Tag Archives: fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia makes even grocery shopping difficult

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Fibromyalgia can make grocery shopping a very daunting task. For people without chronic pain conditions, it is just another errand to get done. For those of us with chronic pain, shopping can be overwhelming and absolutely exhausting – which can often leave us having to rest for hours on end or land us in bed for days to come. You may wonder what I mean when I say shopping with fibromyalgia is a daunting task. Here is why…

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Grocery shopping takes time and energy. First of all, pushing a shopping cart begins to hurt me. The heavier the cart gets, the harder it is for me to push. If I am only shopping for lighter food items, I am able to push the cart. However, if I start adding in laundry detergent, a bunch of canned items or a case of soda the cart is too heavy. If I try to push the full cart, my arms begin to ache down to the bone snd feel overworked and my neck and upper back begin to hurt beyond words. I never grocery shop alone, unless it is for just a few light items.

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Walking the aisles of the grocery store also wears me out physically. What little energy I had, is now gone. My feet/toes begin to burn and ache, along with jumping pain in my legs. Who knew shopping could cause someone so much pain to result? I know the grocery store has those motorized shopping carts, but I also know if I use one I will get the “look” from people because I do not look sick.

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Grocery stores can also cause sensory overload to result. Many people with fibromyalgia report sensory overload becoming an issue. Grocery stores can become loud with various noises and the lights can be very bright. Depending on what time you decide to venture out to get your groceries, it can become very busy and crowded. I tend to go complete my shopping as early as possible to beat the crowds. Even the store intercom can seem overwhelming and too loud at times.

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A lot of grocery stores now offer a shop from home option. You shop online, make a shopping list and someone else will shop for you. All you have to do is go pick up the order or better yet they will delivery straight to your home. I have never used this convenient shopping option because I like to select my own produce such as apples, oranges ect. There usually is a delivery fee, but for some people it is worth shopping this way.

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How to make grocery shopping easier with fibromyalgia:

1. Shop grocery stores you are familiar with. This way you know what aisles the exact food items you are looking to buy.

2. If possible take someone shopping with you.

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3. Make sure you take a cart that the wheels roll easy so you won’t struggle even more pushing the cart.

4. Possibly wear earplugs if you get sensory overload while shopping.

5. Shop during quieter times to avoid crowds and added noise levels.

6. Create a shopping list before you go to the store. Most people own a smartphone and take it along with them shopping. It is easy to make a shopping list on your phone so you don’t forget your list at home.

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7. Use motorized riding carts if you need to.

8. Park as close to the door as possible.

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Four reasons I blog about my fibromyalgia journey…

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You may be wondering why I write and blog about my fibromyalgia journey. There are many different reasons behind why I began blogging. Many people probably think I blog to receive attention – wrong assumption! Here are the reasons I began blogging…

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1. After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I soon learned that I was beginning to journey down a pathway that many health care providers and people do not understand. I realized fibromyalgia was recognized as a condition, but it is very much misunderstood. After different “treatment” routes attempted and no improvements noted, my frustration soon set in. I figured people all over the world who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, must be feeling the exact same frustration as myself. It took me a long time to find the courage to begin my blog, because I was afraid of being judged or my blog would simply fail. After months of deep consideration I started my website and promoted as much as I could. My goal was to help other fibro fighters feel not so alone. Chronic illness can be just that- lonely. It becomes a journey that is only understood by those directly affected by fibromyalgia.

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2. As I research to write blog posts, I learn more information about fibromyalgia. I’ve learned a lot of new information about fibromyalgia – probably more then most health care providers I have seen know. Most doctors know the basic information about fibromyalgia, but are they able to provide information on all the previous fibromyalgia studies completed? Probably not. The more I research, the more quality information I can also share for you all.

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3. Through blogging I am able to find purpose in life. Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I had to stop working, give up my career I trained in and stay home most days to learn to manage my fibromyalgia. I felt a loss of identity ( which is often felt by people with chronic illness). As human beings we seek purpose in life. We wake up, go to work, work towards a goal, ect. When one is diagnosed with chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, our whole life is turned upside down. I find since I started my blog I have a sense of purpose back. Blogging gives me a goal to work towards – helping others. It brings a sense of accomplishment when I see people connecting to what I have written! When you have purpose, you are more likely to actively seek self management for your fibromyalgia!

