Pentimento

Fibromyalgia First Person Viewpoint

This is a comment I made on an article in Zimbio, and I thought it was worth posting here on Pentimento too. --Carol

As a lifetime sufferer with fibromyalgia (I am 57), I can attest that even though there are identified "tender points", the pain can be in other places on the body too.

As I shower and shave my legs I feel the pain all up the front of both shins.

When I am at the dentist and the tech is being friendly by tapping my shoulder as we share a laugh, I am cringing with pain at what she would deem a gentle touch.

A handshake can almost bring me to my knees, but I don't dare let that happen because the muscles on my knees keep me from getting on them just to clean the tub.

My friends and neighbors think I am a social outcast because I don't drive a car. They don't know that on most nights I never get full restorative sleep, and I can bet you they wouldn't want me driving a couple tons of car anywhere near them. Some days, I can't even think clearly, and you judge me because I don't drive a car? 

If the pain a fibromyalgia sufferer experiences showed up glowing under the skin, you would probably see many of us completely "lit".

People are more aware than they used to be. Almost everyone I know "knows someone" who has fibromyalgia.  It is truly one of the most invisible diseases. How can you reduce the stress for a FM patient?

• Never tell them it is "all in your head".

• Don't ask if they are "over being sick". They never will be until a cure can be found.

• If he or she is actually asleep, for goodness sake, be quiet and let them sleep. It is like gold to be able to rest.

• If you have a family member who has FM, get informed. Google the condition and find quality information.

• Above all, please be understanding, kind and helpful. It really is a painful disease and very hard to endure.

More information can be found on the National Fibromyalgia Association  website.

Fibromyalgia Combatant Endures Pain Daily

Some days, I just don't want to get out of bed. I lay there and think "I can't face one more day of feeling like crap". It isn't just that my ears are ringing from not enough good sleep, or that the cat just stepped on my leg and now it feels like it's on fire like someone branded it. No, it's just the pain when I am touched...anywhere.

To be honest, I am not just physically tired, I am emotionally and spiritually tired too. I'm tired of Lyrica ads on TV when I know that the drug doesn't help me.  I took it last summer and Hollywood wanted to cast me as a zombie. The only good thing about the ad is that it makes people more aware that there even is a disease like fibro.

Since "doing myself in" isn't something I would ever consider (bad karma you know!) then I haul my carcass out of bed and face another day. I shuffle down the hall and out to the family room.  The cat is in his usual place by the computer table, waiting patiently for his Greenies. Spoiled rotten little mooch. Good thing he is cute and has no bad habits. We may have to keep him another 16 years.   

Time to take my meds and get something to eat. Have to remember to drink my orange juice, or have something with ascorbic acid in it to help flush the lactic acid out of my muscles that causes some of the pain. I try to accomplish some project every day, but if I am having a "tired" day, I just can't do much at all. Some days, all I can do is a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher and rest up until it is time to cook dinner.

I long for warmer weather since the cold makes me feel like I'm paralyzed all over. I want to feel happy again. To have something big to look forward to. To not worry if I have forgotten to pay a bill, or someone's birthday. To hug my grandkids and just be around them more than I am now. To not have to feel the guilt because I don't drive a car. To not have to explain anything about myself to anyone.

Well, the pity party is over and the guest of dishonor is going to go take a nap now. Tomorrow is another day!

Get Your Free Rice Here

Here is a fun site where you can do something good for humanity, and improve your vocabulary at the same time. It's called Free Rice. All you have to do is choose which definition goes with which word. Warning: It is addictive! I ended up giving away 8000 grains of rice the other day! And found out that my vocabulary is much better than I had thought. Not that I use those big words every day, but I know what many of them mean. Do you? Come back here and tell me how many grains of rice you gave!

How The FDA Is Putting Your Health In Danger

Big business, which includes pharmaceutical companies, continues to erode the rights of United States citizens, and they are doing it with the help of an entity of our government that was created to oversee the health and well-being of us all: The Food and Drug Administration. As we have all seen in the past with our contaminated food deaths, the FDA is completely worthless, and by all indications, controlled by pharmaceutical company moles, or worse. What the below issue comes down to, AGAIN, is GREED on the part of a big company whose only goal is to cut out the 'little guy' and make huge profits off a much needed compounded drug.

