Fibromyalgia: Feeling the Funk

lifewithfibro.blogspot.com

When the funk hits..
And you feel like nothing is worth it..
Remember..its just a funk..
The beat will stop at some point..
And life will go back to normal..

Through out my journey with fibromyalgia, I have learned to deal with the "hills and valleys". There are times I could go for months leading a very normal pain-free life then the funk hits...and you feel like you are now in a valley. The funk can be triggered by an illness flare or extreme mental stress. 

Feeling the funk..
It starts with a serious fatigue episode.
Sometimes it starts with serious migraines or deep muscle pain.
Then the brain fog and memory burden (when its an uphill task to remember simple things).
Then the episodes of pain.. On and off and all over.
It can last anything from a week to a month straight on. 

Sometimes it's confusing, with bouts of flu-like symptoms, fevers, chills, high white blood cell count as if i have an infection... 

Gastric issues, nausea, lack of appetite... Just being weird and sickly at the same time yet there is nothing visibly wrong.

The funk is usually unpredictable but it can be anticipated. After a highly stressful episode like an illness or an inter-relational conflict, you can anticipate some funk. The sooner you start dealing with it, the sooner it will lift. Do not rush the process though. Let it run its course as you employ the coping mechanisms listed below.

Coping in the funk.. 

°Eat well..
Most times during a fibro funk, I experience severe appetite loss.
This can cause you to be extremely fatigued and experience weakness.
This makes everything worse.. The pain and brain fog seem to tripple when my appetite is down.
I have a food journal and set reminders on my phone to alert me every couple of hours to have a meal/snack. (supplements come in handy... A meal replacement shake helps keep the nutrition balanced).

°Nutritional supplements
I have learned to stay on top of my nutritional supplements game especially during a flare "funk".
~B vitamins help in stabilizing the neuro pathways and this has a co-relation with sensitivity to pain.
- Magnesium is very handy in helping cope with sensitivity to pain.
- Zinc helps boost immunity so you are less susceptible to opportunistic infections, especially if eating is a problem.
- Protein shakes/mass gain/meal replacement shakes help in maintaining your nutritional levels even if for some reason you cannot eat. A tasty milkshake or smoothie or even ice popsicle will help provide nutritional comfort food when you need it.

°Take time off and relax..
Despite the tight schedules we all have, take some time off and relax.
A fibro flare "funk" can cause you to feel more burdened in life, especially if you have a lot going on.
- Relax even if for just 15 minutes a day. Listen to uplifting material and avoid depressive music or literature. Fill your mind with positivity and light.

-. Relaxation techniques help with coping with the funk mentally.
- If you exercise you can reduce the intensity or give it a break. This reduces the physical burden your body has to carry.
-Take advantage of your free time and relax. Switch off your phone and just zone off. 

°Manage the pain..
- You can see your GP for short term pain therapies that you can use to manage the pain.
- If possible get a deep tissue massage to help relax the muscles.
- Whenever you can, get a good sleep.
Its normal to experience insomnia during a funk. Before bed, a good self massage or stretch can help induce sleep. Avoid sleeping pills - unless you haven't slept for 2 days or more. 

°You are not depressed..
A fibro funk can leave someone feeling emotionally tired or feeling the weight of the world.
Remember, you are not depressed. This is a physical issue that will go away with proper management.
Your physician may prescribe medicine to help combat depression but remember..fibromyalgia and the ailments that affect your neuro-pathways are closely related.
You are not dealing with depression.
You are dealing with a flare up. It will definately cause more stress. Remember the relaxation techniques and rest as much as possible.

°You are not lazy..

Also, you are not lazy. A week off from normal routine should not make you feel bad or guilty about not being your best..you are already doing the best you can.

Most of all, stick to routine as much as possible. Go to work even if its half day. Go to class. Perform your chores even if you are much slower than usual. 

www.iainclaridge.co.uk

°You need to keep on moving..

A sedentary lifestyle makes everything.worse. Keep moving. You are much closer to recovery when you stick to your plan..even if you took a day off. Make up for it the next day.
The moment you toss your plans out of the window you will have a harder time picking up the pieces once the funk lifts.You will end up with a form of atrophy.. And that, will make your days worse..

(Atrophy; (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution. Or, the gradual decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect)

More reads:

※  Chronic fatigue syndrome
※  INFLAMMATION: A SMALL PEEK AT WHAT MAKES US FEEL PAIN
※  About Fibromyalgia: What on earth is FIBROMYALGIA?
※  Mental illness: what is it?
※  Depression: Is it really genetic?
※   Sleep deprivation

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Image: blogs.pros.org

 Feeling tired all the time.
You wake up and feel tired.
You go to bed still tired. Even in your dreams you are tired.
And it does not go away...even after sleeping an entire weekend. 

