A Journey into a Chronic Illness Survivor: Mast Cell Activation, Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, Osteoarthritis, A blog of what has helped and where I go from here.
Fibromyalgia from a patient’s perspective is probably one of the hardest syndromes to navigate. Not only for patients but also for doctors. What was once thought to be a dysfunction of the peripheral muscoskeletal system has now become an obvious disorder of the entire muscoskeletal and peripheral nervous system. This leads to chronic widespread pain, and dysregulation of many different systems, including emotional regulation in turn amplifying pain perception.
“Fibromyalgia was originally thought to be a peripheral muscle disorder; however, recent studies have shown the presence of central pain susceptibility. Fibromyalgia patients have more reactions to pain compared to normal individuals, as in they have a lower pain threshold. Problem solving skills and defining and experiencing emotions are decreased. Therefore, they have difficulty in expressing emotions, and pain sensitivity increases in the presence of psychostressors,” states the Turkish Journal website.
Alexithymia has currently been studied when it comes to patients with Fibromyalgia. Alexithymia is referred to as emotional blindness where a person has significant challenges in recognizing, expressing, or describing one’s own emotions to others around them. This can have a significant impact not only in attachment but also interpersonal relationships. Alexithymia is commonly recognized and prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Studies generally show that fibromyalgia patients are individuals who have difficulties in expressing their emotions. Alexithymia rates were found to be high in patients with fibromyalgia,” states the Turkish Journal website.
It is understandable that Fibromyalgia patients have a dysregulation of emotions and responses to chronic pain. Long term emotional distress amplifies many different aspects of Fibromyalgia. It can instigate new pain, thoughts of hopelessness, financial distress from a multitude of physician visits, along with medical anxiety of having new symptoms appear out of nowhere. Patients can also feel guilty for not being able to complete simple tasks along with having difficulty thinking or remembering. Fibromyalgia also creates an environment for patients that either sleep too much or too little, changes in appetite, unusual anger and/or irritability, and the need to isolate from people or activities to navigate their symptoms.
If you feel as a patient that you struggle with the above listed symptoms, it can be helpful to be assisted with different options available pharmaceutically coupled with cognitive behavior therapy. Definitely seek help from your physician promptly. Stay calm, stay cool, collect your thoughts, and continue to educate yourself about Fibromyalgia.
A few days ago, I ended up with this lovely sinus migraine. Now remember, my journey is slightly different than most. Mast Cell Activation can make all kinds of things swell and inflame when they are agitated. My ears were feeling clogged, my drainage tubes in my neck hurt, my whole head hurt. Not acetaminophen and sinus worked, not an OTC migraine medication with caffeine worked, nothing. I even took a nap to kick it. Still nothing.
The powers that be showed up with an Amazon package after my nap that had this Black Seed Oil** in the package. I had ordered it, seeing a video clip on the world wide web about a woman fighting breast cancer, and I was curious. I didn’t really look much up on that day, but I had ordered it, and it showed up. I thought, oh well, something else for science, so I popped one in my mouth, and grabbed my drink, and down the hatch it went.
What is Black Seed Oil**? It is of course black cumin seeds crushed. Mainly known as Nigella Sativa, but the active component that is garnering the most attention is the thymoquinone (TQ) it contains. This has been studied as a therapeutic agent in just about everything. However, I found no specific articles for Fibromyalgia itself, all the comorbid conditions and inflammatory conditions that Fibro can cause have been studied.
“Nigella sativa (N. sativa), commonly known as black seed or black cumin, belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. It contains several phytoconstituents, thymoquinone (TQ), thymol, thymohydroquinone, carvacrol, and dithymoquinone. TQ is the main phytoconstituent present in N. sativa that is used as an herbal compound, and it is widely used as an antihypertensive, liver tonic, diuretic, digestive, anti-diarrheal, appetite stimulant, analgesic, and antibacterial agent, and in skin disorders,” states the PubMed website.
One caveat, please learn from my mistakes. NEVER take it on an empty stomach. You have been warned, you will belch it a lot. However, 20 minutes later, my headache was gone, my ears and sinuses drained, and that was that. I only took one, and the dosage says to take two on the bottle! I was hooked, and pretty darn curious. I went on a research deep dive to find out all we needed to know.
