Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) & Fibromyalgia research papers published since December 2011. This list is a worthy assortment of what is going on the world of CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia, plus particular references to female Fibromyalgia patients, Fibromyalgia symptoms and a good reference to Vitamin D. Pay special attention to the listings mentioning XMRV, Milnacipran and complex regional pain syndrome.

I am reporting on some of these research reports individually here on the Health Matters Show blog and podcast, on Twitter and on Facebook. How many of these references have you read about…so far? What can this information mean to your life and health?

Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show
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___ Giacomelli C, Bazzichi L, Giusti L, Ciregia F, Baldini C, Da Valle Y, De Feo F, Sernissi F, Rossi A, Bombardieri S, Lucacchini A.
MALDI-TOF and SELDI-TOF analysis: ‘tandem’ techniques to identify potential biomarker in fibromyalgia. Also see the ME-CFSCommunity.com for more information on bio-markers. Excellent videos there, too.

Reumatismo. 2011 Nov 9;63(3):165-70.
___ Aparicio VA, Ortega FB, Carbonell-Baeza A, Camiletti D, Ruiz JR, Delgado-Fernandez M.
Relationship of weight status with mental and physical health in #female fibromyalgia patients.
Obes Facts. 2011;4(6):443-8.

___ Marchesoni A, Atzeni F, Spadaro A, Lubrano E, Provenzano G, Cauli A, Olivieri I, Melchiorre D, Salvarani C, Scarpa R, Sarzi-Puttini P, Montepaone M, Porru G, D’Angelo S, Catanoso M, Costa L, Manara M, Varisco V, Rotunno L, De Lucia O, De Marco G.
Identification of the clinical features distinguishing Psoriatic Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.
J Rheumatol. 2012 Jan 15.

___ Ellingson LD, Shields MR, Stegner AJ, Cook DB.
Physical activity, sustained sedentary behavior, and pain modulation in women With Fibromyalgia. #female Fibromyalgia patients
J Pain. 2012 Jan 12.

___ Culpepper L.
Presentation and diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;72(12):e38.

___ Yilmaz H, Yilmaz SD, Polat HA, Salli A, Erkin G, Ugurlu H.
The effects of Fibromyalgia Syndrome on female sexuality: A controlled study. #female Fibromyalgia patients
J Sex Med. 2012 Jan 12.

___ Zhou Y, Steffen I, Montalvo L, Lee TH, Zemel R, Switzer WM, Tang S, Jia H, Heneine W, Winkelman V, Tailor CS, Ikeda Y, Simmons G.
Development and application of a high-throughput microneutralization assay: lack of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus and/or murine leukemia virus detection in blood donors. #XMRV
Transfusion. 2012 Feb;52(2):332-42.

___ Karafin MS, Stramer SL.
The scientific method at work: xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus is neither a cause of chronic fatigue
syndrome nor a threat to the blood supply. #XMRV
Transfusion. 2012 Feb;52(2):222-5.

___ Del Prete GQ, Kearney MF, Spindler J, Wiegand A, Chertova E, Roser JD, Estes JD, Hao XP, Trubey CM, Lara A, Lee K, Chaipan C, Bess JW Jr, Nagashima K, Keele BF, Pung R, Smedley J, Pathak VK, Kewalramani VN, Coffin JM, Lifson JD.
Restricted replication of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related virus in pigtailed macaques. #XMRV
J Virol. 2012 Jan 11.

___ Theadom A, Cropley M, Parker P, Feigin V.
Women with fibromyalgia syndrome in New Zealand: the symptom experience. #female fibromyalgia patients
N Z Med J. 2011 Dec 16;124(1347):38-47.

___ Butler M.
Classification controversies in relation to fibromyalgia syndrome.
N Z Med J. 2011 Dec 16;124(1347):12-5.

___ Sakuma T, Tonne JM, Malcolm JA, Thatava T, Ohmine S, Peng KW, Ikeda Y.
Long-term infection and vertical transmission of a gammaretrovirus in a foreign host species. #XMRV
PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e29682.

