You grip my body and won’t let go,
Even when I tell you no.
You wake me in the morning with your evil grin,
some days you convince me you will win.

Why don’t you leave me alone
do you get a thrill from hearing me moan.
I have a life to lead,
I want to be freed.

You have no right to be here,
I did not ask you to appear.
I want to run, laugh and play,
You have no right to stay.

You go deep to my inner core,
You laugh and say have some more.
I beg you please just go away,
For God’s strength I daily pray.

You will not win here me well,
You may have knocked me down for a spell,
I will over come I will prevail,
And you disease can go straight to hell.

Please show your love to me and guide me in the right direction,
in the hope of taking away this fear & heartache from my life forever.

It has such as strong grip upon my life, and I know you have better plans for me then this!
It is absolutely terrifying, I beg of you that you help give me the strength
to overcome this so that I can live my life.

~amen~

Now is the time when the five stages of grief will step in and rule your life for a matter of time. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years that you will spend going through the process of grieving, but every person who is diagnosed with a chronic illness will go through this process, the same as you would if you had lost a loved one. You HAVE lost a loved one: the old YOU. You must grieve for the person that you were, so that you can move on and accept the person that you are.

The first stage of grief is denial. Each and every one of us goes through this process. We may say to ourselves, “Oh, it can’t be! That’s can’t be right!” We may even go to another doctor, to try and find another answer, perhaps one with a “cure”. Most of us will go home and do some research, whether on the computer or at the local library or book store. We may even KEEP that appointment with the other doctor, just to see if maybe this one will come up with something we like better. When we go home, we may tell our loved ones and friends that the tests were inconclusive, that the “quack” we went to see doesn’t know what’s wrong with us and that we’re going to keep trying to find an answer.

Once you’ve made your way through the denial phase, the next step in your grieving process is anger. You may become increasingly angry at the world, your job and coworkers, your family, and even yourself. You will probably want to yell and scream, and possibly even throw things. You will declare to yourself and to anyone who will listen about how life isn’t fair and you got the short end of the stick. At this stage, it is important to remember that your anger is an integral part of your grieving process, and that it is completely normal. However, if your anger turns to violence toward you or others, it’s time to seek professional help.

The third stage of grief is called bargaining. If you are a person of faith (no matter what that faith is), you will probably find yourself trying to bargain with your deity; “Oh please, if you’ll take this away, I will _________” (fill in the blank). This, too, is a normal phase of grieving that everyone must go through before they can become completely comfortable.

Depression is the fourth stage of the process of grieving for your lost self. This stage is easy to get into and difficult to get out of. But again, this phase is completely normal, however, if your depression is so serious that you are having feelings and/or thoughts of hurting yourself (or worse), please seek professional help!! You may become depressed because you can no longer do some of the things you used to do, or be the person you used to be. You may feel as if you are “broken” or that there is something wrong with you. You may isolate yourself from your friends (or they may do it for you–but if they do, they weren’t true friends), slow or completely stop your social activities, and spend hours or days at a time in bed crying. You are grieving over the loss of your self.

The final stage of grieving is acceptance. This is where you finally get to the point where you say to yourself, this is where I’m at, and I can accept it. You have come to terms with your illness, learned about it, and learned how you yourself can cope with your condition and make your life a bit more livable with that condition. You may slowly pick up your social activities and come out of your shell more and more. A big step toward managing your condition, no matter what it is, is the acceptance of that condition. Once you are no longer fighting the inevitable, you will be better able to listen to your body as it tells you what it needs.

You may not necessarily go through these five stages in the order listed, and there’s no time limit for each one. You will remain in a stage for as long as YOU need to. There’s no right or wrong answer here. You may even go back to a stage you have already been through, because there is something there that is still unresolved in your mind. However, there is one thing to remember through all of this: the stages of grief are necessary to your physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being, not only when you grieve the loss of a loved one, but when you grieve the loss of yourself as well. Do not be ashamed, but rather embrace your grieving process; once you do, you will find that you manage a lot better!

