Natural Remedies For Cfs And Fibro.

[Chrissy]

I have severe chronic fatigue and have for sometime. Every doctor I have seen puts me on sleep aids at night, which I hate taking sleeping pills, plus it makes day time fatigue worse. Now they are saying I'm fatigued because I'm not busy enough and have to much free time. As If! I'm very busy and it is exhausting, so why would I want to get busier. And on my not so busy days I'm just as bad. I heard there is a special diet that helps relieve cfs, but can't find it anywhere. If you know of this diet or have other suggestions it would be appreciated.

I also have serious pain through out my body. Nothing seemed to help so I learned to deal with it or ignore it. I recently was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and put on tramadol. When that didn't help, the dr uped my dose and told me to get a life. Why does everyone say that? Anyways I also heard there are certain foods to stay away from to help with pain, but my dr doesn't tell me what they are. Please help.

[Rosie]

Hi Chrissy-

Have you been tested for Sleep Apnea. It is reported that about 80% of folks who have Fibro have Apnea.

Sleep Apnea

80% of people with fibromyalgia suffer from sleep apnea, a disorder that causes momentary stoppages in breathing. Sleep apnea only occurs when a person is sleeping, but it can affect some people so badly that they actually cause themselves to wake up. Many people who suffer from sleep apnea don?t even know that they have it - usually it is a partner that notices the sufferer waking up.

http://tinyurl.com/2do3r5

And CFS is said to alter sleep patterns.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been associated with altered amounts of slow wave sleep, which could reflect reduced electroencephalograph (EEG) activity and impaired sleep regulation.

http://tinyurl.com/yrbfd9

I hope you get some relief soon. It is hard to 'get a life' when you don't feel well!

Rosie

[Sophia3]

Sorry. your doctor simply does not GET IT and you need to fire him.

Try to find one more understanding.

Trazodone IIRC can make you MORE TIRED during the day due to orthostatic hypotension or that hungover feeling.

Try to get more sleep and listen to your body. Exercise WHEN you can but do not push. walking is great or lower body exercise.

Upper body exercise can exacerbate fatigue.

Good luck

*IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

P.S. I have had CFS since the mid 80's but a Tilt Table Test confirmed autonomic dysfunction which can over rule the more vague CFS...I have POTS. If there is a magic diet, it must be to sell a book.

Years ago was a CFS diet book that RUINED folks with autuonomic problems...it was no salt or very low salt...lots of uncooked foods (Tough on those of us with gut issues, etc(

That said, most of us do best eating good quality easy to digest protein and eliminating excess carbs. So it never hurts to try a certain way of eating.

We all share MANY symptoms but most of us will NEVER know the true cause so what helps one, hurts another.

[doctorguest]

Can you get a referral to see physicians who are more specialized in these conditions than your current physicians? Can you travel outside of your town?

Abnormal sleep is not the only cause of fatigue or fibromyalgia, but it is certainly the one that physicians seem to be more familiar with. There are many ways to address fatigue, other than treating sleep issues, which is by no means a minor one. If your fatigue is severe, I am afraid a special diet alone won't help, unless it is a high-salt diet that you haven't tried yet. What you need is a CAPABLE physician who WANTS to work with you. Many doctors unfortunately do not like dealing with fatigue or fibromyalgia because it is complicated and time-consuming. This is certainly not an excuse, but just facts of real life, I guess. Sophia is right: if your doctor thinks that being busy will cure your problem, it's time to move one to a better one!

[Chrissy]

I was tested for sleep apnea. The sleep doctor that analized the results said I didn't have it, but the dr. who ordered it said it was present but not enough to need treatment.

I'm having a hard time find "good" drs.

I can go to any doctor I want, or most. I've been to virginia to see Abdallah, that is where I was diagnosed with POTS. Now I go to the Mitral valve and dysautonomia clinic in Birmingham, AL. I want a local dr cause I can't afford to travel every 6 months.

[Rosie]

Hi again Chrissy-

The only thing I can add is this: If it were me and the Sleep Eval was more than a year ago, I would ask that another be done.... especially since one Dr. thought there was some indication of Apnea. Apnea tends to become worse as time goes by if not treated. A restful night is a wonderful thing.

I have 2 Dr.s I really like. Both missed the Apnea.

I hope you feel better soon.

[Rachel]

Hi Chrissy,

I'm sorry your doctors aren't being helpful or understanding. It sounds like it is time to find a new doctor. CFS, Fibromyalgia, and dysautonomia are very real and can be very debilitating. You need a doctor who recognizes this and is willing to help you.

I don't know of a special diet for fibromyalgia, but I know that some doctors advise every CFS patient to restrict milk completely. It is supposed to help with digestion and stomach problems, but it can also help with overall health with CFS.

I've had some of the same problems with sleep medications. They all make me too sleepy and weak to function the next day. I'm already sleepy and weak to begin with, so when the meds don't wear off it is not a good thing! I have found melatonin to be very helpful, though. A dose of 1.5 milligrams helps me to sleep through the night and it doesn't make me so weak and drowsy the next day. If you haven't tried this then perhaps you could talk to your doctor about it.

I wish you all the best and hope you can find some relief from your symptoms soon.

Rachel