DOM'S NEWSLETTER
www.fms-help.com
SEPTEMBER
28, 2010
A Christian-based
newsletter for people with Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune
Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - and their
families.
Previous newsletter: www.fms-help.com/092510.htm Archives: www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm Fibro Story: www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm
CFIDS
Story: www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm Insomnia Story: www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm What I Use: www.fms-help.com/what.htm
14 TOPICS below. Don't miss the RED ones. Readers comments in BLACK. My comments in
TEAL.
1. READERS WRITE
"How happy I was to come across
your 100 Tips for Fibromyalgia www.fms-help.com/tips.htm. It is the most comprehensive
list that I have read to date."
"Thank you for all your
information. It is very comforting to know that we are not alone,
or crazy, contrary to what most physicians believe."
"You are doing a good
service. I know it takes a lot of your time."
2. HERPES VIRUS - COLD SORES -
SHINGLES
From a reader--
"The herpes family of viruses
and a handful of bacteria is probably behind a great deal of people with these
waxing and waning symptoms. They are not easily
detected short of a spinal tap and even then it might be negative. This
herpes family reside in almost all of us. Something wrong with the immune
system and possibly the strain have to do with recurrent
activations. The activations that are found--
1. Common
cold sores - easy to see and usually local
2.
Shingles - again easy to see
3. Encephalitis - not so
easy to see and if you read case studies you will find that they usually
diagnoses it after its gone too far. MRI will be negative up to a
point. Blood tests will be inconclusive. Spinal tap is needed or in
some cases an actual biopsy of the brain. This should be easy but even
with a positive MRI they still have some problems confirming it.
4. Iritis - most one time
cases are diagnosed as idiopathic (meaning we don't know the cause) But
the most common bug associated with these idiopathic cases is herpes
simplex. It not investigated unless it becomes a problem. One
iritis is not enough to investigate.
So if one to have a low grade
activation in the brain, it will be much harder to diagnose. It would wax
and wane each time debilitating. There could be low grade
inflammation which would feel flu-like but without the
vomiting. Herpes virus stay dormant in ganglia and can be very
localized affecting only one part of the body. At least in some people I
believe this to be the case. This is where immunoglobin therapy may be
helpful."
FROM
DOM: I suffered with cold sores that were becoming increasingly severe in
size and duration during the past 10 years. I also had a horrible
(excruciating) bout with shingles for the first time in my life, despite never
having had chicken pox as a child. But last year I finally found a
way to reduce the outbreak of the herpes virus to zero! See
www.fms-help.com/coldsores.htm.
3. RALTEGRAVIR
From a reader re:
XMRV/CFS--
http://www.cfsresearch.org/cfs/xmrv/raltegravir-potent-inhibitor-xmrv-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htm
Principal Findings -
Forty-five compounds, including
twenty-eight drugs approved for use in humans, were evaluated against XMRV
replication in vitro. We found that the retroviral integrase inhibitor,
raltegravir, was potent and selective against XMRV at submicromolar
concentrations, in MCF-7 and LNCaP cells, a breast cancer and prostate cancer
cell line, respectively. Another integrase inhibitor, L-000870812, and two
nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, zidovudine (ZDV), and tenofovir
disoproxil fumarate (TDF) also inhibited XMRV replication. When combined, these
drugs displayed mostly synergistic effects against this virus, suggesting that
combination therapy may delay or prevent the selection of resistant
viruses.
Background -
Xenotropic murine leukemia-related
retrovirus (XMRV) is a recently discovered retrovirus that has been linked to
human prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Both diseases affect a
large fraction of the world population, with prostate cancer affecting one in
six men, and CFS affecting an estimated 0.4 to 1% of the population.
FROM
DOM: Read more about the XMRV/CFS connection at www.fms-help.com/XMRV.htm. This discovery was announced by
the Whittemore Peterson Institute in November 2009 and has since been confirmed
by the NIH, although there is still debate about it.
4. CT SCANS CAUSE
CANCER
http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/09/25/high-ct-scan-radiation-is-deadly.aspx - CT scan radiation is deadly
5. LOW DOSE KETAMINE
From a reader--
"For those that might have some
damage to neurons or leaky myelin, there are a few medications that stimulate
rebuilding of neuron connections. Some have profound effects such as
Ketamine. This may be helpful for people that have
neurocognitive issues. I do know a few doctors. suffering
from lyme that have tried this and it is said to give the WOW
effect for around 30 days or more. 30 days of feeling better
than you have in years. I'm considering this [plus immunoglobulin
therapy]. The downside is no worse than many commonly prescribed
medications. Its not mainstream so I would doubt it would be
offered."
