Other symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia

* Pain in muscles
* Weariness
*Sleeplessness
* Pain in joints
* Restless legs
* Headaches
* A tingling feeling, or feeling of numbness
* Memory impairment
* Feeling nervous
* Feeling depressed

You can do the following:

If you are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, your doctor will prescribe medication and/or therapy for you.

But there are some personal management techniques that you can also employ:
* Make sure you take some time each day to relax and detox
* Wake up and go to bed at the same time each day, and make sure you get enough sleep
* Exercise on a regular basis; start out slowly and work toward more strenuous activities
* Educate yourself to keep up with the latest research
* Look for a support group

Click here to demonstrate to you why glutathione is so important to your health and well-being.

History of Fibromyalgia

Even though Fibromyalgia has been around for hundreds of years, it remains a mystery to this day. It has been known by many different names, like chronic muscle pain syndrome, fibrositis, tension myalgias and psychogenic rheumatism.

Fibromyalgia is a combination of Greek words:
“Fibro,” meaning fiber
“My,” meaning muscle
“Algia,” meaning pain

History:
1800s Fibromyalgia was first described doctors. They called it muscular rheumatism.

1824 A doctor in Edinburgh described the “tender points” associated with Fibromyalgia

1880 Another doctor, describing the same condition, named it neurasthenia.

1904 An article referred to it as fibrositis. (“itis” means inflammation.)

1913 A physician named Luff noted that fibromyalgia symptoms changed as barometric pressure lowered as a storm approached.

1976 The term Fibromyalgia replaces the term fibrositis, recognizing that the condition is not caused by inflammation.

1987 Fibromyalgia was recognized by the American Medical Association as an illness and cause of disability

1987 The term fibromyalgia was used in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1990 The American College of Rheumatology establishes guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia

Having Fibromyalgia can be frustrating because it is hard to diagnose and is often misunderstood. Unfortunately, doctors still don’t know what causes Fibromyalgia. And some refuse to recognize the disease because it can’t be diagnosed through x-rays and tests.The American College of Rheumatology has created guidelines to help assist physicians in diagnosing and studying the condition. However, not all doctors agree with the established guidelines for diagnosis. Some don’t recognize the disease while others think that the criteria are too strict.

Possible Related Side Effects of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Orthostatic HypotensionOrthostatic hypotension is defined as an excessive fall in blood pressure on standing, usually greater than 20/10 mmHg. It is considered to be a manifestation of abnormal blood pressure regulation due to a variety of causes.

Hypotension, particularly orthostatic hypotension, is a common symptom in chronic fatigue patients. Many people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have chronic low blood pressure (the normal is 120/80 mmHg), which is made even worse on standing. This may be a particular problem in the morning, when standing can cause dizziness. Exercise or a heavy meal may exacerbate the symptoms. Syncope is a loss of consciousness and postural tone caused by diminished cerebral blood flow. Syncope often occurs during the morning shower, perhaps due to the vasodilating effect of hot water.

There are several mechanisms that govern blood pressure. Upon standing, a large amount of blood pools in the veins of the legs and trunk. The transient decrease in venous return to the heart results in a low blood pressure. The body responds with a sympathetic-mediated release of catacholamines that increase heart rate contraction and vasoconstrict the arteries. With continued standing, antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is secreted which activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, subsequently causing sodium and water retention and an expansion of the circulating blood volume.

There are many causes of orthostatic hypotension, including:

Hypovolemia (low blood volume) induced by excessive use of diuretic agents (e.g., loop diuretics, such as furosemide, bumetanide, and ethacrynic acid) and relative hypovolemia due to vasodilator therapy with nitrate preparations and calcium antagonists (verapamil, nifedipine, or diltiazem) or with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Histamine, a key player in allergic reactions, induces vasodilation and hypotension.
Potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) impairs the reactivity of vascular smooth muscle and may limit the increase in peripheral vascular resistance on standing
The adrenocortical hypofunction of Addison's disease may lead to orthostatic hypotension in the absence of adequate salt intake.

