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FMS eNews 04/07/15

During the last week I have had a blood test, shoulder xray and two MRI brain scans because of extra pain in shoulder and head. Result - "The xray of your shoulder shows some arthritic changes on the under aspect of your shoulder joint and also a large bony exostosis arising from the underside of your acromion process likely to be causing impingement.  I think this may be helped by having a steroid injection to your shoulder."  Date for injection arranged for - wait for it - 30th July.  Speedy diagnosis - month's wait for treatment. Meanwhile I continue to suffer.  Findings from MRI or blood test not yet known. So I carry on regardless!!


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WORDz for the WEEK

227. Life is Calling. Where are You?


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Overlapping Pain Conditions: What's Causing What?

When you already hurt all over, it can be hard to spot a new source of pain. Most of us, at some point, will have more than one pain condition. See how you can tell fibromyalgia from arthritis--one of the most common pain conditions out there.
Also this week, a look at several other pain conditions we can have as well as some new glossary entries.
Take care of yourself!
Adrienne Dellwo - Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Expert


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12 Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency (and How to Get More)

Vitamin D is super important for our overall health. It regulates calcium and phosphorous absorption, boosts immune system, and is important to build strong muscles, teeth, and bones.
Some studies suggest that vitamin D plays an important role in reducing the risk of many diseases such as multiple sclerosis, heart diseases, and bacterial or viral infections.
Many people however are vitamin D deficient and they don’t even know it. So if you notice any of these signs, get your levels checked to be sure its Vitamin D you’re lacking.


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10 Causes Of Fibromyalgia Your Doctor May Not Know About

It's estimated that fibromyalgia affects approximately 10 million people in the United States. Fibromyalgia is classically characterized by chronic pain, particularly muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, brain fog or cognitive impairment, depression and painful tender points throughout the body. 
Conventional medicine has yet to uncover the cause of fibromyalgia and only offers management of symptoms through pain medications and antidepressants.
Functional medicine, on the other hand, looks to find the root cause of fibromyalgia and other chronic diseases, treating the problem at the root level to restore the patient to health. As a functional medicine physician, I've helped many patients recover from fibromyalgia.  Below are the top ten root causes of fibromyalgia I see in my clinic. . . . .




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How are You?



Hello. How are you?
No…really.
I’m asking. I don’t want to hear that you’re ‘fine’ because you’re being polite; because you think I don’t care; because you’re used to most people not caring. So…how are you? You can actually tell me in the comments below because I’m going to tell you how I’m feeling…
I am so sad (yes, I’m depressed and I constantly get angry comments here for referring to it as sadness…but that’s what it is to me – it’s a deep, deep pool of sadness that I cannot swim out from). It seems that, suddenly, the people who I have chosen to surround myself with, no longer care how (or even, if) I answer the ‘How are You?’ question.
And, the worst part is that they don’t have to ask. They all know me well enough to see that there is something very wrong…they are just choosing not to delve further.
My sadness comes from asking myself why – they’re sick of hearing about my woes? they want to have a life beyond the lounge-room? they no longer believe in my worth? they no longer care?

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Understanding Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS) and fibromyalgia


Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSDS) and fibromyalgia are two very closely related disorders that often get mistaken for each other. RSDS is more commonly known as “complex regional pain syndrome.
When the two disorders meet in one person, life can become very difficult and painful. While there are treatments for both disorders, understanding their differences is important in helping you make sure that the source of your pain is diagnosed correctly as the treatments for each are radically different.
Regional Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome is a very rare disorder of the sympathetic nerve system. The symptom cluster for RSDS includes joint pain, nerve pain, muscle stiffness, difficult sleeping, disorientation, changes in hair and nail growth, and discoloration of skin in patches.
It is also known by the name of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. There is no known cause for RSDS, although there is a recognized genetic component that has just been discovered. The treatment for RSDS included medication, pain management, nerve blocks, and disruptive surgery to kill nerves in a specific region of the body.


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EDICATION BENEFITS AND RISKS IN CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT


Some pain disorders require pharmacological (prescription drug) interventions. Other conditions may respond to over-the-counter medications like aspirin or ibuprofen. Still other conditions may need a combination of both. However, some pain disorders can be effectively treated without any chemical interventions at all. Please review my Video Blog and then read the remainder of 
this post.