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I came across a 2018 study which stated that “regular blogging is potentially useful for people with chronic pain as it provides a conduit to enable them to connect with others who understand and share their experiences of pain, possibly encouraging increased participation in personally meaningful life activities, positive pain management experiences, and social connectedness.” You can read the article here.

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4. Raising awareness and fighting stigmas. Writing about fibromyalgia raises awareness – especially if people without fibromyalgia read my blog posts. My posts give people the opportunity to read and understand what living with fibromyalgia is really like. My blogs also help spread fibromyalgia information/awareness to anyone who has just recently been diagnosed as well. When you are newly diagnosed, it can be overwhelming. There is also such a stigma attached to a fibromyalgia diagnosis – even if I can make a small change in one person’s attitude towards chronic pain- I have succeeded!

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There you have it! The four main reasons I decided to begin blogging about my journey with fibromyalgia. I hope as you read my blog posts, at least one post resonates with you!

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The Spoon Theory – What is it and how to use it?

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Have you ever heard of the spoon theory?! The spoon theory was created to help give a visual picture to help illustrate the energy limitations on people who live with a chronic illnesses ( which included chronic pain). The spoons represent a unit of energy. Every task you work at during the day uses up a spoon – depleting your energy reserve. Some tasks use more spoons then others. This theory not only helps people living with the chronic illness, but also helps those living without a chronic condition understand those who live with chronic illnesses.

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The spoon theory is usually based on a 12 spoon count. You begin each day with 12 spoons. If one doesn’t get a good nights sleep, forgot medications or even skipped a meal immediately take a spoon away. If you have a cold or are sick automatically take four spoons away. Imagine starting your day with limited spoons. How would you function?! For example, you have a cold bug, were too exhausted to eat supper the night before, forgot to take your evening medication and did not sleep well. That leaves you 5 spoons left for the day.

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I was introduced to the spoon theory in the fall of 2022. Before this I had never heard of this theory before. I wish health care providers would have shown me this theory long ago. We are often told to pace ourselves during the day, but most of us struggle with what pacing looks like when factoring in chronic pain. When given the visual aid of the spoon theory, we are able to understand how to be economical in how to spread and use our energy ( spoons) through out the day! I try to refer to this theory so I remember to pace myself everyday.

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To “replenish” spoons a person needs to rest or take breaks between tasks to allow energy reserves to build back up. Keep in mind, just because you rest between tasks, does not necessarily mean your energy will rebuild. If you are like me, once I hit my limit for the day, no matter how much I rest, my energy does not seem to rebuild. Example. If I clean the floors in the morning and then rest for a few hours, my energy is still not replenished by the evening. Even though I use pacing the day, I still find myself exhausted. To help replenish spoons practicing self-care can help restock your energy.

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Here are a few examples of what helps me replenish my energy ( your list will look different)

1. Music

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2. Resting in bed

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3. Reading

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4. Time with pets

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5. Puzzles

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6. I recently found a few guided meditation sessions that relax me so much that I am almost asleep at the end of them.

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There are many websites out there explaining the spoon theory in greater depth. If you need more examples of which tasks use how many spoons, I found looking under images on google have a lot of different visual aids with different tasks. For more information on the spoon theory visit: here.

I asked! You shared! What advice would you give to a fellow fibrofighter!? 40 answers shared

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I asked the following question on many different social media platforms. “What advice would you give to a fellow fibrofighter?” I asked. You all shared. I decided to put together a post sharing all these wonderful ideas and tips. I hope those reading these can find some comfort, useful tips and feel understood.

1. Give yourself permission to take as many breaks as you need and don’t ever feel lazy or guilty about it!

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2. Slow down! Don’t push yourself!

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3. Give yourself time to grieve.

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4. Advocate for yourself.