Several classes of drugs reversibly impair autonomic reflexes and reduce blood pressure on standing as an important adverse effect. These include many drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders such as the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) (isocarboxazid, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine) used to treat depression; the tricyclic antidepressants (nortriptyline, amitriptyline, desipramine, imipramine, and protriptyline) or tetracyclic antidepressants; and the phenothiazine antipsychotic drugs (chlorpromazine, promazine, and thioridazine). Other drugs that may produce orthostatic hypotension are quinidine, L-dopa, barbiturates, and alcohol.

Elevated Homocysteine LevelsHomocysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is produced as a byproduct of methionine metabolism. When the body has an adequate supply of cofactors, such as vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, homocysteine is detoxified, rendering compounds useful for other functions. Currently, homocysteine levels are in the forefront as a cardiovascular risk because of the damage that can occur to blood vessels and arteries when homocysteine levels are high.

A study of 12 women who fulfilled the criteria for both fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome found that, in all the patients, the homocysteine levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There was a significant positive correlation between CSF homocysteine and B12 levels and fatigue-ability, as rated on the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale. The authors concluded that "increased homocysteine levels in the central nervous system characterize patients fulfilling the criteria for both fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ." They also noted that B12 deficiency caused a deficient remethylation of homocysteine. Therefore, a vitamin B12 deficiency can be considered a contributing factor to the higher homocysteine elevations found in these patient groups (Regland et al. 1997).

Glutathione Deficiency

Glutathione is a tripeptide made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and gamma-glutamic acid. Glutathionee functions as a modulator of cellular homeostasis, including detoxification of oxyradicals and metals. It also acts as a potent free radical scavenger that can help prevent damage to DNA and RNA, detoxify heavy metals, boost immune function, and assist the liver in detoxification through its various enzymes. Levels of intracellular Glutathione decrease with age, lowering the body's ability to detoxify free radicals and the many important enzymes Glutathione makes.

An article in the journal Medical Hypothesis proposed that Glutathione, an antioxidant essential for lymphocyte function, may be depleted in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. Glutathione is needed for both the immune system and for aerobic muscular contraction. The authors proposed that Glutathione depletion by an activated immune systemalso causes the muscular fatigue and myalgia associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Bounous et al. 1999).'

Cysteine is a precursor to Glutathione. It has been hypothesized that Glutathione and cysteine metabolism may play a role in skeletal muscle wasting and muscle fatigue. The combination of abnormally low plasma cysteine and Glutathione levels, low natural killer (NK) cell activity (with a resulting susceptibility to viral infection), skeletal muscle wasting or muscle fatigue, and increased rates of urea production define a complex of abnormalities that is tentatively called "low CG syndrome." These symptoms are found in patients with HIV infection, cancer, major injuries, sepsis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome , and to some extent in overtrained athletes (Droge et al. 1997).

Click here to demonstrate to you why Glutathione is so important to your health and well-being

What is Glutathione?

What is it?
Glutathione is a dietary supplement used as an antioxidant to help protect the body from many diseases and conditions. It is also used to treat infertility (difficulty getting pregnant), cancer, cataracts, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Glutathione is used to detoxify various chemicals from the body.

Other names for Glutathione include: Gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine and GSH.

Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you need more information about this medicine or if any information in this leaflet concerns you.

Before Using: Tell your doctor if you
are taking medicine or are allergic to any medicine (prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) or dietary supplement) are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine
are breastfeeding have other health problems, such as high blood pressure or heart or blood vessel disease

Dosage: Talk with your caregiver about how much Glutathione you should take. The amount depends on the strength of the medicine and the reason you are taking Glutathione.

If you are using this medicine without instructions from your caregiver, follow the directions on the medicine bottle. Do not take more medicine or take it more often than the directions tell you to.

To store this medicine: Keep all medicine locked up and away from children. Store medicine away from heat and direct light. Do not store your medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down and not work the way it should work. Throw away medicine that is out of date or that you do not need. Never share your medicine with others.

Warnings:
Before taking Glutathione tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Side Effects:Stop taking your medicine right away and talk to your doctor if you have any of the following side effects. Your medicine may be causing these symptoms which may mean you are allergic to it.
Breathing problems or tightness in your throat or chest
Chest pain
Skin hives, rash, or itchy or swollen skin

Other Side Effects:You may have the following side effects, but this medicine may also cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if you have side effects that you think are caused by this medicine.

