Basic Tests to Ask Doctor for

http://www.co-cure.org/drt9.htm

I found this page listing basic tests someone with fibromyalgia/CFS should have done by a doctor. I am thinking of going to my doctor and asking for the following tests at a bare minimum. These tests were probably all done on me initially, but I didn't know as much then as I know now, so I never asked for the results. I just can't kick this darned fatigue :/


4 -- Iron, TIBC (total iron binding capacity), percent saturation and ferritin levels. These tests check for iron deficiency and excess. Both of these are critical to detect. If the iron is high, it is very easy to treat (donate blood) but can cripple and kill you if it is missed. Iron deficiency will often be present even if the blood tests are technically normal. This is because the blood test's normal range is based on preventing anemia from severe iron deficiency. More moderate levels of iron deficiency, however, can cause fatigue, brain fog, cold intolerance, restless leg syndrome, immune dysfunction, and infertility. Because of this, I usually recommend treating with iron if the percent saturation is less than 22 percent OR the ferritin level is less than 40. I recheck each four months until the blood tests come above these levels.

5 -- Vitamin B12 level. Although normal is anything under 209, evidence suggests that significant B12 deficiency occurs at much higher levels even in healthy people. Other evidence suggests that very high levels may be needed to maintain optimum health in CFS/FMS patients. I recommend that anybody with a level under 540 be treated with B12 shots. A good argument can be made for treating everybody with CFS/FMS with B12 shots regardless of the blood level.

Exercises for Fibromyalgia

I came across this slideshow on webmd about exercise and fibromyalgia. It's very good. I can feel the difference in my body when I miss a yoga class (usually due to fatigue) and I feel so much better overall the more I am able to keep up with my yoga.

http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-what-you-need-to-know-10/slideshow-fibromyalgia-exercise

Energy Diet!

Wow I am going to try this, from the March 2009 issue of Natural Health Magazine. You can read more in it or on naturalhealthmag.com. You can also find ideas for how to incorporate the foods into some great recipes.
Feeling fatigued? Supercharge you meals with the 10 most vibrant foods and you may never have another "energy crisis."
1.) Broccoli. Loaded with nutrients, broccoli offers a huge dose of vitamin C--which has been shown to reduce fatigue by increasing iron absorption--and is a good source of non-dairy calcium. Vitamin C can also keep your adrenal system running strong, which helps stabilize your energy through stressful situations.
2.) Brown Rice. A high-fiber complex carbohydrate that's packed with manganese, amino acids, and magnesium (important in many cellular functions including energy production), brown rice provides a complete meal when paired with lean protein like tofu, fish, or chicken.
3.) Eggs. Very high in protein and choline, which is vital to brain functions like memory, eggs also contain tyrosine, an amino acid that helps your brain produce the chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine, which improve your mental function and keep your feeling energetic.
4.) Green Tea. For calm, alert energvy, sip on green tea. The small amounts of caffeine (30 micrograms) and theanine, an amino acid that stimulates GABA (the calming molecule in brain receptors), produce feelings of relaxation, as well as improve cognition and mood. Green tea also stimulates your metabolism, which may make weight loss easier.
5.) Oats. This breakfast staple, also great in chili, bread, and waffles is a complex carbohydrate that's high in heart-healthy soluble fiber and unsaturated fat, which means it provides a steady stream of energy. They're also packed with energizing and de-stressing B vitamins.
6.) Oranges. The fruit's well-known vitamin C content aids in the poduction of carnitine, a molecule that helps the body burn fat for energy.
7.) Nut Butters. The fat and protein in nut butters provide a concentrated source of energy, plus the soluble fiber in peanuts works to control blood glucose and prevents saturated fat from entering the bloodstream. Most nuts--including peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and almonds--are loaded with the amino acid arginine, which may relax blood vessels for better blood pressure controlo. Look for nut utters that don't have added sugar, which could contribute to an energy crash.
8.) Salmon. A great source of omega-3 fatty acids--which keep cell membranes healthy and maintain cardiovascular health by regulating blood clotting and vessel constriction--cold-water fish like salmon, herring, and scallops are also high in protein and magnesium, which aids in converting glucose (blood sugar) into energy.
9.) Sea Vegetables. Ounce for ounce, seaweeds like arame, dulce, and nori contain the broadest range of minerals of any food, plus the B vitamins pantothenic acid and riboflavin your body needs to produce energy.
10.) Yogurt. This creamy treat is an excellent source of energizing protein and B vitamins--which are critical to converting nutrients into energy and reducing stress and anxiety--including vitamin B12, which fights fatigue by building strong, healthy red blood cells. If you want added flavor in a yogurt, look for those sweetened with honey or real fruit.