There’s SOOOO MANY STUDIES ON THIS stuff…. it will blow your mind!!!! It’s actually known as the Gold of the Pharoah’s. It’s actually mentioned in Greek Medicine, it’s been used for more than 2000 years for “many diseases except death”. For example, it has been studied for the stress-sleep-immunity axis where patient’s sleep and immunity improved after 7 days. Antifungal activity, because it helps kill Candida. Used in treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome, and fertility in male and female. Kills oxidative stress, been tested for its use against ischemic stroke. If you use it a salve, it promotes wound healing, and if taken by mouth helps heal and aid with things like eczema.
You think I’m done yet? Not hardly, Black Seed Oil** is also an antioxidant. Helps heal dry eye too (a common comorbidity to fibromyalgia). It’s actually been used for arthritis, osteoporosis, and another one common to Fibro, peripheral neuropathy! Read that again! Oh, and bonus points for diabetes 2, inflammatory neurological disorders and diseases as well, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s. Are you convinced yet? Not to mention there is some anti-allergic properties as well, obviously by the whole sinus experience. Then I found the article on Pulmonary effects.
Let’s talk about cancer for a minute, physicians are already using it in some places in conjunction with chemotherapy, and I’m talking about many different cancers, like breast, lung, and gastrointestinal, including pancreatic.
Also found a study where they proved that it had no toxic effects on liver, kidneys, blood serum levels at all after 8 weeks of taking it 3 times a day. There were no ill effects except for your cholesterol LDL levels were going to go down, along with your BMI, and your HDL cholesterol will go up a smidge to balance out, and it helps your blood pressure to regulate. So, I’m on this journey. I jumped this bandwagon, and along for the ride, adding it to my arsenal of vitamins I’m already on.
“Because the biological characteristics of TQ mainly include anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, nanocarrier delivery of TQ may play a key role in the treatment of chronic diseases caused by sustained inflammation. In addition, a recent study demonstrated the killing activity of TQ against COVID-19. TQ may thus represent a new approach to developing a new class of anti-viral drugs. Therefore, the targeted delivery of TQ combined with biological nanomaterials will become a research hotspot to treat various kinds of human chronic diseases,” states the MDPI website on Molecular Sciences.
You read that right! Black Seed Oil** is an anti-viral too…. on several viruses that have been tested so far. Remember, I follow the science. I’m not a doctor, I’m a patient. I’ve been on it a week for 3x a day so far, and all I’ve seen so far is I don’t have a sinus infection whereas I would have already been to the doctor to help me calm down the inflammation that is blocking my sinuses and ears holding it all in. I’ll take it. Oh, and a bonus points to my cousin who had an infection in his tooth the same day and that his face swelled up with chipmunk cheeks then after taking it, swelling went down. I’m game.
**I am an Amazon Affiliate mainly for the convenience of sharing easily the products I use in a convenient way to my readers so that they can easily gain access to it. I do receive a small commission that goes towards helping keep my blog running. Typically, a few cents if you order by the links provided. I highly recommend when adding or changing any regimen you discuss with your primary physician and pharmacist before making changes. I personally, have went all natural in treating my fibromyalgia and co-morbid conditions to avoid reactions to pharmaceuticals. I hope you find wellness in your journey! –Wellness Wishes from Your Author!**
It’s been several months now, and I’m going to start sharing with you the really awesome part of my life. I’ve not needed prescriptions, and I’m tackling Mast Cell Activation, Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, and all the other junk that goes along with these nasty things Naturally. Recently, my friend and I were discussing the importance of Folate (Methylfolate) and Cobalamin (Vit B12).
“Vitamin B12 deficiency is more prevalent in the elderly and can develop as a result of malnutrition, malabsorption, chronic alcoholism, and chronic use of common medications (e.g. metformin, PPI, methotrexate) along with other causes. A wide spectrum of hematological and neuropsychiatric manifestations exist with the most common being Megaloblastic anemia and subacute combined degeneration, respectively. The mechanisms leading to the manifestations specific to these two organ systems are thought to be different. The severity of neuropsychiatric presentation is reported to be inversely proportional to that of hematological presentation, thus making it uncommon for both to be readily apparent simultaneously, ” states the PUBMED website.
What does that mean for us? Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) deficiency can impact many different factors in our lifestyles just from neurological to neuropsychiatric by themselves. Cobalamin is very important when dealing with pain and varying symptoms in Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FS).