Experimental antidepressant
use
When treating patients suffering
from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with a low-dose (subanesthetic)
ketamine infusion, it was observed that some patients made a
significant recovery from associated depression.
This recovery was not formally documented, as the primary concern was the
treatment of the patient's pain. It was not possible to quantify to what degree
depression recovery was secondary to the patient's recovery from CRPS. Based on
this result, it was thought that a low-dose (subanesthetic) infusion of ketamine
was worth a trial in patients who were suffering from treatment-resistant
depression without other physical or psychiatric illness.
Correll, et al. gave
ketamine intravenously to patients commencing at 15–20 mg/h
(0.1–0.2 mg/kg/h) and the dose increased until a maximum tolerated dose was
achieved. This dose was assumed to be a therapeutic dose and was maintained for
5 days. Patients were able to eat, drink, watch television, or read. They could
feel inebriated and/or unsteady when walking. If hallucinations occurred, the
dose was to be reduced. The patients' normal medications were continued as it
was feared that stopping them might result in severe depressive episodes. Before
and following each treatment with ketamine, at patient clinic visits, the
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) were obtained. Two of the patients were
described with "impressive", as described by an attending doctor, improvement in
depression being maintained for 12 months in patient A and recurrence at 2.5
months and 9 months in patient B.[34]
The National Institute of Health News reports that a study of 18 patients has found
that ketamine significantly improved treatment-resistant major depression within
hours of injection.[35]
The improvement lasted up to one week after the single dose.[36]
The patients in the study were previously treatment resistant, having tried an
average of six other treatments that failed. NIMH director Dr. Thomas Insel said
in the paper:
"To my knowledge, this is the
first report of any medication or other treatment that results in such a
pronounced, rapid, prolonged response with a single dose. These were very
treatment-resistant patients
FROM
DOM: I've reported on the ketamine coma for whole-body RSDS in
recenty newsletters www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm. It "reboots" the
brain. This reader mentions subanesthetic ketamine. Any
comments? Write dombush@bellsouth.net.
6. SICK BUILDINGS &
MOLD
From a reader--
"I'm currently dealing with a
MAJOR mold issue in my office, and it's made me severely sick,
and brain fog and fatigue are two of the worst symptoms I've
been dealing with, among many others. It's affecting me so bad I cannot
even function, I've had major brain fog, constant migraines, dizziness, I feel
like I'm intoxicated almost. All these neurological problems -
it's so scary. The problem is I LOVE my job but they had major water leaks. A
few people have been feeling sick, they had the carpets "cleaned", and now think
the mold issue is gone. The problem is that there is no ventilation in the
office so when they cleaned the carpets I don't think it fully dried and
probably caused more mold. I'm so upset because I've gone to so many
doctors and tried so many remedies (mainly natural), have been on a strict diet
and just feel worse. Its been about 3-4 months now since the last
leak."
FROM
DOM: This reader's experience is typical of people who write to
me about mold problems. It sounds almost exactly like my experience in
2004-2005 www.fms-help.com/mold.htm. Mold can be devastating
and disabling - even deadly. About 25% of the population is severely
adversely affected by mold. The first thing to do is GET AWAY FROM THE
MOLD, because your health and is at stake - possibly permanently. I am 5
years removed from my mold experience and my recovery has finally progressed to
90%, but I may never regain my pre-mold wellness. A list of
helpful things I use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. There is
no single thing that will make you well once you have become sick from
mold. Doctors don't know what to do about those who have become
environmentally ill. I used CSM for awhile, but ultimately it did not
help. Another site to check out is www.chronicneurotoxins.htm.
7. ESSIAC TEA & APPLE CIDER
VINEGAR
Responses to www.fms-help.com/092510.htm--
Reader 1--
"The tea is for detox and the
apple cider vinegar can kill yeast and bad bacteria and also provide acid for
digestion but ultimately it processes alkaline. The thing to be careful
with, for all of us out there with fibro and CFS is that our systems are very
sensitive. When you take either of these things you can release too many toxins
and get really sick or you can kill off too much bad stuff at one time and get
sick. I have used many products that have helped me a great deal and I am
living a normal life, but I will say I got very sick and ended up in the
hospital with apple cider vinegar as it did such a number on my GI tract.
