Fibromyalgia Quiz

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Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Linked to Foods?

This is from 2005, but I thought It was an interesting article regarding IBS.

Study Shows Wheat, Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Soybeans Stood Out Among 16 Common Foods.

July 14, 2005 -- Are people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) more sensitive to certain foods than other people? And if so, what are those foods?

Science doesn't yet have an indisputable answer to that question. But a report in July's American Journal of Gastroenterology may provide more insight.

IBS is a functional condition of the intestine. While no one fully understands what causes IBS, it is not an anatomic problem. According to the American Academy of Gastroenterology, IBS patients have changes in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea. They also have abdominal pain along with other symptoms including abdominal bloating and rectal urgency with diarrhea.

Researchers tested 16 common foods on blood from 132 IBS patients and 43 people without IBS.

IBS patients had higher levels of an antibody called IgG4 in response to five foods, compared with those without IBS. Those five foods were wheat, beef, lamb, pork, and soybeans.

Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system to help fight infections.

IgG is the major antibody in the body; another antibody called IgE is normally present in only trace amounts, but it is responsible for the symptoms of allergy.

However, the study doesn't prove that the five foods caused IBS.

IBS symptom severity and frequency weren't linked to antibody levels, write the researchers. They included Sameer Zar, MRCP, of St. Georges Hospital Medical School in London.

Food Sensitivity

Between one-fifth and two-thirds of IBS patients attribute their symptoms to food hypersensitivity.

By comparison, only about 5% of the general population claims food hypersensitivity.

Sameer Zar, MRCP, and colleagues cite those statistics in their report.

Food Test

Zar's study included 52 people with diarrhea-prominent IBS, 32 with constipation-prominent IBS, and 24 with alternating IBS.

Most subjects (91) were women. Average age ranged from 35 to about 43.

Foods tested included milk, egg white, egg yolk, cheddar cheese, rice, yeast, potato, peanut, cod fish, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, tomatoes, and soybean.

Study's Results

Those with diarrhea-prominent IBS had markedly higher levels of the antibody IgG4 for wheat, beef, pork, and soybean.

Those with constipation-prominent IBS had markedly higher IgG4 levels for wheat, lamb, beef, and pork.

Those with alternating IBS had markedly higher IgG4 levels for wheat, beef, and pork.

There was a large variability in the IgG4 antibody level to different food groups, write the researchers.

Skin Prick Test

Skin prick tests were done on a smaller group of participants -- 56 with IBS and five without IBS.

A skin prick test places a small amount of substance that triggers an allergic reaction into the skin. People with allergies to the specific substance have swelling in the injected region of the skin, a reaction caused by IgE antibodies.

A lot of participants didn't take the skin test, which required a separate visit to another center. Due to the low turnout, the test was dropped later on.

Five IBS patients had a positive skin test response to shrimp. So did one person without IBS.

The skin test results didn't sync up with results from the blood antibody tests, write the researchers.

Food Journal, Doctors May Help

"For many people, careful eating reduces IBS symptoms," says the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Before changing your diet, keep a journal noting the foods that seem to cause distress. Then discuss your findings with your doctor. You may also want to consult a registered dietitian, who can help you make changes to your diet," says the NIH.

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Thursday, July 14, 2005

SOURCES: Zar, S. American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 2005; vol 100: pp 1550-1557. WebMD Public Information from the National Institutes of Health: "Irritable Bowel Syndrome." National Cancer Institute. American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. American Academy of Gastroenterology.

Source

Spastic Colon

After researching articles on IBS, I just read that it's another name for Spastic Colon. I was diagnosed when I was 7 years old,  37 years ago with Spastic Colon.  I completely forgot about this diagnosis. I wonder if this was an indicator of my FM to come?

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

It is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. This excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically catastrophise, anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, family problems, friend problems or work difficulties.[1] They often exhibit a variety of physical symptoms, including fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, nausea, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, bouts of difficulty breathing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, insomnia, hot flashes, and rashes. These symptoms must be consistent and on-going, persisting at least 6 months, for a formal diagnosis of GAD to be introduced. Approximately 6.8 million American adults experience GAD.

