Monthly Archives: December 2022

Fibromyalgia and Brain fog…Aka Fibro fog.

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When people think of fibromyalgia we often associate just pain with the condition. Fibromyalgia goes beyond pain and causes a person to have brain fog which affects a persons cognitive ability. We call this fibro fog. In my opinion fibro fog just on its own is debilitating. Think about it, how does mental cloudiness, reduced ability to recall words and issues processing information not become disabling!? Brain fog soon begins to drastically impact your daily life.

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I was reading “The Fibro Manual” written by Dr. Liptan. A study revealed that fibromyalgia patients demonstrated decreased blood flow in areas of the brain important for cognition and increases blood flown in pain processing areas. Dr Liptan states that the brain thrives on blood flow. Adding in a gentle exercise routine will help increase blood flow to your brain , resulting in increased cognition and memory. I found this information rather interesting. This is a process. You can’t exercise for a few days and expect to see results.

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Fibro fog symptoms ( just to name a few)

  • Difficulty holding conversations
  • Not being able to access stored language information efficiently
  • Lowered ability to think quickly ( worse in distracting environments)
  • Forgetfulness
  • Problems remembering new information
  • Impaired ability to to concentrate
  • Lower ability to remain focused
  • Fatigue will result
  • Losing your train of thought often
  • ect
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There are times where I find myself frustrated because I can’t recall words I am looking for. I can even be looking at the item and not be able to name it. Most of the time I tend to laugh it off. One day I thought to myself, why Get frustrated and angry with myself because I can’t recall a word!? Getting frustrated will only add extra stress to your body – stress is the worst thing to aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms. The people I am around often all know my cognitive struggles with brain fog. Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition so it is not surprising that it can alter a persons cognitive abilities.

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What causes fibro fog!? My thoughts

1. Pain levels. Having to live each day experiencing high pain levels can become exhausting and your quality of life will decrease. If our brain can misread pain signals, can our brain dysregulate how neurological pathways function within the brain – causing lower cognitive function!?

2. Lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can also affect our cognitive functioning. Most of us have experienced a poor nights sleep at one time or another. The next day it is difficult to think and function. People with fibromyalgia wake up often through the night because of pain. We may even develop other medical conditions which prevent us from getting a solid nights sleep. Insomnia and restless leg syndrome are two examples.

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3. Medications. Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if any medications you are taking could be contributing to the brain fog symptoms.

4. Stress can also contribute to fibro fog arising. It is important to deal with any stress appropriately.

I’m sure there are many other reasons for having fibro fog but in my opinion I feel these are possible causes.

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How to cope with brain fog…

1. I use alot of sticky notes to write reminders on them. You can stick them wherever you need to. I will also use phone reminders when needed. There are many free apps out there. Utilize them! You just may need to write a note to remind yourself to check your phone! Haha.

2. Try to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep will not help fibro fog. Easier said then done, is what you are thinking right!?! Don’t worry I get it! Try to stick to a sleep schedule.

3. Work your Brain. Crosswords and word searches will make your brain work! They help improve cognition. Any brain games may help.

4. Break up tasks into smaller steps so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Try not to multi task as your brain can’t process everything you are trying to do at once. Trying to keep up while you multi task could make your fibro fog even worse. By breaking up tasks, your brain has time to process and is not overworked.

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5. If you suspect your medication may be causing brain fog to form, you may want to discuss possibly changing medications with your doctor.

6. Add exercise to your daily routine.

Here are a few of my fibro fog moments… Feel free to laugh. I won’t be offended!

1. Putting toothpaste on my razor instead of my toothbrush!

2. Stuttering while I search for words I am looking to use.

3. Spraying deoderant on my hands while looking at the lotion.

4. Creating a whole new language or words because I can’t think of the word I wanted to use.

5. While having a snack I sat down to work on a puzzle. i found myself eating the puzzle pieces instead of my food.

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6. Looking for my phone while I am using it.

