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fibromyalgia

‘morning guys! I am enjoying all of the forum chats and learning so much. You are all so generous in sharing ideas and encouragement and I have become addicted to your site. It’s a morning ritual now and I appreciate all the suggestions. I am transitioning from eating/drinking just about everything and taking medications to vegan then raw and off prescription meds. I know my journey will be long, but I have been in pain for so long and have tried everything suggested by conventional medicine and decided ENOUGH!! Fortunately, I have found an awesome massage therapist who also practices Reiki. Fibromyalgia pain is relentless. But I have a soaring spirit and refuse to let his thing define me. I am keeping a journal of my progress and I am only one week into my new, exciting lifestyle and already have more energy. My husband sees it, too and he willingly eats and drinks all my new recipes. Thanks a million to all of you for your advice and suggestions!!

Does anyone else out there have fibromyalgia? Maybe we can share our progress with each other?

Blessings, Ginny aka BunnyGirl

Comments

  • Hello! I do not have fibromyalgia myself but my greatest friend in all the world does so I’ll be interested to know how this turns out for you, maybe I can convert her! Ha!

  • I will be happy to share my experiences with you. Even if you don’t have FMS yourself, if you know someone that does have it, you know all too well what a rotten deal it is. I will keep you posted! If she wants to email me directly, that’s cool too. Let me know! ps I read your profile—I guess I am a “flexitarian”myself. Or maybe I am mostly a “whatevergoesinmymouthatarian” and I am desperately seeking to stop that behavior!! If this works for me, I’ll be converting EVERY fibro on the planet. Keep a good thought!

  • Hi BunnyGirl (Ginny), I have suffered with Fibromyalgia for the last 20 years. I have been on every medication that they use for FMS. On May 28th I was told the current drug that I had been on for over a year was causing a lung disease…so I decided to take matters into my own hands (with the help of the Man upstairs). I stopped all meds, eliminated all major food categories that trigger FMS (dairy, meat, processed foods, flour, etc.)and just begun eating fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds. Now I’m in my 7th day of a MC and I can say for the first time in all these years I am almost completely out of pain!!! I do not intend to ever go back to my old lifestyle and eating habits. The “raw” is the only way to live. With this forum, I am learning so much about raw eating. I just joined this group and not very good about posting on line, but when you mentioned the horrible word Fibro…my soul understood exactly what you are going through and I had to write. The best thing to do, is stop mixing your foods and just go for it – completely raw. You will not regret making the change – in fact your body will be so grateful. I am taking 30 minute walks daily – the first time in so many years that I can walk without pain. Good luck and please feel free to write me. Hugs & Blessings, Kathleen

  • Wow Krazy Kat. That is so encouraging to hear. Keep me updated on how you’re doing. Anyone else out there who has experienced improvements in this area would be nice to hear from also. Here is some info I found which might help:

    Boswellia serrata is a deciduous tree, which grows in India, known as Indian frankincense or olibanum. The active principles, obtained from the gum resin, a fraction of which is called salai guggal, prevents formation of leukotrienes, and has benefits in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, soft tissue rheumatism, low back pain, myositis and fibrositis. The therapeutic action includes reduction in joint swelling, increased mobility and alleviation of morning stiffness. Unlike aspirin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which produces side effects of gastrointestinal ulceration, bleeding, perforation and kidney disease, Boswellia serrata has no side effects and is even safe to use during pregnancy.1 The non-acidic oil fraction of the gum resin, salai guggal, has analgesic and sedative effects, which work in a similar way to morphine. A supplement of 200-400mg daily can be taken and a cream made from Boswellia serrata may be used in localized situations.

    Turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. Most people recognize turmeric as the yellow colour found in curry powder; however, it has great importance as a medicinal herb due to the presence of curcuminoids (phenolic compounds) called curcumin, dimethoxycurcumin and bisdimethoxycurcumin. These have unique anti-inflammatory properties with therapeutic action comparable to aspirin, but with important advantages in that curcuminoids prevent the synthesis of thromboxanes, causing redness, swelling and pain, and do not affect prostacyclins, important in the prevention of vascular thrombosis.2 Turmerin, another active component of turmeric, has potent antioxidant effects and may contribute to anti-inflammatory action, as it scavenges hydroxyl and superoxide radicals and inhibits production of lipid peroxides, which fuel the inflammatory response. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of curcumin compare to those of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, but with no side effects. Dosages of 500mg 1-3 x daily can alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach pains and intestinal spasm.

    Quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid is found in black tea, onions, broccoli, squash, red grapes and citrus fruit. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activity due to its inhibition of histamine and leukotrienes, which are responsible for vasoconstriction and bronchoconstriction in asthma, hayfever and gout. Quercetin helps in psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, atopic dermatitis and ulcerative colitis and benefits diabetes by inhibition of aldose reductase, which converts blood glucose to sorbitol, implicated in diabetic cataracts, neuropathy and retinopathy. It also enhances insulin secretion, protects pancreatic beta cells from free radical damage and inhibits platelet aggregation. Quercetin can be used with bromelain to potentiate anti-inflammatory activity7 and has potent antioxidant and vitamin C-sparing actions. Dosages of quercetin range from 200-400mg 3 x daily and should be taken 20 minutes before meals

  • Wonderful to see I can share with some people here who have gone through or are going through something I am. I’ve had fibromyalgia for years and have a fibroid cyst the size of a baseball. The only option I’ve been given is to go on birth control or have surgery, which mostly they say historectomy, which I won’t do unless I absolutely have to. Going raw was one of the best thing I could have done, I feel better, my periods are better, my pain has lessoned and the fibroid has gone down a bit. Recently though I started taking Vitalzym (www.energeticnutrition.com) which is a systemic enzyme suppliment to help break down the fibroid and it actually is working. I’ve been on it for a week now and the fibroid seems smaller and my belly is going down (the only place that I am pouchy). So between the raw foods and the enzymes I’m hoping that in a few months I’ll be back as active as I was before the fibromyalgia and fibroid.

    I’ve had other health issues to that have cleared up with the raw diet. I never digested food well, would get sick after eating anything either a little or a LOT, Battled with weight gain ever since I had the Noroplant put in my arm and even after I had it yanked out (but now my metabalism seems to be going back to normal), skin problems which are now cleared up, fatigue which is gone, mental processes being cloudy or sluggish are now sharp and clear, vision which was starting to go now seems fine. The list goes on, I’m just amazed at how eating this way is so good for us, well actually not shocked as I’ve always been into health food and never liked eating meat all that much. But WOW!

    One of the best things other than the fibromyalgia and fibroid going away is how it makes your radiate! Friends have asked, did you get a face lift? Your skin looks so great what are you doing? You just shine! (smile) Thats the best part of all.

    The only hard part is hanging out with friends or my boyfriend who don’t eat raw.

    So nice to have others to talk to about it who are raw foodies too!

    HUGS Lisa

  • I’ll make this short and sweet. I suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia for years and years, and since changing my diet to 70% alkaline, within three days, the fibromyalgia disappeared! It’s like a miracle! I still have rather low energy, but I’m also doing a 10-day cleanse and feel that I’m probably detoxifying like crazy. During the cleanse I have been eating nothing but raw, and hope to be at least 75% raw from now on, but I know for sure that I won’t go back to acid foods ever again! You are on the right road, my friend, and a blessed one it is!

  • rawmaidenrawmaiden Raw Newbie

    For a list of alkaline vs acidic foods, here is a site, I won’t put any claims to accuaracy of it, but you can research more online. http://www.rahoorkhuit.net/health/alkaline_vs_a…

    Keep in mind that we do need some acidic foods in the diet, especially of course the natural ones.

    I too have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but I have been pretty good as far as the pain, I guess I am in a remission lately. I have only been raw for a bit over a week now. It’s tough, but I am sticking to it, a slow but great process.

  • My mom was having fibromyalgia issues, but refuses to resort to as little as vegetarianism. She’s been buying rainforest herbs lately. The power of herbs is insane!

  • Hi I was the Lion! Has your mom had any relief. I read that wild oregano can help but I hate the flavor so I couln’t eat it. What is she trying right now?

