Fibromyalgia

[Guest]

Started new thread because this is important to those that have fibromyalgia. I was luciky enough to come across Dr. David Dryland in Medford, OR. His website is http://www.drdryland.com.

Fibromyalgis is caused by the body's depletion of adrenaline, mainly due to our "fight or flight" response to daily stress. His protocol with dopamine agonists (Mirapex, Requip) is definitive. If its fibro, Mirapex cures it. If Mirapex doesn't fix it, its not fibro!

He, of coursc, has books available on his website. With the info in them, ANY family doctor can treat fibro. To my knowledge, Dr Dryland is cooperative with other health professionals. With all the stories of people sufering with this for years, I am grateful that someone knows how to get rid of it.

Hope this helps someone. alv7722

[Pad A Cheek]

I checked this link out and it would not open for me but I googled Dr. David Dryland and came to his site. Then I listened to the hour interview with the Doctor. There seems to be some valuable information here regarding not only Fibromyalgia but also some information about sleep issues. In my opinion it is worth it to check out his site.


http://www.drdryland.com/


Thank you guest.

Karen

[alv7722]

Thanks for correcting the web address for me! The font size for typing messages is way small for me. Dr. Dryland is the one that referred me for sleep study, albeit with lousy sleep Dr. I've seen posts about fibro on the forum, and like xpap for osa, fibro is so easily cured that its just a shame so many have to suffer for years. At this time he seems to be playing down the Mirapex and encouraging lifestyle changes, but the Mirapex WORKS if your stomach can tolerate it. I AM NOT recommending anyone obtain Mirapex without a doctors oversight and prescription. The fibro and sleep disorders are very closely related. Fibro can cause sleep disorders, and sleep disorders can be confused for Fibro.

Dr. Dryland figures his protocol for Fibro probably 10-15 years ahead of the medical communmity. Yes he has stuff for sale on his website, but to my knowledge he will cooperate with any medical professional. That means a family doc can get rid of Fibro! Al V

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Prescription

[Country4ever]

That's interesting.
My sleep doc gave me a sample bottle of Mirapex the last time I was there, when my legs were hurting so bad. He said it seemed to be good for fibro too. But.....I have sort of a medication phobia, so I never tried it.
Interesting. ITs usually used for restless leg, right?

[alv7722]

That is correct. It originally was a Parkinsons drug, then was recently approved for RLS. Fibro is still an "off-label" use for Mirapex, though it has been very effective for me, and hundreds others. I haven't researched Lyrica, mainly because I'm satisfied with the results I've been getting. Somewhere along the way, I developed severe OSA, and thought I was getting a relapse of the Fibro! Thanks to this forum I figured that out, and may be on the way to a bright happy old age! I wanted to mention the fribro in this forum, though, because it came up in another thread, and the fix is just so easy, IF its fibro.

Al V

Does anyone know a way to increse the font sizes in these message boxes we type into??

[snork1]

Latest THEORY on fibromyalgia is that one of its possible causes is vitamin D deficiency. (along with POSSIBLY many other ailments)

Of course the whole Vitamin D thing is becoming a mess of a rathole discussion in itself. Sure the body can "create" Vit D with sun exposure without supplements, BUT sun exposure can also create all sorts of other problems since were apparently not designed to live as long as we do without the skin breaking down with sun exposure, especially with a wiped out earth atmosphere.

i.e. take Vit D supplements instead of risking skin cancer if you want to test this theory. (and yes its ALL controversial) Otherwise you have about a 3 minute window between enough sun to create Vit D and too much sun exposure.

[alv7722]

Went through malic acid, msm, vit d, thyroid, calcium, zinc, ginseng, cymbalta,(was some help) Mirapex protocol works if it fibro. If its not fibro and you don't RLS or Parkinsons, Mirapex won't help. I don't want to see others waste more of their valuable life with stuff that doesn't work,

Al V

[jskinner]

Fibromyalgis is caused by the body's depletion of adrenaline, mainly due to our "fight or flight" response to daily stress. His protocol with dopamine agonists (Mirapex, Requip) is definitive. If its fibro, Mirapex cures it.

I don't quite get it. Mirapex affects dopamine but your saying Fibromyalgia is the result of lack of adrenaline? Both of these neurotransmitters are created from the same amino acid so I can see how they could both be low if you had OSA and are using it all up to create adrenaline to keep waking yourself up from apnea.

Why not using something like L-Tryosine instead of Mirapex? Seems a lot safer? What about L-Dopa does that work as well?

Before being diagnosed with sleep apnea I had a bunch of tests done trying to find out what was wrong with me. Both my dopamine and norephinephrine levels where low. (See chart) Maybe this explains it. Scary thing is that during the last year when I had that awful suffocation due to congestion and my apeana was totally out of control I developed a lot of muscle pain. One has to wonder if there isn't a connection.