Oppose FDA's Action on behalf of Wyeth to Restrict BHRT
Alert Date: January 2008
FDA recently took action on behalf of pharmaceutical manufacturer Wyeth to impose harmful restrictions on the compounding and dispensing of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), specifically compounded medicines containing the drug estriol.  This action has critical implications for pharmacists, patients and physicians.  Take Action Now!

If you think this is an isolated case, think again! Take a look at these other alerts, and I bet you know someone who will be affected by them also.

Current Action Alerts

Oppose Genetech's Action to Limit Access to Avastin
Alert Date: November 2007
Do you or a loved one suffer from wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)? Does your doctor prescribe Avastin to treat it? Pharmaceutical manufacturer Genentech has taken action to restrict access to this medicine. Take action today!

Physicians and Healthcare Professionals

Patients

Tell Your Member of Congress About the Benefits of Compounding
Ongoing Alert
Play a part in educating policymakers.  Tell your story and help protect your access to customized, compounded medicines.  Take Action Now!  To begin, please select the category that best describes you below:

Physicians and Healthcare Professionals

Veterinarians

Patients and Healthcare Advocates

Pet Owners

IN NO WAY am I being compensated for this post, other than if we all take a stand and fight to keep big business from controlling our government and our health. We need to stop being "sheeple" and call a halt to this madness! I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore! Now, YOU get mad too! DO SOMETHING!

Can Ribose Really Help Fibromyalgia Patients As Weil Suggests?

I am always on the look-out for fibromyalgia news and found this October 8, 2007 newswire story in Voxant today. Like many of you, I am leery of "the next new thing" being touted as a supplement, but Dr. Andrew Weil is a well-respected physician, and hopefully, not being sucked into a marketing ploy. You have to forgive me for my constant negativity when it comes to fibromyalgia "cures". No one wants to be free of pain any more than I do, but after my less-than-wonderful experience with Lyrica this year, well, I am just always a skeptic. And, hopeful.

Jumping Off The Lyrica Bandwagon

As many of you probably know, I have fibromyalgia, a painful muscle disease that currently has no cure. There are days when I have trouble getting up out of a chair after sitting for a while, and muscle cramps in my legs or other parts of my body like my neck or back that can take my breath away in an instant. So, when my doctor suggested I take Lyrica (because the FDA had approved it for fibromyalgia) I jumped on that bandwagon in hopes that it would at least reduce some of the pain.

That doctor's appointment was on July 16th, and I began taking Lyrica the next day. The doctor had given me two weeks worth of samples to try, and then I asked for two more week's worth because I was going to be out of town for two weeks in August. So, from July 17th until August 26th I was on a constant dosage of Lyrica, with, from what I could determine, no pain relief and a many unwanted side-effects.

Prescription Lyrica is not for everyone. Some of the most common side effects of Lyrica are dizziness, sleepiness, dry mouth, and edema. Plus blurred vision, weight gain, constipation, euphoric mood, and loss of balance. Also, increased appetite and trouble concentrating.

Fibromyalgia robs me of restorative sleep that I could use to help my body fight off the pain. When I was taking Lyrica I had no trouble sleeping, but it wasn't restorative sleep either. In fact, I would doze off in my chair either at home, or while at my friend's house in Idaho. I take two Lyrica at 10 AM in the morning, and two more at 10 PM at night. Usually, two hours after taking the morning dose I couldn't keep my eyes open and would sometimes wake up a couple hours later. Not very conducive for being a scintillating house guest!

I had hoped that the side-effects of the Lyrica would wear off after I got used to taking it, but after a month or more they did not and it was time to make a decision about whether to continue using it or not. I chose to quit cold turkey, which may or may not have been a good idea. I imagine that since I had been taking it for over a month, that it will take a while to get out of my system too. Almost immediately though, the overwhelming sleepiness went away, as well as the very dry mouth and horrible taste in the morning. My ankles do not swell as much as they used to while taking Lyrica either.

Each person is different in how they react to medications. I just wanted to let everyone know what my experience with Lyrica was, and maybe it will help you decide whether you want to take it or not.

Big Macs and 40 Years of Heart Attacks Too!

