How many have heard of Guaifenesin?  I don't know how I came across it but I seem to run into new and interesting stuff about Fibro without even trying... I guess there are just so many websites and articles in the abyss of the internet... I could spend hours reading about but this particular topic I found so interesting!  At first I got my hopes up thinking that there may be something relatively new to help Fibro sufferers but after reading I think every one really needs to think long and hard about what they are going to use or do to help themselves.!!! 

I actually got a bit worked up thinking this might be something to try?  Surely we have all been there... waiting for something to turn up and miraculously end the pain, sleepless nights, aching, and all the rest that keeps us in the darkness of Fibro.

So I've included the sites that might be of interest if you want to read about this - save yourself thinking that there is some science behind this claim.  I wonder how many out there have looked at this and thought of giving it a try?  Maybe it worked for some?  

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/treatmentprotocols/a/guaifenesin.htm
http://web.mit.edu/london/www/guai.html
http://www.fmnetnews.com/coping-resources/consumer-alerts/product-6

Some interesting pieces I took from the above were not all fairytale ideas to me... one of the things that struck a chord with me was the reference to Fibro sufferers having had neck or spinal injuries and there is a rather large percentage!  I know many who have had car accidents and neck injuries that have Fibro, and I'm one of them! Also, and this I have NEVER read before, that the left thigh had nodules and soreness that was in 100% of his Fibro patients.  I have this in particular in my left thigh, I wonder how many other people have this?  Is this common?  Well according to Dr Amand it is - what about you?


So my update of news is after waiting for many months to hear back from my Doctor about the report from the Neurologist about my nerve conduction study (2nd one I've had done), I queried it today, and the nurse called me to say, it came back normal so the Doctor filed it!  WHAT??? Not what, did he file it cause it was normal? What? He filed it?  He knows I've had 3 surgeries on my hands, without success, so instead of what next, he files it and doesn't even tell me or let me know.  So apparently I have to pay yet another doctor bill to see what to do next... I said to the nurse he better not have closed my file as it took me over a year and a half to get in to the public system to see a Neurologist, and if I have to do that again I will probably crawl under my bed, cry and suck my thumb (LOL!!!).  I do not get how if a Doctor knows your WHOLE history, just thinks it is ok for me to continue with numbing hands, restless and sleepless nights, and not want to pursue the situation further???  If I had patients who needed answers I would continue to work with them until I could find the answers, or send them to the right people who might be able to help!?  Can you sense my frustration

So I guess I really am going to have to start again with a new physician who will take my symptoms seriously and not just want to medicate me and charge me to see what the next step is... are you with me people???  I know many of you have been on the same roller coaster ride.  Frankly, I'm bloody tired of it!!!  Well I'm just tired actually Ha!

Until next time... hopefully the news I share isn't THAT old and you haven't heard of these things.  I could be boring you - mind you if you are reading before bed this might not be a bad thing!!!

So my darling sister sent me a Fitbit (thank you!!!)... and I haven't decided if I love it or hate it!!!  Why?  Well I thought that counting my steps would be good, and that part is great... but monitoring my sleep - that's a whole other story!!!  I knew that my sleep sucked, especially during a flare up, but seriously now that I see it in text as a visual it freaks me out.  To know that I live on maybe 5 hours of proper sleep and the rest is restless only confirms that those of us with chronic pain must be silent super heroes!  To do what we do with such little sleep blows my mind!!!

At first I was a bit taken aback because what it confirmed for me is that I am so used to bad sleep that it has become a part of my life, I've normalised it!  So now that I wake up and see it is true, and truer than I had remembered, so silly that I had forgotten... I feel like at least I am reminded why I am tired during the day, ready to sleep by 4pm (yet never do!)... 

I actually even woke up in the past before my Fitbit and thought that I had had a good sleep, and wondered why I was so tired... felt guilty, felt a bit bad, felt that I wasn't sure if I could keep doing this tired thing... but again, now I know that I only 'felt' like I had a decent sleep because this is what my normal is.  I also felt a bit bad for going to bed at a decent hour 9.30 or 10.00 and sleeping until 7.00 maybe dozing until 7.30 on some days... but even if it looks like I'm getting 8 or 9 hours, there's no way in fiery hell I am!  I don't take anything for sleep at the moment, and I know this attributes to my non-healing sleep.  As we all know you need deep REM sleep to heal.  What a vicious wee circle we go in.  Like a rat on a rat wheel!

Hopefully having my Fitbit will weigh more positive because I can see that I am walking lots of good healthy steps... and that darn sleep tool will just be a reminder that I need to remember to be mindful, meditate if I'm wired for sound, don't stress about not sleeping, take something if I need too (even if it is natural, there are loads of natural options for sleep) and just try to be positive and know that I'm not the only one out here going round and round on the FMS wheel!