OCTOBER 25, 2012

1.  READERS WRITE

"Thank you for the helpful, informational and well-written newsletter www.fms-help.com/101112.htm!"

"Your website www.fms-help.com is awesome, I think it's great that someone actually put a detailed documentary of their own story and detailed advice out there."

"Thank you for the newsletter."

"I'd like to thank You for sharing your story www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm! It definitely gives me hope!"

"You are doing much needed work with your newsletters."

2.  TIRED OF FIBROMYALGIA

From a reader--

"I am really tired of this Fibro.  I never know what is going on with my body.  I mean if something else starts hurting or going haywire, I don't know if that is Fibro or something else I should be concerned with.  Fibro is so broad in size and it has so many symptoms.  How do you decipher if it is something else or Fibro?  For instance:  I know how I normally feel but lately my abdomen (where my ovaries are on either side) are aching is it Fibro or something else I should run to the doctor for?  I am so confused and tired of this. I just wanted to vent.  I don't know if others experience this same frustration."

FROM DOM:  Thousands if not millions of "FMS/CFIDS" sufferers share this reader's frustration.  This mysterious malfunction of the body has a plethora of symptoms.  It's like our entire system has gotten confused somehow and gone haywire.  FMS/CFIDS is a neuro-endocrine-immune disorder.

3.  PREGNANCY TRIGGERED FIBRO, CFIDS & MCS

From a reader--

"I wanted to respond to the woman who wrote that she developed Fibromyalgia after having a baby - www.fms-help.com/101112.htm.   I too, became sick during my pregnancy with my 2nd daughter.  It started in my 3rd month with what I thought was a bronchial infection.  I was prescribed antibiotics.  2 days later I went to bed fine and woke up with an off balance feeling.  That off balance feeling never went away as is still with me to this day.   As the pregnancy progressed I would go to my doctor saying that I didn't feel right... I felt off-balance, etc.  She dismissed it all as the pregnancy.   In May (my daughter was due in August) my husband and I went on a weekend trip together.  We went to dinner and I didn't' feel hungry.  I felt nauseous and full after only 2 bites of food.  The next day I woke up with a severe pain over my liver area.  I couldn't move.  I was so scared... but I felt so sick.  We went home then and the nausea and pain continued.  My doctor just said it was because of the pregnancy.  In August I gave birth to my beautiful daughter and that is when it all came unravelling.  A week after I had her I had episodes of shortness of breath, hallucinations, pain, nausea and plain feeling really sick like I had the flu.  I was so nauseous that I lost all my baby weight (30 lbs. and then some in  2 months)  I was in the ER I don't know how many times and they all said it was post partum depression.  Well, here I am 13 years later with my so called post partum depression.  I went to the Mayo Clinic, Hunter Hopkins center, and no one gave me any kind of "definitive" diagnosis.  One doctor said  Fibro, One said CFIDS, one said adrenal malfunction, one said Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, one said chemical sensitivity.  What made things worse is that I had major chemical sensitivity and had bizarre, horrible reactions to most medications I'd try so I was a tough case to treat.  I was very ill for 4 years before I found a combination of medications that I have been on now since.  It is a small dose of Lexapro (takes away my nausea)  Armour Thyroid (I can actually get out of bed and have a somewhat normal life) and Lamictal to combat the mood issues and small temporal lobe seizures I developed from this illness.  My medical file is about a foot thick!  No one wants to treat me anymore - they all write me off as crazy.  In 2006 I started feeling so well that I went off my medications.  What a HUGE mistake that was -- I went into a 3 year relapse.  I have now since felt much better but am starting my journey through menopause now which has been very challenging also.  I am bedridden about 2-3 days a month during my period with fatigue and severe depression.  When the period is over I'm back to myself.  I pray to God each day that there will be a cure or answer to this someday soon.  I feel like I've missed out on SO much.  My neighbors barely say hi anymore because I've become a homebody.  I am not creative so I pretty much sit here bored.  I do have enough energy to get through my day but that's about it.  Any extra socializing I do with friends needs to be well thought out in advance.  Like taking a nap during the day, etc.  I know my children have probably been affected by this as well as my husband.  My girls now tend to be homebodies too which I directly link to my having to be a homebody.  I feel so guilty sometimes that they've been robbed of a great childhood but I sure have tried to do my best.  Baking birthday cakes while trying to hold on the the counter due to vertigo, etc.  I just keep pushing through the yuck.  I am a person that relapses during certain times of the year and not necessarily due to activity although activity will give me a small relapse.  I tend to have major relapses during the winter I am sure due to the bleakness of the winters here in Wisconsin.  It is a long painful journey but the Lord gives me little glimmers of sunshine each day and it is now October and I am in my "good months".  I feel pretty well from September through January, then bang I feel crappy again until the next October.  It is such a weird illness!"

