Acid Blah!!

Acidity is the most difficult for me to get under control. There's this amazing book, Alkalize or Die by Dr. Theodore Baroody. This book changed my life, but the alkalizing diet just doesn't seem to be enough lately. I think all my meds are actually causing so much acidity that eating nothing but avocadoes and drinking only water, I'm still ridiculously acidic. This seems to be really common for fibro fighters.

Symptoms of Acidity

• sore throat
• heartburn
• gas
• bloating
• chest pain
• nausea
• metallic taste in mouth
• hoarseness
• cough

Muscle Tension

Muscle tension, and spasms cause the most pain for fibromyalgia patients. There are a few tricks to try and keep tension down. Stretch, stretch, stretch! That's the number one way to keep it down. Of course, if you're like me, you can stretch 24/7 and still be stiff as a board. Today is one of those days. I swear my muscle are trying to jump out of my neck and shoulders! They're seriously like baseballs. If stretching doesn't work, then try taking Benadryl. If Benadryl doesn't seem to help, you can take Ibuprofen PM (which has Benadryl in it). If that's not strong enough for you, then you need to see your doctor and discuss taking muscle relaxers. Unfortunately, for some of us none of those work, then the only thing you can do is live with it, or sleep it off! But you can change your lifestyle to reduce the amount of muscle tensions and spasms.

1. Get a weekly massage
2. Take a hot bath or jacuzzi
3. Sit in a sauna
4. Drink more water (I'm talking at least a gallon a day)
5. Heat pads
6. Stretch every morning and every night

Rheumatologist

I went to the rheumatologist today for the first time since 1998, when I was 16. It was much better now that I'm 31 and she actually took me seriously! She's starting all over with diagnosis, and she ordered so many more tests than they did back then! They took the usual 7 vials of blood and a UA. But she also got me an appointment with a neurologist for May, Physical Therapy for next week for a full analysis and consultation, and an MRI of my brain to be scheduled next week! I can't believe how much more peaceful I feel, knowing that my doctor is actually taking me seriously.

If you were diagnosed with fibromyalgia before getting checked by a neurologist, or rheumatologist, try going back. Unless they rule out all muscle diseases, and arthritis, they can't be sure that you have fibromyalgia! 

Barometric Pressure and Inflammation

Snow, sleet, and rain bring pain, pain, and more pain! If you think that weather affects how you feel, you'd be correct. I noticed the first day of snow brought horrible chest pains. I thought I was having a heart attacked about three hours before it snowed, but my husband remembered the same thing happening last year and reminded me that we should wait before going to the hospital. I'm glad he did, because that would have been embarrassing! I looked back at my medical history, and every winter I went to the emergency room for severe chest pain and shortness of breath. I've been diagnosed with costochondritis, and get chest pain regularly, but the pain in the winter is so horrible that it brings tears to my eyes. It has been proven that lower barometric pressure increases inflammation, causing immobility and pain.

If you're like me, then this just mean more inflammation, immobility and pain. The pain can be horrible. Looking back, I also noticed that I can get through most of the year without any serious pain killers, but in the winter I need vicodin or percocet to function at least 2 days out of the week. When the barometric pressure rises, the pain goes back to the usual achiness and random stabbing. The lower barometric pressure feels more like stabbing and then the knife being twisted back and forth for hours. Below is a link to an awesome article about barometric pressure and it's effects on muscles and joints.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5081553_effects-barometric-pressure-joints-muscles.html

Guaifenesin Protocol and Counseling

I started taking Mucinex again. It is defnitely working. You can always tell when you start going through that reversal period, when symptoms get worse at first. It stinks, but it's worth it. My anxiety is insane, pain is excruciating, fatigue is frustrating, but I'm forcing myself to get out of bed and do things every day.

I have an appointment with a counselor for Monday. I'm really excited, because it's been awhile since I've seen one and I think it really helps. My fibro symptoms don't get better, but it helps me mentally and emotionally. Fibro is very difficult to deal with, especially for someone who is a thinker. Physical anxiety can cause and anxious mind, and the knowledge of how to do things combined with the physical inability to do them is obviously the perfect recipe for depression.

