Recovery From Fibromyalgia — A True Account

Hi there. I’m Linda Baker, a school teacher from Piqua, Ohio. Back in 1988, I was involved in an automobile accident. For many years I suffered chronic intense pain for which there was no relief. In fact, it nearly cost me my teaching career. I tried everything including anti-inflammatory drugs, narcotic pain killers, craniosacral massage, trigger point injections, biofeedback training, nutritional supplementation, and even hypnosis. These were difficult years, not only for myself but for my husband and daughters as well. The actual diagnosis of fibromyalgia came in 1994. Later that year, I begin having serious problems with irritable bowel syndrome. I co-founded a health and nutrition information group called Healthy Living Resources to explore and research new options for my problem.

In the years to follow, I had various degrees of success with a number of different nutraceuticals. Last June, due in part to some unavoidable stress factors, I had a major setback with my fibromyalgia. In fact, it was so debilitating that, for the first time in my life, I was forced to use a wheelchair. The pain in my feet was far beyond anything I had ever experienced. It was at this time that I was presented with information from 4Life Research. After listening to Bonnie Palmer’s story, which was so like my own, I decided to try the products.

I started with Transfer Factor and Fibro AMJ. The pain in my right foot and leg dissipated in about three weeks. By the end of July, the pain was gone from my left foot and leg. I decided to go ahead and add the other nutritionals that are recommended for the fibromyalgia protocol. I found that my endurance and stamina were greatly enhanced. It has been a long journey since my accident, but the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program offered by 4Life Research has definitely been the most important part of that journey to reverse my fibromyalgia.

Introduction To Fibromyalgia

Hello. I’m Dr. Rob Robertson. I’m inviting you to watch a video about fibromyalgia entitled “You don’t have to learn to live with it”. This video is dedicated to the millions of people who suffer from this distressing syndrome. The title comes from the fact that, in speaking with people in all geographic areas, one constant seems to emerge. Most people have been told at one time or another, “I’m sorry. It’s just something you’re going to have to learn to live with.” 4Life Research holds a contrary view. The purpose of this video is to teach you about a recovery program designed specifically for you and the millions of people like you who suffer from fibromyalgia.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Let’s begin by defining exactly what fibromyalgia is. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome consisting of pain amplification, musculoskeletal discomfort, and multiple systemic symptoms. The pain must have been in existence at least three months and must occur at one time in all four quadrants of the body. There are 18 specific tender points throughout the body. Along the spine in the neck where the head and neck meet. On the upper line of the shoulder a little less than halfway from the shoulder to the neck, three finger widths on a diagonal inward from the last points. On the back fairly close to the dimples above the buttocks a little less than halfway towards the spine. Below the buttocks very close to the outside edge of the thigh.

On the front of your body, tender points are present in the following places. On the neck just above the inner edge of the collarbone. Still on the neck, a little further out from the last point about four finger widths down. On the palm side of the lower arm about three finger widths below the elbow crease. On the inner side of the knee in what is called the fat pad. Pressure on these tender points produces pain, real pain.

The criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia has traditionally included the requirement that at least 11 of these anatomical sites be active sources of pain before the diagnosis can be made. However, recently more and more practitioners have agreed that even if fewer than 11 sites are positive at the time of the exam, and all of the other criteria has been met, fibromyalgia still should be strongly considered as the patient’s diagnosis. Also, it should be noted that the skill of the examiner plays a role in eliciting tender points, and that the tender points may vary in location from one exam to the next.

Signs And Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia

There are numerous signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia. We need to review them starting with those that are most common, then listing those that are characterized as just common, and then listing those that are less common. The most common symptoms and signs are widespread pain with tender points, generalized weakness with muscle and joint aches, unrefreshing sleep, fatigue, stiffness, and cognitive dysfunction, which is often called Fibrofog. It’s a feeling of an inability to concentrate aggravated by memory loss and a feeling of confusion.