7. Forgetting our keyless code to our house!

8. Ripping up some papers and throwing the paper in the toilet instead of the garbage beside it!

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Fibromyalgia- The Seven Stages

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Are there stages of fibromyalgia!? I often see the following article being reposted on social media – Seven stages of fibromyalgia. Doctors, specialist and other health care providers do not seem to refer to stages of fibromyalgia. I personally think this was written by people with fibromyalgia. Not everyone will go through the stages or necessarily in this order. In my case it is fairly accurate. I thought I would share this article. Please note I have not written this.

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Different Stages Of Fibromyalgia

Stage 1: In this Fibromyalgia Stage you started experiencing pain and fatigue more than before, you’re not sure what is going on but you hurt and you are tired.You can hold a job, you can make it through your day, but you know something isn’t right…so it’s something you’re going to start researching.

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Stage 2: In this stage you are in pain a lot, sometimes taking an anti-inflammatory drug or what have you. You do not get much relief, and you have accepted the fact this is something you are going to have for a while. You feel a lot of pain and you are exhausted almost every day, but for the most part. You keep going and hold down a job. Can still go to events, spend time with your friends and loved ones, and have some good time here and there.

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Stage 3: You are in constant pain, you are constantly tired. You wonder whether you will be ever able to function normally again. You are considering not working, because you no longer have the energy you once had. You come home from work and all you can do is rest. You have to turn down invitations. You have no energy left and you have to rest up just to go back tomorrow. In this stage of Fibromyalgia, you start to feel more alone, and more and more people are beginning to think you whine too much. This stage of fibromyalgia can last a long time, perhaps years.

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Stage 4: You are in unrelenting pain all the time, good days are few and far between. You are calling into work sick more than you even make it in. You are in bed a good portion of your day. Your family begins to think you are using Fibromyalgia as an excuse to not do things, because Fibromyalgia Stages 1-3 you were able to do much of what you just can’t do now. They think you are using your illness as an excuse, you feel alone, isolated, worried, emotional, sad.

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Stage 5: You are struggling to make ends meet. Maybe have a person who takes care of you. You spend a lot of your day in bed, although you still take advantage of that one good day once in awhile. You are sore, very sore, you cry a lot, you feel like a prisoner in your own body. By this time you have already explained to your friends that it still feels good to be invited even if you don’t go.

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Stage 6: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in this stage, because things are piling up around you: bills, laundry, dishes. You do a little everyday, you push yourself so you don’t feel like your day was wasted in bed .You feel guilty that you no longer pull your own weight in the house.

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Stage 7: So stage seven for fibromyalgia sufferers would be acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means facing your illness with a new perspective. You find peace with that acceptance. Anger, fear, hopelessness all but disappear. You stop feeling like you are a worthless human being and you find some purpose in your life.

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Fibromyalgia and temporomandibular joint ( TMJ)

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Fibromyalgia and TMJ are two completely different conditions, but seem to travel together. Many people with fibromyalgia often suffer from jaw pain and have TMJ symptoms. People with chronic fatigue syndrome are often seen to struggle with TMJ as well. High occurrences of TMJ have been reported with people who suffer from fibromyalgia – which can affect the jaw muscles, jaw joints and can cause myofascial pain to arise. A study revealed that many people who have a fibromyalgia diagnosis tend to grind/clench their teeth more then those who do not have fibromyalgia.

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Last spring I had gone to the doctor because my jaw was extremely sore, clicking and locking in place. I had heard of TMJ, but never experienced having it myself. It can become rather uncomfortable and very painful at times. This attack was caused by high stress levels. My doctor advised me that my job was to go home rest my jaw, apply heat and try to destress. However, the stressful situation was beyond my control! Since this incident took place my jaw has been clicking and locking ever since. On Boxing Day, I was eating popcorn, and my jaw decided to lock when I bit down and when I opened my mouth it forced it to unlock suddenly. The pain was unbearable. I don’t even have the words to describe how it felt. All I know is after I had an instant migraine. It is still extremely sore and my jaw feels out of place.

