Wednesday 9 July 2014

What's Fibro Like... When There's a Bun in the Oven?

Fibromyalgia is the disease of a million myths, because of all the misunderstandings, half-truths and untruths that exist about it. One of these myths is that it is strictly a middle-aged to older woman’s disease. However, besides the fact that children and men get it too, more than half of women with fibromyalgia are under age 40, still in their reproductive years. This begs the question: what happens in women with fibromyalgia during pregnancy? More specifically, what happens to them, what happens to their baby, and how does pregnancy affect the treatment and course of their fibro?

Well first, let me give you the exciting results of my latest poll in which I asked the question: If you have been pregnant since your fibro started, what happened to your overall level of pain during pregnancy? 

Drum roll please...

As you can see, a grand total of TWO people answered the question. One woman said her pain improved a lot, while the other said it got a little worse. Not much help. So let me tell you what I've learned about fibro and pregnancy through my past practice as a doctor/fibro expert and my reading of the scientific literature...

How does pregnancy affect fibromyalgia symptoms? To begin with, not every pregnant woman’s experience with fibro will be the same. However, they typically experience an increase in pain, especially over the last few months of pregnancy. This is when even healthy women tend to experience more discomfort, because they are gaining weight rapidly, the baby’s growth is accelerating, and there is increased pressure on their low back, an often problematic area in fibromyalgia. On the other hand, during pregnancy, chemicals like relaxin are released in the body that, among other things, help to relax muscles, which may have some beneficial effect. All in all, however, the average woman with fibro will notice a significant increase in her pain especially over the last few months, particularly in the low back and hip area.

How does fibromyalgia affect pregnancy? This question has two parts. First, how does fibromyalgia affect the likelihood of pregnancy? Though there has been little research in this area, there is no evidence that fibro negatively affects how fertile a woman is. However, many women (and men) with fibro experience discomfort during sexual activities, which may cause them to engage in them less frequently.  Once pregnancy is achieved, fibromyalgia can affect the pregnancy itself. For example, in one study conducted in Israel, 112 pregnant women with fibro were more likely to have smaller babies, recurrent miscarriages (roughly 10% of the women), abnormal blood sugars, and excessive amniotic fluid; but they also were less likely to have a baby born prematurely, and were no more likely to require a C-section or any special procedures.

Are fibromyalgia treatments/medications dangerous for pregnancy? VERY few medications are given a nod during pregnancy, regardless of what they are for or the condition being treated. In fact, some drugs are purposefully not even tested in pregnant women, because of the potential for lawsuits. As such, there is little research to go on. Traditional wisdom, which most doctors follow, is to discontinue as many medications as possible while a patient is pregnant, and this certainly is true for fibromyalgia. Does this mean that a woman must stop ALL her fibro medication? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that she, her partner and her doctor MUST sit down and discuss the various benefits and risks of either stopping or continuing each medication she’s on.

What is the best way to treat fibromyalgia while pregnant? Fortunately, medications are not the only treatments proven effective for FM. Stretching, meditation, yoga, and deep heat ointments may help. Pool therapy and/or sitting in a hot tub may be particularly soothing, especially for those with back pain, and especially late in the pregnancy. Massage may be helpful too, as long as it is not overly aggressive. Exercise is important as well, but must be tailored to the person’s ability and endurance; once again, being in a pool may help. And rest is crucial. Even healthy pregnant women often find the need to sit or lie down to relieve pressure on their back and legs. Scheduling regular 20-30 minute breaks throughout the day can be very helpful. This may require that women in the workforce need to take a leave earlier than they intended; and they should be supported by all parties (family, doctor(s), and employer) in this health-related decision.

Does fibromyalgia have any effects on delivery? Although it might be expected that women with FM will have more pain during labor and delivery than women without, there is no evidence that outcomes are significantly different. This makes sense, given that spinal blocks that can now be given to effectively relieve the pain over the last few crucial hours. As stated earlier, fibromyalgia does not appear to result in premature deliveries or more C-sections, suggesting that women with fibro ultimately tolerate labor as well as other women.