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5. Adaption and acceptance are long term processes, they don’t come over night. You will develop routines that help you adapt to situations better.

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6. Know your limits!

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7. Having compassion for yourself is so important. Take things slowly and listen to your body.

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8. Learn to pace and read your body’s signals. This isn’t something anyone can teach you. It is something you have to figure out on your own. How much can you do in a day? How often you should take a break? How much exercise does your body needs and how much is too much? Only you can answer these questions!

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9. Breathe. Remember to breathe!

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10. Take it one day at a time. You have good days and bad days. Give yourself credit for what you can do and don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t do.

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11. It is okay to be frustrated by fibromyalgia. Especially since there is no cure. Don’t dwell on it, but allow yourself to grieve.

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12. Accept modern medicine will not cure fibromyalgia. Look at other aspects such as diet and exercise.

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13. We shouldn’t belittle another’s pain. We feel things a little differently then the average joe. Others may not have the same pain tolerance! What may bring the average joe to their knees is something most of us deal with on a daily basis. For them it is more shocking, dramatic and immediate.

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14. Don’t push yourself to the point of exhaustion, because that just makes it worse.

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15. Listen to your body. If it tells you to rest, then rest.

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16. Fibromyalgia is a long haul situation. Try to accept that now. I think acceptance makes life easier.

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17. Don’t be ashamed to use mobility aids if you need to! It does not mean it is the end of the world. Those aids are there to help us, not shame us.

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18. Find your new normal, slow your pace of life and say NO if you have to!

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19. You don’t have to fight all the time. Retreat and regroup!

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20. Be more purposeful with your days. By that I mean instead of just trying to get through them, try to be actively present throughout the day. Check in with your mind, body and surroundings often. Catching any off moments, can prevent the pain from getting worse.

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21. Look after yourself. Do things according to how you feel and how your body feels. Don’t pressure yourself and be patient!

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22. Keep up on electrolytes. We burn through them faster then people without fibromyalgia.

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23. Deep relaxation and meditation helps.

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24. You are not weak. Having to survive and get by in daily pain is something only tough people can do! Let the insensitive comments roll off your shoulders.

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25. Find new hobbies you can succeed it. It helps take your mind off the pain!

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26. Do something every day that warms your heart!

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27. Do your best, because that is good enough!

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28 . Do not give up. Pain is real. It is very tough, but not stronger then our hope!

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29. You don’t have to try to be positive every second of every day! It is okay to say, ” this is really S***. I can’t do this today and wallow. As long as it isn’t everyday!

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30. I tell myself, ” yes today is rough” and I allow myself to take it easy!

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31. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Don’t feel guilty or berate if you are not able to get things accomplished. Do listen to your body. Rest when you need to.

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32. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Remember every day is different.

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33. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Keep trying different things.

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34. You don’t have to validate your pain to others.

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35. Accept that a sofa day is not being lazy, it is healing yourself.

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36. Accept that not everyone will understand that your pain is real. Don’t worry about them, worry about you!

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37. Don’t be scared to ask for help. If people offer you help, don’t be afraid to accept it.

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38. Focus on what you can do, rather then what you can’t do! ad

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39. Don’t let family or friends push you into doing more than you can.

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40. Do not let fibromyalgia define who you are!

What I wish I knew early diagnosis of fibromygia!

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1. Learn to slow down and pace myself! Fibromyalgia requires you to slow down so you don’t cause a flare up to form! It also helps reserve energy. I wish I was told this earlier on. I could have prevented so many flare ups from forming. You may not get everything done that you wanted to in a day and that is ok. Learn to prioritize what is most important. There are many days where I have a list of things I want to get done. I may only get to one or two on the list.

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2. Health care providers stress self care with fibromyalgia! I wish I knew how important this truly is when dealing with chronic pain. Most times our lives get so busy to even factor in self care, but once you are diagnosed with fibromyalgia or any chronic pain condition self care becomes so important. Make sure to take the time for you! Even if you can’t manage to take say 30 consecutive minutes, I am sure 5 minutes is possible. I noticed once I started to take time for me to wind down or relax my pain levels stay a bit lower.

