DOM'S NEWSLETTER

1. LETTER FROM A READER

"I have to let you know right off the top..what finding your site has done for me. I have been in tears ever-since I started reading over your glorious information to even now I am having problems seeing the letters on my keyboard..because of the tears..the tears that feel wonderful to release for it has been along time coming. So I have to let you know first and foremost thank you, thank you and thank you for spending your days informing, making aware, comforting and allowing us with Fibro..to have a place to go to where we all can relate with compassion and receive exceptional educational awareness that we oh so need. No-douht..you know your stuff..I wish that I could have came across your site years ago. But everything happens for a reason and I am just so most thankful to be linked up to you now. I have suffered from this awful syndrome over 10 years now and suffered I have. Thank God that I finally found a doctor that found out what has been debilitating me for years now. I believe it took her a whole 20 mins. to give me a diagnose. LOL..Amazing! But I will not go into all that I have been through today for my main reason for this first letter is to THANK YOU and I do. May God Bless You!!!"

2. LYRICA (revisited)

"Have you had any feedback from folks taking Lyrica? I would appreciate any information you may have on it."

[You can send comments about Lyrica to dombush@bellsouth.net.]

"I’m just beginning my journey of healing. I think I’ve had CFS for a long time but since the difficult birth (5 day labor and a mean doctor!) of my baby last Feb, I’ve had flare-up after flare-up. My primary care physician has tried to be helpful but finally recommended that I go to a rheumotalogist. My appt is next week. I have severe body aches, sore throat and ears, fatigue, hot flashes, racing thoughts, inflamed tongue, etc. The list goes on and on. Right now, I’m taking lots of vitamins and hydrocordone. I drink lots of water and try to get as much rest as I can for a mom with two kids who is working full-time."

[5 day labor with a mean doctor??? How awful! This reader had both incredible physical and emotional trauma that triggered her current flare. See my Good Doctors/Bad Doctors page at www.fms-help.com/doctors.htm. To rate your doctor or hospital, sign up at Revolution Health www.revolutionhealth.com/preview?code=uQgwZp8CMj. It's free! I did!]

4. YOUR SKIN IS A BIG SPONGE!

Got this link from a reader--

www.terressentials.com/ingredientguide.html - Short quote: "Recent studies have shown that we may actually acquire more toxins through skin absorption and inhalation than through the foods that we eat. Because the skin is the largest organ in the body, this is a substantial surface area through which toxic chemical migration may occur. When you rub chemicals on your skin, they can pass straight through and enter your bloodstream within minutes. Think about how nicotine and birth control patches work. Personal care products should be as pure as the foods we eat."

[This site has a complete list of both natural and synthetic ingredients used in personal care products. I began thinking about this very subject last year when I began seriously using essential oils. Since you either inhale them or apply a few drops on your skin and they soak into your body and get into your bloodstream, I got to thinking about all the synthetic moisturizing lotions I've used for half a century. If those chemicals get into the body the same way oils do, I'm in big trouble and so are a lot of other people. I'm seriously studying the EODR (essential oils desk reference) and learning as much as I can. If you are intrigued about essential oils, see my page at www.fms-help.com/oils.htm (how I "discovered" the oils) or visit my oils store at http://dom.younglivingworld.com and you can order a free report from that site. I also write an oils newsletter, so if you want to be on that list, send me an email dombush@bellsouth.net and request the OILS newsletter. Donnie and I use them at home and they are so useful--some are good air fresheners and purifiers too. This company also makes some extremely good nutritional supplements, which I am using and very happy with. So as not to digress, I'll tell more about it in my oils newsletter.]

5. METHADONE (revisited)

Reader #1

"I am so grateful you did an article on Methadone revisited at www.fms-help.com/011007.htm (item #8). I was upset by the lady who wrote in earlier against it. I am on it also, and it has been a life saver to me, and yes that is one drug I will stay on as long as I am allowed."

