2010 3rd Quarterly Newsletter
Fibro Friends
Changing
There Your
comesDiet
a point
Forever
to Manage Fibromyalgia
in your life &
when you realize; Who Matters, Who 4 Ways
1. Meditation for pain, relaxation and sleep.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part 2…A Balanced
Diet. Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body
We all know the five food groups. It was pounded into us as
we went to school. Grains-Fruits-Veggies-Protein-Dairy.
In dealing with FM/CFS, what would a balanced diet consist
of, because we all know that (here I go….) we are all different
and what works for some will not work for others. An overall
balanced diet could not hurt, right?
Let’s talk about protein. Our bodies need protein for growth
and maintenance. It is directly responsible for about 20% of
our cells and tissues. Protein also functions as hormones,
antibodies and enzymes that keep us going and we know that
we need to “keep going”. Some “experts” say that some of
the tissue abnormalities that we have with FM can get worse
by not getting enough protein.
There are also foods that can make our FM/CFS symptoms
worse. Not for all, but for some. The trick is to eliminate
things from your diet and then adding them back in. The most
common trigger foods would be: Fried foods/High Saturated
Fat, Refined Sugar, Aspartame (this is a migraine trigger for
me), MSG (also a migraine trigger for me). Other triggers
could be Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and even drugs/meds.
Most of us are taking meds that increase our Serotonin Levels.
Serotonin is involved in our pain perception, sleep regulation
and feelings of general well being. Foods that raise serotonin
levels would be Carb rich foods, complex carbs, grains/beans,
starchy foods. Even dark chocolate in small amounts.
Talk to your doc to see what would work for you. We all have
different needs. The “cure all diets” we see on the web are not
for everyone, but may very well help. Before spending money
on these, check with your doc because some could cause
issues with meds. DO YOUR RESEARCH!
For me, rather than starving myself during the day and then
eating dinner, eating something in each of the food groups, in
moderate proportion might just be what I need.
to Work
Never With Won’t
Did, Who Our Pain
Anymore,
relax, which eases pain. Although there are many ways to
meditate, the soothing power of repetition is at the heart of some
forms of meditation. Focusing on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and
repeating a word or phrase -- a mantra -- causes the body to relax.
While you can learn meditation on your own, it helps to take a class
or look online for a specific type of meditation. I meditate regularly
at night in order to help me quiet my thoughts and fall asleep. I
have an application on my IPod and put in my earphones. Works
great for me.
2. Reduce stress in your life. Stress intensifies chronic pain.
Depression, anxiety, stress, and even anger can increase the body's
sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress and negative
feelings, you may find some relief from pain. There are many
techniques to wind down. Listening to soothing, music, mental
imagery relaxation (also called guided imagery) are forms of mental
escape that can help you feel peaceful. It works by creating calming,
peaceful images in your mind
3. Find ways to distract yourself from pain so you enjoy life more.
When you focus on pain, it makes it worse rather than better.
Instead, find something you like doing -- an activity that keeps you
busy and thinking about things besides your pain. You might not be
able to avoid pain, but you can take control of your life, and taking
control of your life is what we want. We do not want to be “the
pain”; we want to have our pain be just a “part” of “US”!
4. Track your pain level and activities every day.
Keeping a log or journal of your daily "pain score" will help track
pain. At the end of each day, note your pain level on the 1 to 10 pain
scale. I have sent out journal pages before, so if you need one, let
me know and I can email them to you. Also, note what activities you
did that day. Take this log book to every doctor visit -- to give your
doctor a good understanding of how you're living with chronic pain
and your physical functioning level.
2010 3rd Quarterly Newsletter
Depression & Physical Symptoms
Most of us know about the emotional
symptoms of depression. But you may not
know that depression can be associated with
many physical symptoms, too.
Many people with depression suffer from
chronic pain or other physical symptoms.
These include:
Headaches. These are common in people
with depression. If you already had migraine
headaches, they may seem worse if you are
depressed
Muscle aches and joint pain. Depression can
make any kind of chronic pain worse.
Chest pain. Obviously, it is very important to
get chest pain checked out by an expert right
away. It can be a sign of serious heart
problems. However, depression can
contribute to the discomfort associated with
chest pain.
Digestive problems. You might feel queasy
or nauseous. You might have diarrhea or
become chronically constipated.
Exhaustion and fatigue. No matter how
much you sleep, you may still feel tired or
worn out. Getting out of the bed in the
morning may seem very hard, even
impossible.
Sleeping problems. Many people with
depression cannot sleep well anymore. They
wake up too early or cannot fall asleep when
they go to bed. Others sleep much more
than normal.
Change in appetite or weight. Some people
with depression lose their appetite and lose
weight. Others find they crave certain foods
-- like carbohydrates -- and weigh more.
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Possible Upcoming Articles/Topics:
 Part four of “Finding our Limits”
 Feeling Sexy!?!
 The Fatigue in FM
 Serotonin Syndrome
Depression Continued
Because these symptoms occur with many conditions, many
depressed people never get help, because they do not know
that their physical symptoms might be caused by depression.
Many doctors miss the symptoms, too. These physical
symptoms are not "all in your head." Depression can cause real
changes in your body. For example, it can slow down your
digestion, which can result in stomach problems.
Depression seems to be related to an imbalance of certain
chemicals in your brain. Some of these same chemicals play an