FROM DOM:  Wow.  Sounds like something went terribly wrong hormonally/immunologically when pregnant with baby #2, or maybe this reader caught a virus at that time that never has gone away.  Please write dombush@bellsouth.net if you have any advice or comments for this reader.  Pregnancy and childbirth make major changes to the body and hormonal balance.  There's a book called "Stormie" by Stormie Omartian.  It's about the abuse she suffered as a child from her mentally ill mother and how God helped her forgive, but in it she also describes very weird symptoms during her pregnancies - like fire in her veins.  I'm sure the docs had a problem with that one too!  You can find used copies of Stormie for 24 cents plus shipping of $3.99.  It is an incredible story.  I just happened to remember the pregnancy part.  I'm pretty sure it was in this book (Stormie)  http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1565078322/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used and not her other book, Power of a Praying Wife.

4.  SEVERE SENSORY OVERLOAD

From a reader--

"What information do you have on how to deal with severe sensory overload?  I've had little brushes with not being able to listen to people, but I've been able to take a nap and be done with it.  I've now been in my house for over 2 months due  to not being able to manage sound, vibration, light, clutter, etc etc.  Other than using isolation, I am not finding any one that I talk with having any help for this. It is incapacitating me.  I'd appreciate any help."

FROM DOM:  Wow.  I have this same problem when riding in a car (can only ride 30-50 minutes before my brain starts "exploding" and "seizing").  For me it all began when I worked in a moldy building in 2005.  I think this caused neurological damage.  I wonder if this reader's house has mold?  Only 20% of the population is sensitive to it.  There's a quick, free test you can do to find out - see my mold page at http://fms-help.com/mold.htm (look in the section under the December update).  Also, see Dr. Shoemaker's site http://survivingmold.com.  Another thing to investigate is Elaine Aron's book, Highly Sensitive People.  In the search box at the bottom of this newsletter, type in sensory overload.  I have discussed this a lot in past issues. If you have comments, advice, etc., please write dombush@bellsouth.net.

5.  THE ENCOURAGING WORD

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” - Psalm 37:7 NLT

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” - Hebrews 12:1 NLT

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” - Colossians 3:23 NLT

6.  MISSING LIFE'S MILESTONES DUE TO FMS/CFIDS

From a reader--

"I hope my body will find its way back to a more livable level for my sake and also my husband, three children (grown now but small when I first became ill) and two grandchildren.  Would so like to be the mother and grandmother I can be when I am In better health.  My son is getting married in a few months [several states away], which right now is not possible for me to make the trip from [where we live].  They switched the venue to this state from an evern more distant state just so there would be a better possibility of me getting there.  Only cfs/fmers would understand how difficult this is both physically and how sad it is to miss so many important milestones!!"

FROM DOM:  This is my world as well.  Sad for us who don't have dependable enough health to make plans or to travel.  Ever since I got sick from working in a moldy building in 2005, traveling even 60 miles is like climbing Mt. Everest for me.

7.  FIBROMYALGIA, ENDOMETRIOSIS & INSOMNIA

From a reader--

"I've suffered with fibromyalgia, endometriosis, insomnia, etc. for MANY years now and I've been to many doctors and tried everything and I'm always searching for anything that might help and I'm willing to try almost anything. I know from reading your story you can relate."

FROM DOM:  This lady sounds like another "twin" I have in the fibro world.  A list of things I use to stay functional is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.

8.  BIZARRE NEUROLOGICAL REACTION TO FLU SHOT

From a reader--

"My symptoms tripled when I got a flu shot!  I will NEVER get one again!!!  I had a bizarre neurological reaction to the flu shot where I lost my memory, and had electrical shocks going through me for weeks straight and also felt a cold chill go up my spine.  I went to the ER and they were clueless.  I really thought I was going to die....UGGHHH!  This illness stinks!!!!"

