Customer Reviews

The Fibromyalgia Solution: A Breakthrough Approach to Heal Your Body and Take Back Your Life

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FMS) in 2000 by Dr. Dryland. It was a long process just to get diagnosed, so I was optimistic when Dr. Dryland offered Mirapex as a treatment option.

Mirapex is a drug used for Parkinson's patients. Its side effects (at least for me...) were very tough to take. Severe nausea and slight dizziness were from the start, and at higher doses (you slowly work up to a specified dose) I began exibiting Parkinson's-like symptoms. My flat affect, hand tremors and stumbling gate had not occured until I took this medication.

After two years on this medication and giving it my all, I asked to be taken off Mirapex. I asked Dr. Dryland if there were any more holisitc approaches that could be taken to get me beyond the battle with FMS symptoms and he told me had nothing else to offer me. I did not return to Dr. Dryland and began seeking other options.

Dr. Dryland is a bright man, a researcher and now an author with a thriving practice. I believe his book has some good basic FMS info and talks about getting good sleep, exercising, reducing stress and eating well (all things we should all do whether we have FMS or not). But know that before you buy this book, there are many books (some of which you may already own) which give you the same information on FMS. Mirapex is the drug he believes in, and that is 'breatktrhough' mentioned in the title.

While my own journey with fibromyalgia has had its ups and downs and Mirapex part of the trip, I am encouraged by a new drug; NOT MIRAPEX, that is currently in the final stages of a clinical trial. It's called Milcinipran.

I was a study participant for Milcinipran (an anti-depressant and not mentioned in Dr. Dryland's book...) which made me feel like my old self again! Having never taken an anti-depressant, I was sceptical about the study and taking this drug, but after a year, I was virtually pain free and full of energy while taking Milcinipran. After I went off the year-long study, my symptoms returned.

While I manage my symptoms and flares on a day-to-day basis, I am learning more about what triggers flares and how to ride them out. Knowing that there are drugs that will indeed help me instead of numbing me out, is of great comfort to me at this stage of the game.

Whether you buy the book or not: remember to keep holding out hope for better. Eat right. Exercise. Take care of yourself and only take vitamins, supplements and drugs that help you.

Milcinipran may go to the FDA as soon as next month and will offer a lot of relief to fibro patients without the side effects of Mirapex. And no... I don't work for the company that makes it.

08/10/08: Milcinipran (if approved) may be available as soon as October of this year. Worth the wait! I'm currently taking Lyrica and while at a low dose it does dull the pain, the FMS seems to overpower it after about 7 days at a low dose which means you need a higher dose. I'm reluctant to up the doseage (although OK'd by my current doc) because of the dizzying side effects. If you end up on Lyrica, be sure to take it at bedtime and don't drive until you are sure you're OK to do so.

UPDATE: 01/16/09

Milcinipran was approved by the FDA yesterday and should be available from your doctor in March, under the drug name SAVELLA.

I'm currently clearing my system of Lyrica (you have to be off all anti-depressant type drugs to go on the new one) and looking forward to possibly feeling frisky with significantly less pain and stiffness by summer! I really, really urge you to ask your doc about this one as it worked so well for me in the drug trial I've bought stock in the company (CYPB).

Good luck to all who suffer through this incideous zapper of all that's good. Keep fighting back and don't give in...you deserve your life back!

I've had FMS full-blown since 1999 and am disabled from it. I've read a lot of books and have knowledge of this condition and the neurological processes that rivals most doctors I've encountered. The dopamine connection is a very powerful one, and definitely something that FMS people should investigate. I've said for years that FMS is more a neurological-based condition. I'm glad that research is finally coming out about it and Dr. Dryland is ahead of the pack with his book. I will say that some of the info is your standard how-to-help-your-FMS fare, that any experienced and knowledgeable FMS person will already know and can skim through. So, I recommend it for the dopamine/ANS (autonomic nervous system) info and research. That may be the key to solving our illness. At least we're getting closer. Thank you Dr. Dryland for bringing this to light.

The key point to Dr. Dryland's work with Fibromyalgia is that dopamine is depleted. This is due to a chronic, abnormally functioning stress response. In Dr. Dryland's personal case he was able to restore his dopamine level without medication and his symptoms of Fibromyalgia subsided. Patients can use his skillful method to alter their stress response with or without medication. From the very beginning Dr. Dryland has pointed out that Mirapex and Requip are used to accelerate the process and are the best medicines that he can offer at this time. He points out that new and better medication that raise dopamine may become available in the future.

I have dealt with some side affects from Mirapex for almost three years. Yet for me the choice is crystal clear. Without Mirapex, the constant stinging pain down my arms and spine from stress hormones every minute of the day makes a miserable existence. Every little stress becomes a Tsunami-like event. I rely on Mirapex, the stress reduction techniques found in this book and a self administered herb called Mucuna to stabilize my condition. Restoring dopamine means that I can have a more normal life. My senses tolerate a wider range of sensations. All pain - fibro and non-fibro - has substantially reduced. Best of all I am far calmer in the face of most daily stress. After a lifetime of an over-active stress response and more than 20 years of fibro -

Restoring Dopamine has Restored My Life.

