Friday, October 5, 2012

Melatonin for Fibromyalgia

Melatonin is a hormone that our body secretes in the absence of light. So when it starts getting dark, our body signals our brain to say that it is bedtime, and we get sleepy. This is why it is recommend to people to dim the lights and stop watching T.V. before bed.

For all the more technical info on Melatonin you can check it out on Wikipedia.

Well during some reading about Melatonin, I found out that it may be very helpful for people with Breast Cancer, and FIBROMYALGIA. Just do a Google search on Melatonin and fibromyalgia to find out more. Here is just one link that talks about it. Click Here.

Fibromyalgia syndrome

Melatonin has been reported to improve sleep, severity of pain, tender point count, and global physician assessment in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. 76 One commentary describes how melatonin 6 mg was given to 4 patients with fibromyalgia. After 15 days of treatment, patients reported normal sleep and a reduction in pain. At this time, hypnotics were withdrawn. Other medications such as analgesics and antidepressants were withdrawn after 30 days. They continued to report normal sleep patterns, lack of pain and fatigue and improvements in behavioral symptoms, such as depression. 77 Melatonin is potentially beneficial in this population of patients due to the following: modulating sleep/wake cycles; providing benzodiazepine-like effects to decrease anxiety; synchronizing the circadian rhythms of neurotransmitters, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, and glutamate; exerting antistress properties; providing anti-inflammatory effects; and inhibiting macrophage and monocyte activation. 77


Importance Notice:
It also states right on the bottle-  (And you know that it must be important if it actually makes the label) People with auto-immune disease (such as Lupus) should not take Melatonin.

The reason is b/c it has been known to stimulate the immune system. 
For a normal person or someone with a low immune system, this may be something helpful for them to take.  

Monday, July 9, 2012

Cronic Fatigue Vitaimin Dosages


I know that many with and I.D. have chronic fatigue. I couldn't help but think that this recommendation of vitamins might be helpful to others who are looking for a little extra pick me up. Now for most reading this, you may be thinking... No more pills please! But you also may be use to it by now and willing to try something, anything, to get a little more energy into your daily life. Here are the Recommendations from This Website, in regards to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Folic acid: -------- 1-10 mg/day for 3 months
Vitamin B12: ---- 6-70 mg (intramuscular injection) per week for 3 weeks
Vitamin C: -------- 10-15 grams/day
Magnesium: ----- 600 mg/day + 2400 mg/day of malic acid for 8 weeks
Zinc: ---------------- 135 mg/day for 15 days
5-hydroxytryptophan: 100 mg three times daily for 3 months (if fibromyalgia is present)
L-carnitine: -------- 1-2 grams three times daily for 3 months
Coenzyme Q10: -- 100 mg/day for 3 months
Essential fatty acids: 280 mg GLA and 135 mg EPA daily for 3 months

The supplements should be administered with medical supervision and accompanied by a high-potency vitamin/mineral supplement for the duration of the trial. [95 references]


Werbach, Melvyn R.
Nutritional strategies for treating chronic fatigue syndrome.
Alternative Medicine Review,
Vol. 5, No. 2 April 2000, pp. 93- 108

What are some things that have helped you with fatigue?
 Just comment and share below to help others learn from You !!!


Friday, June 29, 2012

I thought today would be "Normal".


I woke up today feeling great. My rash and sensitivity was very mild, no aches, no nausea. I had so much energy. I even said to myself. "So this is what normal feels like?" I had forgotten how good it feels to feel "normal". I am still not on any medication, but I just thought that maybe my flare was passing on its own. I did the morning routine with the kids, and was even planning out my home school schedule for the kids next week. I have gotten behind on their schedule and I am really going to have to play catch up with them.

 I was just doing my thing when all of a sudden I started feeling it again. It is hard to explain. It is like I am feeling a fever coming on. I start to get achy, my skin got more red and sensitive, I started to feel really cold on the inside. I felt almost shaky, but not in a diabetic-low glucose kind of shaky, just nerves shaky. As I feel my joints ache I try to analyze what is going on so when I ever do get to a doctor, I can explain what it feels like. That is when I noticed that it isn't even my elbow joint that hurts, but the inside of my arm, at the elbow. Kind of like the place where they draw blood. But it  always happens with both joints at the same time. I was also having wrist pains that seemed to change location. I know some of you reading this will think that I am crazy, but I also know there are some that may say, "That sounds just like Me!" When I do get a diagnosis, I will have to update this post and label it with the correct "Invisible Diagnosis".  :-)

So what did I do....

I took some aspirin, pushed on for a few hours, and then went down for a nap when it was the littlest ones nap time. After a good nap I got up, felt better but not "normal" and carried on.

So now what...

Should I get upset that I didn't have the day that I had planned out, complain about how bad I felt, or... be thankful for the reminder of how "normal" feels and keep hope that in the near future I will have more "normal" days than sick days.

Wishing you all a normal day today as you read this and carry on with your I.D. (Invisible Diagnosis)

Bonnie
Writing from Tanzania, Africa

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Facebook Themes