Fibromyalgia-Vitamin Supplements Won't Help. Really?

It can be hard to believe that fibromyalgia,  an extremely complicated illness, one that continues to baffle most physicians, could ever respond to natural over the counter vitamin supplements. While doctors and medical researchers continue to look for the holy grail drug combination to “cure" fibro, the only result is the increase in the drug companies bottom line.

SEE my past blog on "Neurontin for Everything" or "Swimming in a Sea of Green"

Drugs don't make you healthier. They can save your life. They can dampen symptoms and make them manageable, but drugs don't make you healthy. And since the only way to reverse a complicated illness like fibromyalgia is to get healthy -- drugs, at least long term, aren’t the answer.

Why Vitamin Supplements Are So Important For Good Health

Many so-called experts will tell you not to worry about taking vitamins if you are eating a balanced diet. Unfortunately, dieting alone can’t provide enough essential vitamins and minerals to promote optimal health. For instance, you would need to consume 5,000 calories per day (mostly fat) in order to get the recommend minimum (400 IU) of vitamin E, and 12,000 calories per day to get the minimum amount of chromium. Most of our foods are processed and, therefore, the nutrients have been leeched out of them. Could this be one of the reasons pre-senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have increased so dramatically over the last few decades?

Thousands of studies validate the benefits of taking a multivitamin/mineral formula on a daily basis. These studies have been reported in medical journals, popular newspapers and magazines. A good multivitamin/mineral formula offers a broad range of health benefits. Taking a daily multivitamin/mineral formula reduces the incidence of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, glaucoma, depression, macular degeneration, diabetes, senile dementia, and various cancers.

A Few Vitamin Facts

1. Multivitamin Use Is Associated With Lowering A Risk Factor For Cardiovascular Disease. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine states that an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, C-reactive protein (CRP), can be reduced by the intake of a multivitamin. An elevated CRP level found in one’s blood serum is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Source: American Journal of Medicine, Volume 115, Issue 9

2. Daily Multivitamin Use May Bring Significant Savings To Older Americans. According to a this study, the daily use of a multivitamin by older adults could bring about more than $1.6 billion in Medicare savings over the next five years.

3. Slash Cancer Odds. Taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily for four and a half years cut cancer rate 42 percent and cancer deaths in half in a group of 1300 individuals. The incidence of colorectal cancer dropped 64 percent and prostate cancer an amazing 69 percent!  University of Arizona Study.

4. Prevent Alzheimer’s. Not a single elderly person who took separate doses of vitamin E (200-800 IU) or vitamin C (500-1000 mg) developed Alzheimer’s disease during a four-year double blind study. Chicago’s Rush Institute for Healthy Aging.

5. Boost Immune System. Taking 200 IU of natural vitamin E daily boosted immune functioning in older people. A supplement with only 60 mg of vitamin E daily did not improve immune functioning. Obviously, superior immune functioning lessens infections, possibly cancer and heart disease. Tufts University Study

6. Stop Heart Attacks. A daily dose of 400-800 IU of natural vitamin E cut subsequent heart attacks in men with heart problems by an astonishing 77 percent. Cambridge University, England.

7. Stop Strokes. High doses of B vitamins decreased the amount of plaque in carotid (neck) arteries by 10 percent during a four-year study. Blocked carotid arteries can cause strokes. Plaque increased by 50 percent in non-vitamin B takers. University of Toronto.

8. Prevent Fractures. Taking 500 mg of calcium and 700 IU of vitamin D daily for three years significantly cut the rate of bone loss and non-vertebral fractures in men and women older than age 65. Tufts University Study.

9. Save Vision. Women taking vitamin C supplements cut their risk of cataracts by 77 per cent. Tufts University and the National Institutes of Health.

10. Prolong Life. Taking vitamin E and vitamin C (in higher doses than in a multivitamin) cut chances of death from all causes by 42 percent. Vitamin E users were 47 percent less apt to die of heart disease and 59 percent less likely to die of cancer. National Institute on Aging.

