Fibromyalgia Podcast

After our last Ask the Coach episode, where Tami covered the three FDA-approved medications for fibromyalgia, we received many follow-up questions from listeners. Questions like: What’s the difference between being addicted and being physically dependent? How can you safely come off your medication? When is it time to reduce or discontinue certain medications? In today’s episode, Tami is excited to be joined by Doctor of Pharmacy Chelsea Liebowitz, who’s here to clear up all these questions and more. As a pain patient herself, Chelsea spent years seeking answers for her chronic pain, and she knows your pharmacist's vital role as part of your healthcare team. In their conversation, Chelsea and Tami talk about what it was like growing up with chronic pain and the medical gaslighting Chelsea experienced, how frustration with a lack of answers led Chelsea on a journey to figure it out herself, the discovery that copper toxicity was behind a lot of her symptoms, it requires determination and grit for people with c

Many of the symptoms people blame on fibromyalgia are actually due to coexisting conditions. Too many people go too long with the wrong diagnosis, taking inappropriate medications, and following unnecessary protocols because their provider didn’t identify the correct cause. This topic came up a lot in the last cohort of Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training. As we went through the program, the students had many lightbulb moments and realized much more was happening than just fibromyalgia. By getting to know fibromyalgia deeply, it becomes a lot easier to spot when those symptoms are from something else. After living with fibromyalgia since 2007 and being a coach for over ten years, Tami often picks up clues in client conversations that indicate something else is going on. Today, she’s sharing a brief overview of some of the most common conditions that tend to get overlooked after someone has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  In this episode, Tami talks about how she spots the clues that something else is

“I’d like to try Lyrica, but I worry about if I ever had to come off. Should I try it?” For today’s Ask The Coach episode, I’m answering this question sent in by Sarah in the UK. When treating fibromyalgia, we have to attack it from two sides. The first is addressing the fibromyalgia itself and the amplification of pain signals; the second is treating the pain that your fibromyalgia amplifies. In most cases, fibromyalgia medications are more helpful than harmful and can be a valuable tool to break the pain cycle. That said, the question of medications is complex and impossible to cover in detail in a podcast episode. Tami’s primary focus for this answer will be on fibromyalgia medications that address the amplification of pain signals, how they work, and the most important aspects you’ll want to consider. In this episode, Tami discusses the FDA-approved medications for fibromyalgia, the fact that no single drug is capable of managing all fibromyalgia symptoms, Tami’s two-pronged approach to treating fibromyal

So often with fibromyalgia, we’re given negative news: there’s no cure, your life has changed, and the list continues. Once again, we’re on a mission to break that trend and show you that there are still adventures for you. Tami is excited to be joined by Melissa Swanson to share the recent epic hiking adventure that, not too long ago, neither of them would have thought possible. Melissa and Tami met about eight years ago at the Leaders Against Pain Scholarship Training in 2014; since then, so much has changed. In this episode, Melissa and Tami share what their fibromyalgia symptoms were like when they met, what it was like to have their sole focus be on getting through the day, why Melissa needed to wear sunglasses all the time, how Melissa’s bad knee acted as a trigger for a lot of other pain, the anxiety around having surgery and the potential impact it might have on your fibro, Melissa’s amazing recovery following total knee replacement surgery, the significant improvements Melissa experienced after joini

There’s so much hope that comes from hearing the healing stories of other people on the fibromyalgia journey. Often, that’s where we first recognize that a better future is possible for us. Today in our fifth installment of Stories of Hope and Healing, we’re sharing the inspiring stories of four recent graduates of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® program. During these conversations, you’ll hear Tami and the graduates refer to their Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score (FIQ), which measures the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms on a scale of zero to 100, with lower scores referring to milder symptoms. When this tool was created, the average fibro patient’s score was around 58. In future studies, researchers found that the three FDA-approved fibro medications typically gave about 20% improvement, acceptance and commitment therapy showed around 27% improvement, and general health coaching brought around 35% improvement after a year. On average, our students improve their scores by about 50%. For this cohort

Don’t blame everything on your fibromyalgia. Your pain, fatigue, sleep issues, and brain fog might not be from your fibromyalgia. We need to dig deeper. Tami encountered this topic a lot in the last few months of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training program. We’re not saying you don’t have fibromyalgia - what we mean is, sometimes symptoms can be caused by something else in addition to or instead of fibromyalgia. Why does it matter? Assuming that fibromyalgia is the blanket reason behind every symptom, you might be missing out on opportunities for healing. By finding the true source of your symptoms, you’ll be able to get the right treatment to help you. In this episode, Tami is talking about the common areas outside of fibromyalgia that might be causing similar symptoms. She shares why you should learn to read your labs, what it might mean if none of the typical medications are helping, common symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), the huge difference a CPAP machine made for her, why Tami

