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Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue


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Hi all! I thought I would start a thread specifically for these two issues which go together for many people, including myself. I was diagnosed with FMS at age 12 (I'm 30 now). I've been gluten-free for many years, and when I learned about Paleo this past summer, I tried to incorporate some Paleo principles into my diet, and even on a limited basis, it made a HUGE difference for me. I've been able to work some 40-hour weeks this fall, which I have not been able to do for literally years.

I am very excited to be starting the Whole30 today. I'm especially looking forward to seeing if I can slay the sugar dragon. When you have low energy, it's so easy to give yourself emergency energy boosts with sugar (which is just a vicious cycle, of course!). I have the Hartwigs' book as well as Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan (I've already made her mayo and her "sunshine sauce," soooooo good!).

I think lots of us people with fibro have self-corrected with these eating habits over the years, but I'm finally ready to add some structure and discipline to it to get some serious results now that I've had a taste of what's possible!

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Hi, Laura! I just replied to you in your thread, and now you are in mine. Normally I don't hold out much hope for "cures" or "treatments" and such (that's the role of my mom, who also has fibro) but for some reason this time I'm optimistic.

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I have a good friend who had very serious fibromyalgia. She did not specifically do a whole30 but she converted to paleo eating last october. Last January I went rock climbing with her because all her symptoms had been reversed and she was off her medication.

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Thanks for starting the thread! I've been battling CFS/EBV for about 3 years. I have dipped into whole30 since October and have seen slow progress. I have to admit due to the holidays I haven't been 100% compliant but I am now on day 5 and I am fully committed!

I am doing the autoimmune protocol to really kick start my body and help heal my body, even though it is strict I can really see a difference with cutting out the extra things. I have been slowly trying to get back into exercise, some days it's just impossible. I would love to hear any suggestions anyone has??

Here's to healing fibromyalgia/cfs!!

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I have seen a signifigant decrease in my fibromyalgia since I started Paleo 3-months ago (scale of 9 down to a 4). I am now doing the Whole30 to see if I can impact the inflamation I have developed in my body over the last year that is causing some new skin issues and further reduce if not rid my body of the fibromyalgia once and for all after 15 long years!

I also found that Boot Camp (Cross Fit) really helps as does working with a foam roller. While sometimes it is really hard to do because it hurts, it has been really fantastic and a huge help! Most gyms have them in the stretch area. There are some great how-to stretching/rolling videos on YouTube. You can also get one online to have at home. They are pretty cheap: http://amzn.com/B0040NJOA0

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Renée: thanks for the encouragement/advice!

Daphne: WHOA NELLY. Hold up. You do CrossFit AND have fibromyalgia? That really boggles my mind -- how? Isn't CrossFit about pushing your body and stuff? (Which is a sure recipe for a flare with FMS.)

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CFS/Fibro/Hashimoto's thyroidits sufferer here. My docs don't want to agree so each one has dx'd something (though they all agree with the thyroid even though my levels are actually currently normal without supplementation)... but I do have the symptoms. The fibro pain is not bad, luckily, unless I do something stupid.

Today is day 3 and the aches and pains are really kicking in...

I am able to work mostly full time if I'm careful (though to the exclusion of much of anything else besides cuddling with my cats).

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Daphne: that is great that you are able to do cross fit! Did you have to build up to doing that? I have slowly started to build up to light walking a gentle yoga but I'm so far from cross fit. I still debate on if it is good for CFS to push yourself a little in order to help in the long run or if it just makes it worse? I'm just so afraid of a having a flare up.

@pomme: I do agree with Renee that the whole30 is structured that maybe you can just start on the regular plan and see if that helps. My thought with the AI protocol was to just start with that and then try to slowly add things back and see my symptoms. Similar to an elimination diet, it is working good so far. Just find what works for you!