___ Israeli E.
Gulf War Syndrome as a part of the autoimmune (autoinflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvant (ASIA).
Lupus. 2012;21(2):190-4.

___ Hargrove JB, Bennett RM, Simons DG, Smith SJ, Nagpal S, Deering DE.
A randomized placebo-controlled study of noninvasive cortical electrostimulation in the treatment of fibromyalgia
patients.
Pain Med. 2012 Jan;13(1):115-24.

___ Roth T, Lankford DA, Bhadra P, Whalen E, Resnick EM.
Effect of pregabalin on sleep in patients with fibromyalgia and sleep maintenance disturbance: A randomized, placebo-
controlled, 2-way crossover polysomnography study.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012 Jan 9.

___ Goes SM, Leite N, Shay BL, Homann D, Stefanello JM, Rodacki AL.
Functional capacity, muscle strength and falls in women with fibromyalgia. #female fibromyalgia patients
Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2012 Jan 7.

___ Sepede G, Racciatti D, Gorgoretti V, Nacci M, Pizzigallo E, Onofrj M, Di Giannantonio M, Niolu C, Salerno RM, Gambi F.
Psychophysical distress and alexithymic traits in chronic fatigue syndrome with and without comorbid depression.
Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011 Oct-Dec;24(4):1017-25.

___ Sharma V, Biswas D.
Cobalamin deficiency presenting as obsessive compulsive disorder: case report.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2012 Jan 6.

___ Reed C, Birnbaum HG, Ivanova JI, Schiller M, Waldman T, Mullen RE, Swindle R.
Real-world role of tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of Fibromyalgia.
Pain Pract. 2012 Jan 9.___ Glickman-Simon R, Tenkku LE.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, preventing preeclampsia, preventing complex regional pain syndrome #CRPS.
Explore (NY). 2012 Jan;8(1):65-7.

___ Genc H, Nacir B, Duyur Cakit B, Saracoglu M, Erdem HR.
The effects of coexisting Fibromyalgia Syndrome on pain intensity, disability, and treatment outcome in patients
with Chronic Lateral Epicondylitis.
Pain Med. 2012 Jan 5.

___ Dansie EJ, Furberg H, Afari N, Buchwald D, Edwards K, Goldberg J, Schur E, Sullivan PF.
Conditions comorbid with chronic fatigue in a population-based sample.
Psychosomatics. 2012 Jan;53(1):44-50.

___ Abokrysha NT.
Vitamin D deficiency in women with Fibromyalgia in Saudi Arabia. #Vitamin D
Pain Med. 2012 Jan 5.

___ Homann D, Stefanello JM, G?es SM, Leite N.
Impaired functional capacity and exacerbation of pain and exertion during the 6-minute walk test in women with
fibromyalgia [Portuguese]. #female Fibromyalgia patients
Rev Bras Fisioter. 2011 Dec;15(6):474-80.

___ Switzer WM, Zheng H, Simmons G, Zhou Y, Tang S, Shankar A, Kapusinszky B, Delwart EL, Heneine W.
No evidence of murine leukemia virus-related viruses in live attenuated human vaccines. #XMRV
PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e29223.

___ Brooks J, Lycett-Lambert K, Caminiti K, Merks H, McMillan R, Sandstrom P.
No evidence of cross-species transmission of mouse retroviruses to animal workers exposed to mice.
Transfusion. 2012 Feb;52(2):317-25.

___ Fayed N, Andres E, Rojas G, Moreno S, Serrano-Blanco A, Roca M, Garcia-Campayo J.
Brain dysfunction in fibromyalgia and somatization disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study.
Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2011 Dec 30.

___ Nugraha B, Karst M, Engeli S, Gutenbrunner C.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and exercise in fibromyalgia syndrome patients: a mini review.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 Dec 31.

