I'm an Old Timer here (Zoning since '96) and I NEED SOME HELP! My bride of 10 months was diagnosed w/ Fibromyalgia shortly after we married; she takes 2,560 mg. of fish oil per day (2 caps in a.m. and 2 in p.m.), Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. Additional capsules have caused severe diarrhea and a bad nosebleed. Any ideas? Additionally, I'm looking for the latest and best info on fibromyalgia, specifically wondering about typical course of the disease for people who don't closely control inflammation w/ diet, e.g., 'are we doing pretty good in having contained this insidious affliction to four severe attacks (duration about 5-7 days) in the last 9 months?' Do most people w/ Fibro suffer continuously w/ little let-up, having short periods when symptoms aren't as bad (that's my assumption)? I think we're doing pretty good (though right now she's suffering w/ another scary, severe attack and we can't attribute it to stress and sugary junk food as in the other instances).

Our Zone history: At onset last August (we feared it was RA or MS) I went into Zone overdrive and did all of the cooking, and her depression, fog and pain went away. She “Got it” and we continued and lost a good deal of weight. We both plateaud after a few months and put weight back on, but kept at it. Three wks ago she started using shakes (w/ Super High Protein Powder), and we quit morning oatmeal (steel cut) and agave. As she fine-tuned her insulin levels she was blown away by her energy and focus and happiness (see, I picked a really smart, amazing mate!). We eat organic. She quit all coffee, which she swore she could never do (we were down to one cup a day). Life never looked better: we’ve been losing weight again and looking forward to an amazing few months (we’re off for the summer). A few days ago she developed another severe Fibro. outbreak, but w/ no known triggers to set it off, and she’s afraid and depressed. Ideas welcome: does it make sense to find a way to increase her FO? would it make a difference to switch to Sears FO? Is his protein powder that much better? Would his Sea Health stuff help? Any suggestions/similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you, and wishing all in this little amazing community the very best.

First I would suggest swithching to Dr Sears OmegaRX fish oil. Dr Sears recommends 4 capsules as a maintenance dose. 4 OmegaRX capsule would provide 4000mg of Fish oil.....1600mg of EPA and 800mg of DHA.

Our product has no detectable levels of lead or mercury when tested down to 10ppb
Is Independent 3rd party testing on every lot
Proprietary validation and testing processes to achieve pharmaceutical-grade quality
Contains only wild fish from pristine waters and never farmed fish
Delivers 8 times more omega-3s per serving than typical retail fish oil supplements
Developed by Dr. Barry Sears


Dr. Sears has discussed fibromyalgia in his book, "The OmegaRx Zone," Chapter 14. “There is strong speculation that fibromyalgia is caused by a virus. Increased production of "good" eicosanoids will depress viral replication. Therefore, an anti-inflammatory diet (the Zone) plus a high quality ultra-refined omega 3’s may be a good starting point to improve this condition.”.
He also addresses inflammatory conditions at: http://drsears.com/portals/6/Docume...ochure.pdf . Section 9.0 in the blue monograph and reference # 63.You may also do a search at www.drsears.com to review Dr. Sears comments. Here is one link: http://drsears.com/SearchResults/ta...bromyalgia
For some supplementing with too much fish oil will produce loose stools. Simply reduce the amount until consistency returns.
The best way to determine your optimal omega 3 dosage is the AA/EPA test - http://drsears.com/ArticlePreview/t...ault.aspx. The test, a $150 value, is offered complimentary for those who purchase 6 bottles of OmegaRx. For more details please call 800/404-8171.
If you do supplement with high dose fish oil consider supplementing with a high quality polyphenol. Supplementing with polyphenols protects the omega-3 fatty acids from oxidation within the body and may also aid in digestion and assimilation. For every 2.5g/d of EPA/DHA Dr. Sears suggests 8,000 ORAC units from a polyphenol product. All of Zone Labs polyphenol products contain 8,000 ORAC units per serving.
You may find the following link of interest:
http://www.zonediet.com/polyphenols
http://blog.zonehealth.com/2011/02/...lyphenols/
http://blog.zonehealth.com/2011/01/...phinidins/
http://www.zonediet.com/0/zonediet/...phenols-xt

Just speculation, but since she's seriously fine-tuned her diet a few weeks ago which has prompted better insulin control and restarted fat loss, she may be experiencing a temporary flood of AA being released from her fat cells, similar to the initial AA release experienced when a person enters the Zone for the first time. This in turn would be likely to exacerbate symptoms that are of an inflammatory origin, which could be a contributing factor to her latest flare-up. Initial AA release is temporary and can be diluted by temporarily increasing one's Omega Rx dosage.