ENERGY SECRETS:

Want all-day energy? Eat enough of what you need at every meal. This checklist will help you do that.
1.) Complex Carbohydrates that are high in fiber (like oats, brown rice, and other whole grains) are absorbe3d more slowly and sustain you for longer periods. They also help keep blood sugar levels stable, evening out energy highs and lows, and preventing you from overeating later in the day.
2.) Protein (soy, lean meats, nuts) helps regulate the release of energy throughout the day. "Protein takes a long time to turn into glucose, providing a steady release of energy into your body," say Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., autho of "From Fatigued to Fantastic!" (Penguin/Avery 2007).
3.) "Good" Fats (cold-water fish, olive oil, eggs) are concentrated sources of energy. "A 2002 Danish study showed that the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in nut butters help curb your appetite so you don't overeat which helps keep you from feeling weighed down," says Heather Zwickey, Ph.D., of the National College of Natural Medicine.

SUPER SNACKS:

A morning or afternoon snack keeps blood sugar from spiking or dipping. Teitelbaum also suggests a high-protein snack just before bedtime to kep your blood-sugar levels from crashing while you sleep, which may wake you up.
1.) Granola with nuts and dried fruit mixed with yogurt
2.) Apple slices with cheddar cheese
3.) Whole-grain crackers and hummus
4.) Tuna fish on a whole wheat cracker
5.) Whole wheat bagel with nut butter and a banana
Hope this can help you guys!

Please remember to consult your physician before trying anything new. I am not a doctor and no information should be considered medical advice. Any information provided should not be used to take the place of advice from your personal physician or other professional. Links to other sites are provided for ease of research. Information on those sites is the opinion of those who publish the sites and is NOT necessarily that of FibroChick. I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else will do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!

Soooooooooo Tiiiiiiiiiired

I have been soooooooo tired this week. I have come home most evenings from work and just crawled in bed @ 7/8pm! Let's see Monday, early to bed, Tuesday I did have dinner with friends (it felt soooooo good to get out with friends -- but did the rest of my week really suffer because of?? Did this overexert me?) Wednesday early to bed, Thursday as soon as I got home I conked out on the couch, at least I did get 3 hours of sleep. My boss asked me to get to work earlier. Our company opens @ 8:30 am, I have been getting in @ 9am-ish. It is so hard on the mornings for me. Just waking up is so very difficult, I wake up sooooooo tired! Getting ready is a struggle too, I rush around, I kind of have a small routine down where I am able to sit a lot to put on my makeup and dry my hair (though often don't have the energy and/or time to fully dry!) And I have kind of a standard stock of basic comfy clothes I grab and throw on. They are not too corporate or professional, often jeans and tees, but for now it is what I am able to handle. Just getting up and getting to work is such a struggle, and then once there lasting thru the day. I have noticed that I haven't really had any energy to do errands at work or after work even lately. I ran out of my Mobic (for pain) and Prilosec (for heartburn) and was too tired to go pick up more, and paid the price! Anyhoo. Tired. So sick and tired of being so tired! I wish I had more energy to go out with friends. Sitting alone at my home struggling with all this is no fun.

Tooooo Tiiiiired

Too tired to go pick up my prescription for my pain meds. That sucks. Is that evil irony?

Chronic Fatigue — I am So Sick and Tired of It!

I am so unbelievably tired. And it all started at 8am. Well it took me 45 minutes to get myself out of bed this morning, as goes every morning. I hate waking up so tired, I feel like a ton of bricks I am so tired, and my body feels like I've been beaten with a baseball bat all night. The hot shower feels good though. I have really minimized my getting ready for work routine, thank goodness for jeans :) Usually on my way to work I am so tired I wish I could just stop breathing, as breathing really seems to be quite the effort and take too much energy. This chronic fatigue, I am never free of it. Guess that is why it is called "chronic" :) Never, ever feel refreshed. I ALWAYS wake up feeling dead tired. 8, 9, 10, 14, 15 hours of sleep and STILL dead tired! Still running my my coffee to give my day its jumpstart! Its like I need jumper cables, everyday, to get going. Staying going takes all I can do. I wish we had nap times at work. Being single, living by myself and living with fibromyalgia, is very difficult, I am coming to find. I support myself, therefore I have to work for the paycheck and the health benefits. It takes all I have to get up and go to work every morning. It does give me some solace though, once I get there and get my coffee (my other best friend, next to jeans) sometimes work is a good distraction from everything I am dealing with. As long as I can sit at my computer and do my design work. Its when I get up and walk around that I am reminded. By the end of the day my knees are so sore and swollen. And my feet, forget it. So swollen and in pain. And I don't even have a job where I am on my feet much. I can't imagine how others must suffer, as standing for more than 3 or 5 minutes really triggers the pain in my feet. I have to stop the coffee at noon though, or it makes for an even more difficult night of trying to fall asleep. So that I can wake up and do it all over again. I am supposed to be packing for a trip, I leave tomorrow but just haven't found the energy yet. I need to muster it from somewhere. I'm thinking my suitcase will be full of jeans for this trip.