Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years back after only one test. Soon after, I lost my medical insurance. So I have never had any treatment. I still have many doubts that I even have fibro, but thats a different story.
Recently (about a month ago) I stopped eating sugar and caffeine and I noticed my IBS symptoms and some pain when away. I tested this a few times with a can of soda or pure fruit juice like POM. The sugar (any type) was causing all my IBS problems. The caffeine added to the pain. I started taking two or three probiotic pills before eating anything with sugar and no IBS symptoms. So, I thought maybe a high dose vitamin C cleanse would help my GI track. I took 1000mg and I started to have muscle pain in my legs, inside my nose and the roof of my mouth tingled. Later, any pressure on any muscle hurt.
I relooked up what high doses of C does and pain in not one of the side effects. In fact, people use high doses of C as a pain reliever. So, I took 2mg more and the pain in my legs stopped, but not the other pain. I went to bed and woke up feeling no worse for wear. I thought, I never cleansed, so, I popped 15 grams of C (30 pills in one sitting) and it started the same way, pains in my legs, pain with any pressure, then I, cleansed for the next few hours. On the drive to work, my eyes started to burn when I blinked, my breath felt very cold and my teeth started to itch then hurt. When I got out of my car to walk into my work, every muscle in my body was so stiff I could barely walk for 10 minutes.
As I worked, I had no energy and pain in all the normal areas of pain (legs, mid and lower back, neck, right shoulder, hip, testical, and a headache). But, Ive never had them all at that same time. I still hurt now (18 hours later) and I cant for the life of me figure out why.
My best guesses are; something to do with iron, I stopped my myoglobin from producing energy for my muscles, or I have an allergen in my muscles and the C destroyed all the histamine which was offering some pain relief.
This has to have been one of the most painful days in the last year. Does anyone else have any ideas or have had a similar reaction?
Recently (about a month ago) I stopped eating sugar and caffeine and I noticed my IBS symptoms and some pain when away. I tested this a few times with a can of soda or pure fruit juice like POM. The sugar (any type) was causing all my IBS problems. The caffeine added to the pain. I started taking two or three probiotic pills before eating anything with sugar and no IBS symptoms. So, I thought maybe a high dose vitamin C cleanse would help my GI track. I took 1000mg and I started to have muscle pain in my legs, inside my nose and the roof of my mouth tingled. Later, any pressure on any muscle hurt.
I relooked up what high doses of C does and pain in not one of the side effects. In fact, people use high doses of C as a pain reliever. So, I took 2mg more and the pain in my legs stopped, but not the other pain. I went to bed and woke up feeling no worse for wear. I thought, I never cleansed, so, I popped 15 grams of C (30 pills in one sitting) and it started the same way, pains in my legs, pain with any pressure, then I, cleansed for the next few hours. On the drive to work, my eyes started to burn when I blinked, my breath felt very cold and my teeth started to itch then hurt. When I got out of my car to walk into my work, every muscle in my body was so stiff I could barely walk for 10 minutes.
As I worked, I had no energy and pain in all the normal areas of pain (legs, mid and lower back, neck, right shoulder, hip, testical, and a headache). But, Ive never had them all at that same time. I still hurt now (18 hours later) and I cant for the life of me figure out why.
My best guesses are; something to do with iron, I stopped my myoglobin from producing energy for my muscles, or I have an allergen in my muscles and the C destroyed all the histamine which was offering some pain relief.
This has to have been one of the most painful days in the last year. Does anyone else have any ideas or have had a similar reaction?
Vitamin C makes me vomit immediately. If I ingest it in foods I get bad tummy aches and naseaus. I never noticed the pain issue tho.
Wikipedia says side effects can be stomach problems, rashes, fatigue, and headaches, and vitamin C increases Iron absorption. I don't know how much you trust wikipedia, but these particular facts were cited so I'm assuming it's worth looking at.
I had something similar with vitamin D and taking too much of it. My doctor ordered me to take 50,000 units a day. i was in so much pain, I couldn't eat, and my stomach is still jacked up from all of that.. Vitamin D made my bones hurt so badly. You have to be careful with vitamins too, the whole "too much of a good thing"
Feel better!
Just to add my thought about being low on vit. D. My D level was at 5 and my Rhumy put me on 50,000 IU a day for a month to get my level back to a normal range.
She told me that being low in vit. D causes pain, and boy I was in major pain. So, I thought that that would be the "cure" to my pain.
I took the dose that she rx'd me, it did not do a thing for lessening my pain though. However, it did bring my D level back to an acceptable range.
