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1. Need help? USA.gov, the U.S. government’s official web portal, offers information on grants, loans, financial aid and other benefits from the U.S. government. Among the many categories are Disability Resources, Employment and Training Assistance, Legal Assistance and more. Click here to visit the site.

2. Buying Medications Online: Consumers can buy medications from many websites that offer convenience, privacy, and safeguards for purchasing medicines—and operate legally. But there are also many “rogue websites” that offer to sell potentially dangerous drugs that have not been checked for safety or effectiveness. The Food and Drug Administration offers a free guide on how to recognize a legal Internet pharmacy and how to buy medicines online safely. (Click here)

3. Fibromyalgia AWARE Now Online: Fibromyalgia AWARE, the first and only consumer magazine that focuses exclusively on fibromyalgia, is now available online. Click here to view our complimentary online inaugural issue, which is available through April 30, 2009.

4. The Doctors Show: Lynne Matallana, president and founder of the National Fibromyalgia Association, was a featured guest on the April 16 episode of “The Doctors,” a one-hour, daytime TV talk show that launched in September 2008 on CBS. Click here to view the clip.

5. Awareness Day Update: Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is quickly approaching. For an update on events or to download the Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone Fact Sheet, click here.

6. Funding Allocated for Fibromyalgia Research: The Omnibus Appropriations Acts, 2009 (H.R. 1105) has been approved by congress and the president. The appropriations bill, which became public law on March 11, 2009, includes language specific to the funding of scientific research for fibromyalgia. Click here for more information.

7. The Patient’s Role in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia: This presentation, featuring NFA President Lynne Matallana, was given during the OFFER 2007 Patient's Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Highlights include responses to the five most frequently asked questions, self-management tips, new treatment options, and more. Click here to watch the presentation.

8. Pain Care Policy: The House of Representatives passed the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009 on March 30 (H.R. 756). Designed to improve pain management and address the barriers to patients’ access to pain care, the bill has been introduced to the Senate and referred to a committee (S. 660). Please take a moment to send a letter to your senator urging his/her sponsorship of the Pain Care Policy Act. (Click here for a list of senators in your state.) A template letter is available at http://www.painfoundation.org/.

9. Promising Future Treatment Option: A low dose of a drug called naltrexone was found to reduce symptoms of pain and fatigue an average of 30 percent over placebo, according a small pilot study by Stanford University School of Medicine. According to the study, the drug is particularly promising because of the few treatment options available for fibromyalgia patients, its low cost of about $40 a month and its limited side effects. Researchers are moving forward with a second study. Click here for the full release.

10. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fibromyalgia: The Second Edition of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fibromyalgia has been released by the Penguin Group. Authored by Lynne Matallana, president of the NFA, the revised and updated book shows readers how to tackle fibromyalgia symptoms on a daily basis— and enhance their quality of life. Survival Skills, Communication and Relationships, a Guide to Finding a Doctor and Treating Overlapping Conditions are just a few of the areas addressed. Click here to order a copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fibromyalgia, Second Edition.

This issue of Fibromyalgia News & Resources is sponsored by

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