___ Cifre I, Sitges C, Fraiman D, Munoz MA, Balenzuela P, Gonzalez-Roldan A, Martinez-Jauand M, Birbaumer N, Chialvo DR, Montoya P.
Disrupted functional connectivity of the pain network in fibromyalgia. #Fibromyalgia symptoms
Psychosom Med. 2012 Jan;74(1):55-62.

___ White AT, Light AR, Hughen RW, Vanhaitsma TA, Light KC.
Differences in metabolite-detecting, adrenergic, and immune gene expression after moderate exercise in patients with chronic
fatigue syndrome, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls.
Psychosom Med. 2012 Jan;74(1):46-54.

___ Campos RP, Vazquez Rodriguez MI.
Erratum to: Health-related quality of life in women with fibromyalgia: clinical and psychological factors associated.
Clin Rheumatol. 2011 Dec 30. #female fibromyalgia patients

___ Arredondo M, Hackett J, de Bethencourt FR, Trevino A, Escudero D, Collado A, Qiu X, Swanson P, Soriano V, de Mendoza C.
Prevalence of XMRV infection in different risk populations in Spain. #XMRV
AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2011 Dec 29.

___ Zheng H, Jia H, Shankar A, Heneine W, Switzer WM.
Detection of Murine Leukemia Virus or mouse DNA in commercial RT-PCR reagents and human DNAs. #XMRV
PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e29050.

___ Lo SC, Pripuzova N, Li B, Komaroff AL, Hung GC, Wang R, Alter HJ.
Retraction for Lo et al., Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
and healthy blood donors. #XMRV

___ Loevinger BL, Shirtcliff EA, Muller D, Alonso C, Coe CL.
Delineating psychological and biomedical profiles in a heterogeneous fibromyalgia population using cluster analysis.
Clin Rheumatol. 2011 Dec 27.

___ Gencay-Can A, Can SS.
Temperament and character profile of patients with fibromyalgia.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 Dec 27.

___ Reyes Del Paso GA, Duschek S.
Responses to a comment on ‘Autonomic cardiovascular control and responses to experimental pain stimulation in fibromyalgia syndrome’.
J Psychosom Res. 2012 Jan;72(1):87.

___ Riva R, Mork PJ, Westgaard RH, Okkenhaug Johansen T, Lundberg U.
Catecholamines and heart rate in #female fibromyalgia patients.
J Psychosom Res. 2012 Jan;72(1):51-7.

___ Geenen R, van Ooijen-van der Linden L, Lumley MA, Bijlsma JW, Van Middendorp H.
The match-mismatch model of emotion processing styles and emotion regulation strategies in fibromyalgia.
J Psychosom Res. 2012 Jan;72(1):45-50.

___ Mostoufi SM, Afari N, Ahumada SM, Reis V, Wetherell JL.
Health and distress predictors of heart rate variability in fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain.
J Psychosom Res. 2012 Jan;72(1):39-44.

___ Munguia-Izquierdo D, Santalla A, Legaz-Arrese A.
Evaluation of a wearable body monitoring device during treadmill walking and jogging in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 Jan;93(1):115-22.

___ Forman MB, Sutej PG, Jackson EK.
Hypertension, tachycardia, and reversible cardiomyopathy temporally associated with Milnacipran use. #Milnacipran
Tex Heart Inst J. 2011;38(6):714-8.

___ Alberts B.
Retraction.
Science. 2011 Dec 23;334(6063):1636.

___ Senel K, Baygutalp F, Baykal T, Erdal A, Ugur M.
Melatonin levels in premenopausal women with fibromyalgia syndrome.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 Dec 23.

___ Peters S, Wearden A, Morriss R, Dowrick CF, Lovell K, Brooks J, Cahill G, Chew-Graham C.
Challenges of nurse delivery of psychological interventions for long-term conditions in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the case of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis.
Implement Sci. 2011 Dec 22;6(1):132.

___ Dardano A, Bazzichi L, Bombardieri S, Monzani F.
Symptoms in euthyroid Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Is there a role for autoimmunity itself?
Thyroid. 2011 Dec 22.

