Dom's
Newsletter
www.fms-help.com
November 19,
2010
A Christian-based
newsletter about Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome (CFIDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - sharing thoughts,
research and experiences.
FIBRO STORY CFIDS STORY INSOMNIA STORY HELPFUL THINGS I USE PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
28 TOPICS below. Don't miss the RED
ones. Readers comments in
BLACK. My comments in
TEAL.
===========================================================================================
1. READERS WRITE
"Thank you for all your help through the
years."
"I found your website very informative, and I intend to try
out your insightful tips www.fms-help.com/tips.htm."
"How fortunate to come across your newsletters
www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm! They are always so
helpful."
"Hopefully we can defeat this fibro
beast."
"Thank you for a wonderfully
written and spiritually focused newsletter. It has been a wealth of
information."
"I am
glad I found your site www.fms-help.com, and hopefully I can try some of
the things that have helped other
people."
2.
SAVELLA
From a reader--
"i saw all the negative stuff about milnaciprin
/ savella but for me it has been awesome! i have only been on it for a few weeks
and can really feel a difference. a big plus for me is that i am dropping weight
on it :) yahoo!"
FROM DOM: Use
the Google search box at the end of this page to search for Savella info in
my past newsletters.
3. FACEBOOK ADDICTION
From a friend--
"We have as a family decided to deactivate our
facebook accounts. We have realized that it sucks more of our time than we
have, and has become too much of an addiction and casuses interruptions in our
family time and more importantly God's time. If you need to contact us,
please use this email or call us by phone. Love to you all!"
FROM DOM: Yes, yes,
yes! Facebook, Twitter, and constant texting is driving us all
crazy. Although I was thrilled to reconnect with high school friends from
40+ years ago, now that everyone has my email address, I'd just as soon
communicate that way. I don't have the time or energy to keep up with
Facebook. And in some cases - particularly young people I know - I have
been very disappointed by what I have read on their Facebook pages. (You
really can know too much about someone.) I stay deactivated
now.
4. READERS'
PRAYER CORNER
Reader "L" - "My sister-in-law has very kindly paid for hubby and myself to have a
week's holiday in 10 days. We are having to fly for 1 hour to get to our holiday
destination, and once there expect to have a very busy week. I am so
looking forward to a holiday but on the other hand am worried that my
body is going to fail me and i will end up disapointing the whole
family. They (sister-in-law, mum-in-law etc) do say they understand my
illness/es but they have never really seen me at my worst. They are coming on
holiday with us. I am sorry if this email sounds a
little dis-jointed, a little 'all over the place' I have so much happening in my
life at the moment my brain just will not do what it should!!
Grrrrrrr!!!!"
FROM DOM: I
can really relate to this reader's dilemma. If you have any traveling with
FMS/CFIDS tips to share, please write dombush@bellsouth.net. Some readers are able to make the trip, but then crash
later. Others just can't keep up with the pack while they sightsee, etc.
and spend most of their time in the motel room. I have been unable to
travel more than 50 miles max. without "crashing," ever since working in toxic
mold in 2004-2005.
5. LOW BODY
TEMPERATURE
FROM
DOM: I was under a lot of stress the other day and suddenly started
feeling awful in the evening, like I was dying. If I tried to relax, my
body started jerking. I felt like I had a fever, but when I took my
temperature (twice), it was 2 degrees BELOW normal! So weird! I
found this info at http://www.buzzle.com/articles/low-body-temperature.html -
Snippet: The most common
reason for the body temperature to drop is because of colder surroundings.
However, there can be many underlying medical conditions that
too can cause the temperature of the body to fall. Hypothermia is generally
overlooked by most people who attribute the reason of feeling cold to the
surrounding. However, if someone living in the same house as you does not feel
cold and you feel cold all the time then you must visit the doctor for a
diagnosis. Some of the most common medical causes are:
-
Hypothyroidism
(under-active thyroid)
-
Addison’s Disease
(Adrenal Gland Insufficiency)
-
Dysfunction
of the Hypothalamus
-
Diabetes
-
Sepsis or wide spread
infection
-
Liver
failure
-
Kidney
failure
-
Drug or alcohol
abuse
-
Side effects of
certain medications
If anyone else has
experienced low body temperature and found out what caused it, please write
dombush@bellsouth.net.
6. "I HAVE BEEN
ROBBED"
From a reader--
"Thank you so much for "I Have
Been Robbed" www.fms-help.com/losses.htm [about the losses we
experience with fibro]. When I read it, it was as if it was
ME writing it. All of the things that happened to me and all of the things
I cannot do. I could not believe someone else was suffering the same
things as me."
