My goodness, I have to agree with ET.  The answers are right in front of our faces.  I WAS diagnosed in 2000 with Fibromyalgia, and went straight to work to figure out what this series of symptoms really was.  I just KNEW that it was not a disease.  I drank herbal potions, took over a hundred herbal capsules daily and improved and improved and improved.  Over time I came to the conclusion that this was an issue of toxicity.  Finally, I found Natural Cellular Defense liquid zeolites, and finished up the detoxification of the circulatory system with that.  You can email a gal named Leah that I know who has all the research on it, if you like.  Her email is carlandleah@netzero.com.  

Today, I am free from not only a diagnosis, but also pain, stiffness, depression (I felt sad about my situation and did not like this diagnosis), medication, and so on.   Everyone benefits from detoxification!  Our environment is just bombarding us with way more toxins than our bodies were designed to eliminate on their own.

Your comments that FM symptoms are very real is of course true. My symptoms reduced when I addressed each of the following conditions, using very few prescription drugs: viral, bacterial, and fungal infections; yeast overgrowth; presence of toxins, including heavy metals; adrenal and other hormone imbalances; arthritis; insomnia; fatigue; and depression.

I also believe fibromyalgics' metabolism does not process waste efficiently, so an organic, balanced diet with limited sugars and no wheat or corn-based carbs, avoiding inflammatory foods, and moderate exercise help a lot. The most comprehensive manual I have found is Teitlebaum's "From Fatigued to Fantastic." I found this best used in conjuction with a holistic medical doctor familiar with the protocols--it was  too complicated for me to sort out on my own, and each person's medical profile is different.

Several people I know with FM have commented that weather affects them a lot, as it does me--symptoms worsen when the barometer drops, cold and damp, but also too warm humidity are really tough. I have not found a good explanation or counter to this, other than to anticipate and plan my energy expenditure accordingly, when possible. Any ideas here?  

When I get sleep, the depression lifts along with the fatigue. But so far I have found only a prescription drug, Ambien CR, to be an effective sleep aid with, for me, no immediate unwanted side effects. Any other ideas, anyone?

I agree with Dr. M that many of our symptoms are physical manifestations of emotional issues. (This was hard to admit, but hard to avoid after addressing all the physiological issues and still feeling not quite right). EFT sounds promising for both depression and sleeplessness.

Judy E

I would like to second Patty D's position that Fibromyalgia is real. From the research I've done into my own case of Fibromyalgia, it appears almost certain that it stems from an atypical polio. Even my doctor agrees that its clinical presentation is indistinguishable from post-polio. Mine hit at the time of taking the Sabin oral polio vaccine.

I also take exception to Dr Mercola's assertion that there is an underlying emotional component to Fibromyalgia.  I suppose that, whoever you check for whatever, you could -- if you looked -- find an underlying emotional component. However, I believe that with TRUE Fibromyalgia -- unless I have something else -- emotions are NOT an underlying cause.

Some years ago, I saw a chiropractor who was really big on EFT and other bioenergetic normalization techniques for dealing with previous emotional traumas. Personally, I never found ANY of this to be helpful in any way.

What I've found to be most helpful is therapeutic-grade essential oils -- particularly the oils that are most oxygenating, anti-viral or nerve-regenerating. Using the oils took me from over 30 years of severe disability to being able to start my own business.

I have Fibromyalgia, It is real, infact I almost killed myself by not heeding to the signs of heart attack as I could not recognize the heart pain as the real thing because I have lived with pain for many years due to untreated Lymes Disease, at the time I thought it was costal chondritis of my rib cartlidge as I was a nurse, I hurt all the time somewhere with pains coming and going,so I disreguarded the pain, by the time the heart problem was found I was 50,unable to work and pain so bad I couldnt sleep,my chest hurt but still this was not unusual for the fibromyalgia,anyway I went in for a angiogram and had a tripple bypass as I had a 100% and 2-95% blocked arteries and I couldnt tell the difference in pain due to fibromyalgia pain !   BEWARE !! BEWARE !! Fibromyalgia is REAL ! with that said ,it's not curable just like untreated Lymes disease. I was a busy,active,outdoors person as that's my personality ,Fibromyalgia is not for the wimpy whinny couch potato person, we with Fibromyalgia just have to modify our lives now around the pain but HEED the unusual constant pain with getting it cheked out.

I agree with you completely, Patty!  Thank you for writing!  What I found most appalling about the above article is that in order to "legitimize" a condition so that a traditional doctor will not tell you "it is all in your head" a chemical compound (aka pharmaceutical) needs to be found which can be sold to you for its treatment.  I would expect EFT, nonetheless, to be effective against fibromyalgia.  It does wonders for allergies!  But few try to tell you that allergies are all in your head or that you are malingering.  The callousness of these people gives me great pain!!!  (Hand me those tranquilizers, thank you.)

Patty D - you know what my doctor told me about the word "syndrome"?  It's the word the medical profession uses for a seemingly-related group of symptoms when they don't know what's making a person sick.  For example, they used to call PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease) PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) until they understood the pathology of the disease (not necessarily the cause, but the relationship between the various symptoms and effects of the disease, and the path the disease usually takes.)  So now whenever I hear the word "syndrome", I know it's just a euphemism for "I don't know what's wrong with you or how to fix it, so we'll just have to experiment until we (hopefully) find something that helps you."  

jeftekhar, damp weather, either hot and humid or cold and wet is the perfect environment for mould to grow.  If you're sensitive to yeasts (ie. have had chronic systemic candida) then you will react to the microtoxins they produce and release into your home environment.  Hope this helps.  Good luck with your healing journey to everyone.  Good health is a journey, not a destination.

Sarah

Google NO/ONOO cycle... It's a good theory and might help. I've been sick 10 years and I'm still searching. I've had emotional childhood traumas, physical trauma(whiplash), candidiasis, and when I was 18 I overdosed on Maggie Moo's(ice cream), had a terrible allergic reaction and possibly a virus for 5 weeks and never recovered from it. I believe I could get some relief from combining all the info I've found. The dilemma is I barely have the energy to work at all. How am I supposed to save the money to buy my health? And that's where the depression comes in... It's hard to keep fighting, but I have to. If I push myself to earn the money, will I do it, or will I crash? And if I finally get the money, will the treatment help at all? Such is 1/3 of my life. Thank all of you for being open about your illnesses and confirming that it exists. I do not want to hear "There's nothing wrong with you" or "maybe you're a hypochondriac" one more time. Thank you for sharing your hard earned information as well. Maybe if we all work together we can find a way to beat it!

Judy E, This is what my chiropractor recommended and

I purchased from his office... PINEAL PLUS by Atrium

and AdrenaCalm Cream by Apex Energetics. Within 30

minutes I can actually feel my body relax and I start

to feel sleepy.  I have been so grateful for these

products