June 2, 2007

A compassionate, informative newsletter for people with FMS/CFIDS/ME

(fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, and myalgic encephalomyelitis)

TOPICS ARE IN PURPLE. MY COMMENTS ARE IN TEAL. By the way, I could sure use some feedback on my personal update, #28 below.....thanks! - Dominie dombush@bellsouth.net

Chronic Pain is Literally Distracting

http://arthritis.about.com/b/a/257583.htm

Chronic pain affects a person's ability to work, sleep pattern, and ability to perform essential daily activities. Researchers at the University of Alberta have confirmed that chronic pain can impair your memory and your ability to concentrate too. Two-thirds of study participants with chronic pain demonstrated significant disruption of attention and memory when they were tested.

In a study of 24 patients, researchers concluded that pain may disrupt the maintenance of the memory trace required to hold information for processing and retain it for storage in long-term memory stores. The study which was published in the May 2007 issue of the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, found that chronic pain drives people to distraction - literally.

All of the study participants had pain for six month or longer. Study participants were given computerized tests of working memory along with a neuropsychological test of attention before and after procedures to reduce pain. Sixteen of the 24 participants with chronic pain, or 67 percent, had scores in the clinically impaired range on tasks requiring attention. Participants with the highest level of impairment had significantly greater difficulties in maintaining a memory trace during a test of working memory. If you suffer with chronic pain, and you experience what is often referred to as "brain fog", it is likely more than a mere coincidence. This small but significant study confirms it.

9. LYMPH NODES

Question from a reader--

"Have any of your newsletters had any information about enlarged lymph nodes. I was wondering if this is something to do with the fibromyalgia . I have had a couple of cat scans for various different pains and the only thing that is shows is enlarged lymph nodes. Also my son seems to have fibro also. One of his complants is pain in the testicles, in which the dr.s have found no cause. I was wondering if that is a problem with the men and fibro. Thanks in advance for any information you are able to give me."

10. MILNACIPRAN

From a reader--

"After the close yesterday, Cypress and its partner Forest (ph) Laboratories said phase III trials of their Milnacipran drug showed significant therapeutic effects on patients suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome, big, big move there. This antidepressant was available in 2002 through Canada...now available in USA. Have been told by one person who took it for 1 year that she saw no significant improvement in her fibro...however, she was taking a dosage "recommended" and not prescribed and says it may have been too low to work properly."

I really think the UK sight that was on your newsletter really sums up this illness in an egg shell. It's everything, the severe chronic excruciating widespread pain is from an inflamed central nervous system, there is also an endocrine imbalance where all the hormones are out of balance just like with me( sometimes regular labs don't pick this up), it also talks about the skin discoloration in the legs, chest pain, memory fog, gastrointestinal problems( diarrhea & constipation),decreased concentration,visual problems, vasculitis,vascular head aches, chemical sensitivities,chronic sinusitis, fatigue, joint aches,numbness,sleep dysfunction& tingling in the extremities, muscle spasms and everything( I know some people don't have all of these symptoms, but probably have many of them as well as others)!! It also talks about how it is caused by viruses, bacteria & chemical exposures and how at a stressful time in your life ( divorce, car accident, etc) you cannot handle all this and that any of these things or a combination of them can take over your body(especially in people like me & mom with some sort of genetic immune dysfunction). I have had Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, Parvo Virus B-19 and Epstein barr virus as well as being exposed to toxic chemicals. It also talks about the auto antibodies that are positive in many people with this (I think many don't even know about this because they are often found in advanced testing ). These antibodies are attacking our bodies! This sums up all my problems all into one & many of mom's too.

This is why I believe that decreasing the toxic level in your body with antibacterial, antiviral, antifungals, colon cleansing, etc. must help with this condition ( at least in the early stages)!! If I can't find the cure then I will work on a way to manage it so that people will not have to suffer such a life of agony & pain as me & mom have! I make it through my every day with the help of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Through his strength I can do all things! Remember this life here on earth is only a very small amount of time compared to the eternity that we will have in heaven if we except him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus died on the cross for all of us and bore our sins & sickness at that time. By his stripes ( blood) we are healed. So you will be healed here on earth or healed once you get to heaven if you ask him into your heart and ask him to forgive all of your sins! The wonderful thing is that in heaven we will have new bodies! God is the Great physician and loves every one of you. I know at times you may feel abandoneded by him, but he is always there. I believe it is a true test of our faith to be this sick & not understand why and still trust in him to get us through. I think that we should make the best of this journey to wellness no matter how sick we may be. I think that being sick has totally changed my whole outlook on life and has brought me so much closer to the Lord. I often ask for divine healing from him, but he keeps telling me that right now is not the time and that he is strong in my weakness. So, I will continue to press through till it's his time and not mine."