___ Lommel K, Bandyopadhyay A, Martin C, Kapoor S, Crofford L.
A pilot study of a combined intervention for management of juvenile primary fibromyalgia symptoms in adolescents in an
inpatient psychiatric unit.
Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2011;23(3):193-7.

___ Yunus MB.
The prevalence of fibromyalgia in other chronic pain conditions.
Pain Res Treat. 2012;2012:584573.

___ Gracely RH, Ceko M, Bushnell MC.
Fibromyalgia and depression.
Pain Res Treat. 2012;2012:486590.

___ Alegre C, Barcelo M, Jardi R, Rodriguez-Frias F, Camprubi S.
alpha1-Antitrypsin in Fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind and crossover pilot trial.
Musculoskeletal Care. 2011 Dec 22.

___ Kmietowicz Z.
Researchers get 1.6m pounds to look at scientific basis of chronic fatigue syndrome.
BMJ. 2011 Dec 21;343:d8281.

___ Tsibris AM.
The end of the association between XMRV, MLV-like viruses and chronic fatigue syndrome. #XMRV
Virulence. 2011 Nov 1;2(6):493-4.

___ Vicente-Herrero MT, Terradillos-Garcia MJ, Capdevila-Garcia LM, Ramirez-Iniguez de la Torre MV, Lopez-Gonzalez AA.
Fibromyalgia and laboral activities on the Spain legislation [Spanish].
Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2011 Sep-Oct;49(5):511-6.

___ Hadker N, Garg S, Chandran AB, Crean SM, McNett MM, Silverman SL.
Efficient practices associated with diagnosis, treatment and management of fibromyalgia among primary care physicians.
Pain Res Manag. 2011 Nov-Dec;16(6):440-4.

___ Goudsmit EM, Nijs J, Jason LA, Wallman KE.
Pacing as a strategy to improve energy management in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a consensus document.
Disabil Rehabil. 2011 Dec 19.

——–
(c) 2012 NCBI PubMed #Chronic Fatigue Syndrome #Fibromyalgia research #Fibromyalgia symptoms #vitamin D #female Fibromyalgia patients #XMRV #Milnacipran

I have constructed this Fibromyalgia Symptoms video to give you or anyone (who you want to see it) a good, initial overview of Fibromyalgia symptoms. Fibromyalgia is a complicated illness and sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin within yourself, with your family, friends or caregivers. I have high hopes that you can use this information to improve communication with your doctors.

Note: Most caregivers only know what you tell them. Suggestion? Set them in front of your computer to watch this video. It’s not overly dramatized. Simply factual and accurate. Hopefully after the presentation, you will both be open to a deeper discussion about your Fibromyalgia symptoms and how the illness affects your life!

Before you go today, be sure to grab yourself a copy of everything included in today’s Fibromyalgia video (plus I’ve included room for your personal notes) by clicking here! Feel free to make copies of this great little guide to use 1) to help you decide where you are with the illness, 2) what you need to study further and 3) how to approach your next doctor’s visit!

Yes, it’s a goodie that’s worth keeping. And finally, let me encourage you to check back with the Health Matters Show for blog posts, audio podcasts and video podcasts concerning Fibromyalgia Symptoms and more. This is one video of many!

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Your host

When I say that Fibromyalgia symptoms are caused by trauma, what I mean is that traumatic events that you experience at any time in your life can impact your health in the most dramatic ways imaginable. Whether trauma occurs en utero, during your first moments of birth, at age 2, 5, 10 or later as a teenager or adult, everything that happens to you, which your body, mind and spirit interpret as being traumatic, very likely can and will do significant damage to you…eventually.

Enter Fibromyalgia. This illness like all ‘invisible illnesses’ commonly results from physical, mental/ emotional, psychological, spiritual or sexual trauma.

Now stay with me. Beginning in this post and ending with the Friday Health Matters Show podcast, I’ll explain this concept really well -and- how this impacts your chance at getting well.