Common complaints are tension headaches, painful menstrual periods, functional bowel disease, and numbness, swelling, and tingling, and anxiety and depression. Less common complaints include fever, swollen glands, dry eyes, visual changes, restless leg syndrome, which is characterized as pain and an inability to get one’s legs in a comfortable position. Irritable bladder in females, and female genital pain and spasms. It is estimated that approximately 80% of people with fibromyalgia are female. Fibromyalgia can occur at any age, but approximately 60% fall within the 30-49 age range. 15 to 20% fall in either the 20-29 age range or in the years from age 50 to 64.

Having discussed an overview of fibromyalgia, we need now to build a model of how this syndrome can develop so that we can understand why the 4Life products have been so successful in restoring innumerable people back to normal health. It is felt that the core problem in fibromyalgia is immune system dysfunction resulting from immune system overload. Dr. Kenneth Bock, author of the excellent, very readable, book entitled The Road to Immunity, has used the analogy of a filling up of a kettle to explain immune system overload.

Causes: Maxed Out Immune System

Many factors place stress on our bodies ability to protect us through our immune system. Our genetic makeup, dietary stresses such as nutritional deficiencies or excesses, chemical and additives in our food, allergies and hypersensitivity, infectious agents, bacteria, parasites and fungal organisms, hormonal imbalances and deficiencies. The overuse and misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, not to mention illicit drugs and excessive use of alcohol. Radiation and electromagnetic fields. Smoking. Environmental pollution, which exposes us to toxins and heavy metals through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume. Psychological factors such as severe stress or a feeling of isolation or insecurity.

Finally, our immune system channel is full to the brim. We’ve maxed out our immune system, so to speak, and we’re prime for chronic illness to develop. We’re perfect candidates for fibromyalgia. Most of the time, when a really good history is obtained from the person with fibromyalgia, three events can be brought out which occurred prior to the onset of symptoms. The first is some type of injury, a whiplash, a fall, a burn. Some type of injury that may have not even been serious enough to have required medical treatment, but an injury nonetheless. The second event is a really stressful episode exceeding the type of normal routine everyday stress like a divorce or other caustic interpersonal relationships. The death of a spouse or other family member. Severe financial stressors such as a bankruptcy. Some really severe stress. The third event is an illness like an infection that simply never seemed to go away. It simply seemed to linger and left you feeling drained and tired without your normal vitality.

All of these events, an injury, severe stress, and an infection, place an added load on the immune system. If your kettle is full, as we have demonstrated already, this added load on the already maximally challenged immune system produces the perfect setup for chronic illness to develop. The downward spiral begins, down the spiral into the syndrome call fibromyalgia. Excessive demand on your immune system leads to a deferral of cell and tissue repair. Chronic deferral of routine repairs leads to disruptions within cells. Cell damage makes it even harder for the immune system to function effectively leading to toxins accumulating, which adds even more to the body’s immune load, which leads to more deferral of repairs and even more of the immune system resources are used up and further disruptions occur, which leads to even more serious problems at the tissue level. You have the end result of what now is immune system failure. You have fibromyalgia.

“You Don’t Have To Live With It.”

Do you have to just learn to live with it? The pain, the weakness, the fatigue, the inability to get refreshing sleep, the stiffness. Do you have to just accept that this is your fate? The headache, the mental fog, the myriad of other symptoms. Does this have to be your future? The answer is emphatically no. You don’t just have to accept it. You don’t just have to learn to live with it. Let’s formulate a plan together, which we can have confidence will allow your body to heal. I want you to understand the reasons why the products you’re going to take are going to give your body the ingredients necessary for the healing process to occur naturally and safely.

