Fibromyalgia Support Group

I am starting this thread after reading about Dixie4Me using a combo of Tylenol and Aleve to help with her pain. This really intrigues me, since it is using two OTC meds that are available to anyone, and could be inexpensive alternatives for a lot of us.

While we are still awaiting more info from her, I wondered if anyone else has little home remedies or recipes they use for pain relief.

We'd love to hear from you about anything you have found that helps you, besides prescribed medications.

Somewhat high doses of Tylenol does seem to help. I off and on get a low grade temperature which occurs for some odd reason. Then, my fibro is helped slightly.

Sit down, then do something and repeat this throughout the day.

Spinach, flax seed oil and alphalpha sprouts seem to help. Especially the spinach.

Drink lots of water, ginger tea, chamomile tea and vegetable juice.

Keeping busy somehow to keep my mind off of it.

Drawing.

Somedays, singing. Which may have something to do with my breathing- getting oxygen to my parts.

I talk to my animals, hug my animals.

Watch a funny movie.

Keep a regular before-bed ritual and strict sleep schedule.

Do not watch CNN anymore.

Trying not to get so much work done. Letting things go... not an easy one for me. I have a strong work ethic that works against me.

Be really careful when taking high doses of Tylenol. It can cause liver damage if taken in high doses.

I guess I have a routine somewhat. I get up at my own pace in the morning, start out with a cup of coffee and reading the paper or watching tv. Throughout the day, I do drink herbal tea or lemonade, no caffeine again until the next morning. I talk and hug my dogs a lot, listen to music, watch tv. My bedtime routine is I go to bed at around 8 pm, I take all my meds, drink a little herbal tea or warm milk, watch 1 hr of tv, then listen to music until it shuts off. Oh and before that, I preheat my heated mattress pad and electric blanket so I get into a warm bed. I spray lavender water on the pillowcases and make sure my doggies are in bed with me. LOL

Then I wait to fall asleep. Last night I slept like a baby because I have been sick with a stomach flu this weekend and last night was the first night in 2 nights I had slept. Plus I fell down some stairs , that is another story, so hurt my back and hard to get comfy. But I took my sleeping pills and zonked out!

WendyLynn, do you mean eating spinach? Or do you take it in some other form?

You said: "Trying not to get so much work done. Letting things go... not an easy one for me. I have a strong work ethic that works against me." Boy, do I know what you mean. This continues to be difficult for me. I always had that strong work ethic, as well.

Mama, that is a good point about the lier damage. But honestly, any of us on meds, in my opinion, should be somewhat concerned about this. Thanks to Cori's suggestion a while back, I am now taking Milk Thistle, which is supposed to help support and maintain a healthy liver.

I agree wholeheartedly about preheating the mattress pad and blanket. I actually look forward to going to bed now because I get such comfort from those two items.

These are great ideas. I'm anxious to hear from more of you.

Be careful with aleve as well especially if you have stomach or heart problems.

malaluka

Eating a full spinach salad with lunch and supper. No croutons, no dressing with high fructose corn syrup.

No caffeine whatsoever. I get an instant headache, body aches, fatigue beyond belief. All docs suggest removing caffeine, liquor, of course street drugs and stress.

No MSG. Ever.

I love spinach, in any form.

The caffeine is a perfect example of why I don't do well with deprivation or lifestyle changes. I think my doctors realize this. The only thing that has ever been said to me was an attempt by my PCP to be poetic. He said, "Too much caffeiney, not good for Fibromyalgee." At which point I laughed at him and took another sip of my grande cafe mocha.

I'm a horrible example, aren't I?

Since the new format seems to cover the first line on some posts I am going to make my first line unimportant until that is fixed. I'm assuming you all have ads covering the first line of some posts now too.

I had to jump in here about otc meds. I am here to hopefully caution some of you that just because something is otc does not mean it is harmless. 3 years ago I was working hard and wanted to keep working hard. I was taking motrin as directed but maximum dosage for a few months. Mind you I was not taking more than directed. I started feeling sick and thought I had a bad stomach flu. I couldn't eat. I had a fever and NO energy. after a week of that I was concerned that maybe it was more than the flu so I went into the clinic, I had 104 temp and had lost 20 lbs. it took them 7 hours to figure out what was wrong. They finally figured out that my kidneys were failed. I was shipped to a bigger, more advanced hospital 700 miles away. In the meantime I got kidney stones and gout. Thankfully my kidneys recovered but I still deal with the fallout of the stones and gout. I will not take motrin ever again and my doc also told me to avoid aleve. I asked him if I took recommended amount of tylenol could my liver fail and he never has heard of that happening but on recommended amounts of motrin(ibuprofin, advil) that is not an uncommon occurance for the kidneys go be adversely effected. PLEASE consider this before you go gung ho on otc drugs.

Laura

Thank you for that valuable warning, Casty.

Has anyone here looked into Kevin Trudeau - Natural Cures? I started reading his 2nd book - pretty scary stuff in there. He has a very interesting theory on fibro. I am on meds now but I think I am going to go see about having all the body cleanses done and maybe try these natural cures. Even if it doesn't work I sorta believe it will atleast help and maybe I can atleast decrease the amount of meds I need, if not completely. I'm at the point where I feel like I need a new pill for each of the side effects from everything else.