J. Rae

Southern Oregon

I just finished reading this book and must say it is one of the best I have read. Dr. Dryland's approach from the aspect that fibromyalgia comes from depletion of dopamine due to an overactive fight or flight response is very interesting. While I am not willing to try the two meds he talks about in the book for raising dopamine levels, I am very interested in using natural methods to lower the fight or flight response. He even has a website for this method. He is supposed to be coming out with a new book soon on the fight or flight response and I will be watching for it. He has cured his own fibromyalgia and restored many of his patients. It is an intriguing book even if you don't totally agree with every little thing. I highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from fibromyalgia.

sue in ohio

I had intended to write a lengthly review about this book, until I read the the full disclosure of the medications this doctor is using. I now feel it is more imperative to caution anyone who buys this book. First of all, this book is fluff. It does not accurately reflect fibromyalgia in the least. Fibromyalgia is a multi-system disorder with a myriad of co-existing medical conditions. It does not merely amplify already underlying medical conditions as this doctor firmly believes. My greatest concern is the use of not one, but two medications that were developed for Parkinson's patients, with restless leg syndrome. He uses "a regimen of Mirapex and Requip". Both of these medications carry side-effects that increase symptoms that are associated with Fibromyalgia. Especially fatigue, increase in infection, nausea and dizziness; and that's just to start out. Both can also cause a drop in blood pressure, headaches, chest pains, and many other dangerous complications. I cannot imagine the increased risk of combining these medications and nothing in the literature suggests the FDA ever approved them being used together. I cringe at the outcome of this combination as it could be fatal. So read the book with caution but I urge you to read more, there are a lot of useful resources out there and there are no quick fixes for Fibromyalgia. I strongly suggest you read the books by Dr. Devin Starlanyl, who actually has Fibromyalgia. This is an excellent starting point to understanding this disorder.

I didn't expect to find a miracle fix to my fibromyalgia by reading this book but I had hoped it might tell me something I didn't already know. It didn't. Other books have mentioned the dopamine issue but it is not the cause of fibro but simply another piece of the puzzle. There are lots of chemicals that are skewed in the body of a fibro patient and this is a significant finding but it's not the bottom line answer for what causes it and what can help it. If the answer is to take a pill with potentially horrid side effects, I don't consider that an answer at all. You're treating a symptom and not the core reason for it (which hasn't been found yet).

I also found the doctor's real-life patient stories, meant to confirm that he had developed a cure, extremely vague. Each one basically reads that a patient came in feeling horrible and after following the treatment plan he developed they're suddenly better. I'd like a bit more detail than that, please.

This book has been the best investment of both time and money for fighting my fibro. Some reviews have rated this poorly due to the meds mentioned in the book...don't let that fool you. The author does mention what he feels are the best medications to take for symptoms, but by no means dose he imply that is the only way to find relief! The authors approach to fibro and the connection to the fight or flight response has opened my eyes to my symptoms and has me going in a positive direction in regaining my life as I once knew it. If you are at all interested in regaining control of your fibro and getting back to some sense of normal this book is a must!

This book helped me get back to whatever normal is again after 18 years of constant pain! Dr. Dryland is my HERO! His detailed account of what fibromyalgia is and how to control it is amazing. He started me on a medication and after only 8 weeks I awoke one morning wondering what was wrong with me. Something was different and then I realized that I had no pain! I was actually mostly bedridden before I went to see Dr. Dryland for the first time. Just talking to him about my situation made me feel better and then I started the medication. I did all of the things he told me to do and that are in this book and then my pain was gone! I began my life over again. I am now able to do things that for 18 years I couldn't. I can even vacuum our carpet whenever it's needed. Before I couldn't stand up long enough to do much of anything! His study and discovery of what fibromyalgia is made a real difference in many of his patients' lives and I'm happy to say I am definitely one of them! What a thrill to be able to act normal again! Thank you Dr. Dryland and Amazon!

I was in a dark place before I read this book. Dr Dryland gave me the first hope I'd had in years. After following his simple, common sense program; I am on the mend.

Fibromyalgia "cure" books seem to proliferate, but unlike the vast majority of them (usually some sort of "natural" or alternative cure), this book has good scientific evidence for the theory presented.

This is probably the most effective treatment out there- studies indicate it is more effective then either of the FDA approved medicines for fibromyalgia. It addresses some of the core dysfunctions. This book is an excellent resource for people trying to get these medicines covered for fibromyalgia.

But fibromyalgia is a multi-faceted, multi-system disorder. It also very likely has multiple causes. There is immune system, endocrine, and neurological problems. For those who are interested in the scientific basis for fibromyalgia symptoms, [...]/ has some excellent articles. Some people have an onset of fibromyalgia after physical trauma to the back or neck, some after an illness, some during pregnancy or childbirth, some in addition to an autoimmune condition like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, and some for no clear reason whatsoever. There is clearly some genetic link, although to what degree is unknown. The author says that if you don't respond to dopamine you are most likely misdiagnosed. That is not something that can be stated with the evidence that exists. 30% of patients w/ Lyrica and Cymbalta had signifigant improvement. The dopamine meds are around 50%- a very substantial number, but not "the cure" by any means. And the side effects are intolerable for a lot of people. The "I have THE cure" aspect of this book is why this book got three stars instead of five.