“Vitamin B12 (VB) is a necessary vitamin for routine cell activity and metabolism. A deficiency in VB causes symptoms that are also frequently observed in FS, such as weakness, fatigue, general muscle pain, and sleep disturbances. Interestingly, subnormal VB levels may cause these symptoms. Previous studies have reported that FS patients have similar VB levels to healthy individuals. VD deficiency was associated with fatigue and generalized pain. VD deficiency is seen much more often in females than males, and FS is usually seen in females,” states the Sciendo website.
What makes it interesting to know is that Cobalamin deficiency can be caused by medications such as anti-seizure medications, and H2 histamine antagonists. These are medications such as gabapentenoids, and heartburn prevention medications and histamine blockers. These are medications that are regularly taken by Fibromyalgia patients.
“VB deficiency could disrupt methionine synthesis enzyme activity and cause nerve demyelination. Demyelination of the nerves causes a decrease in the pain threshold and general body pain in patients. There is a strong relationship between VB levels and general body pain, and most patients’ pain symptoms may decrease with VB supplementation,” states the Sciendo website.
Knowing that FS also includes a high occurrence of patients that also have small fiber neuropathy and that with a cobalamin (VB) deficiency can cause nerve demyelination makes it blatantly obvious that it can actually contribute to our pain receptor dysfunction.
Folate can be found in leafy green veggies like kale. OldieFan/Pixabay
So along with co-morbid conditions like IBS and various other conditions than can create a malabsorption problem, I started searching out the best way to get the most out of my vitamin supplementation. That was looking at methylated versions of what I was taking. Methylated, Liposomal, and Liquid is to get the most out of your vitamins and ensuring that you are getting what you are taking.
Let’s discuss a little bit about folate, and how this works. Folate works in conjunction with Cobalamin (VB) for energy metabolism, and cell function and repair. What is interesting to know is that folic acid, which was created and added to food sources, does not metabolize correctly and can be stored, to actually block the folate pathways, which can cause a folate deficiency.
“Food fortification and increased vitamin intake have led to higher folic acid (FA) consumption by pregnant women, and some studies have suggested that buildup of unmetabolized folic acid may have negative effects on folate pathways. Recent studies have suggested that unconverted folic acid may affect folate pathways by interfering with folate-dependent enzymes and metabolism. Folate deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with developmental abnormalities such as neural tube defects in the fetus and autism spectrum disorders in children. These disorders can be prevented and treated with high-dose vitamin B9. Folate receptor antibodies are significantly associated with the disruption of brain development in the fetus and function in later life. Folate is actively transported to the fetus, and this transport can be blocked by an antibody against the folate receptor. Folate receptor antibodies are significantly associated with neural tube pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders, and folinic acid treatment in the latter condition has shown improvement in core behavioral deficits along with normalizing the CSF folate status. ,” states the MDPI website.
What is more interesting that if those pathways are now blocked with unused and unprocessed folic acid, we no longer can methylate and do DNA repair. The need to take a methylated version of Folate known as Methylfolate, is the only way to “skip” over the blockage of built-up folic acid so our bodies can get the proper micronutrients. During that methylation process of folate, it uses cobalamin (VB) to help detoxify, methylate, and open back up our pathways for proper DNA repair.
“Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a critical role in nucleic acid biosynthesis, DNA repair, and methylation. Adequate folate intake is vital for cell division and homeostasis because folate coenzymes play essential roles in nucleic acid synthesis, methionine regeneration, and the shuttling, oxidation, and reduction of one-carbon units required for normal metabolism and regulation. Low folate status is associated with elevated plasma Hcy, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects (NTDs; congenital malformation of the fetus), depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and tumors,” states the National Library of Medicine website.
Using methylfolate or (5-MTHF) is the optimal supplementation especially in people that have MTHFR gene mutations.
“5-MTHF has many advantages over folic acid as a supplement. 5-MTHF participates directly in one-carbon metabolism without activation. Thus, 5-MTHF supplements should bypass the limitation of low DHFR activity and the decreased efficiency caused by several common polymorphisms of MTHFR and other enzymes. Unlike folic acid, data suggest that 5-MTHF will not mask vitamin B12 deficiency. 5-MTHF is also more effective than folic acid supplementation in improving folate status. Studies on the safety, tolerability, and retention rates of 5-MTHF/5-MTHF-Ca have suggested that 5-MTHF-Ca is a safe alternative to folic acid as a source of folate and may be particularly advantageous for individuals with MTHFR defects, who could have difficulty processing folic acid from supplements or fortified foods,” states the National Library of Medicine website.
