FM HealthWatch Treatment & Research News March 7, 2007
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS · The Fibromyalgia "disability paradox"   · New slant on sleep support   · First FM tissue bank enrolling now   · First FDA-approved FM drug soon?   · Interstitial cystitis study recruiting
THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL NEW PRODUCTS CHROMIUM PICOLINATE - Promote a balanced appetite L-TRYPTOPHAN - For improved sleep, mood support and to reduce stress ALCIS - Pain relief cream HEART RATE MONITOR - Accurate tracking during exercise FIBRONOL - Supports sleep FIBROBOOST - Supports sleep - Extra energy boost FEELBRIGHTLIGHT - Full spectrum light for Seasonal Affective Disorder BOOKS - Research & information Informational DVD's The Joy of Nutrition An optimum nutrient food program I Remember Me An award-winning documentary film Fibromyalgia: Show Me Where It Hurts An invaluable educational tool HIGHEST RATED BRAIN Neuro B-12 DETOXIFICATION Guaifenesin FA DIGESTION ImmunPlex™ Vanilla ENERGY NADH IMMUNE Moducare MOOD 5-HTP PAIN Alcis SLEEP ZMA™ WEIGHT CONTROL L-Carnitine Most Popular for Energy Support Enada NADH	Founder's Corner The Pillars of Health and An Invisible Line* Several people have written to us recently expressing their concern over the high price of the supplements they take for their CFS/ME and FMS. One gentleman complained that he spends close to $400 per month on this cause, none of which is covered by medical insurance. He did not know how he could keep going at that pace, and I don't blame him for complaining. Let's put supplements in the perspective of a successful self-treatment program for health and healing.   more *(Note this Founder's Corner also ran in our February 28 CFS Newsletter.) Please rate this Founder's Corner Features On Preserving Gainful Employment, and the "Disability Paradox" Fibromyalgia specialist Mark J. Pellegrino, MD, discusses the crucial FM "disability paradox" and describes how a knowledgeable physician can help patients preserve gainful employment.   more Holistic Advice on Sleep - Including the Need to "Train Your Brain" Before considering drugs to help with sleep, Dr. Sarah Myhill, MD, advises her CFS & FM patients to manage the physical essentials. This means "pressing the right buttons" to put your brain to sleep, and experimenting with low-dose natural preparations such as melatonin and valerian root.   more Pain Management Resources The Pain Doctor Is In Did you know there's a website where pain management specialists will personally answer patients' questions about pain, pain therapies, and drugs?   more FM in the News World's First FM Tissue Bank Enrolling Donors Now Researchers believe tissue collected from patients could hold the key to Fibromyalgia's treatment and cure. A new National Institutes of Health-funded FM Tissue Bank is enrolling donors, who will receive free annual checkups, tests, pain assessments, and priority in any therapeutic trials.   more Diabetes 2 "In the Genes" A new study identified several genes associated with increased susceptibility to 'adult onset' diabetes 2 - a particular risk among FM patients.*   more Pharmaceutical Drug News Will Duloxetine Be First FDA-Approved Fibro Therapy? The FDA just approved the pain/sleep/mood drug duloxetine (Cymbalta®) for treatment of anxiety disorder. Now the focus is on the drug's benefits for Fibromyalgia.   more Clinical Trial News Trial of Web-based FM Education Recruiting in Five Midwestern States Physicians at 16 clinics in five states - North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska - are recruiting Fibromyalgia patients with Internet access to test the benefits of remote education.   more Interstitial Cystitis Study Recruiting to Identify Genetic Markers Every 15 seconds a person in the U.S. is diagnosed with interstitial cystitis - a painful pelvic/urinary tract condition frequently co-occurring with FM, IBS, and ME/CFS. This study is recruiting IC patients ages 8 and up to investigate familial links.*   more Letters From Our Readers The Letter of the Week FM and ME/CFS on a Dime This week's Letter of the Week was written by Tawra Kellam. Tawra wins a $25 gift certificate for ProHealth supplements. Comments & Suggestions Coping with Depression Objection: Teens Banned From Chat Awareness Day Alert! Please Help Me! Help! I need to Sleep Help! I'm Losing Muscle Strength Help! My Depression's Overwhelming Help! I Need More Energy Please share your thoughts with us! FM Research Abstracts FM-related Reports Sleep deficits = hippocampal deficits = memory-forming deficits Diagnosis based on one or several FM tender points as accurate as 18 Association between chronic genital pain and FM, CFS, IBS Research urged on lifetime trauma/stress link to FM pain dysregulation The high rate of PTSD reported in FM patients not found in IBS patients French review knocks duloxetine's safety & efficacy for depression/pain Most PCPs not sufficiently trained to diagnose cause of lower back pain 30-year tracking of Danish breast implant patients confirms no FM link Non-drug Health Studies Selenium plus multivitamins linked to reduced prostate cancer risk* High flavonoid (chocolate) diet linked to lower diabetes, CVD, cancer mortality* Whey & soy protein equally effective post-exertion muscle builders* Weekly Inspiration Ah, March! We know thou art kind-hearted, spite of ugly looks and threats. And, out of sight, art nursing April's violets! - Helen Hunt Jackson Wisdom Comes More from the Process than the Outcome Sometimes we are so concerned with the outcome of events that we overlook the possibility that there may be a lesson to be learned in the process. When we are having a flare-up, chances are we are worried only about reducing our pain and not learning any lessons. Nor are most of us looking to learn a lesson when we're in financial distress. We just want money. We must remember wisdom is not gained so much by the outcome of events. Rather it is gained by going through the process, and lessons we learned along the way. As our recovery progresses there will be many lessons to be learned. We will have opportunities to learn about ourselves and about our pain. It will be up to us to choose if we will focus only on the outcome of events, or if we will be open minded and learn the lessons that are offered for us. From Living With Chronic Pain One Day At A Time, by Mark Allan Zabawa About ImmuneSupport.com Published by ProHealth, Inc., ImmuneSupport.com is the Web's largest resource for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since 1988, ProHealth has raised and donated over 2.61 million dollars to CFS and FM research and advocacy groups seeking a cure. We believe in "commerce with compassion." Every purchase made at ImmuneSupport.com funds research - as does every purchase made from ProHealth's Health Resource catalog. Visit ImmuneSupport.com Our Mission: Empower patients to take control of their health by providing research & treatment information, advocacy & targeted health products. more If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas, please let us know. We will assume that we have your authorization to share your letter with other readers unless you instruct us not to do so. Send Us Your Feedback
* Note: This article first appeared in last week's CFS Edition of CFS & FM HealthWatch (Feb 28, 2007)