Reversing Fibromyalgia

We must start somewhere. Let’s start by reestablishing your sleep pattern. One of the constants of fibromyalgia is an inability to achieve deep sleep, which is known as therapeutic sleep or delta wave stage four sleep. There are four sleep patterns, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. The problem in fibromyalgia is that light sleep, characterized by alpha waves, is constantly intruding into deep sleep, characterized by delta waves. This alpha-delta inclusion prevents therapeutic sleep. You simply can’t get well. You actually get worse when this happens. There are many reasons why this happens. Let’s concentrate on the most important. During sleep, the regulation of an important neurotransmitter called serotonin takes place. When you don’t have sustained delta wave sleep, serotonin regulation is disrupted. Serotonin is necessary for the activation of the most important cell in our immune system called natural killer cell. One of the constants of fibromyalgia is low natural killer cell function documented in numerous studies. You can’t have a healthy immune system with no natural killer cell function.

Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula

Do you see the vicious cycle that has developed? Nonrefreshing sleep equals disruption of the regulation serotonin, which prevents natural killer cells from being activated, which produces immune system dysfunction in an already overloaded immune system, which … Well, you can see where this leads. We must intervene. The interventional product is called Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula designed to help you regain healthy sleep patterns. Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula contains a natural form of something called 5-Hydroxytryptophan, which is a precursor, or something that turns into, serotonin. It contains vitamin B6, which is important in the production of serotonin. It’s absolutely essential that we address the serotonin issue. Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula contains melatonin, which is a hormone which assists in obtaining deep sustained delta wave sleep. There’s Pregnenolone, which affects sleep patterns positively. Kava Kava, which has been called nature’s Valium for its relaxing and calming effect.

Transfer Factor Plus

The second product in the 4Life Fibromyalgia Recovery Program is Transfer Factor Plus. Transfer Factor Plus is a patented immune system stimulator and modulator. Its many actions and benefits are simply beyond the scope of this video. A full explanation of Transfer Factor Plus is available on a separate video, which I have produced, called appropriately enough Transfer Factor Plus. It is obtainable through the person who gave you this video. Let me give you the reason that Transfer Factor Plus can make the difference between the success or failure of your recovery program. It is accepted that chronic infections and immune system overload and dysfunction are the core causative factors in development of fibromyalgia. As we discussed, low natural killer cell function is an established immune system dysfunction that has been well documented.

Recently, a report in the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association reported on the testing of 196 products containing over 400 ingredients to see which had the ability to increase the function of the immune system’s natural killer cells. Of all the products tested, the greatest effect on natural killer cells was an increase in function of 48.6%. Transfer Factor Plus wasn’t available at the time of the publication of this landmark study. When it later underwent the same exact testing procedure by the same lab, Transfer Factor Plus was found to increase natural killer cell function by 248%, over five times greater than anything ever reported in the medical literature. Five times greater. This is a vital reason why when we address the immune system dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients, the success of the recovery program becomes so overwhelmingly positive.

Fibro AMJ Daytime Formula

There are other issues that also need to be considered. What about the fatigue? What about the pain? What about the restoration of the nutritional deficiencies, which all chronically ill patients have? Fibro AMJ Daytime Formula is designed to intervene in these concerns. First, even though it’s been repeatedly said there is no specific diagnostic test for fibromyalgia, it has been determined that a low magnesium level occurs. It’s the magnesium inside of cells which is low. This is a test that isn’t run normally. If you go to your doctor and have blood work drawn and a magnesium level is ordered, it’s the serum magnesium. That magnesium is outside of cells which is tested for.

It’s the magnesium within the cells that is low. That’s a specific special test that isn’t ordinarily run. That intracellular level will be low. Magnesium is involved in every repair and energy production and transport function in the body. Fibro AMJ Daytime product provides magnesium. It provides malic acid because malic acid is essential in the energy cycle called the citric acid cycle to make something called ATP. ATP is the fuel, the energy source that you need to move and to think. In fibromyalgia, obviously, since fibromyalgia causes such weakness and fatigue, reestablishing the energy cycle is critical to recovery.