What has been found and published is that B12/Folate can actually benefit Fibromyalgia patients as found in the following study.
“Dose-response relationship and long-lasting effects of B12/folic acid support a true positive response in the studied group of patients with ME/fibromyalgia. It’s important to be alert on co-existing thyroid dysfunction, and we suspect a risk of counteracting interference between B12/folic acid and certain opioid analgesics and other drugs that have to be demethylated as part of their metabolism,” states the Plos One website.
What have I personally experienced? That when I stopped my prescription medications, and I discovered this information. I started Methylfolate and a methylated version of B Complex together, and things have changed drastically for me. Since they are water soluble vitamins, I take them 3 times a day. What my body doesn’t use disposes of them. Knowing that I had already been taking H2 antagonists because of my mast cell activation and different allergic type reactions, I knew that I was already B12 deficient. This didn’t even include the short period of type that I was on gabapentenoids, in all hopes and purposes of stopping the pain. I’m not entirely pain free, but I did notice that my brain fog dissipated, and I felt my arms and legs “tingle” knowing that essentially it started repairing my nerve endings right away.
I may sound like a broken record if you’ve read through my blog, but I’m telling you that I don’t regret it, and I highly suggest you try this first. I also supplement with a methylated Triple Magnesium for optimal muscle health and regeneration along with Vitamin D supplement as well. I’m not the only one either, my mother and sister are in the same boat as me, and we are all improving so greatly. I cannot recommend it enough.
If you found this and read it all the way through. Thank you and congratulations. It’s the first step in your wellness. Always remember, I’m not a doctor, I’m a patient, living this life. I have no affiliation with medical field or the product companies that I use but I am an Amazon Affiliate for the soul purpose of generating a small income if you choose to order from the links provided on the products that I personally use. This is to assist in keeping up the blog, and to give my readers the convenience of finding them quickly. As always, please speak with your primary and pharmacist before adding anything or taking away anything from your regimen. –Wellness Wishes from Your Author!
Fibromyalgia comes with many comorbid conditions that can be directly affected by mast cell reactions. Some conditions can include bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), gastrointestinal symptoms (GI), neurologic inflammation and pain, and mast cell dysfunction and disorders.
Mast cells in the skin are the guardians that quickly react to stimuli that disturb a person’s homeostasis. Mast Cells (MCs) are found in the mucous membranes of the respiratory along with the digestive tract along with submucosa and connective tissue adjacent to the conjunctiva and skin. MCs are part of the pathogenesis of allergic, auto inflammatory and cancer disease as well.
Since our skin is the largest organ of the body that protects us from external physical, chemical, along with microbiological factors. MCs are one of the representatives that react first in the immune response. MCs are part of both the innate and adaptive immune responses.
Neurological Inflammation & Pain
“Thalamic mast cells contribute to inflammation and pain, by releasing neuro-sensitizing molecules that include histamine, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF, as well as calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), HK-1 and SP. These molecules could either stimulate thalamic nociceptive neurons directly, or via stimulation of microglia in the diencephalon. As a result, inhibiting mast cell stimulation could be used as a novel approach for reducing pain and the symptoms of FMS,” states the PubMed website.
“Mast cells involved in allergic reactions are distributed throughout the blood vessels, lymph glands, and nerves of the bladder, as well as the bladder smooth muscle and mucosa. Mast cells activated by the involvement of neurological, immune, and endocrine factors are thought to play a central role in the progression of IC/BPS in many patients,” states the International Neurology Journal website.
Gastrointestinal Pain & Inflammation
“Diet modification in patients with fibromyalgia by specific histamine release test improves certain clinical parameters related to the symptoms of the digestive sphere, compared to the control group. Our work opens a possible way of non-pharmacological treatment to improve some symptoms of this very prevalent disease,” states the Rheumatologia website.
The identification of the DAO enzyme deficiency in FMS patients has made it obvious that histamine and mast cell reactions directly correlate for a lot of the sub symptoms of Fibromyalgia and it’s associated pain.
DAO deficiency can create a histamine intolerance in FM patients. Photo cred:meineresterampe/Pixabay
“Associations between fibromyalgia symptoms and candidate variants of the AOC1 gene in DAO enzyme activity. Identification of reduced DAO activity may improve the quality of life and treatment of symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.” states the Frontiers website when discussing Frontiers in Genetics.