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Symptoms of TMJ:

TMJ can cause many other issues and symptoms to arise. Believe it or not a sore throat, is a common complaint by many. People can even experience pain behind their eyes – your jaw muscles are attached to the jaw from behind your eye sockets. Decreased hearing is also possible. TMJ can cause swelling in your jaw and jaw muscles. The swelling can interfere with your eustachian tubes – causing these tubes in your ear to be congested. Below is an image that lists quite a few symptoms that we may not consider being signs of TMJ.

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How to help relieve TMJ.

1. Heat or ice. Applying either heat or ice to the affected side of the jaw will help relieve pain and any swelling of the jaw joint.

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2. Avoid overuse of the jaw muscles. Try to eat only soft food and cut food into smaller pieces.

3. Stretching and massaging the area. If are able visit your doctor or dentist, they may be able to help guide you in exercises to help TMJ. You can also find some helpful videos on youtube on stretches to help heal and relieve the pain.

4. Acupuncture can possibly be used to help with TMJ. I do not know much about acupuncture.

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4. Over the counter pain medications may be needed to help relief pain. In some cases anti inflammatories may be needed or a muscle relaxant.

5. Depending on what is causing your TMJ, you may need a mouthguard. Some people form TMJ from grinding their teeth.

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6. Lower stress levels. If you are experiencing high levels of stress, clenching your terth together from being tense will cause TMJ ton arise. Take time for self care or use some stress relief techniques to help ( deep breathing)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36152974/

https://mhnpc.com/2021/07/13/fibromyalgia-tmd-relationship/

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Fibromyalgia. Listening to ten minutes of music a day can possibly lower pain levels…

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When I first started attending sessions with an occupational therapist a few months ago she directed me to listen to ten minutes of music a day. Not just listen to music in the background, but listen to the actual lyrics. I was so confused because I thought an occupational therapist would help me brainstorm strategies to help make tasks easier to complete. Music therapy is often used in many circumstances – even to help chronic pain sufferers.

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Music therapy has many benefits. It can help lower stress, reduce anxiety and can be used as a motivator. Do you ever turn music on when you are cleaning or working at completing another task!? Music motivates us! Music has many different genres – each genre has a different sound, beat and speed. Everyone likes different types of music . I often have music playing during the day. Music often brings me comfort and helps me relax.

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Scientists actually conducted a study on how music could benefit people with fibromyalgia and the findings are rather interesting. The study revealed that music helps reduce pain and increases functional mobility. The increased functional mobility seemed to be highly related to the music induced analgesia. Researchers found that self selected music proficiently decreased pain levels versus music selected by the researchers for the patients. In other words, listening to music you enjoy helps decrease pain levels. In another analysis researchers found that there was a significant decrease in pain from day 1 to day 14. The participants in the control group – there was no significant decrease in pain. Listening to music you enjoy also releases opioids into your brain and spreads through out your body. This acts as a natural pain reliever – reduces pain levels while you enjoy music.

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You can also use music as a means of meditation. I often listen to music when I walk. I was told listening to the lyrics attentively can act as a way to meditate. Meditation doesn’t always have to be sitting with your legs crossed with your eyes closed. I also used the music lyrics as a way to be more mindful. Instead of allowing my thoughts to take over, I concentrated on the music lyrics. Music is a great way to lower stress, anxiety and is proven to help stabilize one’s mental health. Experts often say people with fibromyalgia need to learn routes to help lower stress levels. If you enjoy music, why not use it as a way to help calm your mind!

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For more information on this study visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3920463/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26245724/

https://www.apmaugusta.com/blog/listening-to-music-and-relieving-pain

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Does fibromyalgia weaken the immune system? According to researchers it does!

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Does fibromyalgia weaken our immune system?! We are usually told it doesn’t, but sometimes I wonder how accurate this information is. Doctors never seem to share the studies done on fibromyalgia. Why is it when we do get sick, it feels 3x as bad!?! At least for myself it does. Fibromyalgia seems to amplify whatever illness you are battling off at the time. I also find that it takes me longer to recover. I just got the news yesterday that I tested positive for strep throat. I’ve had strep throat several times before my fibromyalgia diagnosis. Now it feels like the symptoms of strep are worse. I know the strains of the strep virus change and alter overtime and become stronger, but I also feel like my body does not handle getting sick very well anymore.