11. Help Decrease The Risk Of Stroke. According to researchers from Harvard, the long-term dietary intake of folate and vitamin B12 may help decrease the risk of ischemic stroke. Source: Stroke, Volume 35, 2004

12. Vitamin C Deficiency May Be Linked To Respiratory Disorders. In a two-year study, researchers found that vitamin C may prevent symptoms linked to airway diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 101, Number 10, 2004

Almost as unacceptable as not recommending vitamin and mineral supplements is the recommendation of them based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The RDA is the measured amount or dosage of nutrient per vitamin and minerals recommend. The RDA or as I call it the Recommended DiseaseAallowance,  may keep you from getting Scurvy, but it certainly won’t stand- up to the many chronic diseases that continue to plague modern man.

The U.S. federal government sets these levels based on the “average adult.”  The “average person plan” assumes that you are an adult under 60 years old who is in good health, has normal digestion, isn’t overweight, leads a relatively stress-free life, has no medical problems, doesn’t take any medication, eats a balanced diet, and consumes 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Needless to say, most of us don’t fit into the definition of the average person defined by RDA. In fact, most adult women don’t meet the RDA for zinc, Vitamin B, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin E.  Likewise, most adult men don’t meet the RDA for zinc and magnesium. Fewer than 29% of people eat 5 fresh fruits and vegetables a day. Furthermore, 20% of the U.S. population doesn’t eat ANY fruits or vegetables at all!

The recommended daily allowance is some fifty years out of date. It was never intended to advance health, only to prevent malnutrition diseases like scurvy or rickets. Taking the minimum amount of a nutrient to prevent gross deficiency diseases doesn’t help those people who want to be truly healthy and not just be free of symptoms.

The RDA is inadequate if your goal is for prevention and or treatment of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, depression, senility, diabetes, arthritis and other age related disorders. For optimal health and well-being, many health practitioners are recommending many times higher than the RDA on certain nutrients. It’s no secret, for the majority of the U.S. population the diet is poorly lacking in essential nutrients. Additionally, nearly all Americans are deficient even in the minimal RDA requirements, and are therefore exposed to premature death.

Taking an optimal daily allowance multivitamin/mineral formula is the best way to ensure you obtain and maintain optimal health.

No you most likely won't cure yourself of fibromyalgia by taking a handful of vitamins but you will help yourself become healthier. Combine the right supplements, diet, health habits, and when needed drugs and you stand the best chance of getting healthy and reversing your fibro symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Can Be Reversed-Don’t Give Up

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.
-- Author Unknown


Battling fibromyalgia, the pain, fatigue, low moods, weight gain, insomnia, can be a real test of one’s willpower. It’s hard to be positive, even when we feel our best, but it’s almost impossible to be upbeat when we feel bad. And unfortunately with fibro more days are bad than good. 

It’s easy to understand why someone with fibro could become discouraged, bitter, and hopeless. The chronic symptoms of fibro could test the strongest optimist.

However, the old adage about “if you want to feel better, find someone less well off than you,” still rings true. I know, I KNOW, I’ve been working with fibro patients for 17 years, and yes it is one of the worst illnesses ever-no doubt about it. But,  there are always others who are less fortunate than we are. CANCER, especially terminal cancer-hard to imagine anything worse… I’ve watched a parent die to lung cancer-terrible, terrible death.

If you’re battling fibro and discouraged please don’t give up. You can reverse fibro-I didn’t say cure it, but reverse it. You can feel better. There are doctors who are having success treating and reversing fibro. You can get better, I know because I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with some of the toughest fibro cases over the last 17 years. Don’t give up.

Don’t Give Up

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories... So, don't forget to make time and take opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.

Author unknown

I'd add that while fibro can take away so many things, good health, your social life, your ability to work, your marriage, and more, it can't take away your greatest asset-your ability to mentally decide to keep going, to keep living, to keep fighting to do whatever it takes to get better, to be healthier.

Fibromyalgia Isn't An Anti-Depressant Deficiency

Fibromyalgia patients are often bombarded with recommendations for mind altering, health robbing drugs. Antidepressants and tranquilizing benzodiazepine anxiety pills are common.

But these drugs often cause more problems than good. I'm not anti drug but no one has an antidepressant deficiency. Learning where the happy hormones or neurotransmitters come from allows you to use the raw ingredients (the gasoline) that make these hormones rather than a gasoline additive.

