3.
READER NEEDS TMJ ADVICE
"WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF
ANYONE SUFFERS WITH TMJ AND IF SO WHAT THEY DO FOR IT, I HAVE IT AND IT IS
REALLY HARD TO FIND ANY ONE WHO WILL DIAGNOSE IT, I DIAGNOSED MYSELF FROM ALL
THE SYMPTOMS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. I WOULDN’T WISH THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY. MY
HEAD HURTS JUST ABOUT ALL THE TIME AND MY UPPER BACK MUSCLE HURT AND KNOT
UP. I wear dentures and I have been told that
if they don’t fit right or get loose over time it can cause TMJ. I just know
that every day of my life I am hurting in my head, face, and upper back and who
knows where else."
[In my
30's, I had TMJ
also. I had to wear a mouth device at night to keep me from grinding my
teeth. I was told I don't have any cartilage left in my jaw joints. My
teeth kept slipping and hitting point on point. Had my teeth ground down a
number of times. Finally, things settled down. I think it has to do with
weak muscles also in the jaw area. I've heard of people wearing mouth
appliances even all day to keep the pain down. See Topic #5
below.]
4.
PROVIGIL & INSURANCE
From a
reader--
"Topic 13 of June 12th newsletter
www.fms-help.com/061207.htm about
the poor gal whose insurance wouldn't cover Provigil. I just wanted to pass on /
remind you that my Insurance did cover the Provigil after initially refusing
after I did a Sleep study which found clear
Sleep Apnea, for
which Provigil is prescribed."
5.
HELP FOR TINNITUS & TMJ
From a
reader--
"In regard to the ear/tinnitus thing on this
most recent newsletter, yes, I have that sort of thing! All these things
seem so random, but maybe they're not so random. I have major problems
with my TMJ joint (which has been mostly fixed by wearing a
splint 24/7 for the past 4 months) but I still have ear ringing
occasionally. Actually I really don't know if what I experience is normal
or not. My ears will ring for maybe 30 seconds and then stop. This
happens maybe once a week. But I have found that I'm
extremely sensitive to ringing in the environment. I
will hear equipment in lab ringing and it drives me absolutely crazy...like, I
have to get away from it regardless of what I'm doing.... but it
doesn't seem to bother my labmates. And I seem to be bothered
by the TV ringing a lot, whereas my husband doesn't notice it
all. Never really thought of it as an FMS thing, but maybe it
is. I also still have pain deep in my ears sometimes,
but my oral surgeon thinks that is due to the TMJ.
But us fibro people tend to have a lower threshold for pain
so I'm sure that is why also. Actually since wearing the
splint, my ear pain, face pain, shoulder and upper back pain have all
gotten significantly better."
6. VACCINES
Link from a reader with lots of
info about vaccines and their controversy, Gulf War Syndrome, ME/CFS, autism,
Lyme, etc.--
|
The One Click Group - Health
Advocacy
A Pressure Group that provides opposition to the
psychiatric paradigm for patients suffering from diseases such as
Lyme Disease/Borreliosis, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) et al. We carry breaking news,
information and archive resources on a variety of health issues today.
She also sent this comment about the
HPV vaccine mentioned on this site--
"For the HPV info,
scroll down a few items; women have as much chance of dying in a traffic
accident as getting the virus; and the vaccine has a lot wrong with
it. reconsider getting this vaccine. Cervical cancer is
RARE....and our bodies are able to fight this virus without the
vaccine." |
7. WORK FROM HOME IDEAS NEEDED
"Has anybody found any "Work from Home Jobs" that are
legit jobs & don't cost anything to do??? I'm really wanting to find a
job--not a business of my own. Something like medical transcription, data
entry, customer service, putting products together, mailing
things...something."
[As intelligent and talented as those of
us are who have FMS/CFIDS, we would be ideal candidates for a company to
hire us to work from home. The only thing we need is to be able to
work at our own pace. We tend to be faithful, dependable and have
lots of experience in our chosen fields before we blew a fuse. If
anyone wants info on my work from home idea, please write me at dombush@bellsouth.net.]