Another ingredient is methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM. It’s an important source of sulfa and helps reduce muscle soreness and pain through its antiinflammatory actions. Boswellia serrata, which was known in Biblical times as frankincense, is also an anti-inflammatory. It increases mobility and reduces morning stiffness. N-acetyl cysteine plays in a critical role in prevention of skeletal muscle wasting. A deficit can contribute to muscle pain. Glucosamine and bovine cartilage address the cause of the problems between fibromyalgia, which affects soft tissues and arthritis, which affects joints. Problems in one part of the musculoskeletal system, the muscles, can affect other parts often causing abnormalities of the joints. Finally, more vitamin B6 is included in Fibro AMJ Daytime Formula, which we’ve already mentioned as an important co-factor in the production of serotonin.

Choice 50

Chronic illness such as fibromyalgia produces enormous amounts of free radicals. Free radicals cause cellular damage, which puts more and more strain on the immune system. One of the roles of the immune system is to remove damaged cells. We see an example of oxygen molecules in yellow losing an electron and then latching onto our own cells, which are damaged and show their displeasure. Antioxidants, especially powerful antioxidants like Choice 50, the white hats, bind with free radicals and remove them avoiding damage to our cells. Choice 50 antioxidants contain OPC obtained from grape seed extract that have been proven to be 50 times more potent than vitamin E and 20 times more potent than vitamin C. We know that both vitamin E and C are well known for their antioxidant qualities.

4Life BioVitaMins And 4Life BioEFA

Then, to complete the recovery program, we must have the building blocks to allow the body to repair itself and rebuild from within. The building blocks include the vitamins and minerals contained in the 4Life BioVitaMins and the essential fatty acids contained in the 4Life BioEFA. It’s a simple fact that our dietary habits don’t supply us with all of the vitamins and minerals needed even when our health is normal. We certainly don’t receive all of the nutrients needed to rebuild and recover from a chronic illness such as fibromyalgia. The 4Life vitamins and minerals are unsurpassed for their bio activity and their bio availability, and are a vital part of the recovery program.

Do you know that fat can actually be good? We are often taught to avoid fat due to various concerns about certain fats’ detrimental effect on our health. There are some essential fatty acids, which are exactly what they’re characterized as, essential. The 4Life BioEFA with CLA are the good fats. The Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which we simply have to have to produce certain hormones to strengthen cell walls. They have antiinflammatory effects. This is certainly important in fibromyalgia patients who have Fibrofog to improve cognitive function through the use of the BioEFA with CLA. They make us think more clearly.

BioGenistein Plus And FemPro

For those females who have severe PMS and abnormal periods and abnormal menstrual pain, 4Life Research has two products, which can be incorporate into the fibromyalgia program for hormonal balances. BioGenistein Plus is a plant-derived product that has properties similar to estrogen but without the often harmful side effects of estrogen. FemPro is a unique balancing cream which contains a rich blend of natural progesterone from soy and dioxygen from wild yams. The use of BioGenistein Plus and FemPro has brought great relief to those females who need hormonal balancing as part of their Fibromyalgia Recovery Program.

Summarizing The Fibromyalgia Recovery Program

Let’s summarize and see exactly what the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program consists of by addressing the symptoms and recommended products. For sleep deprivation or unrefreshing nontherapeutic sleep, we have the synergistic ingredients in Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula. For serotonin regulation, we have vitamin B6 in both Fibro AMJ Daytime and Nighttime Formulas, and 5-hydroxytryptophan in Fibro AMJ Nighttime Formula. For the immune system dysfunction, we have Transfer Factor Plus and its unprecedented increase in natural killer cell function. Low intracellular magnesium is replaced by the magnesium in Fibro AMJ Daytime Formula, as is the issue of fatigue and weakness from the malic acid that produces ATP.