As McDonald's celebrates 40 years of bringing you the Big Mac and other heart-stopping delicacies, should we really be celebrating this milestone quite so vigorously? I love Big Macs myself too, but I know they are very much bad for me and I try to not eat them very often. You want fries with that? Billions of humans can't be wrong...can they? 

O24 Fibromyalgia Really Works On Pain

This is not a paid advertisement, but rather a testimonial by me as someone who has tried this product and found it to work just as predicted. Yes, it does have a fairly strong aroma, but when you are in pain that aroma is not something you're going to worry about. The essential oils are applied by using a towelette and rubbed into the areas that are painful. It takes very little time to start working, and if applied at bedtime to the affected areas, it does help by dulling or eliminating the pain so you can sleep. I actually used one towelette for a few days, since it is so infused with the pain-relieving ingredients.

Since When Can We Trust The FDA?

As you can see from the news story below, the FDA and an independent panel of investigators have told US drug regulators to keep Avandia on the market. Did they not do the same with Bextra and other drugs that later were pulled? It isn't a matter of how much our government agencies care about the common man or woman, it is how much pressure is put on them by the drug companies that stand to lose billions if these drugs are taken off the market. I wonder if GSK has investments in the coffin making industry....

It's enough to make you sick.

BTW, I have a personal interest in this drug. My brother is diabetic and he takes it.

Leery About Lyrica

In 2002 I was willing to take anything that would alleviate the pain I was experiencing with my fibromyalgia, so I opted to try Bextra. What a nightmare that turned out to be! Oh sure, the pain was less, but the side effects I experienced were troublesome, to say the least.

We were painting the outside of the house the summer of 2003, when I was well into taking Bextra and beginning to notice the side-effects. Any small effort on my part and I was drenched in sweat and panting like I had just run a marathon. I kept on taking the drug though, because I thought it was helping me have a more normal life.

I remember meeting an old friend at Fred Meyer one day, and we stopped to chat for a few minutes. I could hardly talk to her because perspiration was dripping off my forehead and my glasses were actually steaming up! I apologized, feeling like a freak, and she was very understanding, but we had to cut out chat short because I needed to get cooled off.

Christmas of 2003 we had our son and his family here for the holiday and his birthday on the 27th, and we cooked a big dinner. I was dripping sweat the whole time I was cooking, and even on pain medication I was still aching after that and I just had to sit down and rest. The visit was great, but my pain was evident even on my face as I tried valiantly to be a good hostess.

Now, there is a new pain medication approved by the FDA to treat the pain of fibromyalgia and it is called Lyrica. I don't think I will be trying it though. After all, Bextra was approved by the FDA and now it and Vioxx are off the market because they were too dangerous. You can read the FDA press release here.

If you have fibromyalgia, do you think you will be taking Lyrica? Take my poll on my Squidoo Fibromyalgia Lens and voice your opinion.

Just Say NO To High Fructose Corn Syrup!

When I was born in 1950, we only had two sources of sugar: beet sugar and cane sugar. As early as probably the 1960's though, companies like Clinton Corn Processing Company (where my husband used to work) began making High Fructose Corn Syrup to be used as an additive in all sorts of foods.

Granted, there have always been overweight people in our society, but it was because they overate, or had some physical condition that contributed to their weight gain. As with nicotine being increased in cigarettes to hook more smokers, Phillip Morris and other companies have conspired to add HFCS to much of our foods with little or no regard to our waistlines or health, and lots of concern about their profits.

I am not some multi-grain, health food munching, eat-it-and-die nutcase, but rather an average citizen who probably had to have a sledgehammer to wake me up to the fact that many of the foods I eat are being "poisoned" by this corn syrup additive. Let's begin, in our own homes, a campaign against high fructose corn syrup. It won't cost you extra money, and in fact, it could save you money by lowering your medical bills. Is your triglyceride level too high? You can blame HFCS for that!

What can we do? Well, for one thing, quit buying foods that say they have HFCS on the label. Eat organic foods, and optimally, ones that are grown locally. I am not trying to "take down" big business, I am trying to make everyone aware that big corporations are making us sick, and fat. If you are still unsure about how HFCS could be affecting your health, please do your own research. Talk to your doctor if you like. I doubt if boycotting HFCS is going to put doctors out of business or anything.

