An open letter about Fibrmyalgia Fog
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- encouragerinlove
- AmberW_2
- AngelPooh
- energynow
- autumn02
- autumn02
- zpe544
- zpe544
- penniwinkle
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» encouragerinlove - I'm in a Fog today
I needed this post! Hurting and feeling like my memory is gone or almost gone. Some days are better than others. Today isn't one of them! I clicked the wrong thing since I am a newbie here so just wanted to say I'm glad Barb talked about the fog! I'm glad it isn't Alzheimers I'm suffering from!-- posted by encouragerinlove
» AngelPooh - Brain fog
hi! i am hoping to find some help and support at this site.... or maybe someone who won't make me feel as crazy as i do! i know fibromyalgia is not "in your head" as some people see it, but i was just diagnosed this last winter and am only 24, a newlywed, a kindergarten teacher and am not coping well with it at all. even though i am 24 i still can't drive. this drives my family and my husband crazy, but they don't understand what it feels like to have brain fog. i could kill someone if i was to drive. i used to think i was just forgetful or uncoordinated, klutzy even, but now i know i have been suffering for years and its all because of fibromyalgia. anyway, my husband has to drive me everywhere and we are on opposite work schedules so it is really inconvenient. i don't know what to do about this. i can barely cope at work, am in constant pain and all i want to do is sleep all the time. this wasn't the way i wanted my life to be and feel like a loser who can't do anything because of it. i barely make it through a day at a time. how can i tell others how i feel without sounding like a whiner? how do you explain it when i don't even understand it myself. all i know is I'm not being fair to my husband or the kids at work, or to myself.thank you.
-- posted by AngelPooh
» energynow - Re: Brain fog
In response to message posted by AngelPooh:Hi, I understand your feelings. If you haven't taken the course on FM on Suite 101 you can sign up now for just $6-$10. The discussions are truly helpful, so pls. don't be embarrased to discuss. I just finished the course and found it to be very helpful.
I've thought I was crazy too, although I have a college degree and have always done well scholastically. I'm 52 yrs. old, and am just coming to realize that I've had FM symptoms for several yrs--possibly 20 yrs. or longer.
Dr. Pellegrinio's book has flexibility exercises that help.He's a physiatrist (M.D.) with FM.
Hammerly book helpful. Barnes & Noble have 20 or more books on FM. Books can give us great insight into our challenges.
I met a man w/ PHD yesterday who says that FM is caused by aspartame. Of course, you probably know that is the substance in most diet products & Equal. I've drunk my share of diet drinks over the past 2 or 3 decades.
There's a product called Focus Factor that helps me with brain fog. It was created by a chiropractor and can be seen on an infomercial that runs frequently on major networks, probably PAX, and possibly FOX t.v. Website is www.vitalbasics.com Phone 1-800-7424838.
(I don't own stock in the company. Just saw it on infomercial couple yrs. ago.)It might be worth checking out.
Essential oils are another place to check.
Malic acid & magnesium help some people with FM,
but I'm not sure about the fog part.
Sometimes I'm fine driving. Other times I almost scare myself.I pulled out in front of a car from our driveway on day a yr. or so ago. Fortunately, I saw him in time and pulled into other lane. I just didn't see the man!
Are you aware of immunesupport.com It's a great place for FM info.
I understand about feeling like a loser. I've felt that way for yrs. But there's help! Don't give up. Trust God for the answers.
I've been so depressed and discouraged esp. for past 10 yrs. I went into menopause at 45 and blamed that for yrs.
A healthy diet helps, but that's a challenge for me. I've gained 20 lbs. last 3 yrs.
If you check out these websites you'll find you're not alone. There's 7 million others in the U.S. including some men who have it.
Don't give up! There are people and resources to help you! You've got too much living to do to give up. Take it from someone who's wanted to give up. But taking the FM class gave me renewed hope.
-- posted by energynow
» autumn02 - Re: Brain fog
In response to message posted by AngelPooh:When you are sick there is no need to have a physical sign or symptom. The usual course of sickness is headache, fever, etc. But my exwife has this disease that you people have and she also is in pain most of the time. I don't see any symptoms but I accept that pain is there. So when you think that others do not understand, it is in part because there's no sign, but also they simply cannot tell when you are feeling good or bad. Unfortunately noone chooses to wear President Bush's Terror scale. But I think people are also just frustrated because they too can do nothing to help you...