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I have been dx'd with fibro and CFS and have had a partial thyroidectomy. I lean more toward the CFS side and manage to work 40 hours a week, but that is about all I can do. I am on day 10 of my first whole30 and have seen some improvement. It will be nice to follow others with the same problems.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am on Day 13 of W30 and am definitely seeing some health benefits (I have fibro, post viral syndrome, and some other goodies :rolleyes: ) but pain is still here. What is the AI protocol? I can't seem to find it. I have gone walking for two days in a row and haven't had terrible consequences, which is pretty unheard of. Just realized it actually.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I also have fibro and was on disability for three years, about two years after the diagnosis in 2002. I started a couple of months ago thinking harder about diet, very difficult for me to do, but as these things often happen, I started with Web.Md, which led me to Wheat Belly, which led me to Summer Tomato's blog, which led me to Perfect Health Diet, which led me here, all pretty quickly. Wheat Belly allows for so many ways to eat inflammatory foods (most of which I didn't know were potentially toxic, like beans). PHD seems like a very good "off-Whole 30" way to eat, but when I found Whole 30 after that (via a blog from a lovely Indian guy whose name I can't remember, if somebody does--it's not Kamal, but something like that, and he reviews Paleo blogs quite a bit--actually it was through him that I found the blog tummyrumblr and on that blog found this--sorry--you know what thinking things through is like when you have chronic pain and fatigue!)

Anyway, I'm officially on Day 0 because I reset after four days, realizing that I'd been eating probably too much fruit, plus some salted roasted nuts that may account for the bloating every evening. So, that's my first question: how much fruit do you all eat and still feel okay? (I know I hold on to fruit as my sweet tooth fairy.) But last night, I slept all the way through the night for the first time in ages, and I think reflux is improving, too.

Pain yesterday was very harsh. On Wheat Belly, after the first four days I then felt terrific for about three weeks, and then the pain came back double at least.

As to exercise, in 2008 I decided to train to walk a half-marathon, because of something I'd read again about exercise and aging. I figured if the fibro was too much for the goal, at least I'd have been walking several times a week. In the program I used on Prevention.com, you had to include one day of cross-training, and for the first time I started to lift weights regulary (1 pound for some exercises, body weight on others). What I found almost immediately was that strength training in particular cut my fibro pain drastically, probably in half or more.

Now (as now, having been out of the gym for two weeks fighting an infection), when I don't strength train, the pain comes back in full force. Why this should be so I can't tell you, but it's definitely been the case for the past four years, very reliable. Right now I lift on my own once a week, and work with a trainer using TRX, kettle bells, and other "functional" weights (my trainer one of those human performance guys), and it's really good. I tried 3x/week and that was too much.

This also makes other exercise very doable. I walk, jog a little, and have discovered the rowing machine, which is wonderful beyond words.

I don't get to the gym every day, but aim for 4-5 times a week, and try to walk a little every day, and compliment the activity with about twice as much rest as I worked out, and that seems to be a good balance for me.

I am really hoping that adding this piece of non-inflammatory eating will take the rest of the edge off, since I can no longer tolerate pain meds of any kind.

Thank you for staring this thread!

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HI ScoutFinch. Welcome! I am on day 26 of W30. I have not been doing AIP, but am considering it for the next 30 days. I can't say that all my pain has disappeared. In fact, last night I felt worse than I have felt in quite a while. I woke up at 4 am feeling utterly wretched. However, overall, I have had way more better days than worse days. I have noticed quite a few improvements (sleep, stamina, alertness, skin, others I can't think of right now).

I am now convinced that inflammation and food are connected. I am sure I am less inflamed right now as a result of 26 days of clean eating. I am going to try the AIP because I really would like to know if eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, etc. are a true problem.

I am very interested in your excercise. I have been able to walk 3-4 times a week for the first time in years in the last few weeks without it crashing me for days or weeks. That is huge progress for me. The only yoga I have been able to manage for years has been in a chair. I used to run and swim without any trouble so physical ability has been one of the worst things to lose. I am grateful to be able to walk. I am considering adding strength training one day a week. I want to keep it very simple, and I am excited to hear about your results.