Using amino acids is certainly safer than drug therapy.  It works just as well most of the time, and costs pennies compared to their drug counter parts.

Benzodiazepines have numerous side effects, including poor sleep, seizures, mania, depression, suicide, ringing in the ears, amnesia, dizziness, anxiety, disorientation, low blood pressure, nausea, fluid retention, sexual dysfunction (decreased desire and performance), weakness, somnolence (prolonged drowsiness or a trance-like condition that may continue for a number of days), headaches and tardive dyskinesia. A mind boggling 40% of adults, 60 or older experience drug-induced tics or tardive dyskinesia (tremors or uncontrollable shakes) from taking a benzodiazepine drug. Sadly, for many, these tremors are permanent. Over 61,000 older adults have developed Parkinson’s disease from using antipsychotic drugs (benzodiazepines and antidepressants).  The crippling side effects and addictive nature of these drugs has been known for at least 40 years, yet doctors continue prescribe them at an ever-increasing rate. Surveys show that over 5.6 million adults over the age of 65 are now taking benzodiazepines.

A mouth dropping 50% of all women 60 and older will be prescribed a benzodiazepine drug. And since addiction often occurs within 2 to 4 weeks of starting these drugs, the majority of folks are now dependant on these drugs. Tolerance to the hypnotic (sleep) effects of these drugs may occur within one week.

Symptoms of tolerance are identical to drug withdrawal symptoms and may include anxiety, panic, severe insomnia, muscle pain and stiffness, depression, suicidal thoughts, rage, heart and lung problems, and agoraphobia (extreme fear of public or crowded spaces). Tragically, only 10 to 30% are able to successfully stop taking these drugs, most are addicted for life.

Nutrient Deficiencies Cause Anxiety and Depression

A deficiency in any of these nutrients can cause an assortment of health related illnesses, especially mood and sleep disorders-5HTP, tryptophan, GABA, SAMe, B vitamins, magnesium...

Inhibitory or relaxing neurotransmitters include serotonin and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced from the amino acid 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP). GABA is mainly produced from the amino acid glutamine.  GABA, 5HTP, and L-Theanine Both GABA and 5HTP, have a calming effect on the brain. Benzodiazepines work by increasing the effectiveness of GABA. But, as we’ve learned these drugs have potentially lethal side effects.

Instead of using a GABA additive loaded with potentially dangerous side effects, why not use an over-the-counter GABA or 5HTP supplement to reduce anxiety, stress, or help with sleep? Both work rather quickly, have few side effects, and can be found at the local health food store. Usually only a small dose of GABA is needed, 500–1,000 mg. taken twice daily on an empty stomach. The brain doesn’t readily absorb GABA, but another amino acid known as L-theanine, can boost GABA levels.

I often recommend L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea. It has a calming effect on the brain. For anxiety related disorders the usual dose is 50-100mg taken on an empty stomach, two to three times daily. Research with human volunteers has demonstrated that L-theanine creates its relaxing effect in approximately 30 to 40 minutes after ingestion.

Supplementing with the supplement 5-hydroxytrryptophan (5HTP), a form of the amino acid tryptophan, helps raise serotonin levels. Studies show that 5HTP is as effective in normalizing moods as antidepressant drugs. 5HTP also boosts melatonin levels by 200 percent. The recommended dose is 100mg three times a day.

Amino acid therapy offers a safe and effective way to reduce anxiety-without the numerous side effects associated with benzodiazepines.

May 12th is National Fibromyalgia Day

Should we celebrate National Fibromyalgia Day? Well yes and no. I don’t believe it is appropriate to celebrate a disease or even a day that recognizes a disease.  Wouldn’t it be great if there wasn’t an awareness day because fibromyalgia doesn’t exist anymore?

Wishful thinking I know, but celebrating fibromyalgia doesn’t feel right.

True, those in the fibromyalgia community don’t have anything to celebrate but we can appreciate just how far we have come.

When I first started treating fibromyalgia, some seventeen years ago, the public didn’t know what the illness was or even how to pronounce it. Heck, most doctors didn’t know much of about fibromyalgia.

