6. "REST FOR THE WEARY"

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/124 - interesting article about some Type A people whose lives were suddenly devastated by CFS. I don't do yoga but when I am totally crashed and HAVE to be somewhere for performance or other unchangeable, I lie down on the floor, put my feet up on a chair and breathe in an essential oil blend. After 5-10 minutes, I slowly rise and feel I can function again...for awhile. It's gotta be that some oxygen went to my brain.

7. TRIGGER POINT MAP

From a reader--

http://www.painclinic.org/musclepain-headneckshoulderarm.htm

"Click on the little green camera (picture) icon, and two drawings come up. One shows the muscle and marks those pesky trigger points with X’s. The other shows the areas on your body that will feel the pain if those particular trigger points are “triggering” or whatever it is they do when things hurt."

8. DR. TEITELBAUM'S "SLEEP TONIGHT"

From a reader--

"Dr. Teitelbaum's Vital 101 Newsletter. It looks pretty interesting. Thought you might like to read it--

More Help for Insomnia

Insomnia is a major problem—especially for those with CFS and fibromyalgia. The sleeping problem is often triggered by your sleep center (the hypothalamus) not working. When this happens, it can cause your adrenal stress hormone to be low during the day (when it should be high), and high at night (when it should be low so you can sleep). This can cause you to feel "brain foggy" all day—and wide awake with a racing mind when it's bedtime. We've discussed many natural and prescription treatments that help insomnia. There is now an exciting new natural remedy for sleep that has been shown to lower bedtime cortisol/adrenal stress hormone levels by 40% (while leaving them OK during the day when you need them). This product works beautifully in some folks and not at all in others (depends on whether your insomnia is caused by high night time cortisol or other causes). It often works quickly (the first night) and you will certainly know if it is helpful by the time you finish one bottle. It can be used along with any natural or prescription sleep treatments. It is called "Sleep Tonight!" (by Enzymatic Therapy) and can be found in most health food stores and also on our website. Take 1 or 2 at bedtime."

9. HPV 6 VIRUS AND CFIDS

From a reader--

"It was presented to me that there could be a link with the herpes virus causing lesions to the vagus nerve that causes pain to fibro patients. Obviously, in my case this makes sense and I have been put on an anti-viral for 2 weeks to see if there is any relief. I know it's personal to ask, but we all have cold sores and that comes from the herpes virus. Is this something that you have as well? I would be interested knowing whether or not people with fibro also have herpes."

Yes, I do get recurring cold sores on my nose. They are unsightly and disfiguring. They have gotten worse as I have gotten older. They are triggered by prolonged stress (getting run down), too much sunshine, becoming too acidic, or from too much arginine (such as walnuts). I combat cold sores with Acyclovir (anti-viral), which I take at the first "tingle." If a cold sore does develop, I use essential oils to dry it up, and Carmex to prevent scarring. http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html. Releev ointment used to help, but doesn't anymore. Write dombush@bellsouth.net if you have info about cold sores and/or the herpes virus as related to CFIDS.

10. BLACKCURRANT

From an Australian reader with CFS--

"The blackcurrant mixture is a strange one. I knew I needed carrot (I didn’t like raw grated carrot on its own) and apple (apples have malic acid) each day. And this was one way I could incorporate the two and make up a good morning breakfast. It is a lot of food to eat at one meal. But well worthwhile. I didn’t follow the How to Fight Cancer & Win diet, as such. I just adapted the flaxseed, cottage cheese, flaxseed oil concepts. I’ve never been able to get the blackcurrant oil. But now I see that I can order it on the Internet. That’s another one, to try. I have a feeling it’ll do wonders, too.

BLACKCURRANT RECIPE

Frozen, fresh or dried blackcurrants

Blueberries (fights fatigue) or cherries etc (optional)

Grated raw carrot

Grated apple

Prunes and/or prune juice

Pistacios and walnuts

Ground flaxseed (buy whole seeds and grind in coffee grinder)

Flaxseed oil (Cold Pressed – Unrefined)

Ground cinnamon

Cottage cheese...low-fat

A little yoghurt (optional)

Honey or maple syrup (optional)

Boiling water

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Place at least two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in a bowl.

Add whole pistachios, finely chopped walnuts and a couple of shakes of ground cinnamon.

If using dried blackcurrants add at least 2 tablespoons, now

Remove pits from about 4 – 6 prunes (whole, non-pitted, preservative-gluten-sugar-free prunes)

Add enough boiling water for the flaxseed to absorb it. You want a fairly liquid mixture. Leave a few minutes to soften the flaxseed

Add some prune juice as well. (or omit the whole prunes and just add Home-made prune juice to the hot-water mix)

Add a little honey or maple syrup (I don’t think diabetics can have honey etc?)

If using fresh or frozen blackcurrants add these. They’re bitter but you develop a taste for them.

Add fresh, grated carrot – 1 small or ½ a large carrot

Add fresh, grated apple – 1 large or 2 small apples

Add flaxseed oil. At least 1 tablespoon (it’s fattening, but very nutritious)

Add cottage cheese (I use about a third of a 250g bought carton – homemade would be best)

Add some homemade low-fat yoghurt – it makes the mixture, creamier

Stir the soupy blackcurrant mixture, well. And drink plenty of water, after. Because of the amount of dry flaxseed, consumed.

