Ramelteon treatment of fibromyalgia is something that many people are starting to turn to based on their doctor’s recommendations for how to handle sleep disturbances with the disorder.
Unfortunately, maintaining a healthy sleep pattern is essential to managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but it can be the hardest part of the disorder to get under control.
Ramelteon is well tolerated by most, has minimal side effects, and carries a very small risk of dependency which can make it an ideal choice for many.
What happens to your central nervous system with fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that is characterized by pervasive pain. It comes with a cluster of symptoms that can include everything from fatigue to irritable bowel syndrome and muscle stiffness.
Lack of proper sleep cycles is a common complaint, and that lack of sleep can aggravate the common symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Unfortunately, many of the sleep medications on the market cause their own side effects that may not sit well with the rest of the fibromyalgia cluster – Ramelteon treatment of fibromyalgia is gaining a reputation as being well-tolerated and effective.
Why Ramelteon treatment of fibromyalgia can be so helpful
Ramelteon treatment of fibromyalgia can be very helpful in relieving pain, and in preventing flare-ups.
What many people don’t realize about insomnia and poor sleep cycles associated with fibromyalgia is that they serve to disrupt the slow and deep alpha cycle that is necessary for healing and repair in the body.
One of the many issues associated with chronic pain and chronic illness is that sleep becomes disturbed and can create a self-perpetuating cycle that promotes increased pain.
Ramelteon is a stand out sleep medication because it doesn’t have a lot of the risks that others, such as Ambien, carry for dependency on other problems.
It can also be an important additional tool for you so you can better manage your sleep without building up a tolerance for any one type of sleep medication.
What should you be looking for
Ramelteon is very helpful for sleep difficulties but it is a powerful sleep medication. It should be a medication that you and your doctor decide to try after having tried other, less powerful medications first.
You should also look to your sleep hygiene habits and lifestyle before immediately adopting a medication as your solution.
Start first with eliminating caffeine and alcohol from your evenings, change the room you sleep in so it is as quiet and neutral as possible, avoid eating later in the exercise early. You should also try some of the herbal sleep tonics too.
Once you know that you have a good sleep hygiene routine in place, and herbal sleep tonics that can help on most nights – then it is time to try out the Ramelteon for the times when you need more help than herbal remedies can provide.
How do you “test” a medication treatment
Whenever you decide to try a new medication it is a good idea to ask your doctor for a symptom card. If they don’t have any on hand you can find them online.
A symptom card acts like a diary for your symptoms that then lets your doctor see how you were doing rather than rely on self-reporting in the office.
The problem with relying on self-reporting in the office is so many factors can influence how you remember how a medication worked or didn’t for you.
Symptom cards can also be helpful when combined with diet and exercise cards so you can really begin to track how the different therapies are working for you, and working together.
What else you should be doing with the treatment
While you are using the Ramelteon treatment you should also be looking towards the other aspects of your life that can take advantage of a better rest cycle to improve your overall health.
Fibromyalgia is deeply affected by the diet and lifestyle you keep. Many of the most effective therapies are alternative therapies – such as massage, meditation, and acupuncture.
All of these benefit you more if you are also engaged in exercises. Joint pain and stiffness are greatly alleviated with exercise, but the one area you really need to pay attention to is diet.
Lack of exercise and a poor diet can contribute to sleep issues that can make the Ramelteon treatment for fibromyalgia less effective.
The importance of diet to managing symptoms
Diet is one of the things that many people already know is very important in the management of fibromyalgia symptoms.
There are foods that are known to promote flare-ups and those that will help to reduce inflammation and pain as well.
New findings have directly linked Diet Pepsi and Diet Cola to an increase in fibromyalgia discomfort, and it is just that kind of new finding that should also show you the importance of keeping up with all the news surrounding the disorder.
As more is discovered about it, it is leaving behind the myth that is a catch-all term for a cluster of symptoms that may and may not be related.
Instead, new studies have isolated evidence of fibromyalgia in the body that can be detected through blood tests and brain scans.
Never assume that you know everything there is to know about the disease, and always choose to stay on top of the latest news.
Using all the options you have to help you improve your quality of life
It is from staying on top of the latest news that you will also be able to discover all of the options that are available to you to improve the quality of your life.
Ramelteon treatment of fibromyalgia is something that is relatively new, but it is changing the lives of many.
The only way that you can keep up with the new discoveries is to make sure it is a part of how you participate in your care.
Your doctor can’t do it all, it is up to you to be on the lookout for new treatments and therapies that could change the quality of your life for the better.
Resources
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_ramelton.html
http://www.lifeatlahey.com/Departments_and_Locations/Departments/Rheumatology/Ebsco_Content/Health_Info_-__Fibromyalgia.aspx?chunkiid=673544
