Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease, often accompanied by depression and fatigue, in which a person feels pain in the muscles and tissues surrounding the joints. Nine in 10 fibromyalgia patients are female. While the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have found pain-processing abnormalities in the spines and brain stems of some people with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia research suggests that the condition is a diffuse problem of sensory volume control in which patients' thresholds are altered not just to pain, but to other stimuli such as heat, noise, and strong odors. Indeed, fibromyalgia frequently occurs with other syndromes that are also associated with hypersensitivity, such as irritable bowel syndrome, and TMG sndrome. Depression, stress, and poor sleeping habits aggravate fibromyalgia disease. For more research information, see fibromyalgia.

Treating fibromylagia
Exercise is more effective in treating fibromyalgia than medication.
Food allergies. In one study, researchers reviewed medical charts of 17 fibromyalgia patients who agreed to eliminate common foods from their diet such as corn, wheat, dairy, citrus, soy and nuts. After 2 weeks without eating any of the potential food allergens, nearly half of the patients reported "significant reduction of pain," and most reported a reduction in other symptoms such as headache, fatigue, bloating, and breathing difficulties. Two patients had an increase in symptoms.
   After the food elimination phase of the study, the patients were then instructed to reintroduce a particular food every 2 or 3 days and monitor their reaction to the food. Some of the reactions to foods were pain, headache, and gastrointestinal distress. The most common problem-causing foods or ingredients for the patients in this study were corn, wheat, dairy, citrus and sugar.

What your doctor may not tell you about fibromyalgia natural treatment
Yoga helps improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, and yoga helps those with fatigue and lack of energy.
Eat more cold water fish
SAM-e an antidepressant that lifts mood within hours may help some individuals
CoQ10 combined with Ginkgo-see new study at bottom of page
Mucuna-Pruriens is available as a supplement.
Ribose supplement may be helpful.

The above options are what your doctor may not tell you about fibromyalgia and treating fibromyalgia disease.

Swimming, exercise and fibromyalgia
Swimming can ease the debilitating pain of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia mainly effects women and can cause severe pain and tenderness in muscles, ligaments and tendons. Shoulder and neck pain is common but some people with the condition also have problems sleeping, and suffer anxiety and depression. Women who swim regularly or are involved in physical activity are less prone to fibromyalgia pain.

Fibromyalgia disease questions
Q. Do you have any information on lithium orotate that I can review? I need to supplement for depression and fibromyalgia.
   A. See this lithium web page.

Q. Before bedtime, I take tizanidine (generic for Xanaflex) for fibromyalgia. I have also begun taking Sam-e recently for depression. Is there any contraindication here? My Dr. also just prescribed 5HTP. Is there any contraindication here?
   A. There are no simple answers since much depends on the dosages used and your individual response to pills. SAM-e is a potent medication and one needs to read the side effects before use, this is also true for 5-HTP.