FROM DOM:  Just gotta vent here. I agree about ER's.  I have had several bad experiences in ER's related to FMS/CFIDS.  A few  examples...many years ago I was stung by red ants on my foot.  My whole leg became paralyzed and was incredibly painful.  I felt panicky, short of breath and like I was passing out - a strong allergic reaction.  I slept (sort of) on the couch with my foot in a bucket of ice water - it was the only way I could get relief from the searing pain.  It was a strange neurological reaction to fire ant venom.  The smirking doctor in the ER said to me, "Heaven forbid you ever get stung by a bee!"  Another time, after working in the yard, I became sort of paralyzed - I could hear people talking to me, but couldn't respond.  I felt like I was dying.  I was persuaded to go to the ER by a nurse friend.  They couldn't even come up with a name for what was wrong.  They finally wrote the word Syncope (fainting) on my bill, although that isn't at all what happened.  Another time, I had hemorraghic cystitis.  The experience in the ER that night was so bad that I refused to pay the bil!  For starters, there was no one in the new million dollar facility our city had just built when I arrived at 2 a.m.  The waiting room was empty and I waited a very long time before anyone showed up to check me in.  Then they confused my lab sample with someone elses and misdiagnosed me.  I spent 3 hours shivering with cold in the ER while nurses at the desk outside my door laughed uproariously at a man they had to do a tracheotomy on who was squirming, etc.  They discussed their personal lives and finances in great detail.  One nurse was sitting cross legged, Indian style, on a chair outside my door munching an apple.  After many hours, they finally got my diagnosis straight.  Around 5 a.m., I got up to leave, but fell on the floor due to standing water from the guy who was mopping!  I fell so hard on my hip that I thought I had broke it!  I asked the nurses if the doctor could check my hip.  They told me I would have to go out the exit door, walk around and come back to the front of the ER and check in again for that injury!  I was very sick, sleep deprived and now injured.  When the bill finally arrived, I wrote the hospital president and refused to pay it.  Every time the bill arrived, I stapled the same letter to it listing all of the bizarre events of that horrible night in their brand new ER facility.  This hospital was known for terrible care.  Everyone you knew in town had a horror story.  Now here's what's strange!  This hospital began taking out full page ads in the newspaper about how their patient satisfaction rate is 100% and they are one of the best hospitals in the business!  Huh???!!  What planet are we on??   I have since moved to another city, and thank God, I haven't been to any ER here, but my husband has, and the doctor was either stoned or drunk.  What a world!  I could go on and on about my bad experience in hospitals.  However, if you do get good care, you are very fortunate indeed.  My advice: Don't leave anyone you love in a hospital unattended.  They don't have enough nursing staff to take care of you, and a lot of mistakes are made.  I have seen this far too many times.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if a hospital was always a healing and great experience?

9.  SLEEP PARALYSIS

From a reader--

"Dom...has anyone ever talked about 'sleep paralysis'?  I go through this at different times, which has contributed to my "bed dread."  It's an awful phenomenon."

FROM DOM:  See Sleep Paralysis: Topic 31 at http://www.fms-help.com/051507.htm.

10.  "UNDER OUR SKIN" - THE UNTOLD STORY OF LYME DISEASE

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/13/under-our-skin-documentary.aspx - Snippet: "The award-winning documentary “Under Our Skin” exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most serious and controversial epidemics of our time; the film exposes a troubling picture of a health care system that is far too willing to put profits ahead of patients. Lyme disease rates are climbing at have reached epidemic levels in some areas; the disease is caused by the spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and animals by ticks, mosquitoes, spiders and mites. Borrelia burgdorferi, a cousin to the bacteria causing syphilis, has become very adept at hiding and surviving in human tissues, in part due to its corkscrew shape allowing it to burrow into your tissues, and it’s ability to take on different forms, such as cysts, in order to escape your immune system, evade antibiotics, and hide from detection by blood tests.  People suffering from chronic Lyme disease struggle to get help because corrupt government agencies, insurance companies and powerful private organizations have united to destroy physicians’ credibility and practice when they try to expose the truth.