*The five stages of grief information was taken from: http://www.recover-from-grief.com/kubler-ross-stages-of-grief.html

Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is not a disease that one ordinarily associates with death but there is growing evidence that CFS places one at an increased risk of early death. The National CFIDS Foundation has a long memorial page reporting on the deaths of CFS patients. A noted physician, Dr. Jason, recently stated that death due to CFS may be more common than we think;

“We have a paper coming out in the next couple of months, where we have actually looked at causes of death for people who have died of chronic fatigue syndrome. What we have found is that individuals seem to die of three causes, heart disease, cancer and suicide… (and) we found that those individuals who died, actually died significantly younger, about ten years younger of those causes, than would be expected based on national mortality data.”

Jason Breckenridge’s and Casey Fero’s deaths bring a special poignancy to this question. Both were young men and neither appeared to be at death’s door.  Jason had made considerable progress in his health over the past year. The week before he died he was well enough to travel from Syracuse to New York City to visit his doctor and return full of enthusiasm. Casey Fero had completed two years of community college, had a summer job and had enrolled in college shortly before his death from a heart attack. Both were, despite their illnesses, enthusiastic young men one might have been thought  would have been the last to suffer such a fate. When I first learned of Jason’s death my first thought was ‘Not HIM!’.  It was, and still is, hard to believe.

A Goodbye To Jason Breckenridge

A Tribute to Casey Fero by Mary Schweitzer

This is easier said than done. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia four years ago and I am still trying to get used to the idea that I have it. I have also had three kids since I was diagnosed so I haven’t been able to get on a steady treatment plan. I am hoping when I meat my new doctor on Aug. 23, we can put something together that can drastically change my outlook on life. I mean I have been in so much pain, I have popped every pill in my house, drank anything that had alcohol in it and have basically tried to just end it because it was too unbearable for me. I have lost custody of two of my kids because I couldn’t physically or mentally take care of them the way they needed. I can still get them back and I have been recently blessed with a baby boy that is going to be loved and taken care of by me better than any other mother out there. I am determined this time to really research and be proactive in my health. Drinking and drugging just makes it worse. It will feel better for a short period of time, but in the end, it will just make everything worse. Being in chronic pain for the last four years has completely ruined the last four years of my life and I have finally decided that I am going to take action and do the research and I am going to be well and happy and a great mother and a great wife. I am not going to let pain take over me like I have before. It just makes things worse including the pain. My best advice would be, though, to give it up all to God. Pray, pray, pray, like you have never prayed before. Trust me works. Don’t give up. Life can still be great with fibromyalgia!!!

Well in the midst of all of this, I have decided to apply for disability. My new doctor has actually recommended it. I have always just thought that I would figure out a way to make it and work at least part time. It’s just not going to happen. Although, since I am contracted with Aflac Insurance Co., I can still sell insurance with them whenever I feel like it. That’s pretty nice if I ever need the extra money and I physically can get out there. It is hard on me to do that though. Now I just have to find a good lawyer to help me get approved. I actually think I am going to go with Wayne Wright. They seem to have a great success rate and I don’t have to pay them unless you get approved. I think I can handle that. So I am just going to have to accept the fact that I am not well most of the time and I am going to have to figure out a way to live the best life I possibly can. Thank God, I have a great man and wonderful kids that are standing by me no matter what. That right there is all I need to live my life to the fullest.

Chronic Pain can not only cause extreme physical discomfort, but can also cause psychological problems that will also need to be dealt with. The physical aspects of chronic pain can stem from backaches, headaches, joint pain, or past pain from an injury. Chronic pain can also be caused by carpel tunnel syndrome, sinus pain, or other specific parts of the body such as the neck, shoulders, or lower back. Also ongoing nerve and muscle pain can cause chronic pain that can last for years. Besides having to deal with the physical pain, chronic pain can also have an emotional toll on you that can actually make the pain worse. Such emotional issues can be anxiety, depression, anger, fear, hopelessness, and all in all just extreme negative feelings. These feelings can be caused by lack of energy, sleeplessness, not being able to take on day to day activities, and just constantly being in pain.