7. MARRIAGE
& FIBRO
From a reader--
"About the article http://www.fms-help.com/072006.htm
written by a husband whose wife has fibro. My husband is like that
too. 'I heard you say you hurt all day long every day'....completely cool
and heartless. He scolds me and says hurtful things. What can I
do? This increases stress. Can you write something about how a wife
can cope with a husband like that. No matter how many times I tell him,
he is increasing my pain, he continues to yell and scream at
me."
FROM
DOM: Sounds like this reader is in a bad marriage, maybe even
without the fibro complicating things. See http://www.fms-help.com/relationships.htm and www.fms-help.com/marriage.htm. If anyone has further
suggestions for this fibromite, please write dombush@bellsouth.net.
8. NEUROLOGICAL
PROBLEMS HELPED
From a reader--
"I don’t know if my input will
help anyone else or not. I have been ill for continuously for 3 ½
years. I have suffered from chronic dizziness, fatigue, and
numerous fleeting neurological symptoms. I have seen 10 doctors
and received 7 different misdiagnoses: TMJ, hip bursitis, polymyalgia
rheumatica, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and then
meniere’s disease. This past week I finally went to an
allergist and a neurologist who both diagnosed me with migraine variant: the
form of migraine in which headache is not the main symptom. I’m
taking a pediatric dose of Topamax and after 4 days I already
am doing better. Much of the dizziness, fatigue, and
neurological disruption is beginning to ease up. I am
having to work on food triggers which is a huge key to all
this. Previous to this, I had tried herbal remedies and supplements galore
but nothing worked. I hope this helps your readers who see their
experience here in my story. I found a website that helped me decide
to go to a neurologist and get checked out: www.mvertigo.org. Or, if anyone suffers from chronic
dizziness or headaches, buy Heal Your Headache by neurologist David Buchholz
(used @ Amazon.com) which explains some of the neurological intricacies of the
overactivated brain and the crossover/misdiagnoses that often are actually
migraine instead. Fascinating and life changing stuff. God
Bless you all!!"
9. IN
MEMORIAM
To all who have been
praying for Megan http://prayersformegan.com - Ryan,
Megan's husband, reported that his wife passed away today, November 8. Megan was
diagnosed with leukemia while in labor with their first child in July.
Please pray for Ryan, the baby Rylee, and for the families. Ryan and Megan
had what I call "Fireproof" love. They were an inspiration to couples of all
ages. Our hearts go out to the families in sympathy for this great
loss.
10.
MEDICATION CHECK IN 60 SECONDS
http://www.iguard.org/ - Sign up to get a
free personalized safety report, checking your medications for
potential side effects, treatment duplication and drug
interactions."
11.
RESURRECTION FAITH
From a friend--
"RESURRECTION
FAITH - God does not cheapen Himself or us
by offering us easy answers to the anguished, "Why?" that we
who are human cannot help but ask. The mystery of life and death
and suffering remains a mystery in all human generations, and it is no
less a mystery for us. We don't get a quick fix from our
faith. But we do encounter a God who sits
patiently beside us in grief, usually silently, like an orthodox Jew sitting
shivah with his bereaved friend,
offering no words to explain away a mystery that is beyond words. God sits
with us in our sorrow. In the days and weeks after a loss, as we sit together in
the silence, something new begins to creep into our consciousness. The faith
that has sustained our whole lives will begin to knot our sorrow over this death
together with what we believe about the life to come. Faith and experience
will knit together like a broken bone knits together as time passes. We
begin to be able to see for ourselves what is already a reality for those who
have gone on ahead of us, something the tears of early bereavement make it hard
for us to see at first. They begin to appear in our vision of heaven,
taking their place in the communion of the saints. We begin to feel their
presence, not just their absence. Once again, the resurrection faith to
which we cling gently bathes our hearts, and our hearts are
healed." - Bishop Edmund
Lee Browning from "A Year of Days with the Book of Common
Prayer"
12. CHICKEN POX & SHINGLES
From the HealthEase newsletter--
"The Center for Disease Control indicates that up to 90% of
Americans have experienced chicken pox. Often afflicting children, the
disease causes spots (usually red) on our body, with the unsuspecting child
exclaiming, "Mom! I've got spots!" For the most part chicken pox was
just another hazard of growing up - like scraped knees and pimples. After having
chicken pox, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the virus goes dormant.