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Does fibromyalgia cause our immune system to be weak!? Even though we are told by doctors that fibromyalgia doesn’t weaken our immune system, are our doctors familiar with research and studies being done on fibromyalgia?!! According to a study completed, various reports prove that fibromyalgia does in fact weaken our immune system. A study revealed that patients with fibromyalgia were exhibiting higher white blood cell count and cytokines ( immune cells) then people without fibromyalgia.

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A similar study reported that fibromyalgia weakens our brains immune system. A reduced blood flow to the brains pain center results and affects neuron receptors. This will lead to increased pain , and higher stress levels. Your immune system will become weak and and will be incapable of fighting off bacteria.

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People with fibromyalgia often have lower cortisol ( primary stress hormone) levels. Lower cortisol levels cause an increased level of estrogen to form in the body. Estrogen is seen to have a strong effect on the immune system. When there are high levels of estrogen in the body, the immune system is more likely to have an autoimmune response. This series of events causes progestin in the body to decrease. When progestin is low our immune system may tend to flare a lot . The fluctuation of these hormone levels are know to weaken our immune system. ( 2021 study showed an immune response was found).

Other factors that can also lower ones immune system are lack of sleep which people with fibromyalgia often battle and chronic fatigue levels. When people with fibromyalgia get sick with a cold, flu, sinus infection or in my case strep throat, it puts extra stress on our body. The stress our body feels from being sick can trigger a fibromyalgia flare. The flare up can intensify both fibromyalgia symptoms and illness symptoms all at once making it feel like you are even sicker! It is best to prevent getting sick. If you do get sick, self care is needed. Be sure to take care of yourself!

https://southernpainclinic.com/blog/why-does-fibromyalgia-weaken-the-immune-system/

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Fibromyalgia what you should know about me…

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT Me

Author’s note: This letter is based on communications with people throughout the world, males and females, who suffer from fibromyalgia. It does not represent any one of the over 10,000,000 people with FMS, but it can help the healthy person understand how devastating this illness can be. Please do not take these people and their pain lightly. You wouldn’t want to spend even a day in their shoes…or their bodies. This is not my post. Im just reposting to share with everyone!

  • My pain – My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me. I can not work my pain out or shake it off. It is not even a pain that stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or gone. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is real.
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2. My fatigue – I am not merely tired. I am often in a severe state of exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities, but I can’t. Please do not take this personally. If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can’t help you with yard work today, it isn’t because I don’t want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability.

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3. My forgetfulness – Those of us who suffer from it call it fibrofog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don’t have any short-term memory at all.

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4. My clumsiness – If I step on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd, I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stairwells one step at a time.

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5. My sensitivities – I just can’t stand it! “It” could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors. FMS has been called the “aggravating everything disorder.” So don’t make me open the drapes or listen to your child scream. I really can’t stand it.

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6. My intolerance – I can’t stand heat, either. Or humidity. If I am a man, I sweat…profusely. If I am a lady, I perspire. Both are equally embarrassing, so please don’t feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. I know. And don’t be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it’s cold. I don’t tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

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7. My depression – Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of Dr. Kevorkian’s patients suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression. Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink. Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge.

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8. My stress – My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I’m not lazy. Everyday stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely.

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9. My weight – I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not by choice. My body is not your body. My appestat is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it.

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10. My need for therapy – If I get a massage every week, don’t envy me. My massage is not your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out was very painful, but it had to be done. My body is knot-filled. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily.

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11. My good days – If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don’t assume I am well. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no cure. I can have my good days or weeks or even months. In fact, the good days are what keep me going.

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12. my uniqueness – Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike. That means I may not have all of the problems mentioned above. I do have pain above and below the waist and on both sides of my body which has lasted for a very long time. I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain, but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else.