important role in how you feel pain. So many experts think that
depression can make you feel pain differently than other people.
We do need to remember though, that depression can also
come from pain. When we are in pain, we can become
depressed. Finding out what came first helps in determining
specific issues. It makes me think of the ‘ol, “what came first,
the chicken or the egg?”.
Treating Physical Symptoms
In some cases, treating your depression -- with therapy or
medicine or both -- will resolve your physical symptoms.
Whereas, if you have a chronic pain condition, getting help with
that will help the depression…..are you getting that this could be
a vicious cycle? 
But make sure to tell your health care provider about any
physical symptoms. Do not assume they will go away on their
own. They may need additional treatment. For instance, your
doctor may suggest an anti-anxiety medicine if you have
insomnia or even panic attacks. Those drugs help you relax and
may allow you to sleep better.
Since pain and depression go together, sometimes easing your
pain may help with your depression. Some antidepressants, such
as Cymbalta and Effexor, may help with chronic pain, too.
Other treatments can also help with painful symptoms. Certain
types of focused therapy -- like cognitive behavioral -- can teach
you ways to cope better with the pain.
I have been referred to a pain management facility next month.
I will let you know how it goes. In the mean time, if you are
depressed, talk to your doctor. Depression can be a very serious
issue.
2010 3rd Quarterly Newsletter
Finding Our Limits
Part 3
How has everyone been doing at finding your limits?
Last time I wrote about: Activity, Rest, Emotions and
Stress and setting priorities in these categories for
yourself. I also discussed thinking about each area and
how each one in it’s own could be what causes flares or
even remissions depending on how we handle each
area.
Having a sense of predictability within these areas for
ourselves is important. Did you log anything and see
any trends? What did you do to control your flares?
For myself, I realized quite a bit this time around,
which is probably why I have been MIA for so long.
Regarding my physical activity and rest I realized that
if I do 30 min of, well let’s say house work, I need to
sit and rest for 15-20 minutes. Not very conducive to
my old ways, but helps with my flares.
Regarding my mental activity and stress, I realized that
when my emotions are high, or I am worried, or angry,
etc, (well, basically any negative emotions) I flare and
get migraines.
Regarding my social activity and what I do with or
without my family outside the home has to be limited.
I hate this part. I use to be very involved in my kids
lives in school, PTA, School Councils, sports,
community events, relay for life, other volunteer work
along with working full time. So now I can only do
what I can do….I try not to commit myself anymore
and I am better at letting people know that I will try to
do what I can and if I cannot I will let them know. If I
can do more, well great, I can do more.
So, all in all, as I mentioned in the last article, I am
“pacing” myself. How do you “pace” you ask? Well, I
am glad you did….  First off are priorities. We
CANNOT do it all. Even though we used to and wish we
still could. We have to decide what is important at that
moment. Here is one way to set priorities. First, list
the activities you do in a typical week, making an
estimate of the time each activity takes.
Second, add up the times and compare them with the
CFS & Fibromyalgia Rating Scale I attached last time.
(Will attach again). If the items on your list take more
time than your limits allow (for example, you would like
to have six hours a day of activity, but your body
allows four), you will have to make some adjustments
in order to stay inside your energy envelope. List what
is important to you and proceed to create a list.
Third, from the list you created, decide what activities
you will keep and which ones will be modified or dropped.
To help you decide, you might give your activities
different priorities, such as A, B and C. You will keep
those that are most important to you, but may have to
modify or eliminate others. Let’s say column A is your
priority and these are things you can do yourself.
Column B are things you need done but will require help
with and Column C are things that can just wait or be
dropped completely, how important are they really. Is
column C a list of things you can say “NO” to?
Another way is to list things in order but in categories
such as: housework, family, outside activities, hobbies,
etc. DO NOT forget to add rest time! In this list you can
cross off items, put stars next to what you feel is
important and put a circle next to what you can delegate.
Also consider this: Family members might share in meal
preparation or grocery shopping, or a cleaning service
could clean your house. Find your sources of help.
Whether it be family, friends, hiring someone, or using
community resources, such as religious groups or service
clubs. Boy Scouts are great for doing things!!!
Simplify how you do things. This means continuing to do
something, but in a less elaborate or complete way. For
example, you might clean house less often or cook less
complicated meals. For me it was folding laundry and
putting away dishes. I was anal about it. Fold this
way!!! Put dishes away this way!!! I had to let go.
You may also have to decide to eliminate some activities
or relationships. Perhaps you can suspend your volunteer
work or put some friendships on hold. Most friends will
understand if you cannot do as much with them as you
use to. (If they are good, true, friends.)
In a book by Eunice Beck called Making a NOT TO DO
List, she explains that making this list gives us
permission to eliminate activities without feeling guilty for
doing so. In another book by Bobbie Brown called 25
Reasons Why I’ve Improved, she tells how she increased
her functional level from 15% to 35-40 %.
Setting limits on driving time, computer time, phone
time, socializing, outside the home activities and
household responsibilities will make a huge difference.
Next time I will write about how these can make such a
difference. In the meantime make your lists. Let me
know how it goes, and take it easy, you have permission!