It’s important to remember that any psychoactive medication could be problematic for people with a genetic or personal history of an addictive disorder. Unfortunately, there may be times when opiate (or opioid) medication management is needed, but there are risks. I think it’s important to be aware of both the benefits and potential consequences of using opiate medications for chronic pain management.

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How user friendly is your country's healthcare system in 2015?

About this survey
SURVEY OBJECTIVE:
“To compare the extent to which the national healthcare systems of Europe take the patient and the consumer into consideration in 2015”.
For the 9th time since 2005, Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP) is asking health campaigners across Europe to help it compile the annual EURO HEALTH CONSUMER INDEX. The 2015 INDEX is designed to measure the user-friendliness of national healthcare systems across 35 countries in Europe.
If you would like to contribute your views on the condition of your country’s healthcare system in 2015, this year’s questionnaire for the INDEX is short (16 simple questions), and should take no more than about 10 minutes of your time to complete.
All responses will be ANONYMOUS.
The survey’s closing date is Monday, October 19th 2015 (but HCP would welcome your opinions before then, in order to draw up some initial trends).
To thank you for contributing your opinions to the study, and to allow you to read the results, PatientView, the survey manager, will send you, if you wish, the weblink to the EURO HEALTH CONSUMER INDEX 2015 upon publication (January 20th 2016).


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The Cheney Chronicles #3: One Year Later – Decision Time 

As a patient of Dr. Cheney’s, I had access to his frequent emails discussing his thoughts and treatments regarding chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In writing this article, I went back and read most of these emails.  For quite a few of them, I had to research the acronyms and spend lots of time trying to understand them. I’ve tried to condense some of that knowledge into this brief summary. After a year seeing Dr. Cheney it’s time for Chris to make a decision This document has four parts: A list of the acronyms used throughout so it may be a little easier to understand. A summary of Cheney’s analysis of what is the underlying problem of ME/CFS His current treatment regimen (as of March of 2015) My comments on the treatment regimen and costs.


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Neuroinflammation II: the Kynurenine Pathway in Fibromalgia and ME/CFS 


Health Rising’s neuroinflammation emphasis continues. The next couple of years may indicate that neuroinflammation and microglial activation play key roles in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. If that turns out to be true the attention will probably quickly shift to something called the kynurenine pathway.
 Kynurenines in CNS disease: regulation by inflammatory cytokines. Brian M. Campbell, Erik Charych, Anna W. Lee and Thomas Möller. Frontiers in Neuroscience. February 2014| Volume 8| Article12 | 
If neuroinflammation turns out to be a major player in ME/CFS and FM the kynurenine pathway will be amongst the first places to look The story starts with the metabolism of a single substance – tryptophan (TRP).  Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that forms the basis for some central nervous system heavyweights. Serotonin and melatonin are both derived from it and other tryptophan metabolites have significant functions. Tryptophan is usually metabolized into serotonin and other factors but in the presence of inflammation, whether in the body or the brain, things change. It turns out that immune activation, in particular interferon-y, a key player in the antiviral response causes an enzyme called indole-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) transform tryptophan into kynurenine. That has the unhappy result of depleting the brain of serotonin but that’s just the beginning of the problem. . . . .


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The 5 Most Dangerous Lies You’ve Been Told About Bread


Is Bread Really the Staff of Life… or the Stuff of Disease?
The (Definitive) Answer Below. . . .
For most us, there are few foods more comforting than bread.
Fluffy biscuits, crusty baguettes, flaky croissants… even a simple slice of toast topped with melted butter can taste like heaven.
And that smell… few scents are quite as pleasant as fresh bread baking in the oven.
But there is a lot of confusion as to where bread fits into a healthy diet.
The Bible practically commands followers to eat it: “Give us this day our daily bread…” The government put it at the base of the food pyramid. And for centuries, it has been called “the staff of life.”  Of course, there are some who disagree…
Well-known cardiologist, Dr. William Davis, calls wheat “the perfect chronic poison.”
And for a poison, we sure eat lots of it…


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Want to Sleep Better?