 Chronic fatigue syndrome

A disease characterized by profound fatigue, sleep abnormalities, pain, and other symptoms that are made worse by exertion.

The fatigue is not due to ongoing exertion, not relieved much by rest, and is not caused by other medical conditions ~ meaning it is not due to pushing your boundaries a couple of times, nor as a result of getting sick for a short while.

Severity can vary: Some persons with CFS lead relatively normal lives; others are totally bed-ridden and unable to care for themselves.

Fibromyalgia occurs in a large percentage of CFS patients between onset and the second year, and some researchers suggest fibromyalgia and CFS are related.

Symptoms (lasting 6 months or longer)

￠The main symptom is fatigue for over six months which is unrelated to exertion, is not substantially relieved by rest, and is not a result of other medical conditions.
The fatigue often worsens with activity, but doesn't improve with rest.

￠Widespread muscle pain (myalgia) and joint pain (arthralgia).

￠Chronic and severe mental and physical exhaustion.

￠Headaches of a type not previously experienced - unusually painful or does not respond to usual pain medication.

Additional symptoms
Additional symptoms may be reported, including:
*muscle weakness
*increased sensitivity to light sounds and smells
*problems standing up
*digestive disturbances
depression
*painful and often slightly swollen lymph nodes

Why visit your doctor
It is recommended that persons with symptoms resembling those of CFS consult a physician to rule out several treatable illnesses:

*Lyme disease
*sleep disorder
*major depressive disorder
*alcohol/substance abuse
*diabetes
*hypothyroidism
*mononucleosis (mono)
*lupus
*multiple sclerosis (MS)
*chronic hepatitis and various malignancies.
*Medications that can also cause side effects that mimic symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Management:

** Many people do not fully recover from CFS even with treatment.**

￠ Cognitive behavioral therapy: which tries to help patients understand their individual symptoms and beliefs and develop strategies to improve day-to-day functioning and is thought to help patients by eliminating unhelpful illness beliefs which may perpetuate the illness.

￠Exercise: Graded exercise therapy
** exercise therapy is not a cure for CFS

Randomized trials found that patients who received exercise therapy were less fatigued after 12 weeks than the control participants, and the authors cautiously conclude that GET shows promise as a treatment.

￠Pacing
Pacing is an energy management strategy (based on the observation that symptoms of the illness tend to increase following minimal exertion).
The principle behind pacing is to avoid over-exertion and an exacerbation (to make worse) of symptoms.
It is not aimed at treating the illness as a whole.
Those whose illness appears stable may gradually increase activity and exercise levels but according to the principle of pacing, must rest if it becomes clear that they have exceeded their limits.

￠Other
Medications thought to have promise in alleviating symptoms include antidepressant and immunomodulatory agents.
However many CFS patients are sensitive to medications, particularly sedatives, and some patients report chemical and food sensitivities.
Multivitamin and multimineral supplements are thought to help relieve various symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Social issues:

A study found that CFS patients report a heavy psychosocial burden and state that they struggle for recognition of their needs.
Individuals with CFS may receive a poorer quality of social support than in those with other illnesses.

*Some in the medical community do not recognize CFS as a real condition, nor is there agreement on its prevalence.

More reads:  
※  Sleep deprivation
※  About Fibromyalgia
※  INFLAMMATION: A SMALL PEEK AT WHAT MAKES US FEEL PAIN
※  MEDICINES - Brand leaders and Generics,
※  Mental illness: what is it?
※  Athletic Steroids: a.k.a Anabolic Androgenic Steroids

Sources:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome

Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation (Part 1): Causes and Effects

Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep ; it can be
either chronic or acute . A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. 

Sleep deprivation may result in the following conditions:

wikimedia.org

aching muscles

confusion, memory lapses or loss

depression

development of false memory

hallucinations

hand tremor

headaches

malaise

stye

periorbital puffiness , commonly known as. "bags under eyes" or eye bags

increased blood pressure

increased stress hormone levels

increased risk of diabetes

increased risk of +fibromyalgia

irritability

nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)

obesity

seizures

temper tantrums in children

yawning

mania

May cause symptoms similar to:
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
psychosis 

In a study at UCSD school of Medicine, sleep deprivation was seen to cause the brain to compensate when the individuals were asked to perform simple tasks. This means that the brain was working twice as hard in order to process simple daily tasks. 

