<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
I've had fibromyalgia for years.  There are definitely treatments
that can help keep it under control and lessen the pain.  Anyone with
this syndrome should check out alt.med.fibromyalgia (it started as a
mailing list, and may still be available that way but I'm not sure).
 
The big thing to remember is that the pain and stiffness is primarily
tied to whether or not you get a RESTFUL night's sleep.  Anything you
can do to ensure that will help.  Going to sleep at the same time
each day, soundproofing the bedroom or using a white-noise generator,
eliminating caffeine (including chocolate after lunchtime) from the
diet, eliminating alchohol, getting some physical exercise earlier
in the day (not right before bed), having a small non-sugary snack
before bed, make your bed as comfy as you can, keep the room on the
cool side, etc. etc. etc.
 
Many of the drugs prescribed for FM (including Flexeril and low-dose
Elavil) are used primarily to induce sleep.  Most sleeping pills, however,
disturb the stage-4 sleep most crucial to fibromyalgia (sleep studies
have shown you can create FM symptoms in most people - except athletes
in superb condition - by disrupting stage 4 sleep).  Even if you think
you are sleeping straight through without waking for 8 hours, small
disruptions (such as your or your bedmate's snoring) will cause you
to rise unrefreshed.  This "nonrefreshing sleep" is a hallmark of FM.
The body feeling of having been run over by a truck in your sleep,
being stiff and sore all over, is inversely proportional to the amount
of refreshing sleep you get!
 
Fortunately, it turns out that good old Benadryl or Sominex (same
stuff - diphenhydramine HCL) works very well at inducing sleep without
disturbing teh crucial stage-4 sleep.  Dr. David Nye on alt.med.fibromyalgia
has has FM patients taking 100-300 mg an hour before bed.  (OTC Sominex
packages suggest 50 mg as a dose, but Dr. Nye hasn't found any bad
side effects at the higher dosages and considers it quite safe; when
in doubt, talk to your doctor or better yet a rheumatologist).  It's
worth a try.  BTW, ask yourr pharmacist for a bottle of the generic equivalent
- it's much cheaper, and you don't have to mess with those damn blister packs!
 
Andrea Frankel, [log in to unmask]  (note new address!)   (916) 274-1921
Snail: Flying Dog Ranch, 11864 Deer Park Dr., Nevada City, CA 95959-8921
"...wake now! discover that YOU are the song that the morning brings..."