Fibromyalgia YouTube Channel

I started a YouTube channel the other day, and I haven’t felt so un-technically savvy in a very long time. The upload was simple, but the rest was not. I’ve only posted one video so far but have big plans to put a lot of fibromyalgia-related stuff on YouTube in the future.

My first fibromyalgia video is about the hives, rash, or whatever is on my skin. I’ve had skin problems for many years– about the same amount of time I’ve had fibromyalgia, although the fibromyalgia wasn’t diagnosed until a couple of years ago. The new dermatologist I go to says the rash is guttate psoriasis, which is blessedly less severe than plaque psoriasis. My first YouTube video shows an outbreak on my torso.

I’d love for you to submit your ideas for a fibromyalgia YouTube channel. Ask and I’ll try to make sure you receive!

Fibromyalgia and Rashes

I’ve had a lot of people ask about the rashes I sometimes reference on this site.  I’m including an old picture from when said rash was pretty gruesome.

fibromyalgia rash
This is a view of my side, between hip and breast-level.

I never had skin trouble until everything else started going downhill with my body. For me, rashes are a nasty consequence of fibromyalgia. These pictures are from my first major rash several years ago. The one currently on my hip is much less evil, but definitely a nuisance. Clobex lotion is the only thing that makes the rashes disappear, but I hate using it. It makes my skin feel hot and thin and fragile, and it’s extremely expensive.

I’ve had the rashes biopsied twice, and the first biopsy showed a non-specific “reaction” (definitely one of those times when I wondered why I bothered to give over my flesh and money), and the other result came back “guttate psoriasis.” The psoriasis diagnosis sort of makes sense, except that sometimes my rashes appear at specific times—like within 12 hours if I take valium (so I obviously don’t take it anymore). But again, I never had anything like psoriasis before I started having other fibromyalgia symptoms, so for me, they’re inextricably linked.

Vegan, Day One

Desperation—muscle spasms, joint aches, a persistent rash on my left hip—has led me to my latest attempt to cure fibromyalgia. The last reasonable solution I haven’t attempted is veganism, and as of today, I’m giving it a chance.

I was a vegetarian for much of high school and college, although not a particularly healthy one. My meal choices centered around cheese pizza, tater tots, soda, and ice cream. Not eating meat isn’t a huge leap for me, but veganism is. I’ve been on a mostly organic-based diet for years, but that includes organic cheese, free-range meat, and even organic ice cream. I cut out refined sugar for five months and saw minimal results, but I’m hoping that going with a strict vegan diet will finally kick fibromyalgia out of my life.

This morning, I had our local co-op’s version of energy bars for breakfast. They’re fig-based squares with cocoa powder, goji berries, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. I’ve eaten them for years before a long run, so this day so far hasn’t been much of a foray into veganism. I have a feeling that it won’t be for three or four days that I really notice how closely I have to watch my food choices to stick to the vegan way of life.

Pain can make a person crazy. Fibromyalgia combines pain with a special kind of erratic yet constant crazy. If almond milk, fig paste, and Brussels sprouts can fix this hell, then I’ll raise a glass of kombucha to the vegan cure.