I hope that this helps you understand me, but if you still doubt my pain, your local bookstore, library and the internet have many good books and articles on fibromyalgia.

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Fibromyalgia and Dry eyes

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Did you know fibromyalgia can affect your eyes?! Over the last six months I noticed my eyes would become extremely irritated. My eyes would appear blood shot, burn and my vision would go blurry. At first I thought my vision had changed and I needed new glasses. My eyes started to bother me daily so I decided it was time to make an appointment with the optometrist. They ran all the pretest exams on my eyes to make sure my eye structure was healthy. The optometrist had me fill out a few questionnaires on dry eyes. It turns out I have dry eyes. The optometrist knows I have fibromyalgia and she explained to me there is actually a high correlation between fibromyalgia and dry eyes. I never knew this.

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After having yellow dye drops put into my eyes and looked at under the microscope the optometrist told me that my tears were not healthy. Who knew this was possible!?! I didn’t know one could have unhealthy tears.

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Your tears are made up of three components – water, oil and mucus. In my case my oil glands are not secreting enough oil.

When any of the three components of your tears (tear film) are not producing enough it can create issues with your eyes to form . The oil portion helps coat your eyes and and keeps the water component from evaporating. If there is not enough oil secreted the water component will evaporate and create dry eyes. The water component is the biggest portion of your tear film and it is responsible for supplying the moisture your eye needs to feel comfortable. The last layer of your tears is the mucus layer. The mucus layer helps the tear film to adhere to the eye and hold the next layer in place. The mucus layer is what produces “sleep crusties” in the corner of your eyes when you wake up.

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What can be done to treat dry eyes?

1. There are many over the counter eye drops you can purchase from your pharmacy to help treat dry eye.

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2. I was also prescribed an eye drop that contained a corticosteroid as I had eye inflammation from having such a severe case of dry eye.

3. Heat mask. Applying heat to your eyes for 15 minutes at a time will help the oil glands in your eyes secrete the necessary oil. The optometrist recommended I buy a specific eye mask from them that consists of dry heat. I was told dry heat was better – it applies heat evenly and the mask stays warmer longer.

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4. Drink plenty of water!

5. Use a humidifier to keep the air in your home from getting too dry.

6. You may require an eye drop for long term use.

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Did you know:

There are three different types of tears. Basal, reflex and emotional tears.

Basal tears help protect the eyes. These tears will appear if you get dust or debris in your eyes. Your eyes shed these type of tears without you even noticing!

Reflex tears are tears made of mostly water. If a small bug or particle gets in your eye reflex tears will flush it out.

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Emotional tears shed when you are overcome with emotion. Scientists have found traces of stress chemicals in these tears. This finding could mean crying is a form of stress relief!

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For more information about dry eye visit here.

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Fibromyalgia – Yoga and Tai Chi. What do researchers say in regards to how well they help lower fibromyalgia symptoms

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We are often told activities such as yoga and tai chi are good choices for people with fibromyalgia. Our doctors or any other health care provider involved share this information with us in hopes that it will help ease our fibromyalgia. We rarely stop to question this information because all we want is some relief from the excruciating pain. However, do these activities really help improve fibromyalgia symptoms?

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I was one of those people who thought yoga could possibly help benefit me instead of allowing my pain levels to run my life. I immediately went out and bought a few books on yoga – beginners yoga and yoga for chronic pain. I also looked up yoga videos on Youtube. Now, I am not a yoga fanatic, in fact I find it boring instead of relaxing. I tried to get into yoga before my fibromyalgia diagnosis and never was successful. However, I thought if it would help relieve the pain, why not try to learn to like it. I was desperate for any relief I could find. I soon realized I couldn’t get into most of the yoga poses without extreme pain. I eventually gave up. I started researching yoga recently as I thought about trying it again. I found some interesting facts about yoga and fibromyalgia. Does yoga really help fibromyalgia!!?

