Book Review – “From Fatigued to Fantastic”

I’ve been trying to read From Fatigued to Fantastic for months.  I’ve heard wonderful things about it, and the author, Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.,  a board certified internist and leading researcher in the field of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.  Read many articles on his web site endfatigue.com.   I finally got the chance to finish reading it this weekend, enjoying some great weather here in AZ!

His treatment plan is customized for each person by having you answer questions at the end of each chapter and marking off recommendations in an appendix, and also stresses that you should be working with your Dr. in choosing the right treatment path.  If you don’t have a Dr. that is willing to treat your fibro, you need a new Dr.!  There are suggestions in the book for that as well.

The recommended treatment options center around the S.H.I.N.E. protocol.  Sleep, Hormones, Infections, Nutrition, and Exercise.  His claim (based on over 30 years working with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients) is that by following this protocol, it will alleviate the symptoms associated with severe fatigue and body pain.

    SLEEP: Get adequate sleep, preferably eight to nine hours a night. Sleep replenishes the body's energy and heals its muscles. Inadequate sleep will leave you exhausted and in pain.

    HORMONES: Get tested for hormone deficiency and treated if needed. Hormone deficiencies can contribute to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

    INFECTIONS: Get treatment when symptoms of infections occur. The lack of restorative sleep in CFS/FM leads to dysfunctional immune systems. Underlying viral, bacterial, bowel, sinus and yeast infections are common and can be a contributing cause or result of CFS/FM.

    NUTRITON: To maintain normal health and optimal energy levels you need to be sure you body is getting a proper balance of nutrition, particularly as nutritional deficiencies can result from CFS/FM. Vitamin B-12, magnesium, Acetyl L-Carnitine, glutathione, as well as your basic A, B, C and D vitamins are especially vulnerable to depletion from this.

    EXERCISE: Exercise as able. After 10 weeks on the 4 steps above, you will be able to slowly increase your exercise-without being wiped out the next day!

Each chapter goes into detail in each of these areas and is backed by scientific studies and the latest research.  I learned A LOT about the body reading this book.  I am very motivated to try and focus on each of these areas with my Dr., in order, and try to improve my life even more!

You can “like” Dr. T's facebook page and ask questions directly to him, as well as connect with others following his recommendations, and keep updated on the most current information.

I bought this as an actual book, not on my Kindle this time and I’m glad I did.  It made taking the quizzes easier.  You can find it on his web site endfatigue.com or look for it on Amazon if you prefer used, or Kindle edition.

I HIGHLY recommend you read this book if you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.  It is extremely educational and great to have on your shelf for reference whenever a symptom of these conditions is bothering you.  And the best part is the custom treatment plan that will get you moving in the direction to better health!

New Habit – Supplements

I hate pills.  Always have.  I’m not one to take them unless it’s absolutely necessary.  Just the idea usually turns my weak stomach.  Let’s face it though; we are not getting the nutrients we need from our food.  People with fibromyalgia are often deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, and may need some help getting our bodies back to the right levels.  It IS necessary.  My Dr. recommended a few for me, and like I mentioned in a previous post, Figuring out Fibromyalgia, one of the things suggested was to take a few supplements.  So I decided to give it a try and see if it made any difference for me.

I began to do a little research on the supplements I should be taking and quickly became overwhelmed.  There are so many to choose from, so many different brands, dosages, different kind of pills, powders & drinks.  I had to walk away from the computer in frustration many times.  I had no idea what the best way to take each one was, the best time of day.  BLAH.  Then one day I was out shopping at Costco & just decided to go get what I needed there, give it a try and then change later if I needed to.  I stood there in the isle with a very unhappy 2 year old in the cart (he hates shopping) and read through the supplement chapter of Figuring out Fibromyalgia on my Kindle.

