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NIGHTSHADE? LOW DOSE NALTREXONE?

Low dose Naltrexone. 


Would it work?

It's thought that the central nervous system is compromised in people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. Naltrexone is an anti-addiction drug in normal circumstances but in low doses it acts differently.

Stanford is preparing for a study of Low Dose Naltrexone as a treatment for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. This is the first study of it's kind but this drug has been prescribed off label for the past few years.

It isn't a cure-all and not without side effects. 

Some of them are:

dizziness

headache

fainting

anxiety

nervousness

insomnia 

fatigue

nausea & vomiting

diarreha

joint pain

excessive muscle contraction

sore throat

Now, look at that list. I'm a little confused. If those are the side effects how would they know if it's working? A lot of those are the same symptoms that we feel with Fibromyalgia.  I know, in the Stanford study, that the side effects are rare and short-lived but there are people that will be on either side of the "average." Given my tolerance of medication I'll just bet I'd be one of those people.

Are the side effects worth it?

I have a hard time with drugs. Not to say that I don't use them to stay out of pain but the opiods are solid. The relief is there and the side effects are minimal. It's the drugs that make you weigh them on the balance bar to see if the side effects outweigh the benefits.

It's like Lyrica. Given the litany of side effects that there are who in the hell would put that in their mouths? I know everyones different. I guess that is a different view of the balance scale. For me, no fricking way. I think it's the weight gain that did it for me. I have enough self esteem issues without more weight gain. I've put on 20 pounds and I'm one of those all or nothing women. If I'm not a 10 I must be a zero and I don't need Lyrica to help that issue along.

A more natural road.

Then theres the whole nightshade issue. When I first heard about it I thought it was a new kind of curtain. I didn't have a clue that there were foods classified as nightshades.

Nightshades are a family of foods that include tomato, potato, eggplant, tomatillos and peppers as well as spices like paprika, cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce.

Nightshades contain a toxin that in normal conditions bodies process very well but given the compromised system in Fibromyalgia it is thought that by removing these from your diet it will help with your pain. These vegetables contain high levels of alkaloids that remove calcium from the bones.

Now I haven't seen ANY studies on this so I'm not sure if it's just a reach but I do know that certain foods affect people in different ways.  I can't be sure that it's not a food allergy. 

Part of me wants a dietary fix and the other part doesn't think that a nutritional avenue is the only way to go.

What to do? 

I'd love comments to hear what people feel about these two treatments.

HURT LIKE HELL

TODAY IS A REAL BAD DAY.

I don't think there's a place on my body that isn't in pain today. I need another MRI and nerve conduction test next week. Between my back and the Fibro I think I just want to get in a hot bath and forget who I am.

The only silver lining about being laid off is that if I had to see people today I don't know what I'd do. To get up and smile and pretend everything is fine is more than I'm capable of today.

OW.

Tears.

OW.

WHAT NOT TO SAY

People should know that we aren't faking it. 

This isn't a disease that an aspirin and a nap will fix.

So in the interest of those with Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue, I offer these suggestions.

Please do not say:


1. You don't look sick.
No, I don't look sick. If I looked like I felt I'd scare dogs and little children but thanks for telling me that I should look sick if I want to be taken seriously.


2. You should exercise more - you'd feel better.
I guess it would be o.k. if I fell asleep on the treadmill. I especially like it the next day when I can't move any part of my body due to the pain of the glorious exercise I did the day before.


3. Everybody gets tired.
Yes, everyone does get tired. Again, thanks for reminding me that you and a lot of the medical community thinks we're crazy. Just for a point of information when we rest, we don't wake up refreshed.


4. You just need to have a better attitude.
Gee, I thought I did have a good attitude. If my attitude reflected the pain it might kill you.


5. It can't be that bad.
In the same vein no, it can't be that bad. I'll just take a baseball bat and beat the crap out of you and see how you feel the next day. Live like that for years and then tell me it can't be that bad.


6. I wish I had time to take a nap too.
Yep, I'm just a whining little princess who naps and eats bon-bon's all day and pretends to be sick.


7. If you'd just get out more.
I love being locked in my ivory tower. I definitely should get out more. That makes me feel SO much better now.


8. You're just depressed.
Well, what tipped you off to that one? If you live with chronic pain and fatigue don't you think you might get a tad depressed?


9. Oh come on, just get tough.
If you only knew how tough we really are to function and deal with this illness.


and my favorite...................


10. It's all in your head.
People have had enough of the medical community making us think we're crazy. We have to go from doctor to doctor until someone believes us when we say we're sick. We've put up with so many people thinking we're either whiners or neurotics  please don't add insult to injury.


Thanks for listening.

I JUST HAVE TO GET REALITY OFF MY CHEST

I love American Idol. 

I started watching it as one of my "can't miss" tv shows  in season 7 when I saw David Cook sing Hello by Lionel Richie. I had watched it a little bit before but usually right at the end to see who won. 

Then we got to Season 8. I liked Kris Allen. I thought he was great but the showman was Adam Lambert. What a talent!

Now here we are. Paula's gone and Simon's leaving. I know that TV moves on but American Idol was not just about the talent. I enjoyed seeing Paula get goofy and I respect Simon's sometimes harsh words.

