Muscle stiffness. Unrefreshing sleep. Increased thirst, chronically dehydrated. Frequent infections.
FM patients may present with numerous oral complaints, such as xerostomia, glossodynia, and dysgeusia. Xerostomia, known as dry mouth, is a subjective sensation of dryness in the mouth, which often accompanies salivary gland hypofunction. The incidence of xerostomia with FM varies from 7% to 71% [39,44].
Dehydration can lead to increased pain and fatigue, common symptoms of fibromyalgia. By staying hydrated, you can help prevent these symptoms from worsening. “Staying well-hydrated is a key part of managing fibromyalgia symptoms.
Hydrate yourself. That clear liquid we take for granted every day can actually help to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Did you know that fatigue and headaches can be caused by dehydration?
some people with fibromyalgia report alcohol causes symptoms to flare. Drinking alcohol while taking certain medications prescribed for fibromyalgia—such as anti-convulsants, antidepressants, and acetaminophen (an ingredient in many medications) could cause harmful interactions.
Physical and emotional stress are the most common triggers of fibromyalgia flares. Other triggers include lack of sleep, weather changes, and hormone imbalances.
Fibromyalgia can affect your sleep. You may often wake up tired, even when you have had plenty of sleep. This is because the condition can sometimes prevent you sleeping deeply enough to refresh you properly. You may hear this described as non-restorative sleep.
According to research, it looks like tea has several things to offer, both for the public in general and for those of us with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Fibromyalgia is known as an “invisible disease.” You can't see brain fog, digestive issues, muscle weakness; sensitivity to light, noise, and odors. But they are part of our “new normal” and while we may not look sick, we absolutely know we are.
Fibromyalgia can be associated with ocular symptoms (foreign body sensation, irritation) and visual disturbances (blurred vision), coexisting with dry eye syndrome and reduced corneal sensitivity.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD/TMJ) frequently occurs with fibromyalgia. Bruxism (teeth grinding) is associated with TMD and can interfere with restorative sleep, a primary symptom of fibromyalgia, and many fibromyalgia patients also complain of having a dry mouth.
"Patients can commonly experience symptoms of eye pain, sensitivity to light, blurred vision and fluctuating visual clarity, difficulty focusing, visual overload and dry eyes," Dr Pellegrino explains.
Other researchers believe fibromyalgia is caused by a lack of deep sleep. It is during stage 4 sleep that muscles recover from the prior day's activity, and the body refreshes itself. Sleep studies show that as people with fibromyalgia enter stage 4 sleep, they become more aroused and stay in a lighter form of sleep.
The drugs amitriptyline, duloxetine, milnacipran and pregabalin can relieve fibromyalgia pain in some people. They may cause side effects such as a dry mouth or nausea. Normal painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen (paracetamol) aren't recommended for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
Biofeedback, deep breathing, meditation, self-hypnosis, or even just distracting yourself with a good book or some soothing music can help take your mind off the pain and make coping with a flare more manageable, say experts at the National Fibromyalgia Association.
Magnesium
Not only is it credited with keeping the heart, kidneys and bones strong, it also helps us avoid muscle spasms, weakness and back pain, Dr. Teitelbaum says. Women with fibromyalgia may be deficient in magnesium, studies suggest. And magnesium may help relieve fibro pain and other symptoms.
Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body, also called widespread pain. Fibromyalgia also causes sleep problems, fatigue, and emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia.
Several rheumatic diseases can mimic fibromyalgia. These include sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, polymyalgia rheumatica and lupus. They have symptoms of widespread pain along with joint involvement.
Unusual sensitivity to cold, especially in the hands and feet, often accompanied by color changes, numbness and tingling; this condition is known as Raynaud's phenomenon (also called Raynaud's syndrome) Urinary complaints, including a strong urge to urinate, frequent urination and pain in the bladder.