  • Hi all. I was diagnosed with FM in 1982, although they didn’t call it that then – in a wheelchair with it by 2001. I’m now symptom free and off all drugs. Still have the occasional migraine, but basically in total remission. I was a clinical nutritionist by profession for over 20 years and couldn’t figure it out – was on every herb and drug you can imagine, including narcotics and been to every kind of doctor you can imagine. I was vegetarian for 20 years, but it wasn’t til I went raw that all symptoms disappeared. I’ve been working since 2001 toward healing and got to about 80% of normal through emotional, mental and spiritual healing, but couldn’t get rid of all the symptoms until going raw. I’ve been 90% raw for only three months, but have seen all kinds of cleansing happen over the last 90 days and have lost 15 lbs. The most remarkable thing has been my digestive system healing and I’m growing thick new hair at my forehead hairline. I have been pretty strict and the first six weeks were brutal, eventhough I was already vegan, going all organic raw was quite an adjustment. Just thought it might be helpful for some of you if I shared….

  • hi lightnup! That sounds awesome! I have been looking into the vegan raw foods masters program offered at the tree of life. What I am wondering is what do you as a clinical nutritionist think of something like that?

  • Well, I can’t really say as I don’t know much about their program. But, I do feel that raw foods are here to stay and there is a huge opportunity for people at the forefront of the movement to benefit financially and also to be of great service to the large numbers of people who are going to be adopting this lifestyle. It’s not an easy conversion even for someone like me who was vegetarian for a long time. The issue for most of us is that food is such a social activity – family gatherings, going out to eat, etc., and that’s been the hardest thing for me to adopt is the lifestyle change. At our office, we now have the two camps – the raw foodists and everyone else and it’s become a joke after having been a source of tension for a while. Everyone who goes onto raw food is an evangelist because of the sometimes dramatic changes that happen in their lives, it’s almost a religious experience:) And, so, I believe there is a need for more professionals in the field to really scientifically design programs that help people successfully adopt a raw food lifestyle. Of course, there are various areas of the field, such as writing books, speaking, individual counseling, etc., so it depends on your skillset and how you see yourself developing your career and what your objectives are for obtaining the degree. The nutritionist that’s helping me is not technically a nutritionist – he’s just studied every raw food book out there, a raw foodist himself and studied with David Wolfe, which makes him as much of an expert as anyone I know on the topic. However, in talking with him I do find that he lacks the knowledge of food chemistry that you learn in organic and biochemistry classes that you will get (I’m assuming) with a masters degree. A nutrition degree is about not only the technical aspects of nutrition, but also the emotional and social aspects of how food affects our lives, which is useful when working with individuals to help them change habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. My last comment is in regards to the differentiation between raw foods and superfoods. Superfoods (raw) can be added to any diet to increase health, and the average person in my opinion can easily integrate raw superfoods into their diet. So, if I were going to get a masters degree, I would look at the field as a whole and get a more generalized degree with a specification which suited my particular interest, such as vegan raw foods. Nutrition is a field which is very new – really only about 60 years old and we’ve seen dramatic changes over time. My degree at this point is really pretty outdated and were I to go back into the field, I would need to get my masters degree as well. I was working for one of the top 5 supplement companies in the world in product development 6 years ago, but it would take me months of study to be up to par to re-enter that marketplace. So, I hope this helps – I’m just trying to give you an overall perspective. And wish you the best of success.

  • I do not have FM but I had IBS, severe allergies and psoriasis. I practice an energy psychology technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and a relative of it called Quantum Techniques (QT). EFT is free to learn, easy to do, and can be effective on nearly everything. Healthy food is CRITICAL for curing any chronic illness, although QT testing helped me to determine that I also need to avoid Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, etc.), berries, ripe bananas and all melons. Testing also determined that I had a fungal Candida overgrowth and needed to avoid everything fermented, including Vinegar. Eliminating foods that are toxic to you (even though they are raw and organic) helps give your body more energy to heal. I also had to change most of my personal care products to further reduce my toxic load. With any chronic illness, there are always emotional components. EFT can help you to uncover and address your emotional issues yourself, and that helps your body to heal. You can find FREE info at www.emofree.com, or search for EFT on www.mercola.com. Good luck!

  • Wow Thanks Lightnup! I really appreciate your response to my question!

  • Jenoz, Thanks for talking specifically about QT and EFT. I’ve used both and have found them to be incredibly useful tools for emotional and mental healing and are partially responsible for my healing. And, writeeternity, my pleasure to help with info re nutrition. It’s one of my passions…. Blessings to you both.