DAO is an enzyme stored in tissues but primarily are found in the renal and intestinal mucosa. DAO’s purpose is to catabolize, or break down, histamine and diamines. Deficiency in DAO can create Histamine Intolerance (HIT). This can lead to neurological, gastrointestinal, and epidermal disorders.
What is recommended to assist patients in treatment is an elimination diet of high histamine foods can help patients along with recommendations of the following:
“Inhibitors of mast cells would be useful in the treatment of FMS. Natural molecules could include the flavonoids, luteolin and tetramethoxyluteolin, alone or in combination with other substances selected to reduce stress. Other natural molecules could include palmitoylethanolamide, which apparently inhibits neuro-inflammation and reduces pain,” states the Frontiers in Cellular Neurology website .
Follow me here or on Newsbreak App for more of latest discovery, developments, and news on Fibromyalgia and it’s comorbid conditions on Newsbreak App!
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Today I needed to give you an update to my guinea pig status. So even though I started the L-Serine I wasn’t feeling all the love with it, all the time. I was getting pretty much a dosage of what felt like taking an NSAID for a few short hours. So, I decided to dig deep into my arsenal of vitamins and dig out the Melatonin.
Recently I had did an article for Newsbreak, explaining the benefits of many different vitamin supplements. One article in particular I decided to do was on Bone pain and Melatonin. Let me tell you, my osteoarthritis is my knees and the joints in my hands have hurt for DAYS…and even when I pulled out my TENS unit to use on my shoulders and the muscle pain, I still wasn’t getting the bone pain relief and it’s been a struggle to sleep.
Even when the kids were much younger and it was suggested I try Melatonin for my ADHD child, I tried taking a 10mg tablet just to see the effects for myself and never really paid attention to the fact of what it did then, even though it didn’t make me want to sleep at all. However last night, I took the 50mg dose, I swallowed five of those little pills. Let me tell you, I haven’t felt that kind of completely relaxed state in my joints or muscles in so long, it felt like I sank deep into a pillow of cotton candy, I was floating… my body was completely in homeostasis. No muscle or joint pain whatsoever as I let sleep take over. I laid there and let it set in. I was still half awake and half asleep, but I achieved that analgesic effect I have not had since one of my major surgeries.
So this morning, with my morning vitamins, I went ahead and took 10 mg of Melatonin. Just to see if it would help or assist in that same feeling, because after a shower, my shoulders hurt again. My joints aren’t agitated yet. So far, not really the same feeling as last night, but I do feel “relaxed”. My joints and hands sure don’t hurt as much, so there is something to assisting with bone pain, and I’m good with that. I hate that ache I get when it feels like “it’s going to rain” and then it perpetuates for days. So I’ll accept that. In the meantime, I’ll take the L-Serine for the shoulder/muscle pain and keep at 10 mg doses during the day for the joints. I believe I’m going to like those results. A little relief is better than no relief.
I’ll be very honest though; it’d be nice to have all these supplements in just a fraction of the pills I swallow. When mainly my breakfast seems to be supplements, until I get hungry again around 10. If you know you know. I’d rather swallow a bazillion supplements if I have to rather than a bunch of medications that I have to navigate through side effects from. Happy Monday!
***UPDATE: when dosing melatonin, do it only AS needed for pain, so far I’m a week in, I have found myself only using them when I need them most, especially the higher dose at night.***
On this day, July 5, 2019, I changed my mind. I had changed my mind about a lot of things. The pain I was in, the depression I was suffering, the fact that I may lose my life entirely to a handful of diseases that were shutting my body down at such a young age. Things that normally “old people” suffered was going to destroy me before I even hit 50 years old. I had a laundry list of ailments. Those ailments may never go away but I decided the time I have left on this earth after years of fighting for answers and a diagnosis, I would change my trajectory.
“Depressive symptoms significantly impact the quality of life and prognosis of fibromyalgia patients. Therefore, the development of novel management approaches is crucial. Researchers and clinicians in the fields of immunology and psychiatry should conduct future studies with larger sample sizes to provide more robust evidence on the efficacy of current approaches in addressing depressive symptoms in people with fibromyalgia.” states National Library of Medicine website.
Somedays I wake up just fine, other days I’m in pain worse than the day before, but I wrote a promise to myself, my family and my friends and posted it for all to see. I have not looked back from that moment. Now I’m here being able to journal, record, and research and share my findings of the very illnesses that brought me to the brink of death. I encourage you to also find strength in yourself as you read my personal promise that I had written to myself and loved ones four years ago.