Everyone can get better. Even in remission, Tami feels that there is always something we can do to feel better on our fibromyalgia journey. And because we have to focus on taking care of ourselves, in many ways, we can get to a place where we feel better than the average person. Tami is excited to share this interview with Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, Julie Schiffman, where she shares her story of going from thinking she was dying to feeling healthier than ever. In this episode, Julie talks about her long health journey and years of painful symptoms, her diagnosis with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome over 20 years ago, the mental toll of chronic pain, how to deal with guilt, frustration, and uncertainty around a vague diagnosis, Julie’s medication rollercoaster, finding hope for living a great life with fibromyalgia, why becoming a coach brought Julie so much healing, the confidence that comes with knowing you can control your symptoms, why Julie decided to become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® a

To get better, we have to change. Maybe you’re trying to make healthier food choices or exercise more. Maybe you’ve realized you need to be firmer with your boundaries in certain relationships. Whichever area of your life it might be, the closer you get to the edge of your comfort zone, the more uncomfortable it’s likely to be. That’s where self-sabotage or Upper Limiting comes into play. The concept of Upper Limiting was made famous by Gay Hendricks in his book, The Big Leap, which Tami highly recommends. It speaks to the idea that as we reach the limits of our comfort zone, we start to do things to bring ourselves back. Tami has experienced this and seen it a lot with fibromyalgia clients. In this episode, she’s sharing why we self-sabotage, how you might be sabotaging yourself, digging deep into why you want to improve your fibromyalgia, developing a step-by-step plan that leads you out of your comfort zone, what it might look like when you’re sabotaging your fibro journey, the benefits of having help thro

Many people with fibromyalgia also deal with a lot of anxiety. With your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode, you have a diminished capacity that can put you closer to the panic threshold. What that looks like in day-to-day life is that you might find yourself often pushed over the edge by something objectively small. To help you learn more about managing anxiety and panic attacks, Tami is delighted to bring Ramses Rodriguez back to the podcast to share his expertise. Ramses has a great way of blending research and science with the down-to-earth and practicalness of someone who has lived through it themselves. In their conversation, Tami and Ramses discuss his journey with panic attacks and anxiety, how anxiety impacted every facet of his life from career to relationships, how Ramses has gotten to a point where his panics are in remission, common symptoms of a panic attack, why it’s crucial to see a doctor if you think you have panic attacks, the key to getting your panics in remission, the physical

So much has changed in the seven years since my first book, Take Back Your Life, was released. I'm excited to announce that I have just expanded, updated, and released a second edition! From a new chapter on brain fog to massive progress on my fibromyalgia journey, I’m excited to share this updated version with you. To celebrate the release, I invited my friend, Ramses Rodriguez, to interview me. In this episode, Ramses and I talk about the exciting changes you’ll find in the new edition of Take Back Your Life, why it was so important for me to include a whole chapter on brain fog, how I break down the science into practical tools for everyday life, the story behind the title of the book, how getting a health coach changed my life, red flags that might mean you need more support than your current doctor can provide, how a fibromyalgia coach can support you as part of your health team, and more. I hope you enjoy my interview with Ramses and that you enjoy the new book. I’d love to hear what you think. Note: Th

Quitting is a key skill. Understanding when it’s time to put something down temporarily or permanently is an important skill. Strategically quitting for the day, the weekend, or even for an hour or two might be just the thing you need for your sanity. Tami quits frequently and considers that to be one of the keys to her success and to keeping her fibromyalgia in remission. In this episode, Tami shares what’s different for her about this year’s Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, why she uses strategic quitting and how you can too, the harmful nature of our culture’s all or nothing view of success, some of the exciting events and documentaries coming up in the world of Fibromyalgia advocacy, and more. Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes. For daily doses of hope, inspira

Befriending your nervous systems starts with recognizing the unique patterns that may not be serving you and empowering yourself while getting to a place of balance. Tami is excited to share this conversation with coach and Somatic Experiencing expert, Sarah Kleiner. Sometimes these techniques can sound a little bit woo-woo or like magic but Sarah shares the science behind the therapy as well as practical tips you can try to begin to tune back in with your body. In this episode, Sarah shares how Somatic Experiencing helped her on her journey with anxiety, people-pleasing, and burnout, why working it’s important to work on both mind and body, the science behind somatic experiencing therapy, how trauma impacts our nervous system, the importance of creating small moments of safety for the nervous system that are felt, not mental, why you don’t need to justify how you feel, the reason certain breathwork techniques may not be working for you, why calm may not be what your body actually needs, physical symptoms of

“When will the pain end?” For this entry in my Ask The Coach series, I’m answering this question which was sent in by a listener. It’s such a loaded question and there are so many details I’d need to know to give a full answer but today I’m going to answer it in a broader way. The thing about fibromyalgia is that it’s not the type of illness that shows up for a while and runs it’s course then resolves itself like a cold. It’s also not something that you’ll outgrow or that goes away when you get to a certain age. It just doesn’t work that way. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do - you’re going to have to change your path if you want a different outcome. For most people, with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, your fibromyalgia can be in remission and you can feel better. In this episode, I share several resources you can use on your journey of helping the pain to end, the major turning point in my fibromyalgia journey, how you can teach your body not to process everything as pain, why you shou