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3. I wish I would have known how important self advocacy was earlier on! I was always too scared or shy to speak up. After 3.5 years I have learned to use my voice! After all, we know our body best and know what may work and not work by gaging from our limitations. I feel by not speaking up sooner, I have now gotten labelled as being “difficult” by many health care professionals. It is not that I am difficult, I now know what works and what doesn’t. Repeating failed treatment routes is not where I want to find myself. It only causes frustration and anxiety to form!

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4. I wish I knew that there was more to fibromyalgia then just chronic pain! When we see the list of possible symptoms that can occur along side fibromyalgia, we often think it isn’t possible. Reality is it is possible! As the months pass, I often find myself dealing with a new symptom.

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5. Fibromyalgia is not a uniform condition. Everyone’s fibromyalgia journey will look very different! What works for some people, will not work for others. Do not compare yourself to others with fibromyalgia. This is not how the condition works. Remember, your body does not read like a textbook. Just because a symptom or solution is listed on a site or book, doesn’t mean it will be successful! Keep exploring ideas for relief if one option fails. I have watched several attempts fail, but I keep searching for something new to try!

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6. I didn’t realize I would grieve my diagnosis before I could accept it! Fibromyalgia is a very debilitating condition with no cure. It took me three years to come to terms with the fact that my life is very different now. Fibromyalgia takes a-lot away from a person and you need to learn to accept and adjust to the new normal! Don’t feel weak if you are grieving. Grieving does not make you weak!

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7. That I would come across many people who do not understand fibromyalgia. There will be many insensitive comments and gestures be made. Remember, it is lack of knowledge and understanding fibromyalgia at work here! Many doctors and health care providers don’t quite understand fibromyalgia themselves. Friends and family may make remarks that are hurtful and insensitive! Try to share information you know to be true about fibromyalgia to help educate people around you – to be able to somewhat understand the condition!

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8. How exhausting fibromyalgia actually is. We are always told that fatigue is a symptom of fibromyalgia, I never realized how much fatigue would control my life. The exhaustion is not simply just being tired. It is a complete life altering fatigue to the point where it can become difficult to take care of your basic needs. Early diagnosis I had fatigue, but it has gotten worse over the years. Every task no matter how small it is, just drains every last energy reserve I had built up!

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9. I wish I would have known how important it is to listen to my body. As the saying goes your body never lies to you! If your body is telling you to rest, then rest. It is what it needs at that moment. We learn that being in tune with our body becomes an important survival mechanism needed when dealing with fibromyalgia.

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10. I wish I knew the amount of strength it requires to push through each day living with fibromyalgia. We are often thought to be weak because we can’t handle the pain levels. It is actually the opposite. It takes alot of courage and strength to live everyday in extreme pain levels and actually succeed to get at least something done in 24 hours!

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Fibromyalgia and sound sensitivity. Why do sounds become difficult to deal with? Is brain inhibition responsible?

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Before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia noise rarely bothered me. Working in a school you learn to ignore all the different sounds. Since my fibromyalgia diagnosis, sounds begin to bother me more and more. People who live with fibromyalgia are hypersensitive to muscle, joint and widespread pain, but research is revealing hypersensitivity to sound as well.

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For myself I find noise can create many emotions to arise. These may include:

1. Feeling annoyed

2. Feeling anxious

3. Feeling panic

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Other symptoms I experience:

1. Pounding heart

2. Tightness in chest as anxiety increases

3. Headaches may appear

4. Increased pain levels

5. Sounds feel like they echo within my ears

7. Loss of concentration

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There are a few theories to why people with fibromyalgia develop sound sensitivities. In one study, researchers had people with fibromyalgia listen to certain sounds through earphones and they were asked to rate the sounds based on how mild or severe they sounded. The study also had a group of participants without fibromyalgia do the same. Three different stimulus intensities were used. The participants with fibromyalgia required less sound pressure to report similar loudness ratings then people without fibromyalgia. The conclusion of the study showed people with fibromyalgia are more sensitive to sound and reported lower volume sounds to be more intense.