Fortunately healthcare professionals and the public at large have over the years continued to learn more and more about fibromyalgia-at least at this point most everyone has heard of fibromyalgia.

So while we aren’t celebrating anything on May 12^th we can be appreciative that the skepticism from family, doctors, and the public is thankfully being put to rest.

Unfortunately we still have some STUPID doctors who think that fibromyalgia doesn’t exist-“it’s all in your head.” Clearly ignorance and arrogance is still alive and well as some stupid doctors choose to write fibromyalgia off as another hypochondriac disease.

Wish they could be in your shoes for a few days. I bet they’d change their minds. Let them go 4-5 nights without sleep and battle diffuse achy all over pain day in and day out and I bet they’d be demanding federal dollars for a cure for fibro.

Clearly there is much work to be done so that those with fibromyalgia aren’t made to feel like they are lazy, crazy, or simply depressed.

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is a great way to educate others about a very real disease. We need more research and we need more understanding-the more the better.

We also need to proactive and not wait on “the cure.” Please realize that traditional medicine alone isn’t going to cure fibromyalgia. There will not be a magic pill or combination of magic drugs that will prevent or cure fibro-sorry but it just isn’t possible.

You can read my blog about this topic here-

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/traditional-medicine-offers-little-for.html

I’m not anti-drug-they can be helpful. But drugs don’t make you healthy-they cover up your symptoms and do not correct the problem. Now this can be life saving but covering up symptoms while ignoring the cause can also be dangerous.

You can read more about this topic

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/ill-take-my-chances-with-complementary.html

Unlike type II diabetes in which the symptoms, elevated blood sugar, can be treated and managed with one drug like Metformin, fibromyalgia has several problems, sometimes dozens of symptoms that must be treated in order for the patient to feel dramatically better.

Of course covering up the symptom, elevated blood sugar instead of correcting the cause, being overweight (95% of time) really doesn’t make sense either….

But in fibro patients using one drug after another to treat the various symptoms, insomnia, chronic pain, fatigue, depression, headaches, etc., is a recipe for disaster-one drugs side effects lead to another drug.

The drugs being used for fibromyalgia don’t work, at least long term, and potentially have numerous life draining side effects.

You can read more about these drugs at the links below

Savella-Cymbalta

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/fibromyalgia-drug-savella-another.html

Lyrica

http://treatingandbeatingfibroblog.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Neurontin

http://drmurphree.blogspot.com/2010/10/neurontin-for-everything.html

The only way to beat fibromyalgia, and you can beat fibromyalgia, is to get healthy.

Drugs don’t make you healthy.

Using the essential, natural vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and supplements the body needs to repair itself, replenish serotonin, norepinephrine, cortisol, melatonin, thyroid, etc. is the best long term approach for treating and reversing fibromyalgia.

Using the right supplements along with losing inflammation storing fat, slowly building up to exercising on a daily basis, reducing or eliminating potentially dangerous drugs, and managing stress, allows your body to repair itself.

If you are tired of being sick and tired, tired of seeing doctor after doctor who continue offer more and more mind numbing drugs, going year after year stuck in a medical paradigm that treats symptoms, not causes, then I challenge you to be proactive and take a different course of action-get healthy.

Are you willing to be proactive and get healthy? Change your diet? Start the RIGHT (go easy) exercise program for you? Are you ready to start eliminate those bad health habits you know aren’t good for you-smoking, excessive sugar, etc?

New Patient Phone and In Clinic Appointments Are Available

Normally $399 still only $129

I’m committed to helping any many folks as I can beat fibromyalgia. I’ve helped thousands get their life back. Are you next?

Call 205-879-2383

The History of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

In 1993, Tom Hennessy, the founder of RESCIND, INC.  (Repeal Existing Stereotypes about Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases) designated May 12 as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND).

The date was chosen to memorialize the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse who inspired the founding of the International Red Cross.  Nightingale contracted a paralyzing, CIND-like illness in her mid-thirties and spent the last 50 years of her life virtually bedridden.  Despite her illness, she managed to found the first ever School of Nursing.