Zinc deficiency was seen in long term use of a combination product containing Glutathione

References:
1. Bode U, Hasan C, Hulsmann B et al: Recancostat compositum therapy does not prevent tumor progression in young cancer patients. Klin Padiatr 1999; 211(4):353-355.
2. Cascinu S, Cordella L, Del Ferro E et al: Neuroprotective effect of reduced glutathione on cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 1995; 13:26-32.
3. Cascinu S, Labianca R, Alessandroni P et al: Intensive weekly chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer using fluorouracil, cisplatin, epi-doxorubicin, 6S-leucovorin, glutathione and filgrastim: a report from the Italian Group for the Study of Digestive Tract Cancer (GISCAD). J Clin Oncol 1997; 15:3313-3319.
4. Bohm S, Oriana S, Spatti G et al: Dose intensification of platinum compounds with glutathione protection as induction chemotherapy for advanced ovarian carcinoma. Oncology 1999; 57:115-120.
5. Holroyd KJ, Buhl R, Borok Z et al: Correction of glutathione deficiency in the lower respiratory tract of HIV seropositive individuals by glutathione aerosol treatment. Thorax 1993; 48:985-989.
6. Borok Z, Buhl R, Grimes GJ et al: Effect of glutathione on oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Lancet 1991; 338:215-216.
7. Testa B, Mesolella M, Testa D et al: Glutathione in the upper respiratory tract. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1995; 104:117-119.
8. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/altmed/altmed-mono.aspx?contentFileName=ame0400.xml&contentName=Glutathione+&contentId=556

Cleanse your Body

Whether you are trying to cleanse and detoxify your body from the effects of that big meal you ate, looking to make sure you pass your next drug test or if you simply want to feel better and lose some weight, there are many easy ways to cleanse and detoxify your body from the effects of food, drugs, drinking, smoking, stress and your environment.

Here are some tips:
Drink Water
Pure water is one of the best ways to cleanse your body and your system. Simply drink more water everyday, at least the typical 8 glasses a day. Tea can be substituted for water if you want more flavor, but try to avoid adding any sweetener or milk to it, if possible. If you must add something to your water or tea for flavor, consider adding some fresh lemon juice. Lemon juice is also a great detoxifying agent and can be a nice change from plain water.

Increase Your Fiber Intake
Get plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. While this may seem obvious, many people get precious little fiber in their diet, and simply adding much more fiber to their diet can help your digestive system, cleanse your bowels and help you lose excess weight naturally. Great sources of fiber include prunes, many dried fruits, whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, oatmeal, beans, lentils and nuts.

Get More Fruit
While fruit is a generally good source of fiber, certain fruits have a great deal more power where cleansing and detoxifying is concerned. Berries, especially blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, are great sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which have been shown to fight cancer, heart disease and other conditions. Berries are also high in vitamins, fiber and water, which makes them great options for anyone looking to cleanse and detoxify their body. Cranberries, specifically cranberry juice, is also an excellent way to cleanse your body. Cranberry juice has been shown to cleanse your kidneys and has long been known as a cure for bladder infections.

Liquid Diet
A more drastic way to cleanse your body is by going on a liquid diet. There are detox kits available that include specially formulated teas that can help to flush and cleanse the kidneys and the liver. In addition, pure fruit and vegetable juices can also be used on a liquid diet.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Many people find that supplementing their diet with apple cider vinegar can increase energy and help to suppress the appetite. You can add a couple ounces of apple cider vinegar to water once or twice a day, you may also stir in a bit of honey to make it more palatable. Apple cider vinegar has also been shown to lower your blood sugar, be a curative for many digestive issues, good for your skin and can help to alleviate certain allergies.

Vitamins & Herbal Supplements
There are many supplements available that include cleansing and detoxifying vitamins and herbs. Excellent herbs for cleansing include dandelion, milk thistle, burdock root, red clover blossoms, cayenne and ginger root. Vitamins and minerals that are excellent for cleansing include Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Choline.

However you choose to cleanse and detoxify your body, just be sure you pick a method that will work with your schedule and your system.

Detoxifying Your Body

Reducing or eliminating your health hazards - whether it's environmental toxins, smoking, drugs or alcohol, or excessive weight - will make a significant difference in your health.

