Thunderbear,

Feel your pain dear one. I also have fibro. Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disfunction in its origins. It is more closely placed with Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and so on, but it does not manifest the same way. Often, it exists in conjunction with these illnesses. Have you been tested for these as well as thyroid auto-immune diseases, ceoliacs?........

The pain comes from the bodys' inability to eliminate lactic acid from the muscles. Normally, the adrenals produce adrenalin in response to stress. Then cortisol kicks in to protect the body systems form the toxic effects of adrenalin, the resultant product is lactic acid which builds up in the muscles. Initially it gives us the boost to fight or flight, but if it does not go anywhere, there is pain. Fibro is that x 20. There is a physical inability to rid our bodies of lactic acid. So, as someone mentioned earlier, the less stress the better for the pain.

Even though there is no cure, there are ways of helping the symptoms. On the cellular level, mitochondria in the cells of all body systems(except blood cells) produce an energy molecule called ATP. ATP is synthesised in the mitochondria of cells and is fundamental in the breaking down of sugars(complex carbohydrates) to produce energy as well as process fats and acids. Metabolism is also reliant on the production of ATP. Chronic fatigue syndrome is used synonymously with Fibro. Increase the synthesis of ATP in the mitochondria and you get more enrgy, better metabolism and better support for the adrenal axis. This also effcets the neurotransmitters in the brain which is why depression is very common in this disease. Also being in pain constantly doesnt help, but seeing as pain is a manifestation of the sympathetic nervous system, which relates to the brain, some AD's will help with the pain by the interuption in the pain response through the nervous system.

To help with the production of ATP and to help repair damaged membranes of the mitochondria and damaged DNA, the following may help:

Magnesium
Complex B vitamins (must have B2 and B5 in the complex)
Co enzyme Q 10
Chromium (to support adrenals and control sugar cravings)
Good you got Vit D
(be careful if you are taking calcium supplements with magnesium. The calcium can interrupt absorbtion of magnesium into the body. Small amounts should be fine.)
Zinc

It is expensive to buy these things, but if you can do a couple that is better than nothing. If you can take it all, you will get better results. It takes a very long time to recover from a fibro flare up, especially if you have been suffering for a long time.

Also, any pain management clinic will tell you that the pain cycle can be broken to a degree. My doc and I where talking about it when I decided that this is what I wamted to do. Once a week for a whole day, I take pain killers. You can do it 2 days if you want but they must run consecutively. What this does is trick the brain into "refreshing" for want of a better expression. Rather than waiting until the pain is unbearable and then taking pain killers, if you do it once or twice a week for the whole day(just the minimum dose of whatever you are on. Don't want you falling over everywhere from being doped out), you will find that the pain is manageable. You will still have your bad days, but it doesn't become debilitating. You MUST do it on the same days each week. Ibuprofen with codeine helps me but constipation is a problem. Tramadol, Vicoden, and any other opioid based pain killer will help, but the trade off is the "hangover" as I call it.

Hope that helps dear one. Also, exercise is a mountain, but some daily gentle stretching is a must. It will help with the lactic acid elimination.

Take care and big hugs,

Michah