Back pain is a common culprit for those who suffer from fibromyalgia.  Although the picture shows lower and mid pain, it really doesn't serve justice for those who suffer from upper spine pain and joint swelling as well.

The fibromyalgia spine is a tricky area.  Not only do we suffer from various joint, ligament, and muscle pain, we are also prone to periodic back soreness or all-out throbbing and stabbing in various areas of the back.

I hate to mention I have any type of pain to friends and family.  I'm always met with, "Oh, Dear, were you lifting something heavy?" 

"No, not at all," I retort.

"Well you must have forgotten, you need to be more careful."

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia back pain can come on at any time, at any place, and for any unknown reason. I remember one evening distinctly in which I was enjoying a much need rest while watching a fabulous movie on Netflix.  I got up (not too fast for those questioners) and immediately felt a knife-like jab in my lower back. This lasted for several days.  And, for some reason, I can never get a handle on prevention.

Did you know that as many as two-thirds of people with chronic low back pain also have fibromyalgia? Looking at the numbers from the other direction, up to 49 percent of people with fibromyalgia have lower back pain. In fact, back pain is so prevalent among people with fibromyalgia that it was once one of the symptoms doctors looked for in making a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

There’s no doubt that living with fibromyalgia is challenging enough on its own, let alone when you have back pain. But it may make you feel a little better to know there is an explanation for the intensity of the pain you’re going through.

“Both back pain and fibromyalgia belong to a group of disorders called central ​hypersensitivity syndromes,” says pain management specialist Ronald Staud, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Although the roots of the two conditions differ for example, back pain could be caused by a damaged vertebral disk the pain experiences of the two conditions bear some similarities. Among them is the sense that these chronic pain conditions cause you to be on a “high alert” setting of sorts (doctors call it hyperarousal). And then, to top it off, the pain wears you down, causing fatigue, depression, and anxiety that make living with fibromyalgia and back pain all the more draining.

​One essential is getting an accurate diagnosis of your back pain. According to Staud, many physicians who treat fibromyalgia can also assess back pain’s possible causes. However, ask for a referral to a pain specialist if you have any concerns about your doctor’s ability to parse out the factors contributing to your back pain and prescribe the appropriate medical treatment.

Treating Fibromyalgia and Back Pain

Pain medication is usually part of the prescription for fibromyalgia symptoms but often isn’t enough for most people, especially if a back condition is involved. Putting together a multi-part pain plan is a must, says Staud. This is even more true if you need specific therapy for your back. Consider these additional ideas to create a comprehensive treatment strategy that may combine traditional and alternative approaches:

• Lifestyle changes. Both back pain and fibromyalgia symptoms may improve as you work on a healthier lifestyle adjusting your diet, increasing exercise, and losing weight if needed.
• Mental health treatment. Anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping can all make pain feel worse. Comprehensive treatment strategies may include therapy and medication targeted to depression and anxiety, says Staud.
• Physical therapy. “Back pain is the mainstay of physical therapists,” says Staud. Physical therapists can teach you how to move through your day more effectively and show you stretches to ease back pain and perhaps make living with fibromyalgia easier.
• Alternative treatment approaches. Acupuncture, biofeedback, and music therapy can help ease back pain. According to Staud, pain management specialists are well-versed in the complexity of pain treatment and will be open to any questions you might have about alternative approaches. Talking with your team about options you’re considering will also help you avoid any interactions between alternative treatments and prescription medications.
• Education. Finally, a little knowledge can go a long way toward easing some of the anxiety you may be feeling. Talk with your medical team about the physiology of pain and the complex factors that influence your perception of pain when you are facing conditions related to hypersensitization

​When you’re struggling with low back pain and fibromyalgia, you might feel as though you’re fighting two battles. But a combination of therapies some aimed at fibromyalgia, some aimed at the back pain, and some aimed at both — is more likely to bring you symptom relief.

Another interesting noteworthy point worth taking into consideration is positive thoughts.  I notice when I am off from the hectic work routine for a week or so, I am less apt to feel such symptoms.  In fact, as long as I can keep happy and positive about all aspects of life,  my pain levels plummet.  But how can we assess that every minute of every day to feel somewhat whole again?