2010 2nd Quarterly Newsletter
2010 3rd Quarterly Newsletter

YOU

Do you have anything you would like to contribute to
the newsletter? Do you have questions for the
Newsletter?
Email Me at fibrofriendsforever@yahoo.com and put
newsletter in the subject line. Let me know what you
Is FM an Auto-Immune Disease?
Autoimmune disease is the result of a body's
overactive immune response.
In a sense, the body's immune system begins to
attack its own cells and tissues. There is no
evidence that FM is an autoimmune disease.

Please remember that any information published in this
Newsletter is for information only and may not be construed
as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should
be taken based solely on the contents of this newsletter.
Instead, readers should consult their physician or other
qualified health professionals on any matter relating to their
health and well-being. Readers who fail to consult with
appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.
The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.
In fact, years of research have not turned up any
virus, bacteria or immune disorder.
It's not unusual, however, for someone with FM
to also have one or more autoimmune diseases,
such as: thyroid disease, Lupus, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, or
some type of illness.

Some illnesses that are suspected to have an

autoimmune link and may occur with FM
include: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Endometriosis, Interstitial Cystitis, and Lyme
disease. If you live in an area that is known to
have cases of Valley Fever, get checked for that
as well. If you haven’t already, have your doc do
JodieLynn Soto whatever testing necessary for a true diagnosis.
FM/CFS Sufferer & Support Group Leader

fibrofriendsforeversupport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

or

fibrofriendsforever@yahoo.com

559-756-0894
Porterville, Ca 93257
If you or anyone you may know needs help, a listening
ear, someone to vent to, I am here for you, him, or her at
anytime. Please do not hesitate to contact me. I am here
for YOU & your SPOUSES! This is my life, even
though at times I may need someone myself. My husband Stephen and Myself

Fibro Friends Forever is an Online Support Group providing free newsletters and information