Difficulty sleeping is familiar to people of all ages, from adolescents to the elderly. Many people struggle to sleep and as we age, these struggles become all the more common. However, we don't always have to be victim of a poor night's sleep. 
Proper sleep hygiene not only enhances your quality of sleep but also affects your work activity, psychological strain and self-control.


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7 Mattress Myths You Should Stop Believing Right Now


Mattress shopping can be one of the most agonizing experiences, from pushy salespeople to an overwhelming number of options to not actually knowing what you need in the first place. It's so easy to end up with the wrong one, but it doesn't have to be that way.
The Huffington Post spoke with Jay Orders, the co-owner of Christeli, to get a better understanding of what we really need to look for when we hit that showroom floor. His family has been in the mattress-manufacturing business since 1931, and he's worked in almost every part of that process in a factory setting to be able to separate the hard product truths from the marketing myths.
"People come in with a list of specifications, because there's so many things out there about mattresses that they read," Orders told The Huffington Post. "A good mattress is something most people don't know a lot about: How it feels, the quality of the construction, the quality of the materials used, the final product. There's a lot of information out there, and it's hard to trust some of it. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors."
Ready to look past all the gimmicks? Here are seven myths you've probably heard at some point in your mattress shopping endeavors that couldn't be further from the truth.


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Heatwave: be prepared (or is it all over??!!)


Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot for too long there are health risks. If a heatwave hits this summer, make sure the hot weather doesn't harm you or anyone you know.
The very young, the elderly and the seriously ill are the groups who are particularly at risk of health problems when the weather is very hot. In particular, very hot weather can make heart and breathing problems worse.
"There is considerable evidence that heatwaves are dangerous and can kill," says Graham Bickler of Public Health England. In August 2003, temperatures hit 38ºC (101ºF) during a nine-day heatwave, the highest recorded in the UK.
"In the 2003 heatwave, there were 2,000 to 3,000 excess deaths [more than usual] in England. Across Europe, there were around 30,000 excess deaths." 


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THE NEW! Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine   

You asked for it, so we did it.
Issue 2 is packed with the latest research & information! 
The second issue of The NEW! Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine is ready for you. With a focus on sleep, happiness and integrative medicine, this magazine is a must read for everyone with fibromyalgia. 
Along with tons of interactive features found only here, you'll find internationally acclaimed doctors, new helpful resources, and of course, your recurring favorites.


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Newsletter June 26th 2015

Firstly, thank you for all of the feedback on the official announcement of our research plans University of Surrey last week.  We really do appreciate it and look forward to having your support to move forwards.  
This week, we are excited to be letting you know about Alex Howard's next Conscious Transformation online coaching course.  This programme is a fantastic way to work directly with Alex from the comfort of your own home over a 12-week guided course, and the last opportunity this year to do so.


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Do you have understanding from your partner? If not,show them the above.  Help them to understand.  You need all the support you can get.
Fibro hugs to all
Stella


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N.B. The links on this my FMS eNews blog are in the BROWN text, usually in the title of each article but occasionally elsewhere too. Some titles have no links in which case the title is in PURPLE like the dividers.  This blog gives just a taster of each article which can be viewed in full through its link.  If you have any navigation problems, let me know. 
I would like to point out to you that the information in my FMS eNews blog is passed on to you mainly from other sources. Links are given to the original articles. I take no responsibility for their accuracy but freely give them publicity if I think they might be of interest to my readership. Sites I refer you to are for information only. They might conflict in their opinions, they might not even be medically sound, but I merely offer them for you to peruse and make your own judgements, accept or reject as you will. Only by reading widely can we get an overall picture of fibromyalgia syndrome and how we can deal with its symptoms, learn to cope with them and still have a life. Any advice or recommendation of a medical or legal nature should always be discussed with a qualified professional.
I also include various awareness items, benefits issues, as well as general health considerations. Anyone wishing to reproduce any of the included items in printed form should seek permission from the originators.
Wordz for the Week are from ‘Wordz for the Day’ by Donnie Kuhn, Sr. who died in May 2011.
This eNews is my personal offering to fibromyalgia sufferers and their carers and is not related to any other organisation or charity.


If you don’t already get reminders when each new FMS eNews is posted, please send an email to fmsstella@gmail.com and you will be added to the emailing list.

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