1. Triple Omega

     2. Super B Complex 

        3. Vitamin D3

 

Got it!  Now I was committed.  Those Costco size supplements are no joke.  It was around $50 for all 3.  I'm getting close to running out of the Triple Omega now, but the other 2, I still have plenty!  And it's been months since I bought them.  Little tip, keep them in your fridge!  (They keep longer & no fish smell from the omega)

I devoted myself to taking them every day.  And for the most part I have!  I forget some mornings, and there was a month that I stopped as a little test to see if they really were helping, and about a week when I was pretty sick.  Other than that, I have been faithful since January 2012.

Another thing I wanted to try was herbs.  My sister is studying to be an herbalist.  She took some time and knowing what was going on with me, made up a few different things to help.

For me, just doing this small thing with just these few supplements & herbs has made a HUGE difference in my life.  It took about 2 weeks to really kick in.  Taking the Omega Blend has helped tremendously with my brain fog.  I would say I have about an 80% improvement.  The B complex has given me a little bit of my life back.  Instead of heading downhill at around 4pm every day, I’m usually just fine until bed time.  Having more energy is such a blessing.  I would rate it at about 50% improvement (and getting better).  I don’t feel any difference with or without the Vitamin D3, but from what I’ve read, this is worth taking.  And it’s just a little easy pill.  The herbs that I take have helped me with a few other health issues, not necessarily related to fibro.  The more I read & learn, there are probably some more supplements that would be helpful for me.  I have just started taking MagnesiumGlycinate.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

I urge you to talk with your Dr., get some testing done to see if there are deficiencies, and do a little reading for yourself.  It is worth it!  I am VERY pleased with my experience & will continue to take my pills every day.  Hey, it forces me to eat a little breakfast every morning so I can stomach taking the pills.  There’s another good habit.

Good Read – Educate Me!

I love to read and I’m really picky about what I spend my time on.  I don’t trust just anything, so it was hard for me to choose my first book about fibromyalgia.  I searched, asked in groups, read reviews, and settled on Figuring out Fibromyalgia by Ginevra Liptan M.D.

I bought it on my Kindle from Amazon for $9.99 so I could start reading right away & was very happy with my choice.  Dr. Liptan developed fibromyalgia herself while she was in medical school and has spent her time in practice with fibro patients.

She is the Medical Director of “The Frida Center” in Oregon, where they treat and educate about fibromyalgia.  So I felt like I could believe her.

I like that the book has very current information, published in April 2011.  I also appreciate how fibro is explained.  I really had no knowledge as to what was happening to my body and this book helped educate me to where I can now even explain it to others.  It made perfect sense!  Not only does Dr. Liptan explain the syndrome, but she talks about causes, and then treatment.  The treatments suggested aren’t just “take this prescription”, but really talk about healing your body.  Just what I was hoping for!  Direction!

The 5 main treatments recommended are:

diet

exercise

sleep

manual therapy (myofascial massage)

reducing the “fight or flight response” (stress)

She also reviews treatments such as supplements and prescriptions, and includes a chapter on alternative treatments that may or may not be worth your time/money (cleansing & detoxifying, acupuncture, magnets, microcurrent therapy, cold laser therapy, bodywork, vitamins, minerals, supplements, hormones, etc.).

I haven’t taken all of the advice, some things are expensive and seemed out of reach (like specific food allergy blood testing), but for me it was a place to start.  I know that God is leading me to become a healthier person and treat my body better.  "Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God."  2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT.  This book is a great guide.  I started by deciding to focus on the 5 main treatments and add the few supplements she suggested.  I dedicated a week for each one and read and studied and practiced.  I’m not there yet, after 6 months I’m still working at it (diet has been tricky and to be honest I haven't done anything with Myofascial massage), but I can tell you I have had a GREAT improvement in my symptoms.  I have gone from living every day in pain and in a fog, to having good days and bad days and have a greater understanding of what is going on inside.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who has fibromyalgia, or wants to understand it better.

Get it.

Read it.

Do it!