Hello from TO

[Fibrosuck]

Just signed up. I am looking for new treatment programs for Fibromyalgia that I have not considered. I live in Toronto

 

[Auriel]

Hi fibrosuck, welcome to the forum!
️ , what treatment plans have you tried? (I've never been offered a treatment plan so, curious) I live nowhere near Toronto, but I'm just messaging and saying hi

 

[JayCS]

new treatment programs for Fibromyalgia that I have not considered

Hiya, and welcome! Good to hear you're looking for new things to try. And curious to hear what you've tried already!

As you can tell from @Auriel's question back, a "program" sounds formal: do you mean that, or just a collection/toolbox?

 

[sunkacola]

Just signed up. I am looking for new treatment programs for Fibromyalgia that I have not considered. I live in Toronto

Greetings and welcome.
I don't know if there are any treatment programs as such.
There are thing you can do to help yourself, and that won't cost a lot of money or involve doctors, and I wrote a post about that (see below).

What treatments have you considered so far?

Check this out, and consider going on your own experimentation program to find out what things will be the most beneficial to you. Because everyone with fibromyalgia is different and things affect us all differently, something that works for one person doesn't always work for another person, so no one can say to you "do this, and you'll feel better!". But you can, if you are willing to do the work, find out for yourself. It takes time and patience, but it's worth it.

We are here to help.

My advice for managing fibromyalgia (especially for newcomers)

I am not a doctor or anything, just a person who has lived with fibromyalgia for several years now and has done a lot of research and trial and error experimentation. What follows is just basics. There are a lot of variations. You will find your own versions of everything I say, as this is not a...

www.fibromyalgiaforums.org

 

[MissNeverWell]

Just signed up. I am looking for new treatment programs for Fibromyalgia that I have not considered. I live in Toronto

Hi,welcome! I just moved from Toronto to the Niagara region; lived there since 1981, when I left Newfoundland to look for work.

Treatment for fibromyalgia is, indeed, like a life-long quest. Since chemicals and I don't mix, and since my fibromyalgia symptoms lean more towards chronic fatigue with co-existing environmental illness/multiple chemical sensitivities and digestive problems rather than intense chronic pain, I was not amenable to doctors prescribing anti-depressants or analgesics. Although, having said that, there was a period much earlier in my life where I experienced excruciating pain in my upper back between my shoulder blades, like a knife going through my spinal cord that left me unable to take a deep breath. That, along with a neck injury caused by a chiropractor's manipulation to treat the back injury caused by improper use/lack of knowledge of weights at a fitness club. The neck injury left me feeling nauseous for a year or more.

My approach to the management of fibromyalgia and environmental illness centers around the three cornerstones of health - nutrition, exercise and sleep. Of course, with fibromyalgia, sleep, especially the restorative deep sleep, can be a "dream" - pun intended, lol. A fourth dimension that I add is faith/spirituality. I am a practicing Catholic, which I am convinced has safely navigated me through some very dark valleys in my life.

With respect to nutrition, I gravitate towards home cooked meals using fresh vegetables, fruits, meat/chicken/fish and some dairy sources of calcium (especially being on the other side of the bell curve). I tried yogurt off and on, the latest attempt being plain yogurt, but it just did not go down well with me. I make my own bread and "jam" which is basically stewed fruit (apricot, strawberry, blueberry and sometimes plum or other fruit that's in season) with only a teaspoon or half a tablespoon of sugar per jar of jam, as well as "muffins" (which I just pour into one small loaf pan because I don't have the manual dexterity/can't be bothered to grease and fill the muffin tin). I, personally, am not averse to red meat, as I find I need that source of protein and another nutrient it contains. I will add a bit of milk to my egg for breakfast at times, or use a quarter cup in my fruit loaf or pour a bit into oatmeal. One of my staple meals is soup (beef, chicken and lately I've been lucky to find small lamb roasts to cut into cubes). Sometimes I roast a steak or lamb chops. The one type of meat I do stay away from is pork. I vary the vegetables I use (green beans - but they go bad so fast and are sold in such large quantities; broccoli, Brussels sprouts; spinach; carrots; potato - I used to use rice but had trouble digesting it; turnip). I stay away from processed food and read the ingredients in everything I buy. Diet/nutrition can be a hit and miss given my digestive problems/food sensitivities. For example, I tried nuts/sunflower seeds for their nutritive value only to get a very upset stomach from them. It is not uncommon for the "high fiber" foods to have the totally opposite effect on me.

My exercise comes in the form of walking/taking photos, particularly on nature trails, as well as Yoga. Unfortunately, the "fresh air" is loaded with toxic chemicals including wood smoke that suffocates me, burns my throat, gives me brain fog and makes it difficult for me to breathe. I have even lost my voice on a number of occasions. I also incorporate physical activity into my daily routine such as shopping or housework (the least successful as I don't have much staying power or motivation).

I have now overcome my irrational fear of being disconnected from the outside world and turn off my modem along with my computer at night. Bell Canada hooked my telephone up to the modem, so when the computer shuts off, so does the phone. They refuse to plug it into the jack, using fiber optic as an excuse. I now try to go to bed no later than 12:00 midnight; preferably 10 or 11, even if I have trouble getting or staying asleep. Until very recently, I would stay up all night, fighting the sleepiness and fatigue for some strange reason; don't know if it was fear/resistance to sleep. The blue light from the computer affects your sleep rhythm - keeps you awake - and it takes a while for the effect to wear off. It is also a major source of radiation and electromagnetic frequency pollution. I discovered something that hit home - less dust on the desk and surrounding area when I turned off the modem at night - I learned that this dust contained radiation and other toxins.

So there you have my strategy in a nutshell.

 

[JayCS]

Lots very like me...

Until very recently, I would stay up all night, fighting the sleepiness and fatigue for some strange reason; don't know if it was fear/resistance to sleep

Can't say it was deliberate being up at night a lot, I just used to wake up 4-8x. And so many things only helping a bit and it seeming better to stay up a bit longer each time, enjoying and distracting. But often it was "revenge bedtime procrastination", trying to make up for my tough life by doing nice things, often online.
Now this is 1-2h later than I want to, but I still manage to get my 8h every night, esp. by having got my circadian rhythm on track plus LD N (seems that's what's now reduced my need to drink and thus to pee as well as deepening sleep).

Versus knowing 2 sleep hygiene tips from the experts, which do work for me:
1) go to bed as soon as you feel tired, if I go over a certain dead point that can destroy "it" for the whole night, and
2) aim for 10 to 6, rather than 12 to 8..... both like granny always said.

I managed to keep fairly well to a screen curfew after 7/8 for a time. Now I do so till 10, but I have to feed our tooth problem guinea pigs around then (for an hour), and often doing a few screen things during that plus feel the need to relax, partly procrastinate after, cos it's quite a strain (and 5-6h/d).
Working on that tho, maybe first by bringing feeding time forward to 9, I've decided. Secondly by starting the tidying up while feeding (they're become extremely sensitive tho, need it quiet and calm for their concentration, so screen is 'easiest' as well as most attractive).
At least I now manage to avoid mails/posts, things that 'excite' my brain - better to blog a bit and name/identify my garden plant pics.