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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Living with Fibromyalgia

I have recently posted on face book about Fibromyalgia and realized that I have hidden the About me page where I had this story.  I am re-posting it to share my story about living with Fibromyalgia.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 1992 and struggled with pain control for years.  I had been using Vicodin, Tramadol and muscle relaxers.  I was also using 1200mg of Guaifenesin twice a day, which is a mucus thinner, I purchase it at Costco (Mucus Relief).  Click here to see the Guaifenesin protocol.  The Guaifenesin worked for a while, but I couldn't get my doctor (at the time) to talk to me about increasing it.  In 2010 I found a new doctor who knows about Fibromyalgia and believes in alternative medicine.  Dr Tyler suggested that I try a new approach to my pain control.  Dr. Tyler explained that body fat stores inflammatories and that certain foods do too.  He had me start a Comprehensive Elimination Dietwhich is also called an Allergy FREE diet.  You remove all the foods that are possible allergens, like Gluten, peanuts, soy, milk and eggs.  Dr. Tyler said that for the diet to work you must follow it at least 90%.  He also suggested that I double my dose of Guaifenesin to 2400 mg's twice a day.  I started the diet November 4th 2010.  It was difficult at first trying to find food that I could eat, but then I realized that if I went back to basic cooking it would be much easier.  You have to read every label to see if the manufacturer adds sugar, soy or gluten etc.  to the ingredients.  You are not looking for Carbohydrate sugars you are looking at the Ingredients list, they add them to all kinds of foods you wouldn't think would have them.  I make my own seasoning by combining spices that I like together and putting them in a small jar with a shaker lid, then I don't have to pull out all the spices and add them one at a time.  I make my own Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing which the diet has a recipe for.  Within a week and a half I was pain free, and off all my prescription pain medicines and muscle relaxers.  I am still on the diet and am able to do so much more than I have been able to in years.   I feel so much better that I don't plan on going back to eating all the foods that are not allowed.  I do miss a few things like Coffee, chocolate, cheese and Ice Cream, but not enough to go back to having all that pain.

I have recently added Dairy back in to my diet.  I have found that I have a reaction to Gluten, Soy and Eggs, as I have tried to add them back into my diet also, but do not like the blistery mess on my face that they leave within hours of eating them.  I am still pain free which now has been 26 months.  I have started working on a cook book of the recipes that I have been using and making up as I go along, like Pumpkin Pie, no egg, Maple Syrup and Almond milk, with a gluten free crust.  My Family loved them too.  I also made a recipe for Spinach & Feta Ravioli.

If you try out the diet please let me know how it is working for you, I would love to hear your story.

Janice

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