PRUNE JUICE: For my home-made prune juice - Take about 20 or more (to taste) whole pitted prunes. Place them in a 1000ml/4cup jug. Add enough cold water to make a very liquid consistency. Blend on high. Pour and store in a sealed bottle. Keep in refrigerator. Use it up as soon as possible...say, 3 – 4 days. It will look like the commercial variety – only thicker – and yummier!

I originally got the concept for my recipe from the book... “How to Fight Cancer & Win” by William L. Fischer. Fischer Publishing Corporation...Canfield, Ohio 44406. My copy is 1994. See Dr Budwig’s Linseed Oil Diet: An Introduction p152.

(I remember thinking that if this diet helps cancer patients...then maybe it will help me with CFS, too. I went from feeling like there was ‘fire in my system’...obviously chronic reflux. Although I didn’t know it at the time. Where I burned right through my body...up into my throat, the airways etc...creating chronic respiratory problems as well. This recipe healed some of the symptoms that were making my life...hell. It gave me hope. Because it was the first time I felt like I was in control of my body – instead of the other way around. I’m sure others can relate!)"

Well, this is certainly all natural! Blueberries have a lot of anti-oxidants, which are helpful for many people with fibro. Careful on the walnuts, though - they contain arginine, which causes cold sore outbreaks - at least for me.

11. WHAT TRIGGERED YOUR FIBRO?

(in one sentence)

"Many years of marital abuse."

"Stressful childhood."

"Having mono in the past."

"Job stress caused by impossible boss and deadlines."

"I went from a functional fibromite to a disabled firomite after the birth of my child."

"Being pushed down a flight of stairs."

"Slipping on ice."

12. XYREM - SLEEP MED

From a reader--

"Xyrem is costly unless you have drug plan. It puts you into deep sleep for 3-4 hours and you take a second dose which gives you further sleep for another 3-4 hours. After taking Xyrem for a few months, I feel a little more functional. If you have a drug plan, try it. I was very reluctant to start the program before because they make you sign a consent that if anything goes wrong they are not responsible, however, I have no regrets."

http://www.xyrem.com/learn/patient-faqs.php#2

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-disorders/2005/05/narcolepsy-xyrem-questions.htm

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/xyrem/xyrem_qa.htm

13. THE STIGMA OF HAVING FIBROMYALGIA

http://www.fms-help.com/stigma.htm

This is an article I wrote in 2005 about negative perceptions in our society about fibromyalgia sufferers and how we can create more awareness. I think we have all felt the stigma of having this chronic, difficult-to-explain, invisible illness.

14. DOM'S SLEEP UPDATE

I've struggled with insomnia for almost 40 years. My "sleep disorder" story is at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. I am now 56. A list of things I've tried for sleep since 1982 is at www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm. My good doc (internal medicine) told me several weeks ago that my CFIDS woes are the result of my 40 year long sleep disorder and if I could get 8 hours of sleep every night, a lot of other things would clear up. I agree! He prescribed a low dose of Seroquel. At higher doses this med is used to treat bipolar and schizophrenia. (OCD & schizophrenia runs on one side of my family, so maybe something genetic is going on here.) I am trying a low dose (12.5 mg) of Seroquel at bedtime. This, combined with Zolpidem (10 mg of generic ambien), has been giving me fairly consistent sleep for about a week now. I sleep in longer stretches and have emotionally "accurate" dreams.

Everyone's sleep disorder is unique, but this seems to be working for me. I also sometimes take 2 teaspoons of generic Nyquil which dries up my drippy nose. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I take the other half of the Zolpidem tablet (1/2 of a 10 mg tablet). If for some reason I don't sleep enough, I take 2 mg of Lunesta anywhere from 5-7 a.m., and that usually gives me 2 hours more of a dozey kind of sleep (not sound, but helps me feel more refreshed) before I get up. Sometimes I take 1/2 of a generic Ativan tablet (lorazepam - anti-anxiety) and that helps me get back to sleep too.

I try to never schedule anything in the morning, because I never know if I will need that extra sleep time or not. I teach piano in the afternoons and evenings only. With this new sleep med regimen, I feel like my nervous system is calming down. I've also found it helpful before taking my sleep meds to go outside in the fresh air and do some mild exercises or walk up and down the driveway. I do this around 12 midnight. I simply cannot go to bed earlier unless I am heavily drugged! My body likes to sleep between 1 a.m. - 9 a.m. If I don't take aany sleep meds, I don't sleep - at all. I have gone as long as 4 or 5 days with virtually no sleep! It will kill you or put you in a mental hospital! I will always need meds for sleep, I think, and to survive. I wonder if a virus has affected the sleep mechanism in my brain? Here's a strange factoid: Whenever I have a virus, I sleep better than when I am "well." Complicated!

Anyway, I will be updating my sleep page to include Seroquel as soon as I have time. Well, it will be a busy week. I have a recital Saturday with 25 piano students and now play the organ for my church www.fms-help.com/MBC.jpg, so I will be practicing extra this week, but it will be fun!!!!

Yours truly,

Dominie