100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia & Insomnia
My name is Dominie Soo Bush. I suffered with fibromyalgia, insomnia and chronic fatigue syndrome for many years before finding some things that helped me. I am glad to share my tips and thoughts with you!
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1. REDUCE
STRESS -- If you are working full-time, switch to part-time or quit
altogether, if possible. Get out of the "rat race!" Most fibromyalgia sufferers
are high-achieving, high-energy people. We are "doers" who sometimes do too
much! Don't overload yourself with time commitments that will cause you stress
later. Learn to say "NO" and allow yourself to relax. Take time to smell the
roses!
2. GET PLENTY OF
SUNLIGHT (or daylight) -- If you work indoors, go outside for breaks.
If you are at home during the day, open the curtains and turn on the lights.
It's worth a few cents of electricity to create a cheerful environment and feel
less depressed and achy. If you live in a cold, dark climate, you may want to
visit a tanning salon occasionally for the concentrated light and warmth, but
don't overdo it-- you don't want to get skin cancer. Full spectrum
lighting can also be helpful if you are prone to S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective
Disorder)--biochemical depression caused by insufficient light on dark, gloomy
days.
3. COMPUTERS -- The flickering light of my computer screen
used to bring on a rapid worsening of my fibromyalgia! I have bright lighting in
the room to offset this effect. Perhaps certain spectrums of light are harmful
to people who are more light sensitive than others. Full spectrum lighting could
be a good investment--at least for the computer room. Research is being
done on the effect of light on the pineal gland--the gland which produces
melatonin necessary for sleep. Flickering light has been proven to cause changes
in the EEG patterns in the brain. Researchers are experimenting with
flickering light therapy to help fibromyalgia patients by restructuring
EEG patterns! Most patients report a relief of pain after a series of these
carefully conducted sessions.
4. SLEEP -- Overcoming insomnia greatly improves fibromyalgia symptoms. (People who volunteered for sleep deprivation experiments actually developed similar symptoms!) You can try either melatonin or 5-HTP for restorative sleep at night with no "hangover" the next day. I used to take antidepressants for sleep, but they made me feel terrible!! Melatonin worked well for me for 5 years, until I reached menopause. Then my sleep disorder returned and I was miserable for over a year before finding a unique immune product that has helped rebalance my immune system. If you try natural products, get them from a good source and remember that they are simply nutritional support for sleep--not knock out pills. They may take a few days to start working. Even on nights when I don't sleep as long as I want to, I feel surprisingly refreshed the next day. I am evidently getting enough restorative sleep. Prior to finding nutritional helps, one night of "bad sleep" almost always led to more nights of the same. It was very frustrating! This was perhaps due to serotonin depletion in the brain. (Serotonin is a neurochemical that regulates moods and depression. It is related to melatonin, produced by the pineal gland. Melatonin is needed for sleep, and it regulates the level of serotonin.) With the right nutritional (or mild pharmaceutical) products, I get deeper sleep, resulting in more energy and a feeling of well-being the next day. I'm not fatigued or depressed anymore. Restorative sleep strengthens and repairs the immune system! After 30+ years of vicious insomnia, it sure feels good to get restorative sleep!
5. MENTAL
RELAXATION -- Let your mind unwind in the evening. Listen to soft,
soothing music. Avoid mentally stimulating activities such as intense
conversations, balancing the checkbook, doing serious study or getting yourself
into a "hurrying" mode for any reason. Do calming things like ironing
(leisurely) or enjoy some light reading (not mystery thrillers or highly
technical material). The brain has an arousal mechanism that once you get it
going, it's hard to slow it down! You don't want to get into this state before
trying to fall asleep. Some people can stay extremely active and animated until
the very minute they fall asleep; however, people with FMS are generally not
able to do this.
6. REST -- If possible, take 10-30 minutes after lunch to lie
down and rest. You don't have to sleep--just slow your mind down and think
peaceful thoughts. At one of my jobs, I used to lock my office door, turn off
the lights and lie down on the floor for 10 minutes. It was the only way I could
make it through the day because of fatigue. If you can't lie down, put your head
down on your desk or go to a quiet place and just close your eyes and breathe
deeply. You can also go outside and sit in your car if the weather permits.
Close your eyes and block out the world for awhile. Some fibromyalgia sufferers
have to lie down and rest for a short time every couple of hours to get through
the day. Our society is so pressurized and achievement-oriented that
"napping"--or even resting--is looked down upon. The truth is that many famous,
high-achieving people (who don't even have fibromyalgia) take naps every day to
restore their mental faculties!
7. COLD -- A cold gel pack (available at any drug store &
used to treat injuries) stored in the refrigerator or freezer can be applied to
the back of the neck when you're lying down. This has a way of slowing down
one's thoughts and bringing on a quieter mood. A chiropractor gave me this idea,
which helps me in going to sleep at night. (NOTE: If you keep your gel pack in
the freezer, use a cloth over it to avoid damaging delicate skin or blood
vessels with intense cold.)