8. HEALED OF FIBRO?
From a
reader--
"Topic 7 www.fms-help.com/061807.htm
is not a good entry, for no one has been healed from FM - this person may
currently have a remission (which I had for almost a year and a half) but
to my knowledge there have been no definitive long term cures. I think
this entry is unhelpful and to be honest, I can feel my blood start to
boil. I am currently doing all those things and though they be
helpful they are not curative unto themselves. If it was that
simple well, hallelujah! But for me and hundreds of thousands if not
millions like me, no, it is not. Too simplified and the outcome she or he
states is unquantifiable. Not good. Just makes the rest of us feel like
losers, idiots and fakers."
9. CANADIAN HEALTH CARE
From a
reader--
"I noticed the letter
fom a fellow Canadian www.fms-help.com/061807.htm
about social medicine here in Canada. I live in British
Columbia and don't even have to make appointments with my doctor. He
only works two days a week, so I have to go in on days that he is
working. He retired, but decided to "dabble" due to boredom.
There are other doctors available if I have some problem that can't wait
until his days on. These are semi-retired doctors and very young
doctors that are setting up new practices, so I can get both
perspectives. This drop-in clinic is a new concept that seems to
work very well for me. The clinic is open 12 hours a day 7 days a
week, so working people can get in to see the doctor as well.
I've never had to wait more than 40 minutes. I've
only seen one other doctor there when mine was gadding about in Europe for
6 weeks and I needed a prescription refill.
Wait time on specialists in
this area is something I'm not familiar with as where I lived before
I had to go out of town for them. Now that I'm in the big city
(rural suburb actually) things should happen a little faster and there
should be more choices. I did go for a sleep study here and only had
to wait 3 days to get in. I'm pretty sure
that the chatter about wait time is just propoganda from the
polititians.
Prescription coverage is based on
income on a sliding scale so people on disability, welfare, the working
poor, etc. are able to get their medicines free. Due to our
income we would have to pay full price but we have extended benefits
through my husband's employer so mine are free regardless.
So social medicine is not the
boogeyman it is said to be. Income tax is
higher, perhaps, but if you don't got, you don't pay
and will even get a cheque in the mail several times a year
instead of a tax bill if your income is low enough (below 30,000, I
believe, don't quote me on this one) or you have enough
dependants. Military spending is WAY lower in Canada, so we have
medicine instead."
10. COST OF TREATING FIBRO
From a
reader--
"Re: Topic 15 - www.fms-help.com/061807.htm
- Scary about how the "professionals" are thinking of now dealing with it.
You know, those people, there is just no other way to say this, are just
plain evil thinking. It's evil and ignorance personified. They
think they are excluded from illness and dying and what comes
after. Boy, do they have a surprise coming their
way!"
|
|
11.
GABAPENTIN FOR FIBRO PAIN
Article from a
reader--
[I had horrible pain
with my fibro for the first 14 years. Then in 1996, I found several things
that helped me greatly. My current list is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. If
you scroll toward the end, you'll see a list of the things that I think helped
my pain go away. I am not a doctor, just a patient, but maybe some of
these will help other sufferers as well. We all take too many drugs, but
if we need them to function in order to have a reasonably comfortable life--and
without too many adverse side effects--they are sometimes necessary.
Nearly all of the people I hear from who have found relief from their symptoms
have done so with nutritional or dietary interventions. Anway, check out
my list for some ideas.]
12.
FRAGRANCE FREE PERSONAL PRODUCTS
From a
reader--
"For
absolutely fragrance-free, dye-free and chemical free shampoo, soap, lip balm,
hair spray, gel, etc. http://www.psico.com."
