Vitality 101 Newsletter
Getting a Great Night's Sleep with Fibromyalgia, Even After You've Tried Everything!
Hello Reader,
As those of you with CFS and fibromyalgia know, getting a decent night's sleep can seem nearly impossible. Yet for those few rare nights that you do, you feel SOOO much better the next day. Some of you have found a mix of treatments that are giving you your solid eight hours of restful sleep. Others feel like they've tried everything and nothing works without leaving them hung over.
In this article, I'll give you a foolproof plan on how to get eight hours of solid sleep a night — without a hangover. I'll discuss a mix of lifestyle, natural remedies, and medications. I've had countless people tell me they've tried everything, only to find that they barely scratched the surface of what could help them.
So have you been longing for a good night's sleep? Well here's how you can get it!
Research Briefs
I Hate You Because I'm Hungry: The Science Behind Being 'Hangry'
Feed me or I'll kill you! That's one of the four distinctive behaviors of a sugar addict (learn about all four in my book, The Complete Guide to Beating Sugar Addiction). This article at Fit Nation Magazine is spot on.
Read article at Fit Nation Magazine »
Got Brain Fog? Provigil May Help
Cognitive dysfunction can be an especially disabling part of CFS and fibromyalgia. A new research review looking at cognitive function in general suggests that the medication Provigil can be helpful in improving mental clarity. Our experience shows that overall support with the S.H.I.N.E.® protocol is very helpful for clearing brain fog, and that the ADD/hyperactivity medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine are the most helpful prescription treatments (keep under 20 mg a day to decrease the risk of addictive issues). These latter medications also help the POTS/NMH, fatigue, and weight gain. In my opinion, they are very much overused for hyperactive children and underused in CFS and fibromyalgia. However, the Provigil can also be quite helpful in about 15 to 25% of people, and does not carry the same legal restrictions.
Namenda, One More Helpful Tool for Fibromyalgia Pain Relief
Although our research shows that pain drops by an average of 50% by treating its underlying cause with S.H.I.N.E.® (see Pain, Achy Muscles), it still helps to have natural remedies and medications that are helpful for fibro pain.
Medications such as ibuprofen are not very helpful for fibromyalgia pain and can be quite toxic, where other medications such as Ultram, Neurontin, Zanaflex, Flexeril, and the three newer, more expensive (but not necessarily more effective) FDA approved medications Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella, are. New research suggests that a medication called Namenda (Memantine) also helps fibromyalgia pain. What makes this especially interesting is that this medication works by a totally different mechanism than all of the other ones, meaning that it will often help when others have not. I have over the years found it to be especially helpful for people with allodynia (a condition where light touch to the skin is painful).
See this excellent article on the study by Richard N. Podell, M.D, who I consider to be both a friend and a superb CFS physician.
Dr. T on The Patricia Raskin Show
Saturday, September 5th at 5:00 PM ET on WPRO
I'm going to be on The Patricia Raskin Show on Saturday, September 5th at 5:00 PM ET. I invite you to listen in on 630 AM & 99.7 FM radio, or over the Internet at www.630wpro.com. You'll be able to call in to the show at (401) 438-W-P-R-O (401-438-9776) or toll free at 1 (800) 321-W-P-R-O (1-800-321-9776). Hope you can join in!
Q&A With Dr. T
Dr. T invites readers to ask him questions through his website's Ask Dr. T page. Some Q&A that may be generally helpful to the public will be answered in this newsletter.
Sugar Cravings and Fibromyalgia
QUESTION: I have been researching fibro for over 15 years and have a research center that conducts trials. I am curious about cravings (mainly for sugar) and if that is related to fibro, and if it is, how to get rid of it (seems worse during menstruation).
ANSWER: Sugar cravings are very common in fibromyalgia. Sugar craving with irritability is most often associated with adrenal fatigue. Happily looking for sweets tends to be associated with Candida. Sweet cravings caused by fatigue from low energy, and sugar cravings from anxiety and depression are often associated with inadequate estrogen, progesterone or testosterone.
Featured This Week
Fatigued to Fantastic! Revitalizing Sleep Formula
The Revitalizing Sleep Formula is a mix of six powerful, yet gentle, sleep herbs that will help you fall asleep faster and maintain a healthy sleep cycle — without feeling groggy the next day. It helps your body recuperate while you sleep so you experience less fatigue. It can help relax your muscles, decreasing pain from muscle overuse, and can also help decrease anxiety during the day.*
Sale Price $19.95 | 42% off MSRP $34.50
Sleep Tonight!™, a Natural Sleep Aid That Manages Stress
If you are exhausted all day, but wide awake at bedtime, your adrenal stress hormones may be too low during the day but too high at night. If so, taking Sleep Tonight! may help you sleep. Sleep Tonight! is clinically shown to reduce nighttime stress hormones by more than 60% after the first use — while still supporting these hormones during the day when you need them! (Works well in combination with Adrenal Stress End and an excellent sleep combo with the Revitalizing Sleep Formula.)*
Sale Price $14.35 | 40% off MSRP $23.95
Funny Stuff
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