Before you make a trip to the doctor, you are going to want to make a list of your symptoms. The most common symptoms of chronic pain are:

• mild to severe pain that will not go away that is continuous for six months or more
• pain that can be described as burning, shooting, tingling, electrical, or aching
• a constant feeling of being sore, tightness, discomfort, or stiffness

These are the obvious symptoms. Having chronic pain can also cause:

• fatigue
• withdrawal from activities and constant need to rest
• sleeplessness
• changes in mood such as anxiety, depression, hopelessness, stress, and irrability

If you believe you that you are suffering from chronic pain, these are going to be a lot of your symptoms.

If chronic pain is affecting your quality of life, you are going to want to see a doctor. When you make the decision to see your doctor, you need to be prepared. The doctor will ask you a lot of your medical history. They will want to know details and how your chronic pain is affecting your daily life. The doctor is going to want to know exactly where your pain is. They will need to know quite a bit of details before they diagnose you and decide what treatment plan is right for you.

Once you have been diagnosed with chronic pain, the doctor will go over a treatment plan with you. Since there are many different types of chronic pain, each case is different. The doctor will treat chronic back pain completely different from chronic sinus pain. Your doctor will go over all of the medications, therapies, and mind-body techniques that you can consider to treat your pain. They will go over all the benefits and risks, including addiction. It may take some trial and error before you and your doctor decide what the right treatment is for you.

Chronic pain can be extremely difficult to deal with, but once you find the right doctor and the right treatment plan, your quality of life can be greatly improved and you can once again live your life to the fullest.

For more information on chronic pain visit the amazing fibromyalgia support group at FibroPages.com

Fibromyalgia can be a very lonely condition to have. It can limit you from various social and physical activities that you would otherwise engage in. Many people including family and friends may not understand what you’re going through, especially since it doesn’t look like your sick. They don’t get what it is like to be in pain all the time and be completely exhausted all the time. Fibromyalgia is also known to cause clinical depression. If you’re not depressed, it can still cause emotional ups and downs that you normally wouldn’t experience. Fibromyalgia support groups can help you deal with these ups and downs or even being clinically depressed. It can be very therapeutic to know that you are not alone and there are people out there that will be very supportive. Also people with fibromyalgia don’t have a cure so they have to learn how to cope on a day to day basis. With a Fibromyalgia support group, you can get advice from other fibromyalgia sufferers that have been there and have found ways to manage fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia support groups can be very mentally and physically healing. In most cases, it takes someone in pain to understand what kind of pain you’re in. It takes someone that is to be completely exhausted to understand you being completely exhausted. It takes someone being disabled to understand you being disabled. Fibromyalgia support groups can connect you to thousands of other people that are experiencing the same condition you are. When you share this condition with other people, it allows you to compare symptoms and treatments. You can finally come to the realization that you are not crazy. You are not the only one. You will be allowed to vent all of your feelings without being judged. Most likely, you will make good friends that will last a lifetime. This can be extremely helpful in the healing process. Fibromyalgia support groups can greatly improve your quality of life.

Fibromyalgia support groups can be offered online or in your community. There are many different support groups to choose from. You might have to do a little research to find the right group. In some cases, you might even be involved in more than one group. This is great. If you want, you can even start your own group. The more you can get out there and talk and write about your situation, the better you will feel and the more people you will end up helping out. It is a win win situation. Check out your local or online fibromyalgia support group today and begin to learn, share, support, and heal.

“It’s all in your head…”

“Snap out of it…”

“Get a hobby…”

“Think positive thoughts…”

“Don’t think about it and it’ll go away…”

Of course, these things were all said to me by people who’d never experienced what they’d consider a panic attack. Sometimes, I’d like to give them a piece of my mind, but while in the midst of a panic attack…who has the energy to devote to something like that?