Extended sleep deprivation will inevitably result in microsleep.

Microsleeps occur when the brain automatically shuts down, falling into a sleep state for a period that can last from a fraction of a second up to half a minute.

The person falls asleep no matter what activity he or she is engaged in.

Microsleeps are similar to blackouts and a person experiencing them is not consciously aware that they are occurring.

Weight gain/ weight loss

In rats, prolonged, complete sleep deprivation increased both food intake and energy expenditure with a net effect of weight loss and ultimately death.

This study hypothesizes that the moderate chronic sleep debt associated with habitual short sleep is associated with increased appetite and energy expenditure with the equation tipped towards food intake rather than expenditure.

The findings suggest that this might be happening because sleep deprivation could be disrupting hormones that regulate glucose metabolism and appetite.

Causes of sleep deprivation:

♣ Insomnia

Many of its symptoms are easily recognizable, including

※ excessive daytime sleepiness ;
※ frustration or worry about sleep;
※ problems with attention, concentration, or memory;
※ extreme mood changes or irritability; 

※ lack of energy or motivation; 

※ poor performance at school or work;
※ tension headaches or stomach aches.

♣ Voluntary sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can sometimes be self-imposed due to a lack of desire to sleep or the habitual use of stimulant drugs.

Sleep deprivation is also self-imposed to achieve personal fame in the context of record-breaking stunts. 

♣ Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea) is a collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which reduces airflow to the lungs.

It has many serious health outcomes if untreated, but can very often be effectively treated with positive air pressure therapy.

Central sleep apnea is repeated stops in breathing during sleep when the brain temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing.

♣ Mental illness/ bi-polar disorder

Shifts into mania in bipolar patients are often preceded by periods of insomnia, and sleep deprivation has been shown to induce a manic state in susceptible individuals.

Sleep deprivation may represent a
final common pathway in the genesis of mania, and sleep loss is both a precipitating and reinforcing factor for the manic state.

♣ School life:

Sleep deprivation is common in first year college students as they adjust to the stress and social activities of college life.

School schedules are often incompatible with a corresponding delay in sleep offset, leading to a less than optimal amount of sleep for the majority of adolescents. 

♣ Work:

people who do shift work disrupt their sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis. Frequent travellers (for example, airline crew) also tend to have erratic sleeping patterns.

Suggestions on how to get more sleep include:

 

※ Purposefully go to bed earlier each night.

※ Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages in the hours before bedtime.

※ Improve your sleeping environment in any way you can – for example, keep it dark and sound-proof, turn off lights and wear earplugs if you have noisy neighbours.

※ Don’t have any distractions in the bedroom such as TV or a computer.

※ Use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly.

※ Seek professional assistance for sleep disorders such as snoring.

※ Find ways to improve sleeping habits for you and your baby or child.

※ Sleeping Pills & Natural Sleep Aids: 

source:
en.www.wikipedia.org
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
http://www.helpguide.org

 Related articles:  

※  Prescription drugs, OTC drugs and those in between

※  MEDICINES - Brand leaders and Generics, what is the difference?

※  Biotin: The B-Vitamin for healthy nails, youthful skin and great hair

※  HEADACHES: migraines, cluster headaches and what they are about.

※  About Fibromyalgia

※   Enzyme depletion and food storage; what we miss from seed to plate

           

Goals and Passions...

PASSION - strong and barely controllable emotion.

From Sir Richard Branson to our own Suzie Wokabi.. the message is clear; if we work with passion we will excel and go far. 

But this being reality; rarely do we end up in careers or situations where our passions are, so we just apply diligence to get through...

In life, nothing is set in stone though. I have seen people literally turn their lives around by "taking risks" and "taking leaps of faith"...

What we do not realise is that these people have had a passion for whatever it was they jumped into; and set a goal on getting there...

SETTING GOALS...

Setting goals can literally turn your life around!!!
This is because; when you set a goal, you literally program your psyche into achieving it.
♦Whether you achieve it or not is usually not a factor; How to get there is the main focus and in the effort to "get there" they discover endless opportunities they would have otherwise missed..

I read Suzie's story; she loved make-up but had a degree in a totally unrelated field. She however got a chance to join her sister in New York and intentionally ended up working in various fashion businesses out of curiosity. It is there that she found her footing and settled on make-up, worked on finding the right products for her skin; then the African woman's skin and now... she runs a beauty empire with her husband..

This story is very similar to other "we-made-it" stories; set a goal according to your passion and the journey will start from there. Suzie's journey has led her to management, marketing, networking, events... name it.
She has been thrust into different pools where her strengths have come in handy yet it all started in one spot; Her passion.