You can also accelerate the improvement in health by actively detoxing your body, in large part by supporting the functioning of your liver.

The liver works twenty-four hours a day to cleanse your body of substances that can harm you, including the waste products of normal metabolism, food preservatives and additives, solvents in household cleaners, pesticides and herbicides, alcohol, drugs, toxins excreted by microbes in the digestive tract, and heavy metals (e.g., mercury or lead).

Your blood continually circulates through the liver, which filters out these harmful molecules and converts them into a form that can be readily excreted.

Studies have linked poor detoxification to several diseases, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. The ability of the liver to do its work varies from person to person, and you could find out about the strength of your own detoxification processes through a liver detoxification panel offered by several medical labs.

Meanwhile, you can help your liver through lifestyle choices and by taking certain nutrients. You've already learned about several actions that will support the liver:

• getting good nutrition (particularly cruciferous vegetables) from mainly organic foods, limiting your exposure to toxic chemicals, and taking supplements containing the MSDVs (notably the B vitamins, vitamins E and C, and magnesium, selenium, and molybdenum).

In addition, your body produces a peptide called glutathione, which strongly aids liver detoxification. Vitamin C and selenium support glutathione production. Whey protein also boosts glutathione, and you could try to eat a daily serving of this food (available at health food stores as a protein powder - which could be part of an easy breakfast).

Additionally, you could take a precursor to glutathione, N-acetyl-cysteine, with a dose of 500-1000 mg/day, or take glutathione directly, at 100-400 mg/day (although there is some question about how well the body assimilates glutathione in an oral supplement).

Other amino acids, including taurine, methionine, glutamine, and glycine can also be helpful to liver detoxification. Try supplementing any one of these, at 200-500 mg/day; start at a lower dosage if your body is particularly sensitive.

Numerous herbs promote liver detoxification as well. Perhaps the best known is milk thistle, also known as silymarin, which functions as an antioxidant and prevents depletion of glutathione. The standard dosage is 70-210 mg, three times per day.

In some cases, using supplements or herbs to aid detoxification can put the body into a temporary state of discomfort (as toxins are being processed at an accelerated pace). If this happens, reduce the dosages and see if that helps.

If the discomfort continues after a day or two, stop taking the supplement or herb. If detoxification has strong side effects, that suggests a need both to detoxify your body and to do so carefully while working with an experienced, licensed health practitioner. Finally (as usual), we don't think you should take supplements or herbs for detoxification if you are pregnant or nursing.

*** Please consult your physician before taking any supplements

Stimulating your body

A stimulant is a substance that quickly changes a symptom in an unnatural way. Many people in Western society live on stimulation. We use stimulation to make us feel good. If you try to control a symptom with stimulants, the cause of that symptom will remain. The core of a problem will never be solved by using stimulants. The number of stimulants we use is endless.
Examples:

• Refined white sugar
• Coffee
• Diet pills
• Cigarettes
• Spices
• Red Meat
• Drugs

Detoxification Stimulants cannot give the body what it needs. Only natural food can promote a healthy and thus happy physiological function. You could look at it this way: the only natural way to feel good is the one that is a by-product of a normally functioning body that is producing sufficient energy at the cellular level. Any other way to feel good is phony and a result of stimulants, how innocent these stimulants may look.

Your body detoxifies itself all day and for the biggest part during your sleep. Especially until noon it is therefore suggested to eat fruit only. Your body has to dispose of the toxic elements it receives from stimulants, nutrition and pollution.

If you stop the stimulating of your body with a certain stimulant there is a good chance that the following is the result:
* an immediate loss of energy;
* emotional symptoms such as headaches, sickness and depressions.

We suggest

• Eat right - lots of fruits and vegtables
• Sleep at least 8 hrs a day
• Excersise
• Take Glutathione

Clink here to know where to purchase Glutathione Supplements

Treatment of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Often, simply making the diagnosis of CFS and explaining what this means will help the person affected greatly.
It is important to be aware that the cause of CFS remains a mystery and that there is no simple cure. Recovery may take months, or even years, but most people do recover.

People with CFS need a regular review every couple of months by either a specialist or their general practitioner. If any new symptoms appear, treatment will need to be reassessed. People with CFS who do not respond to these treatments may be referred to a team including a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and liaison nurse.
With chronic fatigue syndrome, treating both physical and psychological factors is important.

