[PearlyWrites]

Hello,

From the age of 17, I became sick with Epstein-Barr. From that point on, my body never seemed to fully recover back to the way it was. 12 years later, at 29, I was told I have Fibromyalgia.

I know what I feel and that I have good days and bad days, but what exactly is Fibromyalgia?

A few answers I have found all say it is based on the Neurological part of the body. I even read a few books as well that claim there is mucous in the body which needs to "get out" of the body.

Any one who knows about FMS, could you offer some insight?

Thanks!
Lisa

[K9QueenofTX]

FMS or Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a chronic pain illness, for years sufferers were led to believe that they were mentally ill, but studies have now found that is not the case.
It is usually described as having 'trigger' or pain points in the arms, legs, abdomen, chest and back. You HURT all the time. Some days you hurt bad, somedays not so bad. Your sleep is disrupted making the symptoms worse. It becomes an ugly cycle of sleeplessness and pain and makes daily life almost impossible.

I was diagnosed with it over 9 years ago. I went to a doctor who just kept prescribing medication. At one point I was on 20 different drugs, it wasn't the life for me. I found a new doctor who encouraged me to learn and read, I bought countless books, and read everything on it. I finally found a treatment regimen that works for me. I have not taken a pain pill for it in over 6 years now. I still have bad days, but I found that diet and excercise will work it out best for me. I found supplements taken daily like CQ10 are of great benefit. The worst part is I look so healthy on the outside that when I do have a huge flare it is hard for friends and family and co-workers to understand, but since I understand it better I have learned ways to cope with it so it doesn't affect my daily life.
Sue Doyle

[PearlyWrites]

Hello,

Thank you for giving a more detailed explanation. Yes, the Rheumatologists tried to prescribe a few different drugs to help but I don't like to take medication. I tried a few and felt worse so I decided to go the natural route.

I have been following the diet of no flour, no sugar, no dairy, etc and I have been ok. I went of the diet last year for a few weeks and I was in the worst flare for 5 months where I could barely walk or get out of bed.

I now stick to my diet, take vitamins (Co-Q10) works wonders, glucosamine, chondrotin, and regularly exercise. The hardest part was realizing I had to take it slow when I exercised. I was an athlete my entire life and thought working out hard was the only way. When I did this, I would throw my body into fatigue.

Now I just walk several times a week and swim. Keeping the joints and muscles moving keeps my body loose and pain free.

[beth]

Hi Lisa,
I've had Epstein-Barr myself, but my teenage daughter had a terrible dose of it and was off school for over a year. The poor thing was in a lot of pain and really, there was nothing the doctors could offer her. I ended up spending a small ortune on Astragalus, a chinese herbal remedy, which seemed, over a long period of time, to help her. She is almost back to full capacity. Hope you can get some relief with your own problem. Best wishes, Beth

[PearlyWrites]

Hey Beth,

Yes, EBV is a horrible virus. I was out of school the last 3 months of my senior year.

For the most part, I have good days unless I decide I REALLY want ice cream! (YUMMMMY!)

I will have to try Astragalus, I was told Wheat Grass Juice, Grape Seed Extract, and some others but after reading "What your doctors don't tell you about Fibromyalgia," I found a lot of herbs that I was given by a Alternative Medicine doctor and an Acupuncturist were actually causing my pains. I told them about the book and stopped seeing them and decided to treat myself and have found the best relief by doing this.

[beth]

Originally Posted by PearlyWrites

Hey Beth,

Yes, EBV is a horrible virus. I was out of school the last 3 months of my senior year.

For the most part, I have good days unless I decide I REALLY want ice cream! (YUMMMMY!)

I will have to try Astragalus, I was told Wheat Grass Juice, Grape Seed Extract, and some others but after reading "What your doctors don't tell you about Fibromyalgia," I found a lot of herbs that I was given by a Alternative Medicine doctor and an Acupuncturist were actually causing my pains. I told them about the book and stopped seeing them and decided to treat myself and have found the best relief by doing this.

Hey Lisa!
Give Astragalus a try. Round my part of the world I get it from a pharmacist who is also a practicing herbalist. There have been uni studies on at the uni I attended, I'll see if I can find any research on it for you. But I have to say, I think it was the thing that got my daughter going. I must warn you - it tastes like hell!! Still she swallowed it with a grimace and now lives to tell the tale. It works by boosting the immune system, but it seemed to help her joint pains as well. You can only try!
Good luck, Beth

[PearlyWrites]

Hey!

Most of the herbs I have tried don't smell very good or have a great taste. I used to drink this tea that was all grinded up herbs and looked and tasted like MUD! (as I use to eat mud pies when I was younger according to my mother)

Thanks and send over any info; that would be great!
Lisa

[beth]

Originally Posted by PearlyWrites

Hey!

Most of the herbs I have tried don't smell very good or have a great taste. I used to drink this tea that was all grinded up herbs and looked and tasted like MUD! (as I use to eat mud pies when I was younger according to my mother)

Thanks and send over any info; that would be great!
Lisa

Hey Lisa,
I've been searching the web for info on astragalus and chronic fatigue and there are a few articles, but I was really looking for some university-type testing on the stuff. I'll still keep looking for you, but my local pharmacist's daughter also had the condition and he quickly got sick of the fobbing off by doctors so he put his daughter on astragalus and now she has finsihed a five year pharmacy degree and is working full time dispensing all sorts of herbal alternatives to medication where possible. Interestingly, my daughter had a virus last week for which she needed a doctor's note and that doctor told her not to get his prescription dispensed at this particular pharmac(where this herbalist/pharmacist works) as he would only give her some herbs! Hey, it was the herbs that got her better!
Anyway, I'll keep looking. Try to hunt down some Astragalus. It did take months of treatment, be warned!!

[KatMom02]

Can anyone connect me to a reputable website with some good information regarding this condition?

[lboogs123]

Hi out there. I wanted to introduce myself to everyone. I've been searching the web for info about fibromyalgia and found this board. I've never thought about joining a board before, but after reading through some posts, I'm happy I did. I just want to say thanks to everyone for the support you offer eachother here.