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Most times we are often told the sensitives are just “in our head”. However studies such as the one described above are proving this to be wrong. Studies are beginning to reveal that it is most likely due to nervous system problems. Our nervous system makes people with fibromyalgia perceive sound more severity then those without fibromyalgia. More research is still needed.

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A second theory has to do with brain inhibition. I had never heard this term before. Inhibition is when our brain filters out things that are unimportant. Easiest way to understand it is imagine our brain has a noise cancellation function – almost like a set of headphones with noise cancellation. For example you may be working in your office and the florescent lights may be making a loud buzzing noise. Usually our brain inhibition eventually stops us from hearing the buzzing noise. However, experts explain that people with fibromyalgia will lack inhibition – which means we have a difficult time tuning out sounds. Our senses will bombard our brain with so much information and our brain can’t handle it! Our bodies react from over stimulus. We may be unable to concentrate and we forget what we are doing. Anxiety or panic attacks can even form – pounding heart, sweating,dizziness,etc. This creates stress to form within our bodies which make pain levels of fatigue get worse!

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I am still learning to deal with the sound sensitivities. I am still working at identifying which sounds trigger me. I can identify most of my triggers, but the sounds still irritate me and cause my anxiety to rise. I read one strategy is to work on lowering the symptoms of anxiety and panic before a full blown anxiety/panic attack is set off. If you need guidance in how to lower anxiety, there are many excellent Youtube videos on anxiety management. If in doubt, I would recommend speaking to your doctor or a psychologist who may be able to guide you further!

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There are a lot of situations I may avoid to prevent having to deal with some of the sound sensitivities or alter my routine when possible. I often go to the store earlier in the day to beat the loudness or go out for dinner slightly early to avoid the overwhelming restaurant hustle. When I attend the pool to swim, I often go when the pool has a quieter atmosphere. They set aside certain hours dedicated for those who live with sensory issues. Sound sensitivity can be manageable if using the right strategies. I believe there may be cognitive behavioral therapy strategies out there to help one cope with living with sound sensitivities. I am still researching how to manage my own noise sensitivity!

People with fibromyalgia may also be sensitive to light, smell, heat or even to tactile. To prevent my blog post from becoming to long and overwhelming I broke it down. I will write another blog on other sensitivities later on!

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According to experts adding vitamin/mineral supplements in may help reduce fibromyalgia pain and symptoms! Vitamin deficiency often accompany fibromyalgia.

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Before I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia my vitamin levels were perfectly normal. As the years pass, my vitamin levels continue to drop. I do know aging can causes our vitamin levels to be lower, however I believe fibromyalgia has played a part in my vitamin levels dropping fairly low. Research actually proves fibromyalgia can lower certain vitamins in the body, which may make fibromyalgia symptoms worse. There are actually theories out there that vitamin deficiencies are partially responsible for fibromyalgia development. I recently had blood work done and a I have learned a lot of my vitamin levels are extremely low.

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Iron

Having low iron levels can either mimic or possibly contribute to heightened fibromyalgia symptoms. Women with fibromyalgia are more likely to have iron deficiency. Low iron can cause extreme fatigue to form. For those of us with fibromyalgia the chronic fatigue, muscle/joint pain, headaches, weakness, further decreases endurance levels and sleep disturbances may all heighten, as low iron levels can cause all theses symptoms to arise. Having low iron can also cause a person’s pain threshold to lower and increasing pain sensitivities! I’ve had lower iron levels for some time now, even with iron supplements. I now wonder if low levels of iron are causing some of my fibromyalgia symptoms to feel worse.

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A study done in 2010, revealed that there appears to be an association between ferritin levels and fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia tend to have lower levels of ferritin then those without fibromyalgia. Ferritin is responsible for storing iron in the body. For myself my ferritin level has remained stable. This study is older, but as far as I know there has been no current study done. Here is the link for the study.

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You can read more about iron deficiency here.