  • Hi, I was wondering how you all were diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have all the symptoms and my doctor has run all the tests to rule everything else out yet refuses to call it fibromyalgia. I was 95% raw last year for about 8 months until we went on a 2 week vacation. It was slowly downhill back to sad from there. While totally raw most of my symptoms were tolerable to gone completely plus I had lots of energy. I have been totally raw again for about 3 weeks now with only 1 oopsy (donuts and coffee). However, even though my energy has returned I am still experiencing a lot of symptoms. My physical therapist insists that I have arthritis. Anyway, I am interested in your massage therapy and results from the cleanse. How did you find a good massage therapist? Also, I’d like to know more about the cleanse you are doing. Having more energy and being able to exercise definitely helps me deal with the pain I am still having but would like to be pain free!

  • Hi mochatribe, I was diagnosed through a battery of blood tests which showed nothing and a physical test of 18 tender points, a questionnaire about my history and based on the severity of symptoms, they put me in what I call the fibromyalgia trashcan diagnosis – they couldn’t find any other way to explain the fatigue, pain, etc. There are a number of symptoms which constitute what they call a syndrome, which can include interstitial cystitis (translation frequent bladder infections), irritable bowel syndrome, painful soft tissue at 18 identified tender points, and in my case frequent migraines, although some doctors do not include migraines in the syndrome. There are a number of good books on this subject, but I’m in a bit of hurry at the moment. When I have a chance, I’ll go through and give you a book list. Exercise has been key for me and in order to be able to exercise, I went through 18 months of painful injections of cortisone into the belly of the muscles in my spine (called trigger point injections). Not something I wanted to do, but it made it bearable for me to exercise to get in shape. Now I just maintain, as the exercise over the last 4 or so years has gotten me into pretty good shape – I hiked up a pretty good sized hill last weekend in the olympic mountains and did not experience any after pain.

  • Hi everyone, I thought I’d post a resource – the following email address will get you subscribed to a group called Fibromyalgia and Fatigue centers – although these guys are somewhat mainstream – they’re on the right track and are a good source of what I think is the most accurate info on fibro and chronic fatigue. In their most recent newsletter, they cite the following as contributors to fibro – and, that feeds right into our raw lifestyle which eliminates these things from the diet. They say to eliminate the following: Heavy metals (polluted fish, water, some vaccines, dental work),Chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides Growth hormones, antibiotics and steroids in meat, dairy products & poultry, Food additives, preservatives and coloring agents, Environmental pollution, and Chemical leaching into foods from packaging materials, Artificial sweeteners More ammo for the raw lifestyle!!!

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    I was diagnosed with MS and Lyme disease 4 years ago. I began eating raw, actually drinking raw juices, out of necessity, since I wasn’t able to physically prepare cooked meals. I got better with the juicing and decided to do more research. I’ve now been eating raw for three years. I haven’t had an exacerbation in that time. Most of my symptoms have diminished or have completely gone away. I also had my amalgams removed. I was tested for heavy metals and had extremely high levels of mercury and others. With a chronic disease, many secondary diseases occur. I believe I have those nearly licked too. I wish all of you good health.

  • deborahanndeborahann Raw Newbie

    123—Were you tested for heavy metals through your Dr or was ther a home kit that you were able to use ? My husband has a lot of amalgam in his mouth and suffers from alot of muscle and joint pain and also fatigue. He is no where near debilitated though, just very irritating to have things you need to do and you’re just too tired to do them.

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    deborahann-I was tested by a homeopathic doctor using a biofeedback frequency machine. I learned that low thyroid (which can cause the symptoms you describe) can be a result of metal toxicity, which also leads to candidiasis, which leads to leaky gut, which leads to free-radicals, which, in my case, lead to MS… Metal toxicity can be diagnosed by a hair test taken at home and sent, by mail, to a lab. What they look for is mineral displacement that is a sign of mercury toxicity. Andy Cutler has a counting chart that describes what the test results mean. There aren’t many ways to test that show accuracy since mercury tends to hide in fatty tissues and attaches to candida and other pathogens. From the many conflicting reports that I’ve read, one point is universal. We ALL have mercury and other heavy metals in our systems. It would be hard not to with our environmentally toxic World. Your husband might benefit from an iodine supplement. Seaweed is a good source of organic iodine.

  • HI IwastheLion. How is your mom doing? Have the rainforest herbs worked? What were they? You’re mom may be better off sticking with meat but eliminating dairy, wheat, and soy. If she could eat salmon that would be good too. With 1000 recipes here there’s got to be something she’d like to try.