In a new book that I’m writing, From the Floor…Looking Up, I demonstrate how and why these concepts are true and how you can take advantage of this earth-shattering information. Know this: your body will never be truly healthy until you get rid of the negative energy created by trauma.

Now Enter: Mind Body Healing, the one mechanism that can help you get rid of the damage from traumatic energy and get you back to being healthy.

a) Physical trauma of (1) the birth process on your body, as a newborn; (2) the physical trauma inflicted upon your sensitive, young, electrical body if it is deluged with shots, immunizations, prescription drugs, surgeries or invasive procedures, and (3) trauma that can happen throughout your lifetime in the form of accidents, car wrecks, etc. One example written up in the health journals is when a person gets a whiplash, Fibromyalgia often results.

b) Mental/ Emotional trauma of people arguing and fighting around you (either while you’re still in your mother’s womb (before you were born) or afterwards. Emotional trauma can occur at any time in your life. Disturbing people and troubling events leave you with emotional trauma and damage to your mind, body and spirit in the form of ill-health and dis-ease.

c) Psychological trauma occurs when someone demeans your self-worth, self-value or any of the self-esteem issues that are present and valued in a loving, healthy relationship. (These can arise soon after birth, but often occur later in life as evidenced by teasing, cyber-bullying or after a physical assault, rape or incest.) Perpetrators of psychological assault and trauma are not people you want to be around.

d) Spiritual trauma is not pretty, but we see the results often when someone doubts his or her being really wanted or valued in their world; of doubting that the “self” should hang around. Spiritual trauma often results from the overwhelming influence of emotionally and spiritually unhealthy, negative people. Their influence can be strong and it can damage you severely. (*Spiritual trauma can be one of the toughest traumas to recognize and overcome. It also can be the result of a spiritual assault, but that’s a huge topic and too involved to go into here.)

e) Sexual trauma that some children experience, due to the inappropriate actions of other children or adults in the family -or- outright abuse from a stranger. You may be aware that sexual trauma occurred in your life or you may have totally repressed the memory of certain events. Either way that does not mean that sexual trauma isn’t bothering your long term health. It definitely will. Sexual trauma includes aspects of physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma combined. That is a major reason why this type of trauma can be so difficult to overcome.

There are more examples of trauma than the ones I’ve listed here. I talk about traumatic situations and the resulting damage they can do you in depth in my new, upcoming book. I’ve almost finished it and I’m so excited. I will explain this and reveal the details about how you can get well by using the mind body healing concepts that I teach.

While you have a moment, I urge you to do more research into From the Floor…Looking Up. Sign up below to be notified when thie book is published. You’ll also receive all of the goodies that I will offer my first readers. You’ll get lots of information, extra bonuses, and the very first help. You deserve to find the answers that can guide you back to real health!

Yes, Fibromyalgia symptoms are often caused by trauma. I’ll explain a really important part of “why” trauma causes Fibromyalgia Friday on the Health Matters Show podcast. Be sure that you return to hear why this revolutionary approach to healthcare works so well…even for a tough, chronic illness like Fibromyalgia!

Thanks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

It’s that time of year when Fibromyalgia symptoms can be darned tough and how the weather affects you is a high priority concern. These are two issues that virtually rule a lot of peoples’ lives. Are you one of them? If so, know that this happens because changes in the weather tend to make Fibromyalgia folks feel a lot, lot worse.

Today I have a few questions to get you thinking, plus some great ideas that will hopefully help. Before you leave here today, be sure to check out blog post #1 and post #2 that I wrote this week on these topics. Hopefully, these ideas and approaches will help you manage your Fibromyalgia symptoms.

Have you felt the rain, sleet or snow yet on your skin? Do you feel it in your bones? Does it feel ominous? Foreboding? D-d-dangerous?

Has the winter’s chill seeped inside you and made your muscles ache like you’ve been beat with a stick?

Do they throb so badly you want to scream? HELP!!