Long COVID, sometimes called "long haulers" or "post-COVID syndrome", describes the lingering symptoms patients have after contracting COVID-19 and recovering from their initial illness. The experience of these patients often mirrors our experience with fibromyalgia and other conditions, such as ME/CFS. In this episode, Tami talks with Dr. Jessica Drummond about her personal experience with Long COVID. You may remember Dr. Drummond from Episode 68, where Tami interviewed her about endometriosis. What you probably didn't know was that she was dealing with Long COVID even as that episode was recorded! As someone with a chronic invisible illness, you'll appreciate and relate to Dr. Drummond's experience. Even as a medical professional, she dealt with colleagues, friends, and providers who kept trying to figure out what she did "wrong". Why does she have Long COVID when others don't? In this episode, Dr. Drummond shares how she contracted COVID-19, how the first seven days of her experience vastly differed from e

In this episode, Tami is giving you a little peek behind the curtain by walking you through an assignment she gives her students in her Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor℠ training program. During this assignment, she’ll help you create your Flare Survival Plan. Tami is also sharing a worksheet to help you create your plan, some ideas for what can go in your kit (not all of which are physical items), and some thought exercises to help you figure out what needs to be part of your plan. Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes. For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram. Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free. Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with

Tami is so excited to bring you this conversation with her friend and personal physician, Dr. Kaley Bourgeois. In this episode, Tami and Dr. Bourgeois chat about what a Naturopathic Physician is and how it’s different from a regular physician, what functional medicine is and how it’s different from conventional medicine, how Dr. Bourgeois’ mother’s lack of comfort with doctors led to an early passion for the work she does now, Dr. Bourgeois’ approach to working with clients who have fibromyalgia or other chronic illnesses, what IV therapy is and how glutathione is Dr. Bourgeois’ “most favorite thing ever”, what medical ozone therapy is and how it differs from cortisone injections, things she frequently sees in her clients that often get missed by other doctors, Dr. Bourgeois’ own journey with chronic pain, what Dr. Bourgeois wants you to know about working with multiple doctors, Dr. Bourgeois’ advice for people who feel hesitant to go to a new doctor for fear of repeating past experiences with doctors who wer

Welcome to our fourth Stories of Hope and Healing episode! In this special episode, you’re going to be hearing from five different women who are from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. All five of these women will be sharing information on what they’ve done over the last few months to improve their fibromyalgia. As you hear their stories, you’ll notice they all have done different things as there’s no one-size-fits-all magic formula. We hope these conversations inspire you and give you hope.   Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes. For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram. Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free. Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a compli

It struck Tami recently that if you only ever focus on treating your fibromyalgia, but don’t pay enough attention to your general health, you’re leaving some pretty significant things out. With the leading cause of death for women being heart disease, and February being American Heart Month, Tami feels it’s the perfect time to bring you her conversation with Lisa Steele George. In their conversation, Tami and Lisa discuss a shocking statistic about how many women will die of a heart attack, the common symptoms of a heart attack and how to tell them apart from your fibromyalgia symptoms, Lisa’s experience having a heart attack even though she was considered on paper to be very healthy, why Lisa wrote her book, how they both felt betrayed by their bodies at times, the role your family history plays in your risk for having a heart attack, the importance of having a wide variety of tools in your toolbox to help you manage the stressors in your life, how sometimes the hard work of taking care of yourself can look

I’m so excited to be bring you this first new episode of 2022! Today, we’re going to be talking a little bit about perfectionism. Specifically, how it’s actually holding you back from feeling as good as you could. In this episode, I share some examples where perfectionism may have gotten in your way, how the social media highlight reels of others help fuel our desire for our lives to be perfect, my own experience letting perfectionism get in the way of my doctor-recommended diet, the exercise I want you to perform to gauge how often perfectionism is getting in your way, my wish and goal for you in 2022, a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that perfectly sums up today’s topic, and more.   Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes. For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and pr

We don't love New Year's Resolutions, but it’s that time of year. A lot of people are making resolutions, like: I'm going to get in shape, I'm going to eat better, I'm going to get control over my finances. Well, the ideas and intentions are good, but resolutions don't really set you up for success. In this episode, Tami will teach you how to create the foundation that you need, the support that you need, and the structure that is needed in your life to allow change to happen, and to happen easily. Key Points Why do so many of us fail at New Year’s Resolutions, even when we are desperate to see these positive changes in our lives? Goal setting is also a challenge, especially for those of us with fibromyalgia. Learn why even S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-oriented) are not enough to bring you success. Find out Tami’s super simple secret to make reaching your goals automatic. Set your life up in a way that it becomes easier to do the thing, than to not do the thing. Not