Archives for December 2016

12.30.2016

Friday 5: Dec. 30, 2016 fibromyalgia and ME/CFS news

1. Chaffee County Times: "University of Colorado Boulder researchers have discovered a brain signature that identifies fibromyalgia sufferers with 93 percent accuracy." This sounds like it could be a really big deal! 2. Fibromyalgia News Today: Remeron may provide pain relief in fibromyalgia, Japanese study suggests Another antidepressant shows promise as a treatment for fibromyalgia. 3. PR Newswire: The AVACEN 100, an over-the-counter medical device has received approval in the European Union to treat fibromyalgia. This device is already available in the U.S. 4. Atlanta 11 … [Read more...]

4 Comments

12.26.2016

FedUpwithFatigue.com’s top posts from 2016

2016 was an incredible year for FedUpwithFatigue.com! I am so proud of my little blog and everything it's accomplished since launching in early 2014. This year, I was thrilled to make HealthLine's top 10 list of best fibromyalgia blogs and to be nominated for HealthLine's best health blogs contest. (A special "thank you" to whoever nominated me!) I also was proud to reach this year's goal of 10,000+ email subscribers, making FedUpwithFatigue.com one of the largest fibromyalgia blogs. As the year comes to a close, I thought it would be nice to look back at some of FedUpwithFatigue.com's … [Read more...]

2 Comments

12.23.2016

Friday 5: Dec. 23, 2016 fibromyalgia and ME/CFS news

I just wanted to take a quick minute to say happy holidays to all of my readers. I'm so grateful to each of you who take time each week to read my ramblings. This holiday season, I wish for you many low-pain days and enough energy to enjoy the things that really matter. Merry Christmas, everyone! 1. HealthRising: Coils, lasers and USB ports to the brain This is a great summary of some of the new fibromyalgia clinical trials in the works. 2. Arthritis Society: The Arthritis Society funds more medical cannabis research amid legalization speculation The Arthritis Society in Canada … [Read more...]

12 Comments

12.22.2016

21 ways to spend Christmas alone

This article on spending Christmas alone was originally published on NationalPainReport.com. It is being republished here with permission from the editor. Disclaimer: One of the most important things I've learned about fibromyalgia and ME/CFS is there is a wide spectrum of disability among our patient groups. Some of us lead pretty normal lives in spite of the pain, fatigue and other symptoms, and some of us have symptoms so severe that we can't get out of the bed. In compiling this list, I tried to come up with activities across the spectrum. Know your own limitations, use what you can … [Read more...]

4 Comments

12.19.2016

15 tips for surviving the holidays with chronic illness

This article was originally published on NationalPainReport.com. It is being republished here with permission from the editor. I'm counting down the days to Christmas - not because I love the holiday season, but because I'm ready for it to be over. There, I said it. If there's anything that will turn a human into a scrooge, it's living with a chronic illness. It's challenging enough to get through an average day with fibromyalgia and Lyme (or insert your own illness here) without adding glitter, crowded stores and never-gonna-thaw-by-the-time-I-need-to-bake-it turkeys to the … [Read more...]

9 Comments

12.16.2016

Friday 5: Dec. 16, 2016 fibromyalgia and ME/CFS news

1. Market Realist: Lyrica to lose patent protection in the U.S. in 2018 Good news for those who are taking Lyrica. A cheaper generic version won't be far behind... 2. Griffith University: $4 million grant to aid chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis I believe Griffith is the same university who ID'ed a biomarker for ME/CFS earlier this year. This is really promising research. 3. Leafly: New DEA rule says CBD oil is really, truly, no-joke illegal Well, it's official: The DEA has officially ruled that ALL CBD oil, regardless of whether it's derived from hemp (which is sold online) or … [Read more...]

3 Comments

12.12.2016

Chronic Christmas: Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness

The following Q & A with "Chronic Christmas" author Lene Andersen was originally published on NationalPainReport.com. It is being reprinted here with permission from the editor. This post contains an affiliate link. Whether we like it or not, the holidays are here! As the big day approaches, so do all of the "shoulds" associated with the season. We should deck out our house with decorations in every room. We should make everything from scratch for our holiday meal. We should go to all of our friends' holiday parties. We should go to the mall and spend hours seeking out the perfect … [Read more...]

2 Comments

12.09.2016

Friday Five: Dec. 9, 2016 fibromyalgia and ME/CFS news

1. PowerHealthTalk.com: Exposing the underlying causes of central pain syndromes Fibromyalgia falls under the category of central pain syndromes. In this video (YouTube, 27 minutes), doctors Martin Rutherford and Randall Gates explain why we feel pain even though there's no structural cause for it. They also briefly discuss brain retraining exercises. 2. ME Association: Newcastle University experts in hunt for “smoking gun” of chronic fatigue syndrome From the story: "University scientists are leading research to develop a simple blood test for [ME/CFS]." 3. Sarah Frison: Seven … [Read more...]

2 Comments

12.06.2016

ChronicAlly review: A subscription box for the chronically ill

I was given a ChronicAlly Box as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this ChronicAlly review are my own, and I was in no way influenced by the company. This post contains affiliate links. Monthly subscription boxes are all the rage right now. You can find a subscription box for nearly any hobby or interest, and now there's one for the chronic illness community, too! The ChronicAlly Box "contains lavish and necessary products for the chronically chic woman's life. Every month, you can expect a … [Read more...]

3 Comments

12.05.2016

Alzheimer’s drug shows promise for treating fibromyalgia pain

This article about using namenda for fibromyalgia was originally published on NationalPainReport.com. It is being republished here with permission from the editor. Fibromyalgia warrior Angela Holt has one of the most popular crafting channels on YouTube with some of her tutorials garnering more than a half million views. But about a year ago, Holt was struggling to stay active in the online crafting community. The pain and restlessness in her legs were so intense that she often couldn't sleep at night, and it was affecting her ability to craft and make videos. "I just didn't feel like … [Read more...]