Oh, Comfort, where art thou?

(7 minute 12 second audio- listen or download!)

Unfortunately, no one absolutely knows why weather affects Fibromyalgia symptoms so radically. It may be the cold temperature, the varying humidities or other factors. It could be the wind or lack of clean, fresh air in our homes (because we’re trying to keep “winter” outdoors). All we really know is that “winter” does affect a lot of people with Fibro. You can really suffer when the weather begins to change and settles in for its long winter’s nap. Bah hum bug.

Consider the following explanations and ideas. Managing these factors may help:

• You experience a change in sleep cycle

Weather, particularly cold temperatures, but sometimes hot ones, too, can alter and affect the way that you sleep. If your sleep pattern is disrupted and you begin sleeping less deeply and/or worse, there could be a dramatic change in your symptoms and flare-like episodes.

• You experience a change in your body’s circadian rhythm

Your body’s internal clock operates by what is known as your circadian rhythm. When the seasons change or the weather gets a lot worse and there’s not as much daily sunlight, your body perceives this change. That’s when your circadian rhythm can get thrown “out of whack” because you’re not getting the benefit of regular sunlight. We human beings need sunlight to keep our circadian rhythm operating properly and to get our daily quotient of Vitamin D from sun rays naturally. If you’re staying indoors for the most of the day, you really feel this as being more fatigued and achier. You don’t want either of those increased symptoms.

• Your body may create more pro-inflammatory cytokines and that will make you hurt worse!

For some as yet unexplained reason, there seems to be a relationship between low temperatures outside and your body producing increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines on the inside. Many of these cytokines are related to increased pain and when they are present in abundance, you will hurt! To keep these pro-inflammatory cytokines at the lowest levels possible may entail more than one approach, but in my clients I have that they get relief when they keep their immune systems optimal and as balanced as possible. How is the question and I have an answer.

Thanks for stopping by the Health Matters Show today. I hope these ideas and tips help you out a bit in the coming cold, wintry days. Managing your Fibromyalgia symptoms is not impossible.

Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

Many people find that managing their Fibromyalgia symptoms has a lot to do with how the weather changes.

