Tag: FMS symptoms

FMS | Fibromyalgia Can Make You a Weather Psychic

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Image found: http://thefibrodoctor.com/does-the-weather-affect-your-fibromyalgia-symptom/ (Image links directly to article).

All right, I have decided to admit it:  fibromyalgia has made me a weather psychic.  

I am being absolutely serious here.  Having fibromyalgia has meant not needing to consult the weather report.  I know what the weather will be like the next day based upon changes in my FMS symptoms the day before. It’s that simple.

Although there is no specific reason found, the fact is that people who suffer chronic pain are able to sense changes in the weather before these changes are perceptible to others.  Some explanation by way of changes in air pressure. According to David Borenstein, MD, FACP, FACR, a rheumatologist and past president of the American College of Rheumatology, barometric pressure (weight of atmosphere that surrounds us) is likely what affects people the most, particularly people with chronic pain because “sometimes nerves can become more sensitized because of injury, inflammation, scarring or adhesions.”

Image found: http://blackwomenmillionairesevent.com

Q: Okay, I can predict the weather.  The symptoms still suck, so what can I do?

Well, according to the linked WebMD article above, there are measures that you can take to help you with dealing with the weather changes:

  • Stay warm (to help ease pain in cold weather)
  • Try to prevent swelling (if that is an issue for you)
  • Keep moving (even if it’s the last thing you want to do)
  • Improve your mood (while the changes can feel unpredictable and can make you nervous, you do have control over how you respond to these changes.  Work on smiling.  I do. Every day).
  • Realize that the pain is temporary (of course, temporary may be a while, but it is still temporary, so keep smiling).
  • Don’t give up (This is my added thing. Look for the positive in the moment).

Image found: http://msbmore.wordpress.com/ (Check out fellow blogger: Ms. B. More!

Q: I was newly diagnosed/ I’m not sure if I get it–I don’t have arthritis or any old injuries.

If you have been recently diagnosed, then welcome.  It’s good to know that it’s not you and you’re not crazy. If you don’t get it for whatever reason, then this may be why:

  • You’ve not had the chance to track your symptom patterns on multiple levels.

What I mean is that when you are first dealing with FMS symptoms, they can be overwhelming and seem inexplicable.  You may just want to end the pain or get sleep or stop feeling nauseous or be migraine-free, etc.

You may not think about all the factors that may be contributing to your symptoms being more or less aggravated, such as food, activity level, vitamin deficiencies, allergies, recurrent exposure to stress (work/relationships/news/travel), weather and other environmental factors, etc.

Fibromyalgia symptoms are unique to the individual, which is why I think it can take some time to understand just what is affecting you how, and then what to do about it.

Changes in the weather/season, however, is something that many people with FMS have recognized as a contributor to increased symptoms.  These changes can mean:

  • Change in Sleep Cycle
  • Change in Circadian Rhythm
  • Pro-inflammatory Cytokines

For more detailed information on these changes and the specific types of weather changes that can aggravate symptoms and lead to flares, read “Does the Weather Affect Your Fibromyalgia Symptoms” by Dr. Rodger Murphee at TheFibroDoctor.com

 

Believe it or not, predicting the weather is really just your body giving you a warning sign.  It’s letting you know CLEARLY that you are potentially heading into a period of flares, so it is best to take preventative actions.  That’s all there is to it, at least in my book.

Learn to enjoy your psychic ability, disturb your friends with your accuracy, bring it out as a conversation starter or a topic changer…Whatever you do, smile about it, laugh about it, be with it.

It’s your body, you must live in it.  So, live happily as you walk your path.

Until Next Time,

D.

 

P.S.  ATR Challenge (Day 25):  What is right is my taking the time that I need, my accepting the support I receive, and my smiling through both pain and joy.

 

 

[Reblog] About.Com: Hair Loss & Fibromyalgia

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[Reblog] About.Com: Hair Loss & Fibromyalgia

“Before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was sure I had lupus. The symptoms are extremely similar, and one of them that really had me convinced was hair loss. Every time I washed my hair, the tub was covered in it. Still, when I have flares, I leave more hair behind than my husband, who’s thinning a bit. (Good think he’s a saint so he won’t mind that I mentioned it!)

Eventually, I found out that hair loss actually is a fibromyalgia symptom – it’s just not one that typically makes the brief symptom lists you come across when you’re frantically scouring the Internet to figure out what’s wrong.”

I was glad to have found this article, because I experienced a very strange occurence this past week:  my hair began to shed like crazy.  A part of me was terrified.  Another part of me was amused.  Still, there was another part of me that said, “Oh, whatever.”  Still, the excessive hair shedding remained on my mind.

Anyone who has known me for a long time, knows that I have taken care of my hair since age 18.  I kept my hair natural, wearing loc’s for 14 years. Even since cutting and undoing my loc’s, I have continued to keep my hair in its natural state and have begun using natural products to take care of it.  In other words, I am very particular about my hair.

Of course, when I noticed my hair shedding, my mind went to the fact that hair loss (alopecia) is common for Black women. Still, that did not seem to be the correct answer.  Then I began to think about my levels of stress over the recent time period and I recognised that I had been highly stress (and still am).  Then I thought about my fibromyalgia, and came across the linked article.

I had no idea that hair loss was among the symptoms that one could experience, thus I am grateful for having found this article.

Until Next Time,

Diedré