Sleep

How is your sleep? Do you have a hard time going to sleep? Do you toss and turn? Do you wake up every hour or so? When you get up in the morning do you still feel as tired as you did when you went to bed? After you are up a few hours do you have the urge to lay back down?

If you said yes to some of these questions, you should talk to your doctor about your sleep problems. Without good restful, restorative sleep, your body does not heal well. It's important to get into the deep sleep (rem).

There are medications that can help you. I use Trazadone and it works well for me. Sleep Apnea is another problem for Fibromyalgia patients. Perhaps a sleep study is what is needed.

Setting good habits for bed time is important... no caffeine in the late afternoon or evening. Don't exercise at night. Don't watch TV or read in bed.

A Gift for Me

My sister can do wonders with pictures. I bought a new camera and she wanted to see some of my pictures. I sent them to her last night. She picked out these and lo and behold, I got up to this in my e-mail. What a sister!

Taking pictures will be a new and exciting hobby for me. Something to overshadow my pain and uplift my spirits.

Having hobbies helps keep the pain level down. What is your hobby or fun thing to do that helps you when you are flaring?

Aspartame

Thank you Carmen for asking about aspartame.

I personally do not know whether it is good or bad but there are both sides on the WWW. I'm sharing 3 links concerning the pro's and con's. Chain letters have been circling the web for years. I guess after reading both sides each person needs to determine for themselves what they are going to do about it. So much that is sent via e-mail through the web is not creditable and I pay little attention to them. I think if there was a real risk the FDA would be jumping in to get it off the market.

http://www.aspartame.net/

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/risk/aspartame

What do you have to share?

I'd love to receive questions or concerns or comments from you. We could share them here and hopefully find some answers concerning the big monster - Fibromyalgia..

Feet Hurt

Julie commented about her feet hurting. I understand ....

I have to wear sturdy shoes (no higher heels) with a good arch support or my feet hurt. Mine I think is from the arthritis and weight.

I don't believe there are tender points for fibro in the feet but I do think when we hurt we do not walk well ( that balance thing...staggering like a drunk without having a drink). Many times our posture is not good when we hurt and that affects the whole body if the back is not straight.

There are some good roll on's that help stop the pain. A favorite of mine is celedren from Avon Products. A menthal base and it really works for me on muscles and my feet.

Putting a water bottle into the freezer (not clear full of water, it will expand) and then rolling your feet over the frozen bottle helps.

Doing foot exercises help. Making the toes and feet in circles helps the ankle. There are more you can do. I'm sure if you put "foot exercises" into Google there will be links.

When our feet hurt we hurt all over even if someone doesn't have fibromyalgia. Hope these ideas work for you, Julie, and others who read this.

Will Fibromyalgia ever go away?

Flares can be a day or two or several months. We don't know exactly why they happen. I've had fibromyalgia close to 40 years and I've had some times during that time when it stayed in the background.

Stress seems to make it worse. Possibly because when most people are stressed their muscles tighten up and therefore shorten up. That is why stretching is so important with Fibromyalgia. For me, a hot shower on the muscles before stretching allows them to stretch easier with less pain.

I've been in and out of a constant flare for several months. Weather has not helped. For many of us other diseases/conditions come into play and they have a battle within our bodies trying to decide who is #1 (don't you agree?).

I have arthritis and have had 3 total joint replacements, soon to possibly have the left shoulder joint replaced. That will make both shoulders and both knees. Fibro and my arthritis have both been flaring. They both cause fatigue.

With the heavy fatigue, rest is important. Walking will help the spirits and the joints and the muscles. I have not been diligent about walking as I must get in the car and leave my hill and find a flat place to walk. My goal is to get back to walking as soon as it warms up a little. The weather has been so cold.

In my opinion, Fibro doesn't leave us, it just hides now and then and comes out fighting. Learning how to live with it will help us endure it. My faith helps me face most days when I'm hurting. I rest in Him.

Fibro Fog

Fibro Fog can be upsetting and embarrassing. Medications can seem to make it even worse.

How many times have you lost your thought in the middle of a conversation? A plain ol' memory blank. Or someone asks you something as simple as the name of one of your grandchildren and your mind is a blank?

Have you had the wrong words come out of your mouth? They are not connected in any way but the word is completely different than you were meaning to say.

How many times do you describe what you are trying to think of in order to get the word? Our spouses and friends sometimes need to be puzzle solvers with us.

It can be scary, it can be funny, it can be maddening. We might be afraid we are "losing it" or getting Alzheimer's or something.

If it is happening to you, don't panic. You aren't going crazy or losing your memory. It's a side affect of fibro. Discuss it with your doctor, hopefully, you have one that is compassionate and helpful.

Fish Oil Capsules

I was told that fish oil could help my pain. I have been taking at least 2400 mg a day for about a year now and I think it helps but in reading a lot about it, I know it is also good for my heart.

You might want to try it and see if it helps you. Ask your doctor about it. Mine was agreeable about me taking it.