Disclaimer: Please talk to your doctor about any new treatments you want to try! Each person is different, and what one finds helpful might harm another. There are no affiliate links in this post.
This article covers the main fibromyalgia supplements that are used to treat fibro symptoms.
1. Vitamin D
According to the article Vitamin D for Fibromyalgia, researchers have noticed that many fibromyalgia symptoms are similar to those of vitamin D deficiency. They have also noticed that many people diagnosed with fibro have low vitamin D levels. Your doctor can check your vitamin D level with a blood test. Since taking too much vitamin D can be dangerous, it’s best to talk to your doctor about whether or not you need to supplement vitamin D.
For example, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my vitamin D level was low. It’s now much better since I’ve started taking vit D tablets with my doctor’s guidance. According to the article “Mind Your B’s and D’s”, in the June 2021 AARP Bulletin, choose vitamin D3, “which is more efficiently utilized by the body than D2.”
2. Vitamin B-12
Another vitamin that can be checked by a blood test, is vitamin B-12. A lack of vitamin B-12 can cause pins and needles sensations, numbness or tingling; weakness, tiredness, GI problems, depression, memory loss, heart palpitations. Some GI diseases can make one more prone to developing a deficiency, because they impair absorption of the vitamin.
I was starting to have burning pain in my feet. My B-12 levels were normal. However, my doctor told me to take a B12 complex supplement plus thiamine daily. The burning pain has gone away. So if you have nerve pain as a part of your fibro symptpoms, talk to your doctor about it.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that’s needed for many functions in the body. It’s necessary to help us make energy from the food we eat. It helps our muscles work correctly. If you’ve ever soaked in a warm tub with some Epsom Salts you’ve experienced the calming effects of this mineral. Unfortunately, stress depletes this mineral. Many fibro warriors have magnesuim in their pain toolkit whether they use it in tablet, cream, or soak form. I’ve found that adding a magnesuim tablet to my daily routine has really helped decrease my restless legs at bedtime. I also use a cream with magnesium in it to help on nights when the tablet isn’t enough. It’s called Magnilife Restless Legs Cream. I get it at my local Rite Aid Pharmacy.
4. Turmeric as a Fibromyalgia Supplement
Turmeric is a spice that is used heavily in Indian cooking. It’s believed to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-viral benefits. When I first was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my rheumatologist ordered a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAID) for me. This worked well for a while until my stomach began hurting. I asked if I could try 500 mg turmeric capsules as an experiment. To my surprise they worked as well as the NSAID at pain relief and have been much gentler on my stomach. You can read this article to learn more: Beneficial Effects of Turmeric in Treating Fibromyalgia Pain
5. CBD Oil or Medical Marijuana
Cannabidiol oil (CBD) is derived from the hemp plant, a plant related to marijuana. Because marijuana is illegal according to the Federal government, it has been very difficult for any of it’s compounds to be studied by researchers. Despite this challenge, these compounds are becoming known through small studies, and anecdotal evidence to be beneficial in reducing pain, anxiety, and improving sleep. Currently, one can only access medical marijuana in states where it is legalized for such use.
CBD oil derived from hemp plants is legal in all states, because the component that causes the high (THC) must be less than 0.3% in order to be legal to sell.
I use a CBD product at bedtime to help me fall asleep. I wrote a whole ebook on How To Use CBD Products Safely that is available to all subscribers in my Subscribers Only Resource Library. Just enter your email address below to access it.
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6. Essential Oils
Essential oils can also be great additions to your Pain Relief Tool Kit as fibromyalgia supplements. A friend made a pain relief roller bottle formula for me a while back and it is very good for localized pain. I use it on my neck a lot. She told me that it has 4-5 drops of each of these oils: wintergreen, eucalyptus, frankincense and lemon grass in a carrier oil. I think it was coconut oil. Educate yourself well on any oil you want to try as they are very concentrated. Never apply directly to skin or ingest without knowing what you’re doing. This article gives more information on safely using essential oils for fibromyalgia. https://www.healthline.com/health/essential-oils-for-fibromyalgia
I’ve also found that lavendar oil is very good for calming, especially at bedtime. I just use a rollerball of it on my wrists and inhale.
7. Fibromyalgia Supplement Formulas
Lastly, Top Consumer Reviews has an article titled The Best Fibromyalgia Products. It covers what it believes are the best supplement formulas for relief of fibro symptoms. I’ve never used any of these combination supplements myself, but my son says that FibroAid has helped his symptoms. Many of these formulas contain the items listed above, such as Vit D, B vitamins, magnesium, and turmeric. Taking only one capsule a day may appeal to you more than taking individual supplements. Since I’m very sensitive to medicines and supplements, I prefer adding supplements one at a time. That way if I have a bad reaction to something new, I know what caused it. As I said above, consult your doctor before starting any new vitamin/mineral or herbal supplement.
Wrap-Up of Fibromyalgia Supplements
Finally, that was a LOT of information about fibromyalgia supplements. Research vit D first. Take your time. Have your blood level checked. Run anything past your doctor or pharmacist before adding something new. Add only one new supplement at a time. I hope this info helps you find something that will decrease your pain, and fatigue symptoms.
Want more information on what helps my pain, click here: https://www.upbeatliving.net/my-favorite-pain-relief-tools-part-1/
Till next time, Kathy
