1. < Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia: Functional Medicine Dr & Supplements Helped Anyone?

Posted by ripley @ripley, Jan 6 5:24pm

Has anyone worked with a Functional Medicine Dr and tried vitamins and other supplements to lessen Fibromyalgia symptoms?

A new Dr I’m seeing suggested these supplements for me: Probiotics, Collagen Powder, B Complex vitamins, Magnesium, CoQ10, Omega 3 Fish Oil, and PEA fatty acid (palmitoylethanolamide) with curcurim.

She also wants me to slowly replace my Pantoprazole with Famotidine (and eventually stop that) and also try to get off my daily Miralax. This is to help fix my “gut health” which some studies have linked to Fibro symptom severity.

I've had Fibro for two years. Every couple of months I get flares lasting two months or so. The only medication I take is the muscle relaxant Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), which I only take when pain is interfering with my sleep.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

ripley | @ripley | Jan 9 10:40am
In reply to @inminn "I should add also that, because I am able to stay home rather than try to..." + (show)
@inminn

I should add also that, because I am able to stay home rather than try to work, which would be impossible for me, I have so far been coping without either prescription or OTC pain medication, and without CBD.
I have used mindfulness and meditation per the book The Mindfulness Approach to Pain and over time developed the ability to be more positive and grateful despite being rather miserable most of the time and cognitively in such a fog as to be half the person I used to be.

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Who is the author of this book? I tried to find it on Amazon, with no luck. I can relate to many of your comments. Thank you.

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1 reply
cathymg6 | @cathymg6 | Jan 9 10:42am
In reply to @charliegirl "I thought Volturen was only to use lightly and in small areas of the body?? It..." + (show)
@charliegirl

I thought Volturen was only to use lightly and in small areas of the body?? It is an actual NSAID and should not be used with other NSAIDs like Advil or Aleve. I know that part for sure. But if a doctor said its ok to use it all over, and so liberally, I am glad it helps you. Obviously a doctor knows more than me.

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I only use Voltaren on my low back and thumbs. Sorry for the miscommunication.

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inminn | @inminn | Jan 9 11:14am
In reply to @ripley "Who is the author of this book? I tried to find it on Amazon, with no..." + (show)
@ripley

Who is the author of this book? I tried to find it on Amazon, with no luck. I can relate to many of your comments. Thank you.

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My fault, the title is actually The Mindfulness Solution to Pain by Dr. Jackie Gardener-Nix. I believe I found it on Amazon. I also read You are Not Your Pain by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman. I started with techniques each described and adjusted them to create a method that works better for me.
Good Luck!

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kd59 | @kd59 | Jan 9 7:43pm

Sound like good recommendations. The only thing I would eliminate is the collagen supplement it’s proven it doesn’t do much other than for skin and hair.

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kd59 | @kd59 | Jan 9 7:50pm
In reply to @covidstinks2023 "God Bless You! Fibro is complicated. I have had it for 28 years. Please get a..." + (show)
@covidstinks2023

God Bless You! Fibro is complicated. I have had it for 28 years. Please get a complete thyroid panel done as thyroid issues can go along with Fibro. Also, Arthritis tends to go along with it. You are on some good supplements. I would add D3+K2 to the list since you are on something for reflux it makes it hard to absorb D3. The added K2 helps. Talk to your Functional Medicine Provider about that. I also only take Flexeril for Fibro, soak in Epsom Salt, use heat packs & Voltaren Gel (over the counter) helps a lot with the pain. I wish you the very best. Blessings & Prayers....

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Actually, vitamin K, two with vitamin T3 will help keep calcium in your bones. My sports doctor recommended I stop my calcium, as a good diet has an adequate amount in it and start taking both those supplements after coming across x-ray reports of arterial calcification.
If you can get a prescription of diclofenac 12% ointment or cream, it’s 10 times stronger than OTC Voltaren.

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@EDiesel472 | @ericanelson02 | Jan 10 1:20pm

Probiotics make my stomach hurt really bad. I do use Omega 3-6-9 and magnesium glycinate. I cannot do Complex B vitamins because the (Biotin) alters my thyroid blood test results, skewing it dramatically, so the Doc told me to avoid taking it, also affects iron.

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ripley | @ripley | Jan 10 2:37pm
In reply to @ericanelson02 "Probiotics make my stomach hurt really bad. I do use Omega 3-6-9 and magnesium glycinate. I..." + (show)
@ericanelson02

Probiotics make my stomach hurt really bad. I do use Omega 3-6-9 and magnesium glycinate. I cannot do Complex B vitamins because the (Biotin) alters my thyroid blood test results, skewing it dramatically, so the Doc told me to avoid taking it, also affects iron.

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How much magnesium glycinate do you take a day, and what time of day? I also have thyroid issues, but read you just stop taking it for at least 3-5 days before getting thyroid levels tested. Anyway, I will check into this before I start taking them.

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1 reply
@EDiesel472 | @ericanelson02 | Jan 11 10:20am
In reply to @ripley "How much magnesium glycinate do you take a day, and what time of day? I also..." + (show)
@ripley

How much magnesium glycinate do you take a day, and what time of day? I also have thyroid issues, but read you just stop taking it for at least 3-5 days before getting thyroid levels tested. Anyway, I will check into this before I start taking them.

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Link to Magnesium Glycinate on Amazon: https://a.co/d/293HkJz
I take 3 per day.

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charliegirl | @charliegirl | Jan 11 5:18pm
In reply to @inminn "I should add also that, because I am able to stay home rather than try to..." + (show)
@inminn

I should add also that, because I am able to stay home rather than try to work, which would be impossible for me, I have so far been coping without either prescription or OTC pain medication, and without CBD.
I have used mindfulness and meditation per the book The Mindfulness Approach to Pain and over time developed the ability to be more positive and grateful despite being rather miserable most of the time and cognitively in such a fog as to be half the person I used to be.

Jump to this post

I am so happy you are finding your way versus taking a lot of medicine. I resisted all the medicine offered to me for Fibro, until I was desperate and could no longer work a regular job or keep a schedule. But I have have had recurring and then chronic back pain for 25 years before my Fibro diagnosis in 2000. So I am grateful for the easing of the symptoms on "some" days. But I also found that having a nasty disposition due to pain, makes you lose people in your life! I found hope with Progressive Muscle relaxation and guided meditation. I also added tapping for emotion release. These things, done daily, absolutely changes my very high pain levels, to tolerable pain. Take care of yourselves!!

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2 replies
ripley | @ripley | Jan 11 5:44pm
In reply to @charliegirl "I am so happy you are finding your way versus taking a lot of medicine. I..." + (show)
@charliegirl

I am so happy you are finding your way versus taking a lot of medicine. I resisted all the medicine offered to me for Fibro, until I was desperate and could no longer work a regular job or keep a schedule. But I have have had recurring and then chronic back pain for 25 years before my Fibro diagnosis in 2000. So I am grateful for the easing of the symptoms on "some" days. But I also found that having a nasty disposition due to pain, makes you lose people in your life! I found hope with Progressive Muscle relaxation and guided meditation. I also added tapping for emotion release. These things, done daily, absolutely changes my very high pain levels, to tolerable pain. Take care of yourselves!!

Jump to this post

So, are you taking any of the drugs meant for Fibro? If so, which ones and how much relief is provided? Also, what is "tapping"? Thank you.

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