Today, National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day activities take place worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of this chronic pain illness. Awareness Day seeks to help patients and organizations educate the general public, healthcare professionals, government officials, and legislative bodies.

National fibromyalgia and chronic pain organizations, as well as local support groups around the country, host events in or around May 12 to create awareness and generate media interest in their cause.

Don't be Fooled by the Low Fat Propaganda

 

Fat provides energy, produces certain hormones, insulates
us from cold, and makes up cellular membranes. It is the primary source of fuel for the muscles, including the heart.

Fats have gotten a bad rap in our society. Low-fat diets have been the rage for years, promising weight-loss and improved health. But this line of thinking has contributed to yo-yo dieting, heart disease, fibromyagia, chronic fatigue, and type-2 diabetes. 

In fact, researchers at the National Institute of Health have recently shown that while our consumption of fat and cholesterol have drastically declined over the last several years, we've actually gained an average of ten pounds per person. 

Statistics show that during the years between 1960 and 1980, one-quarter of the population was overweight. But that number has grown to 60% of the population. Researchers and health officials are still scratching their heads over these statistics. It is now estimated that , over 80% of the U.S. population will be overweight in the near future. The "fat-free" mantra has proven to be the most misguided medical blunder since bloodletting.

The fear of fat and its derivative, cholesterol, has spawned a multibillion dollar industry of low-fat foods, but it's not turning the tide. We trust medical intervention, but drugs that lower fats and cholesterol have been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers. Dieters dutifully avoid fat, but hidden sugars in our processed foods are being turned into fat right under our noses (and our belts!).

The truth is that fat is in all natural foods. It is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in our overall health. We can't live without fat in our diet. Fat provides over twice the amount of energy of carbohydrates and 70% of the energy needed just to keep the body warm. Fats make up 70% of the brain. The fat insulates the brain cells and allows the neurotransmitters to communicate with one another.

Cholesterol and fats make up each and every cell. Cholesterol helps keep cell membranes permeable, and this permeability allows good nutrients in and toxic waste products out. Over 8% of the brain's solid matter is made up of cholesterol, and cholesterol is essential for proper brain function and normalized neurotransmitters such as serotonin. 

A deficiency in cholesterol can result in mood disorders including depression, anxiety, irritability, and fibro-fog. Cholesterol is also involved in the production of such essential hormones as DHEA, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol. 

Because it is essential to our very survival, cholesterol is manufactured by the body on a daily basis. Eliminating cholesterol from our diet only triggers the body to make more!

What about cholesterol and heart disease?

Believe it or not, your body needs cholesterol. It's not some foreign element to be avoided. It's a valuable nutrient.

Consider these facts about cholesterol, taken from my book Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You.

Cholesterol is so important that the body manufactures 800-1500 mg. each day. This is about twice as much as you take in through diet! Cholesterol and other fats are the very building blocks that make up each and every cell. Cholesterol is an important fat that helps keep cell membranes permeable, allowing good nutrients to get in and toxic waste products to get out. Cholesterol makes the bile salts required for the digestion of fat. 

Cholesterol is the precursor to vitamin D an important hormone in reducing pain associated with fibromyalgia. Cholesterol is essential in proper hormone production. Testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone, estradiol, and cortisol, all essential for optimal health and in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms and are all made from cholesterol. 

Fats make up 70% of the brain, and over 8% of the brain's solid matter is made up of cholesterol. The fat and cholesterol insulates brain cells and allows for proper functioning of neurotransmitters. 

Cholesterol levels have been repeatedly linked to decreased brain function, including depression. Those with low cholesterol are three times more likely to suffer from depression as normal adults. The British Medical Journal has published research showing that the lower the cholesterol, the more severe the depression. 

Low cholesterol levels are also linked to an increased risk of suicide. One study, reported in the British Medical Journal, showed that of the 300 people studied who had committed suicide, all had low cholesterol levels. Another study reveals that men whose cholesterol levels are lowered through the use of prescription lipid-lowering medications double their chances of suicide. Low cholesterol (below 180) has been linked to an increased risk for heart attack. Yes, you read this correctly. Low cholesterol increases the risk of a heart attack.      

Read all the dangerous medical myths associated with heart disease in my book Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You.