I would have to agree that you really do need to get your blood tested to see where your levels are. Overdoseing can be done even on vitamins.
Blessings.
Kind of goes hand and hand with the theory if it ain't broke don't try to fix it.
I am not saying Vit C is bad just if you don't need it adding larger doses may be not a good idea.
Take care gentle hugs
I did wake up the next day feeling overall better, but the muscle and testicular pain never stopped. Later that day I became very tired. The next night, still in pain, I mixed up some baking soda and water. This was the only thing that lessened the pain so far, but now my head feels lousy.
The point is, vitamin C has never been known to cause pain at any dose, but it causes me pain, why? Since I think (as do many leaders in this field of study) fibromyalgia is a symptom of some other underlining condition. I believe knowing the answer to this C question will greatly aid in finding why I have fibromyalgia. I mean, think about it, I have found something that triggers the fibromyalgia at will.
Currently, I feel like pure crap and I might go to the ER if I can't get any sleep.
You cant assume the vitamin C caused your pain. They re-diagnosed me with fibromyalgia and gave me; ibuprofen, an antidepressant, told me to lose 50lb and work out more.
I just lost 40lbs in the last month. I dont think I have anymore then of 10lbs noticeable of fat left on me (gut and back), and the rest of me is very toned. Hell, just recently found out I have a muscle that covers my shin and its big. :)
I wouldnt have taking any pain meds if they gave them to me, but I think its really crappy that if you have rheumatoid arthritis you get meds with no questions asked, but if you have any pain at all and you have fibromyalgia, you get told to exercise. I am exercising twice a day, plus work and I have a 20 month old son I have to chase after.
I just hope the antidepressant knocks me out good. Otherwise, I just spend $1,000-$2,000 for an ER trip that did nothing more then piss me off.
I too notice very odd sensitivities to things that are otherwise benign. For example, peppermint, which normally helps with an upset stomach will cause my IBS to flare to extremes. Any sort of perfume, be it in my laundry detergent or sprayed from a bottle onto the nearest elderly lady, will cause my lungs to feel as if I can't breath. Odd sensitivities happen to almost every Fibro patient I have met, and it's our responsibility to listen to our bodies and determine what it is that it's trying to tell us.
Please don't be fooled that because Vitamin C helps a healthy person who is having some issues, that it will do anything similar within a Fibromyalgic body. The internet is full of so many strange cures and fix-its it's impossible to weed out what is accurate and what isn't. Instead of trying to find a cure-all for the moment, why not take one small change for a period of three months and see how that helps or hurts your health? You've said that caffeine being cut from your system has helped your IBS, you're already on the right path. Why not try cutting out your whites for awhile, and see how that affects you? (White pasta/bread/sugar/starches- essentially a lowered carb diet).
All of this is just suggestions. :)
The medical community is lame. You can't count on them for much of anything. Ultimately, you must rely on yourself because they have proven, loud and clear, that they don't care - in general.
Make sure you keep a journal and note the changes - even the minute changes.
It seems to me that you have a sensitivity, maybe even an allergy to vitamin C or it could be you're taking the wrong kind.
Kind? Yeah, there's several kinds, like rosehips, Ester C, etc...
You'll work it out. You're asking good questions.
3 thoughts, from most likely (in my mind, anyway), to least:
1) Vitamin C is metabolized into oxalic acid, and in some people, oxalates cause fibro-like symptoms. If you have gut problems, it is more likely that you already have excessive dietary oxalates crossing into your bloodstream.
2) Vitamin C lowers cortisol, the natural anti-inflammatory. If it caused a large enough drop, this could make pain more noticeable.
3) Vitamin C causes an insulin spike, which in turn can rapidly deplete blood sugar. This could cause a switch to anaerobic metabolism, which would make lactic acid build up more rapidly, causing muscle aches, pain, fatigue, lightheadedness, etc.
Anyone getting pain from vitamin C could test the first one by a) eating a ton of spinach and seeing how you feel (if you're a masochist) or b) avoiding high oxalate foods for a few weeks and seeing how you feel (if you're a chicken).
Well, off to oblivion this comment goes.
I think a stronger possibility than that is the vitamin chelating out some toxins (for example, heavy metals). I can personally attest to extra pain/tingling when mercury was in my bloodstream. The interesting thing about that is maybe poisoning as a cause of the fatigue and pain in the first place.
I'm guessing that the reaction differs depending on whether or not the large dose of vitamin C is taken with food or not.