation exaggerated feeling of happiness or wellness balance disorder increased appetite difficulty with concentration/attention Some other things I have found out about this drug: Pfizer will began clinical trials on the use of Lyrica in children and young adults, under the age of 18. No studies have been conducted on the use of Lyrica if you are pregnant, breast feeding or plan to become pregnant. Men planning on having children should consider the benefits vs. the risk of taking Lyrica as there may be an increased risk of birth defects. As always, inform your doctors of ALL medications you may be taking as Lyrica may interact with other medications or substances. Some possible interactions are: ~ Diabetes medications ~ Codeine ~ MS Contin ~ Morphine ~ Tricyclic antidepressants ~ Alcohol ~ Antihistamines ~ Barbiturates ~ Parkinson's medications, ~ Ativan,Xanax and Valium. Sources: New Fibromyalgia Drug Approved. June 22, 2007 . FDA Approves First Drug for Treating Fibromyalgia. FDA. June 21, 2007. . Living with Fibromyalgia, First Drug Approved. FDA Consumer Update. June 21, 2007. . Lyrica Website. June 25,2007. .

More Hope on the way for Fibromyalgia Sufferers?

*Note by Hailey, this article was copyrighted by UPI, I looked for the copyright rules and don't know if I can publish this following the rules, so I may take this article off. I am continuing to research the rights of this one.

Gabapentin may treat fibromyalgia pain
CINCINNATI, June 11 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say the anticonvulsant medication gabapentin might be effective in treating pain and other symptoms arising from fibromyalgia.
The results stem from a randomized, double-blind study of 150 women and men with the condition, sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Dr. Lesley Arnold, director of the Women's Health Research Program at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine, and her colleagues found those taking gabapentin at dosages of 1,200 to 2,400 mg daily for 12 weeks displayed significantly less pain than those taking placebo.
Patients taking gabapentin also reported significantly better sleep and less fatigue.
"While gabapentin does not have Food and Drug Administration approval for fibromyalgia, I believe this study offers additional insight to physicians considering the drug for their fibromyalgia patients," said Dr. Stephen Katz, NIAMS director.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by chronic, widespread muscle pain and tenderness, and is frequently accompanied by fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. It affects 3 million to 6 million Americans, mostly women, and can be disabling.
The research appeared in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.