To help with the physical aspects, the following may be beneficial:
Gentle exercise
Getting regular gentle exercise helps relieve and control symptoms. Most people with CFS can only tolerate light exercise, so it’s best to follow a "graded exercise programme", which means starting with an activity that can be done comfortably, and increasing the level of activity every few days. Getting too much exercise or increasing the level of exercise too quickly can make symptoms worse.
Painkillers
Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol may help relieve muscle and joint pain, headaches, and other physical symptoms. Some prescribed painkillers can become addictive and should only be used in the most severe cases on a short-term basis. Long-term use of any medication should be under the supervision of a doctor.
Daily routine
Adjusting the daily schedule to improve sleep habits may help.

To help with the psychological aspects, the following may help:
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
This is the most successful treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. CBT helps people identify how their thoughts affect their behaviour. It can help people to develop ways to cope more successfully with fatigue and other symptoms of CFS. Referral to a psychiatrist for this treatment does not mean that the doctor believes it is "all in the mind".
Antidepressants

These may be beneficial for some people with CFS where depression is a significant symptom.
Complementary treatments

Complementary medicine such as relaxation therapy, acupuncture, special diets or mineral supplements may alleviate symptoms. However, although some people may find them useful, there is no scientific evidence that these are effective.

The outlook
With or without treatment, most people who have CFS find that their symptoms get better over time and that they are able to resume normal daily activity within 1 to 2 years. Some people will continue to have symptoms for many years.

Glutathione (GSH) in Our Body
This article will demonstrate to you why Glutathione is soimportant to your health and well-being.

Glutathione (pronounced 'gloota-thigh-own') is the body's essential healthABC's - Antioxidant, Blood Booster and Cell Detoxifier.

Symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

The main symptom of CFS is a new, severe fatigue that lasts for over six months and does not improve after rest.

It is disabling all or most of the time. Even normal physical activity exacerbates the feeling of tiredness.

People who have CFS may also have other symptoms such as:
forgetfulness, memory loss, confusion, or difficulty concentrating,
sore throat,
tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpits,
muscle pain,
joint pain without redness or swelling,
headaches,
unrefreshing sleep (waking up feeling tired or unrested) or trouble getting to sleep,
fatigue that lasts more than 24 hours after exercise or exertion at a level that the person was previously able to manage without fatigue.

Other symptoms may include:
feeling hot or feverish even though temperature may be normal,
sensitivity to light or sound,
orthostatic hypotension, which causes light-headedness or dizziness as a result of a drop in blood pressure when standing or sitting up from a reclining position.
Diagnosis

When a doctor examines someone with CFS, they usually find no physical abnormalities. Diagnosis of CFS is made by taking a medical history, and by ruling out other possible conditions. Blood tests may help to rule out other illnesses, and in people with CFS the results will be negative. There is no specific test for diagnosing CFS.

Fights Inflammation and the diseases of AGING

It is well known that aging is accompanied by a precipitous fall inglutathione levels. Lower glutathione levels are implicated in manydiseases associated with aging including cataracts, Alzheimer's,Parkinson's atherosclerosis and others.Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 47:1021-26, 1994.

Heart Dis-Ease, Stroke and CholesterolRaised glutathione levels fight the oxidation of fats circulating in the bloodstreamincluding cholesterol, retarding the process of plaque formation in the arteriesleading to most heart attacks and strokes.

Nutrition Reviews 54: 1-30, 1996One of the best antioxidants is an amino acid called glutathione. I'm not alone in considering it one of the most powerful cancer-curbing, age-slowing nutrients ever discovered.

CFS-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the use of Glutathione

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that causes fatigue severe enough to interfere with a person’s normal life. It is the term used to describe the symptoms formerly known as ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).

About chronic fatigue syndrome
In the past, doctors tended to believe that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was related to depression and that the symptoms were "all in the mind". But most experts now agree that chronic fatigue syndrome is a distinct disease with physical symptoms. Although poorly understood, CFS is real and can be disabling for many people who have it.

It can affect any age group including school children and the elderly, but it most commonly affects young adults. About 1 in 1000 people are affected in the UK.

