Fighting Fibromyalgia

A mother, farmer, and business owner, Sheila Hamilton needs a lot of energy to keep up with life’s daily demands. Beginning in 1993, numerous health problems kept Sheila from meeting those demands. She had problems with depression, and experienced fatigue and deep muscle aches. She says, "I felt like I had the flu and I could’t get rid of the flu. I ached all over." Sheila’s family doctor diagnosed her with the flu, but her symptoms did not improve. She became more depressed, and her muscle aches seemed to affect her joints as well. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition linked to chronic fatigue syndrome with symptoms similar to rheumatism. Eventually, she was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and told that her hands would be crippled within a year.

Sheila received a prescription for anti-inflammatories to decrease the swelling in her joints. Her physician also prescribed Prozac and another antidepressant to treat her fatigue and depression. These medications were stronger than the low-dose antidepressants normally used to treat fibromyalgia. The combination of medications made Sheila more tired during the day and sleepless at night. She says, "I wasn’t sleeping at night. I was waking up in the morning more tired than when I went to bed, feeling I hadn't slept at all. I was having violent nightmares." But more frightening than the nightmares was Sheila’s continuing fatigue. She had no time or energy for her family. She often put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on her bedroom door. Her daughter, Shae says "I almost felt that I didn’t want to go look at the door because I didn’t have to know how bad she was feeling."


At the same time, Sheila’s daughter Erin suffered severe allergies and asthma. She was also experiencing piercing stomach pains and severe swelling in her knees. Concerned for her daughter’s health, Sheila looked for another approach. She and Erin visited naturopath Eric Steinke. Dr. Steinke asked Erin questions about her diet and health. He suspected that Erin’s stomach pains were due to allergies, and her knee stiffness was a result of a buildup of toxins. He recommended a diet change and a detoxifying cleanse. Sheila explains, "within two weeks of him changing her diet, she was walking normally and she had no stomach pains." Erin’s positive experience motivated Sheila to seek Dr. Steinke’s advice about her condition.

Sheila’s first priority was to get healthy enough to enjoy time with her family. "I said I want to feel good enough so that my children don’t remember me as a sleeping, sick, bad mother." She and Dr. Steinke refined her diet to eliminate many allergenic foods, and Sheila began a program of nutritional supplements including vitamins and minerals. She also went through a detoxifying cleanse. Within a few weeks, Sheila felt her energy beginning to return. She says, "It was like I was being given a new life, I had energy . . . the bills were getting paid . . . I was having fun with my kids." Sheila was finally able to keep on top of the business and farm work. Her experience also had a significant effect on the family business. She and her husband now sell certified organic chickens, and feed their cattle organic feed. Sheila now realizes how her lifestyle affects the world around her. Her new found energy allows her to spend time with her family and focus on providing healthy products through her business.

"I wasn’t sleeping at night. I was waking up in the morning more tired than when I went to bed."
--Sheila Hamilton