Irritable Bowel, Pain Syndromes Linked

Sept. 28, 2006 -- Doctors have long suspected a link between irritable bowel syndrome, pain syndromes, and depression. New data now strongly support this theory.

The findings come from data on 97,593 people with irritable bowel syndrome enrolled in a large U.S. health plan from 1996 to 2002. J. Alexander Cole, DSc, MPH, and colleagues at Boston University compared these patients with 27,402 people seeking routine health care.

Their results show that people with irritable bowel syndrome are:

• 80% more likely to suffer fibromyalgiafibromyalgia
• 60% more likely to suffer migraine
• 40% more likely to suffer depression
• Overall, 60% more likely to suffer fibromyalgia, migraine, or depression

"Perhaps what is driving the relation between irritable bowel syndrome and these other conditions is some underlying biological disorder," Cole tells WebMD. "Nobody is sure what this could be. But people suggest that there is this constellation of symptoms among people with irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraine, and depression that might present in different ways."

Cole and colleagues report their findings in the Sept. 28 issue of the online journal BMC Gastroenterology.

Common Cause of Pain Syndromes?

Cole, now an epidemiologist with i3 Drug Safety, is not an expert on irritable bowel syndrome. Reza Shaker, MD, is. Shaker, chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, was not involved in the Cole study.

"Clinical observations of patients with pain syndromes indicate that we are dealing with a syndrome bigger than a single organ," Shaker tells WebMD. "These findings confirm these previous observations."

Shaker says people with irritable bowel syndrome and people with pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and migraine have something in common. They all have nerve pathways which somehow have become vastly oversensitive to pain signals -- a process doctors call sensitization.

Perhaps, Shaker suggests, there's a common problem at the crossroads where these nerve pathways intersect.

"Is it possible that there is an event -- possibly an early life event -- that affects the crossroads of all these nerve pathways?" he asks. "In areas where these nerves cross, it could be that there is sensitization occurring, affecting different neural circuits."

Cole suggests that different doctors looking at the same underlying illness might make different diagnoses. A gastroenterologist, for example, might diagnose irritable bowel syndrome, while a rheumatologist might diagnose fibromyalgia.

This sounds a lot like the blind men who, on first encountering an elephant, declare it to be like a snake or a tree depending on whether they are touching the elephant's trunk or its leg. Shaker says this analogy is apt. But most doctors, he says, will examine the whole elephant, not just its parts.

"A professional doesn't just focus on one symptom. If we see irritable bowel syndrome along with noncardiac chest pain or fibromyalgia, then we tackle this," he says. "But we doctors need to have a more global picture of this, instead of pigeonholing our diagnosis according to our own specialty or subspecialty."

For my friends with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome here are some pointers on how to increase your energy. We definitely have problems in the energy category so I hope this article can make a difference.

