Prognosis

The prognosis is better than ever before! The efforts of individuals, support NETWORKS, RESEARCH organizations and GENERALLY INTEGRATIVE medical professionals to help improve the quality of life HOLISTICALLY ie (LOOKING AFTER BRAIN, BODY, MIND, SPIRIT) for people with Fibromyalgia are starting to pay off. Better ways to diagnose and treat Fibromyalgia are available. The symptoms of Fibromyalgia can vary in severity and often wax and wane, but most patients who are finding out about help from corrected ELIMINATION ways of EATING FOR LIFE,   supplementations. With the added help of myofascially trained physiatrists (rehab physios), Bowen therapists, Feldenkrais therapists, hydro therapy teachers, bio kinetisist, myofascial chiropractitioners, cranio sacral therapists, clinical nutritionists, counsellors, who are now knowledgeable about FM/CFS/CFIDS-ME, allowing the sufferer to improve over time. By actively seeking new information, talking to professionals who have suffered but recoverd from active Fibromyalgia, re-evaluating daily priorities, making lifestyle changes, and working hard to keep a POSITIVE attitude, the Fibromyalgia sufferer can become the Fibromyalgia survivor! The terminology is called a 'multi-disciplinary approach' to helping sufferers understand and cope with the burden of Fibromyalgia.

It is most interesting that MD Devin Starlynyl's and Dr John Sharkey's  latest book "Healing Through Trigger Point Therapy" (Amazon.com only) and for professionals working with FM sufferers of Myofascial Trigger Point Muscle pain control, more than for the sufferer who needs direction, not added stress to those very TrP's that stop the eye muscles from working very well, iterates and illustrates on almost every page the 1000's of TrP's that surround every myofascial muscle, tendon, ligament in our crania, faces, brains, bodies, making 'the murderous pain', unless resolved, continuously murderous until the above mentioned therapist's help is found along with functional medicine requirements and the patients' assistance and clarity that the 'whole package of functionality begins with the TrP's being 'educated to refunction', sometimes throughout the life of the active/non-active FM. Stress and trauma, even when  in 'remission', will dysfunction the TrP's back to activity. Thus Behavioural Therapy, clinical Nutrition, eliminating all the known allergens and toxins from the body arre as important as attending to TrP therapy. 

A new treatment option

About 9 million American adults  have fibromyalgia, says Dr. Arnold. Many are given a variety of pain relievers (including antidepressants that have pain-relieving effects) & drugs that improve sleep, but these don't help  THE CAUSATIVES OF FUNCTIONAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS AS THEY ONLY TREAT THE SYMPTOMS, AND HAVE A VERY SHORT BRAIN-BODY MEMORY 'SHELF LIFE', AS , IN THE MAIN, THEY ARE THE WRONG DRUGS FOR THESE CONDITIONS AS THE BRAIN OF FIBROMYALGICS DO NOT HAVE THE CORRECT NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NOR THE OPIOD RECEPTORS FOR GENERALLY PRESCRIBED ANALGESIA AND (MANY TIMES NOT NEEDED AT ALL), ANTIDEPRESSANTS. This is due to fibromyalgia brains having only 4 Opiode Recetors, when PAIN is being incorrectly addressed, and 'clinicaldepression' sited when most fibromalgia sufferers agree, world-wide, that they live with 'SITUATIONS OF DISTRESS', rather.   Now there are  other analgesic and low dopamine and serotonin medication options: Lyrica, the 1st medication to be specifically FDA-approved for EXTREME PAIN in fibromyalgia. Lyrica is a type of pain reliever that reduces pain signals from the nerves to the brain. About 1/3 of patients who try it have a substantial reduction in pain, says Dr. Arnold. (About 1/2 have a noticeable but not as great improvement.) There can be side effects, the most common of which are dizziness & sedation. Other potential ones: weight gain, swelling of the hands & feet, & allergic reactions, which can range from blisters & hives to rare but severe swelling of the tongue & breathing problems. Dosages should begin with the LOWEST dosage for the individual to know whether or not this drug is, in fact, acceptable TO HIM/HER. The time to begin the prescribed low dose 25mg Lyrica should be 6pm nightly for at least 3 months, adding 50mg mgs if very necessary with breakfast in the morning if one is not allergic to the active ingredients before the.  After a WEEK of a low dose, the dosage can then be increased, slower rather than very quickly. The 2nd well-tolerated new SSRI AND PAIN RECEPTOR that works on serotonin and nor-adrenalin and norephedrine through the DNS down the spinal column is called Cymbalta - begin with 30mgs before 10am for 7 days and then 60mgs at the same time daily.(Note that this drug is not passed by the European MCC for FM). However, Cymbalta has many side-effects thus CYMGEN 25MG WHICH IS AN SNRI and the analog of Cymbalta with very few side effects except to 10% of the test-trialed cases and (only 1 known SA patient has been unable to take this drug), addresses anxiety, depression to a point and offers some pain relief. 2   new drugs are available in USA but not yet in South Africa, with less side effects, for PAIN. Watch this space.... DO NOT BEGIN OR RETRACT ANY SUPPLEMENT OR ALLOPATHIC DRUG WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF YOUR HEALTHCARE CONSULTANT.

NB Medication, as you have read, offers NO CURE. The REMISSION that starts wiith less chronic attacks, may be HELPED intitilly with medication of the correct sort, However, when a personalised, holistic programme is followed by the fibromyalgic, with or without CFS/ME-CFIDS, including the correct elimination of toxic allergens, toxins from chemicals, pollutants, food and drink, as well as correct nutritional supplementation, anaerobic/aerobic/stretch/strength exercise protolcol have been established, along with correct counselling and team-work, given the CORRECT  SUPPLEMENTATIONS FOR FM  dysfunctionality, patient evidence has proven that both pain and functionality, should begin improving from the 1st- 3rd week to greatly improve by the 3rd month. Of course, a Functional Medical expert should to be part of the team, and on many cases, endocrinology will be essential to reulate the hormones. An holistic/integrative approach- programme can be safely used together with allopathic medication when that is neccessary in all Functional conditions.

For further help call Sharon Levin 011-4885-5848/ cell 27 (0)82 876 8777 or EMAIL fmssha@ibi.co.za