Hi everyone,

I'm new here, but I also have FM and CFS. I had a couple pretty bad flareups in the last month or so, but for the last couple weeks I'm doing quite well. I have been using a combination of amino acid and B-vitamins, which has helped a lot. I also discovered I was gluten-intolerant in April of 2007 and since I have been avoiding all traces of gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats), I have had far fewer bad flareups. Recently I started to read about Inflammation Factor ratings for foods and have been incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods and fewer inflammatory ones into my diet to create a balance that seems to be helping a lot. The nice thing about that is not having to completely give up something I like (my comfort foods) that might be inflammatory, but the feeling of control is in being aware of it and keeping the balance. No one thing is a cure-all, and I still have bad days, though way fewer than before, and I feel like I have a better sense of control over the whole situation than I used to.

I'm always trying to learn more ways to avoid taking medication, as I don't always react well to the side effects of many prescription drugs. I am in therapy, also, for depression, and I have learned a lot in the way of coping and being realistic in my expectations. For years, I was convinced that I would someday find just the right combination of foods, supplements, etc., and be able to bounce out of bed each day with the energy and strength and enthusiasm I had when I was 12. Finally, in a therapy session recently, I acknowledged, through tears, that "I'm not ever going to feel 12 again," and that did wonders for me! I found myself working through the next flareup and getting more things accomplished at home than I had in a long time, in spite of how much I was hurting. It was such a valuable turning point for me and made me feel very powerful (there's that "feeling in control" thing again).

So, basically, I guess my advice to anyone who asked my opinion would be "One day at a time, don't give up, and don't beat yourself up on your bad days - it'll only make it hurt worse."