Actuary Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) is so aware of the risks inherent in all situations that he is unable to risk anything. His bride, Lisa Kramer (Debra Messing), seems perfect but cheats on him during their honeymoon. Back home in New York City, his best friend, former child star Sandy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), urges him to attend a party. There he meets an ex-classmate, Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston), whose spirited ways spark his adoration but confound his neuroses.

Follow the ultrarunner on his final attempt to complete more than 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail in record time.

In this 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic, the March sisters confront growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies and romantic rivalries in mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Jo (Winona Ryder) struggles for independence and sometimes clashes with her beloved mother and her sisters Meg, Amy and Beth. She also contends with their cranky Aunt March, their impulsive neighbor Laurie (Christian Bale) and kindly linguistics professor Friedrich Bhaer (Gabriel Byrne).

​Problem fixer Michael Clayton is brought in to clean up the mess after one of his law firm's top litigators suffers a breakdown while representing a corrupt chemical corporation in a multi-billion dollar legal suit. Under pressure to appease the firm's clients, Clayton finds himself torn between his desire to do the right thing and a pressing need to pay off spiralling personal debts.

Anabel abandoned her daughter Chiara when the girl was barely 8 years old. Thirty-five years later, Chiara returns with a strange request and asks her mother to spend 10 days with her. Anabel sees the trip as a chance to get her daughter back, but what she doesn't know is that Chiara has a hidden purpose and that she'll have to face the most important decision of her life.

Vaughn and Marcus, who have been friends since childhood, travel to a remote area of the Scottish Highlands for a hunting trip. The pair are tested to the limit when they face a thrilling situation which neither could have prepared for.

Vaughn and Marcus, who have been friends since childhood, travel to a remote area of the Scottish Highlands for a hunting trip. The pair are tested to the limit when they face a thrilling situation which neither could have prepared for.

​In 1988, New York's police wage an all-out war on drugs, and guilty and innocent alike become casualties. Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix), manager of a nightclub that is often frequented by gangsters, tries to remain neutral but hides a potentially fatal secret: His brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall) are both cops. After his brother is wounded in an assassination attempt, Bobby can no longer remain neutral. He joins forces with his brother for an all-out assault on the mob.

​Eight years after a child disappeared without a trace, detectives find disturbing clues that indicate that the girl is still alive.

​Detailing the life of tenor Andrea Bocelli, who transcends his blindness with his singing, from his bumpy childhood to his meteoric rise to fame.

A woman (Charlize Theron) confronts traumatic, childhood memories of the murder of her mother and two sisters when she investigates the possibility that her brother (Corey Stoll) is innocent of the crime.

When Gerry (Gerard Butler), the husband of Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank), dies from an illness, she loses the love of her life. Knowing how hard Holly will take his death, Gerry plans ahead. Beginning on her 30th birthday, she receives the first in a series of letters written by him, designed to ease her grief and encourage her to move forward to a new life.

​Left at the altar, a young executive takes her Caribbean honeymoon cruise with the last person she ever expected -- her estranged father. Although they depart as strangers, they soon gain a new appreciation for love, life, family and each other.

I recently went to my brothers for an afternoon of Sunday football and was treated to a unique treat.  I have always been a sweet potato lover but always placed them in the microwave for a quick nuke.  

The sweet potatoes that graced my plate that day were an unbelievable velvety sweetened texture that called for no butter.  In fact, I had never had anything so succulent.  Since then, despite a few minutes longer of cooking time, I will prepare them no other way.  

You need to give these a try if you've gotten one of those air fryers.  They can be found at thrift stores for dirt cheap and well worth the time and investment.

3 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, optional

Wash your sweet potatoes and then create air holes with a fork in the potatoes.

Sprinkle them with the olive oil & salt  (if using), then rub evenly on the potatoes.
​
Once the potatoes are coated place them into the basket for the Air Fryer and place into the machine.
Cook your potatoes on the "potato section" for 25-30 min.
Top with your favorites!

Do you remember when you were a kid and mom's potatoes came out of the oven with a crunchy crust and a pillowy inside that burst with velvety goodness?  That was pre-microwave age.  

You'd grab one of those potatoes and slab on the butter, sour cream, and bacon bits. Those potatoes were so good they could be eaten alone.  In fact, when times were tough, mom may have put an array of toppings on the table and that dinner would stand alone with a salad.

If you haven't tossed potatoes into your air fryer, you are in for a real treat.  Once this recipe is given a whirl you'll no longer nuke your potatoes any longer. 

4 medium Russet potatoes scrubbed clean and dried
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Prick each of the potatoes with a fork or sharp knife. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Then, arrange the potatoes in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave ample room around the potatoes for the air to circulate as the potatoes cook.

Set the heat to "potato" and the timer for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, pull open the air fryer and gently press on the sides of the potato. If it easily yields, the potato is done. If not, return it to the basket and set the timer for up to 10 more minutes. 
​
Split open the baked potatoes with a knife and add your preferred toppings. 

I am sitting here staring out my window waiting for a few rays to stream so that my body can feel its healing grace.  I want to run out back, drop in my chaise lounge, eagle-spread feeling those first rays of medicinal warmth.  It is like I'm plugged into something greater and my pain and suffering begins to ease the moment my skin is kissed.

Right now my body feels like it is slowly degenerating.  Winter months come so harshly and wreck such havoc that I never know what its going to leave in its aftermath.  One year it was pancreatitis, another year it was Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.  Each of these past eight years of winter blues leaves something malfunctioning in my organs.  Weirdly, it is always by March before the suns rays begin to openly display daily here in the southern belt.  

I know what it is.  It's that natural vitamin D.  I am a whole 'nother person when its out.  Right now though, I am met with "Are you feeling ok? You don't look good.  Go home and rest."  Rest is  not going to help me I want to shout!

And, I'm sorry to say, but I don't feel the same with Vitamin D supplements.  It helps, but just doesn't do the job like the real thing.  I am so grateful that I don't live up north.  I don't know how some of my readers do it.  Cabin fever for an extended period of time would just kill me coupled that with lack of natural sunlight to bathe in.

Anyway, I cam across and article my Dr. Northrup I'd like to share that shows the unique benefits of Vitamin D our our need to utilize daily especially if you have chronic health aliments: 

​Vitamin D is necessary for the health of every cell in your body. Yet, Vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic proportions. Overall, Vitamin D influences more than 200 genes, each of which has the propensity to become impaired without adequate Vitamin D. According to a number of studies, Vitamin D deficiency can result in many diseases and conditions, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.

Yet, maintaining an optimal level of Vitamin D can improve your immune system function and prevent many diseases, including colds and flu, cancer, and “autoimmune” diseases.  Plus, an optimal level of Vitamin D can improve your mood, regulate insulin, support heart and lung function, protect your brain from toxic chemicals, and may help reduce pain in people with chronic pain conditions.

Know the Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency?

The average Vitamin D level for all women in the US is 29 ng/ml – well below the recommended 40 ng/ml. For African Americans, the average is even lower – 21 ng/ml. Typically, people who are Vitamin D deficient do not know it because symptoms are subtle and often attributed to other conditions. The problem is, some of the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency can be serious. They include getting sick frequently, experiencing fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, bone pain, muscle pain, back pain, fibromyalgia, hair loss, depression, and poor wound healing. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, I recommend that you test your Vitamin D levels.

But, many people who don’t have symptoms are at risk for Vitamin D deficiency. If you live in a climate where you do not get enough sunshine (such as above the 35th parallel), your stores of Vitamin D most likely will be low, at least from November through March. Also, if you have dark skin, you are more likely to be deficient in Vitamin D because melanin reduces your skin’s ability to synthesize Vitamin D from sunlight.

Other individuals who are at greater risk for Vitamin D deficiency include women who cover themselves from head to toe, such as women who wear burqas or niqabs for religious reasons. Also, people who use SPF 30 or higher are at greater risk because sunscreen reduces your body’s ability to synthesize Vitamin D by 95%! Plus, people who work the night shift (and sleep during the day) and people who are homebound are at greater risk of Vitamin D deficiency.

Office workers and people who live in highly polluted areas often have lower Vitamin D levels. So do vegetarians and vegans. Finally, infants who are solely breastfed can develop low Vitamin D levels and should receive 400 IU per day of an oral vitamin D supplement. (You can get drops made specifically for babies.)

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Prevention

There are many studies that show the connection between Vitamin D and breast cancer prevention. Reduction in risk can range from 55% to as high as 80%, depending on Vitamin D levels. And, it appears the higher your serum Vitamin D the better in terms of preventing cancer.

In addition, much research shows that Vitamin D is extremely important for regulating cell growth. This is very exciting news because not only do adequate Vitamin D levels in women appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer up to 80%, some studies suggest that Vitamin D may reduce the progression of cancer by slowing the growth of blood vessels within the cancer cells, thus causing cancer cell death and reducing the chance of cancer spreading (known as metastasis).

Even more exciting is the fact that Vitamin D is associated with better survival rates among breast cancer patients. A 2014 statistical analysis performed by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine showed that Vitamin D receptors are not lost until a tumor is very advanced. So, as long as Vitamin D receptors are present, tumor growth can be prevented when Vitamin D levels are adequate.
If you are concerned about your breast health, or you have breast cancer, I recommend getting your Vitamin D level tested and taking a high-quality Vitamin D supplement to get your Vitamin D level to around 60 ng/ml.

How to Test Your Vitamin D Levels

I recommend that everyone test their Vitamin D levels. It’s good to do this when you are feeling well so you have a baseline. If you are having health problems, I definitely want you to get your Vitamin D tested, especially if your symptoms are vague, or if you suffer from a serious condition and are not improving with standard treatments.

Testing is easy and you can do it from home with a home test kit. I like the ones from Grass Roots Health. If you are healthy and looking for your baseline measurement, start with the basic Vitamin D test kit. You can also get one of the more comprehensive kits that allow you to test your Omega 3 index, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and A1c along with your Vitamin D. You can also do a complete inflammation panel, which is good for people with chronic conditions.

Vitamin D tests are serum tests. This means that you will need to prick your finger. If that bothers you, then I suggest you ask your health care provider to perform a blood test to check your Vitamin D levels. You should specifically ask to have a 25(OH)D test performed, also called a 25-hydroxy Vitamin D. Be sure to get your actual number. Don’t settle for hearing that your Vitamin D is “a little low” or that “you’re okay.”

Ideally, your Vitamin D level should be at least 40 ng/ml – somewhere between 40-60 ng/ml is optimal. Higher levels are also fine up to approximately 100 ng/ml. If you are below 40 ng/ml, I suggest taking Vitamin D supplements until you are in the ideal range. You can use the calculator on Grass Roots Health to determine the amount of Vitamin D you need take to reach your goal of 40-60ng/ml.

Other Ways to Increase Your Vitamin D Levels Naturally

If you are deficient in Vitamin D, the best way to increase your serum levels is to take a high- quality supplement. However, there are two more ways you can increase your Vitamin D levels naturally.

The first way to increase your Vitamin D level is to spend more time outside in the sun. In order for your skin to synthesize Vitamin D from the sun, you need to expose your skin directly to sunlight with no clothing barrier and no sunscreen. Soak in the sun for 5-10 minutes every day or until your skin turns slightly pink. If you have darker skin, you may need to stay outside a bit longer.  I don’t recommend doing this when the sun is hottest, but around 10:00 am is usually a good time.

If you live in a climate where you cannot get adequate sun exposure during any part of the year, invest in a broad-spectrum light box. These produce the light you need – but without the UV rays – and are effective in helping your body synthesize Vitamin D. Plus, light therapy can reduce symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), help you get a better night’s sleep, and reduce cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. Alaska Northern Lights makes good products, but there are many others on the market to choose from.

The second way to increase your Vitamin D levels is by eating Vitamin D-rich foods. These include fatty fish, such as cod, salmon, tuna, swordfish, sardines, and herring. Four ounces of cooked sockeye salmon contains roughly 596 IUs of Vitamin D. But, canned tuna in water contains only 68 IUs. So, you need to do your homework if you plan to get your Vitamin D this way – and be committed to eating a lot of fish!

Fish oil is also a good source of Vitamin D. For example, one tablespoon of cod liver oil contains about 1,360 IUs of Vitamin D. So, if you take a fish oil supplement, be sure to take this into consideration when calculating how much additional Vitamin D you need from a Vitamin D supplement.
​
A couple of other foods also contain some beneficial Vitamin D. Eggs (from chickens) contain about 44 IUs. And, one cup of maitake mushrooms contains 786 IUs of Vitamin D. (Maitake mushrooms are also a good source of prebiotics and a great way to keep your microbiome healthy.)

Research suggests a bias in how people with fibromyalgia (FM) recall pain, with intense pain usually exaggerated in recall.

Researchers suggest that psychosocial factors, such as patients’ own assessment of their physical abilities, may affect FM patients’ pain recollection.

The study, “A longitudinal analysis of pain experience and recall in fibromyalgia,” was published in International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.

Pain in FM is usually measured via self-reports; however, this has been shown to lead to disparate results, likely linked to the fact that how people experience pain is often different than their memory of that painful episode.

Increasing research suggests that memories of painful experiences are “more powerful predictors of future pain than the actual previous pain experiences,” researchers said.

“These findings engender questions of what pain recollections truly reflect, how pain recollection differs by populations, what factors moderate pain recollection accuracy and how they operate similarly across differing populations,” they stated.

Evidence shows that pain recall is affected by psychological, social, and biological factors — depression was shown to negatively affect pain recollection and one study showed that glucocorticoid cortisol, a hormone released during a stress response, also changed how a group of healthy males experienced pain during a controlled experiment.

While research into factors that affect pain recollection has been done in some populations of patients with an identifiable cause for their pain, “no research has been done to assess these processes among those with fibromyalgia.”

Researchers analyzed data from 572 FM patients to understand how they experience and recall memories of pain.

The patients were asked to perform — in five different moments over a period of one year — a self-assessment of their FM-related pain levels at that “present moment” (experiential pain or EP), an assessment of what they considered the level of the highest FM pain they had ever experienced (historical peak pain or HPP), and the level of their lowest FM pain (historical valley pain or HVP).

Recollections of FM pain were compared to recollections of other types of pain, such as the worst toothache pain, or the worst stomach pain, that were recorded at the same timepoints.

The authors found that pain recall in FM patients changes over time, with a tendency for a decrease of all FM pain experiences, which didn’t happen when patients were asked to recall other non-FM pain experiences.
Moreover, momentary pain experiences of those with FM are systematically closer to their lowest levels of pain than they are to their highest levels of pain.

Of note, and in accordance with previous studies, the accuracy in recalling pain levels was lower among depressed FM patients — this set of patients seems to have a tendency to inflate past peak pain levels and momentary pain, but not so with lowest pain levels. “Depression does not relate to inflations of all pain, but only peak recollections and present pain experiences,” the authors wrote.

The authors identified other factors that can contribute to fibromyalgia pain syndrome (FMS) pain recollection, such as self-efficacy (i.e. the assessment the patients do of their own ability to perform physical tasks), or sleep impairments.

In this study, higher self-efficacy seems to lessen pain experiences in FM and to deflate recall of the severity of historical pain, while impaired sleep was correlated with inflation of all FMS pain experiences.

Researchers could also corroborate previous data that suggest age seems to alter the intensity with which individuals remember past negative experiences, in this case peak FM pain.

Over the year that patients were asked to recall their current FM pain compared to past FM pain experiences, all of them said their pain experience levels decreased. This suggests that the act of recollection might help FMS patients cope with their momentary pain levels.

Because current pain levels were always closer to lowest historical pain, it seems that “asking patients to report their average pain on ‘good days’ (pain at its least) might be a good reflection of their typical daily pain experiences,” researchers said.
​
Moreover, these results suggest “that memory related to pain might be a worthwhile target for intervention,” the study concluded. - Shared by Patricia Inacio, PhD

​A rebellious teenager, future Beatle John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) lives with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) in working-class Liverpool, England. Mimi's husband suddenly dies, and John spies his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), at the funeral. Despite Mimi's misgivings, John intends to have a real relationship with his mother. Julia introduces him to popular music and the banjo and, though a family conflict looms, young Lennon is inspired to form his own band.

Two fathers with opposing personalities come together to celebrate the wedding of their children. They are forced to spend the longest week of their lives together, and the big day cannot come soon enough.

​When Ajji's granddaughter is raped, she finds that the police are unable to arrest the culprit as he is a local politician's son. Ajji decides to take matters into her own hands.

​Laura Alonso, a Spanish lawyer, is searching for her missing sister in the Congo. After two years without her, Laura finds a picture that indicates her sister is still alive.

​A high school student finds herself face-to-face with her long-term crush when she signs up to run a kissing booth at the spring carnival.

Harper, a single 30-something New Yorker, lets loose on a business trip to Barcelona, leading to a flirty encounter with a famous DJ.

​Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. After his estranged father is murdered, he meets Fox (Angelina Jolie), who recruits him into the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins which takes its orders from Fate itself. Fox and Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the Fraternity's leader, teach Wesley to tap into dormant powers. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.

Newly appointed CEO of Robinson Tech, Wes Robinson, is looking for new ideas to boost the company's sales. Vivian Blair, a programme developer, shares a dating algorithm she has been working on called My Perfect Match. Wes sees potential and an opportunity to turn the company around and launches the service. When the pair is challenged to use My Perfect Match themselves to find love, this algorithm shows some interesting results.

​A grieving woman embarks on a path of self-destruction after the accidental death of her beloved husband. Soon, a chance encounter with a guitar-toting stranger inspires her to regain her faith and unite her family once again.

​South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes under cover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster's trust, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. When both organizations learn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out each other's identities to save their own lives.

Some of the less defining symptoms of fibromyalgia and often least discussed is the addition of anxiety and panic attacks.  

You are already on a cruise of multiple syndromes where few family members can identity your state of mind and what's causing it. Add to that the consistent withdraw mode during family affairs, and you're already labeled as a bit off and untouchable.  

So to totally immerse in the anxiety/panic disorder ordeal may become a bit too intense to share with loved ones, too.  Some of us prefer to keep that to ourselves and deal with it internally as much as possible so we don't look way-out-there. 

But, why does this happen? Speculation in scientific studies discusses it is possible due to the chronic pain we suffer.  It kind of sets our systems out of wack and makes us more vulnerable to sensory stimulation.

But, I didn't have this heightened anxiety during my first couple of years first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia when pain was more intense.  I can tell you I remember my first incident like it was yesterday when panic disorder first surfaced.  I had been on a family trip and we decided to check out Ruby Falls.  We are avid nature lovers when we are away so this type of excursion was not out of the ordinary.  

Cave tours was always part of the vacation venue.  We've always tried to fit them in when the area allowed. To  get to this cave, you had to take an elevator.  Twenty six stories down.  I've done this before, "I got this," I thought.  It didn't seem to out of the ordinary.

We immediately got into line and perused all the local art on display as we moved along.  Things were going along pretty smoothly until we were about two minutes to entry.  Then a jolt of energy pierced my brain and began stimulating obscure thoughts.  "How far down is this elevator?" "Why don't you have more information on this?"  "How long are you going to be down there?"  "You really haven't taken anytime to overview this before departure." "What are you doing?"

I pushed them aside.

The closer I came the more exclamatory the thoughts became.  They were no longer a whisper, but an all out howl demanding for more intercession before proceeding.

I have never experienced this before.  What was happening?

Still standing tall, I walked into the elevator.  "This is crazy," I thought.  "I am an adventurer, this too shall pass." 

I looked at my son.  He looked at me taking mental notes something is really off.

Then it started.  My heart began to race.  Well, not actually race, rattle would be a better term as it bounced within my chest walls. My throat began to close.  I could not breathe.  Oh, this was real and not passing.

"I have to leave," I told my son and darted off.  They proceeded without me, and I spent two hours sniffling on the side barrier wondering what has become of my life until they returned.  

People with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) often experience anxiety symptoms and panic attacks.

Panic disorder can be debilitating and have a major impact on your life. It can make you afraid of every-day situations like going to work; strain your relationships; and cause you to avoid things that might trigger symptoms. When you add this to FMS and ME/CFS, which are debilitating on their own, the problems can compound each other.

Sometimes, symptoms are mild and don't require treatment -- you just learn to deal with them. I call this avoidance therapy - which has constricted my life a bit. Other times, though, when more severe, they may be an overlapping condition such as panic disorder. If that's the case you with, you'll need proper diagnosis and treatment in order to stop being held captive by anxiety.

​Even if your panic and anxiety symptoms doesn't meet the criteria for a formal diagnosis, certain treatments and coping strategies may be beneficial to you. Therefore, it is important to discuss these symptoms with your doctor and make some lifestyle changes.

​Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Panic Attacks

According to the DSM-5, a panic attack is characterized by four or more of the following symptoms:

1. Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
2. Sweating
3. Trembling or shaking
4. Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
5. Feeling of choking
6. Chest pain or discomfort
7. Nausea or abdominal distress
8. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
9. Feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself
10. Fear of losing control or going crazy
11. Fear of dying
12. Numbness or tingling sensations 
13. Chills or hot flushes

The presence of fewer than four of the above symptoms may be considered a limited-symptom panic attack. In order for a diagnosis of panic disorder to be made, recurring, spontaneous panic attacks must be present.

Treating Panic Disorder

Most of the treatments for panic disorder are also utilized in FMS and ME/CFS, so they may do double duty for you. When deciding on treatments, be sure your doctor is aware of all your diagnoses so he/she can choose the best options for you.

• Antidepressants
• Benozodiazepines
• Choose a Therapist

Also see:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Fibromyalgia
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ME/CFS

​Self Management

You can do a lot on your own to manage the symptoms of panic disorder. The information and strategies below can guide you toward healthy ways to prevent panic attacks and how to get through them when they strike.

• Living with Panic Disorder
• How to Stop Worrying
• Getting Through a Panic Attack

Panic Disorder and the People in Your Life

Coping with any illness is difficult, and it can be worse when it's mental illness. These articles on relationships and helping other people understand your condition may help you and the people in your life come to terms with your disorder.

• Panic Disorder and Relationships
• Help Family and Friends Understand

Above all, talk to you physician and ensure this doesn't get out of control.  Make sure your symptoms are documented. Most of all remember you are not alone.  

Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it's too late.

A year after Amber helped Richard secure the crown, the two are set to tie the knot in a royal Christmas wedding - but their plans are jeopardized when Amber finds herself second-guessing whether or not she's cut out to be queen.

​During tough economic times, small-town business owner Matthew Peyton (Ryan O'Quinn) struggles with his desire for financial success and the responsibility of funding the annual Christmas pageant. Matthew's popularity also declines when his desperate decisions start to anger his fellow citizens. When Peyton meets Clarence, a joyful boy who believes in miracles, he must make a choice: do what's best for himself or give faith a chance by opening his heart to help his new friend and the community.

​Lovable dog Beethoven (Tom Arnold) must rescue a Christmas elf and retrieve Santa Claus' magic toy bag from crooks.

​A Canadian man travels to New York every holiday season to sell Christmas trees on the streets of Manhattan.

Edmund is all business and dislikes the Christmas season until a cheerful decorator helps him fall in love with the holiday, and her.

​The Premier of Italy and his companion find a dead body in their hotel suite while on a trip to Hungary. As they try to avoid a scandal, they become embroiled in a series of comedic situations.