This week I've been away from the ProHealth home base, spending a few days of mixed business and pleasure in the San Francisco Bay Area. But I wanted to share two things with you.

First, in last week's August 9 CFS newsletter, ProHealth launched the "Campaign for a Fair Name." We're inviting all interested readers and friends to get involved in helping to change the name of "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" in the United States to one that does not trivialize the seriousness of the disease by referring only to a symptom. You can volunteer to help, if you like, by e-mailing us at CFSnamechange@prohealth.com. Just include your name and contact information, and we'll get back to you with more information on next steps as the project gets underway.

I also wanted to remind you that you're welcome to participate in ProHealth's burgeoning message boards and chat communities. You can access these any time by clicking in the blue band across the top of the newsletter. To get a sense of the benefits you might gain in this kind of community, take a look at "An Open Letter on Hope," in this issue.

Wishing you a good week and good health,

Rich Carson
ProHealth Founder and CFS patient

The Guaifenesin Story

Many Fibromyalgia patients and specialists swear by Dr. Paul St. Amand's Guaifenesin Protocol for treatment of FM symptoms. Here's how it works, and why it requires strong commitment.

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Menopausal Transition Harder for Women with Fibromyalgia

A University of Illinois study involving more than 200 women with FM ages 35 to 55 identified three types of symptoms that tend to be more severe in FM patients than in healthy women during peri-menopause and menopause. Notably, mood disorders were not more severe for the FM patients.

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Training Focused on Constructive Attitudes and Actions Produces Strong, Lasting FM Symptom Improvements, Study Finds

A study in Heidelberg, Germany, suggests that both guided attitude therapy and guided behavior therapy can reduce average pain intensity significantly. The choice of therapy should reflect the patient's coping profile. But unguided discussion of FM symptoms seems to be detrimental.

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Caution to Patients Discontinuing SRI Antidepressants

A recent AP News report - "Some say ending antidepressants daunting," by Matt Crenson - calls attention to the sometimes terrifying difficulties that many people encounter in discontinuing use of a prescription antidepressant, or switching from one to another. It seems to be another case of "patient, inform thyself."

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Principles of Healing in FM & CFS

Author and William Collinge, PhD, has observed 10 principles "that seem to lay a foundation for exceptional healing," during more than a decade working with FM and CFS patients.*

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"On/Off Switch for Chronic Pain" Discovered

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have identified a protein in nerve cells that acts as an "on/off switch for chronic pain." They've applied for patents to develop a new class of drugs that they predict will block chronic pain by turning this switch off.*

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To: CustomerLoyalty@prohealth.com
From: Newsletter Subscriber and Message Board Member E. W.
Subject: HOPE

"Joining the ProHealth [message board] community is the single most important step I have taken on my road to wellness. Currently I am 90 percent housebound, worse than I've ever been in the eight years since my diagnosis. But the difference is that now I am hopeful."

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Pleasure With Pain

Some of us have said, "What? Pleasure with pain? You've got to be kidding." Past experience has shown that once we started managing our pain and not letting our pain manage us, we begin to live life more fully. Living life can have its many pleasures, even with chronic pain.

For some, this may be a hard concept to grasp at first, but it is possible. As we begin to let go of our pain and start focusing on the things that bring us pleasure, we have begun our journey toward finding pleasure with pain. Others are experiencing pleasure, even with their pain, and I can do the same.

From Living With Chronic Pain One Day At A Time, by Mark Allen Zabawa

"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us."
- Iris Murdoch

At ProHealth we are committed to bringing you the most up-to-date information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. We are always striving to improve our services, and your opinion counts. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know.

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