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Yoga is often recommended because it is a gentle intervention to help stretch tight muscles and joints. Yoga can also help build up strength. According to a study in 2011, participants didn’t report a reduction of pain and fatigue caused by their fibromyalgia. In 2013, an analysis revealed yoga helped reduce sleep disturbances, depression and improved their quality of life. However, again researchers concluded there was not enough evidence to confirm a link between yoga and reduced fibromyalgia symptoms. As far as I can see, there has been no further studies done on yoga and fibromyalgia

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Conclusion – there is not enough evidence to prove yoga is an effective treatment option for fibromyalgia relief. Don’t get me wrong, yoga does have it’s benefits, but is yoga really the right route for people with fibromyalgia!? If it hasn’t actually been proven by scientists to help reduce fibromyalgia symptoms why are we being recommended to take part in yoga!? With inconclusive findings, researchers state yoga MAY help relieve fibromyalgia pain, but there is no solid proof! I would suggest try yoga to see if it benefits you. If it does, continue to take part in yoga!

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Tai chi on the other hand has proof it is an effective activity to help fibromyalgia symptoms. Tai chi combines meditation, deep breathing and gentle slow motions. For myself I found tai chi too slow for my liking. I could never really get into the flow. Maybe this is because I find meditation exercises and deep breathing very difficult to do. Meditation requires a great deal of concentration which I lack. The study concluded that tai chi is as effective as aerobic exercises – if not a better choice for relieving fibromyalgia symptoms. The participants in this study filled out questionnaires at the end of the study. The information collected on the questionnaires reported decreased fibromyalgia symptoms – improvements in pain intensity, fatigue, physical function, depression, anxiety, morning tiredness and over all well being.

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My thought is even if there is not proven findings that yoga helps your fibromyalgia symptoms – if you find it helps your fibromyalgia, keep doing it! Everyone will benefit differently from each and every route tried. After all, all we want is some relief from the constant pain. There are many videos on yoga for fibromyalgia on Youtube that you can access for free.

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Here are the links to the studies carried out on yoga and tai chi:

Yoga study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22398352/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315142#What-the-research-says

Tai Chi study

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/tai-chi-has-similar-or-greater-benefits-than-aerobic-exercise-for-fibromyalgia-study-shows

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Why does fibromyalgia cause skin rashes!?!?

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Do you get random skin rashes with fibromyalgia!? These rashes can be painful, bumpy, raised, itchy and you may even experience your skin crawling. I often experience these rashes. I even broke out in a fibromyalgia rash just sitting at the doctor’s office. Since I was already at the doctor’s office I decided to show my doctor the rash that appeared out of no where. My doctor thought I had been scratching the area, but I had not scratched it once. It appeared red, inflamed and felt hot. I was always so puzzled to why I got random rashes. Sometimes the rashes look like heat rashes, but are actually not caused by sweating.

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Not everyone with fibromyalgia will develop rashes, but many people do. Rashes can appear at anytime anywhere on the body. Some fibromyalgia rashes can become so sensitive it is difficult to even sleep. If you are like me you often wonder what can cause these rashes to appear. The exact cause to the rashes has never been determined, but there are several factors that may contribute to a rash arising.

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Possible causes of why fibromyalgia rashes appear:

1. Medications you are on to help treat your fibromyalgia symptoms could be the culprit. Talk to your doctor of pharmacist to discuss whether your medications could possibly be causing the rashes to appear. I would advise getting any rash checked if you are unsure.

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2. Signals in your central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves). Your brain could possibly be sending out “itch” signals to the nerves in your skin. Your skin will become oversensitive. The result of your skin becoming oversensitive will create a sensation of itchiness.

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3. Chemical imbalances. A chemical imbalance in the brain could trigger a rash to appear. When you scratch an itch your brain will respond by releasing serotonin which helps stop the pain or itchiness. However, the more you scratch the more you itch. The more scratching and itching you do the more serotonin levels increase. The itching and scratching cycle can possibly lead to worse skin pain linked to fibromyalgia. Researchers completed a study on mice that showed the release of serotonin made the itchiness in mice worse. The higher the serotonin levels are the more you itch which then results in a rash forming.