I agree about making the switch to Omega RX and Polyphenol supplements. I'm a long time Zoner too, and prior to Omega Rx becoming available I'd tried other brands of fish oil. Unfortunately none of them addressed my symptoms. About 11 years ago Dr. Sears kindly gave me some Omega RX (it was still in the "testing" stages back then). Within several days of beginning Omega Rx supplementation I had the results I'd been seeking for years. Omega Rx is the best of the best, in a class by itself as far as I'm concerned. I also take Polyphenols XT (delphinidins) and 4-6 oz. a day of Sea Health Plus (the dosage determined for me by Dr. Sears).

Sue, that's a really good point re. flood of AA. Per. the Omega Rx: worth a try. Nordic Naturals has worked for me for many years and it's easier to get, but I shouldn't doubt the good Doctor. Per the polyhpenols, would that include CoQ10? I'm reading good stuff about it and Sears recommends it in The Anti Inflammation Zone (and Nordic Naturals makes a HPFO w/ CoQ10). Per the Sea Health Plus, what benefits have you noticed (and is it a Seamonkey-Free product? My wife (33yo) also suffers from migraines, and there's a family hx. of auto immune problems. Overall, we're very happy (and grateful) for being able to address her/our health w/ The Zone, but still worry about unpredictable episodes of Fibromyalgia. Thanks!

Hi Allen,

There are other ways to address fibromyalgia.

I found that after 3 months of regularly doing Qigong (specifically, the Hexagram Dance), that my fibromyalgia improved considerably.

My pain specialist--one of the top pain specialists in North America--recommended that I try Qigong and the improvements do not come immediately, but it definitely made a big difference, and, when I stopped doing Qigong, after several months, my fibromyalgia started to return and over time returned to its full strength.

Sarah

Allen

Maybe Nordic is using the CoQ10 as an anti-oxidant. Not sure... Maybe a good idea for you to ask for test results regarding purity from your FishOil provider ?

here is some good informatin about CoQ10.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/...000295.htm

What is easier then your fish-oil arriving at your front door on a regular basis.. Dr Sears Auto-Ship program will get you 20% off the retail price and deliver our OmegaRX to your front door on a schedule that you decide. You can adjust the dates as you please.

Seamonkey-Free. Ha, I hope so! Increased energy, tons of energy, is the benefit I most definitely notice, even more so since I added the delphinidin extract (Polyphenols XT). I have a very busy lifestyle, on the go from morning to night, balancing work, exercise, friends, family and many activities, and on top of all that I have no problems keeping up with my little grandsons. :) Co-enzyme Q10 is not usually called a polyphenol, but I've been taking it for many years (under the direction of my endocrinologist). I have a personal history of auto-immune diseases (thyroid and scalp; not fibromyalgia). Maybe you wife might also gain some tips and benefit from joining a support group for people of her age group who are dealing with fibromyalgia.

Allen, if you haven't done so already you'll probably find fish oils dosage suggestions by searching fibromyalgia on drsears.com

(must be losing my mind, I could swear I posted a reply--frustrating!)

Allen,

I would recommend getting the AA/EPA testing done, have her stick with the fish oil for a month and then get the test to see if she is receiving the optimal dose of fish oil.

If you stick to the brand of fish oil that you are currently using, check the EPA:DHA ratio to see if it is 2:1, as the Zone Labs fish oil is. I am not sure, but that particular fish oil may have a different ratio.

Also, if it is not Dr. Sears Fish Oil, make sure, aside from 2:1 EPA/DHA, that it is at least 60% combined EPA + DHA.
I.E., a 1000 mg pill should have 400 EPA and 200 DHA minimum to be at least 60% in a 2:1 ratio.

Thank you very much for all the input! Qigong is pretty good stuff (I've practice tai chi). Right now she's doing yoga and is meditating twice a day. I think we'll get our next batch of FO from Dr. Sears, along w/ the polyphenols (us teachers gotta watch the budget). I've been interested in getting the AA/EPA testing done for some time, but the when and where is problematic (w/ 'when' being particularly important... methinks it best to draw a blood sample when she's actively hurting). Is this test routine yet? Overall, I'm thrilled that my wife trusted me enough to eat like this (initially she was politely dismissive). Her symptoms have been a mixed blessing; because of her needs, I've stuck to the diet w/ more dedication than I ever have, so I'm feeling pretty good and positive. Also, I've been amazed to see her dial it in more and more, validating Dr. Sears' insights/vision more than ever before. Why this guy hasn't received the accolades he deserves is something I've been wondering about for a long time.

Hi Allen,

Oh, you've done Tai Chi? Awesome! My pain specialist didn't say anything about yoga or meditation, but she did loan me a book which basically suggest, among other things, that self-awareness can influence one's ability to tolerate pain.,

I think it would be wonderful to get a baseline of when your wife is hurting and then compare to, say, after 3 months of steady Zoning. If that's affordable that is.

It sounds like she was probably inspired partly because of your great physical shape! ;-)

I agree, I don't understand why Dr. Sears isn't recognized more than he is. He has made a truly great contribution to science, and yet it is so ignored for the most part. It's sad, really.

Sarah