The essaic tea just made me have the detox nausea and headache which went away
when I stopped taking it. So I caution all of you thinking about these
type products to use them, but to use very small amounts and start very
gradually and work up. As one article I read said, there is no prize for
getting there first and you may end up getting very sick if you try to detox too
quickly."
Reader 2--
"My grandmother had liver
cancer and was told to take Essiac tea. My grandfather would water it down to
conserve money (big mistake) and even so, she saw her tumor shrinking. The
doctors were guardedly optimistic. She was getting better, able to walk in the
mall, able to function again when a sales rep from a chemotherapy vendor
convinced her to try this 'new' and 'less toxic' form of chemo. She died in a
couple months from the chemo. She would have survived the liver cancer had she
not taken the chemo, but at 84 years old she had no business using chemo.
I have used Essiac on numerous occasions for treatment of chronic infection of
the sinuses. It's very helpful for shortening the duration of colds and flu as
well. It's an immune stimulant of some sort, so Fibro people should not overuse
it. Still, it's extremely helpful and I've heard of numerous people who have
used it to treat cancer. The four plants it contains all have chemicals in their
makeup that retard the formation and development of tumors. Anti-tumor chemicals
are not uncommon in plants, but strong ones such as found in Essiac aren't
common."
8. HOSPICE
From a reader re: www.fms-help.com/092510.htm--
"It is actually much less painful to die without both food and
fluids than just without food. Fluids keep you alive longer and don't allow the
natural mechanisms to take place. Both of my parents were allowed to
die this way with hospice care. God has designed our bodies to naturally shut
down this way. Artificially keeping elderly people or terminally ill
people alive is not, I believe, what God wants. (This is very different
than a younger or older person who is not dying i.e. euthanasia which I do not
believe in)."
9. AMALGAM (MERCURY
FILLING) REMOVAL
Reader 1--
"A friend of my husband's has fibromyalgia. Some years ago
he had his silver fillings taken out of his teeth. He was feeling
better in the beginning and then the help it gave seemed to go
away."
Reader 2--
"I had all my 6 amalgam
fillings removed 2 years ago by Dr. Glaros in Houston. His website is http://www.biologicaldentist.com .
I can’t say enough great things about him, his staff and procedure. He uses
strict protocol; mask, auxiliary air supply, rubber dams and goggles for the
patient. There is no chance that you will ingest or inhale anything while the
work is being done.
He
also uses nitrous oxide gas if you want, which was beyond
awesome!!! As you begin to breathe it, it’s like you’ve had 4 margaritas and you
are barely aware of what is going on. I was in the chair for several hours each
time and it felt like 10 minutes!!! If they need to ask you questions, you’re
‘sort of’ conscious enough to respond but in a ‘happy place’. I wish I
would have discovered nitrous long ago! He also monitored my oxygen and
heart levels because I have Addison’s
and CFS. Once you stop breathing the gas, you’re back to normal in
minutes and I had absolutely no after effects.
He tests you before
hand to find the most appropriate composite material for your fillings and he
does CEREC crowns. This means that the tooth is measured by computer, the crown
in fabricated WHILE you are in the chair waiting, then affixed to the tooth,
thereby eliminating any temporary crown or another visit. I had one CEREC crown
done and the other 5 teeth were ok with just fillings.
My dental insurance,
AETNA, covered part of the procedures, but not
all, so there is cost involved, but, in my opinion worth EVERY penny and I would
never go to another dentist if I could help it. While I can’t say
I feel all that much better health wise, having the amalgam out of my
mouth, I feel better mentally knowing those old fillings, some 45 years old (!!)
are gone. Who knows how many years they have been leaking and leaching into my
system. He will also do the body load mercury testing challenge for you if you
want but I chose not to have it at the time."
10. GROCERY
SHOPPING AND COOKING WHEN YOU'RE SICK
From a reader--
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/finance/kitchen-savings/tk_saveongroceries.html
by Tawra Kellam
"I have been disabled with Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia for 22 years. One of the hardest parts of
living with this illness is dealing with food; buying it and making it. Because
of the nausea, I don't feel like fixing food in the first place and then because
of the brain fog I can't think of what to make. Because of the sheer exhaustion,
I simply don't have the energy to shop or prepare food. This can lead
to a LOT of meals of cereal and toast. Because I have a husband and four kids
who also have to eat, here are some ways I've come up with that can help you to
cope and save while you're sick:
These suggestions are useful if you just have the flu or
a bad cold or if you are chronically ill like I am.