FROM DOM:  Much about lyme in past newsletters.  Use the search box at the end of this page.

11.  SOOTHING, BEAUTIFUL, UPLIFTING MUSIC

From a reader--

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MBDwpLLXMTA - "Who Am I?" - Choir sings accapella - the words and pictures are just beautiful!

12.  SUICIDE & ANTIDEPRESSANTS

From a reader--

"I read ANTIDEPRESSANTS & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS CONTRIBUTE TO SUICIDE at www.fms-help.com/101112.htm.  Both of my husbands were on Prozac and within 2 weeks they were dead. I was prescribed Prozac and refuse to take it. My 1st husband hit a tree at 85 mph and my second after failed back surgery overdosed."

FROM DOM:  Prozac was (and is) a DANGEROUS drug!  There are others too.  For instance, I had a frightening reaction to Lyrica - horrible depressive, suicidal thoughts.  I stopped taking it and THANKED GOD with RELIEF that I was still alive and that I had my RIGHT MIND back.  I was taking Lyrica for my sleep disorder and also neurological problems caused by working in a moldy building in 2005, which to this day keep me from riding in a car more than about 45 minutes - my nervous system/brain goes into something like seizures from the overstimulation - light, sound, vibration, etc. when riding in a car more than for a short time.  This has effectively eliminated any social life or going to visit family, etc.  I am on a short geographical leash (about 30 miles), but God keeps me busy doing His will in my small corner of the world. I am thankful for my music students and (9 blocks from home) my church (8 miles away).

13.  FLAT WARTS ON FACE (RESPONSES)

Below are responses for the reader at www.fms-help.com/101112.htm (Topic #13)--

Reader 1--

"I can think of  two things she could try.
1-    Hi potency protease enzyme from Enzymedica called “ViraStop”.  It attacks all types virus and digests them. It also balances the immune system. Each capsule has 150,000 HUT protease. Can take up to 3-4 capsules a day between meals.  It is systemic enzyme. It will require long term use, such as a few months. Don’t worry it will not digest your body.! It only attacks foreign matter.
2-   Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).  This is prescription medication that has to be made by a compounding pharmacy.  LDN in low doses of 3-4.5mg has proven to do amazing thing for all autoimmune illnesses such as MS, Asthma, Scleroderma, Lougaric etc.   LDN  strengthens weak immune, and lowers overactive immune.  It is a immune modulator at this low dose.  It also helps with sleep and mood.  First , for week or so a person may feel somewhat off as it readjusts Endorphin and immune system, then the goodness kicks in.  Interestingly at higher dose (FDA approved 50mg) it is used in opiate addiction work. But it totally changes its role at low dose.  The problem is you may have problem finding a doctor prescribing it, since according to FDA this is “Off label” use of Naltrexone.   DR. Julian Whitaker, MD (nationally known),  has high regard for use of LDN. He uses it in his large clinic. He has invited those who have problem getting LDN to contact his clinic. (1-800-722-8008).  It is inexpensive medication."

Reader 2--

"I am not familiar with flat warts... But when my daughter had warts severely on her feet, I got rid of them with Vitamin E applied topically and had her take them orally until gone.  At one point in the hospital, my dad had bedsores so bad that they discussed amputation, but we cured them with Vitamin E."

Reader 3--

"I had a really bad case of flat warts on my legs and they spread when I shaved.  I tried everything.  I read, at least 10 years ago that high doses of Ibuprofen worked.  I took 500 mg  2x/day for about a month and they went away.  My good old doctor was willing!  I printed the article and took it with me."

14.  SEVERE INSOMNIA WRECKS YOUR HEALTH

From a reader--

"I am 20 years old and for 5 months I've had SEVERE insomnia. I'm really beat up and it seems like my whole system is failing. The muscle strain is awful, and I've been sick several times in a row recently. I haven't been able to reach any more than 4-5 hours of solid sleep at once and most of the time I've gotten it in multiple 1-2 hour naps at night. There was an initial period of like 14 days where I didn't sleep more than two hours a night.  I've had bad dreams telling me I'm condemned and I've heard voices when I'm in between sleep and wakefulness saying it at night. I hear internal voices, sort of like my mind just spits out thoughts at me, saying "wake up"..."stay awake"..."you're not going to sleep" etc.  This GREATLY contributing to my insomnia."

