I guess here is as good as anywhere. I just stumbled across this at lef.org and thought it may be of interest here:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2010/mar2010_Reduce-Blood-Pressure-Naturally_01.htm
Say Goodbye to Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia causes many aging women (and some men) to suffer chronic and debilitating muscle pain. Conventional medicine offers little in the way of effective relief.
Dr. Lichten treats fibromyalgia by first restoring healthy sleep patterns and then identifying the anabolic hormones that are so often deficient. By combining solid nutritional therapy with optimal anabolic hormone balancing, Dr. Lichten has seen dramatic recoveries in patients who had lost all hope.
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Curious as to what else lef had to say, I found this article in which a single fibromyalgia patient is "greatly benefited":
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/jul2005_ch_02.htm (This is by the same doctor, Dr. Sergey A. Dzugan, running clinical trials to show that hormone replacement normalizes cholesterol). More details about this single case:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/jul2005_ch_01.htm
Life Extension's CFS protocol (notto cure but just to improve):
http://www.lef.org/protocols/immune_connective_joint/fibromyalgia_07.htm
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/oct2012_Restoring-Cellular-Energy-Metabolism_02.htm
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (FM) and
chronic fatigue syndrome are conditions that often occur together and are believed to have a similar underlying cause.28
There's accumulating evidence that
defective production of ATP is the culprit.28-30 These findings make d-ribose a natural candidate as a therapy for those suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. A published case study showed that a woman with fibromyalgia experienced a decrease in symptoms following supplementation with d-ribose.31 The patient had been unresponsive to prior medications, and her physicians based their decision on the known
energy-enhancing capabilities of d-ribose.
A larger study soon followed enlisting 41 patients with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.28 Subjects took
5 grams of d-ribose
three times daily until they reached a total of
280 grams.
There was significant improvement in all five categories on a standard score: energy, sleep, mental clarity, pain intensity, and well-being.28 On average, patients reported a
45% increase in energy levels.
While fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome remain complicated and perplexing to scientists, these findings offer real hope for a solution.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag97/april-report97.htm
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is one of those mysterious syndromes that can either occur by itself, or accompany other diseases such as lupus and chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome. The main feature of fibromyalgia is persistent pain-not necessarily in the joints, but deep in muscles-that occurs for no apparent reason. The symptoms of fibromyalgia include tenderness at several points of the body. In addition, people with fibromyalgia frequently have fatigue, sleep disturbances, numbness, joint swelling, and other symptoms. It is often treated with tricyclic antidepressants.
It has been suggested by several researchers that SAMe might be a good substitute for tricyclic antidepressants for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Several studies have proven them right. In a study in the Scandanavian Journal of Rheumatology, 800 mg of SAMe per day for six weeks improved "clinical disease activity", pain, and morning stiffness. Mood improved when measured by the Face Scale, but there was no signficant improvement on the Beck Depression Inventory.
An earlier study did find, however, significant improvement on the HAM-D and the Scala di Autovalutazione per la Depressione in 11 of 17 fibromyalgia patients taking SAMe.
Another study compared SAMe to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Fifteen patients with primary fibromyalgia were given one 200 mg injection of SAMe in the morning, plus a 200 mg tablet at noon and in the evening. The study lasted 6 weeks. During the first 2 weeks, patients in the SAMe group had a significant decrease on two depression scales. During the last 2 weeks, a significant reduction on a third scale occurred. The TENS patients did not do as well. But when 5 of them switched to SAMe, their depression scores also decreased. No side effects were reported.
A study published in Current Therapeutic Research found that a 200 mg injection of SAMe plus 400 mg orally twice a day significantly decreased depression in fibromyalgia patients beginning on day 7. This coincided with a decrease in physical symptoms.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag97/sept97-report.htm
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a kind of mystery disease. No one knows what causes it. The basic symptoms are pain in muscles and bones, plus fatigue. Other symptoms include disturbed sleep and depression. Doctors diagnose it by pressing on various parts of the body. Lab tests for fibromyalgia can look perfectly normal unless special muscle testing is done. Fibromyalgia can occur by itself or as part of another disease. The Arthritis Foundation considers it a type of arthritis.