Calcium

Studies reveal people with fibromyalgia often have a calcium deficiency. Calcium is the main content in bones and joints and is important in muscle contraction. Low calcium can cause muscle cramps, fatigue, lack of energy and can also lead to insomnia. In fibromyalgia our muscles remain tight and have a difficult time relaxing and contracting. Adding a calcium deficiency on top of fibromyalgia can possibly heighten the tight muscles and other symptoms. Here is a short article about fibromyalgia and calcium deficiency.

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You can read more about calcium deficiency here.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays a crucial role in our bodies – muscle and nerve functioning and energy production. Magnesium deficiency is associated with muscle cramps, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. Again the result of a magnesium deficiency are all the common symptoms of fibromyalgia. Women with fibromyalgia are often seen to exhibit lower magnesium levels. Magnesium supplements are often recommended to help relieve fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms. Ever hear of Epsom salt?! You can purchase it at a pharmacy. Magnesium is the main ingredient in it. We are often told to soak in a tub with Epsom salt to help relax muscles. It is said that Epsom salt will be absorbed through our skin as we soak in the bath. However, this theory has not been proven. For myself Epsom salt makes me feel nauseous after. Doctors always told me it was because my body absorbs too much magnesium. You can read more about Epsom salt here.

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You can read more about magnesium deficiency here.

Vitamin d

Vitamin d deficiency is frequently seen in people with fibromyalgia. It is common to have lower vitamin d levels during the winter months. We produce vitamin d when sunlight hits our skin. There are many symptoms of vitamin d deficiency. Some symptoms include muscle cramps/soreness body aches, fatigue/weakness,exhaustion and decreased endurance – which overlap with fibromyalgia symptoms. A study revealed people with fibromyalgia who used vitamin d supplements reported reduced musculoskeletal pain and helped improve their quality of life. You can read more about the study here.

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You can read more about vitamin d deficiency here.

One can try to up their iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamin d thorough your diet to try to raise the levels. For myself, I have decided to add in supplements as it can be rather time consuming to keep track of it through diet alone. You can discuss with your doctor how many mgs of each supplement you may need to take. The supplements can be found in many different dosages. You can even consult a pharmacist to help guide you.

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Before fibromyalgia is diagnosed, many other conditions should be ruled out. There are many conditions that can mimic fibromyalgia!

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Polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder that can result in muscle pain, stiffness, muscle weakness, flulike symptoms and sleep disruptions. Before I got my diagnosis of fibromyalgia my doctor was debating whether my condition was polymyalgia or fibromyalgia. He was very certain I had one or the either. He ran a blood test to see if I had high inflammation markers to help diagnose. I had very little inflammation markers found – which led my doctor to believe it was fibromyalgia. One can still be diagnosed with polymyalgia even if there is low inflammation found. Polymyalgia can be treated with a corticosteroids.

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You can read more about polymyalgia rheumatica here.

Rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is also an inflammatory disease. In rheumatoid arthritis the lining of your joints is affected. It causes painful inflammation that can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity! I originally went to the doctor because my finger joints were very painful and beginning to throb. My elbows were the same as my hands. According to blood test results, I was not showing signs of any autoimmune diseases and had a negative CPP result. A CCP blood test can usually detect antibodies present in rheumatoid arthritis. To be cautious my doctor referred me to a rheumatologist who screened me for RA. The rheumatologist did ultrasounds on both hands and my elbows. There was no evidence in my joints of any inflammatory joint disease being present. At this point RA was ruled out and the rheumatologist confirmed a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

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You can read more on rheumatoid arthritis here.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system ( brain and spinal cord). The immune system will attack the myelin sheath that surrounds your nerves. It results in inflammation and destroys nerve cell processes and myelin. MS can cause pain, fatigue, stiffness, numbness and tingling and more. Often times health care providers will order an MRI to help determine if it is MS. Multiple sclerosis can cause lesions to form on the brain and cervical spinal cord. My doctor agreed to order an MRI. We both figured nothing would show. Results showed one lesion on my brain stem – usually where MS lesions are found. I was referred to a neurologist. The neurologist repeated the MRI. no other lesions were found. The lesion found was most likely causes by my migraines.