Keep meals very simple. Write a list of 10 meals your family
loves that you can make in 15 minutes or less. Here are examples of ours: Fried
Ham Slices, Baked Potatoes, Apple Salad, Peas, Lemon chicken, dinner rolls
(pre-baked), broccoli and cheese, orange slices, Tacos, apple/orange slices and
sliced cucumbers, peppers and carrots, Stir fry, sliced peaches
Use frozen foods. Frozen foods are very nutritionally sound so
don't be afraid to use them. You can buy bags of already chopped onions, peppers
and broccoli and there is no prep work on your part aside from dumping them in
your pan or steamer.
Go shopping early in the morning or late in the evening. When
there are no crowds you get in and out quicker and you also get parking spot
closer to the door.
Time your shopping trip for about 1-2 hours after you take your
medication. This way you won't be in as much pain and will be able to think more
clearly while at the store.
Ask your husband to do the shopping. This may
not work in all families but now my husband does the big Aldi shopping trip for
me. It is just a few blocks from his work and he can be in and out in 20 minutes
with a huge shopping cart full of groceries. It is much easier for him
to do this than to deal with a wife who is dead on the couch from one shopping
trip. Now, I just make short trips to the store to catch sales during
the month.
Don't feel guilty if you can't use coupons. I've tried and, let
me tell you, dealing with them expends more energy than just figuring out how to
make our meals cheaper with other products. Because of the brain fog, I
literally can't think most days. If you're like this, don't feel bad if
you aren't able to shop with coupons every time (or at all).
Have kids clean up. My kids as young as three
years old have always helped clean up. Each child takes his own place settings
plus a certain number of items off the table (usually 4-5 additional items
depending on how much is on the table). Then one child finishes clearing the
last of the items on the table, one wipes the table and one loads the
dishwasher. We rotate responsibilities each week. When clearing, they are
required to put the things that go in the fridge or pantry back where they
belong. Then all I have to do is clean the pots and pans."
11. SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC
MERCURY POISONING
From a reader--
How Mercury and other Heavy Metals are Robbing You and
Your Children of Your Health - with Dr. Don Bailey - Mercury affects
nearly every system of the body, and has been implicated in dementia,
and damages the gut, which is your main barrier to disease. This
teleclinic will help increase awareness of this issue. http://attendthisevent.com/?eventID=15122991. Also see
Toxic Teeth (working toward mercury-free dentistry) at
www.toxicteeth.org.
Symptoms of Chronic Mercury
Poisoning
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
●
irritability
●
anxiety/nervousness, often with difficulty in
breathing
●
restlessness
●
exaggerated response to stimulation
●
fearfulness
●
emotional instability
-lack of self control
-fits of anger, with violent, irrational behavior
●
loss of self confidence
●
indecision
●
shyness or timidity, being easily
embarrassed
●
loss of memory
●
inability to concentrate
●
lethargy/drowsiness
●
insomnia
●
mental depression, despondency
●
withdrawal
●
suicidal tendencies
●
manic depression
●
numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers,
toes, or lips
●
muscle weakness progressing to paralysis
●
ataxia
●
tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids or
tongue
●
uncoordination
● myoneural transmission
failure resembling Myasthenia Gravis
Freya Koss (right) was diagnosed with
Myasthenia Gravis after being stuck with
double vision and ptotis (drooping eyelids)
after having amalgam fillings placed.
Freya in 2002 after safe amalgam
removal and detoxification. She is now
Director of Development for Consumers
for Dental Choice. More of her story is
on their website at
www.toxicteeth.org.
