Discussion Board

Hi:

I am Michelle and I have had fibromyalgia for years. I read somewhere on this site that a woman taking the ten day program actually had a remission of all of her symptoms by the 8th day.

I'd be interested in hearing from others who had/have fibromyalgia and their experiences in any symptom alleviation since beginning this program. Particularly, as I have been a vegan for about 4 or 5 months and still have most of my symptoms. I am about to start this program and hope that the emphasis on the main starches makes the difference.

Anyway - I sure would love to hear from other fibro folks on the program.

Thanks

This food plan definitely helps with fibromyalgia mine only acts back up if I slip from the plan at all. But it's so easy for me to eat this way expectally knowing it makes me not hurt.

Hi Michelle -
I see that you. like me, live in Northern California, are a retired state employee, and a birder. I definitely believe that this diet is beneficial for all of the chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. I even have a pretty good idea of why. As you probably know, this is not a true disease, but a collection of symptoms. My money is on mind/body connection as cause. Studies have shown marginally reduced oxygen available to the muscles as the pain mechanism. What is amazing is that the pain can be so severe, yet there are no serious medical issues going on besides the pain. This diet definitely enhances your circulation. You could look at my Star McDougaller story to see how (although I don't address my 25 year chronic pain issue there)

The best advice I could give you is to watch this series of video lectures:
http://www.unlearnyourpain.com/index.php?MBS%2FTMS%20Lecture

I give this advice just as I advice people about Drs. McDougall, Novick, Fuhrman, Esselstyn, etc. I realize that many people may reject this advice out of hand, and some may disagree or even resent the advice. But some will look into it and get better. I hope that you may be one of these people. Whatever you do, start eating a healthy diet as promoted here. That alone will do wonders. I suspect though that you will get at the heart of the problem at Dr. Shubiner's site.

Yes, I had that diagnosis - but it's gone - gone into remission and hopefully gone forever.

I don't really know how long it took because I had other health issues that were more debilitating that I was focused on - but it probably was gone somewhere between a couple of weeks to a couple of months. I followed the Maximum Weight Loss Plan - and was very strict - no cheating. This diet improved my circulation and nutrition while it reduced inflammation which I think that was key to fight fibromyalgia as well as other chronic diseases.

Thank you all for your information and advice. Also the inspiration of your stories and most obviously from the weight trackers shown, your amazing sucesses in that area! I hope I have the same good results and will definately look into the link provided.

BTW SactoBob, more in common than you know - I used to live and work in Sacramento too.

Just wanted to add this after my first week on McDougall MWL. I have been vegan for about 5 months decided I needed more structure and some support so I jumped on here. I really didn't expect a big difference, by just giving up the processed foods (some of which had sneaky fat included in them) it seems there are unanticipated changes.

I have not been able to walk for exercise in years, as I will have terrible pain in an ankle I completely crushed year's ago and increased all over fibro pain, doubling my already existent baseline pain. This increase in pain has kept me awake nights, creating a vicious cycle of no sleep and then worse fibro. This week I have felt better, not every day but some. Due to this and a bit of weight loss, which takes a little stress off that ankle, I thought I'd give walking a try.

I CAN walk now for up to 30 minutes and I do not have debilitating night pain. Not terribly fast or very far, I still have some increased pain, but I can now sleep through it. I still have days down, if I did too much the day before, so I will have to continue to pace myself. Yet this one thing is a big new change that I am very encouraged by!

I have had little bouts of improvement like this before and something like a weather change will knock me back to zero, but I am hoping as Vegankit and SactoBob said above that it could be changes in circulation and/or inflammation. Regardless it's pretty cool and I am pretty surprised and happy! I hope there are more improvements to the fibro, but I KNOW that my numbers in every other way are improving . given the changes in my overall health, there is no way I am going to be disappointed in the results of this program, even if there are no turn-arounds in the fibromyalgia.

About two years ago I was one miserable person. I hurt all over, couldn't sleep, couldn't walk because of heel pain, felt depressed, anxious. I also had cardiovascular issues....what a wreck!! I went to a physician for help with sleep and anxiety and he diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I didn't know anything about fibromyalgia at the time, but I did my research. Because of the cardiovascular problems, I stumbled upon Esselstyn, Fuhrman and McDougall. I started a 100% change in my diet which later included eliminating wheat/gluten. What a difference it has made!!
To this day I cannot say I know what fibromyalgia is exactly. Bt for me, the pattern is triggered by lack sleep which comes from anxiety. Anxiety from life situations is exacerbated by dietary factors, I believe the same factors that create inflammation. I don't think there is enough appreciation yet of the devastating results of lack of sleep. So I deal with that first. I have found that calcium citrate has really helped me with anxiety and sleep. There is some thought that the RDA for magnesium is too low...we need much more magnesium and that seems to be the case for me. With a good nights rest, proper diet, I can take on just about anything. I am 66 and I feel great! I do hope you get to feeling much much better!