Tainted Chinese Imports Common

"Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical."  If you do nothing else today, you must read this article. Then, after reading it, think about everything that you put in your mouth today. Where does it come from, and how could it be contaminated? This is not some scare tactic by the health food industry (although they have been telling us all along that our food isn't safe) but another voice in the wilderness telling us (again) that we are being poisoned by our own food manufacturers who care more about making lots of money than about the people they may be killing.

Our country is rotting from within, and because we can't even trust our own FDA to protect us, we are being force fed bad food. In my opinion, we are going to have to go back to growing our own food and buying from people we actually know. One of my friends routinely stocks up on things like dried plums, etc., and after I read this article to her she now has to throw away some of the food she has stored because she can't be sure it won't make her sick.

Are you reading the labels on your food? Not for calorie count. I mean to be informed about where your food is being processed. Just because the label 'sounds' like an American company doesn't mean that they don't import some of this tainted food. It might be packaged here, but WHERE DID IT COME FROM ORIGINALLY?

At this point, I don't have any answers, or advice on recourse. Any comments?

read more | digg story

Your pets got sick...Now, what's in YOUR food?

Quick...Where do you think your spices come from? Do you buy McCormick or Shilling? A very interesting discussion with one of my friends today brought to light that even though you think you are buying your spices from an American company, those spices are bottled in the USA, but the spices themselves are grown in....you guessed it: China. Yes, the current admitted source of melamine additives to your pet's food.

Pet Foods May Have Been Intentionally Poisoned

My friend and I both agreed that China really made a mistake by allowing the grain for pet food to be contaminated by God knows what. Why? Because American's are not very careful about what they put in their own mouths, but when it comes to their pets or livestock, they are rabid about animal health. I am not just talking about cats and dogs here either. Think about the livestock like rodeo bulls, race horses, llamas, and any other high priced animals being raised in the USA, or anywhere for that matter. They surely get tested en mass probably more often than us humans.

I am not one of those radical pure food activists. Not by a long shot. But when someone like me starts to get concerned about the additives in my food, you can be sure that the problem is already way out of control. Think about what you put in your stomach each day. You can bet that China couldn't care less if they are poisoning us or not. Heck, they probably poison their own citizens anyway. If I am wrong about that, then prove it to me. We are talking about a country that eats cats, after all. How much fallout will there be for China about this pet food contamination? Just how many people do you think will show up for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing?

And it isn't just the pet food crisis. What about...

Hormones in milk What effect is it having on our children and those with cancers?  "The milk we drink today is quite unlike the milk our ancestors were drinking" without apparent harm for 2,000 years, she said. "The milk we drink today may not be nature's perfect food."

High fructose corn syrup is in almost all foods. Nutritionists are asking people to decrease their intake of high fructose corn syrup significantly.  It is one of the major causes of obesity and diabetes today.

Food manufacturers are hiding MSG so you don't know where it is. Lately, food manufacturers mention a "clean label" when referring to soy sauce and other processed flavor enhancers that already contain MSG in the form of glutamic acid.  Food manufacturers use these ingredients so they can claim "no added MSG".  Hence a "cleaner"   label.  They know it's in there, they are just hoping you don't.

Study Finds Arsenic Widespread In Chicken April 6, 2006

Brand name chicken products sold in American supermarkets and fast food restaurants are widely contaminated with arsenic, according to independent test results released by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Just citing these few areas of our food gives you a small inkling of how our food manufacturers have traded money for the health of the humans they feed. What can you do? Well, I guess we all can be more aware, for one thing. Try to buy food from co-ops and farmers markets. Eating healthier foods can seem more expensive, but what if by doing so it means you are going to the doctor less often with allergies, high blood pressure and diabetes control? The next time you go to the store, think about what you are putting in your cart. Try to buy healthier foods more and more each time.

10 Steps to Understanding Fibromylgia

Here are 10 things you should know about fibromyalgia:

1. Each day is taken one at a time. In fact, each hour might be taken that way. One of the symptoms of fibro is that you never get full restorative sleep. You can wake up just as exhausted as you were when you went to bed.

2. You might think that your fibromyalgia friend or spouse is following your conversation, but they may ask you what you just said. This can be especially true if you interrupt a conversation with some humorous comment. It isn't the humor that throws off the fibro person, it is possible that they might not be thinking clearly that day (fibro fog).