Source

5 Tips for Handling Migraine In the Workplace

I'm not sure about you, but I've been on my office floor with the lights off suffering one of my most painful migraines ever. 

Once I thought the pain was subsiding, I left work for the day to experience how it felt to throw-up three times outside my car in the company parking lot, which is a very busy place. The maintenance men, customers, and guests in and out of the lobby all nearby. 

So, before you find yourself rolling around on your office floor and barely making it to your car, check out this great article.

A HarrisInteractive poll conducted for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals showed that 15 million men and women in the United States have either gone to work with a Migraine or gotten a Migraine at work. Two-thirds of those Migraineurs "struggled through" to stay at work. Dr. Jan Lewis Brandes, a headache and Migraine specialist at Vanderbilt University, says, “Many people struggle through the debilitating pain of migraine to get the job done and because they do not want to let down their co-workers.”

Although more people in the U.S. suffer from Migraine than from asthma and diabetes combined, Migraine remains one of the most underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and undertreated of diseases. Even Migraineurs don't understand the disease and realize how much help is available. The Harris poll also indicated that 61% of the respondents took over-the-counter medications or nothing at all for Migraines. Dr. Brandes emphasizes, “Migraine is a real disease, just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It is possible to keep migraine under control, and the best way to do that is to see a doctor and get effective treatment.”

Doctor Brandes shared some tips she offers her patients for handling Migraine in the workplace:

Understand that Migraine is a real disease – not just a bad headache. Migraine sufferers sometimes tend to minimize their Migraines as “just headaches,” not a disease with a range of symptoms that are as debilitating as the pain itself.  Migraine is a real medical condition just like diabetes or asthma.  Understanding this will better enable you to manage your Migraines and seek effective treatment.

Be your best advocate. Talk to a doctor about your Migraines and how best to manage them.  There are many effective new treatments specifically for Migraine. The newest class of these are called “triptans.”  They relieve Migraine pain quickly and also relieve the other symptoms of Migraine such as nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

Make changes in your work environment that reduce your susceptibility to migraine triggers.

1. Make changes in your work environment that reduce your susceptibility to Migraine triggers.

2. Ask co-workers to go easy on perfume and cologne – smells can be powerful triggers; cigarette smoke, too.

3. Watch your caffeine intake. Small doses of caffeine may help treat a Migraine attack but large doses of caffeine can bring on Migraine.

4.Be sure to drink a lot of water and don’t skip meals.

5. Use an anti-glare screen on your computer – straining your eyes can increase your chance of getting a Migraine.

Be on the alert for early signs of migraine. Get to know your own Migraine patterns so that you can spot early signs of a Migraine attack.  Some people experience irritability, mild pain or nausea that are signals that a Migraine is about to hit.  Whenever possible, take your medication early. Dr. Brandes notes that 60% of Migraineurs have prodrome symptoms and can learn to recognize them early.

Educate your boss and co-workers about migraine. The Harris-Pfizer survey showed that many people tell their colleagues about their Migraine. This is encouraging because creating understanding and awareness of Migraine and its impact can cultivate support from the people you work with.

If Migraine increasingly makes you absent from work, forces you to go home early,  or impairs your ability to do your job in any way, your Migraine condition is probably not under control. Tell your doctor if your Migraines are impacting you in your work. Your doctor can work with you on a treatment plan to help you.

Remember that Migraine triggers are what Dr. Brandes terms "stackable." While encountering one trigger might not result in a Migraine, adding another one may be a different matter.

Source

Hey Jude

Could Growth Hormone Therapy Be Beneficial For FM?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic, idiopathic condition in which patients experience pain, asthenia and fatigue. The pathogenesis of the condition is unknown, and numerous mechanisms have been postulated, including neural hypersensitivity and autoimmunity. Symptoms of fibromyalgia are broadly similar to those of growth hormone deficiency (GHD), and there is evidence of decreased GH secretion and functional GHD in a subset of patients with fibromyalgia. Use of GH therapy in this patient population therefore represents a rational treatment strategy. Preliminary placebo-controlled trials have shown that GH therapy can significantly improve signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia and quality of life in patients receiving the current standard of care. Despite the use of relatively high doses of GH in these patients, treatment is well tolerated. Several mechanisms of action for GH in fibromyalgia have been suggested, including both central and peripheral effects.