If you’re one of those people, you may need some of the tips below about how to stay more comfortable:

~~~~~

• Dress in Layers

Prepare for those chilly days by dressing in two or three layers. This will keep your body warm because the individual layers insulate you better. Plus, you can shed any excess clothing if you get in an environment that is too hot. Remember: you can always put on more clothes, but you can only take off so many!

• Avoid Cold Temperatures

Many people keep their air conditioning only to tolerably cool in the summer, but keep their heat up enough that it’s comfortably warm during the winter months. If you do have to go outside in the cold weather, wear gloves, proper boots, and a warm hat. A lot of the body’s heat is lost through the scalp. Also, keep your extremities warm and you’ll be helping to prevent more aches and pains. (You have enough chronic pain, don’t you?)

EXTRA TIP: If you drive, warm up your car ahead of time before you begin driving. Letting the chill get out of your car will mean that it won’t seep into your bones and leave you shivering!

• Bring the Sunshine Inside

If you notice that you get particularly fatigued or depressed once the cloudy, cold weather sets in, try to increase the amount of light you have inside of your house. During the dingy, gray months, it is easy to become depressed and tired, which only can make your symptoms worse. Doctors call this SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Purchase some halogen bulbs or a special light box to help improve your mood. You also can buy bulbs to put in your home’s light fixtures.

*I use the desk light below at my computer desk. It is amazing and I wouldn’t give anything for it. Just yesterday I re-ordered the full specturm, replacement, fluorescent light bulb for it. The old one had lasted over 2 years of day in and day out use. Its full spectrum bulb provided a natural sun light quality to my room all that time. I work a lot indoors. No Seasonal Affective Disorder allowed here!

Also, here is a regular, individual full spectrum light bulb that can go in an average lamp.

Also…don’t forget to have your doctor monitor your level of Vitamin D. It’s easy to get low!

Here’s an additional goodie for you and it’s “free”– my resource article about sleep that might shed some additional light on this important subject. Pun intended. To keep your Fibromyalgia symptoms at bay, consider weather changes, your vitamin D level and topics like sleep quality.

You’ll be “well” ahead of other folks, Cinda Crawford
Host of the Health Matters Show

MSG or monosodium glutamate is a food additive and it may cause some of your Fibromyalgia Symptoms, e.g. headaches! When it comes to living as healthy as possible, most of us are aware that a food additive can seem subtle and innocuous, but it can be anything but, instead causing huge problems. The key is so to eliminate MSG completely from your diet!

You can find the “why” information more readily all over now; it’s quite abundant. MSG is simply not good for you and, for a lot of people, causes untoward symptoms… like Fibromyalgia symptoms, headaches and more. The “how” to eliminate it from your diet will take some further detective work.

Start by reading the blog at The Home Economist. The author has written a valuable post on this topic. It included some fantastic information about how MSG causes headaches.

But… don’t stop there. Read her comments, too. (Or- see the best link I found below.)

One person refers the reader to a comprehensive website about MSG and the forms it can take in food. Who knew this food additive was so pervasive?

Also, you can search the Health Matters Show blog right here for more posts on MSG. There are 6! (Find the “search this blog” box in the middle column and input your term, MSG.)

Either way, happy investigating this topic and finding the important information that you need about (1) MSG and (2) how to circumvent your Fibromyalgia symptoms.

Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show

As I contemplate what my family and I ate yesterday on Thanksgiving Day AND the ideal Fibromyalgia diet, I recall four wonderful conversations that I had this year with experts in this field of the Fibromyalgia Diet. They know what is best for me to eat and what foods will very likely bring on Fibromyalgia symptoms.

I don’t have Fibromylgia any longer, but that doesn’t mean my lifestyle and diet cannot bring on a whole host of symptoms. Add the holidays, poor diet, a sudden lack of good sleep and maybe a disagreement with a relative… and you have the ingredients for Fibromyalgia symptoms!

I hope you enjoy this compilation Health Matters Show audio today, which features Mary Moeller, Robin Thomas, Deirdre Rawlings, ND, and Dr. Robin Mayfield. Enjoy, learn a lot about a good Fibromyalgia diet and make a pre-New Year’s resolution to start eating and living better. It will make the remainder of the holidays so much easier and more tolerable for you.

Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show
PS- You’ll find several several great product and service links by clicking on my guest speakers names above in this post, but to access Mary Moeller’s Fibromyalgia Cookbook- A Daily Guide to Becoming Healthy Again, revised edition, you’ll get your fastest link right below today’s audio/ podcast file. Order this wonderful book for yourself and start conquering your Fibromyalgia Diet and Fibromyalgia symptoms issues!

(Audio podcast today is 12 minutes 53 seconds.)

Fibromyalgia and weather change is a subject near and dear to many of us.

If you’re like most Fibromyalgia folks, when a weather change is coming, you feel uncomfortable at the least -or- in absolute, undeniable agony at worst.