Treatments & Medications

Here is a list of treatments and medications that I've tried so far. Each one I tried for at least 3 months (or as long as I could), and many helped minimize one or two symptoms, but none of them are cures. I really think that a combination of the Gerson Therapy and the Guaifenisin Protocol will be the best, but it will be really expensive.

Aromatherapy
Accupuncture
Accupressure
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Eat Only Fruits & Veggies
Raw Rood Diet
Massage Therapy (Weekly)
Amitriptyline
Flexeril/Cyclobenzaprine
Vicodin/Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
Morphine
Percocet/Oxycodone/Acetaminophen
Protandim
Jacuzzi Soaks (Daily/Weekly)
Gerson Therapy (2 Week Home Treatment)
Reiki/Energy Healing/Chakra Healing
Ayurveda (Herbs/Diet/Pressure Points)
Yoga/Pilates
Valerian Root (Pills/Tea)
Herbal Teas (Valerian, Jasmine, Green, Chinese, etc)
Ginger (Pills/Tea)
Garlic (Pills/Tea)
Juice Cleanse
Chine Medical Practitioner (Arnica, Damp Heat Regimen)
Arnica Gel
Icy Hot
Heat Pads
Ice Packs
Maximized Living (Diet/T3 Exercises/Stretches)
Chiropractor
Meditations
20 Minutes on Treadmill (Daily/Every other Day/3 Days a Week)
Psychiatrist/Psychologist/Therapist
Walking (2 Miles Daily)
3 Hour Stretching Daily
Epsom Salt Bath
Apple Cider Vinegar (Drinking/Bathing)
Alkalizing Diet (Alkalize or Die)
Daily Hand & Foot Massages
Carrot Juice Daily
Green Drink Daily
Whey Protein/High Protein Diet
High Fiber Diet
Zero Protein Diet
Vitamin D3
B-Complex/B12
Vegetarian Diet
Pescetarian Diet
All Natural/Organic Diet
Carb/Starch Free
Iron
Liquid CalMag
Calcium Pills
Magnesium Pills
L-Glutamine
Pharma GARBA Chewables
BLISS Pills
Niacin
Lemon & Cayenne Pepper Cleanse
Drink Only Distilled Water
3 Day Fast
Sugar Free
Sodium/Salt Free
3 Day Fast
Rolled Up Damp Hot Towels
Reflexology
Serotonin
Nia Dancing (Once a Week)
Levothyroxine
Plexus
That Dragonfly Stuff
2 Glasses of Water with a Whole Lemon Squeezed In
Juice Plus
EFT/Tapping
Fresh Arnica in Hot Water
Heal Your Body Mantras
Liquid Raspberry Ketone
Low Glycemic, Low Gluten, Low Dairy, Pescetarian Diet
Toradol/Ketorolac Shot
Tramadol
Guaifenesin Protocol
Propel Zero Powder (Once Daily)
Tiger Balm

Amitriptyline & Guaifenesin

Since my anxiety has been out of control lately, and I've been snapping at my husband a lot, I started taking my Amitriptyline again. It seems to be helping for now. But it's always the same thing with all these meds--they work for awhile, I get used to them, I up the dose, and then I stop when I get to the highest possible dosage. At least it'll work temporarily.

The Guaifenesin really helped, but I didn't recognize the severity of my case. I guess there aren't a lot of people out there that can honestly say they've had fibro symptoms for 26 years. When I stopped taking it, during the cycle, all my symptoms got worse again. Now I'll have to start all over, but this time I'm not taking a month off. Screw the cycling, I'll need to keep an eye on my diet and eat only alkalyzing foods since Guaifenesin can cause acidity, but it'll be worth it.

Once I get my symptoms under control, I'll have plenty of opportunities opening up for me. I might even get to start my Hospitality Consulting business!