Many fibromyalgia patients use Tylenol, either in conjunction with other pain medications (such as tramadol) or as over-the-counter pain relief for mild-symptom days. But a recent study warns that even the tiniest overdose of acetaminophen can result in death.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) reported that their study found that taking even a little too much acetaminophen over time is more dangerous, in fact, than taking a single much-too-large dose.
Dr. Kenneth Simpson of the University of Edinburgh, the study’s lead author, stated in a press release accompanying the study’s publication:
They haven’t taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal . . . Staggered overdoses or patients presenting late after an overdose need to be closely monitored and considered for the (acetaminophen) antidote, N-acetylcysteine, irrespective of the concentration of (acetaminophen) in their blood. Read more on Fibromyalgia Patients: Avoid Accidental Overdosing on Tylenol…
Filed under Fibromyalgia - research, Fibromyalgia resources, Medical Develoments by on Jan 3rd, 2012. Comment.
With the holidays upon us, many Americans will feel tired and achy at the end of a long day. But those of us with fibromyalgia are at risk to experience something even worse – post-exertional flare-ups.
Triggered by greater-than-average activity, post-exertional flare-ups may arise more frequently during the hectic lead-up to the holidays. Shopping, family meal preparations, home decoration projects, and a more active social schedule can all take a toll.
It’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about ways you can prepare for the eventuality of a flare-up and to minimize the chances you’ll have one ahead of time. Read more on A Holiday Wish from Fibromyalgia-Disability.com…
Filed under Fibromyalgia resources by on Dec 24th, 2011. Comment.
Social Security disability lawyers representing fibromyalgia clients often seen similarities in their clients. Most fibromyalgia clients are “Type A,” overachieving females between the ages of 30 and 60 who experience a gradual onset of fatigue, myofascial pain, mental confusion, digestive upset and balance issues characteristic of a FM/CFS diagnosis.
Many of these fibromyalgia patients go from doctor to doctor looking for a cure, but, of course, there not only is no cure, but there is no consensus in the medical community as to how to objectively test for this condition.
Medical researchers have been working on this problem and over the past few years there have been a number of studies published that purport to identify unambiguous markers that will enable practitioners to objectively diagnose FM/CFS.
One of the more intriguing medical studies in recent years involved the Whittermore-Peterson Institute and researcher Judy Mikovits.
The fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS – also sometimes referred to as “CFS/ME,” where “ME” stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis) community has been roiled by a controversy over the news, reported first in 2009, that a mouse retrovirus might be involved in CFS. Now, the research group which first asserted the connection between xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) and CFS is at the center of another controversy – this one of a decidedly non-medical nature. Read more on Studies Linking Mouse Retrovirus with Fibromyalgia Appear Flawed…
Filed under Fibromyalgia - research, Medical Develoments by on Dec 7th, 2011. Comment.
For people suffering from fibromyalgia and other chronic pain illnesses, yoga has now been proven both to help ease the pain and cope more efficiently with the pain. Participants report feeling muscles relax that have felt perpetually locked in spasm and a deep sense of relaxation that carries over in daily life from regular participation in restorative yoga.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, looked at 53 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Twenty-five of these women participated in a “Yoga of Awareness” program once a week (including gentle stretching, mindfulness meditation, breathing techniques, and applying yoga principles to optimal coping); the remaining 28 participants did not take part in the yoga instruction program.
Participants in the study followed a specific routine that introduced them to yoga poses and practice in general, and specific yoga-based pain coping techniques. Classes consisted of a set series of sections or phases, including 40 minutes of gentle “stretch” poses (or asanas, as they’re called in yoga), followed by a 25-minute meditation and a 10-minute session where participants practiced pranayama, or yogic breathing techniques. The yoga classes were followed by lectures and presentations on how to use yoga principles to copy with physical pain and a group discussion geared around how participants could incorporate a home-based yoga practice in their lives.
Three months after the program began, the women who had been assigned to the yoga protocol reported reduced pain and fatigue. They also demonstrated more effective strategies for coping with the pain that they experienced, with less “catastrophizing, self-isolation, and disengagement.”
One of the best resources on the web for yoga is Yoga Journal’s website. You can learn more about this ancient mind-body practice and get instructions on simple asana sequences you can do at home. Another excellent resource is Kelly McGonigal’s Yoga for Pain Relief (available from Amazon).
Filed under Blog, Fibromyalgia - alternative treatment by on Sep 13th, 2011. Comment.
WebMD reports that the United States Food and Drug Administration has rejected a drug called Xyrem as a treatment for fibromyalgia. Although public comments (primarily from users testing the drug as part of the manufacturer’s trials) supported approval, and the FDA physicians acknowledge that the drug can reduce pain, the FDA advisory panel rejected the drug because of its similarity to GHB – the so-called “date rape” drug.
According to the FDA, Xyrem, or sodium oxybate, “is much better than the stuff you get on the street, and that is the problem. Approving it for such a large patient population — 5 million people are estimated to suffer from fibromyalgia — would risk flooding the streets with a pharmaceutical-grade version of the highly controlled substance.
Xyrem is currently available for the treatment of narcolepsy. It is a central nervous system depressant.
Filed under Fibromyalgia - alternative treatment, Fibromyalgia - research, Medical Develoments by on Aug 22nd, 2010. Comment.