Brrrrr it's cold outside

I took this article from Fibromyalgia Symptoms website.  I don't like how they use 'claim' when they refer to how those that suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms but the information is good to know.

This past month has been rather cold for here in Arizona.  I do at times feel like a barometor, with truly feeling the effects of how the weather changes.  Not good!  I have been so cold that my wrists have been aching horribly.  Dressing in layers, coats, gloves, hats and long socks (this is not going well with this menopause crap going on also...where's my music because these clothes are coming off often.  It's rediculous, layers on layers off good Lord!
Using a heating pad to keep my hands warm. Keeping my house at 73 and using my heated blanket at night.

I fuss but other than having hands that are just annoyingly achy, I am doing awesome, I don't even bother putting a 'number' for plan level to this current issue.

The guaifenesin protocol really puts your body back in order.  Along with following a proper diet of no boxed, frozen or processed food eating fresh veggies, fruit, no dairy for me and sticking with chicken I am doing wonderful.  I hibernate in the winter anyway but now I am able to do my quilting or projects without the fatigue or just not having the energy at all.

I love that I have got my life back.  Thank heavens for guaifenesin!

Enjoy the article!





fibromyalgia sufferers claim that their symptoms vary according to temperature changes, changes in air pressure, and changes in precipitation in their part of their world. Most fibromyalgia sufferers claim that they experience changes in:

• fatigue
• sleep patterns
• headaches
• muscle pain
• the number of symptom flare ups

Who is Affected by Weather Changes?
According to a study performed in 1981, a large percentage of fibromyalgia sufferers may actually be sensitive to changes in the weather. In this particular study, 90% of patients claimed that weather was one of the most important influences on their fibromyalgia symptoms. And fibromyalgia sufferers aren’t the only ones to experience weather-related symptoms. You may also find that the weather exacerbates your symptoms if you have:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• multiple sclerosis
• osteoarthritis

What Weather Factors Affect Fibromyalgia Sufferers?

There are five major weather factors that appear to affect fibromyalgia symptoms. These include:

• Temperature: Rapid changes in temperature can sometimes trigger a fibromyalgia flare or help to ease fibromyalgia pain. Cold weather tends to make fibromyalgia symptoms worse, while warmer weather tends to ease those troublesome symptoms.
• Barometric Pressure: Barometric pressure is a measurement of the weight that is exerted by the air all around us. On beautiful sunny days, barometric pressure tends to be quite high, but during a storm or similar weather front, barometric pressure drops suddenly. Fibromyalgia sufferers often find that these changes in barometric pressure can trigger muscle aches and pains.
• Humidity: Absolute humidity is a measurement of the amount of water vapor present in each unit of air. When absolute humidity is low, fibromyalgia sufferers often report headaches, stiffness, and flares in widespread pain.
• Precipitation: Precipitation is the term used to refer to any type of water that falls to the ground from the sky, including rain, sleet, snow, or hail. Precipitation is often accompanied by a change in barometric pressure, and therefore may exacerbate your symptoms of pain and fatigue.
• Wind: Whether it’s a light wind or a gale-force wind, wind generally causes a decrease in barometric pressure. This means that wind can trigger fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches in fibromyalgia sufferers.

Weather and Fibromyalgia: The Studies

Numerous studies have been conducted in order to evaluate whether or not fibromyalgia symptoms do appear to be influenced by changes in the weather. Most of these studies have had surprising results.

In 2002, a study was conducted in Cordoba, Argentina, where there are four distinct seasons every year. The study involved fibromyalgia sufferers and a healthy control group and aimed to find out whether pain symptoms could be linked to specific weather changes. Participants were asked to rate their pain symptoms on a scale from one to ten, every day for 12 months. After 12 months, these symptoms were correlated to weather patterns for the entire year. Researchers found that pain symptoms of the participants with fibromyalgia correlated directly to weather changes. Specifically, pain increased as temperatures fell and atmospheric pressure increased. The healthy control group did not show any correlation between pain and weather patterns.