Reader #2--

"So glad to hear others feedback on Methadone. I don't need to be anonymous anymore! I thought the reader who thought she was "possessed" on opiates (& her witch-burning sisters wearing their white robes with KKK on them) might get me! LOL!

So from now on feel free to share my name & E-M on this subject. 12 days now on Methadone I am finally able to take 5mgs per day & side effects (in my case being hyper) are disappearing. I am completely off xanax and vicodin! (Altho I was told I could use vicodin if I had breakthru pain). I am sleeping sooooo well! My pain level is around a 4-5. I was typically an 8+ on the 0-10 Richter scale. I really am more alert and clear headed. Maybe you can tell: I never had the energy to write or post anything before now. Really appreciate hearing from other readers who were brave enough to come forward on this subject & know I am not going you-know-where for taking methadone prescribed for me by my physician for FMS/CFS. The whole point of this wonderful newsletter of yours is to "share" info that may help others with this disease that is breaking up marriages, rendering men & woman of all ages helpless and even attacking children & teens. That's "my prayer" that we may continue to support each other in a positive way. Lord knows we don't need anymore doubting Thomas' or condemnation than we already face! Thanks for the wonderful job of editing & all the work you put into this newsletter in spite of your own pain. You are truly appreciated. Even when I couldn't get out of bed or participate I always read your newsletter." - Carolyn Carolj5959@aol.com

6. AMANTADINE (anti-viral)

From a reader--

"I have been ill with CFS for almost 4 years now. I was diagnosed within 1 month of my illness and my doctor, who is a very well known NYC CFS/FM Physician immediately put me on amantadine as an antiviral after testing postive for HHV6, Epstein Barr and Mycoplasma. I stayed on the Amantadine for aprrox 6 months and it really did not help my CFS at all. I thought since I caught it right away and was diagnosed so quickly that the amantadine would help, but here I am 4 years later, still struggling with this illness. All the amantadine did was make me very dizzy."

7. MYCOPLASMAS

From a reader--

"The first link is from Raintree and shows Mycoplasmas relation to Fibromyalgia. The second link is from HSI, and the last one is also from Raintree , shows the variety of Mycoplamsas and what they do.

http://www.rain-tree.com/fibromyalgia.htm

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/articles/hsi_2001ds/hsi_200107_awl9.html

http://www.rain-tree.com/myco.htm#disease."

[Also see my mycopasma site at www.fms-help.com/mycoplasma.htm.]

8. MIRAPEX

From a reader--

"I ordered and watched the DVD "Show Me Where It Hurts". It is very impressive. I convinced my Doctor to prescribe Mirapex, one of the medications they talk about in the DVD. I tried it for 11/2 months. It did not do anything for me. I wrote to one of the doctors in the DVD. He answered my letter (copied below) . He says that the dose I tried was not high enough. I was on .5 mg . per day. This was the does recommended by my doc as a starter. This is what Dr. Holman wrote back:

"Mirapex is ineffective at doses lower than 4.5 mg at bedtime. The titration here is spread out over 3 months (minimum). Inefficacy nearly always relates to having a second problem able to block the Mirapex effect by activating the autonomic nervous system. We always screen for them before starting Mirapex, as it states in the Mirapex paper in Arthritis & Rheumatism (attached). We check for positional cervical myelopathy and obstructive sleep apnea. I hope your doctors read the paper and checked for these issues so common in patents with FMS. If they did not, they should call me. It took us a while to figure out why some patients failed to respond as well. But, it made all the difference, because they eventually responded. - Best regards, Andrew J Holman MD, Pacific Rheumatology Research, Inc., Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Washington, 4300 Talbot Road South, Suite 101, Renton, WA 98055"

9. BEDDING

From a reader--

"Do the materials you sleep on effect you? I am shopping for new bedding.. organic (after spending a fortune on tempurpedic and realizing I am sniffing neurotoxins... and that's probably not a good idea. My nervous system is insanely hypersensitive in any case."

[Comments, anyone?]