What causes CFS?
The cause of CFS is unknown but can’t be passed from person to person.
Some people appear to develop CFS after a viral or bacterial infection, though it is not the same as the normal fatigue that often follows immediately after a bad infection like flu. Glandular fever is a common trigger.

CFS may also follow distressing life events such as bereavement, divorce, or redundancy.
Some doctors believe CFS may be linked to disorders that affect the body’s natural defences (the immune system) and to abnormalities of the hormonal system. Some research indicates that CFS involves the nervous system as well. However, the exact significance of these factors in chronic fatigue syndrome is not clear, as there is no definitive scientific evidence.

Some doctors believe that there is a strong psychiatric or psychological element to CFS, and that some cases may be depression in another form.

Strenthens your immune system
Lymphocytes, cells vital for your immune system, depend on glutathione for their proper function and replication.IMMUNOLOGY 61: 503-508 1987 " A review article published in the Annals of Pharmacology stated that glutathione is important in DNA synthesis and repair, protein and prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, detoxification of toxins and carcinogens, enhancement of the immune system, and protection from oxidation and enzyme activations.

" The Immune System Cure, Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe & Patrick J.D. Bouic, Ph.D. - Prevents heart disease - Shimizu H, Kiyohara Y, Kitazono T, Kubo M,Ibayashi S, Fufishima M, Lida M.Relationship Between Plasma Glutathione Levels and Cardiovascular Disease in a Defined Population: The Hisyama Study. Stroke. 2004 Sep; 35(9):2072-7." We literally cannot survive without this miraculous antioxidant," according to Dr. Earl Mindell, What You Should Know about the Super Antioxidant Miracle

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Fibromyalgia include widespread musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, and disturbed sleep. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body.



Patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they were pulled or overworked. Sometimes fibromyalgia symptoms include muscle twitches and burning sensations. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, and it shows up in people of all ages.


While the severity of symptoms differs from person to person, fibromyalgia may resemble a post-viral state. This similarity is the reason experts believe that fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may actually be the same condition.


Common symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome:


• Pain - The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. Intense burning may also be present. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively.


• Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some fibromyalgia patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating, e.g., brain fog.


• Sleep disorder - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a machine that recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found that the majority of fibromyalgia patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. Patients appeared to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other one out of it.Sleep lab tests may not be necessary to determine if you have disturbed sleep. If you wake up feeling as though you've just been run over by a Mack truck—what doctors refer to as unrefreshing sleep—it is reasonable for your physician to assume that you have a sleep disorder. Many fibromyalgia patients have been found to have other sleep disorders in addition to the alpha-EEG, such as sleep apnea (as well as the newly discovered form of interrupted breathing called upper airway resistance syndrome, or UARS), bruxism (teeth grinding), periodic limb movement during sleep (jerking of arms and legs), and restless legs syndrome (difficulty sitting still in the evenings).


• Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas, and nausea represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40 to 70% of fibromyalgia patients. Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also occurs with the same high frequency.


• Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 70% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose a major problem in coping for this patient group.


• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to as TMJ or TMD, causes tremendous jaw-related face and head pain in one-quarter of fibromyalgia patients. However, a 1997 published report indicated that close to 75% of fibromyalgia patients have a varying degree of jaw discomfort. Typically, the problems are related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the jaw joint and not necessarily the joint itself.


• Other common symptoms - Premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. Fibromyalgia patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights, and sometimes even the medications they are prescribed.


• Aggravating factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, infections, allergies, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety and over-exertion may all contribute to fibromyalgia symptom flare-ups.



Detoxifies your bodyAntioxidants are well documented and known to possess vital roles in health maintenance and disease prevention. Glutathione is your cell's own major antioxidant. Maintaining elevated glutathione levels aids the body's natural antioxidant function.Biochemical Pharmacology 47: 2113-2123 1994




Glutathione and Athletic Performance

Many world-class athletes are discovering that well-maintained glutathione levels give them the edge over their competitors, bringing greater strength and endurance, decreased recovery time from injury, less muscle pain and fatigue, and muscle-promoting activity." Glutathione: Essential Health AID - Antioxidant. Immune Booster. Detoxifier, Dr. Jimmy Gutman, MD, FACEP