My Fibromyalgia Symptoms… can you relate?

The Symptoms

Looking back over the past year I realize that the first symptoms of Fibromyalgia began long before the terrible radiating pain I feel when the “BIG” pain sets in.  I realize now I should have paid attention to the stiffness in the backs of my knees and the other joint pain that would come and go.  I thought the stiffness could be related to my yoga practice, but it didn't let up when I took a break from my practice.  Some days I don’t feel the big pain intensely, and other times I can barely bring myself to move.  On the days I don’t have the big pain, I still feel terrible stiffness in the joints in my hip area, the forearms near the crooks of my elbows, and all around my neck where it meets my shoulders.   These areas and a few others hurt severely if pressed on, which is the crude but somewhat effective method used to diagnose fibromyalgia.  

When the big pain is present it is searing and radiates throughout my torso, concentrating in  the length of my spine and sacrum.  It is inescapable.   I haven’t found anything that takes the pain away.  (Revision: actually that is not true.  Meditation has helped me.  Especially the healing heartbeat meditation described in Deepak Chopra’s book, Perfect Health.)  I haven’t taken any serious pain pills, but in the throes of pain I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a try.  Although I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t work.  The muscle relaxer didn’t.  

The other noticeable pain symptoms happen at night when I am trying to sleep.  The sleep disruption and the pain seem to be connected.  When I am experiencing big pain during the day, I know my night will be sleepless. There is a a feeling of burning poison that races through my body as I lie in bed.  I can't get comfortable.  It's like a sort of restless body syndrome.  

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is also something I'm experiencing that is associated with Fibromyalgia.  I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I am not getting good sleep, but it feels more-so like my body is depleted of the nutrients or the juice that gives you energy.  I'm learning more about the adrenals how they may be connected to this. If anyone has information on that, it would be much appreciated!

And then there is the "Fibro Fog." Fibro fog is awful and on it's own is debilitating.  When it sets in I can't remember anything.  I have to write EVERYTHING down and half the time when I get to my pad of paper I forget what it is I was going to write down.  I can't think straight.  I can't even form sentences well.  It's like my brain is short-circuiting.  It is awful.  

Then there's the stomach.  Often times people with fibromyalgia have chronic stomach issues, but for some (ridiculous) reason fibromyalgia isn't associated with stomach problems here in America.  They are beginning to make the connection in Europe and there is some very compelling research on this subject.  My stomach has issue for years.  (See next post)

The only other thing I can say about my symptoms is that they tend to get better when I follow the treatment plan my Ayurvedic doctor gave me, and worse if I eat a lot of sugar/carbs and/or processed foods, stay up late and don’t rest my digestive system at night...meaning no snacking after 7.  :-/ 

How The Pain Relates To Ayurvedic Concepts

In Ayurveda, a person's state of health is determined by the state of their gut (and their mind as well...but let's come back to that later.)  If my stomach and intestines are irritated then they are not able to draw nutrients from my food.  Not only is the food not nourishing me, but if it isn't digesting well, then it is actually putrefying and creating toxins.  It makes perfect sense to me that a buildup of toxins would cause a body to be in pain.  

I also find it very interesting that the fibromyalgia trigger pain points directly correspond to marma points in Ayurveda, (energy centers in the body.  In America we call them pressure points.)  According to Ayurveda, if you  are experiencing extra tenderness in a particular pressure point, it is because there is blockage in that location which is holding toxins (called ama in Ayurveda.)   Even before reading about marma points I had often thought the pain I was experiencing felt like toxins concentrating in the areas that hurt.  And the burning poison I feel racing through my body at night?  I don't know, but if I could guess what toxins feel like...seems like it would be something like "burning poison."   I’m really looking forward to doing marma therapy with my Ayurvedic doctor.  It is not only supposed to bring relief, but is also designed to help treat the cause of my sickness.   

Ayurveda suggests that the ‘disease’ I am now suffering from could have been avoided if I had addressed the imbalance that caused the condition.  These imbalances are “read” in the pulse and the patient is told how to treat them before they manifest physically.  Ayurveda’s system is designed to keep the patient well.  Patients see the doctor regularly to be counseled on their current health condition rather than waiting to go to the doctor until sickness sets in. The body is so amazing. It lets us know when something is ‘wrong.’  Why would we take pills to cover up these symptoms-- if we aren’t getting our pulse’s read on a regular basis then the symptoms are our only way of determining imbalance in our bodies.  I wish I would have listened to my body when I first started feeling the stiffness.   I do believe the condition I now suffer from would not have progressed to what it is now. 

Anyone have any further thoughts or comments?