Drug used for opioid addicition proves promising in study --WedMD

This sounds promising!

An inexpensive drug called Naltrexone, which has been around for about 3 decades, may make a good treatment for fibromyalgia, according to researchers at Stanford University.

The study was very small, using ten women who had had FMS symptoms for at least ten years, and recorded their responses using computers as to their reactions to pain, hot and cold.

Go check out the article on WebMD and judge for yourself. There probably won't be a prescription for anything like this for several years, but any positive news on treatments are always welcome.

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My symptoms have waxed and waned throughout the year or so since I last posted. I've made a conerted efford to cut out aspartame and that seems to help. I wonder if the new sweetner made from the Stevia plant (since it's from a plant and not a lab) is any good. Anyone try it? I haven't yet, but I might soon if what I'm hearing about it is the real deal.

Right now, I'm dealing with a middle ear infection and a ruptured eardrum resulting from the infection. It's not fun and I don't wish it on anyone.

Until next time (whenever that may be)--

It was rough going there for a minute

But, I got thru the second part of my three part educational plan, receiving an Associate's Degree in Broadcast Communications this past May. It didn't take me as long as I thought it might, and that's a good thing. All that walking to school (two miles one way!) just about killed me (and probably ruined my left knee forever).

The pain is being kept to a dull roar at the present time. I looked into that new precription drug for FMS, and I'm not sure I like all the side effects. With my luck, I'd have one or all of them. That's just the way my luck seems to work these days.

The good news is that I may have health insurance as soon as August, because I can get a policy thru the university I'm attending to work on my Bachelor's. I still have questions to ask about pre-existing conditions and all that.

I'm going to be moving closer to the university, so hopefully my commute will be much less. Gas prices hurt my bottom line, and the closer I can get to campus, or a bus line, the better it will be for me.

Hopefully, I'll go into a long period of normalcy as far as flares are concerned.

--MorelaterZ--

Swimming eases pain of mystery ailment-- study

From Yahoo News:

A small study seems to indicate that swimming eases the pain of fibromyalgia. The study didn't indicate if other forms of exercise, such as walking or aerobics, were as effective.

Okay... if they didn't compare other forms of exercise, how is this a valid study. Wouldn't a study of exercise and fibromyalgia include more types of physical activity?

But, read the article and decide for yourself.

Accupuncture? I swear I'm going to try that next!

I ran across a blog recently where the author had tried accupuncture with some success. I keep telling myself to look into it, but never really get around to it. Maybe it's the needles that put me off.

God knows what I'm doing now (self medicating with OTC drugs) isn't really helping me in the long run.

Has anyone tried that Lyrica that is advertised on TV as being for fibromyalgia? I'm kinda curious to find out more about it before I approach a doctor with the idea of me taking it.

I go weeks without pain or fatigue, so that has me thinking that I can do anything. Then I have a flare that lasts much longer than I think it should. I know that the stress from school caused the last one I had in November. That last semester was the toughest one yet, and made me realize that I have to get this under control somehow.

I need to do some research. Posts on this blog are woefully lacking in usable information. Right now, it's just me complaining. LOL

LaterZ--

RA, Lupus link...via WebMD

I found this article interesting. In addition to having fibromyalgia, I also have RA. Between the two, my life is a pain in the... well, everywhere. Lately, it's been the tendons in my feet and ankles that's been bugging the bejeezus out of me.

OTC pain relievers help some, but somewhere down the line, I'm going to have to see someone for something stronger.

--MorelaterZ--

Pain redefined...

I know stress aggrevates my FMS. I know that diet sodas containing aspertame makes things worse with my FMS.

Since the last post in July or whenever it was, I've been under a bit of stress because of my finances. Because of school. Because of other things I'm not at liberty to discuss in this venue.

And not a bottle of Aleve in sight.

When school started for the fall semester last month, I had trouble staying alert in class. I discovered Diet Pepsi Max in the Cafe at school and bought a bottle. I was wired for about four hours.

And not a bottle of Aleve in sight.

Natch, I was in a lot of pain this past week. It all caught up with me...

Sitting for long hours in class, plus a workstudy job doesn't help either, but I can usually handle that with either Aleve or Tylenol.