In 1987, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was done on 17 people with fibromyalgia not complicated by any other disease. Five participants had suffered from it for 10 years or longer. Researchers found that SAMe reduced pain and caused no major side effects.
In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 44 fibromyalgia patients took 800 mg of SAMe for 6 weeks. Results showed that SAMe reduced pain at the tender points, as well as fatigue, morning stiffness and resting pain. Being free of pain apparently put people in a better mood: they chose more "happy faces" in psychological tests.
Results of treatment
with SAMe for
Fibromyalgia
IMPROVED
- Tender Points
- Morning Stiffness
- Resting pain
- Fatigue
(Adopted from Jacobsen, et al.)
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/sep2003_report_creatine_01.html
Creatine and chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia
Because of creatine’s apparent abilities to improve the symptoms of other pathologies involving a lack of high energy compounds (e.g., congestive heart failure, etc.) as well as the aforementioned afflictions outlined in the introduction to this article, it has been suggested that creatine may help with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (some researchers now posit that they are in fact the same syndrome). Although the causes of both pathologies is still being debated, a lack of high energy compounds (e.g. ATP) at the level of the mitochondria and general muscle weakness exists. For example, people with fibromyalgia have lower levels of creatine phosphate and ATP levels compared to controls.4 No direct studies exist at this time showing creatine supplementation improves the symptomology of either chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. Considering, however, the other data that finds that creatine supplementation increases creatine and ATP levels consistently in other pathologies where low levels of creatine and ATP are found, it stands to reason that people suffering from either syndrome may want to peruse the use of creatine. Another similar syndrome to chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome, which may also be potentially improved by the use of creatine supplements, though more research is clearly needed.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/oct2012_Restoring-Cellular-Energy-Metabolism_03.htm
studies perhaps worth looking into:
28. Teitelbaum JE, Johnson C, St Cyr J. The use of D-ribose in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: a pilot study.
J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Nov;12(9):857-62.
29. Eisinger J, Plantamura A, Ayavou T. Glycolysis abnormalities in fibromyalgia.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1994 Apr;13(2):144-8.
30. Le Goff P. Is fibromyalgia a muscle disorder?
Joint Bone Spine. 2006 May;73(3):239-42.
31. Gebhart B, Jorgenson JA. Benefit of ribose in a patient with fibromyalgia.
Pharmacotherapy. 2004 Nov;24(11):1646-8.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/dec2002_medup.html
1. Coenzyme Q10, ginkgo and fibromyalgia
A study evaluated whether anecdotal claims of benefits from coenzyme Q10 and ginkgo in those with fibromyalgia could be substantiated. Participants received 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 and 200 mg of ginkgo biloba extract daily for 84 days. Their quality of life was evaluated by well-validated questionnaires that measured seven different subjective responses, after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The quality of life scores showed progressive improvement during the study period and at its completion. There was a significant difference of scores from the start to the end. In the self-rating criteria, 64% claimed to be better, compared to 9% feeling worse. Any adverse effects were noted as being minor. Thus, coenzyme Q10, and ginkgo biloba improved the quality of life of those with fibromyalgia.
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH, 2002, Vol 30, Iss 2, pp 195-199
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Here is an article f of someone who is able to keep going with CFS withe the listed supplements including a new one on me: cetyl myristoleate
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag99/dec99-profile.html (The rest of her supplement list souds pretty wimpy (inadequate).
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/feb2002_report_acam_01.html
When tissues don't receive sufficient blood, the cells are starved for oxygen and nutrients. Pain can result, as in headache or fibromyalgia.
...
Hypercoagulability can be easily detected through the use of the well-known "sed-rate" blood test. Sed rate of less than 5 indicates hypercoagulability. ...
Virus infections have been singled out as particularly likely to provoke excess fibrin production. This fibrin accumulates in certain places, creating a "fibrin block" that impedes blood flow and deprives a certain area of the body of sufficient oxygen. Ryser said that she finds a history of two to six serious infections per every chronic fatigue patient.
etc. for means of increasing blood flow.