Found an awesome website for newbies and veterans alike!

I am usually on the Chronic Pain forum but pop over here to read posts now and then and saw this one and had to write...

Dr. Clauw is a FANTASTIC Dr. who back in '95, he used to work at Georgetown University Hospital in Wasington DC and he is the one who diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia way back then...when so many Dr.s didn't even know about or believe in Fibro...(He also now treats war veterans..he is truly a compassionate and caring Dr.!)

He is the one who told me that so many of us with Fibro are not getting to stage 4 sleep...and this is destroying our immune system..night after night...year after year which is responsible for all our functions....and that once those pain signals get 'crossed' into responding/reacting to pain stimuli that isn't there...(pain is real..just the action of it is not)...
As in..feels like we have a broken leg when there isn't anything physically wrong with our leg..


Back then..he put me on Flexeril which was helpful for both muscle spasms as well as my sleep...but it wasn't until many years later after my cervical fusions..that I was put on Ambien since I couldn't sleep at all right after my surgeries due to the pain...

After a week of being on this...I was AMAZED at how rested I felt! I hadn't gotten that type of sleep since I was a child...

And as the weeks went by...my fatigue disappeared! I sleep a perfect 8 hours...10-6am without fail...and not a hint of being groggy, my emotions have gotten back into a normal range as I can handle my pain easier each day...I don't get sick as often..haven't had cold/flu in years...as well as so many other benefits from getting stage 4 sleep everynight...

I am not saying this is the answer for everyone..and yes..Ambien has a few quirky side effects..(midnight eating that I didn't remember..LOL..but I have that under control now and doesn't happen anymore) and there are other natural remedies as well as other prescription type sleep meds..

But for me..this was a God send to have my body/brain get the needed rest each night...

Ok..just wanted to pop in since I think that any info that Dr. Clauw has written I'm sure is great since he has studied this for so long and made it his life's work..

Take care