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You can read more on MS here.

Lupus

Lupus can also be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. However lupus is an autoimmune disease. Lupus involves widespread inflammation throughout the body and affects many organs. Your immune system will attack its own tissues and organs resulting in inflammation. Lupus can cause fatigue, muscle pain, fevers, headaches etc. Doctors can run a blood test to check your ANA levels in your body. A positive ANA test may mean you have lupus. 97% of people with lupus have antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in their blood. Keep in mind Just because your ANA test is positive doesn’t always mean you have lupus. My doctor ruled out lupus as my inflammatory markers were low and My ANA was negative. The rheumatologist also agreed I did not have lupus due to all blood work indicating negative results. I know people who had a negative ANA reading and still got diagnosed with Lupus.

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You can read more about lupus here.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome usually accompanies fibromyalgia. However, they are both completely different conditions. CFS symptoms can mimic fibromyalgia symptoms. Once again chronic fatigue syndrome is difficult to diagnose just like fibromyalgia. Fatigue does accompany fibromyalgia, but the fatigue felt in CFS can be worse and life altering. I have not been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, but I stand firm when I tell many health care providers that I have it. I suffer from daily sore throats, swollen lymph nodes, fevers, awake unrefreshed and any physical/emotional stress causes extreme exhaustion to result. This year I will be pushing the subject of CFS with my doctor.

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You can read more on CFS here.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi. People can contract it from ticks. Lyme has many fibromyalgia symptoms such as muscle/joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fatigue, and rashes. In Canada it can be very difficult to get tested for Lyme disease. We do have testing for it, but I often hear it is not very reliable. Many people will seek Lyme testing in the USA or pay to see a natural path who can test for it, but it is sent to Germany to actually be tested. I often hear that even if it does come back positive, health care providers still so not accept the results. Maybe where you live, you have better options to being tested for Lyme disease.

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You can read more about lyme here.

Thyroid diseases

People with hypothyroidism may display symptoms of fibromyalgia such as fatigue, depression and muscle/joint pain. Hypothyroidism results when your thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormone. A simple blood test can confirm if you have hypothyroidism. It will test your TSH levels. (thyroid stimulating hormone) My doctor quickly ordered blood work, which indicated my thyroid was working as it should.

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Read more about hypothyroidism here:

Hashimoto’s disease can also be mistaken for fibromyalgia. Hashimoto’s is actually an autoimmune disorder. A health care provider can order a test to see if there are specific antibodies in your body. The antibodies created by your immune system attack thyroid cells as if they were bacteria or viruses – leading to damaged cells and cell death.

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Read more about Hashimoto’s here:

I am sure there are possibly more conditions that can be mistaken for fibromyalgia. However, these are the ones that come to mind. I’ve had many of these conditions ruled out from blood work. Many are autoimmune diseases and my blood work indicates no autoimmune diseases detected. One can still be diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder with negative indicators – but in my case it has been ruled out.

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People with fibromyalgia can develop trochanteric bursitis – which results in swelling and hip pain.

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Have you ever heard of trochanteric bursitis? It is common condition that can form in people who have fibromyalgia. Trochanteric bursitis affects the fluid filled sacs (bursae) found between bones and soft tissues of the joints. The outer lining of the bursae becomes inflamed. I have recently had a lot of hip pain through the night, which prevents me from sleeping. No matter what position I try to sleep in, both hips ache with pain. I decided to research ” fibromyalgia and hip pain – and trochanteric bursitis was the first condition that showed up on my browser. After reading about bursitis – it sure sounds like this could be what I am experiencing. I will be getting it checked by a doctor in then near future.

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What are the symptoms of hip bursitis?

