Anyone out there with fibromyalgia?

[NotGolfer]

Was diagnosed with this awhile ago....but wasn't given much information. What I know I've read on the internet. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? I'm on a couple of anti-inflammatorys and also some pain pills too.
Is this one of those things that affects folks differently?? Curious about how others deal with it!

[jimbo2012]

Have you read there are diet connections that may help, see these one (http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/5-ways-control-fibromyalgia-diet/1-load-up-vitamin-d) two (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=104485) sites

[jnieman]

I've found that regular swedish massages help greatly. Be sure to drink lots of water after the massage to keep from being sore the next day. Mine seemed to be worse when I was under stress from my job. At one point I was getting a massage every week. Since we moved here and my stress level is down it isn't as bad.

[NotGolfer]

Did the massage thing and it didn't seem to help! I've also read that the dietary thing is individual. It works for some and most say they see no difference. Maybe it's the placebo affect. I really would like to hear from some persons who can give some good advice AND who can relate to this issue.

[senior citizen]

Was diagnosed with this awhile ago....but wasn't given much information. What I know I've read on the internet. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? I'm on a couple of anti-inflammatorys and also some pain pills too.
Is this one of those things that affects folks differently?? Curious about how others deal with it!

I am familiar with it as many of my cousins and peer group do have it.
As another poster replied....massage does seem to work on the trigger points. One I know is helped by accupressure.

Years ago, in the olden days, what is now known as fibromyalgia was just called "muscular rheumatism"........

My own mom would say to anyone who would listen, "Do you ever feel like you've been run over by a truck?" Only those who have it would be able to relate to her aches and pains.

I've read over and over again that eliminating all processed foods that have MSG or other "flavor enhansors"......even sometimes sneaked in as "natural flavorings"..........Monosodium Glutamate is not good for those who suffer from fibromyalgia..........

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. As a food additive, it’s used to enhance flavor. It’s found in many seasonings, sauces, salad dressings and prepared foods; it’s also often used in fast food preparation. Side effects associated with MSG include a burning feeling in the chest, arms and face, as well as chest pains, headache, fatigue, heart palpitations and nausea. The FDA does not require manufacturers who use MSG in their products to list it as an ingredient. Here’s a list of foods that often contain MSG; please keep in mind that not all products from these companies contain MSG, so check with the manufacturers to be sure.
1) Prepared and Packaged Foods


Many prepared foods contain MSG, especially snack foods like frozen meals, canned soups and instant soups. Some of the most popular packaged foods contain MSG. Some of them are:

Hamburger Helper
Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix
Progresso soups
Campbell’s soups
Most frozen pizzas, processed vegetables, processed and canned meats and frozen pot pies contain MSG as a flavor enhancer.
2) Sauces and Seasonings


Many sauces, seasonings and salad dressings contain MSG. Soy sauce, fish sauce, gravy and dipping sauces often contain MSG. Here are some of the salts, seasonings, sauces and dressings that contain MSG:

Accent seasoning
Bacon Bits
Goya Sazon
Lawry’s Season Salt
Gravy Master
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Marmite
Sweeteners, like brown sugar and Nutrasweet, often contain MSG, as do many salad dressings. Some processed cheeses, like processed parmesan cheese, contain MSG. Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and many other condiments contain this food additive as well.
3) Fast Foods and Chain Restaurant Foods
Fast foods are very high in MSG, especially Chinese food. While most Chinese and other Asian fast food restaurants use MSG as a flavor enhancer, many now offer MSG-free alternatives or will be willing to prepare them if asked.


Some fast food restaurants who regularly use MSG include:

McDonald’s
KFC
Burger King
Chick-Fil-A
Taco Bell
Popular chain restaurants, like Applebee’s, are also known to use MSG in many of their products. Often, that’s not because the restaurants intentionally put MSG into the food, but because it’s present in the sweeteners, spices and sauces they use, or because it’s present in packaged and processed foods used by that restaurant. If you’d like to avoid MSG at your favorite restaurants, check that restaurant’s food allergy guide and avoid using spices, sauces or sweeteners at that restaurant. Many restaurants will provide MSG free sweeteners, spices and sauces if you ask.
4) Snacks


Many snacks, like chips, contain MSG as a flavor enhancer. The dips and sauces that many people like to eat in conjunction with chips, pretzels and other snacks also often contain MSG. While some snack foods, like plain potato chips and Cheez-Its crackers, are MSG free, many others contain MSG, sometimes in levels high enough to cause an allergic reaction in those sensitive to glutamic acid. Popular snack foods that contain MSG include:

Pringles chips (the seasoned varieties)
Doritos
Planters nuts
Unilever and Knorr instant dip products
Most flavored potato chips and processed cheese flavored snacks also contain monosodium glutamate, so you should try to avoid them.