10. METHYL & RED BEETS

From a reader--

"It is known that people with FM and CFS are low in Betaine and Trimethylglycine. Both these are abundantly present in red Beet. A teaspoonful of beet powder mixed with water after a meal will give all the betaine needed for digestion and TMG for energy production. A good book to read on Methylation is called "Methyl Magic" by Craig Cooney, Ph.D. It shows how essential Methylation is to life process and energy production. Folic acid, SAMe , TMG and B12 are great Methyl donors. Without Methylation life processes would come to a halt."

11. ANESTHESIA

From a reader--

"Another thing that helped was an IV drip I had for surgery..... a sedative that I would stay conscious during surgery but not remember anything.
I was out of pain for 10 days after the surgery.....I think fibro (mine) might be an anxiety/sleep/nervous system disorder... dont know which comes first."

[Any comments from readers in the medical field? Please email dombush@bellsouth.net.]

12. SLEEP

From a reader--

"I am grateful to toss and turn with some sleep till 4 AM.... I am learning....4 is morning..... dark and lonesome.. but it's been better thinking it's time to get up rather than thinking I should be asleep."

[Oh, this poor reader!!!! Sounds like how I used to be for sooooo many years!!! My insomnia story is at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. A list of all the things I tried for sleep and how they worked is at www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm. The current list of things I use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. I think the wretched insomnia was the worst part of my fibromyalgia experience. It is life-wrecking!]

13. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

"I recently came across a book written by Dr. Mark Pimentel about IBS. He said that IBS is caused by bacteria from the large intestine that get into the small intestine. His web site is www.anewibssolution.com."

14. FIBRO & FATIGUE CENTER (revisited)

"I had viruses which are now gone. Dr. Campo at the F&F Center treated me with artemisinin, a natural supplement which is made by Allergy Research Group, and also a supplement called "Anti-Viral" supplement made by Ultraceuticals. I buy them both at the F&F Center. I had a pretty bad healing crisis with them, but they knocked out the viruses. You can always give my name and email address if anybody wants to contact me." - Lori Chefec lchefec@optonline.net

15. QUESTRAN (CHOLESTYRAMINE) OR WELCHEL?

"Regarding Questran [cholestyramine], at the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Center Dr. Campo put me on Welchol instead of Questran to get rid of the neurotoxins. You only have to take it twice a day, instead of 4 with Questran. I was on Welchol for four months and it was very effective and easy and I got rid of all the neurotoxins (according to my applied kinesiology) I have so many other issues e.g. lyme, hormonal, that I can't say I feel alot better, but the Welchol definitely gets rid of neurotoxins. The only thing that's difficult about it is the timing of when to take it (one hour after supplements in a.m. and one hour after nighttime supplements/meds, then you need to eat fat 1/2 hour after you take the Welchol. I used a timer and took my nighttime meds & supplements earlier. Also, to your reader with lyme who's hoping to use Questran to get rid of lyme, lyme is a bacteria and you must go on an antibiotic. Dr. Campo put me on antibiotics and so far in five weeks with alot of other treatments and supplements I've been using to rebuild my immune system I believe I've killed 90% of the lyme. I also tested positive for erlichiosis, which is now gone. And I also had h pylori, parasites and candida, but I got rid of those with homeopathic medicine before I even found out about the lyme. I'm also on tons of hormones--cortisol, progesterone, estrogren, growth hormone, dhea, -- and I'm finally feeling a little better. Today I did a fully body clay detox and it helped alot. I know I'm going to beat this, even though it's costing a lot of money. Hopefully in the next few months my pituitary gland will start to work and produce hormones again. I'm glad to head the person who went to the [Fibro & Fatigue] center in Georgia is finding it helpful. One thing they definitely know there is what tests to give. I'm so glad I started going there, I really believe I will have my life back someday soon."

Well, that's all for now. Check out my homepage at www.fms-help.com. Use the google search box on that page to look for topics on my site or in my newsletters. It will search the whole site.

Dominie Soo Bush

email: dombush@bellsouth.net

(sorry I can't answer email personally, but I do read what you send)

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