In an effort to find the cause, and hopefully the cure, FM/CFS/ME RESOURCES is conducting an in-depth survey for people with FM and/or CFS/ME. Here are a few of the survey results we've compiled thus far:

• Suffered Trauma Before FM/CFS/ME: 57%
• Growing Up With Alcoholic Parent: 28%
• Growing Up With Chronically Ill Parent: 21%
• Stress Makes Your FM/CFS/ME Worse: 95%
• Inability to Concentrate: 92%
• Suffering From Memory Loss: 88%
• Suffering From Depression: 74%

Review all the survey results here. If you have yet to take the survey it's never too late. Take the FM/CFS/ME RESOURCES Survey.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is one of the most important Jewish festivals. Passover celebrations start on Sunday, the 20th of April and will continue for 7 days until Saturday, the 26th of April. Passover commemorates the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was instructed by God to go to the pharaoh and demand the freedom of his people. When his pleas were ignored, Moses warned the Pharaoh that God would send severe punishments to the people of Egypt if the Israelites were not freed. Still, the Pharaoh ignored Moses' request of freedom. In response God unleashed a series of 10 terrible plagues on the people of Egypt.

Still, the Pharaoh refused to free the Jewish slaves, until the last of the plagues. The Israelites left their homes so quickly that there wasn't time to bake breads. They packed raw dough to take with them on their which they quickly baked in the hot sun. The resulting hard crackers are called matzos, and are to this day, an important Passover symbol.

But even as the Israelites left Egypt, they were pursued by the Pharaoh's army through the desert. It seemed like their journey would end at the Red Sea where they were trapped from escape. But a miracle occurred when the waves of the Red Sea parted and the Israelites were able to cross to the other side. After reaching safety, the sea closed sweeping away the Pharaoh's army. The Israelites were finally free and Passover celebrates this rich history.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a confusing and controversial diagnosis, characterized by widespread pain and tenderness at specific anatomical sites. The cause of this syndrome is unknown, and the course of the condition is difficult to predict.

Without a known cause, predictable course, or effective treatment, it is not surprising that FM is a contentious diagnosis from a medical perspective, as well as a civil litigation and disability insurance industry perspective. The purpose of this study was to investigate judges' perceptions of credibility in litigated cases involving FM claims in the Canadian courts, and the relation between perceived credibility and awards granted.

A systematic review was conducted of every trial-by-judge litigated FM claim in Canada (N=194 cases) up to 2003. The cases were examined in relation to credibility factors. The role and responsibility of the plaintiff was central in claims involving issues of misrepresentation, fraud, non-disclosure, failure to mitigate, and contributory negligence. The presence of these issues suggested a possible decrease or loss in the claim as a result of the plaintiff's conduct.

In regards to the actions of defendants, the presence of investigative and surveillance information alone did not affect the awards granted. However, the credibility of that information had a large effect on the amount of award granted. Plaintiff credibility played a similar role, indicating that plaintiffs perceived as more credible were typically granted greater awards. An examination of medical expert credibility revealed that judges appear to perceive experts as more credible overall than plaintiffs, regardless of the expert's role in the case.

For many people with FM and/or CFS/ME, stress plays a huge part of their life. The list of supplements below are helpful in reducing stress and giving you an overall feeling of good health. As always, tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

MAGNESIUM
This mineral makes adrenal hormones, lowers blood pressure, relaxes sore muscles and eases fatigue. It's normally recommended to people with anxiety, panic attacks, depression and Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Magnesium lifts serotonin, a 'happy' chemical, so taking lower doses throughout the day is better than taking one large dose. Some types of magnesium (citrate or oxide) tend to cause diarrhea.

GABA
Our brain naturally produces GABA while we sleep. In fact, GABA is released in our brain when we take sleep drugs like Ambien® or Lunesta®. GABA is the calming sister of an excitable, hyper chemical called glutamate. The balance between GABA and glutamate in our brain makes the difference between calmness and crankiness. A deficiency of GABA may be linked to seizures and panic attacks. GABA may help relieve tension (in smaller doses) and put you to sleep (in larger doses).