Written By:

Cuatrecasas G.

Source

Endocrinology Department, Centro Medico Teknon & C Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. gcuatrecasas@cpen.cat

Arizona Trail For Fibromyalgia

 Here we have another courageous Fibro sister! 

She is so inspiring and encouraging. I'm sure to many of us sufferers.

I really love coming across these types of articles and websites to be able to share with everyone here.

When she set out to hike the 800-mile Arizona Trail last spring, Sirena Dufault worried that she might not finish.

 

The daunting trail stretches from Utah to the U.S.-Mexico border.

 

Dufault's concern stemmed from her decade-long battle with fibromyalgia, a little-understood chronic pain disorder.

 

"I was a little hestitant to publicize it because I didn't know how far I could go," Dufault said this week. "Now I can comfortably do a 15-mile day with a big pack, no problem."

 

Next Tuesday — on national Fibromyalgia Awareness Day — the 35-year-old will make a final, eight-mile hike north of Oracle to complete the trail, trudging from the Tiger Mine Trailhead to the American Flag Trailhead.

 

Dufault kept an online journal throughout her trek, which she made mostly by herself in one- to five-day trips. The May 12 leg marks the 80th day Dufault has spent on the trail.

 

She hopes her success will inspire the 10 million Americans suffering from the disorder, Dufault said. "There's not a whole lot of positive information out there about people getting their lives back after fibromyalgia."

 

Fibromyalgia's many symptoms include chronic, widespread body pain, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association. Symptoms can stem from an acute illness or injury, as in Dufault's case. Her diagnosis came in 1998, a year after she was hit by a car as she crossed a street. For months afterward, even as her initial injuries healed, Dufault's pain and fatigue worsened.

 

"I saw her probably at her worse," said Angi Edge, a nurse and massage therapist who treated Dufault after her diagnosis and became a fast friend. "So many people give up on themselves. They become their disease. She was just not going to give up."

 

Dufault's pain has not flaired up in a major way in the last three years, she said. "I attribute that to being very, very active."

 

For her next big adventure, Dufault might hike the Tonto Trail in the Grand Canyon.

 

She walked 25 miles of the 90-mile trail this past winter.

 

Arizona Woman with Chronic Pain Eight Miles Away from Completing Fibromyalgia Awareness Hike on the 800-mile Arizona Trail

Tucson, AZ- May 5, 2009- In February 2008, Sirena Dufault began hiking the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile trail that crosses Arizona from its border with Mexico to the border with Utah. Now, Dufault, 35, has only eight miles left to go. She is hiking the trail to raise awareness for Fibromyalgia, a complex chronic pain disorder that affects an estimated 10 million Americans. Sirena developed post-traumatic fibromyalgia following an accident in 1997 in which she was hit by a car while walking across the street. The pain and fatigue worsened, resulting in her being bedridden for several months. Dufault began walking as a form of gentle exercise following her fibromyalgia diagnosis in 1998, and very gradually worked up to longer and longer hikes. 

Dufault enjoyed the physical benefits of hiking so much that she decided to take on the 800-mile Arizona Trail. She is hiking to raise awareness for Fibromyalgia and is donating all proceeds from the hike to the National Fibromyalgia Association. “This experience has been so rewarding and has given me a deep appreciation for the diverse beauty found in the state of Arizona.” said Dufault. “And day after day of hiking, I found out that I am so much stronger than I ever dreamed possible. I want others with fibromyalgia to know that there is hope after the diagnosis.” 

Dufault has hiked most of the trail solo in one- to five-day segments, but on May 12, Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, Sirena will complete the final eight miles of the Arizona Trail with a group of supporters. They will start out at the Tiger Mine Trailhead north of Oracle at 7 am and hike south to the American Flag Trailhead, arriving around 11 am. “I conceived the idea of hiking the Arizona Trail at this spot in May 2007,” says Dufault, “so it’s fitting that my hike ends here.” 

To see Sirena’s blog, pictures, and videos from the trail as well as to make a donation, visit her website Arizona Trail for Fibromyalgia at www.aztrail4fms.org.

 

Contact: Sirena Dufault                                           

aztrail4fms@live.com