To the people who tell me that I can overcome it easily with positive thinking, I offer this…

I want you to imagine for a moment…Now, I’m going to inject into your blood stream a quantity of caffeine equivilant to twenty cups of coffee. Now…when it hits your blood stream, it will make you experience a sharp increase in heart rate, weak arms and legs…they’ll feel like rubber, your thoughts will race, your eyes will wander nervously around, unable to focus on anything for more than a fraction of a second…you will start hyperventilating, unable to get enough air to your lungs, your head will pound and your body will feel like it is on fire…you will be frightened for your life, fearful that these rapid breaths will be the last you ever take…

NOW…

I want you to make it stop. Just stop. Try to think about something positive, try to force your mind and body to just STOP PANICKING. Can’t do it can ya???

Do you think it would make people understand better to say that? I doubt it.

People in general think that a panic disorder is a mental disorder, and I don’t think that’s completely the case. A person with a panic disorder releases huge amounts of adrenaline into their blood stream within mere seconds…that would be no different than when you are in a near collision while driving in your car…but the BIG difference is that people with a panic disorder can’t make that adrenaline get OUT of their blood stream. That is where the major malfunction lies. It isn’t something that can be controlled with your mind, any more than a diabetic person can control their disease with their mind.

When a person without a panic disorder experience that “near collision” on the freeway, about five minutes later, all of their symptoms of panic have disappated. Such is not the case for people with PD.

Oh, we want to control it with our thoughts, and we give it our best shot every single time…we try our best to control our breathing, our fears, and sometimes we even succeed in some ways. It takes an incredible amount of mental exertion to conquer even the smallest panic episode, and that tremendous effort will leave us exhausted every time.

The key here is that a panic disorder is a full time deal. Actually, you have to realize that your panic attacks, in themselves, are just symptoms of your panic disorder. We don’t have panic attacks every second of the day, every day of our lives, but however, we do have the anticipatory anxiety of the next attack at every moment of every day.

Anticipatory Anxiety. What is that? Well, say you cut yourself on a knife while washing the dishes. Every time you stick your hands in dishwater, you’ll subconsciously be on guard for knives slicing your finger. You learn to be on guard, you learn to protect yourself. It’s human nature. So once we have a full blown panic attack, we live every moment listening to our bodies, trying to catch symptoms of the panic attacks right when they come. We want to be prepared, we never want to be caught off guard again. The scary thing is, though, that something as simple as your heart beating will be listened to and connected to the time that your heart raced while you were panicking. A trembling hand will be associated with “the shakes” that come with a panic attack. Pretty soon, a freckle will look like cancer, and hunger pains will be a gastrointestinal disorder, a headache naturally looks like a brain tumor. (Just hearing that word still gives me a shudder, I had a big problem with THAT one!)

If we don’t understand what is going on with us, we end up going to the doctor’s office and looking like, or actually becoming, hypochondriacs. That further lowers our self esteem, our defenses, our belief in ourselves. We must learn to ignore these natural things that are going on inside of our bodies, and of course, learn to filter the feelings inside so that only the important ones come through…the ones that will warn us that we are in need of medical attention. This is the hard part to learn.

People with panic attacks are typically more creative and intelligent. A person knows these things about themselves, and when you are living your life as you always have, you believe in yourself, you like yourself and you are happy. One severe full blown panic attack will rob you of all of that stability and leave you feeling exposed and fragile. No longer certain that you are on a certain path, no longer believing all the fundamental aspects of what makes your life YOURS. You are suddenly a completely different person, and generally a very terrified person.

What hurts me terribly is the lack of support. We only want our friends and family to at least try and understand how scared we are, how lonely and lost we suddenly find ourselves feeling. To reach out and help us through it.

My hope is that someday our society will recognize our disorder as that of high priority in getting resolved. That a cure will be found that doesn’t cost sufferers thousands of dollars. And, sadly, I believe that we will never see that happen.