●
motor neuron disease (ALS)
●
Multiple Sclerosis, see Janie's Story, and Ken Presner's Speech to
the MS Society
●
HEAD, NECK, ORAL
CAVITY DISORDERS
●
bleeding gums
●
alveolar bone loss
●
loosening of teeth
●
excessive salivation
●
foul breath
●
metallic taste
●
burning sensation, with tingling of lips,
face
●
tissue pigmentation (amalgam tattoo of
gums)
●
leukoplakia
●
stomatitis (sores in the mouth)
●
ulceration of gingiva, palate, tongue
●
dizziness/acute, chronic vertigo
●
ringing in the ears
●
hearing difficulties
●
speech and visual impairment
-glaucoma
-restricted, dim vision
GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
●
food sensitivities, especially to milk and
eggs
●
abdominal cramps, colitis, diverticulitis or other
G.I. complaint
●
chronic diarrhea/constipation
CARDIOVASCULAR
EFFECTS
●
abnormal heart rhythm
●
characteristic findings on EKG
-abnormal changes in the S-T segment
-lower broadened P wave
●
unexplained elevated serum triglyceride
●
unexplained elevated cholesterol
●
abnormal blood pressure, either high or low
IMMUNOLOGIC
●
repeated infections
-viral and fungal
-mycobacteria
-Candida and other yeast infections
●
cancer
●
autoimmune disorder
-arthritis
-lupus erythematosus (LE)
-multiple sclerosis (MS)
-scleroderma
-amyolateral sclerosis (ALS)
-hypothyroidism
SYSTEMIC EFFECTS
●
chronic headaches
●
allergies
●
severe dermatitis
●
unexplained reactivity
●
thyroid disturbance
●
subnormal body temperature
●
cold, clammy skin, especially hands and
feet
●
excessive perspiration, w/frequent night
sweats
●
unexplained sensory symptoms, including
pain
●
unexplained numbness or burning sensations
●
unexplained anemia
-G-6-PD deficiency
●
Chronic kidney disease
-nephrotic syndrome
-receiving renal dialysis
-kidney infection
●
adrenal disease
●
general fatigue
●
loss of appetite/with or without weight
loss
●
loss of weight
●
hypoglycemia
FROM DOM: Wow. I could relate to so many
things on this list - especially things I felt during my childhood, teen and
early adult years. (I am now 58.) My mouth is paved with
mercury from my childhood dentist. I am a dental phobic today because he
did not believe in using novocaine for smaller fillings - only
extractions - and he had the slowest, hottest drill. (Think of
Dustin Hoffman in "The Marathon Man" - actually, don't EVER see that
movie!) I wish I could say that every person who writes says
that having amalgams removed resulted in their improved health, but my mail runs
50/50. So, for myself, being a dental chicken and not having money to pay
for replacements are my reasons for not trying this - but I would like to hear
from those who have had their mercury fillings removed and replaced with
composites. Did it help you feel better? Write dombush@bellsouth.net.
12. M.E./CFS KNOWLEDGE
CENTER
From a reader--
http://cfsknowledgecenter.com/expert-assistance.php - a
fantastic, huge website about CFS/M.E.! Take a look!
13. RADIO PROGRAM ABOUT
XMRV & THE WPI
From a reader--
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunr/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1702072/Nevada.Newsline/chronic.fatigue.syndrome - Radio program from Nevada about the XMRV-CFS
research at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno with Dr. Vincent
Lombardi. CFS is a neuro-immune disease that is hard to
diagnose. They are searching for potential
treatments.
FROM DOM: See my page at
www.fms-help.com/neuro.htm about what it's like to live with a neuro-endocrine-immune
disorder.
14. LIST YOUR FMS/CFS
SUPPORT GROUP ON THIS SITE
From a reader--
http://cfsknowledgecenter.com/support-groups.php - If you have an FMS/CFS support group, you can
be listed at this site under your state or
country.
That's all the news for now!
'Til next time,
Dominie Bush
II Corinthians
1: 4 - "[God] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God." Visit Dominie's FMS/CFIDS Homepage at
www.fms-help.com for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers and their
families.
Dominie's Favorites:
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Drops Antioxidants Cold Sore
Treatment Colloidal Silver DMSO
DNA Protector
& Immune Booster Essential Oils (Sponsor #905788) Immune Balancing Shake
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Powder Omega 3's Oxygen
Drops Protein Powder Shingles
Treatment Stress Tablets Supplements (highly
bioavailable) Questions? Write dombush@bellsouth.net
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DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
HOMEPAGE
DISCLAIMER: I am not
a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia / chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The
purpose of this website is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is
presented as food for thought. This information cannot take the place of
professional medical advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should
come under the direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of
the information in this
website.