    Wow 123- that sounds intense! Have you seen some improvement directly related to one of the corrections you implemented like the mercury filling removed?

  • My mom has also been suffering from fibromyalgia for the last 12 years and is on so many medications. I have tried to help her change her eating habits, but now seeing these responses I am more motivated to help her. I would love to see her living a healthier lifestyle with less medication. Thanks!

  • Joëy PhiJoëy Phi Raw Newbie

    My mother also has fibromyalgia and it kills me to see her in so much pain. She barely sleeps 3 hours a night and sometimes has to stay in bed for days!

    Thanks for all the tips and info, please let me know about your progress and discoveries about fibro. Cheers:)

    Jo

  • greeniegreenie Raw Newbie

    I don’t have fibromyalgia but had pain in my arms and legs since I was a small girl. I went raw and salt-free in 1971 and within 6 weeks all pain was gone. I attribute it to being salt-free too. Unfortunately I stayed raw only for about 2 years then, and have been raw on and off since. I love this site and come here often for inspiration. I hope to get back on the raw wagon permanently soon.

    Good luck to you, I think this is the answer for many people. I know I feel much better when I eat this way.

  • I am new to this forum, and recently raw (only 2 1/2 months) but I am feeling better every day. I was diagnosed with fibro 3 months ago and on the prompting of my chiro to eliminate certain things (red meat, dairy, and I was already off of gluten and processed foods) I found a raw cookbook and realized how beneficial this could be for me.

    This looks like a great forum, and I am looking forward to reding about your journeys….

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    Hi Writeternity. I’m sorry that I didn’t get back to you sooner. The improvements that I’ve seen are many. I had a laundry list of symptoms. I’m in a wheelchair, but I can stand (where that seemed unlikely before) and I feel like a healthy person with a walking disability that will eventually be corrected. I attribute most of that to eating raw food and removing as many causitive factors as possible (no amalgams, no toxic chemicals, no medical drugs…).

    Dane5000, I had EDTA IV chelation (I have since learned how that can be dangerous), Detoxamin (EDTA suppositories), NDF (nano-collodial detox factor), Modifilan (seaweed supplement used at Chernobyl) and several other products that I didn’t use long and don’t remember at the moment. Do not try to chelate quickly. It will mess you up! The best route is slow and steady. My tests were done by a homeopathic doctor, but you can check out the frequent dose chelation group, run by Andy Cutler, to get information about test kits and where to send them. He suggests DMSA or DMPS and ALA as chelators. I never tried DMSA or DMPS as I am chemical and drug-free at this point. I think it would be helpful to have assistance from a professional in this field. I would have gone to a Hal Huggins dentist to have my amalgams removed and use his chelation protocol if I were able to afford it.

  • justagirljustagirl Raw Newbie

    HI 123, I’m an N.D. Chelation therapy can be good for some people…but it sometimes needs to be performed over a period of time… Also perhaps you need to consider Zeolite…it removes many of the heavy minerals as well as chemicals injested by the body…Sometimes, it simply takes a while for the body to adjust….but chelation therapy…as well as zeolite with raw foods should help quite a bit…my theory is..green, green, green…green leafy vegetables seen to be almost miraculous in reversing health problems..the most amazing is ..wheat grass juice..it sounds a bit archaic, but has an incredible affect on the body…one ouce is equal to 2 or 2.5 lbs. of green leafy vegetables…oh…and in case anyone wonders why I say this…I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well….I tend to not agree with a “diagnosis” from health professionals who are pushing drugs….I find that the more alkaline the body is, the less problems it will have…and greens or green drinks..do that in a wonderful way..if you can take in two to four ounces of wheat grass juice a day..i’m sure that you will find the same benefits that I did….

  • Hi everyone,

    I have also suffered very much pain of Fibromyalgia and it really ruined my life. It’s really difficult to lead a normal life with this condition. But at one point, blessing came in. I’m now starting living life again and happy with my family.

    I used a system that will change my life, make me feel better like anyone else, start attending my kids activities again, feeling great and happy with the my whole family, and enjoy life to the fullest.

    The system is…. the “Heal Your Body System”. This offers long term solutions to your Fibromyalgia not just a cover up medication. It gives you the power to cure yourself rather then relying on others to heal you. It gives you the freedom to gain your health back free from the countless medicines you

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