13. LYRICA HELPS FIBRO PAIN IN SOME, BUT NOT
OTHERS
A reader sent this link
to an article from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration--"Living with
Fibromyalgia - First Drug Approved"
14. KERATOSIS PILARIS
I have had this
unattractive skin condition most of my life--reddish bumps and rough skin on the
backs of my upper arms. There were even some sores that wouldn't heal (how
yucky). I have tried soooo many things over the years to cure
this ugly condition. I was very self-conscious about my arms.
Recently I began using a body lotion made with essential oils. I was
shocked at the drastic improvement! I am wearing sleeveless outfits this
summer! I also use this lotion as a general body and face
moisturizer. It makes my skin velvety soft and smooth. It's not too
pricey either. If you want info, email dombush@bellsouth.net.
15. TRUE GRIT!
Got this from a
friend--
"This is a true person--a Chinese woman born
without arms, but she can use her feet to cook, to sew, and everything.
Although in Cantonese, the pictures are self-explanatory. A lesson to us
all! She is amazing! I will always put her as my role model when I
am down. She is also giving us the message how to utilize every part of
our body and learn how to overcome our fear and live well. Watch this
amazing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GNzBFnUAdo."
[As unbelievably difficult as this dear
woman's life is without arms, I am amazed at her strength,
resourcefulness and physical flexibility. God bless her!!! I
know you can't compare afflictions, but it came to my mind that people with
severe FMS/CFIDS/ME may have all of their body parts but still be unable to
function enough to take care of themselves, much less their families.
FMS/CFIDS/ME can be an incredibly disabling illness--and since it is
"invisible," there is little sympathy. Sufferers are often seen as
malingerers of hypochondriacs. Check out the links on my homepage at www.fms-help.com for some articles on this
subject. Meanwhile, I am being very thankful for my
arms!]
16.
ROYAL JELLY
Has anyone tried royal
jelly for FMS/CFIDS/ME? It's the food the queen bee eats in a bee
hive. It is NOT honey. If you have a comment about this, please
write dombush@bellsouth.net.
Since 1982, I have heard of just about every supplement and med that is used to
treat fibro, but have never heard anyone talk about royal jelly, so just
curious.
17. NASAL WASHING
Very interesting link
from a reader--
18. DOM'S UPDATE
Well, things are
looking UP, UP, UP!!!!! I have been feeling GREAT these past 2 weeks!!!
Here's how it happened...
Last month my
ever-observant husband said he thought I should go back to using two products I
used many years ago. He has seen me acting like a "semi-dead" person for over 2 years now.
After
only 2 days on these products, my debilitating
fatigue and "fog" left and haven't come back. I feel fine! This stuff is like
rocket fuel!!! My family can't
get over the change in me. For so long I have been barely
functioning. Many days I hardly had the energy to shower and dress--I would literally
groan from the tremendous effort of it
all! I had to spend a lot of time resting, but it brought no relief.
There were
times when I gave in to tears of frustration, misery and self-pity!
(Those of you who have been reading my newsletters know about these difficult
times--maybe you experience them
too.....) It is very hard for us Type A people to feel so depleted
and useless.
I thank God
that I feel like myself again! I have energy to burn and my interest in life is returning.
For example,
today we went to the mall. Normally, I wouldn't even attempt to
accompany my husband due to fatigue. Or if I did go, I would be in an
agony of exhaustion and couldn't wait to leave. Sometimes I had to go sit
in the car and put the seat back to rest. My brain and body felt totally
overwhelmed and exhausted by all the stimuli--too many people, noises, objects,
distractions, etc. It was awful!!!!! (See the
interesting article on my homepage called "Drained by the
Brain" www.fms-help.com/yuppie.htm.)
Today I
enjoyed looking around in the stores! I noticed people with
interest and felt like a normal person.
I am just delighted with this respite from suffering. Evidently
something got fixed that wasn't working right. (Who
knows? I'm not a doctor...)
If you want info
on these two products, please email me dombush@bellsouth.net. I don't
know if they will help you or not. They don't claim to be a cure for
anything, but they are money back, and that's important for all of us who have
had "cash-ectomies" from chronic
illness.
Til next
time,
Dominie
Soo Bush
DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE