It’s been more than 10 years since horrible pain took over my body. It hit hard on the right side, affecting my lower back. Then it traveled down my leg. It would strike elsewhere too, at random. Sometimes my left knee would hurt. Other times, it was my left shoulder blade.
Needless to say, the pain was miserable. It was so bad I could barely function. Things had progressed so far that I could hardly walk across the room.
So I threw myself into natural healing. I changed my diet, and started taking herbal remedies. I worked with an excellent homeopath, as well as a chiropractor. But one thing I didn’t do was take synthetic multi-vitamins. That’s because I didn’t want to put anything artificial in my body.
Vitamin Treatment for Fibromyalgia
Unless they’re derived from real food sources, vitamins made in a lab don’t contain the micro-nutrients and trace minerals we need to stay healthy. So, instead of popping a laboratory-made vitamin pill, I made sure the vitamins I took were derived from whole foods. I also made sure to eat healthy food, so my body could learn to get its nutrients naturally.
Please understand that I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. If you have a clinical nutritional deficiency, or a question on whether you need supplemental vitamins, you need to work with your healthcare provider. Everything printed here is for discussion purposes only. Also, I can’t claim or imply that any product I’ve used will resolve anyone else’s health problems, or help a specific condition. All I can do is share my personal story of dealing with and recovering from chronic nerve inflammation. Today, I’m feeling pretty good. I can walk again pain free. I attribute much of this to better nutrition.
Using Vitamins When You Have Fibromyalgia?
Instead of laboratory-derived vitamins, I’ve used food-based supplements. Sometimes, I take a multivitamin made from whole food. I definitely feel more energetic when I take it. Plus, I sleep better. I don’t take this vitamin every day. I take it occasionally. Actually, there’s not much I can take every day, or else whatever I’m taking seems to stop working.
I find the best results from switching my herbal remedies and dietary supplements around. Plus, I’ve made the decision to eat well. So, hopefully, I can get the nutrients I need from food. But when I do take bottled vitamins, I make sure they’re natural ones. (There’s one exception, which I’ll tell you about later.)
Dietary Supplements for Fibromyalgia
My nerve pain is nowhere as bad as it used to be. Some days it’s barely even noticeable. I attribute my better health to a lifestyle overhaul.
I’ve totally cleaned up my diet and I’ve gotten rid of those poisons lurking around the my house in the form of cleaning supplies and personal care products. (Now, I use only natural cosmetics and cleaning supplies.) I’ve tried my best to reduce my stress level. However, because I know I’m not cured, and just managing my symptoms, I take various herbal remedies. One of them is Oregon’s Wild Harvest Stress Guard. This formula contains a number of herbs believed to help counter the negative effects of stress. It also contains natural B vitamins. These nutrients can be depleted when we’re under stress.
I take Oregon’s Wild Harvest Stress Guard on occasion, maybe two or three nights in a row. (I can’t take anything for too long.) For me, it definitely works. I feel a sense of peace and calm when I take it. So, for me, it seems to work.
Does Vitamin D Help Fibromyalgia?
It’s widely believed that many of us don’t get enough Vitamin D. This nutrient is manufactured by our body, in response to sunlight. However, if we work indoors, we don’t spend a lot of time in the sun. Also, we’re advised to wear sunscreen and to cover up when we’re outdoors. However, may prevent us from absorbing enough sunlight to keep us healthy.
Getting enough Vitamin D versus protecting yourself from overexposure to the sun is a dilemma. Severe sunburn raises your risk of skin cancer. But it’s also important to have adequate levels of Vitamin D. That’s why it’s important to work with your doctor if you suffer from fibromyalgia. Both mainstream and alternative practitioners are well aware that low Vitamin D levels are linked to a wide number of conditions, including mood disorders. Vitamin D levels can be monitored with a blood test.
Vitamin C for Fibromyalgia
Some people advocate taking high doses of Vitamin C if you have a chronic condition, such as fibromyalgia. However, I don’t do this, for reasons I go into in this post, which is about adrenal fatigue and Vitamin C.
Being diagnosed with adrenal fatigue instead of fibromyalgia is largely dependent upon whether you go to an alternative or conventional medical doctor, as the symptoms are the same. Holistic healers focus on healing the adrenals, rather than dispensing drugs. It’s believed that adrenal fatigue is brought on by stress, coupled with poor nutrition. That’s why dietary upgrades are typically a large part of the treatment protocol.
There’s another reason I don’t take large amounts of Vitamin C. That’s because most “Vitamin C” supplements are really ascorbic acid. This is a laboratory isolate. It’s a small component of whole Vitamin C, which comes from food. I’d much rather take a supplement that contains food-derived Vitamin C, because, ,unlike ascorbic acid, it will contain micro-nutrients, in just the right amounts we need.
Fibromyalgia and Vitamin C
There is one supplement I occasionally take that contains a high dose of natural Vitamin C. This is powdered organic camu camu. It comes from a berry that grows along the banks of the Amazon River. Pound for pound, it contains much more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. It’s rich in B- complex vitamins as well. I don’t take camu camu every day. It’s one of the remedies I keep in my rotation, which I take to help keep my chronic inflammation under control.
There is one type of ascorbic acid I do have in the house. This is a high-dose form of lypospheric Vitamin C. (Actually, it’s called Vitamin C, but it’s really ascorbic acid. I don’t take it all the time. Just on occasion, if I need it. Recently, I took it to help me get rid of a a cold. It’s believed ascorbic acid can help stimulate the immune system. But I don’t want to put this artificial isolate into my body on a regular basis.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take herbal remedies or dietary supplements unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.