Some proven stress busters are yoga, exercise, sleep, and meditation. Breathing deeply and exhaling slowly can also help. Or keep in mind activities that you enjoy or that make you feel better. When stress strikes, do one or two of them.
Extreme sensitivity. Fibromyalgia can make you extremely sensitive to pain all over your body, and you may find that even the slightest touch is painful. If you hurt yourself, such as stubbing your toe, the pain may continue for much longer than it normally would.
If fibromyalgia has caused you to experience pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders, you may also have frequent headaches. These can vary from being mild headaches to severe migraines, and could also involve other symptoms, such as nausea (feeling sick).
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is still a somewhat controversial diagnosis, because it is not yet fully understood and its symptoms can overlap with many other conditions.
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.
Fibromyalgia patients often have gastrointestinal problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation, which are very similar to those observed in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Dry eyes: A relatively common eye problem due to fibromyalgia is dry eyes. The mucous membranes in the nose, mouth, and eyes can dry up. Dry eyes can be especially uncomfortable for people who wear contact lenses. Using eye drops with vitamin A can help to keep your eyes moist and alleviate discomfort.
The pain may get worse with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress. This condition is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50.
The most helpful treatment approach for fibromyalgia is a combination of self-care, physical activity and cognitive-behavioral therapy. But medication may also be needed.
More hospitalizations. If you have fibromyalgia you are twice as likely to be hospitalized as someone without fibromyalgia. Lower quality of life. Women with fibromyalgia may experience a lower quality of life.
Caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol should be avoided before bedtime. Individuals should go to bed around the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends or after a sleepless night. Exposure to light should be minimized before bedtime.
Reducing stress and relaxing
People may benefit from trying to avoid or limit exposure to stressful situations and making time to relax. While techniques such as meditation or deep breathing may help manage stress , it is important that people with fibromyalgia do not avoid physical activity altogether.
First, the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia can make it difficult to get to the bathroom in time. Additionally, the condition can cause changes in the muscles and nerves that control the bladder, which can lead to issues like incontinence or overactive bladder.
The central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) transmits information all over your body through a network of specialised cells. Changes in the way this system works may explain why fibromyalgia results in constant feelings of, and extreme sensitivity to, pain.
Digestive issues
While we're unclear as to the direct connection, people with fibromyalgia often experience gastrointestinal problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation. As well, people with fibromyalgia are more vulnerable to developing irritable bowel syndrome.
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.
Over-exertion
But overdoing, even when you feel good, will usually come back to bite you in the form of a fibro flare. It's better to increase your activity level gradually so that hopefully you'll have more good days with fewer setbacks.
Although numerous studies have shown that fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease (conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, whereby the body attacks healthy tissues), reliable research concurs that this condition does weaken your immune system by causing various abnormalities and irregularities.
Prescription NSAIDs like Celebrex (celecoxib) or Voltaren (diclofenac) also carry the same risks as their OTC counterparts, but may be appropriate for short-term relief if kept at the lowest possible effective dose. Opioid medications are generally not recommended for fibromyalgia treatment, except in severe cases.
Prescription Medications for Sleep
Patients with fibromyalgia generally require medication to both initiate and maintain sleep. To initiate sleep, I find Ambien (zolpidem) to be most effective. I sometimes recommend part of the dose be taken sublingually during middle of the night awakenings.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend a multivitamin that includes antioxidant vitamins A, C, D, E, and the B vitamins, as well as calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc to ease symptoms. Coenzyme Q10. This antioxidant, used to convert food into energy, has shown some promise in treating fibromyalgia symptoms.