Even pizza parlors use it in their sauce and meat products, the alfredo sauce as well.........with Chinese takeout, you can request no MSG but then it really does taste bland....but I'd rather have bland.


I just wrote to a big meat supplier in the mid west and was surprised when she answered me so quickly........and honestly.......
Even they post online all the "additives"......not necessarily in the meat.....but in the "sauces" and such that go along as condiments, marinades & prepared vegetables.

"Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your interest in our products.
While we do not add any MSG to our meats , products that are premade or have
marinades may have it."

"It is important for us to keep our customers informed of
nutritional information regarding our products, along with food
allergens/sensitivities that may be contained in our items."

"To review our nutritional analysis information and food
allergens/sensitivities, please go to www.omahasteaks.com (wlmailhtml:{B3A85C5A-C4A4-4744-8B60-6AC8D4B3C591}mid://00000011/!x-usc:http://www.omahasteaks.com/) and click on the
"Customer Service" tab on the bottom toolbar. You will see links under the
"Product Information" tab which allows you to download a PDF file of the
nutrition facts and the food allergen/sensitivity guide."

"Please be aware that not all of the steak selections currently have the
nutritional information online. If you cannot locate the nutritional
information you are looking for, please email us your name and address. We
would be happy to mail the information to you."

"If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us via
email or at 1-800-329-6500."

Sincerely,

Julie Davis
Omaha Steaks Customer Care

There were columns that would be of interest for those with wheat allergy, milk, dairy, gluten, MSG, etc., etc., etc., etc. nuts, etc.
You have to keep scrolling down on the file....as it's a lot of information and very very long....many pages, but easy to read......

They must get a lot of queries........this is no doubt a form letter.

In the past I have contacted STAUFFERS..........and they are not forthright about the MSG and flavor enhansors as they call them, in their prepared frozen foods.
Better to be honest with the public. Years ago, people thought of allergies as sneezing, stuffed up sinuses, etc.......but now food sensitivities are also called allergies...or so it seems.............without becoming a vegan or vegetarian, I will agree with that crowd, that the American diet overall is loaded with unnatural "stuff".
So, better to cook or bake or prepare (even salad dressings) from scratch.......avoiding all the junk.


------------------------

[NotGolfer]

Thank you ALL for the responses!!

Senior Citizen...if I was giving out a prize, you'd probably have won!

Now, next question! I know there are groups out there (a plethora for sure) but does anyone know of a really good beginning yoga class?? The Sun has listings, I know but not all of the groups are listed. I thought if anyone on TOTV was currently in a yoga class they could tell me about it!! I just read where yoga is good for fibro...and probably alot of things we folks acquire as we grow older!!

[ditzyfitzy]

Thank you ALL for the responses!!

Senior Citizen...if I was giving out a prize, you'd probably have won!

Now, next question! I know there are groups out there (a plethora for sure) but does anyone know of a really good beginning yoga class?? The Sun has listings, I know but not all of the groups are listed. I thought if anyone on TOTV was currently in a yoga class they could tell me about it!! I just read where yoga is good for fibro...and probably alot of things we folks acquire as we grow older!!


Yes, Caron and Jack offer a beginners class at The Lifelong College of Learning....I have fibro and am able to do the class. I'll never advance---but, that's okay...I keep taking beginning over and over...it feels good to stretch out the muscles...and Caron understands fibromyalgia very well.....
Lynn

[rjm1cc]

Was diagnosed with this awhile ago....but wasn't given much information. What I know I've read on the internet. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? I'm on a couple of anti-inflammatorys and also some pain pills too.
Is this one of those things that affects folks differently?? Curious about how others deal with it!What little I know is that you have to work on getting the correct exercise and watch your diet. You have to be proactive so you are going in the right direction.

[senior citizen]

Was diagnosed with this awhile ago....but wasn't given much information. What I know I've read on the internet. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? I'm on a couple of anti-inflammatorys and also some pain pills too.
Is this one of those things that affects folks differently?? Curious about how others deal with it!


Here is a p.s. to my original answer to you....re food connections.
I was surprised to read here about "graham flour" such as in plain old graham crackers which a friend was told was "good" or "safe" considering their spouse's heart condition (mild heart attack in 70 year old male). Since the doc said graham crackers were on the O.K. list, my friend noticed their own fibromyalgia symptoms INCREASE DRASTICALLY after eating graham crackers with her husband.