What happens after the baby is born? It is widely believed that a woman’s fibromyalgia will continue to be worse than pre-pregnancy levels, and that has been my experience in the past with most, but not all women. Fibro sufferers typically have very disrupted sleep; and research has shown that the worse their sleep is, the more pain they have, especially in the morning. It’s no coincidence that the mother’s fibro generally doesn’t start returning to baseline until after the baby starts sleeping a bit better. It is crucial also that the woman’s mood is followed closely, since post-partum depression can be missed or misinterpreted as “just your fibro”.

What is important to consider when planning a pregnancy? First of all, once a woman has decided that pregnancy is something both she and her partner want, she needs to make sure she has the proper support in place. Having a doctor who listens to her, a therapist she can turn to, a warm pool she can use, a supportive partner, and additional friends and family members who can help too, all is crucial. Some of this support may come from her local fibromyalgia support group, where she may find women who’ve already gone through all this. Second, although breastfeeding is desirable for the child, if she needs to go back on medications to manage fibro symptoms getting out of control, she may need to choose to bottle feed the baby sooner than initially planned.

Does fibromyalgia affect postnatal mother’s health and postnatal care? Long term, there is no evidence that going through a pregnancy will make a woman’s fibro worse beyond the first 6 or so months after delivery. By then, she should have been able to resume any medications that had been controlling her symptoms, and both she and the baby are sleeping better. She will continue to require the support of her partner, other family and friends, as all mothers do.

If you have enjoyed reading this, please check out award-winning best-selling book on fibromyalgia at Amazon. It has been called a MUST-READ for anyone interested in this sadly misunderstood disease.

Kevin P White, MD, PhD

19 comments:

  1. I understand your FM pain, but all the rest is difficult. I am glad you got a new Doctor. Enjoy your new baby. I will keep you in my prayers. Better days are coming just from your body healing.So i have been hooked by the impressive articles on this website. Keep up the wonderful work and if you want more info about this topic then visit fibromyalgia during pregnancy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS FOR THE GREAT DEED HE HAVE DONE FOR MY DAUGHTER?
    My daughter suffered from fibromyalgia for more than 12 years which we started experiencing in her when she turned 8 year and 5 months we all thought it will end but got even worse as days went by. We tried all several treatments and therapy prescribed by various doctors we met but to no avail, she always complain of joint stiffness, and have difficulty falling asleep. She usually tells me she feeling tired. This were steady disorder that disrupted her entire life, even at night she slept less because of this.It was during a casual conversation with a friend that i learned about Dr Williams herbal medicine I was able to contact him on his email address. and give him all the necessary information that he needed,few day later he sent me the herbal portion and his medicine was able to restore her back to normal and she is very okay now without any side effects whatsoever. If you have fibromyalgia, do not hesitate to contact him on drwilliams098765@gmail.com for advice and for his product. I hope this also helps someone out there

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am Sophie from Canada, I once suffered from a terrible and Chronic fibromhyalgia,since i was bone , the doctor told me there was no permanent cure i was given medications to slow down its progress, i constantly felt my health was deteriorating as i constantly had Painful menstrual periods,this ailment was really terrible especially when am going out with my friends, i have this constant disorder for about 31 years, this was really a terrible ailment ,on thin one day that i was going through the internet,and i came across a post of Mrs jessica on how his daughter was been cured from fibromhyalgia through the help of Dr Williams herbal product, I contacted this herbal doctor via his email and explain everything to him and make purchase of his product,few days later he sent me the herbal medicine through courier service, when i received the herbal medicine, i used it for 1 months and two weeks as prescribed by dr williams and i was totally cured within those week of usage,on thin now i have not experience any sign or characteristics again . for more information you can email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dr Williams,his medicine was extremely helpful to my daughter. I have had a daughter with fibromyalgia for 21 years now , and my doctor have prescribe me with different kinds of western drugs without no improvement in my daughter symptoms . I am so glad I have found Dr Williams medicine (as I was surfing the net for a solution and saw a recommendation for it on a women's health forum early this year). I have felt so empowered by the knowledge you have given me and I quickly self diagnosed the individual cause of my daughter fibromyalgia and armed with his clear instructions, I was finally able to beat this monster, in less than 4 weeks of using dr Williams medication on my daughter. she went for a checkup and it was clear that my daughter fibromyalgia were gone,you can also email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help.

