Do you suffer from fibromyalgia? Do you taking Lyrica, Hydrocodone and citalopram to alleviate your pain? There are some natural alternatives that you may want to consider.
Fibromyalgia affects millions of people worldwide. In Latin, the term describes pain in the muscles and fibrous tissue.”
The muscle pain and tender points can become rather painful, and sometimes disabling but I believe there is an underlying cause, perhaps infection, nutrient deficiencies, mitochondrial dysfunction, the drug mugging effect of medicines and more. I’ll elaborate shortly, but first, I’ll address the drug Lyrica.
Lyrica (pregabalin) used to soothe nerve pain and can make you drowsy. So, can the hydrocodone which is used to reduce a pain chemical called “Substance P” and the citalopram (Celexa) is classified as an antidepressant but that’s not necessarily how it’s being used. Sure, it lifts a brain neurotransmitter called serotonin, which improves mood and reduces pain. Antidepressants that improve levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine may be even more effective. My point is this class of drugs is often used to relieve pain, not necessarily for depression. All three require prescription.
The cause of muscle pain varies greatly from person to person. Try not to concern yourself too much with the name of your disease or your “diagnosis” because the labels you take on as an identity make it harder for you to overcome. Just think in terms of having symptoms, rather than diseases, it’s more pleasant.
The following are some known causes for muscle pain and if you can find out the cause you can address it. With the help of a conscientious practitioner and state-of-the-art blood tests, find out if you have:
Infections.
Pathogens known as EBV, CMV and HSV are known to hide in the body and cause muscle pain. Some cause chicken pox and shingles. Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, Hepatitis C, coxsackie and parvovirus may cause terrible muscle pain.
Magnesium deficiency.
This causes widespread muscle pain. This nutrient is depleted by coffee, and “The Pill,” certain menopause medications, antacids, acid blockers, steroids and 200 other drugs! Taking high-quality magnesium supplements along with malice acid (derived from green apples) can support muscle health.
Selenium deficiency.
This can cause thyroid disease as well as muscle pain. Improving selenium can reduce thyroid antibodies and support immune system health.
CoQ10 deficiency.
Over 300 drugs are drug muggers, among them statin cholesterol reducing medications. When you are CoQ10 deficient, your muscles can spasm, become weak and hurt badly.
Substance P.
This is something you make and when it’s too high, you feel more pain. Analgesics such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine reduce Substance P that’s why they are prescribed.
Hormone imbalances.
Without a doubt, Hashimoto’s, Graves’ disease, low thyroid (hypothyriodism) or being what I call “thyroid sick” will lead to muscle pain. Only when you optimize your thyroid function will the muscle pain stop. It doesn’t end with thyroid hormone though, adrenal hormones (either high or low) can lead to muscle pain. So, can a deficiency of “growth hormone” and excessive levels of estrogen hormone. Testing hormones correctly is a science in and of itself. Some doctors use blood, others use saliva or urine metabolite testing. Some doctors suggest a combination so follow your doctor’s advice on hormone testing, and if it doesn’t work for you, try a different test. Lab tests don’t always show what is happening inside of you correctly, so I’m a big believer in trusting what my body tells me (over a lab test that might be wrong). Much more information that will help you in my book, Thyroid Healthy.
Insomnia.
Alterations in nocturnal sleep (and circadian rhythm) definitely hurt your muscle cells. If you are sleep deprived you will feel muscle pain head to toe. By “sleep deprived” I mean you are not getting restorative, restful sleep. You may be laying their ‘unconscious’ but you know it is not refreshing, and you wake up tired. You know who you are. Just FYI, certain sleeping pills don’t allow you to get refreshing sleep, in fact, depending on the medicine, they could prevent you from getting a necessary phase of sleep (deep sleep) and ironically this causes sleep deprivation because you never get restorative deep sleep. You’ll have to ask your doctor which sleep aids are best for you, and which allow for deep sleep. The point of this is to tell you that chronic insomnia leads to muscle pain (fibromyalgia).
Dysbiosis.
This is a problem in the GI tract. A stool test called GI Effects through Metametrix labs would likely uncover more pathogens in there, than healthy intestinal cells and probiotics! Dysbiosis commonly leads to muscle pain. You can buy lab tests directly through my affiliate link and have the mailed to your home (home test kit) since I’m a practitioner. I recommend the Bacterial Overgrowth Test if you think you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or other intestinal problems. Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine is a serious digestive disorder that is only treatable after proper diagnosis, and it’s frequently missed. Although widespread, SIBO is frequently unsuspected in cases of chronic bowel problems and carbohydrate intolerance because the symptoms closely mimic other stomach and intestinal disorders. Stool tests won’t pick it up.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