Anyway, she passed it on and I am doing the same..............as far as her fibro goes, high humidity even with LOW northern temps, is a definite factor . None of us up here seems to like the high humidity as of late. Very muggy.

Does anyone "feel" it in Florida........meaning, does the fibromyalgia worsen when it's 95 % humidity and 95 degrees temperature????? See below gluten info.



Gluten Foods

A gluten-free diet eliminates your intake of gluten protein. Common grains, starches and flours that contain gluten protein include barley, chapatti flour, bulgur, couscous, farina, kamut, graham flour, rye, matzo meal, semolina, tritical, spelt and wheat. If a food lists any of these ingredients on the food label, it contains gluten protein. The only way to know for sure that a food does not contain gluten protein or cross contamination with gluten protein is to look for the words "gluten free" on the food label. Most processed foods, such as bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, cake, gravy, cookies, salad dressings and candies contain gluten. Even processed meats, imitation seafood, sauces and croutons often contain gluten. Read the food label each time you purchase a processed product to ensure the ingredients did not change and the product remains gluten free.
Safe Foods
A gluten-free diet requires you to purchase most of your foods around the perimeter of the store where the naturally gluten free foods such as fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, plain meat and milk are located. Other foods labeled "gluten free" also fit into a gluten free diet, but not foods labeled "wheat free." Wheat free items may contain grains such as barley or spelt. Unless you focus your diet on nutrient-dense, gluten free foods, you can easily experience malnutrition following a gluten-free diet. Consult your dietician to establish a well-balanced gluten-free diet.
Considerations
A gluten-free diet does not help all persons with fibromyalgia. If you adhere to a gluten-free diet and feel no relief from your fibromyalgia symptoms, discuss your meal plan with our doctor or dietician. Your diet may still contain gluten products even though you shop carefully. Your fibromyalgia symptoms may also result from other food sensitivities such as soy, corn, dairy, peanuts, peppers or eggplant, tomatoes; the nightshades in general.

[Shelley54]

Hello. My name is Shelley, and I've been lurking here on this forum for quite awhile now. I thought my first post would be about our upcoming Lifestyle visit in October, but I felt I had to respond to this post.

My husband was a general surgeon for 20 years. About 15 years ago he developed a keen interest in integrative medicine and found himself frustrated with only being able to spend 10 minutes with a patient before having to dash off to another surgery, or another patient. He wanted to practice a different kind of medicine based on truly listening to, and hearing his patients in order to diagnose them properly. Long story short, he left surgery, became board certified in integrative medicine and acupuncture, and now is the medical director of the Integrative Medicine department here, and has treated hundreds of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

I've always been very proud of him, but I'm really only telling you his credentials so you'll hopefully be open to a "forum newbie's" recommendation to get Jacob Teitelbaum's book called, From Fatigued to Fantastic. My husband recommends it with great success to all of his Fibro and CS patients, and follows Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol to treat them. You can read many great recommendations for it on Amazon.

I hope this helps some, and I hope you get to feeling better.

Also, I'd like to thank all of you for your wonderful and helpful posts about TV. I've been reading them for weeks now, and I feel like I know TV and its citizens quite well. Looking forward to our visit.

[senior citizen]

Hello. My name is Shelley, and I've been lurking here on this forum for quite awhile now. I thought my first post would be about our upcoming Lifestyle visit in October, but I felt I had to respond to this post.

My husband was a general surgeon for 20 years. About 15 years ago he developed a keen interest in integrative medicine and found himself frustrated with only being able to spend 10 minutes with a patient before having to dash off to another surgery, or another patient. He wanted to practice a different kind of medicine based on truly listening to, and hearing his patients in order to diagnose them properly. Long story short, he left surgery, became board certified in integrative medicine and acupuncture, and now is the medical director of the Integrative Medicine department here, and has treated hundreds of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

I've always been very proud of him, but I'm really only telling you his credentials so you'll hopefully be open to a "forum newbie's" recommendation to get Jacob Teitelbaum's book called, From Fatigued to Fantastic. My husband recommends it with great success to all of his Fibro and CS patients, and follows Dr. Teitelbaum's protocol to treat them. You can read many great recommendations for it on Amazon.

I hope this helps some, and I hope you get to feeling better.

Also, I'd like to thank all of you for your wonderful and helpful posts about TV. I've been reading them for weeks now, and I feel like I know TV and its citizens quite well. Looking forward to our visit.