Millions of dollars are spent every year by panic sufferers. Some are wrongly diagnosed as being “stressed out”, some are told that unless they go to therapy, they will never get better…regardless, every person with this horrendous condition would spend every available penny to find relief. My prescriptions, because I’ve gone through periods of being unisured, have amounted to over fifty dollars a week…more than we were spending on groceries for our family of four. (Heap on some guilt to the problem pile!)

I’ve bought books, tried to find free couseling (unsuccessfully), bought expensive vitamins, natural herbs, my prescriptions and have racked up so many doctor bills for visits, bloodwork and tests that my credit is now ruined.

I don’t think that our economy could withstand the sudden appearance of an inexpensive remedy to this condition. Think of all of the facets of industry that would be affected by that! No…we’ll unfortunately be denied that heavenly reprieve in order to feed the sharks circling below.

Get expert information on panic attacks, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome at FibroPages.com

Please know that being sick doesn’t mean I’m not human. I may spend most of my day flat on my back and I might not seem like great company, but I’m still me stuck inside this body. I worry about school, work, family and friends and I’d still like to hear about yours.

Please understand the difference between “happy” and “healthy”. When you’ve got the flu you probably feel miserable but it will pass. I’ve been sick for for so long that I can’t afford to be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if I sound happy, it means that I’m happy, it does not mean that I am well. I may be in pain and sicker than ever.

Please, don’t say, “Oh, you’re sounding better!”.

I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you’re welcome.

Please understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn’t mean that I can stand ten minutes, or an hour. It’s likely that five minutes has exhausted my resources and I’ll need to recover – imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn’t repeat that feat right away either. With a lot of diseases you’re either paralyzed or you can move, but with Fibromyalgia it gets more confusing.

Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, “sitting up”, “walking”, “thinking”, “being sociable” and so on … it applies to everything. That’s what a fatigue-based illness does to you.

Please understand that chronic illnesses are variable. It’s quite possible (for me, it’s common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, and the next I’ll struggle to reach the kitchen.

Please don’t attack me when I’m ill by saying, “But you did it before!”.

If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I’ll tell you. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please don’t take it personally.

Please understand that “getting out and doing things” does not make me feel better, and can often make me worse. Fibromyalgia may cause secondary depression (wouldn’t you get depressed if you were no longer able to participate in life?) but it is not caused by depression. Telling me that I need exercise is not appreciated or correct – if I could do it, I would.

Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now – it can’t be put off or forgotten just because I’m doing something. Fibromyalgia does not forgive.

Please understand that I can’t spend all of my energy trying to get well. With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But part of having a chronic illness is coming to the realization that you have to spend some energy on having a life now. This doesn’t mean I’m not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It’s just how life is when you’re dealing with a chronic illness.

If you want to suggest a cure, please don’t. It’s not because I don’t appreciate the thought, and it’s not because I don’t want to get well. It’s because every one of my friends has already suggested every theory known to man. I tried them all, but quickly realized I was using up so much energy trying new treatments I was making myself sicker, not better. If there was something that cured Fibromyalgia, all of us would know about it by now.

If you read this and still want to suggest a cure, submit it in writing but don’t expect me to rush out and try it. If it is something new, with merit, I’ll discuss it with my doctor.

Please understand that getting better can be a slow process. Fibromyalgia entails numerous symptoms and it can take a long time to sort them all out.

I depend on you – people who are not sick for many things but most importantly, I need you to understand me.

Get more information on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome at FibroPages.com

Fibromyalgia can develop on its own or along with other musculoskeletal conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Symptoms
The overwhelming characteristic of fibromyalgia is long-standing, body-wide pain with defined tender points. Tender points are distinct from trigger points seen in other pain syndromes. Unlike tender points, trigger points can occur in isolation and represent a source of radiating pain, even in the absence of direct pressure.

Fibromyalgia pain can mimic the pain that occurs with various types of arthritis. However, the significant swelling, destruction, and deformity of joints seen in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis does not occur with fibromyalgia syndrome alone.

The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness.

For some patients, pain improves during the day and increases again during the evening, though many patients with fibromyalgia have day-long, unrelenting pain. Pain can increase with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress.