Pain and inflammation is addressed by the MSM and boswellia serrata. Muscle wasting is address by N-acetylcysteine. Stress on the joints by glucosamine and bovine cartilage. Free radical production and excess free radicals are bound by the powerful antioxidant effect of Choice 50. Nutrient deficiencies are addressed by the building blocks provided by the 4Life BioVitaMins and the BioEFA with CLA. For those females who have hormonal imbalance, we have the hormonal balancing of BioGenistein Plus and the FemPro cream.

The 4Life Research Fibromyalgia Recovery Program is the most innovative complete program ever developed to help the millions of people suffering from this devastating syndrome. It systematically addressed each of the many bodily challenges faced in fibromyalgia. Its success has been proven in countless patients. That’s why we named this video “You don’t have to learn to live with it”. For most of you, it’s been a long prolonged slide down that spiral to chronic debilitating illness, the illness of fibromyalgia. Now it’s time to begin the climb back up. Back up to the health and vitality you once enjoyed. Believe me when I say you don’t have to learn to live with it.

Bonnie Palmer Tells Her Story

I’ve got more hope today than I’ve ever had in my life. The products that 4Life has put together for fibromyalgia, arthritis, muscle and joint pain, they work together so well. I am reversing the symptoms gradually each day. It’s a slow process. It’s a gradual upward spiral. It’s not going to happen overnight. I realize that. I feel stronger each day and more energetic. Each night I sleep a little bit longer and wake up feeling just a little bit better and more refreshed. I’ve only been on the products for about a month. I say that I’m about 85% of where I’d like to be. I realize that it’s going to take some time and some more taking the products and giving it all a good chance to work.

When I started … Let me tell you where I was. When I started taking these products, I was sleeping about 15 or 30 minutes a night and waking up. Then thrashing around in the bed, go back to sleep, sleep another 15 or 30 minutes, wake up. That all night long. Now I’m sleeping about five hours. Before I started the products, I’d get out of the bed in the mornings and hit the floor. The bottoms of my feet would be so sore, and my feet would hurt so badly that I could hardly stand to walk to the bathroom on the carpeted floor. Now I have zero pain in my feet.

Before I started the products, I couldn’t get my ring off my finger because my hands were so swollen and stiff. Now I can remove that ring with the some effort, and I can play the piano again, folks. Before, I would have to take a nap every day in one hour to two hours just to make up for all the sleep I’d miss. Now I have to make myself go to sleep. Before, I would get so tired I’d be aching and almost in tears before I could get to lie down. Now I’ve got to make myself go in there and lie down for a half an hour to rest.

I feel like I’ve got a moral obligation to tell everybody I know about these products because they’re going to change lives. Please, whatever you do, let nothing stop you from sharing this story that 4Life has and getting the products out to as many homes as possible. I can’t think of anything that’s a more noble mission than to get these products out to people in pain, and to let them know that there is hope and that they can join me in reversing fibromyalgia.

Since this video was completed, additional independent laboratory analysis has been completed, which further validates the unprecedented immune system stimulation of Transfer Factor Plus, which is so critical in the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program. Natural killer cells are the most important cells in our immune system. They attack and destroy infected cells and cells that can turn into cancers. One constant of fibromyalgia is low natural killer cell activity proven in many published studies. If a person has a test revealing natural killer cell activity below 20%, it is felt that person is at an increased risk for acute and chronic illness to develop, or that person is in a position where recovery from an existing disease process is compromised.

Nine patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia were tested for natural killer cell activity. Their natural killer cell activity ranged from a low of 6% to a high of 13%, far below the minimally normal level of 20%. The average of the nine patients was 10% activity. Three weeks after having been in the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program, the test was repeated. The range was now from 19.5% to 35.5% with an average level of 26.9%. This average of 26.9% natural killer activity represents an increase of 2.69 times, or 269% of the baseline NK activity of 10%. An increase unprecedented in the known medical literature using natural nontoxic products. The ability to beneficially affect the immune system dysfunction underlying the fibromyalgia syndrome is what has made the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program so successful in countless people since its inception.