MY PROMISE TO FIBROMYALGIA
My brain says, “I can’t”… but I did it anyway.
My body groaned and ached… but I did it anyway.
Then it started tremoring… and I still did it anyway.
The day after, my brain says, “I’m hurt, so I’ll hurt you!”… but I got up out of bed anyway.
My body says “you hurt me, so I’ll hurt you!”… yet I’m up and moving and doing things anyway!
How can a person endure so much pain, and still do it anyway?
Because my heart says, “You have to enjoy as much of what’s left of this precious life as you can, so do it anyway!”
And so here I am. My life has changed, my world has changed. I may have to take naps in between, I may have to take meds to do it, I may have to do everything in short little bursts…..but no matter how I get it done, I’m going to do it anyway!
Because my heart is untouched, and I’m going to love this life anyway.
There’s been a lot happening in my life that doesn’t happen to be anything about my chronic illnesses, however they directly have an effect on my wellness. Remember, that just because you are doing everything possible to control your illnesses, the outside world and uncontrollable influences can send you into a flare. I’m really allergic to stress, even emotional stress. How can I tell?
I have this superhuman ability to gain like 5 to 10 lbs. overnight, which my kidney specialist told me one time was absolutely impossible. No one can eat or drink that much in one day for that to just appear. No doctor had an answer. However, here I was being this fabulous super growing and shrinking woman depending on what was going on in my life. Never did we realize at that point in time, it was directly correlating with the stress that I was under. Yet here I am, rocking it, even when my body was in a peaceful state as far as illness the day before.
So, I’m going to share with you some wisdom, that has seemed to come to me over the past few years. It took a group of my family elders and myself along with an example that shortly followed that brought me to this outright wisdom.
In Parenthood and Life, “It is okay to be human, but it’s always best to be a GOOD human.”
It takes nothing to be a Good Human to Yourself. Picture Credit: Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay
There’s been many different times I’ve asked myself over my lifetime, why certain people just choose to be a bad human. Then you wonder what kind of people would raise such a human. I am naturally a curious person and a people watcher. I even studied a bit of psychology when I was young in high school prepping for college, along with any and every child development course I could and even though I didn’t follow through with any type of degree, it certainly helped me in some pretty tight spots myself.
You can meet some of the most insanely nice people and then there are just inherently bad humans, ones that steal, lie, cheat and or abuse others. However, you meet their families and parents and question “How is that even possible?” No matter the upbringing, humans are responsible and should be accountable for their own actions, and sometimes they just aren’t, and refuse to.
It’s going to directly affect you in one way or another, but you still have the choice to still be a Good Human, and act accordingly if someone does something to you that hurts you. You have control on how you react to certain situations. You do not have to bow down to their tactics, walk their path, you have the ability as a human to walk away. Even good humans, still make mistakes, choose the wrong path inadvertently, but eventually they find their way back on the right path. It takes time and it takes patience for them to catch back up, but everyone has to make their own path, and that’s okay. Like I said, it’s okay to be human.
You personally, for your well-being (and sometimes health), have to be willing to allow yourself the patience and kindness to remove yourself from that situation. You have to remember “I am human too; I have offered my help, my love, and my advice, that’s all I have to help a fellow human. I can only maintain the things that are within my control.” Whether it’s a family member, or just another human friend, sometimes you need space, and that’s okay. As a Good Human, you also have to be a GOOD HUMAN TO YOURSELF AS WELL.
Let peace reside in your heart as much as possible, to reach the best possible feeling of well-being whether you are chronically ill or not. Love and Guide where you can and forgive the ones that choose differently because it’s out of your control. –Wellness wishes from your Author
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Recently I have been doing a lot of series work on Fibromyalgia for Newsbreak. I have been sharing a lot of information there on the research I had recently done. One thing that during my research I discovered a lack of L-Serine was discovered in Fibro patients’ urine. L-Serine is an amino acid that our bodies use daily, and usually produce, and there is a block.