Specific symptoms:

• Body aches
• Chronic facial muscle pain or aching
• Fatigue
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Memory difficulties and cognitive difficulties
• Multiple tender areas (muscle and joint pain) on the back of the neck, shoulders, sternum, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, knees
• Numbness and tingling
• Palpitations
• Reduced exercise tolerance
• Sleep disturbancesK
• Tension or migraine headaches

Treatment
In mild cases, symptoms may go away when stress is decreased or lifestyle changes are implemented. A combination of treatments including medications, patient education, physical therapy, and counseling are usually recommended. Many fibromyalgia sufferers have found support groups helpful.

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration approved Pregabalin (Lyrica) as the first drug for the treatment of fibromyalgia. In June 2008, a second drug, Cymbalta, which was previously approved for treating depression, was FDA approved for treating fibromyalgia as well. In 2009 the FDA approved milnacipran (Savella) for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Certain classes of antidepressant medications are sometimes prescribed for the disorder. Studies show that antidepressants in low doses can decrease depression, relax craniofacial and skeletal muscles, improve sleep quality, and release pain-killing endorphins. Other medications that are used include anti-inflammatory pain medications and medications that work on pain transmission pathways, such as Gabapentin.

Eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding caffeine may help with problems sleeping, and may help reduce the severity of the symptoms. Lifestyle measures to improve the quality of sleep can be effective for fibromyalgia.

Some reports indicate that fish oil, magnesium/malic acid combinations, or vitamins may be effective. Reducing stress and improving coping skills may also help reduce painful symptoms.

Improved fitness through exercise is recommended. Studies have shown that fibromyalgia symptoms can be relieved by aerobic exercise. The best way to begin a fitness program is to start with short sessions of just a few minutes of gentle, low-impact exercises such as walking and swimming. The length of each session can be increased slowly, as tolerated. Attempts at keeping to an exercise program often fail because they are begun too aggressively, with sessions that are too long or too intense. Starting out slowly and gently can help ease you into an effective program you can stick with.

Starting slowly helps stretch and mobilize tight, sore muscles. High-impact aerobics and weight lifting could cause increased discomfort. Symptoms may be relieved by gentle stretching and light massage, as well as acupressure, acupuncture, and relaxation techniques.

Severe cases of fibromyalgia may require a referral to a pain clinic.

Causes
The cause of this disorder is unknown. Physical or emotional trauma may play a role in development of the syndrome. Some evidence suggests that fibromyalgia patients have abnormal pain transmission responses.

It has been suggested that sleep disturbances, which are common in fibromyalgia patients, may actually cause the condition. Another theory suggests that the disorder may be associated with changes in skeletal muscle metabolism, possibly caused by decreased blood flow, which could cause chronic fatigue and weakness.

Others have suggested that an infectious microbe, such as a virus, triggers the illness. At this point, no such virus or microbe has been identified.

Pilot studies have shown a possible inherited tendency toward the disease, though evidence is very preliminary.

Men and women of all ages get fibromyalgia, but the disorder is most common among women aged 20 to 50.

Tests & diagnosis
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires a history of a least 3 months of widespread pain, and pain and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 tender-point sites. These tender-point sites include fibrous tissue or muscles of the:

• Arms (elbows)
• Buttocks
• Chest
• Knees
• Lower back
• Neck
• Rib cage
• Shoulders
• Thighs

Sometimes, laboratory and x-ray tests are done to help confirm the diagnosis by ruling out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. The following conditions have been associated with fibromyalgia or mimic its symptoms:

• Cancer
• Cervical and low-back degenerative disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Depression
• HIV infection
• Hypothyroidism
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lyme disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sleep disorders

Prognosis
Fibromyalgia is a common and chronic problem. The symptoms sometimes improve. At other times, the symptoms may worsen and continue for months or years. The key is seeking professional help which includes a multi-faceted approach to the management and treatment of the disease. There is no proof that fibromyalgia syndrome results in an increased death rate.

Prevention
There is no proven prevention for this disorder. However, over the years, the treatment and management of the disease has improved.