11 Fail Proof Habits for Producing a Floodgate of Energy By: George Alarcon

Feel less tired, more alive, and energized by adopting the following energy boosting strategies: * Always eat breakfast Believe it or not, the first meal of the day is the most important one which provides your body the required fuel to keep you going throughout the day. Never miss breakfast; snack on an energy bar, a banana or apple, or drink a gl*** of juice, if you’re in a hurry. * Eat smaller meals and more often Studies have proven that by eating smaller and healthier meals actually give you more energy as opposed to bigger meals which often make you feel tired and sleepy! Try to eat a healthy snack every four hours to maintain your energy levels. * Exercise! Walk, jog, or cycle at least fifteen minutes everyday. Any kind of physical activity will boost your energy levels. Find time between breaks, cl***es, before or after work. Plan ahead and establish a schedule for exercising. You’ll notice an immediate difference in energy! * Feed your cells! If you feel run down and extreme fatigue often or just sometimes, this may be a sure sign that the cells in your body are not receiving enough nutrients. When our body does not get its required dosage of nutrients from our diet, we become exhausted much faster. A powerful way to feel more energized is to supplement our diet with Cellfood. Personally, I take Cellfood every day like clockwork; because of Cellfood I feel more energetic, I sleep less, and I don’t easily get so tired. For information on Cellfood go to: http://www.chronic-fatigue-aid.com/cfs_articles.html * High energy foods Consider adding high energy foods to your diet such as low-fat cheese, milk, yogurt, beans, eggs, fish, poultry, and lean meat. * Hoodia Gordonii To get an added natural flow of energy, consider taking Hoodia Gordonii. This amazing cactus-looking plant is fast becoming popular around the world. To learn all of its benefits, you can visit: http://www.hoodia-way.com * Juice Drink a whole gl*** of organic apple or pure orange juice. These two will provide you with plenty of energy, especially when you are running low! * Water Drink water on a regular basis. * Reduce caffeine consumption! A great way to help maintain your energy levels is to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet. Remember: caffeine is a stimulant and will make you jittery. * Vitamins Take supplements of vitamins C, E, and B6. Or, eat foods rich in these vitamins like oranges, almonds, peanuts, and pecans. * Minerals Take iron as a supplement; it will boost your overall energy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Alarcon runs http://www.chronic-fatigue-aid.com where he offers highly effective treatments for conquering extreme fatigue and successfully treating chronic fatigue syndrome—for free. __________________________________________________________________ http://www.bizzyblogz.com/fibromyalgia

This article isn't strictly about fibromyalgia but about healthy cooking which is important for those of us with fibromyalgia as well as others.

Recipe Makeovers: 10 Commandments of Healthy Cooking

My 10 Recipe Lightening Commandments

1. In most bakery recipes (muffins, cakes, cookies, coffee cakes, brownies, nut breads, etc.) you can substitute whole-wheat for half the white flour called for. Compared to 1/4 cup of white flour, each 1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour adds 3.5 grams of fiber and various phytochemicals, and doubles the amount of magnesium and selenium. The extra fiber helps slow digestion and increase fullness.

2. In most bakery recipes, you can replace half of the sugar with Splenda (or a similar artificial sweetener). This cuts the calories from sugar in half, saving you 48 calories per tablespoon of sugar you replace.

3. In egg dishes (quiches, frittatas, omelets, breakfast c***eroles), you can use egg substitute in place of half the eggs. In other words, if the recipe calls for 6 eggs, you would blend 3 whole eggs with 3/4 cup egg substitute (1/4 cup of egg substitute replaces each egg). You can replace half the eggs in bakery recipes with egg substitute as well. By replacing one large egg with 1/4 cup egg substitute, you'll shave 45 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1.6 grams of saturated fat, and 213 milligrams of cholesterol.

4. In many bakery recipes, you can cut the fat ingredient (butter, margarine, shortening, or oil) in half. In other words, if a cake recipe calls for 1 cup of butter or margarine, you can usually use 1/2 cup instead. Remember to replace the missing fat with a similar amount of a moist but healthful ingredient (fat-free sour cream, orange juice, low-fat yogurt, applesauce, etc.) This change cuts both fat and calories, since each gram of fat translates into 9 calories as opposed to 4 per gram for protein or carbohydrate.

5. Cook with reduced-fat or fat-free products when available -- and when they taste good. Try fat-free sour cream, reduced-fat cheeses, light cream cheese, light mayonnaise, reduced-fat or light sausage, less-fat turkey bacon, light salad dressings, and light or low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. Many cut calories and saturated fat along with total fat. A few fat-free products are in my arsenal as well: fat-free sour cream and half-and-half, chicken broth, wine, strong coffee, fruit purees, and fruit juice. These foods add moisture, and sometimes flavor, to recipes where you aren't using a lot of fatty ingredients.

6. Never deep-fry when you can oven-fry or pan-fry with a lot less oil. Choose canola oil or olive oil, and use about 1/2 teaspoon per serving (depending on the item). When you pan-fry or oven-fry in a controlled amount of oil, you can cut a lot of the fat and calories your food would soak up if it were submerged in hot oil. For every tablespoon of oil you cut, you'll save 120 calories and 13.5 grams of fat.

7. Use whole grains in your recipes whenever possible. We've already talked about whole-wheat flour, but you can also substitute brown rice for white rice, add barley to stews and c***eroles, and look for recipes that call for oats. Whole grains offer fiber to fill you up, along with a plethora of health benefits.

8. Extra ingredients and embellishments can often be removed or cut in half. If a recipe calls for chocolate chips, you can use less. If it calls for dotting your c***erole or pie with butter, you can skip this step. In a cake recipe, you can use half the original amount of frosting (in a double-layer cake, just frost the top and middle and forget the sides). And in some cakes, bars, and cookies, you can skip the frosting in favor of a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Using 2 tablespoons of frosting instead of 4 will shave 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 2 grams of saturated fat. Each tablespoon of chocolate chips you skip cuts the calories by 50 per serving, the fat by 3 grams, and the saturated fat by almost 2 grams.

9. Use top-quality ingredients when possible. Start with the best-tasting, freshest ingredients you can find. For example, I use fresh garlic (I buy it already minced in jars) and fresh herbs when I can -- they usually have more flavor than the dried. Use extra-fresh fish, the sharpest reduced-fat cheddar cheese, and so on. All this means your lighter dish will be more likely to p*** muster with the m***es!

10. Switch to "smart fat" ingredients when possible. Certain fats, when used in moderation, actually have health benefits! Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and some plant foods like canola oil and ground flaxseed), as well as oils that contain monounsaturated fats (like olive and canola oil) and foods high in monounsaturated fats (like avocado and almonds) may help protect against heart disease. In recipes, you often have a choice of which oil or margarine to use, or you can choose to add fish instead of red meat. When a recipe calls for melted butter or margarine, you can often substitute canola or olive oil.

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the "Recipe Doctor" for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

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http://www.bizzyblogz.com/fibromyalgia

I read an interesting article indicating that doctors suspect a link between irritable bowel syndrome, pain syndromes, and depression. A study was done on more than 97000 people with irritable bowel syndrome. Compared to people seeking routine care not including irritable bowel syndrome, results showed:

80% more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia

60% more likely to suffer migraine

40% more likely to suffer from depression

Overall, 60% more likely to suffer fibromyalgia, migraine, or depression

What does this signify? Nobody is sure why these syndromes are related. The study showed that patients with pain syndromes had a syndrome more than in just one organ.

People with irritable bowel syndrome and people with pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and migraine have something in common. They all have nerve pathways which are oversensitive to pain signals. Doctors call this process sensitization.

Researchers wonder if there was an early life event that affects the crossroads of all these nerve pathways. This is just a theory at this time.

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http://www.bizzyblogz.com/fibromyalgia

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You may comment on this article below.

Health Tip: Treating Fibromyalgia

(HealthDay News) -- Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that affects more adult women than men, but can strike any gender, age or race.

The disease is characterized by musculoskeletal soreness and stiffness, pain or sensitivity, fatigue and difficulty sleeping.

The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) notes that while pain most often occurs in the neck, back, shoulders, hands and pelvis, any area of the body may be symptomatic.

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include migraines, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, lack of coordination, anxiety and depression. Pain is typically described as either shooting or a consistent aching, numbness, or a burning or tingling sensation.

The NFA says fibromyalgia is diagnosed by analyzing certain criteria and patient symptoms, but is not currently diagnosed by any test or procedure. Treatments for the condition are often holistic and address both medical and lifestyle changes.

Pain relief medication -- such as over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen, or prescription non-narcotics -- may alleviate discomfort. Sometimes, anti-depressants are prescribed, as well.

A regular sleep schedule also is usually part of the treatment, including a quiet, comfortable sleep environment. Support groups, counseling, physical therapy, chiropractic, herbal supplements, therapeutic massage, yoga and other alternative therapies have also proven to be effective in helping patients with fibromyalgia feel better and lead normal lives.