  • Joint or hip pain
  • pain in the hip , buttocks and thigh
  • Pain when laying on the affected side ( in my case it is both sides)
  • May have soreness when you push on your hip area
  • Hip pain taking part in certain activities
  • Pain when you walk up stairs
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For myself I find my hip pain worse when I am trying to sleep. I tend to sleep on my side, so there is always pressure on my hips. I wake up with one hip sore, so I switch to the other side. It eventually wakes me up from being so painful. It is a dull aching. I spend half my night trying to get comfortable. I even try to sleep on my back, but after I have pain on both sides of my hips, even that is too painful. My hip pain is not consistent, but I go through periods where it remains painful for weeks. By morning, it is difficult to stand up out of bed and aches on and off all day.

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Treatment of bursitis often requires one to rest and allow the swelling to subside. This is the most important part of healing. One must avoid activities that could make the bursitis worse. If you do not, the recovery time may become longer. Icing the areas will help the pain levels and help decrease inflammation. I did read you can use heat later on. Over the counter anti inflammatory medications such as naproxen can be used. Your doctor may even prescribe a prescription anti inflammatory. If you are able to add in stretches, it is recommended. People who suffer from bursitis often have a tight IT band. Fibromyalgia itself can also cause a tight IT band due to the muscle tension. If the above treatments fail steroid injections or surgery may be considered.

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When I speak to my doctor next week, I will have her assess me to be sure it is bursitis. I have been reading that bursitis and osteoarthritis can be mistaken for each other. I do know I have arthritis starting in my neck, but I’m unsure about my hips. My hip pain has only become a major issue in the last several months. I rarely had hip pain before this. The hips can also be a tender point area for fibromyalgia pain to attack. Always be sure to speak to your doctor first. Don’t assume it is automatically bursitis.

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Here is A link about bursitis and fibromyalgia!

https://www.news-medical.net/amp/health/Fibromyalgia-with-Bursitis.aspx

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Experts reveal people with fibromyalgia do not remain in deep sleep long enough to benefit the body!

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For those of us with fibromyalgia, we soon realize we do not sleep like we used to. Our sleep patterns change overtime. Most people with fibromyalgia eventually develop sleep disturbances. Do we really stop to think about what changes our quality of sleep?!

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People with fibromyalgia develop sleep patterns that remain choppy, inconsistent and leaves us feeling unrefreshed when we awake. Obviously chronic pain through out the night can continuously wake us up, but there is scientific proof showing people with fibromyalgia experience inadequate deep sleep. When we lack deep sleep, we may experience daytime fatigue, impairments to cognition such as slower thinking, reduced concentration and even muscle pain!! We experience sleep deprivation. A healthy person experiences a predictable sleep pattern -entering into each stage of sleep for so long and in a specific order. Deep sleep is the most important of all the sleep stages that take place.

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According to research, people with fibromyalgia do not spend much time in the deep sleep stage. The deep sleep we do get is often interrupted by “wakeful” brain waves that are normally only seen in a wakeful brain – known as alpha wave intrusion. The alpha wave intrusion seems to be connected to the stress response center. In healthy individuals the alpha waves are not active during sleeping. However, the alpha intrusions remain active in people with fibromyalgia, waiting to fight off a threat. This information takes us back to the flight or fight response. Our alpha brain waves are stuck in the fight response and “sleep with one eye open”. In 1975, Dr Moldofsky, was able to induce fibromyalgia muscle pain and fatigue in healthy college students. After a few nights of sleep deprivation, muscle pain and fatigue resulted. Both symptoms went away after they got deep sleep again.

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As we fall into deeper stages of sleep, our muscles cleanse themselves of metabolic debris. Experts state that in fibromyalgic muscles, there is an overabundant amount of “leftovers” because our muscles are constantly contracted. The contracted muscles do not allow for restorative rest needed to cleanse the muscles at night. Our brain also self cleanses itself while in deep sleep – removing harmful toxins. The build up of debris can possibly cause muscle twitches, pain and weakness to form.

Read more about deep sleep here.

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Doctors may suggest using medications that help a person stay in the deep sleep stage longer. I won’t list medication names here as depending on where you live, each medication may or may not be approved. I would advice you to speak to your doctor for more information. You can also work on practicing strategies to get a good nights sleep. You can find the list in my previous blog here.

https://fibrofighter.ca/2022/11/07/fibromyalgia-and-insomnia/

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