When to contact a doctor
Call your health-care provider if you have symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Get more information on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome at FibroPages.com

Symptoms
Symptoms of CFS are similar to those of most common viral infections (muscle aches, headache, and fatigue). They come on within a few hours or days and last for 6 months or more.

Main symptoms:

• Fatigue or tiredness, never experienced to this extent before (new onset), lasting at least 6 months and not relieved by bed rest
• Fatigue that is severe enough to restrict activity (serious fatigue develops with less than one-half of the exertion compared with before the illness)

Other symptoms:

• Fatigue lasting more than 24 hours after an amount of exercise that would normally be easily tolerated
• Feeling unrefreshed after sleeping an adequate amount of time
• Forgetfulness or other similar symptoms including difficulty concentrating, confusion, or irritability
• Headaches, different from previous headaches in quality, severity, or pattern
• Joint pain, often moving from joint to joint (migratory arthralgias), without joint swelling or redness
• Lymph node tenderness in the neck or armpit
• Mild fever (101 degrees F or less)
• Muscle aches (myalgias)
• Muscle weakness, all over or multiple locations, not explained by any known disorder
• Sore throat

Treatment
There is currently no cure for CFS. Instead, the symptoms are treated. Many people with CFS experience depression and other psychological problems that may improve with treatment.

Some of the proposed treatments include:

• Antiviral drugs (such as acyclovir)
• Drugs to fight yeast infections (such as nystatin)
• Medications to reduce pain, discomfort, and fever
• Medications to treat anxiety (antianxiety drugs)
• Medications to treat depression (antidepressant drugs)

Some medications can cause adverse reactions or side effects that are worse than the original symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Patients with CFS are encouraged to maintain active social lives. Mild physical exercise may also be helpful.

Causes
The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown. Some researchers suspect it may be caused by a virus, such as Epstein-Barr virus or human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6). However, no specific virus has been identified as the cause.

Studies suggest that CFS may be caused by inflammation along the nervous system, and that this inflammation may be some sort of immune response or process.

Other factors such as age, prior illness, stress, environment, or genetics may also play a role.

CFS most commonly occurs in women ages 30 to 50.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes CFS as a distinct disorder with specific symptoms and physical signs, based on ruling out other possible causes. The number of persons with CFS is unknown.

Tests & diagnosis
Physical examination may confirm fever, lymph node tenderness, lymph node swelling, or other symptoms. The throat may appear red without drainage or pus.

The health care provider will diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) only after ruling out all other known possible causes of fatigue, such as:

• Drug dependence
• Immune or autoimmune disorders
• Infections
• Muscle or nerve diseases (such as multiple sclerosis)
• Endocrine diseases (such as hypothyroidism)
• Other illnesses (such as heart, kidney, liver diseases)
• Psychiatric or psychological illnesses, particularly depression (since CFS itself may be associated with depression, a diagnosis of depression does not rule out CFS but fatigue related to depression alone must be ruled out for CFS to be diagnosed)
• Tumors

A diagnosis of CFS must include:

• Absence of other causes of chronic fatigue (excluding depression)
• At least four of the other symptoms listed
• Extreme, prolonged fatigue

There are no specific tests to confirm the diagnosis of CFS, although a variety of tests are usually done to exclude other possible causes of the symptoms.

The following test results, while not specific enough to diagnose CFS, are seen consistently in people who are eventually diagnosed with the disorder:

• Brain MRI showing swelling in the brain or destruction of part of the nerve cells (demyelination)
• Higher levels of specific white blood cells (CD4 T cells) compared with other types of white blood cells (CD8 T cells)
• Specific white blood cells (lymphocytes) containing active forms of EBV or HHV-6

Prognosis
The long-term outlook for patients with CFS is variable and difficult to predict when symptoms first start. Some patients have been reported to completely recover after 6 months to a year. Others may take longer for a complete recovery.

Some patients report never returning to their pre-illness state. Most studies report that patients treated in an extensive rehabilitation program are more likely to recover completely than those patients who don’t seek treatment.

