Recent content by Affinity

I haven't been on fluoxetine but have been on many other SSRI's and SSNI's and and I have always had this "flat" response. For me it was like I just didn't care about anything at all and to be honest it was worse than being depressed because I was so apathetic. I have had to stop taking these...

I am also under the treatment of a functional medicine doctor who has me on LDN (low dose naltrexone) among other things since February and my pain levels are also greatly improved. I still have a lot of fatigue but that has also improved quite a bit as well. If you are feeling lovely and...

If you read the book "The Fibro Fix" he goes through the tests to request but personally I feel more comfortable working with a doctor who specializes in that type of testing instead of trying to figure it out with a doctor who isn't familiar with it.

I have this issue, too, and my physical therapist really helps using s technique called dry needling. It is similar to acupuncture except that the needles are put directly into the spasming muscles which somehow encourage them to relax. Discovering this treatment has been a game changer for...

FM is kind of a trendy catch all diagnosis of exclusion so a lot of people find themselves diagnosed but what it really means is they don't know what else to tell you is wrong. I was first diagnosed back in 2014 and even a couple of years ago I could run 10k no problem with the FM. Today I...

GABA is pretty common and a part of gabapentin (aka Neurontin) for example, which is often given for FM. It generally helps to calm things down so it's probably worth a try. I liked it when I have taken it in the past. I know I mentioned the Fatigue Super Conference on another thread. In...

I have been told to avoid nighshades and ashwagandha is a nightshade and so I cannot take it now, although I know a lot of people for whom it has worked well.

I agree with you, sunkacola, and I can accept my diagnosis and that I am in pain today, but I refuse to accept that this can never change or that I cannot find a long term solution or recover someday. A diagnosis isn't the same as a life sentence. I watched a movie this week about a group of...

I ended up searching for a therapist who specializes in chronic pain and while she does encourage me to be realistic I feel like there is a difference between being realistic and feeling like I am giving up. I know exactly how you feel and I just can't give up either. If I don't keep fighting...

You are lucky to find good docs to work with! I haven't had the same luck in the past sadly.

She may have been exaggerating but it made sense to me, and yet I understand what you are saying here, too. I know what you mean though because for example I have been anemic at many different points in my life and have never been hospitalized due to anemia but have tested low many times. But...

I had a therapist say this to me and I got a new therapist. I cannot accept it. I want a solution. My new therapist encourages me to be realistic in what goals I set but she also believes that I can see improvements and I am in fact improving. I refuse to accept I am doomed to live in pain...

The daytime sleepiness and nighttime wakiness is a classic symptom and I believe it is due to hormonal imbalance (and melatonin is a hormone). I have dealt with it too and right now I am doing better. I hope you get good results from the ashwaghanda and GABA, I have taken both of those in the...

I just wanted to add I have had quite a case of "covid arm" from my second shot with the injection site swelling up with a hard red goose egg that was quite itchy. My arm wasn't as painful as with the first shot but I did develop some other rashes on other areas of my body, too. And I had a...

I googled "functional medicine doctor near me" and found quite a few listings as I am lucky to live in a large metro area (Dallas-Fort Worth) and so I called and talked to several of their offices before making my decision on which to go to. I ultimately chose the one that specialized most in...

I also have a physical therapist that I love that might help you walking

Wow I am so sorry to hear about your leg problems! I hurt my back in October and am still dealing with sciatica in my left leg which is really bothersome but at least I can walk! I understand though about not trusting doctors. That is one reason I am going to the functional medicine doctor...

Personally I am really sensitive to the weather, both heat and humidity, and so I have to be really careful and conscientious when weather is changing. I am in Texas so it's already pretty warm here and the seasonal allergies are another trigger, too.

For me it's just the moving symptoms like playing whack-a-mole with different things all the time! Thankfully I have felt pretty good lately and so this tendency has been subsiding.

I haven't really gotten great results from CBD oil but I take melatonin to help me sleep and I find it works pretty well. It looks like maybe you have tried melatonin. At first I didn't like it but I have found a brand that works well with no side effects for me and so I stick with it. I also...

I have this too and for me it's related to sciatica L5 issues. In addition to the stabbing pain in my toes and my foot kind of involuntarily arching in a weird way sometimes I also have pain down the outside of my left leg. I have been working with my PT to help alleviate the pressure on the...

I can totally relate, I have diagnosed FM and CFS both, and it can be tough. But this year I have found some relief by seeking help with a functional medicine doctor who has set me up with a regimen of supplements and bio-identical hormones to help get me back into balance. She also told me...

I got my second Moderna shot yesterday and have a pretty sore arm and am pretty fatigued today. With the first shot I only had a sore arm, no fatigue, so today I will try to take it easy and honor how I feel while also engaging in good self care. I am quite relieved to have the vaccine now, it...

I recommend you read "The Auto-Immune Fix" and also "The Plant Paradox". Both of these books were recommended by my functional medicine doctor and are about healing gut issues which then heals chronic auto-immune issues. They have been helpful to me and since I have implemented the...

I am in Texas and here doctors no longer prescribed tramadol for fibro. I had a back injury last year on top of my fibro and could hardly get pain pills for that ... it was truly awful. But the reason is that with chronic pain you end up just developing a tolerance for opioids and need more...

I don't eat sweet potatoes raw so I don't know. I usually roast them whole and have them ready in the frig. Last night I made baked oven fries using Japanese purple sweet potatoes and the texture was quite different than what I am used to with the orange ones.

I love jicama :)

Yes it is information overload probably but I got notified from it by an email through one of the functional medicine doctors I follow from the books I have read. So I am not sure if functional medicine is alternative medicine ... it certainly isn't standard western medicine which has been...

I have been working with a physical therapist since last July or August and this sensation has mostly gone away for me (not completely but mostly) since working with her to improve my core strength, posture and walking gait. She also has me "nerve flossing" which has really helped the tightness...

I am actually an astrologer and a tarot card reader. I have done this since I was a teenager as a hobby. I have done tarot readings for a long, long time (like since the early 90's) and started taking astrology clients maybe in 2009 or so? I worked many office jobs over the years as an...

I love sweet potatoes and so they are working well for me. I often have then ready to go i the frig pre-roasted and then use the sweet potatoes in place of bread and have sliced sweet potatoes with eggs, they are good! I am getting some Japanese purple sweet potatoes in my farm box this week...

Me too :)

I am so glad to hear that this type of diet has worked for you! I feel like I have tried just about every diet under the sun to control my symptoms but this is the first time I really do feel like I am making some progress. I ordered an almond flour pizza crust mix from thrive that I am...

I haven't found any medications to help but I have read "The Auto-Immune Fix" (on the advice of my doc) which is about healing gut issues through food and while I am only a couple of months in I definitely notice improved gut health already. I still have a long way to go but I felt within a...

I am lucky to be self employed and to be able to manage my schedule based on how I feel. When I feel good I work more and when I feel poorly I rest more and work to get myself back into better balance. I hope that you can figure out the right balance for you.

Hi all, I am not associated with this conference but I learned about it from an email I received. It is called the "Fatigue Super Conference" and it is an online resource this April. It was free to sign up and is geared toward both chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, among other things. Anyway...

My dad has polymyalgia and he has also used prednisone for many years. They tried to take him off the prednisone a year or two ago but he cannot find anything else to help to manage the symptoms as well so he made them put him back on it. He is in his 70's and has had some other health issues...

I am currently in the process of removing nightshades. It was recommended from the start back in January but I am one who needs a slow transition. I just finished reading "The Plant Paradox" and there is a lot in there about lectins in nightshades and so that is one of my current things I am...