However, that virus can activate again later in life in a much more serious form
in what is known as "Shingles" or Herpes Zoster. Shingles can
emerge with anyone who has had chicken pox, without warning. The first
symptoms of shingles include stinging, tingling, aching skin with periodic
bursts of agonizing pain. This gradually develops into rashes that become
blisters. It's frequency and severity increases with age. Shingles
is a serious health condition and can lead to another condition known as PHN or
postherpetic neuralgia. The potential of shingles becoming an
epidemic is now a hot topic in the health community. This extends from
long-term observation on the impact of the chicken pox virus. According to
many medical specialists, periodic exposure to the chicken pox virus experienced
by children decreases the chance of shingles activating with
adults. With fewer children getting chicken pox due to their
vaccinations, that is leading to an increase in adults experiencing
shingles. Conventional treatment of shingles include a combination of
analgesics (up to and including morphine) to control the pain, antivirals to
inhibit the virus from spreading, and in some cases oral steroids and other
medicines. Forces of Nature has safe, certified 100% organic treatments for
Chicken Pox, Shingles, and PHN."
FROM DOM: I had a horrible
case of shingles 2 years ago. This article is right. The pain is
agonizing, but it never let up. I told my husband it was like having a
butcher knife stuck in your neck. My doctor told me that I can get a
shingles vaccine when I'm 60 (a year from now). Has anyone had the
shingles vaccine? Any side effects? I am leery of all vaccines (flu,
shingles, etc.) because of my wacky immune system.
13. TAKE A WALK
From the HealthEase newsletter--
"There are a lot of small things that we can do to help our
health in a big way. Most of us don't like to exercise and the rest of us may
not have time. Yet exercise plays an important part in maintaining a
healthy body. According to Harvard University, walking 30 minutes a day
can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 40%. That’s almost the same
as you would get from jogging or aerobics. We spend 8 hours a day at work,
another 8 hours in bed. Then there's the time preparing meals, commuting,
and taking care of all of the other details to keep our lives in order.
Thirty minutes a day can seem like a lot of time, but it is only about 2% of the
day."
FROM DOM: The trouble with
walking in our neighborhood is that there are some dogs off leash. I carry
hot pepper spray when I'm out walking, but would hesitate to use it on a
neighbor's dog (not good for neighbor relations) - but neither is getting bitten
or mauled. What good are sidewalks if you can't walk safely on
them?! Anyone know a way to keep stray dogs from stalking,
charging, etc.? I can't even take my two chihuahuas for walks anymore due
to past confrontations with aggressive, off leash dogs. I hear that
this is a problem in many neighborhoods. I also think of those moms who
walk their infants in strollers. An aggressive dog would be a tragic
encounter! Suggestions for repelling aggressive dogs? Please write
dombush@bellsouth.net. In our
NE Florida area, there have been women, children and babies mauled and/or killed
by pit bulls and other dogs.
14.
FARMAGEDDON
From Dr. Mercola's site--
FROM DOM: This video
clip brings back a family memory. My immigrant grandparents (from the
Ukraine) had a few cows in Michigan in the early 1900's and sold raw milk
to neighbors. They drank buttermilk
and also churned their own butter. My mother (now 89) told me that
one day authorities came and took their cows away, whipping the cows to force
them up a ramp into a trailer. These cows had been treated almost like
family pets and and they looked back at my grandfather as though to say, "What
is going on??!" My grandfather was arrested for selling raw milk.
Evidently this type of thing is still going on with natural
farmers.
15. FREE PRODUCT
From a reader--
"http://www.bio35.com/ - this is a product that I'm very interesting in
trying. The great thing,they send you a 2 week FREE sample no S&H fee
to see if the product will work for you. I've just ordered mine, can't
wait to try it. Thought maybe others on your newsletter list might be
interested as well. They have it also in iron free and gluten
free."
FROM
DOM: This helps some people with energy. Might be worth a
try.
16. SUBSTANCE P &
FIBROMYALGIA
From a reader--
"This info about Substance P was very
eye-opening to me. It is presented by a clinical nutritionist. My
Substance P level was TEN TIMES then normal range; not twice the normal range,
or three times the normal range, but ten times! That's a lot of pain
chemical floating around. Substance P is bad for the heart and vascular
system because it is highly inflammatory. That is why we
cannot tolerate stress, because our Substance P levels hike up, along with pain
and stress, and it is also involved in depression. High Substance P levels
cause cardiovascular disease. Somehow our Substance P levels got
dysregulated, out of control. Maybe that explains why so many with fibro
were once highly functional and then crashed; they were over-stressed and
it dysregulated their nervous systems. He says that Substance P
is created in the brain stem and that explains the headaches and neck pain,
because there is so much Substance P created in that site! He also said
that Substance P contributes to that "creepy, crawly" feeling you have in your
skin! I always wondered about that. I'm telling you, the light went
on when I listened to the series! Each section is about 5 minutes
long. The site is, of course, selling supplements, but just thought it was
helpful information for you. Here is the link: http://www.wellnessresources.com/health_classes/cardio_class.php."
