Tuesday 18 December 2012

Fibromyalgia.... Yeah it's 'so' much fun!!!



What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue. The pain tends to be felt as diffuse aching or burning, often described as head to toe. It may be worse at some times than at others. It may also change location, usually becoming more severe in parts of the body that are used most.
The fatigue ranges from feeling tired, to the exhaustion of a flu-like illness. It may come and go and people can suddenly feel drained of all energy – as if someone just “pulled the plug”.
Fibromyalgia is a common illness. In fact, it is more common than rheumatoid arthritis and can even be more painful. Prevalence of Fibromyalgia: A Survey in Five European Countries (see www.fmauk.org/prevalence for details) put the prevalence of FM at between 2.9 and 4.7%. People with mild to moderate cases of fibromyalgia are usually able to live a normal life, given the appropriate treatment.
If symptoms are severe, however, people may not be able to hold down a paying job or enjoy much of a social life. The name fibromyalgia is made up from “fibro” for fibrous tissues such as tendons and ligaments; “my” indicating muscles; and “algia” meaning pain.

Symptoms

Besides pain and fatigue fibromyalgia symptoms often include:
  • unrefreshing sleep – waking up tired and stiff
  • headaches – ranging from ordinary types to migraine
  • irritable bowel – alternating diarrhoea and constipation, sometimes accompanied by gas in the abdomen or nausea
  • cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration, temporary memory impairment and word mix up
  • clumsiness and dizziness
  • sensitivity to changes in the weather and to noise, bright lights, smoke and other environmental factors
  • allergies
Diagnosis 

Fibromyalgia is not new, but for most of the last century it was difficult to diagnose. Part of the problem has been that the condition could not be identified in the standard laboratory tests or x-rays. Moreover, many of its signs and symptoms are found in other conditions as well – especially in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Two Canadian doctors developed a way of diagnosing fibromyalgia in the 1970s and in 1990 an international committee published requirements for diagnosis that are now widely accepted. Once other medical conditions have been ruled out through tests and the patient’s history, diagnosis depends on two main symptoms:
  • pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months together with
  • pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed. The “tender points”, or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed.
·     What Causes Fibromyalgia?
·          
·     Fibromyalgia often develops after some sort of trauma that seems to act as a trigger, such as a fall or car accident, a viral infection, childbirth, an operation or an emotional event. Sometimes the condition begins without any obvious trigger. The actual cause of fibromyalgia has not yet been found. Over the past several years, however, research has produced some insights into this puzzling condition. For instance, it has been known that most people with fibromyalgia are deprived of deep restorative sleep.
·     Current studies may find out how to improve the quality of sleep and some of the prescribed medicine is specifically aimed at addressing the lack of restorative sleep.
·     Research has identified a deficiency in Serotonin in the central nervous system coupled with a threefold increase in the neurotransmiter substance P, found in spinal fluid and which transmits pain signals.
·     The effect is disordered sensory processing. The brain registers pain when others might experience a slight ache or stiffness. It is hoped that more research will discover the cause and result in more effective treatment.
·          

C    Current Treatment
·          
·     At the present time treatment for fibromyalgia aims at reducing pain and improving sleep. In other words, some of the symptoms are being treated, rather than the condition itself.

Pharmacological management
·     Over-the-counter medications may help relieve the pain of fibromyalgia but severe pain may require the expertise of a pain clinic. It is best to discuss any form of pain relief with your specialist or GP. It is most important to note that
·    medications work for some people and not others. Pharmacological management of FM in the UK often involves 'off-label' medications focused on the relief of discrete symptoms rather than treatment of the condition. A number of drug therapies have shown effectiveness in randomised clinical trials, leading to approval by the Food and Drug Administration in America of pregabalin, duloxetine and milnacipran for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
·         Medications most often prescribed for fibromyalgia are tricyclic drugs also used to treat depression although doses for fibromyalgia are much lower than for depression. In some cases these drugs will help both sleep and pain.
·         However, many people find available medications either insufficient to control their symptoms or difficult to tolerate due to a high incidence of adverse effects. Thus, all medications should be reviewed at regular intervals to monitor their efficacy.
·         Support from family, friends and other people who have fibromyalgia is extremely valuable to those who have fibromyalgia. Professional counselling may help some people to cope with this illness and to take an active part in their own treatment. For more information on medications please visit www.fmauk.org/medications
·         Learning to manage the condition seems, so far, to be the most successful way of dealing with fibromyalgia.
·         A combination of heat, rest, exercise and reducing stress can enable some people with fibromyalgia to maintain a productive life.
·         Managing Fibromyalgia  
·         The best way to cope with fibromyalgia is to use a number of techniques that ease the symptoms as much as possible.
·         Relaxation is one technique that works really well for almost everybody with fibromyalgia. It reduces tension in the mind and body right away. The results are calming for all the symptoms, especially for the pain. Relaxation can be learned from books, tapes, videos or special courses.
·         Heat is important. A hot water bottle and hot baths or showers will help reduce pain and banish morning stiffness. Soaking hands and feet in hot water for a few minutes can ease their aching. Exercise is the most common prescription for fibromyalgia and Dr Pellegrino’s section on this has invaluable advice about the form this should take.
·         Although no particular diet has been shown to help fibromyalgia, a healthy, balanced diet is important to provide protein, vitamins and minerals. It is best to avoid or at least cut down on coffee, tea and alcohol. Some sufferers have a tendency to gain weight and this can be distressing in itself. If you follow a healthy diet this should in turn help with your weight control.
·         People with fibromyalgia can have good days and bad days. On a good day it is important to pace yourself; overdoing it may simply make matters worse. Rest is also important. Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down.

Latest Treatment guidelines

As previously reported in FaMily Magazine, The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) issued the first guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and published them in the September 17th On-line First issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
While these guidelines are not adopted by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) as yet, they can be seen as a significant step forward in medical treatment.

Specific recommendations in these guidelines regarding general considerations for management of FMS are as follows
  • Comprehensive evaluation of pain, function, and psychosocial context is needed to understand FMS completely, because it is a complex, heterogeneous condition involving abnormal pain processing and other secondary features.
  • Optimal treatment of FMS mandates a multidisciplinary approach, which should include a combination of non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions. After discussion with the patient, treatment modalities should be specifically tailored based on pain intensity, function, and associated features such as depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbance.
Specific recommendations on non-pharmacologic management of FMS are as follows:
  • Heated pool treatment, with or without exercise, is effective.
  • For some patients with FMS, individually tailored exercise programs can be helpful. These may include aerobic exercise and strength training.
  • For certain patients with FMS, cognitive behavioral therapy may be beneficial.
  • Based on the specific needs of the patient, relaxation, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychological support, and other modalities may be indicated.
Specific recommendations on pharmacologic management are as follows:
  • Tramadol is recommended for management of pain. Although other treatment options may include simple analgesics (eg, paracetamol) and other weak opioids, corticosteroids and strong opioids are not recommended.
  • Antidepressants are recommended for the treatment of FMS because they decrease pain and often improve function. Appropriate options may include amitriptyline, fluoxetine, duloxetine, milnacipran, moclobemide, and pirlindole.
  • Tropisetron, pramipexole, and pregabalin are recommended for the treatment of FMS because they reduce pain.

Friday 30 November 2012

Ruin... the day has arrived!

Wednesday 28/11/2012

This was Ruin, fast asleep on the sofa last night:
Blissfully unaware what is going to happen tomorrow!!
Took him into the vets for 8.30am and as they weighed him before taking him in 
the receptionist said "I think we can technically call him a lion!"
I'm not gonna argue with that... let's face is they sure would in Essex!!

I got a phonecall just after 1pm to say he'd had the procedure
everything was ok & he was coming round now so all ok to
collect him at 4.30pm when I was due to take Baillee for her booster.

Collection Time:
It seems 'someone' has been getting LOTS of cuddles!
The receptionist has fallen in love with him and aparently they've been grooming him
while he was coming round from the anaesthetic :)
Baillee surprised also today, she was extremely friendly & loving
towards the vet... I really am considering showing her again!!

As soon as Ruin got home he first went to chat to the water fountain
(I presume to tell it all about his day and to apologise for his abcence)
then he sat at his food bowl 'demanding' some tea!

The vet phoned Thursday to check on him..
'balls... what balls!' I think pretty much sums it up!!

Thursday 22 November 2012

Yesterday...

It is with a very heavy heart that I must write that we have no kittens.
Anni unexpectedly went into labour yesterday afternoon and after a very strenuous hour of contractions she produced one breach kitten which appeared dead I tried to revive it and saw a last flutter of a heartbeat which faded.
I let Anni groom the kitten for a short while before I removed it from her, she started straining again as if contractions were starting but didn't seem happy so I rushed her to the vets.
The vet gave her an internal examination and was convinced there were more kittens so administered a shot of oxytocin to try move things along. We left her in a dark room in the warmth for half an hour and when there was still no progress the vet administered another shot of oxytocin.
Another half hour went by and Anni seemed quite happy purring and paddling with her paws very affectionate with the Vet and I but still no progress with regards to kittens.
At this point we made the choice to give her a C section. They admitted her and I went home to wait....
I eventually got the call from the vet to say Anni was OK - I burst into tears! But there were no more kittens, somehow it seems there was just the singleton kitten who didn't survive.
I collected Anni a short while later and although moving around on 'space legs' she seemed almost herself.
I was so releived to get her home and that she was OK, she was a bit groggy and not interested in food but by the time Wayne got home from work she was purring her little head off again asking for cuddles.
A very traumatic experience and I think it's affected me more than it has her, to hold that little kitten in the palm of my hand and know I had done everything in my power.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Ruin... first visit to UK vet.

We took Ruin for his pre-neuter check at Vets4Pets in Swinton, Manchester yesterday... of course everyone fell in love with him! He's 7.5mths old and weighed in at 5.5kg and I noticed whilst we were in the waiting room that the 11 weeks old Golden Retreiver that was there for his 2nd vaccination had feet the same size as Ruin..... My gosh this cat is gonna get huge!

Whilst the vet was inputting all his details into their computer from his Pet Passport he spent the time mooching around the room peering at the screen to see what she was writing about him, he was not at all phased by being somewhere new just took it in his stride as always.

He goes into be neutered on 28th of this month and the Receptionist was saying she's really looking forward to sneaking lots of cuddles in whilst he's there. She was telling me they have one other person with a Maine Coon who goes there, a little old lady who has to go and give the vet her car keys so that the vet can get him out of her car for her and apparently he has a rather small carrier so you can see all his fur sticking out!!
After going to the vets - chilled as ever!

This morning whilst I was getting ready for work I noticed Ruin was asleep on top of his carrier in the back bedroom, I was in the bathroom and heard a thud... rushed into the bedroom to find the carrier upside down on he floor and him sat in the middle of the room looking round as if to say 'what happened there then?' I gave him a cuddle and put the carrier back, guess where he was asleep when I left for work... yup! lol x



If I can't sleep in it..... I'll sleep on it :)

Seconds before him and the carrier fell off...

Saturday 10 November 2012

Tattoo doodles & sleepless nights..

Cheshire Cat
Still suffering from the after effects of having the flu decided to have an hours kip at 9pm.... I didn't wake up until half past midnight and then seemed pointless getting back up! Couldn't get back to sleep though so went downstairs and curled up on the sofa with Wayne. I replied to a few emails whilst he played on his latest xBox game 'Alice - Madness Returns', he'd been telling me about how cool the Cheshire Cat looked and now I've seen it I've had more tattoo ideas :)

One of my alltime favourite quotes...















The next tattoo I'm working on is a sleeve, based on a daisy chain which starts at the back of my neck loops round my collar bone then wraps round my upper arm ending at the inside of my elbow. This will be my treat to myself when I reach my goal weight of 9 stone - still a way to go on that as I haven't lost any weight this year at all regardless of all the diests etc,. I've tried so far.. Just not motivated enough!!
Back Piece by Genko Tattoo


I want the quote to be on the main part that goes round my arm with the daisies in the back ground. I did the first doodle months ago but it was really lacking something and have been stuck for ideas.. 


I found the picture of the back piece by Genko tattoo on Facebook a few days ago and I now want to try and incorporate something cross between the Cheshire cat and the Genko image into my sleeve :)


Anni's pregnancy..

2 weeks left until Anni's kittens are due, these will be 2nd generation Naughtypaw kittens and I'm excited about the prospect of other colours than usual!

If there is a fawn girl she may just have to be for keeps but shhhh... I've not told Wayne that yet!!! :-) x

Hot water...?

Well it all started off well, Wayne got up to take the bike for it's MOT I waitied for the Asda delivery then set about dying my hair. Getting extensions put in next month so decided to get rid of the red in my fringe and dye it all black again.

Everything was fine until I turned the shower on to rince my hair... hot water as normal super hot, turn the cold tap a little bit... nothing... bit more.... still nothing .. then eventually started to be an OK temperature so I get under the water only for it to go ice cold even when I turned the cold tap off..

So by this point I've got black hair dye running all down my I'm shivvering like hell so jump out of the shower wrap myself in a towel and try avoid dripping hair dye on the cream bathroom carpet or even worse... on Ruin! Ran downstairs and checked the boiler expecting to see that tell tale red light but now the boiler is chugging away to itself and all seems fine. Run back upstairs and put the hot tap on again... gave up with the cold tap and decided burning myself was the easiest way to go.... just as I was rinsing the last bits of conditioner the water all of a sudden becomes barable - bloody typical!!!