3. People with fibro are not anti-social for the most part. It is just that loud noises and bright lights are an assault to their senses. Going to see a movie in a theater is like torture because they always have the sound track way more loud than (a fibro survivor deems) necessary. Because of the constant fatigue, it affects our immune system and we have to be very careful about cleanliness. Being in a crowded theater or any large group is risky.

4. Things you take for granted, like a friendly hug, a gentle punch in the arm, or just having your arm grabbed to direct you as you are walking can cause instant and lasting pain for someone with fibromyalgia. I have had to ask dental personnel to not tap my shoulder or grab my arm when we are having a conversation.  It is almost impossible to carry on a coherent conversation when I am having a breast exam, the pain is just so intense.

5. We cannot be rushed. If you want to do a fast walk, forget about calling me. I can walk safely at my own pace, but I find it very hard to keep up with someone with a different stride.  I might be able to keep up with you for a few minutes, but eventually I am going to lag behind. I truly cannot keep up with you. And no, I can't ride a bike. The position of being part way bent over puts a tremendous strain on my lower back muscles. Even standing at the sink peeling potatoes can 'excite' those muscles so much that I have to stop and go sit down or at least fully bend over to stretch them out.

6. Until there is a cure, my fibromyalgia is not going away. So, please don't ask me if I am "over" it yet. I know you mean well, but even if you have fibromyalgia too, the medications that might help you with the pain may not help me.

7. I am not clumsy. It could be that I have put too much pressure on one of my muscles and it was so painful to do that, that the only way to alleviate the pain is to stop putting that pressure on it. So, I might suddenly sit down, or look like I have tripped. It is an instinctive reaction, not clumsiness.

8. It may be warm as toast in a room to you, but my hands or feet might feel like ice to me. It is really hurtful when someone tells me I am a "wimp" and that "it's not that cold".

9. For me, flying is torture. The pressure changes in the cabin cause me to have extreme ear pain. Yes, I use ear plugs, but sometimes even those don't help. My ears are always ringing anyway, so to have excruciating ear pain on top of a long flight is just about all I can take.

10. Those of us with fibromyalgia want to be just like the rest of you, but we are not. We have an "invisible" disease and we need your understanding.  Please practice kindness to others no matter who they are, or what their afflictions might be.

Snapshot of 3000+ Fibromyalgia patients

National Fibromyalgia Association Epidemiological Study Results Released ORANGE, Calif.--- Morning stiffness, fatigue, non-restorative sleep, pain, low back pain, concentration, and memory “fog” were among the most common problems reported by people with fibromyalgia.

read more | digg story

Scottish scientists unveil 'spray-on' computer

Scottish scientists have developed a computer the size of a matchstick head, thousands of which can be sprayed onto patients to give a comprehensive analysis of their condition.

read more | digg story

Drug Companies Becoming A Pain

If you read my blog very often, you are probably aware that I am a crusader against greed in all its forms. Most recently, greed has reared its ugly head and again, affected my life. It seems that no matter what any of us try to do to have a better, more healthy life, there is some big business out there to make sure they can dominate the market and squeeze out the little guy.

Case in point: I am currently taking a prescribed medicine for a secondary (to fibromyalgia) painful condition. It has nothing to do with the fibromyalgia, but anything that causes me more pain and contributes to me not being able to get restorative sleep, in effect, does make it harder to live with the primary fibro pain.

One of my doctors has prescribed a medicine for this secondary condition, and it happens to be a compounded medicine not available at the local drugstore. Using this drug for the secondary pain alleviation has been like a weight being lifted from my whole being. When I picked up my prescription recently, in with it was a small insert alerting me to the fact that the big drug companies like Wyeth are lobbying federal regulators to restrict, and possibly deny my access to compounded medicines! Instead of my doctor being the one who determines what drugs I can take, if the big drug companies get their way, it will be them.

Who does it affect? Physicians, Patients, Veterinarians, Caregivers, Healthcare Advocates, Pharmacists

This is not a problem just in the United States. There are compounding pharmacies all over the world. No matter what country you live in, if you are taking a compounded drug, or know someone who is and it has helped them in some way, please take a moment to visit the P2C2 site and voice your opinion about keeping your medical choices out of the hands of the big drug companies.

What can  you do?

Write to Congress and tell them you and your physician should be the ones to decided which medicines are available to you.

