Methocarbamol doesn't provide long enough or intense enough relief from the cramps and soreness. I am having trouble falling and staying asleep due to muscle cramps, tightness, and soreness. Four hours of sleep per night isn't going to cut it. I woke up at 5 a.m. with my lower back extremely sore and my neck in spasms. I did the laundry yesterday, but on Flexeril, laundry alone wasn't enough to trigger this response. Just as driving for an hour once per week (ex. to the disability meet up) wasn't a problem with Flexeril, rather commuting 65 miles per day was the issue. I'll ask my doctor if there is another option on Monday.
But I do have more energy to do things again. Flexeril made me feel mopey and seriously depressed. I didn't get as much done, because I'd feel like "eh, why bother with anything?" So the place was getting "rather" messy. I tidied up more this week than I have in the past three weeks. Maybe both the weaker efficacy of Methocarbamol combined with doing more chores and tasks is really what the soreness and cramps are about? That seems possible.
I am waiting to hear back from the Lafayette Fibromyalgia Center. I got a hold of them Thursday and they took down information for insurance and to give me a call back, but they apparently are a bit backlogged with new patients so they told me to expect a call no earlier than Wednesday next week.
The center provides fibromyalgia treatments, not a cure, of course, but supportive therapy, nutritional advice, strength building, and teaching balancing and coping skills. They don't promise any specific result, but say that the program increases mobility and the ability to work. For instance, if someone was only working part-time they aim to get that patient working full time. Seems like a reasonable thing to try.
I was going to try to make it down to the Disabled People Want to Meetup Too! Holiday Party today, but I don't think my coddle body will be happy with that plan. I had a lot of arm, leg and back cramps and my hands were shaking after the last trip down on Thursday. It is sad that the meet up center is so far away and that Methocarbamol isn't as effective as Flexeril for muscle relaxation.
Your tone is much more hopeful, and forward looking. Sounds like progress to me! That you have more energy, less depression is, in itself, a triumph.
ReplyDeleteI agree... sounds like the Methocarbamol/activity combination was the agent for more muscle aggravations...
>>program increases mobility and the ability to work<< all steps in the right direction!!
The Meetup? Gotta listen to the body... they'll happen at the right tie...
Overall, you sound centered today... good going gal!
The Meetup? Gotta listen to the body... they'll happen at the right TIME... sry... hands still asleep ;-)
ReplyDelete>>Nutritional advice<<
ReplyDeleteI ran across this page at Dr Joel Fuhrman's site:
http://www.drfuhrman.com/disease/Other.aspx
He, McDougall & several vegetarian / vegan advocates claim some successes with fibromyalgia patients... here's one story...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/stars/stars-written/cheryl-m-lambert/
p.s. Don't have to use soy to be vegan/vegetarian... since u r allergic to it...right?
I am trying to keep my mood positive while overcoming the gloom of Flexeril.
ReplyDeleteI thank you for the suggestion and I will consider it due to a supporting study done done on vegetarian/vegan diets in Finland, available on NCBI, which provides strong support for a vegan diet:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11093597
I would be happy to try vegetarian diet, since I do enjoy beans, brown rice, nuts, yogurt, and leafy greens.
As a general note, I tend to avoid "one doctor has an idea" sites, books, and programs, because these are often based on shabby pseudoscience, a few personal testimonials, and may have snake oil to sell. Anyone who claims to have a "cure" for fibromyalgia is flat out lying (they may shout "cure" in the tagline and hedge their bets later with "not a cure, but it shows reduction in symptoms.") Other healthcare specialists say if protein levels are too low (a common problem with vegetarian/vegan diets) it may increase symptoms of fibro: http://www.healingwell.com/library/fibro/article.asp?author=cartmell&id=2
There is a roiling sea of contradictory opinions of healthcare professions that I avoid because everyone has their "opinion" and some "success stories," but overall, there is no clear consensus.
I hoped there would be another promising study on vegetarian/vegan diets and fibromyalgia available from the way this website went on (http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/06/27/plant-based-diets-for-fibromyalgia/ ). As you can see, it really looks like this doctor has faith in this "Hallelujah Diet" that was reviewed in a rheumatology journal. But the promising study on the "Hallelujah Diet" has proven elusive and there are some notes of interest on Quackwatch about the founder and expensive "nutrional supplements" of the Hallelujah Diet: http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/malkmus.html
It is exactly because of shenanigans like that that I will continue to avoid the lone, roving, opinions of a doctor or a handful of doctors. I prefer resources of a MayoClinic, NIH, NCBI, or University nature. (Example: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/fibromyalgia
I WILL consider the vegetarian/vegan option because of the study from Finland. However, it was a small study of 30 participants total, and a double-blind study (necessary to rule out the placebo effect) is impossible for such a massive dietary change. Additionally, supporters of vegetarian/veganism for fibromyalgia noted the importance of the change in quality of diet (veg diets were lower in sodium, fewer processed foods, etc.) and weight loss.
When I am eating well (with depression I am hardly eating at all) my diet is predominantly organic, home-cooked & low in processed foods (due to allergens), low in refined sugars (I prefer raw, vegan desserts and dark chocolate), red meat less than twice per week, contains daily salads, fresh fruit, omega fatty acids (fish, olive oil, avocado, etc.), healthy cooking oils (olive oil and coconut), and anti-oxidants (green tea, berries, spinach, dark chocolate). Additionally, I am not obese, and I already lost 30 lbs this year. The significant weight loss leading overall well-being for obese fibro sufferers switching to veg diet that is noted repeatedly in the literature and may not be as relevant to my experience. There are few people that I know that eat as healthy a diet as I do and fewer still that eat better than I do.
If there is one culprit I need to cut from my diet, it is alcohol, which I enjoy on the weekends with friends. I have had suggestions to try increasing the pro-biotics in my diet (supported by Mayo Clinic) and I have also considered going back to a low-glycemic diet to see if that helps to stabilize my energy levels (potatoes and rice noodles are my Achilles heel).
I have actually seen Dr. Fuhrman in his clinic in NJ. He's the only MD that I know of that prescribes nutrition, and has a staff of three internal medicine interns researching the literature so he can stay ahead of the curve...
DeleteThere i s a core of MDs that recommend vegan for a variety of conditions: McDougall, Fuhrman, T.Collin Campbell (Researcher, Cornell) , Caldwell Esselstyn (Heart Specialist, Cleveland Clinic), Neal D. Barnard (Pres of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) , all published....
The best DVD is Forks over Knives... I can't keep it around cause folks keep 'borrowing' it!
And, yes, it does sound like your diet is in pretty good shape!
DeletePro-biotics sounds good...
I think I read somewhere that Vit D decreases pain... or lack of it causes pain...
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/vitamin-d-deficiency-and-chronic-pain-link