Another study performed in Norway found a similar relationship between fibromyalgia symptoms and the weather. Fibromyalgia symptoms appeared to get worse during the months of December and January, but began to improve during April and May. This suggests a direct relationship between colder temperatures and lower barometric pressures and a rise in fibromyalgia symptoms.

Why Does Weather Affect Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Unfortunately, researchers do not yet know why weather appears to affect fibromyalgia symptoms so much. However, there are a few possible explanations:

• Change in Sleep Cycle: Weather, particularly hot and cold temperatures, can sometimes affect the way in which you sleep. This could have a great affect on symptoms and flares if you are a fibromyalgia sufferer.
• Change in Circadian Rhythm: Your body operates using an internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. Changes in seasons and the amount of light that your body receives can throw off your circadian rhythm, causing you to feel fatigued and more achy then usual.
• Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines: There does appear to be a relationship between low temperature levels and an increase in the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body. These cytokines appear to be related to pain intensity.

Dealing with the Weather: Managing Your Fibromyalgia Symptoms
If you find that your symptoms are influenced by weather changes, here are a few tips to help keep you more comfortable:

• Dress in Layers: Prepare for those chilly days by dressing in two or three layers. This will keep your body warm and allow you to shed excess clothing should you become hot.
• Avoid Cold Temperatures: Try to keep your air conditioning off in your house during the summer, and keep your heat up during the winter months. If you have to go outside in the cold, wear gloves, proper boots, and a hat. This will keep your extremities warm and prevent aches and pains.
• Bring the Sunshine Inside: If you are finding that you are particularly fatigued or depressed, try to increase the amount of light you have inside of your house. During the gray winter months, it is easy to become depressed and tired, which will only make your symptoms worse. Purchase some halogen bulbs or a special light box to help improve your mood.

Brief explaination of 'what is Fibromyalgia' (from Dr St Amand's website)

What is Fibromyalgia?Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, meaning that it is a collection of symptoms that occur together, and not all patients have all of them. Women are affected more than men--only about 20 percent are male--and it also occurs in children. Fibromyalgia means "pain in muscles and fibers." This pain must be present in all four quadrants of the body for three months. Diagnosis is made by the prescence of tender swollen areas that hurt when a small amount of pressure is applied. However, not all patients have significant pain, for some fatigue is the primary complaint. Other symptoms include headahces, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bladder, vulvodynia, problems with memory and concentration, nervousness, depression, and sensitivity to sound, light and odors.

What causes Firbromyalgia?We believe it is an inherited trait and that from birth phosphates very slowly build up in your tissues. At puberty and other accelerated growth times your body uses more of the phosphate you ingest. The build up might completely stop at that time. However, at some point, depending on your genetic trait, you become symptomatic: ie the phosphates have built up to the point where they cause an impediment in making energy. Eventually this lack of energy, dysenergism, causes our symptoms.
You will reverse one year of build-up with about 2 months of guaifenesin. If you stop taking guaifenesin when you stop feeling symptoms the build up will begin again and in time your symptoms will come back. That's why we stay on guai for life despite the fact that we feel better.

Is Fibromyalgia an auto-immune disease?Fibromyalgia is not an auto-immune disease. Auto immune means that the body destroys itself. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is autoimmune --the body actually attacks its own thyroid as if it were foreign tissue and destroys the gland. ( "Auto" means self as in the word autonomy.) Antibodies made by our own body destroy parts of it in this kind of illness.

In fibromyalgia there is no tissue destruction. It's one of the hallmarks of FM, actually. No changes are seen on Xray, MRIs, on blood tests, or in biopsies. If you see destruction--you know immediately that the cause is from some other condition. The immune system in FMS is somewhat underactive.
This should not be a huge shock to us fibromyalgics since our mind and our muscles and our stomachs and our fingernails and hair don't work very well either. Our immune systems are probably too tired to attack us! There doesn't appear to be any more of a connection between the immune system and FMS than this general one.
Pain level 8-15-2011 is zero, slight tingling in left arm lasting 30 seconds or less in evening.