Plus, since Fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from hour to hour, there is no predicting how you will feel at any one point in time. That makes planning your life darned tough, especially during any seasonal weather changes, like the ones we’re going through now.

I bet it does. I remember feeling like this a lot when I was so sick. My life was unpredictable. Feeling trapped in an endless “weather change” cycle added to the sadness and frustration that I struggled with. When I had something I wanted to do, I would question if I was wise to attempt it at all. At times the fear of letting myself or others down threatened to get the best of me.

So what elements about the weather do you think are at fault? These pesky weather factors that affect so many people? AND, what can you do about them?

(This audio is 4 minutes 17 seconds. Listen to it here or download!)

Many people find they have more symptoms with changes in temperature, air pressure or precipitation. They may experience those symptoms as:

• Feeling more tired (fatigue)
• Sleeping more poorly (sleep dysfunction)
• Additional, specific pains, like migraine headaches
• All over, more generalized pain, like muscles aches

Flare-up episodes of one symptom or several can seem to come from nowhere. These type of symptom and pain flares can be found among people who suffer with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, too.

What are these weather factors that affect so many people? There are basically five.

1) Barometric pressure: Barometric pressure is a measurement of the weight of the air in your environment. When the weather is warm, sunny and the barometric pressure is high, most people feel better.

But when a weather front is moving in and the barometric pressure suddenly drops, a Fibromyalgia person suddenly feels horrible! It’s also why we occasionally can laugh at ourselves and say that we can predict the weather. Note: barometric pressure dropping usually proceeds the actual weather change itself.

2) Temperature: Whether it’s hot to cold or cold to hot, wild temperature changes can really trigger symptoms. “Change” is the word to notice here. Note: most Fibromyalgia folks are comforted long into the warmer month by their heating pad and sock buddies.

3) Humidity: When there is a high concentration of moisture in the air, we say it’s humid or sticky. I’ve found any elevated degree of humidity brings about sweating and interrupted sleep for me. Low humidity is generally more comfortable for everyone, except a few can suffer from an increase in headaches and stiffness, while also enduring all over body pain.

4) Actual precipitation: When any type of moisture is falling from the sky, you have precipitation. Rain tends to bring on the most symptoms, but don’t discount snow, ice or sleet completely. That’s probably because precipitation events are often accompanied or preceded by changes in barometric pressure.

5) Wind: Here’s another culprit that is a partner in crime with barometric pressure. They are like two inseparable buddies, except maybe at the sea shore. If you’re inland and the wind is blowing, you may experience more fatigue, headaches and muscle aches when the wind is blowing.

I think the really tough thing about all of these 5 factors is thinking that there’s so little you can do about them because they still affect your life, whether you’re indoors or out. Here a few more abc’s to keep in mind that may help:

a) Turn up the heat if you’re cold, but do it too much and you’ll tend to dry out your nose, mouth and lungs, setting you up to be more susceptible for allergy symptoms, colds and the like. Try adding a fraction of moisture to your heat. The added moisture will make your room actually feel warmer to the skin and you won’t run up your heat bill any further.

b) Turn on your air conditioning. Beware that lowering the temperature around you may cause your muscles to ache. A person who is chilly tends not to move much. That’s a human reaction. Then that lack of activity exacerbates your symptoms, partially because the lymph fluid in your lymph system will back up and be stagnant when you don’t move around enough. To solve this problem, put on enough clothes in an air conditioned environment to keep you warm and able to move around!
c) Stay out of the wind. Either stay in for the day if it’s really windy outside or at least put on a jacket or coat with a hood. I find that if I cover up my head, that that act alone keeps away a world of sin and hurt.
d) Dress in layers. Whether you’re hot, cold, dry or sweating your face off, having layers of clothing that you can put on and take off is a powerful tool. Sometimes you can’t change the environment you in very quickly, but you can look out for yourself in this powerful way.

During the years I was so sick, I really only had one wardrobe. My summer clothes weren’t too cool and my winter clothes weren’t too warm. I simply had my basic wardrobe set up where I could put on or take off layers of clothing as needed. It really worked for me, saved on my wardrobe bill and meant I had fewer clothes to manage on a daily and seasonal basis.

If you have some “weather” gripes or tips, feel free to share them here, or Tweet me, or jot me a Facebook note. But, dear one, know that no matter what your symptoms are, weather related or not, you deserve to feel better. In dreaming and planning for just such an actuality as feeling better, fill out an inquiry to find out more about my new How to Heal Yourself Memberhip course today. The sign up box to get notices about it is in the top right box underneath the video. Or, if you like, you’re welcomed to learn more about it at my Get Well Health website, Learn How to Heal page.

Thanks so much for joining me at the Health Matters Show blog and podcast today. I’m Cinda Crawford, your host. Now remember… don’t let the weather get you down!