FROM DOM:  Read my insomnia story at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm.  My sleep disorder began when I was 16.  I am thankful to get restorative sleep most nights now with a concoction of meds - see www.fms-help.com/what.htm.

15.  BILLY GRAHAM

FROM DOM:  Billy Graham will be 94 on November 7.  I made a comment on the BG page at http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=8983.  My mother says that I was the youngest in attendance at a Billy Graham crusade in Washington, D.C. in early 1952 (I was born 11-7-51, yep, same birth date as BG).  40 years ago, my boyfriend in college (UCLA) took me to a Billy Graham Crusade in 1972.  Then in 2000 my husband Donnie, my stepsons and I went to a BG Crusade in Jacksonville, FL.  It is WONDERFUL how God has used Billy Graham to inspire our nation and lead us toward God.  An elderly man I know says that his father was an alcoholic, but whenever Billy Graham came on TV or radio, the booze went away.  How we need strong men of God like Billy Graham again to give our nation a vision of God and His holiness and glory!  Our world is like the Titanic headed for an iceberg!  PRAY!!

16.  CAUSE OF SUICIDE

From a reader--

"I want to respond to the recent discussion about suicide in your newsletter at www.fms-help.com/101112.htm. Several years ago I did extensive research on the causes of suicide. I'm sure, as in everything, there is never just one causative factor, but to my surprise, resource after resource cited "hopelessness" as the most prevalent. Most people believe depression is the number one cause but it is not.  Those of us dealing with the debilitating, life-stealing diseases of ME, CFS, Fibromyalgia and all the other names given to our constellation of symptoms, have to work hard at finding meaningfulness in our lives and the belief that a cure is coming. If you recognize thoughts of hopelessness, please talk to someone who can help you cope, pray with you, and possibly seek a new direction in treatment to help you deal with your symptoms.  All of us, whatever our station in life, experience times when we must lean on the faith and strength of others to get through. Regard feelings of hopelessness as serious. I believe God will always show you a path out of your despair and draw you closer to Himself.  In case you think I don't understand, I have suffered with this illness since 1971 and am now bedridden most of the time."

FROM DOM:  I appreciate this reader writing in.  In the 30+ years I have battled FMS/CFIDS, I have experienced everything from being bedridden to being fairly well-managed for my symptoms.  In my worst years, it seemed that my brain had shut down - like a computer without electricity.  The material is still there, but the energy to run it is not there.  I am grateful to be as functional as I am today.  I have known much, much worse times.  My CFIDS story is at www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm.  I have kept this newsletter going for 16 years now because I know there are many who suffer who still are doing as terribly as I have been in past years.  I want to provide hope.  There is no "cure" - but you just might stumble upon something that helps you turn the corner.  Sadly, this illness can bankrupt you financially as you seek answers.  What is also confusing is that not everything works the same for each person afflicted.  Check out my list of everything I have found helpful at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.  It has been a long, long journey.  Maybe some of the things I discovered will help you too.

17.  "WHEAT BELLY"

New book at http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543 - Snippet: "Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health - A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems. Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100
million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls “wheat bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.  After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.  Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient."

FROM DOM:  Evidently wheat isn't what it used to be.  Has anyone gone wheat-free and want to report results?  Please write dombush@bellsouth.net.   This is probably a very individual thing.

18.  CHEAPER MEDS FROM U.S.-BASED COMPANY

http://www.healthwarehouse.com

FROM DOM:  I was getting my most expensive med much cheaper online from Canada.  I might try this place next time. 

19.  SPIRITUAL HOUSECLEANING

From a reader--

"Reclaiming Surrendered Ground: Protecting Your Family from Spiritual Attacks" by Jim Logan (forward by Dr. Charles Stanley) - pride, sexual bondage, childhood trauma, bitterness, unforgiveness, family curses, having a clear conscience, resisting Satan, taking back ground given to Satan, dangers of wrong music, resting in Christ, spirits respond to music,  etc.

