Rating fibromyalgia books - Fibromyalgia Message Board

linkin01 · 05-14-2007, 10:14 PM

These are some of the top selling books about FM [removed]. Could anyone here tell me which ones have worked for them, or what they would say is the best one? (If you've only used one, but it worked for you, let me know which one.)

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual

The Fibromyalgia Advocate

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia : The Revolutionary Treatment That Can Reverse The Disease

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fibromyalgia

Taking Charge of Fibromyalgia: Everything You Need to Know to Manage Fibromyalgia, Fifth Edition

kirstee · 05-15-2007, 11:04 AM

I've read only "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia : The Revolutionary Treatment That Can Reverse The Disease". I actually am a patient of the physician who wrote the book, and I can vouch for the protocol's effectiveness.

Blessings,
Kristee

linkin01 · 05-15-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirstee

I've read only "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia : The Revolutionary Treatment That Can Reverse The Disease". I actually am a patient of the physician who wrote the book, and I can vouch for the protocol's effectiveness.

Blessings,
Kristee

Hi Kristee,

Have you written elsewhere on this board about your experience, how effective the treatment was, do you consider yourself cured, and that kind of thing? Or can you give me a quick summary?

Just so I'm not being completely impersonal

I will mention my own experience. I've had FM for over ten years, gradually getting worse. A great psychiatrist helped restore me to function with medications (Risperdal, Lexapro, Neurontin, and Lamictal). (Yes, it was a psychiatrist because I had a lot of depression and I went to a psychiatrist first). However, even though I can get by in the world, I hurt an awful lot and feel very tired. I'm starting to look at more holistic treatments, and the possibility that I have yeast infections or need hormone balancing.

By the way, I'm deeply into the Feldenkrais Method (it's a body awareness method -- I'm actually training as a practitioner) and that helps me a lot... but my experience with that confirms to me that FM is not just a matter of being too stressed, but that it involves real physiological changes which need to be treated.

Thanks,
Mike

kirstee · 05-15-2007, 09:33 PM

Hi Mike:

I simply crack up when I hear some doctors stating FMS is a psychological disorder. It sounds as though you have, and still are, exploring different methodologies to help you recover.

I have described the treatment at various times as people have inquired on this board. If you do a search of "guafenesin" on this board, you will see the input. Basically, it takes time to recover, and you must follow the protocol exactly. Many people start taking guafenesin with no regard to the correct dosing and other considerations, then conclude the protocol does not work for them. The time element can be discouraging as it takes time for the medication to clear the junk in your system. I believe the formula is for every year you have had fibromyalgia, it will take 3 months to clear the junk. So you can see if you've had FMS for 20 years, you have a bit of a wait to feel better. But the clock ticks, and time passes, and so do the symptoms of FMS on this protocol.

I have improved immensely. My only complaint is that I still have a bit of fatigue. I'm just not sure if the fatigue is due to my age of 57, my active lifestyle, or if it is the fibro (or maybe a combination of all those things). All my other symptoms have abated - CFS, IBS, migraines, pain in muscles/ligaments, ICS, bladder infections, skin rashes, brain fog, cognitive problems, sight disturbances, panic attacks (to name a few) - all are gone. I have gone from almost totally disabled, to having my life back. I ride ATVs, ride horses, fly fish, go camping, etc. I am so thankful to live in beautiful Colorado to enjoy the incredible scenery that is in my back yard and, of course, to Dr. St. Amand for helping me to acquire my health.

Blessings,
Kirstee

linkin01 · 05-15-2007, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirstee

Hi Mike:

I simply crack up when I hear some doctors stating FMS is a psychological disorder. It sounds as though you have, and still are, exploring different methodologies to help you recover.

I have described the treatment at various times as people have inquired on this board. If you do a search of "guafenesin" on this board, you will see the input. Basically, it takes time to recover, and you must follow the protocol exactly. Many people start taking guafenesin with no regard to the correct dosing and other considerations, then conclude the protocol does not work for them. The time element can be discouraging as it takes time for the medication to clear the junk in your system. I believe the formula is for every year you have had fibromyalgia, it will take 3 months to clear the junk. So you can see if you've had FMS for 20 years, you have a bit of a wait to feel better. But the clock ticks, and time passes, and so do the symptoms of FMS on this protocol.

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering, have you been able to decrease or stop the guafenesin after recovering?

Mike