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Thank you for the warm welcome! "Others I can't think of right now"--that's a great fibro joke. I would really encourage you to start strength training. The deconditioning that comes from fibro is as I'm sure you've read a great part of cumulative pain. Getting into conditon, even a little, I think is so important. The having to start over again so frequently has been hard for me, but I know that not trying to keep it up makes things much, much worse, and results in even walking causing a flare I can't afford. I started working with a trainer this year, but I don't believe I'll be able to continue to afford it, yet I've learned a great deal about form and that kind of thing. You are quite right to keep it simple. A great starter book that you can do the exercises at home if you invest in the weights is the Strong Women Series. Strong Women Stay Young has a great routine of about 8 exercises that are very doable at home if needed. Also, the Oregon Fibromyalgia Assocn. has a wonderful stretching DVD, and I have followed that routine for something like 7 years now. I think just starting that stretching has helped me progress a lot. And I did finish that half marathon (crying, but I did it!). I wish you great luck!

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Now at Day Seven today. For the past three days, I've been feeling like pain is moving through my arms and legs like some kind of hot nasty liquid, and fog is a little worse than it had been. I'm trying to track when this happens, and we've also had some severe damp weather moving through. But digestion is better, skin clearing up, and on a few days energy levels have been pretty great. Will keep on keeping on, and sending good wishes to everyone else here struggling with this.

lulucandoit, I am going to do the 30 regularly, but will also see after that if another 30 days without nightshades makes a difference--two days ago I had a larger serving than usual of tomatoes, and about an hour later did feel an increase in pain and lowering of energy. Could have been a coincidence and I'll do the first Whole30 without trying to make that determination first, though, but thanks for mentioning that.

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  • 1 month later...

My wife was diagnosed several years ago with fibro, after very close to a decade of searching for an answer. She found paleo and we did it for over a year, also while doing cross fit style work outs. She did amazingly well! was flare free for most of that time and had extra energy and just felt really really good! while feeling this good we decided to have a baby and after that everything went to crap! so a year and a half after the baby we are trying to start back up. i think this site will be a good motivator for both of us! good luck to you all!

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  • 2 years later...

I have had fibromyalgia since I was 17 or so, going on 20 years. These days I try to think not about exercise but about movement. When I think about exercise, I think about going to the gym and lugging all my stuff, working out with intensity, and getting all sweaty and sore. But with fibromyalgia (and with three little kids), that type of workout just isn't going to happen as often as I might wish.

 

Some days I *can* do heavy lifting or an intense biking workout at the gym, but other days I can't handle it. Swimming is often a favorite choice, but some days it is limited to playing around in the water with my kids. Some days just leaving the house after work is impossible, so doing housework or cleaning becomes the movement of the day. Qi Gong and Tai Ji are really gentle but effective options for healthy movement. I keep a Qi Gong video in my DVD player and try to practice before bed for 15 or 20 minutes on the rare days when I get the kids to bed early by some minor miracle. There are free videos on Youtube too.  Some days, the weather is nice and walking outside, even if it is slow and with the kids,  can be refreshing. When the pain or fatigue are particularly bad, stretching becomes the option for me. 

 

I think the important thing is not to get too down on ourselves when we don't get to work out as hard as we might like, but to remember that healthy movement does help keep "Qi" flowing in our bodies and improves the pain and flexibility, so a good goal can be getting some kind of movement every day, even if it is of the lower-intensity type.

 

 

Thanks for starting the thread! I've been battling CFS/EBV for about 3 years. I have dipped into whole30 since October and have seen slow progress. I have to admit due to the holidays I haven't been 100% compliant but I am now on day 5 and I am fully committed!

I am doing the autoimmune protocol to really kick start my body and help heal my body, even though it is strict I can really see a difference with cutting out the extra things. I have been slowly trying to get back into exercise, some days it's just impossible. I would love to hear any suggestions anyone has??

Here's to healing fibromyalgia/cfs!!

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  • 6 months later...

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