I put it on my Kindle; it was indeed interesting......however, there are many other circumstances that cause either fibromyalgia (muscle pain with trigger points) or R.A. to "flare".........sometimes it can be as simple as the fluctuating weather conditions...........as many arthritics will attest to. People I've asked at The Villages, however, all say they feel better.
I can understand the sunshine part of it........but what about the humidity??? Up here, the humidity is a killer, painwise, not literally.
With all the rain, the humidity and the dropping barometer, the joint and muscle pain is through the roof. When it's dry, the pain is rare. However, even Arizona is not free of arthritis pain; they do get their monsoon season. The higher altitude DRY states are probably the best for muscle and joint pain sufferers.

But , no one in The Villages feels their joint nodules from arthritis "flare" up when the barometer is dropping and a storm is coming in daily?
Ditto for those with fibromyalgia trigger points and the rainy season with high humidity in Florida? Just wondering.

Joint & Muscle Pain Symptoms With Heat & Humidity | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/print/about_6689848_joint-pain-symptoms-heat-humidity.html)

[asianthree]

Thank you ALL for the responses!!

Senior Citizen...if I was giving out a prize, you'd probably have won!

Now, next question! I know there are groups out there (a plethora for sure) but does anyone know of a really good beginning yoga class?? The Sun has listings, I know but not all of the groups are listed. I thought if anyone on TOTV was currently in a yoga class they could tell me about it!! I just read where yoga is good for fibro...and probably alot of things we folks acquire as we grow older!!

any yoga instructor can modify their class for a beginner...don't worry about what everyone else is doing in the class.. yoga is about your mind, and your breath

[momahobbit]

Hi Shelley, Hope you enjoy your visit here. It really is a great place to live . I can go every place I need to go on my street legal golf cart which includes church, dentist, doctor and shopping as well as golf , swimming and good music in the Squares. I'm addicted to the Villages and if you stay long here I'm willing to bet you will be too. Enjoy and welcome.

[cathyw]

There is a Fibromyalgia Support group that meets at the Truman Rec Center.
I'm sure you could find out a lot from them.

http://www.virginiatrace.com/clubs/ClubsListing042412.pdf

[ginamarie]

I am new to the area and I was wondering if there is a social group with this condition that meets please and thank you?

[graciegirl]

I am new to the area and I was wondering if there is a social group with this condition that meets please and thank you?

Your answer was two posts behind you above.

There is a Fibromyalgia Support group that meets at the Truman Rec Center.
I'm sure you could find out a lot from them.

http://www.virginiatrace.com/clubs/C...ting042412.pdf

Hope this helps.

Kind wishes,
Gracie

[Golfingnut]

Was diagnosed with this awhile ago....but wasn't given much information. What I know I've read on the internet. Can anyone tell me what I can expect? I'm on a couple of anti-inflammatorys and also some pain pills too.
Is this one of those things that affects folks differently?? Curious about how others deal with it!

There really is not any real data as this is a term given when there is no actual illness. :pray:

[NotGolfer]

There really is not any real data as this is a term given when there is no actual illness. :pray:

Well I beg to differ with you on this one! Mine is secondary to other primary auto-immune issues. It was a rheumatologist that did give a diagnosis so I'll go with what they said. But won't get into an argument re: this. Since my original post however....I have gone gluten/sugar free and have found some good results with the pain issues. It's been gradual....it's coming up on one year of doing this...that the issues have been abating. The food-plan has shown GREAT improvement in more than just this!

[conniesue]

Thank so much. for recommending the book.I am off to buy the book today.

[NotGolfer]

Upon my diagnosis for fibro...my rheumatologist recommended the book, "Fibromyalgia For Dummies". I scanned some of it but didn't read it in it's entirety. Too much information!

Since I first posted this, I have gone gluten and sugar free after reading the book Wheat Belly. The author (a cardiologist) says gluten is in every processed food (for sure) and many others. It's generally hidden! Carbs metabolize to "sugar" in our systems....sugar is addicting! Gluten/carbs will not fill a person up but makes them crave (it's the sugar again) for more!!

We all need carbs however but it's the ones that are in the "whites"---flour, rice, potatoes and sugar that we're to definitely stay away from. This is a very simple explanation. I will also add that the W.B. author will say that the inflammations (the sugars will "feed" your inflammations of diabetes, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and more) folks exhibit may take a long time (up to a year) before one might see any positive results. I can truthfully say that I have seen several very good results for doing this. I'm coming up on a year in a couple of months. The benefits of this type of "plan" (it's NOT a diet as one thinks of it as it's a life-style) are decline of your lab/stats with your A1c improving, your cholesterol improving and weight loss w/o much effort! There's much more to this than what I've stated here but it's just giving you a nudge or a start to look into this.