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.

And someone asks.... 'ok what is it you do?'

Kay: ok what is it you do?

Briefly first you should know last summer was the last straw for me. I woke to body stopping pain and I had had enough. I have always had pain, my whole life. I have just learned to deal with it. I usually ran about a 7-10 for pain levels. Some days worse some days bareable some days okay. But always a headache 24 hours a day. Soda for energy, chocolate for, well everything, right, chocolate makes everything better. Living life just like everyone of us lives, fast food, boxed food, I always told people its not what you eat its how much you eat. HA! Anyway, I have always tried to be fit, exercise, work out...always caused pain...no pain no gain right? I have always had pain. Not pain in one area, all over pain. Here there everywhere. Sometime by itself sometimes all at once. I have seen and been to lots of doctors. Lots of specialists. Been on lots of medicine. Nothing every hit the pain and I usually would just not take meds. Not gonna work, not gonna even put it in my body. So back to last August. Pain. Me, can't move, crying because it hurt so bad to lift my arms. I went to my chiropractor who thought I was stroking or being poisoned. Nothing wrong from his point of view...I was in alignement and he listened to my veins and I didn't sound blocked or unusual. So to my PCP. He touched my right knee (this was the only exam he did) said it was not hot or swollen gave me a script for prednisone and 2 names of specialists to see and sent me on my way. I could barely walk and he didn't bother getting up to open the door (I'm a little pissed at him for being a lousy human being and I do not see him any longer). Went to specialist, she told me I was depressed, gave me Cymbalta and see a therapist. So now I'm happy I'm in pain because cymbalta sends a msg to your body of no pain. I quit the cymblata. I will just fix myself thank you very much. Researched online. Found Dr St Amand. Read his book. I started with removing chemicals from my use.
Did you know we put on over 250 chemicals on our body in the morning before we leave the bathroom. I changed the products I used and within 3 days the 15 year headache was gone GONE!!! I found a doctor 2 hours from Tucson and I went to meet him. He follows the guaifenesin protocol from Dr St Amand. Dr Muhich put me on a strict hypoglycemic diet for a month to detox my body. No dairy, no milk, no soda (i hadn't drank soda for 5 years anyway) no red meat, no potatoes, carbs, sugar, no caffiene. Eat around the edges of the store. Thought I was going to die. Fresh veggies, chicken, fish, fresh fruit and water, tea or coffee. Don't drink coffee and tea needs 2 tons of sugar so that was out. Left water. Lost some weight there and I only weighed 140 anyway.

Then I was able to start the guaifenesin a month after that. 2 months into the guai protocol I was introduced to x2o, I hate water, its a dead weight in me, I hate the dirt filter system and it just tastes awful but it was all I could drink. Larry gave me the x2o and it did what it said. I could feel it absorb in my body. I was drinking lots of water now and I was having an increase of energy. I still wasn't sleeping much though.

Next came the Focus up. With fibro, your brain is consintrating of pain, keeping it under control, or hoping to keep it under control. So your thought process is shot. Remembering things and multy tasking is a thing of the past. And whats the dogs name again? Focus up has extracts in them, so I was very careful when I tried the product. OMG, not just energy and help with mood I could think through the pain! On bad days I used 1/3 of the focus up and I could get through the day with my smarts.

Now the KX was did it for me for the inflammation it helped a lot. On day 5 I was burning in my legs then on day 10 I was out watering the yard and a planter was overflowing so I ran to the facet to turn the water off. I don't run, it hurts. but I ran then I realised I didn't have pain, at all that day. :) Yeah!!! That was in March. I was still having bad days and pain, and fog and not sleeping, But...I was getting better. I shared this with my PCP, who when I told them this got up and walked out of the office. Didn't get excited for me at all. So I kept going to Dr Muhich every month for my mappings to see how much my body was detoxing. See my page for the mappings (it is super amazing...it makes me laugh how wonderful I am doing) .
Still not sleeping through the night, which is very typical for fibro. Again Larry gives me more Xooma products. PM. For the love of GOD where has this stuff been all my life?!?!?! I slept all night, dead to the world, body off, no dreams nothing. I woke up at 6 in the morning and hoped out of bed. I was lets go! Let's get this day going, places to go people to see stuff to do, lets rule the world! Took 2 AM's that morning also. I had so much energy!

That was April. You guys, I have been doing wonderful since then. With the exception of June and part of July because I set myself into a flare. Super woman here thought she felt so well she could move a washing machine out of the laundry room by herself. And I would have too if my 19 year old hadn't said 'mom this is gonna fall on you and kill you if you try to take it down those 2 steps' and she wouldn't help' :P! I hurt so bad from the pain again. I dumped 20 sachets of x2o in a bath and that helped a lot but I had to suffer through to get back to no pain, which I am happy to say I am now back to for about a week now.

Food, chemicals are the starting point for everyone. WATER, who knew how important that was and it has to have X2O in it. Now the tingling I have in me is from the excitement from all of these products, from how I made changes in MY life, how I changed MY life. None of the doctors I went to seemed to care as long as they gave me some medicine according to whatever list they work from thats supposed to help. I only see my chiropractor now, he cares about me, he listens and is excited how much I have improved!
No INTENSE exercising for fibro patients, it will cause flares and set one back again. Yoga, walking, pilates, swimming, dancing (not Zumba that almost killed me -think that is what was what pushed my body to the edge). Gentle exercise for fibro people.

Kay: Thank you for sharing all of this. Before I read this I didnt know much about Fibro and its affects on the body. I have learned a lot tonight. Thanks again

Thank you, Kay for asking, I love sharing my story with people in hopes to reduce someone elses pain.