I like simple things. Fibromyalgia is very complicated.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/3 ... view#a0104

Certainly a healthy diet, one high in vegetables (and antioxidants), can't hurt. I think it's a big help, but I wouldn't call it a cure because, once again, fibro is very complicated.

We are what we eat. We are what we think. We are what we do. We are how we cope. Diet, exercise, restful & healing sleep, cognitive & behavioral therapies all have their part in recovery of health for those with fibromyalgia. Maybe one of the best things we can do is not self identify with the pain.


http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/3 ... w2aab6b2b3 :
Hypervigilance

Certain data support a hypervigilance model of pain in patients with fibromyalgia.[49] Heightened sensitivity to pain results at least in part to increased attention to external stimuli and a preoccupation with pain sensations. Thus, pain is amplified by hypervigilance to pain. Patients with fibromyalgia may become what they perceive themselves to be.

Of course, not identifying with physical pain is usually easier when one's not in the middle of a flare.

Hey Ginger and Always Agnes -- thanks for checking in on this subject. Absolutely, fibromyalgia is a most perplexing thing to tie down as to it causes. I find so may who are diagnosed with it have such totally different experiences of it. For instance, I am never out of a flare - I always have pain and it increases with changes in barometric pressure. I know others that are effected by weather too, but that is not true of the majority of people I have met. Nor am I bothered with anxiety or depression - thought the fatigue aspect is huge. I can't imagine having anxiety & depression on top of the pain, that would be so devastating!

I have noticed since beginning this WOE about a month ago a huge change in my sleep patterns - I used to have terrible insomnia, which is now for weeks seemingly a thing of the past. This helps with the fatigue aspect, but unlike others here that have seen their symptoms disappear, I haven't had any change in the pain levels.

None-the-less, I appreciate people checking in on this subject because I am learning a lot about how other people are coping and I am so impressed that people seem to have found things that have worked for them. As for eating this way, it has improved things in other areas for me besides the fibro - so even if it's not making much of a dent for me in that, I personally would NEVER GO BACK to SAD

Since you're sleeping better and the fatigue has lessened, maybe you'll see more improvement in the pain as time goes on.
Fibromyalgia can co-exist and overlap with other things. Insomnia in and of itself is a "thing" if you know what I mean. It can aggravate fibro. Other "things" include restless leg syndrome, IBS, arthritis, migraines, etc.. I've had 2 fibro flares. The first was the worst and longest lived. The last was a few years ago and happened when I attempted to quit smoking. Broken brain. I still have tender points, so I guess I still have fibro. Most of the time I forget about it. The other things tend to be more active pains in my butt, meaning they are more evident or recurring. IBS, no real rhyme or reason to it. Restless legs, the same. I don't like when RS visits because it messes up my sleep. I gotta have my sleep! Before I changed my diet to lowfat plant-based, I was having pains (elbows, feet, hip bones) that I wouldn't attribute to fibro, more arthritis-like. Foot cramps/pain/spasms were a big problem. I still don't know how big a part low vitamin D is in any of it. Or menopause. So, I just live my life. One day at a time. Ya know they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I had just been diagnosed...by the time my Doctors office called me to tell me the Doc I wanted to go to was not taking any new Fibro patients I had cured myself in the one week I had to wait....just by going full on board with McDougall.....







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Wow - how completely fantastic! I wish this was my experience too, but the fact that my sleep has improved, I can walk some now & I have a bit more energy is even more than I expected!

I am so happy though to hear of others who got a complete remission, just amazing!

I have noticed that wheat seems to be a trigger for me...I have always been shy of it but I was eating a lot of almonds for the crunch factor...not anymore! they are very high in Omega 6 which is inflammatory...for me...

Hi giddyupgin --

Interesting on the almonds - I'd not heard that before, but you, Rosey and I all are dodging the wheat - more specific for me & Rosey too I believe all gluten.

One thing I know for certain going on this plan, I have lost the pain in my shoulder and finger joints - that may have been the beginnings of arthritis - but something about the plan has helped with that and I had already given up gluten - but not nuts, I also had a thing for almonds and cashews too. Hmm??

I can't remember the actual percentage, but people of Celtic heritage seem to have gluten intolerance much more than others. That would be me. I am fine with giving up the wheat and other gluten foods. And on McDougall's plan I can have all the potatoes I want -- that fits my heritage profile pretty well, hehehehe

Say YES! to potatoes...think I will get up right now and go cook some.....