-- Diana Kohnle

Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.

http://www.bizzyblogz.com/fibromyalgia

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com

Medical Author: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What is fibromyalgia?
• What causes fibromyalgia?
• Who does fibromyalgia affect?
• What are symptoms of fibromyalgia?
• How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for fibromyalgia?
• What is in the future for fibromyalgia therapy?
• Fibromyalgia At A Glance

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition causing pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening feeling tired, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disturbances in bowel function. Fibromyalgia was formerly known as fibrositis.

While fibromyalgia is one of the most common diseases affecting the muscles, its cause is currently unknown. The painful tissues involved are not accompanied by tissue inflammation. Therefore, despite potentially disabling body pain, patients with fibromyalgia do not develop body damage or deformity. Fibromyalgia also does not cause damage to internal body organs. Therefore, fibromyalgia is different from many other rheumatic conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and polymyositis). In those diseases, tissue inflammation is the major cause of pain, stiffness and tenderness of the joints, tendons and muscles, and it can lead to joint deformity and damage to the internal organs or muscles.

What causes fibromyalgia?

The cause of fibromyalgia is not known. Patients experience pain in response to stimuli that are normally not perceived as painful. Researchers have found elevated levels of a nerve chemical signal, called substance P, and nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid of fibromyalgia patients. The brain nerve chemical serotonin is also relatively low in patients with fibromyalgia. Studies of pain in fibromyalgia have suggested that the central nervous system (brain) may be somehow supersensitive. Scientists note that there seems to be a diffuse disturbance of pain perception in patients with fibromyalgia.

Also, patients with fibromyalgia have impaired non-Rapid-Eye-Movement, or non-REM, sleep phase (which likely explains the common feature of waking up fatigued and unrefreshed in these patients). The onset of fibromyalgia has been associated with psychological distress, trauma, and infection.

Who does fibromyalgia affect?

Fibromyalgia affects predominantly women (over 80 percent) between the ages of 35 and 55. Rarely, fibromyalgia can also affect men, children, and the elderly. It can occur independently, or can be associated with another disease, such as systemic lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The prevalence of fibromyalgia varies in different countries. In Sweden and Britain, 1 percent of the population is affected by fibromyalgia. In the United States, approximately 2 percent of the population have fibromyalgia.

What are symptoms of fibromyalgia?

The universal symptom of fibromyalgia is pain. As mentioned earlier, the pain in fibromyalgia is not caused by tissue inflammation. Instead, these patients seem to have an increased sensitivity to many different sensory stimuli, and an unusually low pain threshold. Minor sensory stimuli that ordinarily would not cause pain in individuals can cause disabling pain in patients with fibromyalgia. The body pain of fibromyalgia can be aggravated by noise, weather change, and emotional stress.

The pain of fibromyalgia is generally widespread, involving both sides of the body. Pain usually affects the neck, buttocks, shoulders, arms, the upper back, and the chest. "Tender points" are localized tender areas of the body that can bring on widespread pain and muscle spasm when touched. Tender points are commonly found around the elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, back of the head, and the sides of the breast bone.

Fatigue occurs in 90 percent of patients. Fatigue may be related to abnormal sleep patterns commonly observed in these patients. Normally, there are several levels of depth of sleep. Getting enough of the deeper levels of sleep may be more important in refreshing a person than the total number of hours of sleep. Patients with fibromyalgia lack the deep, restorative level of sleep, called "non-rapid-eye- movement" (non-REM) sleep. Consequently, patients with fibromyalgia often awaken in the morning without feeling fully rested. Some patients awaken with muscle aches or a sensation of muscle fatigue as if they had been "working out" all night!

Mental and/or emotional disturbances occur in over half of fibromyalgia patients. These symptoms include poor concentration, forgetfulness, mood changes, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Since a firm diagnosis of fibromyalgia is difficult, and no confirmatory laboratory tests are available, patients with fibromyalgia are often misdiagnosed as having depression as their primary underlying problem.

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include migraine and tension headaches, numbness or tingling of different parts of the body, abdominal pain related to irritable bowel syndrome ("spastic colon"), and irritable bladder, causing painful and frequent urination. Like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome can cause chronic abdominal pain and other bowel disturbances without detectable inflammation of the stomach or the intestines. For further information, please see the read the Irritable Bowel Syndrome article.