Food for thought… there are a lot of medications used to lower pain levels which have serotonin in them. Do these medications create the same response?!? The higher the dose, the more serotonin levels we have causing a rash to form?!?

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4. Is an immune response responsible for creating the rash?! If this is true your immune system believes the proteins under your skin are foreign invaders. This would promote your immune system to release histamine which would increase skin sensitivity, which results in a rash. There has been no research on this hypothesis as of yet.

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How to manage a fibromyalgia rash. ..

1. Avoid scratching the rash even if it is itchy. The more you scratch, the worse the rash becomes.

2. Apply a cold cloth or compress. The cold will reduce swelling and any pain. It may even help reduce the itchiness.

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3. Apply a hydrocortisone cream. It will prevent a histamine reaction from taking place and help reduce itchiness and help relieve the rash.

4. Avoid using extremely hot water to shower. Use lukewarm water instead. Using lukewarm water will help soothe the rash.

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5. If you have dry skin, use moisturizing lotions to prevent itchiness. Dry skin can lead to a rash forming.

Don’t always assume your skin rashes are caused by fibromyalgia. Always take the time to go talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You could be having an allergic reaction instead. I bet just reading this article makes you itchy!

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Life with fibromyalgia – I can’t be spontaneous, but I can’t plan ahead either!

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Anybody who knows me, knows how spontaneous I used to be prior to being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I used to jump in my vehicle and take random road trips. I would stop and site see everywhere along the way. I used to join friends at the last minute to watch their child play hockey or go for a coffee and chat for hours. I used to be able to plan my weekends days in advance. Reality – I can no longer do this living with fibromyalgia.

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Living with chronic pain makes making any plans difficult. Fibromyalgia is a very unpredictable condition. I find myself always cancelling plans because the pain slowly creeps in and takes over, or the chronic fatigue decides to attack. Better yet, a whole new symptom appears out of nowhere and I am left scrambling trying to figure out how to manage it.

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For example, if a friend calls me randomly asking me to go for lunch or coffee I will most likely decline because I just can’t do spontaneous anymore. I often decline due to the fact I fear while we are out, I will suddenly not feel good. I’m always scared fibromyalgia will attack while I’m out and I won’t be able to get myself home. This is not an excuse to not spend time friends. It is a true fear and my reality! When my fibromyalgia decides to attack, I know I have to go home immediately and lay down. If I do not I will send myself into a full blown flare that will last for days. Even if I do accept the invitation, it takes a lot of planning. I have to make sure the restaurant has softer chairs or booths because seating without cushioning makes my body hurt. I have also developed a sensitivity to noise and smells. If the music is loud or there are a lot of people talking in the background – it becomes overwhelming and my anxiety levels begin to rise.

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Even a planned relaxing weekend away can be exhausting. Travelling when you have a chronic illness takes a lot of preparation. Most people when they travel take clothing and toiletries – maybe a few other items. Pretty easy right!? Packing when you factor in a chronic illness takes way more planning. It is almost like I need a whole suitcase to accommodate my “pharmacy”. I have to pack so many different items just in case the pain decides to attack or any other symptoms I suffer from arise. From different sized heating pads to neck pillows all have to be packed. I have a full cosmetic bag of medications I have to take along. I dare not leave any behind because I know what will happen if I do. The one bottle of muscle relaxants I use as last resort I will need the next day! By the time you run every possible scenario through your head – and pack all the necessary items you are exhausted just from packing and mentally drained. I tend to pack days in advance so it isn’t all rushed right before we leave.

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Friendships are often lost due to the fact that we can’t plan ahead nor be spontaneous. Please know that if I have agreed to meet up for a coffee and suddenly cancel – it is not on purpose. I am not just making up an excuse, or avoiding you. Fibromyalgia truly does run my life. You may not be able to see how sick I feel. If I try to make plans with you it is because you are important and I value our friendship. A friend of mine called me and as per usual I declined going out for supper. Instead she brought supper to me and we had a great visit!

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