In no way am I being paid or compensated for this article. It is something I feel very strongly about, and I hope you do too. Stop letting big business interfer in your life!

Fibromyalgia Strikes Again

Sometimes, it really sucks to be me. At least the "me" with fibromyalgia. I never know when it is going to put me out of commission physically. Like this morning. I was sleeping well and would probably have kept on sleeping, but I awoke because my neck and shoulders were hurting so bad that I could hardly turn over in bed.

That happens now and then, but usually as I stretch my muscles it eases (no, it never goes away) and I can somewhat function for the rest of the day. Not today though. What I really need now is a neck and back rub, and there is no one to do it. My husband is at work. So, my only choice is to get something to eat (having a full stomach eases pain for most people) and maybe take a couple aspirin later too.

The worst part of all this is that we have a 10 AM appointment tomorrow with a financial advisor (that sounds like we have money! Ha!) and unless this pain subsides enough to go, my husband is going to be attending by himself. Like I said, sometimes it really sucks to be me.

To find out more about this disabling disease, please visit the National Fibromyalgia Association website, or Devin Starlanyl's website which is also very rich in information.

National Fibromyalgia Association

Link: National Fibromyalgia Association. This is a great article about how to be a good friend to someone who has fibromyalgia.

Exerpt:

Having an invisible syndrome like fibromyalgia can stress relationships because it shifts you into a new reality that isn’t seen or understood by friends. Let’s face it: having a confounding syndrome like fibromyalgia is baffling to all concerned. You, your family, doctors and other health care providers can’t explain exactly what fibromyalgia is, why you got this syndrome, or how to treat it. It is no surprise that explaining it to friends can be down right impossible. How many times have you tried to explain to friends what fibromyalgia is and saw in their faces an expression of complete confusion? A friend’s lack of understanding can be upsetting, but it doesn’t have to cause the end of the relationship. Read the rest of the article here.

Why Weight Gain is a Problem With Fibro, and What to Do About It

Link: Why Weight Gain is a Problem With Fibro, and What to Do About It. I am always on the lookout for Fibro information, so this one really caught my eye since I too suffer from weight gain.

You Look Fine. Are You Sure You're Disabled?

Today, my husband and I went with some long time friends to a doctor's appointment (for the husband) as the "support team". After the appointment was over they asked us if we would like to go out to lunch at the local golf course restaurant. We answered in the affirmative. It was a bit damp out today, and on days like this I can really feel it in my muscles, so a nice meal by the fireplace was sounding lovely.

As we were pulling into the large parking lot for the restaurant, our friend said that he hoped we could find a parking place not too far away from the entrance. To which I replied that we could use my handicapped parking placard. Immediately, that was refused by both of them, with the comment from our hosts of "Oh, we don't need to use that". Even after my husband reinterated what I had suggested, they still refused. It struck me then that they might think that I have it to circumvent the system or something. To give myself priority for something I don't deserve. Not true.

Of course there are people who have these placards that have and do abuse them. I am not one of them. If I am having a good day, and I know I can shop around in a store that isn't too big, then we just park in a regular spot. But if I am feeling a lot of pain, or I am very tired from not getting enough restorative sleep, I am going to use it.

Before you overzealous disabled parking spot monitors take it upon yourself to berate someone like me who "looks fine" as she gets out of the car and makes her way into a store, let me just impart some information to you:

1. I may be feeling ok when I am on my way into the store, but I am using this disabled parking spot because by the time I am coming back out of the store I am going to be exhausted. Not only that, I could be just a little bit in a "fibro fog", and I surely do not need to hunt around a parking lot for my car, getting more tired in the process.

2. If you are with a friend who has one of these parking placards and they suggest using it, it isn't a black mark on them, or you, to do so. Their doctor has determined that they need the placard. It could be someone with a heart condition, and not fibromyalgia. Would you berate them for not being able to walk long distances without tiring?

Unless you have some super-power that allows you to diagnose someone's illness just by looking at them, how about trying to be a little more tolerant and understanding? Not all of us using disabled placards are low life scambags. Practice kindness. Please.

Fibromyalgia Online Newsletter

Link: Fibromyalgia Online Newsletter. This is the best newsletter for those of us with fibromyalgia. I hope you will follow the link to read some important information about this painful condition.