[alv7722]

Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, as is Requip. Maybe other things work. I am not a doctor. I've read postings on forums for fibro, and see so many that have gone on for years. Many get shipped off to psychiatrists, that also can't fix it. Compared to years of disability, the dopamine agonists seen like a small risk to take. Men get fibro much less than women because they have more stores of adrenaline. Mine got screwed up because I was overtreated for hyperthyroid, and the doctor did not monitor it properly.
Before this dixcovery, I asked a rheumatologist about adrenal function. He said if they weren't functioning, I would be flat on my face??? Uh, thats why I'm here? So anyway, Dr.Dryland's explanation works for me. I didn't mean to start a big discussion about fibro on the sleep apnea forum, but the info is too important to overlook. It soesn't come out on the fibro forums because most of them sell all the alphabet naturceuticals that don't work. Though some may dispute. Al V

[kteague]

I been trying to read up on this, since doctors wanted to say I had fibromyalgia prior to being diagnosed with RLS, PLMD and OSA. One of the studies I read stated that they ruled out of the study patients with OSA and those with spinal compression because they cause autonomic sleep arousals. They did not rule out those with RLS or PLMD. In that particular study, of course the Mirapex looked "promising" since Mirapex treats those conditions. I certainly want to read more. One article said that patients with fibromyalgia often develop RLS. I have to wonder if the RLS is the source and not the result of the fibro. Could it be that the patients Mirapex helps really have a movement disorder?

One study said that the dosage of Mirapex used in the study was much higher than what is used to treat RLS. That scares me. Having taken Mirapex, I know firsthand of its potential side effects. So do all those in the class action lawsuits against its maker. In view of that, if I were a doctor I'd be hesitant to recommend it for off label use.

Someone mentioned levadopa as a possible alternative to Mirapex. It too comes with side effects and limitations, particularly that its effectiveness wears off over time and there is a point where higher doses would do more harm than good. I took Sinemet for a few years, and when I changed docs he said Sinemet should not be used unless or until dopamine agonists like Mirapex were not effective. He said Sinemet is a replacement for the dopamine in the brain and should be the last line of defense so as to prolong treatment effectiveness.

Having been on Mirapex for years and still living with much pain, if Dr. Dryland is correct, I don't have fibro after all. I have to admit, if anything were promising in helping my pains, I'd be one of the first in line to try it.

Kathy

[Nodzy]

I didn't mean to start a big discussion about fibro on the sleep apnea forum, but the info is too important to overlook

alv7722,

It's all important on this board. Many with OSA also have or develop Fibromyalgia and various neuropathies among other debilitating ailments. Some only have those to a lesser degree, and unfortunates like me have them to a major degree.

The incessant chronic pain coupled with blast, shooting, stabbing, burning and pinching pains of unpredictable duration add mind-crushing thrusts to the mix. It is absolutely horrible to live with -- I have for over 15-years with only minimal effective treatment from doctors. Minimal meaning.... less then 15% effective, or somewhat more effective but with side-effects of gross negative impact on my life and health. Nothing done by doctors for my pain has been even close to 60% effective without side-effects that were as, if not more so, troubling.

Yes, your post was very valid for this board, and I welcomed the information. And a "thank you" to the others who responded to your post.

Nodzy

[alv7722]

The biggest side effect for me was stomach upset. The off label use is a consideration, and yes doctors ARE very reluctant to prexcribe for an off label use. Living througjh both, I have to say the fibro symptoms and the OSA symptoms are almost undistinguishable. In Dr. Drylands first book, he has a hold harmless form to be signed by a patient and their physician. My tender points became much less sensitive on the Mirapex, so tht may be somewhat definitive. Traditional diagnosis for fibro seems to take 2 years if you are lucky, then most doctors just keep referring you around because they don't have a treatment. There is also Lupus, some forms of arthritis, endocrine issues, etc. For me, and hundreds others, just the initial starting dose of Mirapex was like someone turned on the lights!

Al V

[kteague]

Alv7722,
Yes, the upset stomach is rough for me too. At this point I'm on 1.5 mg at bedtime (was taking twice that). Just curious, did your diagnostic or titration sleep study show any significant limb movements? Also, have you experienced any of the addictive behaviors? I did, but not to the degree of some I've read about. Lowering the dose resolved all that for me.
Kathy

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Titration

[NeedinZs]

Thanks Alv7722 for passing on this information.

I have also read Dr. Dryland's book and have found it about the best on Fibromyalgia, in my opinion.
You know sometimes when you read a book that really resonates with you, and you feel you're reading the truth, that's how I felt when reading his book.

I am one to always turn down "the pills" my Docs are always pushing on me, but Dr. Dryland also has a lot of other great info in the book, about more natural practices to use, and a great explanation of fibromyalgia.
(especially, about almost all fibromyalgics having an untreated sleep disorder.)

Well worth looking into. My library actually had it on their new bookshelf.
But now that I've read it, I will definitely buy a copy to "remind myself".
I feel like sometimes we get so busy in our everyday lives, that we forget to do the things that are most important for our health.

[Country4ever]

Does anyone know if CPAP treatment can help with alpha wave intrusion? I have that, and I think its fairly common in others with FMS.
I'm thinking it can't help it, but you never know what will be fixed, once you start being allowed to sleep better without apnea interruptions.