Treat Associated Conditions

There are many conditions associated with fibromyalgia syndrome. These conditions can leave you feeling sore, fatigued, and depressed. Treating these conditions is a good way to begin to fight fibromyalgia.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
The abdominal pain, distension, constipation and diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome can be quite distressing. Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms are often persistent and can be debilitating. However, consultation with your doctor and changes that you can make will lead to an improvement in your symptoms. Check out these tips to help you fight IBS:

• Eliminate the foods that you find aggravate your fibromyalgia symptoms.
• Minimize the psychological stress in your day to day life by developing coping strategies.
• Adhere to the basic rules for maintaining regular bowel habits, such as including lots of fibre, fruits and vegetables in your diet, as well as 6-8 glasses of water per day.
• Some medications may help with your constipation and/or diarrhea.

Dry Eyes
If you are one of the many fibromyalgia patients that suffer from dry eyes, simple over-the-counter drops can provide you with some relief by holding water in your eye. Discuss this fibromyalgia treatment with your health care provider, to help you decide on the most appropriate choice. You might also want to ask your doctor to check you out for signs of Sjogren’s syndrome. This syndrome may be contributing to your persistent dry eyes.

Irritable Bladder Syndrome
If you suffer from urinary or pelvic problems, you may have irritable bladder syndrome. Sensations of pain in the pubic area accompanied by an increased urgency to urinate are common symptoms of this condition. To deal with this try the following:

• Drink as much water as possible.
• Avoid bladder irritants such as fruit juices (especially cranberry juice).
• Ask your health care provider about pelvic floor exercises, such as Kegel exercises.

Fibrofog
Fibrofog is a common problem for many fibromyalgia patients. Fibrofog affects memory and concentration, and can sometimes lead to short term memory loss. Usually, this is due to the distractive effects of chronic pain and mental fatigue. This means that combatting fibrofog also involves managing your other symptoms. Activities that help you to develop your memory and other cognitive functions may also help to reduce your fibrofog symptoms.

Cold Intolerance
Up to one-third of all fibromyalgia sufferers may experience cold intolerance. This causes the hands and feet to become cold, and even discolor, upon exposure. This is often caused by a concurrent illness called Raynaud’s Phenomenon. Treatment involves:

• Keeping warm! This includes dressing warmer and turning up the heat in your home.
• Exercising. Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cold intolerance by improving peripheral circulation.
• Visiting your doctor if the cold intolerance persists.

Dizziness
Fibromyalgia sufferers often complain about symptoms of dizziness and vertigo. If other more serious causes of dizziness are ruled out by your doctor (such as cranial nerve problems, demyelinating disorders, inner ear problems, medicine side effects and cancer) it may be due to muscular deconditioning or trigger points. Exercise, including strengthening and stretching, and massage should all help you maintain your balance levels, eliminating the dizziness.