Each patient with fibromyalgia is unique. Any of the above symptoms can occur intermittently and in different combinations.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

There is no blood or x-ray test to help the doctor determine whether someone has fibromyalgia. Therefore, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is made purely on clinical grounds based on the doctor's history and physical examination. In patients with widespread body pain, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be made by identifying point tenderness areas (typically, patients will have at least 11 of the 18 classic tender points), by finding no accompanying tissue swelling or inflammation, and by excluding other medical conditions that can mimic fibromyalgia. Many medical conditions can cause pain in different areas of the body, mimicking fibromyalgia. These conditions include:

• low thyroid hormone level (hypothyroidism)
• parathyroid disease (causing elevated blood calcium level)
• muscle diseases causing muscle pain (such as polymyositis)
• bone diseases causing bone pain (such as Paget's disease)
• elevated blood calcium (hypercalcemia)
• infectious diseases (such as hepatitis, Epstein Barr virus, AIDS)
• cancer

Even though there is no blood test for fibromyalgia, blood tests are important to exclude other medical conditions. Therefore, thyroid hormone and calcium blood levels are obtained to exclude hypercalcemia, hyperparathyroidism and hypothyroidism. The blood alkaline phosphatase (a bone enzyme) level is often raised in patients with Paget's disease of the bone. The CPK (a muscle enzyme) level is often elevated in patients with polymyositis, a disease with diffuse muscle inflammation. Therefore, obtaining alkaline phosphatase and CPK blood levels can help the doctor decide whether Paget's disease and polymyositis are the causes of bone and muscle pains. A complete blood count (CBC), and liver tests help in the diagnosis of hepatitis and other infections.

Fibromyalgia can occur alone, or in association with other systemic rheumatic conditions. Systemic rheumatic conditions refer to diseases that can cause inflammation and damage to numerous different tissues and organs in the body. Systemic rheumatic conditions associated with fibromyalgia include systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and polymyalgia rheumatica. Blood tests which are helpful in evaluating these diseases include erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP), antinuclear antibody (ANA), and rheumatoid factor (RF). In patients with fibromyalgia without associated systemic illnesses, the ESR, SPEP, ANA, and RF blood tests are usually normal.

What is the treatment for fibromyalgia?

Since the symptoms of fibromyalgia are diverse and vary among patients, treatment programs must be individualized for each patient. Treatment programs are most effective when they combine patient education, stress reduction, regular exercise, and medications. Recent studies have verified that the best outcome for each patient results from a combination of approaches that involves the patient in customization of the treatment plan.

Patient Education

Patient education is an important first step in helping patients understand and cope with the diverse symptoms. Unfortunately, not all physicians are intimately acquainted with the vagaries of this illness. Therefore, community hospital support groups and the local chapters of the Arthritis Foundation have become important educational resources for patients and their doctors. Arthritis Foundation is a national voluntary health organization that provides community education through their many local chapters. Community hospital support groups also provide an arena for patients to share their experiences and treatment successes and failures.

Stress Reduction

It is extremely difficult to measure stress levels in different patients. For some people, spilling milk on the table can represent a significant tragedy. For others, a tank rolling into the living room might represent "just another day!" Therefore, stress reduction in the treatment of fibromyalgia must be individualized. Stress reduction might include simple stress modification at home or work, biofeedback, relaxation tapes, psychological counseling, and/or support among family members, friends, and doctors. Sometimes, changes in environmental factors (such as noise, temperature, and weather exposure) can exacerbate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, and these factors need to be modified.

Exercise

Low-impact aerobic exercises, such as swimming, cycling, walking and stationary cross-country ski machines can be effective treatments for fibromyalgia. Exercise regimens are most beneficial when performed on an every-other-day basis, in the morning. How exercise benefits fibromyalgia is unknown. Exercise may exert its beneficial effect by promoting a deep level of sleep (non-REM sleep). Similarly, avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime can also help promote a more restful sleep.