20.  FIBROMYALGIA RELATED TO COLD SORE VIRUS (HSV-1)

From a reader--

"Will you be able to let us know about the results that ProHealth finds with the testing on cold sore virus in connection with fibro in your newsletter? If not, how can we find that out? I'm curious as I too have had cold sores since I was small. Would be nice if there was a connection and medication would be able to help."

FROM DOM:  I reported on this intriguing subject in my newsletter at www.fms-help.com/100812.htm - Topic 2.  If I hear any more, I will surely report.  My cold sore page is at www.fms-help.com/coldsores.htm.  Here's the info from http://www.prohealth.com/me-cfs/blog/boardDetail.cfm?id=1428363--

Is Fibromyalgia Caused by ‘Cold Sore’ Virus? Alabama Researchers Bet It Is
September 7, 2012

“We may have found a rather big piece of the puzzle that no one has been able to figure out.” – 10-center phase II clinical trial of anti-herpes drug combo hopes to resolve the question

Fibromyalgia and various gastrointestinal disorders may all be caused by a virus - specifically herpes simplex type 1 - according to University of Alabama virologist Carol Duffy, PhD, and Tuscaloosa-based GI surgeon/chronic pain specialist William Pridgen, MD.

Assisted by UA’s Office for Technology Transfer, the two are partners in Innovative Medicine Concepts, a startup company that’s well on the way to funding a clinical trial of two ‘repurposed’ but undisclosed drugs with anti-herpes properties, as a novel therapy for fibromyalgia pain.

GI Patients’ Relapsing Problems Sparked Experiment

Dr. Pridgen, who has reportedly treated more than 3,000 patients with chronic gastrointestinal issues and, more recently, chronic pain, said his theory about a viral role began developing as he observed the periodic recurrences of problems among many of his patients with gastrointestinal “discomforts.”

Theorizing that the underlying cause might be a virus, he tried prescribing a drug for these patients that had previously been shown to be effective for treating herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1, the virus that causes 'cold sores'). And in fact he found that patients responded positively.

Then, because some of them also voiced other complaints, he prescribed a second medicine, which also happened to possess anti-viral properties.

The result, Dr. Pridgen notes, is that patients began indicating that:

• Not only were their GI problems much better,

• But other problems, including chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety were improving,

• And their energy levels were rising.

Based on his observational study of these patients, he reports, he found the medicine combination had an efficacy rate of almost 90%.

Drug Combo Hits Herpes Simplex Virus 3 Ways

Herpes viruses persist in the body by becoming latent and hiding from the immune system in nerve cells. They are able to reactivate and travel along the nerve cell’s axon (the fiber that conducts nerve impulses from cell to cell).

The two medicines work in different ways to counter viruses, Dr. Duffy explains.

• “The first drug inhibits the virus from replicating at one stage of the virus life cycle,

• “While the other drug inhibits it at another stage

• “And, in addition to that, the second drug also inhibits the virus from reactivating.

“So, you are basically hitting this virus in three different ways.”

Encouraged by these results, Dr. Pridgen next filed a provisional patent on the repurposing of both of the drugs for the treatment of fibromyalgia and various gastrointestinal disorders. “Repurposing” because they had not previously been known as treatment options for those conditions.

The Planned Phase II Fibromyalgia Trial

The clinical trial Innovative Medicine Concepts has in the works, with FDA approval pending, will test the effectiveness of a combination of the two drugs in treating fibromyalgia. (Though a number of chronic conditions may be made better by this combination therapy, the researchers say they chose fibromyalgia as the first condition to study because it is the most severe.)

When fully funded, and pending the FDA’s approval, the trial will:

• Recruit 140 fibromyalgia patients

• At 10 sites around the country.

• With a projected launch date by February 2013.

Dr. Duffy’s part in the study of HSV1’s potential role in fibromyalgia will involve two objectives. The first is to confirm the presence of the HSV1 virus in the affected patients. And if it does appear to play a role, a second objective would be to work on developing a quantitative test to determine whether a person has fibromyalgia.

Presently, such diagnoses are based on patients’ subjective responses to physicians’ questions about their pain.

Trial Will Involve Measurement of Signaling Molecules

In potentially developing such a test, Dr. Duffy says she is focusing on signaling molecules in the body called cytokines. The body produces different levels and types of cytokines based on what it encounters, she explains.