I threw caution to the wind and went ahead as promised, and used myself as a guinea pig, and so far one week in, I’m going to give you a little update. I was actually having great success with improvement on brain function and sleep just by methylating, and that is fabulous in and of itself. My sleep has been so restful I’m barely dreaming now. When I first started, all the chips were stacked against me. I am taking 4 L-Serine tablets, which by the bottle says is a 2500 mg dose, morning, noon, and dinner, along with the methylfolate x 4 and the vitamin b complex x2 that I also take. (I did also read that it is highly suggested to have the proper b vitamins to process your amino acids anyway, so “Methylating” is a better choice so that you know the nutrients you are ingesting are doing their proper jobs in cell reproduction, repair, and healing as well.)
What I mean by the chips were stacked against me, was that it literally was a weeklong barometric pressure drop, my muscles were beginning to burn in my neck and shoulders. Long periods of time sitting and just reading research was really starting to get to me, so I actually pulled out my TENS Unit Portable Rechargeable Massager. Now if you follow me on Newsbreak, you can do that by following my link to the electrotherapy article to see how well this unit is helpful for you, you know that I have a tendency to write articles that either 1) are directly affecting me in the moment or 2) something the readers have reminded me of, that at one point I also struggled with. As I continue this journey of “healing” I know that there is not a cure, but there sure are things that have alleviated such a great deal of what I used to deal with, that I seem to “forget” at the times, the worst of moments. I really don’t forget them, they just are locked away in that box, that I don’t have to pull out near as often as I used to *I count my blessings*.
So far using L-Serine seems to be allowing my body to rest more completely and comfortably. It’s also providing me a level of comfort and analgesic type effects when the muscle pain is at it’s highest, and I’m good with that as well. It doesn’t make it entirely go away (Depending on how long they’ve been aching and burning) but it seems to “warm up” my muscle tissue in that area at the moment, and then fade, like an internal type “old people rub” (the best way I describe Lidocaine that I use when trying to sleep sometimes). So I’m going to continue on using the L-Serine as a supplement. I will probably drop down my dosage next week to see if it does change things.
Since my body does respond to external stimuli and barometric pressure and weather changes, it’s hard to wage the differences for myself, let alone if you are following in the journey with me. Just remember, one day you could feel great, and think things are going good, and then the barometric pressure drop or something crazy, and stay that way for days, overloading yourself. This week in particular I had not only external issues, but I also had emotional stress as well, so much over stimulation I had to take a few mid day naps to make it through. Not going to lie, a few cocktails as well just to help me smile. That’s a story for another day. Remember, have patience with yourself, with the things you do to try to navigate this life and heal, always be mindful of your need to rest, when life gets to be too much. If you don’t stop and say, “This is too much.” Then you go hide in a quiet place, to return to a state of homeostasis. If not, you aggravate your pain levels even more and your anxiety. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, but a few hours always does me well. You don’t even have to have chronic pain or illness to know where your boundaries should lie, everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time. Much love light and wellness wishes to you all! –Your Author
What has worked for me is in immediate flare of a critical reaction, I choose to take a Generation 1 antihistamine which is Diphenhydramine (Benedryl). However, long term use has indicated that it can cause or create dementia/Alzheimer’s or at least exasperates symptoms. I had been using Diphenhydramine for years, because the allergy shots never worked, and I’m allergic to steroids and Prednisone. So I gave that up. I had to do something.
Once I verified exactly what symptoms I was suffering from, and then figured out what receptors I needed to block, and what drugs coordinated with the ones I searched up. What worked for me was H1 and H2 blockers, which was Cetirizine (Zyrtec) and Famotidine (Pepcid AC)
Since I already was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and Neuropathy (even my feet were killing me and I wasn’t on them) along with my GI tract flaring, I knew that the only way for me to calm down my whole body was to block my H1 receptors and H2 receptors from antihistamine. My skin was reacting as well by the time I was diagnosed. Showers felt like whole body tattoos all at once, even the water hurt my skin like tiny needles. Each person is different, and each person will have different results and responses.
**Note: I was a guinea pig, and my primary physician was on board. He told me, “a serving suggestion is very literally a suggestion, you can take MORE of a antihistamine than what is suggested, so it took a lot of trying one , and upping the dose. My dosage is 4 times a day. 30 minutes before eating , Morning wake-up, Lunch, Dinner, and then 30 minutes before bed, to account for the histamine dump while I sleep to fight the insomnia and night sweats, when I forget to take them.
**Always check with your primary physician when taking OTC or Prescription medications. They are not pharmacy technicians, but it is important to discuss uses if you are on any other medications as well!**
A NEW DEVICE to add Amusement to our days! Muscle Pain Relief for Fibromyalgia!