I do not encourage wanton behaviour though; just don't wake up, quit your job and "follow your dream,,,,,"

....USE YOUR HEAD....

Look at where you are now; what resources you have and how they can help you achieve your goals. Like I said, its a JOURNEY!!

Look at how your current job has equipped you; financially or otherwise.

How many people have you met that can help you in your journey? For example, have you spoken to your boss and asked how s/he manages to balance work and family? (Do you even have a relationship with your boss??)

How many new skills have you developed, and which bad habits have you had to drop?

※In my quest to achieve my goals; I had lots of bad habits to drop.
On one occasion I painfully regretted NOT USING MY HEAD.... learned my lesson. big time!!!

I also learned to drop my pride and raise my standards; sometimes criticism was the best counsel I got; and what I thought was good advice landed me in pools of hot water!!!

The biggest lesson of all was to realize who was useful in my life and who was important.

♠Whoever made you feel used is quite useful in your life.. you learned a skill, and if they made good use of you, you can also make good use of them too...

♥Whoever made time to appreciate you and hold you is important in your life... That is a person you can genuinely reconnect with and share your joys and triumphs and celebrate with. These are the people you can call your family even though they may not be related to you..

♣Never let important people go..

♣Never erase the useful people from your phone book either...

♣Never let anyone but you take initiative for your goals; but all help is welcome. Just don't wait for someone to get things going.

♣Never look down on anyone through out your journey; those you think incapable of anything may be the ones to get you out of a hole...

※Each day is a gift and tomorrow is never assured. Use today wisely. ※

This is Serenity!!

****
※ Of Actions and Reactions.
※ "If Today Was Your Last Day" - Nickelback
※ Learn to let go..
※ Of relationship articles: Sow to reap...
※ Self appreciation; The journey towards self reconstruction
※ Love and faith...
***

INFLAMMATION: A SMALL PEEK AT WHAT MAKES US FEEL PAIN

www.inflammation2011.com

What Is  Inflammation?

Inflammation is a process in which the body's white blood cells and chemicals help protect us from infection and foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses. Inflammation is a protective response that serves to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury and to remove the consequences of such injury. The inflammatory process is closely intertwined with the process of repair.

In some diseases, however, the body's defense system (immune system) triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign substances to fight off.

In these diseases, called autoimmune diseases, the body's normally protective immune system causes damage to its own tissues. The body responds as if normal tissues are infected or somehow abnormal.

Types of Inflammation

Clinically, there are two main types of inflammation, active and chronic.

1. Active (acute) inflammation occurs on the time scale of hours to days and is characterized by the cardinal signs of inflammation; ie, redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), heat (calor) and pain (dolor). Acute inflammation represents an initial concentrated effort to eliminate an injurious agent.

2. Chronic inflammation occurs on the time scale of weeks to months and is characterized by the simultaneous presence of active inflammation, tissue destruction, and attempts at repair. Clinically, the process may be characterized by the loss of proper function of the tissue, but is often an asymptomatic, subclinical response.

www.raacupuncture.org

What Diseases Are Associated With Inflammation?

Some, but not all types of arthritis, are the result of misdirected inflammation.

Arthritis is a general term that describes inflammation in joints. Some types of
arthritis associated with inflammation include:

-Rheumatoid arthritis
-Psoriatic arthritis
-Gouty arthritis
-Systemic lupus erythematosus

The most common form of arthritis called osteoarthritis (also known asdegenerative arthritis) is a bit of a misnomer. It is not believed thatinflammation plays a major role in osteoarthritis. Other painful conditions of
the joints and musculoskeletal system that are not associated with inflammation include;
-fibromyalgia,
-low back pain, and
-muscular neck pain.

process of inflammation;;

INFLAMMATION

The inflammatory response (inflammation) occurs when tissues are injured by bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, or any other cause. The damaged cells release chemicals including histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins.
These chemicals cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. This helps isolate the foreign substance from further contact with body tissues.
The chemicals also attract white blood cells called phagocytes that "eat" germs and dead or damaged cells. (This process is called phagocytosis.) Phagocytes eventually die. Pus is formed from a collection of dead tissue, dead bacteria, and live and dead phagocytes.
(source)

sources;
courses.washington.edu 
en.wikipedia.org
web.md
nlm.nif.org

More Reads;

Finding the new normal... 

BULKING UP AND BODY BUILDING: Muscle regeneration and the role proteins play

Cinnamon oil: Essential and infused oils

Fibromyalgia: Feeling the Funk

Chronic fatigue syndrom