Accordingly, Dr. Duffy will obtain blood samples from the clinical trial participants and measure cytokine levels. Participants will periodically rate their pain levels during the course of the trial, and Dr. Duffy will study whether there is a correlation between the patients’ reported pain levels and the cytokine levels.

If a correlation is shown, Duffy would then check cytokine levels in healthy people to gauge the typical difference in cytokine levels between pain-free people and people experiencing pain.

This could lead to potentially pinpointing a cytokine level where fibromyalgia treatment would be warranted.

And the lab work that Dr. Duffy does to document the trial findings could also lead to a potential diagnostic tool for physicians treating patients who exhibit fibromyalgia symptoms, the partners suggest.

Pharma Co. Would Be Needed to Produce & Market the Therapy

If the clinical trial and tissue study prove Dr. Pridgen’s theory correct, Innovative Med Concepts would then potentially approach pharmaceutical companies to gauge their interest in buying the patent and in making the drugs available for fibromyalgia and a number of other conditions.

So, speaking of their potential ability to supply a big piece of the fibromyalgia puzzle, “It’s an exciting time for me, Carol and The University of Alabama,” Dr. Pridgen says.

Contacts:

Dr. Carol Duffy, 205/348-0310, cduffy3@as.ua.edu

Dr. William Pridgen, wlpridgen@comcast.net

InnovativeMedConcepts ContactUs@InnovativeMedConcepts.com

21.  NOBODY UNDERSTANDS

From a reader--

"I was diagnosed with FM approx. 6 years ago; however, I had to go to multiple doctors before being diagnosed & those doctors made me feel like I was crazy and that it was all in my head. One of the most difficult things for me to swallow is that nobody seems to understand much less believe me, such as friends and family."

FROM DOM:  I hear this reader loud and clear!  I have 3 sections on my homepage that can help or at least provide support.  Go to www.fms-help.com, then look in the yellow box on the left for these topics:  "AWARENESS," EXPLAINING FMS/CFIDS" and "RELATIONSHIPS"  (in alphabetical order as you scroll down).

22.  FDA FINDS CFS AS DEVASTATING AS CANCER & HEART DISEASE

http://www.examiner.com/article/chronic-fatigue-fda-finds-illness-as-devastating-as-cancer-and-heart-disease

FROM DOM:  See my page about the "Misery Index" (degree of suffering) for CFS'ers at www.fms-help.com/misery.htm.

23.  DR. TEITELBAUM'S S.H.I.N.E. PROTOCOL FOR FMS/CFIDS

http://www.endfatigue.com/tools-support/treatment-protocol.html.

Chronic fatigue affects a myriad of anatomical systems. The SHINE protocol ("Sleep, Hormones, Infection, Nutrition, Exercise" approach) was created by Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum MD, who has 30 years of clinical experience treating CFS/FMS. Dr. Teitelbaum is the medical director of the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers.

24.  PMS & FIBROMYALGIA

From a reader--

"Today is a bad day, everything is pulling, burning and stabbing...I know its because I have PMS.  I hate this time of month....feel so depressed today.  God knows I try to keep positive and have faith and hope, but some days you just give up.  I do it without meds.  It's so hard.  I have spend thousands and still have not learned to cope.  I had some control, but you get tired of doing so much to live like this.  I was diagnosed about 2 yrs ago with FMS.  I was worse before - couldn't walk, but lately I just have not gotten a break from it. Just wanted to vent to someone who undertands my frustration and pain."

FROM DOM:  I hear this reader loud and clear.  I used to have terrible PMS.  It seems we all need things like meds, supplements and essential oils to get us through from day to day.  This is an expensive, frustrating illness for sure.  I understand this reader's pain and frustration.  Every system of our body seems to be affected by FMS/CFIDS - hormones, immune system, nervous system, etc.  See www.fms-help.com/neuro.htm and also my 100 Tips for Coping.  May God sustain and help each discouraged reader today.  This is why I keep the newsletter going (since 1996).

Well, that's all for now. I am doing well (for me) these days. Just thankful to God that I am not bedridden anymore. I have lots more to share next newsletter. Thanks to my wonderful readers for sending such interesting and helpful information for us all.

Dominie Bush

www.fms-help.com