GREEN TEA
L-theanine is found naturally in green tea and this amino acid is very relaxing. After sipping green tea, you'll need about 30 minutes for it to kick in. It lulls your brain into producing alpha brain waves, the same type of brain state as when you meditate, that's why I call it 'meditation in a tea cup.' Green tea sparks production of GABA and protects against cancer.

RHODIOLA
This herb has been used for centuries in arctic and alpine regions to help people cope with the bitter cold and stressful environment. Studies have shown it also regulates blood pressure and pulse. If it helps them deal with arctic conditions, it can certainly help keep you from sweating the small stuff.

PriCara, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said today that all lots of 25 microgram/hour (mcg/hr) DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches sold by PriCara in the United States and all 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches sold by Sandoz Inc. in the United States are being voluntarily recalled as a precaution from wholesalers and pharmacies. The recalled patches all have expiration dates on or before December 2009, and all are manufactured by ALZA Corporation, an affiliate of PriCara. The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches manufactured by ALZA and sold in Canada also are being recalled.

DURAGESIC 25 mcg/hr (fentanyl transdermal system) and Sandoz Inc. 25 mcg/hr fentanyl transdermal system patches being recalled may have a cut along one side of the drug reservoir within the patch. The result is possible release of fentanyl gel from the gel reservoir into the pouch in which the patch is packaged, exposing patients or caregivers directly to fentanyl gel. As per the approved product labeling for DURAGESIC, fentanyl is a potent Schedule II opioid medication. Fentanyl patches that are cut or damaged in any way should not be used. Exposure to fentanyl gel may lead to serious adverse events, including respiratory depression and possible overdose, which may be fatal. Anyone who comes in contact with fentanyl gel should thoroughly rinse exposed skin with large amounts of water only; do not use soap. Immediately dispose of affected patches with cut edges by flushing them down the toilet, using caution not to handle them directly. Patches with a cut edge that have leaked gel will not provide effective pain relief.

Anyone who has 25 mcg/hr DURAGESIC or Sandoz Inc. fentanyl patches should check the box or foil pouch for the expiration date to see if they have patches that are being recalled. The recalled patches all have expiration dates on or before December 2009. The cut edge in affected patches can be seen upon opening the sealed foil pouch that holds the patch. Affected patches should not be handled directly.

Anyone with 25 mcg/hr DURAGESIC patches being recalled should call 800-547-6446.

Anyone with 25 mcg/hr Sandoz Inc. patches being recalled should call 800-901-7236.

Patients using fentanyl patches who have medical questions should contact their health-care providers.

For more information, visit www.DURAGESIC.com.

DURAGESIC is used to manage persistent moderate to severe chronic pain that needs to be treated around the clock and which cannot be treated by: combination narcotic, short-acting, or non-narcotic pain treatment products. It should only be used by people who are receiving or have developed a tolerance to pain therapy with opioids. DURAGESIC should not be used if patients have pain that will go away in a few days, such as pain from surgery, medical or dental procedures, or short-lasting conditions. Any adverse reactions experienced with the use of fentanyl patches should be reported to the appropriate company using the telephone numbers above. DURAGESIC brand and other fentanyl patches are available by prescription only, through pharmacies, and should be used only under the supervision of a physician.

DUROGESIC™ patches sold in Europe, Latin America and Asia are not affected by this recall.

Homeopathic practitioners contend that an ill person can be treated using a substance that can produce, in a healthy person, symptoms similar to those of the illness. According to homeopaths, serial dilution, with shaking between each dilution, removes the toxic effects of the remedy while the qualities of the substance are retained by the diluents (water, sugar, or alcohol).

In a study of 53 otherwise healthy people with FM, each were prescribed an individualized homeopathic remedy. Patients had homeopathic visits at a private clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, at the start of the trial, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months of treatment. They were evaluated with the same battery of outcome measures during laboratory assessment visits at the University of Arizona (Tucson) at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.

Upon baseline enrolment and at 3 months, all patients completed a set of questionnaires. They also underwent conventional medical history and physical examination for tender point pain rating status by a conventional provider not involved in their clinical care (rheumatologist or physician's assistant; the same individual saw a given patient at baseline and follow-up). They next had laboratory recordings of electro encephalographic (EEG) and electrocardiographic responses to double-blind olfactory-administered test doses of their treatment solution and solvent controls.

In the controlled trial of homeopathic medicine, all of the participants had indications for the same remedy, and those who were treated with the remedy had fewer tender points and better sleep at the end of one month than those given the placebo.

The findings demonstrate that the active group on individualized homeopathy showed a greater reduction in tender point count and tender point pain, better FM-related quality of life, improved global health and a trend toward less affective disturbance. The most marked divergence between active and placebo treated groups occurred in the pain variable involving central nervous system activation or evocation with stimuli (pressure on tender points), the main variable for which the study was properly powered to avoid Type II error.

Consistent with homeopathic theories of healing, the active remedy group tended to become less, while the placebo group became more, depressed, in addition to the changes in the physical pathology (though overall depression levels were fairly low at baseline). Other outcome variables were statistically significant, but appear less significant in magnitude clinically. Well-designed randomized controlled trials on larger samples, for longer periods of time, are now indicated, especially in view of emerging basic scientific evidence that homeopathic remedies have physical-chemical properties that differ from those of placebo.

Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine that aims to treat "like with like." Despite being widely discredited in scientific circles homeopathy has grown in popularity in recent years. Homeopathic remedies are used to balance the stress factors that underlie the symptoms of Fibromyalgia (FM). The symptom profile is matched to a homeopathic remedy that helps those symptoms. This is often a very effective, quick way of creating less of pain.

As always, tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Here is a list of favorite homeopathic remedies for FM symptoms:

The most common remedy used for muscle trauma is Arnica montana. Arnica is an herb that can be used topically as a cream on specific areas of bruising and pain. As a homeopathic remedy, Arnica can be taken internally, in pellet form, to work more deeply on the trauma that is held in the muscles. Arnica works by improving circulation and reducing both emotional and physical trauma in the muscles. It is especially useful when an accident or other traumatic event may have caused the onset of FM.

Another common homeopathic remedy for FM is Rhus toxicodendron, which is used for stiffness that gets better once the client gets moving and when weather has an effect on the degree of pain. Rhus toxicodendron is often used to relieve pain in the joints, and works well on healing ligament strains. The Rhus toxicodendron client feels very restless and wants the stiffness and reaction to cold damp weather to improve quickly.

Bryonia is the homeopathic remedy that has symptoms opposite the Rhus toxicodendron remedy. Here, the client tries to stay as still as possible, since even the slightest motion makes the pain worse. These people tend to be very irritable and grumpy, not wanting to be touched, even though pressure on the point of pain often helps. Bryonia is indicated when there is hardness of muscle groups and headaches are common. Another indication for this remedy is when warmth makes the pain worse and cool applications feel better.

Causticum is another homeopathic remedy for soreness, weakness and stiffness in the muscles that is worse from cold and/or overuse. Pain is also worse when the weather is dry and tends to be better in rainy weather. The muscles in the legs feel contracted, tight and sore, with restlessness at night. The forearms are weak, even though they are also stiff. These clients feel better in a warm bed or warm shower.

Gelsemium is a remedy for FM when the limbs feel heavy, dull and lethargic. Headaches occur in the back of the head and neck, and there may be dizziness. This remedy is indicated when there is a low-grade fever with much aching, similar to having the flu all of the time. Gelsemium is also designated when symptoms are worse in damp, cold, or warm and wet weather, or after exertion.

Cimicifuga is a homeopathic remedy to use when there are spasms in the large muscle groups, the body feels sore and bruised all over, and there may be jerking and twitching of the muscles. The spine feels sensitive, and there is pain especially in the back, neck and shoulders. The FM clients that would benefit from Cimicifuga feel better with warmth and pressure, and feel worse with touch, motion, cold applications and during their menstrual cycle.

See more homeopathic remedies in next month's newsletter!

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