It seems that the pain is more intense than I remember it being. It's time that I really find a doctor to help me so that I don't end up crippled before I'm fifty. Then all this schooling will have gone to waste, then where would I be? I don't want to rely on others to get me thru the day, the rest of my life.

This scares me. A lot.

What am I waiting for? A miracle, perhaps. I don't know. All I know is that I can't go on like this indefinitely. I don't want to be any more of a burden on people than I already am.

--Morelaterz--

Ohhh, I'm so sore...

I feel like crud today. Major flare goin' on here...

Everything hurts, and not because I am now walking everywhere. I don't know what I did, or didn't do, to hurt this much. My Aleve is gone, and all I want to do is sleep.

I don't know how much longer I can go without seeing a doctor about this. I feel like I'm falling apart.

--MorelaterZ--

Can't sleep

It's 4:45am CDT and I have yet to fall asleep tonight. Despite the fact that I took Aleve before I went to bed, I'm still in a great deal of pain.

Can we say flare? I knew you could... boy, does this suck. If there is a good side to this, at least I don't have to be in class today. My summer classes start a week from Monday.

Well, it's off to bed... perchance to dream.

Playing catch up

Sorry for the long time between postings. I've been a bit busy.

Since my last post in October, I have moved to a new town about 20 minutes from where I was living with my mom, I applied for and eventually got unemployment, and I started school with the goal of getting an Associate in Broadcasting.

All was going well until a couple of weeks ago. Then everything started to hurt again.

Aleve (my miracle OTC drug of choice) takes care of most of the pain, but I really do need to see a doctor for all the other stuff.

Most days though, I feel pretty good. So I consider myself lucky.

I really should check in on the groups I've joined to see what's new in the world of FMS.

~until we meet again~

I"ve never been so damn sore in all my life!

I think I am smack dab in the middle of a major league flare. Everything is sore, stiff and very painful.

Sleeping on the floor at my mom's house doesn't help, but she gave away my hide a bed while I was in Wyoming.

Aleve and I are the best of friends, and the only reason I'm sleeping these days is because I am so exhausted every day from doing nothing. I went from working 12-15 hour days to zero, and it all feels the same to me, painwise.

I know I need to see a doctor. I saw a doctor in Wyoming before I left, and all he could tell me is that I have somehow developed an ulcer. With all the stuff I went thru at my job, that news didn't surprise me in the least. He was a GP, and the closest Rheumy was at least 30 miles away. With no car, it may as well have been on the friggin moon.

I just have to tough it out I guess, just like I have for the last four years. One of these days soon, I'm actually going to have a job with medical bennies, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.

Until then, I might see if the great state of Oklahoma can help me out somehow. I'm going back to school, maybe they'll take pity on a poor non traditional college student...

We shall see...

FMS article

I found this interesting. Click on the link and read it for yourself.

It's time for me to finally get this under control. Keeping busy and trying not to think about it doesn't cut it anymore.

Maybe this isn't going as well as I had hoped it would

I am still so tired, and I'm pretty sure I'm used to the altitude by now.

After about three months pain free since i've been here, I'm now in pain all the time it seems.

Aleve and I are fast becoming reacquainted.

I have a doctor's appointment on Sept. 18th. It's a family practice doc, but I gotta start somewhere, right?

I just want to rule other things out, and I haven't had a general check up in a very long time. I'm 42 years old; I need to find out what I should be on the look out for because I'm getting older.

So far, it's just bifocals.

I've lost weight, but I really think that's from all the walking I'm doing because I still don't have a car. I'm not eating as much either. I wonder if that means something significant?

And of course, I want to ask about a rheumy, too. I could benefit from seeing someone.

I'm almost desperate enough to try all those supposed "cures" that are out there. Almost, but not quite. I'm not stupid.

I get a lot of freedom in my job to stand and stretch and move around, so what I'm feeling now is not because I'm stuck in a chair eight hours a day.

Maybe it's the hours I work: 5am to 2pm. If the job weren't fun, I'd have never taken the position and moved all the way up here.

I have my dream job. So why do I feel iti's slowly becoming a nightmare?

Any thoughts?