I woke up with a migraine yesterday. This is a normal thing that happens occasionally, and when I first started seeing a neurologist, he asked me if I had experienced dramatic migraines. When in fact, I hadn’t as frequently as he said I should have by the point, and condition that my brain was in. I do however wake up with the sinus headaches, and then the muscle tension migraines.
Yesterday, happened to be one of those muscle tension migraines that literally had every muscle in my shoulders tensed up that sent pain shooting into my neck and brain. I was in dire straits, that I was desperate enough to call and recruit my mom to accompany me to the massage parlor (I affectionately refer to them as “happy ending places”) to get the kinks worked out. My downfall, she had already seen her chiropractor the day before, but she texts me back with, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Wouldn’t you know it she showed up with this neat little device.
I’m telling you, while this thing is marked down, you literally just need to buy it, even if it’s for comedy relief. This little device, the Cervical Vertebra Massager rocked my world, and let me tell you how.
Insert a knock at my door, my mother coming to my rescue, telling me this is the best thing since sliced bread, it will save me from the pain I was enduring. This was one of those all my shoulder and back muscles were so cramped that any pain had to be better than the pain that I was enduring and pulling on all the headache muscles in my brain. I was down for anything.
She pulls out this little sticky patch with “electrodes” and then snaps this cervical device that can be recharged by USB, and slaps that puppy on my back right across the base of my neck. Now we aren’t doctors, but I’m going to tell you, we don’t play around when it comes to this kind of pain, we go to the ROOT of the problem always. She hits a button and asks, “You feel that?” “Nope, nothing.” I reply. She hits a button again and says, “how about that?” I said, “Nada.” She hits a button again and as I’m proceeding to say, “Is it on?” a jolt of electricity buckles me over, throws me forward and pops my neck in an instant, as I scream a slew of profanities, crossing my legs and praying I don’t pee all over the floor.
“What the hell you put on me, that hurts worse, than a dog shock collar!” as I am screaming, laughing, and trying not to pee myself. It’s pulsating the electricity through my muscles with fierceness. With laughter and tears in her eyes, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to turn it on that setting! Do you want me to shut it off? Oh my God!” as we continue to laugh until we are crying. “No, No, I’ll be fine, just leave it on, the worst is over.” The laughter continued.
I vaguely remember accusing her of damn well knowing what it would do, and that she should have videoed that mess to which we laughed some more. I’m pretty sure that if I had an Echo Show with Multiple Camera Views set up I am telling you though, that was probably the most relief I have felt from Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy pain in years. After removing the device and 12 minutes of therapy, I suggest you apply some Lidocaine of some-sort to the area, just to relieve residual pain, especially with neuropathy, so your skin doesn’t hurt. Icy Hot is a good resolve to that dilema.
Later that night, as my husband was arriving home and I was collecting the box from the counter I received a text from my mom. “Warning, Do not use it as a torture device!!!! LOL” My reply, “LMAO how’d you know? David just got home!” She just KNEW that I was going to torture my husband just for giggles. Little did I know, the joke would be on myself AGAIN before the end of the night.
Fast forward after I showed my husband the power of said device, that I had to charge it. Then I applied it to my right shoulder that was still acting up just a tad bit. Turned it on, but when the patch that I applied to my skin that holds the device in place came up a little, I reached back to readjust while the device was on, and my finger got stuck on the pad electrode, and I was grounded in a complete circle, so my arm was flexing glued to the pad, sending and electrode from my shoulder to my fingertips and back through, leaving me screaming, “Help, Help, Help me David, shut it off!”
I highly advise, never use this device without an extra pair of hands handy to shut off that button in places you can’t reach. If you need new sticky patches, you can order those too! I’m telling you, I’m the test subject here, and if it’s working for my mom, and myself, as long as you have assistance during use. You got to have this in your artillery. My hubby also pointed out, this thing is powerful enough, if you were brave enough to apply it to your abdomen, it’d probably give you a heller ab workout as well, but that’s not what it’s made for.
***NOTE: There are two versions to this Massager, the battery operated and the USB charged one. Battery operated has less jolt and less power to it, however, USB charging is what my mom used on me. We have both, so for a tame less shocking experience I suggest battery operated, but for those massive muscle cramps, only USB will do for DEEP TISSUE massage.
ALLERGICTO YOURBULLSHIT 