. Take care.
-- posted by autumn02
» autumn02 - Re: Re: Brain fog
In response to message posted by energynow:One note: My exwife had FMS before aspartame was approved for use by the FDA. So there's another cause and it must be genetic because so many women have it and there are far fewer men that have it. Which indicates that at least one cause is on the portion of the female sex chromosome in the spot that males have nothing.. So be careful of your professor's advise..
-- posted by autumn02
» zpe544 - causes
I just read a message that suggest that artificialsweetners may be the cuase. If so, then it has to be one of many, as I know that I have had it since childhood, before anyone had ever heard of artificial sweetners (I was born in 1955). Even as a small child I had the trigger points. I come from a family of five with various cousins, and whenever we houseplayed and they ever patted me in those areas or did a "play sock" as kids will do, it was very painful and no one would believe me that it acctually hurt as bad as it did.
When my husband and I married around 22 years ago, during the first few months, I remembering him commenting that something had to be wrong with me, as no one got the flu as often as I did and I was puzzled, as I just assumed that everyone had the flu several times a month, as I always had but had just learned to live with it.
Presently, my biggest frustration is not the pain, although, as we know, it can be unbearable, even with pain medications, but it is all the other stuff that goes with, especially the fog.
I am a math teacher and had always planned to teach till I was way past 60. Every year I have been able to make adjustments as my illness progressed, but I have had to accept that this has to be my last year, mostly due to the fog...recently in the middle of teaching Algebra I, my mind just could not focus to teach a concept that I have taught countless of times...I am trying to make it to the end of the year for my students and they are great and very patient and parents have volunteered to help with correct papers and making copies and etc...as getting a math teahcer mid year is impossible where I live, but at times I am terrified that I will not make it to the end of the year for them. I have always loved being a teacher and wowrking with young people and almost every day was a joy for me and finally fibermyalgia is stealing the joy from me...
Victoria
-- posted by zpe544
» zpe544 - causes
I just read a message that suggest that artificialsweetners may be the cuase. If so, then it has to be one of many, as I know that I have had it since childhood, before anyone had ever heard of artificial sweetners (I was born in 1955). Even as a small child I had the trigger points. I come from a family of five with various cousins, and whenever we houseplayed and they ever patted me in those areas or did a "play sock" as kids will do, it was very painful and no one would believe me that it acctually hurt as bad as it did.
When my husband and I married around 22 years ago, during the first few months, I remembering him commenting that something had to be wrong with me, as no one got the flu as often as I did and I was puzzled, as I just assumed that everyone had the flu several times a month, as I always had but had just learned to live with it.
Presently, my biggest frustration is not the pain, although, as we know, it can be unbearable, even with pain medications, but it is all the other stuff that goes with, especially the fog.
I am a math teacher and had always planned to teach till I was way past 60. Every year I have been able to make adjustments as my illness progressed, but I have had to accept that this has to be my last year, mostly due to the fog...recently in the middle of teaching Algebra I, my mind just could not focus to teach a concept that I have taught countless of times...I am trying to make it to the end of the year for my students and they are great and very patient and parents have volunteered to help with correct papers and making copies and etc...as getting a math teahcer mid year is impossible where I live, but at times I am terrified that I will not make it to the end of the year for them. I have always loved being a teacher and wowrking with young people and almost every day was a joy for me and finally fibermyalgia is stealing the joy from me...
Victoria
-- posted by zpe544
» penniwinkle - Re: causes
In response to causes posted by zpe544:The fog is the worst. The absolute worst.
I can't think. I can't talk. I can't remember stuff. Stuff like my kids' and grandkids' names. I don't notice things around me. Things like traffic lights turning red.
But I do notice people. Especially when they mistreat me. It hits some primal nerve and stomps on it. Hard. And when the fog lifts, I have a really difficult time with the anger.
My doc put me on Effexor, synthroid, DHEA, premarin, lecithin, glucosamine/chondroitin, lozal, fish oil, coconut oil, the anti-inflamatory diet, prevacid. Together, I can hold it together. Sorta.
I was recently fired from work for being moody and "wierd." I'm having a hard time dealing with it. I guess that's why I'm here tonight.
-- posted by penniwinkle
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