So tonight "the girls" found some good in almost everyone, Randy Jackson was almost non-existent and Simon was subdued. 

I hope it get's better.

Too bad..........it used to work.


Now let's go to The Bachelor.

Jake.


I'll admit he's hot and he seems like a really nice guy. 


But who are these women?

I mean, who cries after the first date? Who is delusional enough to talk about MARRIAGE and CHILDREN before they've even met the guy? I don't understand that at all. They act like they are emotionally scarred from this experience. Very weird.


Then there are the REALLY spooky ones that look like they're one step away from a padded cell. If they're losing it before the season really gets underway what's going to happen when the cat fight really starts?


Well, let the games begin. It should be a real interesting season for reality TV.


I just want to see Pawn Stars. 

I want to see Million Dollar Listing.

I want to see Tabatha's Salon Makeover.

Geez,  I need a life.

MORE TYPE A

We're driven.


We're work-obsessed.


We're competitive.


Yeah? So what. It's going to wreak havoc on our bodies.

I am a time freak. I can break down the time I need to the minute to put on makeup and I have a real sense of how quickly it can pass.

I have high standards for myself and am extremely self-critical when I fail to reach the impossible. 

I don't show emotions because they can be interpreted as a sign of weakness and I hate to appear weak. The only people that see the "real" me are my closest family and friends.

It isn't that work is more important than relationships but one must be very responsible and sometimes that responsibility takes more hours than a normal workday.

It's not that I love money but it does represent security. Why I can't seem to save any must be an aberration of my personality type.

I am decisive in my work decisions but not so much in my personal life. 

I'm self-motivated.

I don't like unfairness and injustice in the workplace. It tends to make me come unglued. Unfortunately when that happens my mouth goes into hyperdrive and I don't care if it's the CEO I will tell them they're wrong.

I don't like sing-songy little people that go with the flow and wouldn't know stress if it jumped up and bit them. They are the people that drive too slow, take too long at the bank and wait until their groceries are totally rung up and then forget they have to pay. They take their time about EVERYTHING and just to get a full sentence out of their mouth makes you want to slap them silly.

Did I just give myself away?

Am I type A?

I've been told that more than once. 

More than once.

THE BRAIN, STRESS AND TYPE A...........OH MY!

Evidently, scientists are finding out that exposure to chronic stress affects, and can damage,  the hippocampus region of the brain. The researchers are also exploring the role of the hippocampus in regards to pain perception in people that have Fibromyalgia.

Flight or fight.

When your body perceives a threat the nervous system responds by sending hormones into the body.  These hormones put your body on alert. Muscles tighten, the heart beats faster, all your senses become sharper, blood pressure rises and you breathe a little faster. It is your bodies way of protecting you. It can help you rise to challenges and can keep you alert. It puts you in survival mode. 

Chronic stress is different from the "flight or fight" syndrome that the body produces when it experiences acute stress. Chronic stress can change the way the body functions because the body feels like it is constantly under stress. Stress hormones are released into the body at an unprecedented rate. For example, the heart is more susceptible to disease when an excessive amount of cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body. Brain function is also thought to be compromised and learning and memory can be affected. The immune system suffering under an onslaught of these hormones is suppressed. It's overworked and then does not respond well. You are at risk to fight off diseases and when you do get sick it's harder to recover from illness.

What happens when the body is under stress?

Cortisol is produced in the adrenal cortex is the adrenal gland. It regulates blood pressure. It regulates glucose metabolism, immune function and inflammatory response. In small amounts it can heighten memory functions, lower your sensitivity to pain, helps maintain homeostasis (internal equilibrium)  in the body and can give you a quick burst of energy. To turn it off, however, the body must switch on the relaxation response. If you don't switch it off, i.e. relax, the body doesn't have an opportunity to return to normal.

When the stress that you're under is greater than your body is able to tolerate, you are at risk of a stress related disorder.

The body doesn't differentiate between physical or emotional stress. Stress is stress. When you keep yourself in stress mode the body has a harder time shutting off the switch. When you think you thrive on stress and get the high from the stress that ultra Type A personality puts itself under; think again. 

If long term stress can rewire the brain, I must be severely rewired. Stress can creep up on you and before you know it our old friend stress feels warm and fuzzy. It feels normal and very familiar. You get used to it. It's sneaky. The price you pay for that familiar, over-achieving, perfectionistic feeling is a heavy toll on your body. 

What kind of toll?

The negative effects can impair your memory, lower the function of your thyroid, give you blood sugar issues, decrease in bone density and muscle tissue. It disables your immune system so you can possibly have a big bulls-eye on your back for germs in the environment. 

You don't sleep right, you don't eat right, you don't relax right and you think you're cruising through life: until................

The Domino Trips

Insomnia, anxiety, depression, illnesses, circulation problems, heart problems and sometimes autoimmune illness or worse.

Each of these illness has its own problems and when put all together you're on a merry-go-round that is real difficult to get off. Make no mistake. Stress can kill.

Put this together will a central nervous system dysfunction that researchers are finding in Fibromyalgia patients and you have a recipe for disaster.

I always loved high stress positions.

I loved being a Type A to the max. 

I thought I was invincible.

I was wrong.

Fibro Pain linked to Central Nervous System Dysfunction