Complications

Depression (related both to symptoms and lack of diagnosis)
Lifestyle restrictions (some people are so fatigued that they are essentially disabled during the course of the illness)
Side effects and adverse reactions to medication treatments
Social isolation caused by fatigue

When to contact a doctor
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you experience persistent, severe fatigue, with or without other symptoms of this disorder. Other more serious disorders can cause similar symptoms and should be ruled out.

Get more information on chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia at FibroPages.com

Lyrica is considered an anticonvulsant. It was originally made with the use of other treatments , to control certain types of seizures. They now have also indicated that Lyrica can be used to treat Diabetic Nerve Pain, Shingles, and Fibromyalgia. After two double-controlled scientific studies involving over 1,800 participants, there was approval for the use of Lyrica to treat Fibromyalgia. The FDA then approved the medicine in June 2007. This was a major breakthrough for Fibromyalgia sufferers. It was the first medicine approved for Fibromyalgia. It gave us fibromyalgia sufferers hope and it also gave Fibromyalgia more name recognition. We could finally be taken serious about the pain we are feeling.

Lyrica is said to be best effective if used on a regular basis. This drug works the best if it is kept in your body on a constant level. Doctors usually recommend 300 to 450 milligrams per day. Your doctor will decide this according to your specific condition and your response to the medication. Physicians will usually start off a lower level of medication and gradually increase if needed. Always consult with your doctor before taking this medicine and always take Lyrica exactly as prescribed.

Of course with taking any kind of medication, you want to be aware that there are side effects. Lyrica is no different and some of these side effects include: dry mouth, constipation, nausea, fatigue, weight gain, increased appetite, drowsiness, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. You will need to contact your physician immediately if these unlikely, but very serious side effects occur such as difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, change in amount of urination, abdominal pain, muscle pain/weakness/tenderness, vision changes, unusual tiredness, and uncontrolled movements. Also you should be aware that Lyrica can cause a very serious allergic reaction. It is extremely rare, but if this happens go to the emergency room immediately.

If you suffer from Fibromyalgia, Lyrica might be a wonderful medication for you. It can greatly improve your quality of life. Please talk to your physician if you think Lyrica might be able to help you.

Get more information on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome at FibroPages.com

Cymbalta is an SSNRI (Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor). It was originally made to treat depression, but was recently approved by the FDA in June of 2008 for the treatment of Fibromyalgia. Cymbalta in Fibromyalgia patients has been demonstrated to help reduce pain and improve function. It had been earlier approved by the FDA for the treatment of periphial diabetic nerve pain, generalized anxiety disorder, and depression. Cymbalta will not work on all fibromyalgia patients, but it has been proven to provide relief for numerous fibromyalgia individuals.

Even though it is believed that the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, it is been associated with abnormalities in the brain’s neurotransmitters, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These are the same neurotransmitters that are believed to play a role in peripheral diabetic pain, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. These are the disorders that Cymbalta was originally made to help and improve function.

Cymbalta is believed to improve your mood, while calming down the pain signals by increasing the substances serotonin and norepinephrine. Cymbalta can usually be felt within the first two weeks. Of course with any drug, there are going to potential side effects. Some of the known side effects of Cymbalta are diarrhea, appetite changes, nausea, insomnia, sleepiness, dry mouth, fatigue, headache, constipation, sexual difficulties, cold hands and feet, vomiting, weakness, sweating, tremor, and urinary difficulties. Some more severe side effects would be increased anxiety levels, heart palpitations, and increased thoughts of suicide. These side effects should be reported to you primary doctor immediately.

In most countries where Cymbalta is marketed, Cymbalta is still considered a controlled substance, even though it is not a narcotic.

If you believe that Cymbalta might be a great fit for you, you will need to consult with you physician. Cymbalta does not work for everyone that has Fibromyalgia, but if it works for you, it will relieve pain and give you much needed hope.

Get more information on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome at FibroPages.com