[Lately I've had to depend a lot more than usual on maintaining an antibacterial lifestyle (I have to be almost as careful as an AIDS patient around germs), and taking anti-biotics, anti-virals and anti-fungals as needed. It really gets to be a drag, but the alternative is increased suffering and having my health slide downhill even worse. For a list of things I currently use and do to make my life more comfortable, see www.fms-help.com/what.htm. Different things work for different people - there is no one "magic bullet" yet for FMS/CFIDS/ME, but we can keep sharing information and maybe help another person find something that can make a significant improvement in their quality of life.]

Been thinking about the role of the hypothalamus in FMS/CFIDS/ME. Today I was recalling times that I got very sick from becoming damp and slightly chilled at the same time - most recently while attending an outdoor wedding at a beautiful park on the river. It was around 7 pm, damp and breezy, although not cold. The girls in the wedding were wearing strapless gowns and did not seem a bit chilled. I, on the other hand, spent the next week in bed with awful viral symptoms. The hypothalamus is the temperature-regulator of the body, right? Many of our symptoms seem to be caused by this gland malfunctioning. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Write me at dombush@bellsouth.net. I am not a doctor, so don't know a whole lot about this. However, see my page on the overactive hypothalamus at www.fms-help.com/hypothalamus.htm.

www.rebuildermedical.com This is the small machine that revitalizes the energy pathways

http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00768.html This supplement helps renew the Mitochondria Energy

www.ntfactor.com After reading this article look for their product "Healthy Aging with High Potency NT Factor , 120 tablets

http://www.standardprocess.com/display/router.aspx this company is located about 70 miles from my home. They have been in business 75 years. Their products are highly respected, and generally sold through Chiropractors and such.

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Bioenergy-RIBOSE-5-g-per-serving-10-6-oz-300-g This is the D-Ribose doctor Paul Cheney recommends. (The $10,000 doc?) Ribose increases heart energy.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=needak+rebounder This page from Google shows all the sources of Needak rebounder. There are other good Rebounders also.

http://www.fernsnutrition.com/water_ionizers.html This is one page for Water Ionizer

http://www.kabencompany.com/products-regency-all-info.html This is a good brand water ionizer

Also look for "Deer Antler Velvet" from New Zealand. Blake Sawyer sells this and Regency II water ionizer. 877-488-7423

16. TEST FOR FIBROMYALGIA

From a reader--

http://www.autoimmune.com - Using innovative, proprietary medical research discoveries,
Autoimmune Technologies is developing medical diagnostic tests,
exploring disease mechanisms, and investigating therapies
for autoimmune diseases, breast cancer, and other disorders.

"CHINA HAS A SOLUTION FOR THE FDA's PROBLEM - by Byron J. Richards, CCN May 30, 2007 NewsWithViews.com - The penalty in China is death, in America its business as usual. Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of China’s FDA, was sentenced to death for accepting $832,000 in drug company bribes and for dereliction of duty. Like China, our country is in the middle of a drug and food safety crisis. Why is FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D. getting a free pass? Why did the Senate just pass legislation (S.1082) that gives von Eschenbach significantly more power to do whatever he pleases? And exactly what is it that von Eschenbach is doing?" http://www.newswithviews.com/Richards/byron32.htm"

26. DR. PHIL

Dr. Phil had a show on this week with a husband whose wife was recently diagnosed with MS (an autoimmune disease) and he was complaining about it and fighting with her. (Boy, he sure did not "get it"!!) However, it must be a huge letdown for spouses of people with chronic illness who may never get well--and to watch that person become more and more debilitated--to have to pick up the heavy end of the load at home and supporting the family. Needless to say, chronic illness strains the best of marriages. Maybe counseling would be a good idea for recently diagnosed families? Here are a few comments about chronic illness and family life www.fms-help.com/relationships.htm.

DOM'S NEWSLETTER

June 2, 2007