8. HEAT -- Sometimes a warm or hot bath can relieve the
stiffness and soreness of fibromyalgia for awhile, perhaps by increasing
circulation to muscle tissue. Sometimes a heat pack feels good on a cold day and
is very relaxing. Or, try a hot bath followed by a cold gel pack on the back of
the neck and some soft music when you retire. (For some sufferers, however,
extremes of heat and cold worsen symptoms.)
9. IMMUNE
SYSTEM -- Some researchers believe that the ROOT of the fibromyalgia
problem lies in our own immune systems! One of my newsletter readers sent me
shocking information about the role of mycoplasmas (mutated viruses and
bacteria) and biological warfare as a possible cause of the present
worldwide epidemic of fibromyalgia! This intrigued me, because I hear from
people all over the world with FMS/CFIDS. I have known for a long time that
FMS/CFIDS is not just a disease here in America, caused by western diet, etc. If
the mycoplasma theory is true, then helping the immune system is vital for
FMS/CFIDS relief. So many of today's strange ailments that doctors can't help
are directly related to immune function. To find out if the problem you are
dealing with is immune-related, go to a search engine like Google, type
in your ailment and the word "immune" and see what articles come up. You might
be surprised to learn how many are related to a malfunctioning immune system - even depression! I
have used an innovative immune product for over 8 years that has helped me greatly. Please email if you would like more information. Also, if you suspect that environmental toxins, viruses or bacteria could be contributing to your fatigue, pain, or other symptoms of fibromyalgia, you may want to try a cleanse and detox product.
10. EXERCISE -- Try not to be completely sedentary. Your cells
detoxify better when you are physically active. Walk and stretch a little, but
not to the point of worsening the pain. One exercise that a physical therapist
taught me helped my shoulder and arm pain: Lie face down on the bed with your
shoulders and arms hanging over the edge, then slowly and gently raise your arms
to a V-position (sort of like Superman flying) while keeping your head level,
not bent down. This helps stretch muscles in the upper back as well as the arms
and shoulders. Some FMS patients have also benefitted from warm-water aerobics.
A wonderful thing for many people who take either OPC's or other products I
found, is that when their FMS pain diminishes, they can go back to normal
activities. I even have played some tennis again, which is amazing for someone
who lived for so many years as a semi-invalid!
To read more of my 100 tips, click on these links:
Tips #1-10 - Reduce Stress, Get Plenty of Sunlight, Computers, Sleep, Mental
Relaxation, Rest, Cold, Heat, Immune System, Exercise
Tips
#11-20 - Massage, Excitotoxins, Mattress,
Anti-oxidants, Soft Drinks, Doctors, Depression, Nightshade Vegetables,
Repetitive Activity, Magnesium
Tips
#21-30 - Noise, Calming Herbs, Yeast, Vitamin E,
Fasting, Dark/Light, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Pain Relieving Gels, Brain,
Parasites
Tips
#31-40 - "Be Happy," Smoking, Junk Food, Nutritional
Supplements, Research, Raw Foods, CO-Q-10, Low-Fat, Anti-inflammatories,
Pillows
Tips
#41-50 - Sleep Meds, Milk, Chiropractic, Sunglasses,
Coral Calcium Water, Posture, Tension Myositis Syndrome, Epsom Salts, 5-HTP,
Malabsorption
Tips
#51-60 - Progesterone Cream, Neck Injuries, Hormone
Instability, Carbohydrates, Prayer, Aspartame (Nutrasweet) and MSG, Guaifenesin,
Ions, Colds and Viruses, Sleep Anxiety
Tips
#61-70 - Magnets, Fructose (Sugar) Intolerance, MSM,
Electromagnetic Fields, "Leaky Gut" (Intestinal Permeability), Migraines,
Cytomegalo Virus, Books, Overactive Bladder, Shoes
Tips
#71-80 - Methylcobalamin, Mercury Poisoning, Soy and
Food Allergies, Thyroid, Marital Stress, Lyme Disease, Breathing, Ativan,
Soluble Fiber, Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS)
Tips
#81-90 Type A Personality, B-Complex, Brain Surgery,
Red Blood Cells, Iron, Substance P, Gluten Intolerance, Racing Thoughts, DHEA,
Mycoplasmas
Tips
#91-100 - Relaxin, Warm Water Exercise, Essential
Oils, Blood Volume, Acidosis, Oxidative Damage, Hyperbaric Oxygen, Bedding,
Histamine Intolerance, Blood Thickness
100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia &
Insomnia
 My Insomnia
Story
 What I Use
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DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC
FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia / chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this website is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for thought. This information cannot take the place of professional medical advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of the information in this website.