Medications

The most effective medications in the treatment of fibromyalgia are the tricyclic antidepressants, medications traditionally used in treating depression. In treating fibromyalgia, tricyclic antidepressants are taken at bedtime in doses that are a fraction of those used for treating depression. Tricyclic antidepressants appear to reduce fatigue, relieve muscle pain and spasm, and promote deep restorative sleep in patients with fibromyalgia. Scientists believe that tricyclics work by interfering with a nerve transmitter chemical in the brain called "serotonin." Examples of tricyclic antidepressants commonly used in treating fibromyalgia include amitriptyline (Elavil) and doxepin (Sinequan).

A recent study suggests that adding fluoxetine (Prozac) to low dose amitriptyline (Elavil) further reduces muscle pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with fibromyalgia. The combination is also more effective in promoting restful sleep, and improving an overall sense of well-being. These two medications also tend to cancel out certain side effects each can have. Tricyclic medications can cause tiredness and fatigue while fluoxetine can make patients more cheerful and awake. Even more recently, study of patients with resistant fibromyalgia found that lorazepam (Ativan) was helpful in relieving symptoms. Fluoxetine (Prozac) has also been shown to be effective when used alone for some patients with fibromyalgia.

Other Treatments

Local injections of analgesics and/or cortisone medication into the trigger point areas can also be helpful in relieving painful soft tissues, while breaking cycles of pain and muscle spasm. Some studies indicate that the pain-reliever tramadol (Ultram) and tramadol/acetaminophen (Ultracet) may be helpful for the treatment of fibromyalgia pains. The muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) has been helpful for reducing pain symptoms and improving sleep.

The nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), while very helpful in treating other rheumatic conditions, have only a limited value in treating fibromyalgia pain. Narcotic pain relievers and cortisone medications have not been shown to be beneficial in this condition. Narcotics and cortisone medications are avoided because they have not been shown to be beneficial and they have potential adverse side effects, including dependency, when used long-term.

Both biofeedback and electroacupuncture have been used for relief of symptoms with some success. Standard acupuncture was recently reported to be effective in treating some patients with fibromyalgia.

What is in the future for fibromyalgia therapy?

The key to unlocking the mystery of fibromyalgia has yet to be found. Research scientists have been studying numerous viruses as potential causes for fibromyalgia. Identification of an infectious agent or toxin which causes the disease may one day lead to a laboratory test which can help doctors diagnose fibromyalgia. Until further research uncovers the exact cause of the disease, specific treatment aimed at a cure remains unattainable.

New drugs may be developed that block substance P or nerve growth factor to relieve pain of fibromyalgia. Many fibromyalgia patients can be helped by improved patient education, proper exercise, and medications. With ongoing research, the future will certainly improve for those affected by fibromyalgia.

Recent research has suggested that drugs that block more than one brain nerve transmitter, such as duloxetine (Cymbalta), can be effective in treating fibromyalgia. Duloxetine has been effective in treating depression and relieving pain in persons with depression. Additional research suggests that the drug pregabalin may be helpful by blocking nerve pain in patients with fibromyalgia. More research is underway to evaluate the potential of these new treatments.

Fibromyalgia At A Glance

• Fibromyalgia causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation.
• Fibromyalgia does not cause body damage or deformity.
• Fatigue occurs in 90% of patients with fibromyalgia.
• Irritable bowel syndrome can occur with fibromyalgia.
• Sleep disorder is common in patients with fibromyalgia.
• There is no test for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
• Fibromyalgia can be associated with other rheumatic conditions.
• Treatment of fibromyalgia is most effective with combinations of education, stress reduction, exercise, and medications.

For further information about fibromyalgia, contact:

Arthritis Foundation
(http://www.arthritis.org/)
P.O Box 19000
Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Last Editorial Review: 4/15/2005

Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should carefully read all product packaging. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider.

Statements and information regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning any course of supplementation or treatment.

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http:www.bizzyblogz.com/fibromyalgia

DonnaZ

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