    Thank you, thank you , thank you. Dr Williams "

    ReplyDelete
  5. CURE TO FIBROMYALGIA WITHOUT ANY SIDE EFFECT: My husband was diagnosed with fibromyalgia . My husbad fibromyalgia was something i don't understand he cry so bad that he was usually in bed for about 8 hours and soreness killers (even prescription strength) don't stop the weakness of the joint, even if he take triple the dosage. my husband symptoms was really so terrible,that we have to make hospital our home, and all the doctors would do is monitor it, prescribe him countless of control pills and pain medication with no positive result. until recently I contacted a Doctor who put an end to this problem. If you are having same problem with fibromyalgia contact Dr. William for advice and possible solution without any side effect (drwilliams098675@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

  6. I am bold enough among many others to state that there is now a potent cure to this sickness but many are unaware of it. I discovered that I was infected with the virus 3 months ago, after a medical check-up. My doctor told me and I was shocked, confused and felt like my world has crumbled. I was dying slowly due to the announcement of my medical practitioner but he assured me that I could leave a normal life if I took my medications (as there was no medically known cure to Herpes). I went from churches to churches but soon found that my case needed urgent attention as I was growing lean due to fear of dying anytime soon. In a bid to look for a lasting solution to my predicament, I sought for solutions from the herbal world. I went online and searched for every powerful trado-medical practitioner that I could severe, cos I heard that the African Herbs had a cure to the Herpes syndrome. It was after a little time searching the web that I came across one Dr Itua(A powerful African Herbal Doctor), who offered to help me at a monetary fee. I had to comply as this was my final bus-stop to receiving a perfect healing. My last resolve was to take my life by myself, should this plan fail. At last it worked out well. He gave me some steps to follow and I meticulously carried out all his instructions. Last month, to be precise, I went back to the hospital to conduct another test and to my amazement, the results showed that negative,Dr Itua Can As Well Cure The Following Desease…Cancer,Hiv,Herpes, Hepatitis B,Liver Inflammatory,Diabetis,Fribroid, Dercum,fibromyalgia,Get Your Ex Back, You can free yourself of this Herpes virus by consulting this great African Herbal Doctor via this e-mail: drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com or call and whatsapp him on +2348149277967 He will help you and his herb medication is sure. he has the cure on all disease .You can talk to me on INSTAGRAM..tashamoore219....

    ReplyDelete
  7. I recently have some difficult conversations and I did what a lot of people do when they want to know how to do something. I googled it. I came across Dr Williams herbal medicine on YouTube so many people thanking him about his good work. I also have fibromyalgia. I wasn’t running all over God’s creation with every man I could find but here I am. I have felt bad about myself for so many years now because of my fibromyalgia status. I obviously still have some self-accepting to do but I want to thank Dr Williams for everything he have done for my family ,after taking Dr Williams medicine i was completely free from fibromyalgia within one month of usage, I think what you are doing is so admirable. you have helped me a lot! I want to definitely reach out to you and thank you for your amazing work. You are a good person, and an extremely talented man. You have helped millions with your herbs, and have really inspired me,and i pray you still continue doing the good work.you can also email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dr Williams,his medicine was extremely helpful to my daughter. I have had a daughter with fibromyalgia for 21 years now , and my doctor have prescribe me with different kinds of western drugs without no improvement in my daughter symptoms . I am so glad I have found Dr Williams medicine (as I was surfing the net for a solution and saw a recommendation for it on a women's health forum early this year). I have felt so empowered by the knowledge you have given me and I quickly self diagnosed the individual cause of my daughter fibromyalgia and armed with his clear instructions, I was finally able to beat this monster, in less than 4 weeks of using dr Williams medication on my daughter. she went for a checkup and it was clear that my daughter fibromyalgia were gone,you can also email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks to Dr Williams I am so happy today, I have been suffering from Fibromyalgia for the past 8 years now, and i have spent a lot on western drugs which has all proved abortive, i have tried all means in life to become Fibromyalgia free , but there was no answer until i decided to try herbal solution and i found Dr Williams online and i contacted him and after I took his medication as instructed, i am now completely free from Fibromyalgia within those week of usage, i am so much happy, thanks to Dr Williams for helping me get my life back again without any form of crisis, i promise to tell your name and good deeds to the whole world,if you have Fibromyalgia you can email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for more information .

    ReplyDelete
  10. As a sign of gratitude for how my son was saved from fibromyalgia , i decided to reach out to those still suffering from this.
    My son suffered fibromyalgia in the year 2013 and it was really tough and heartbreaking for me because he was my all and the symptoms were terrible, he always complain of joint stiffness, and he always have difficulty falling asleep . we tried various therapies prescribed by our neurologist but none could cure him. I searched for a cure and i saw a testimony by someone who was cured and so many other with similar body problem, and he left the contact of the doctor who had the cure to fibromyalgia . I never imagined fibromyalgia has a natural cure not until i contacted him and he assured me my son will be fine. I got the herbal medication he recommended and my son used it and in one months time he was fully okay even up till this moment he is so full of life. fibromyalgia has a cure and it is a herbal cure contact the doctor for more info on drwilliams098675@gmail.com on how to get the medication. Thanks for reading my story

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hiv disease for the last 3 years and had pain hard to eat and cough are nightmares,especially the first year At this stage, the immune system is severely weakened, and the risk of contracting opportunistic infections is much greater. However, not everyone with HIV will go on to develop AIDS. The earlier you receive treatment, the better your outcome will be.I started taking ARV to avoid early death but I had faith in God that i would be healed someday.As a Hiv patent we are advise to be taking antiretroviral treatments to reduce our chance of transmitting the virus to others , few weeks ago i came on search on the internet if i could get any information on Hiv treatment with herbal medicine, on my search i saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from Hiv her name was Achima Abelard and other Herpes Virus patent Tasha Moore also giving testimony about this same man,Called Dr Itua Herbal Center.I was moved by the testimony and i contacted him by his Email.drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com We chatted and he send me a bottle of herbal medicine I drank it as he instructed me to.After drinking it he ask me to go for a test that how i ended my suffering life of Hiv patent,I'm cured and free of Arv Pills.I'm forever grateful to him Drituaherbalcenter.Here his contact Number +2348149277967...He assure me he can cure the following disease..Hiv,Cancer,Herpes Virus,Lyme Disease,Epilepsy, ,Bladder Cancer,Colorectal Cancer,Breast Cancer,Kidney Cancer,Leukemia,Lung Cancer,Non Hodgkin Lymphoma,Skin Cancer,Lupus,Uterine Cancer,Prostate Cancer, fibromyalgia ,ALS,Hepatitis,Copd,Parkinson disease.Genetic disease,Fibrodysplasia disease,Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva,Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome,Liver/Kidney Inflammatory,infertility, bowel disease ,Huntington's disease ,Diabetes,Fibroid...

    ReplyDelete
  12. WOW ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS I HAVE NEVER BELIEVE IN HERBAL REMEDIES.
    my son have been a patient of fibromyalgia . I had tried a lot of anti viral med prescribed to me by doctors over how many years now but I could not see any improvements in my son symptoms. One day while going through the internet , i got to know about this great Herbal Dr who uses his herbal remedies in curing people from fibromyalgia ,quickly i contacted him and he prepared a herbal medication for my son which i received and he used it as instructed by Dr Williams. After few weeks the improvement were very visible. the chronic muscle pain and the tightness of the joint stopped, I would really recommend this to all my friends,families,around the globe suffering from fibromyalgia. you can contact him through his email on drwilliams098675@gmail.com.for advice and for his product ,his a good man and am very happy to give this testimony.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am Sophie from Canada, I once suffered from a terrible and Chronic fibromhyalgia,since i was bone , the doctor told me there was no permanent cure i was given medications to slow down its progress, i constantly felt my health was deteriorating as i constantly had Pain all over my body,this ailment was really terrible especially when am going out with my friends, i have this constant disorder for about 31 years, this was really a terrible ailment ,on thin one day that i was going through the internet,and i came across a post of Mrs jessica on how her daughter was been cured from fibromhyalgia through the help of Dr Williams herbal product, I contacted this herbal doctor via his email and explain everything to him and make purchase of his product,few days later he sent me the herbal medicine through courier service, when i received the herbal medicine, i used it for 1 months and two weeks as prescribed by dr williams and i was totally cured within those week of usage,on thin now i have not experience any sign or characteristics again . for more information you can email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help

    ReplyDelete
  14. Irrespective of receiving daily oral or future injectable depot therapies, these require health care visits for medication and monitoring of safety and response. If patients are treated early enough, before a lot of immune system damage has occurred, life expectancy is close to normal, as long as they remain on successful treatment. However, when patients stop therapy, virus rebounds to high levels in most patients, sometimes associated with severe illness because i have gone through this and even an increased risk of death. The aim of “cure”is ongoing but i still do believe my government made millions of ARV drugs instead of finding a cure. for ongoing therapy and monitoring. ARV alone cannot cure HIV as among the cells that are infected are very long-living CD4 memory cells and possibly other cells that act as long-term reservoirs. HIV can hide in these cells without being detected by the body’s immune system. Therefore even when ART completely blocks subsequent rounds of infection of cells, reservoirs that have been infected before therapy initiation persist and from these reservoirs HIV rebounds if therapy is stopped. “Cure” could either mean an eradication cure, which means to completely rid the body of reservoir virus or a functional HIV cure, where HIV may remain in reservoir cells but rebound to high levels is prevented after therapy interruption.Dr Itua Herbal Medicine makes me believes there is a hope for people suffering from,Parkinson's disease,Schizophrenia,Cancer,Scoliosis,Fibromyalgia,Fluoroquinolone Toxicity
    Syndrome Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.Fatal Familial Insomnia Factor V Leiden Mutation ,Epilepsy Dupuytren's disease,Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor Diabetes ,Coeliac disease,Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease,Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Ataxia,Arthritis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Alzheimer's disease,Adrenocortical carcinoma.Asthma,Allergic diseases.Hiv_ Aids,Herpe ,Copd,Diabetes,Hepatitis,I read about him online how he cure Tasha and Tara so i contacted him on drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com even talked on whatsapps +2348149277967 believe me it was easy i drank his herbal medicine for two weeks and i was cured just like that isn't Dr Itua a wonder man? Yes he is! I thank him so much so i will advise if you are suffering from one of those diseases Pls do contact him he's a nice man.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It is no secret that I have a very deep and personal relationship with God. I have pushed and resisted that relationship this past year through all the bullshit I have had to go through living with Herpes but once again, God is bigger than my stubbornness and broke through that outbreak cold sore and all I had Genital Herpes. For me personally, hearing over and over how I am not good enough has really invaded my mind in the worst way possible. I completely shut down and I was just waking up like is this how life going to end this temporary herpes outbreak “fuck everybody with herpes if you know what I mean” but let's be honest here...It is a cowardly to say no to herbal medicine. It is fear based. And it is dishonest to what my heart wants. Don't build a wall around yourself because you are afraid of herbals made or taking a bold step especially when it's come to health issues and getting cure. So many young men/ women tell me over and over that Dr Itua is going to scam me but I give him a try to today I feel like no one will ever convince me about herbal medicine I accept Dr Itua herbal medicine because it's cure my herpes just two weeks of drinking it and i have been living for a year and months now I experience outbreak no more, You can contact him if you need his herbal medicine for any such diseases like, Herpes, Hepatitis, HIV,Epilepsy Infertility,Schizophrenia,Cancer,Scoliosis,Fibromyalgia,Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.Fatal Familial Insomnia Factor V Leiden Mutation ,Epilepsy Dupuytren's disease,Desmoplastic,Diabetes ,Coeliac disease,Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease,Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Ataxia,Arthritis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Alzheimer's disease,Adrenocortical carcinoma.Asthma,Allergic, Love Spell,. Email..drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com then what's app.+2348149277967.... My advice to any sick men/women out there is simple... Be Always an open book. Be gut wrenching honest about yourself, your situation, and what you are all about. Don't hold anything back. Holding back will get you nowhere...maybe a one way ticket to lonelyville and that is NOT somewhere you want to be. So my final truth...and I'm just starting to grasp this one..

    ReplyDelete
  16. I recently have some difficult conversations and I did what a lot of people do when they want to know how to do something. I googled it. I came across Dr Williams herbal medicine on blog-site so many people thanking him about his good work. I also have fibromyalgia. I wasn’t running all over God’s creation with every man I could find but here I am. I have felt bad about myself for so many years now because of my fibromyalgia status. I obviously still have some self-accepting to do but I want to thank Dr Williams for everything he have done for my family ,after taking Dr Williams medicine i was completely free from fibromyalgia within one month of usage, I think what you are doing is so admirable. you have helped me a lot! I want to definitely reach out to you and thank you for your amazing work. You are a good person, and an extremely talented man. You have helped millions with your herbs, and have really inspired me,and i pray you still continue doing the good work.you can also email him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for help

    ReplyDelete
  17. WOW ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS I HAVE NEVER BELIEVE IN HERBAL REMEDIES.
    my son have been a patient of fibromyalgia . I had tried a lot of anti viral med prescribed to me by doctors over how many years now but I could not see any improvements in my son symptoms. One day while going through the internet , i got to know about this great Herbal Dr who uses his herbal remedies in curing people from fibromyalgia ,quickly i contacted him and he prepared a herbal medication for my son which i received and he used it as instructed by Dr Williams. After few weeks the improvement were very visible. the chronic muscle pain and the tightness of the joint stopped, I would really recommend this to all my friends,families,around the globe suffering from fibromyalgia. you can contact him through his email on drwilliams098675@gmail.com.for advice and for his product ,his a good man and am very happy to give this testimony.

    ReplyDelete
  18. ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS FOR THE GREAT DEED HE HAVE DONE FOR MY DAUGHTER?
    My daughter suffered from fibromyalgia for more than 12 years which we started experiencing in her when she turned 8 year and 5 months we all thought it will end but got even worse as days went by. We tried all several treatments and therapy prescribed by various doctors we met but to no avail, she always complain of joint stiffness, and have difficulty falling asleep. She usually tells me she feeling tired. This were steady disorder that disrupted her entire life, even at night she slept less because of this.It was during a casual conversation with a friend that i learned about Dr Williams herbal medicine I was able to contact him on his email address. and give him all the necessary information that he needed,few day later he sent me the herbal portion and his medicine was able to restore her back to normal and she is very okay now without any side effects whatsoever. If you have fibromyalgia, do not hesitate to contact him on drwilliams098675@gmail.com for advice and for his product. I hope this also helps someone out there.

    ReplyDelete
  19. DR WILLIAMS HERBAL CURE TO FIBROMYALGIA.
    I was always praying to have a testimony when ever i saw people sharing their own testimonies which really took me years but today i am the happiest man on earth.My wife suffered fibromyalgia for 5 years, after taken different kind of western medication without been cured.All these years my wife was like a death person but today she is been cured.and you do not know how i feel having my wife back to normal because it was not really easy for me .I took time to search the internet which i found a lot of people thanking Dr. williams concerning the same problem and i discussed it with my wife and she agreed for us to give a try, so we order his product which my wife took for 28 days and she is very much okay now.I will advise you to stop wasting time on all these western medicine because they only work for some times and the problem bounce back again.Contact Dr.at drwilliams098675@gmail.com for advice and for his product and be the next to give your testimony.

    ReplyDelete