17.
DISABILITY FOR CFS/FMS
From a reader--
"I am recently diagnosed, although I
have been feeling the symptoms of cfs and fms
since I was a
teenager. I am [a middle-aged woman] recently unemployed but
can't work full time because of my health. I am
considering
filing for disablity since I really cannot work like
before. Really
never have been a full time employee because of my
health."
18.
BANNING THE USE OF DENTAL MERCURY
19. SOUNDASLEEP
PILLOW
FROM
DOM: For my 59th birthday last week, my husband bought me a pillow with a
speaker in it. It has a wire that you can connect to a TV, radio, CD
player, etc. He bought it at a store called "Bed, Bath and Beyond."
I love this pillow!!! It helps me drift off to sleep listening to music or
scripture tapes.
20. SLEEP DISORDER CAUSING
FMS/CFIDS
From a reader--
"I'm desperate to try
anything to improve my quality of sleep. I'm in my
mid-20's. Until a few months ago, I was a medical worker at a leading
hospital. My symptoms of CFS had begun a few months after I began my
internship but I thought it was exposure to the insane working hours/
working graveyard shifts - which is, in fact, where it all started,
combined with a series of upper respiratory tract
infections. It was imperative that I quit residency when it
got supremely unbearable to continue working after I was diagnosed with
fibromyalgia in late 2009. Now that I've quit my job, I get a
good solid 8 hours of sleep at night yet I wake up in the morning feeling
unrefreshed. I've tried everything from pregabalin to
escitalopram to amitriptyline and they all are hangover/drowsiness-inducing and
therefore counter-productive. The side effects outweighed the
benefits so I stopped taking them and have been on homeopathic meds for the last
6 months and there has been considerable improvement in terms of pain but only
marginally with regards to sleepiness/fatigue. I'm convinced it
is this lack of adequate non-REM sleep(deep, restorative sleep) that
is at the root of all my symptoms."
FROM
DOM: I can relate to all of this and agree with this reader. Here
are some links on my site that may help: www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm, www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm, www.fms-help.com/what.htm. Also, my homepage
www.fms-help.com has many links to viral theories about
FMS/CFIDS. My personal theory is that we are afflicted with a virus that
attacks the hypothalamus portion of the brain, where sleep function, hormone
regulation, etc. takes place. My own battles with sleep began when I was
16.
21. CAUSE OF FIBROMYALGIA PAIN IS
UNKNOWN
From a reader--
22. XMRV POSITIVE STUDIES
From a reader--
23. FISH OIL, MAGNESIUM &
HAWTHORNE
From a reader--
"FISH OIL
depletes Substance P by lowering the inflammation it causes! i have sworn
by fish oil as one of my early treatments and definitely feel more pain and
anxiety without it, and it has helped my concentration. there are other
supplements that help reduce Substance P, but at the moment it escapes me.
he also recommended magnesium -- which REALLY helps.
on a different note, fibromites tend to have low cardiac output, and
i've been learning about hawthorne leaf, which helps the heart pump more
blood. This article http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Benefits_of_Hawthorne_to_the_Heart.html was written by a very learned doctor. i
drink hawthorne leaf and flower tea, and it's yummy. tastes a tad bit like
licorice, but milder. it's very soothing. as with ANYTHING,
best to consult with a doctor/pharmacist for possible herb/medication
interactions. forever looking for the 'magic
bullet!'"
FROM DOM: I use an excellent brand of both fish oil and magnesium. They make
a very positive difference for me.
24. "THE WELL"
From a reader--
"I sent this article to all my
friends and relatives, only one response from my closest friend, one of the
angels...."
http://cfsuntied.com/blog2/2010/11/13/the-well/
- Snippet: "I have been trapped att the bottom of this well going on five
years now. I am not alone. There are millions of us down here,
isolated, desperate, and barely hanging on. All around me I see suffering
and dying and death. Some of us have been trapped here for over 25
years. Twenty-five years of darkness and despair, can you imagine?
Except for a very small few angels above, the rest of the world has left
us to rot, alone in our misery, ignoring millions of screams for
help. We are already dead to most of the world. For
most of us, even family and friends are long gone. They
either refuse to believe that we’re trapped down here, or they are too busy
living their lives to come by and show their faces at the well. All we
have left are each other. So we do our best to try to keep each other
propped up, to scream for those who’ve long ago lost their voices. This well is
filling up fast with men, women, and children. Every day, more innocent
victims slip down here to this pit of agony. We all agree that none of us
ever thought that such a fate would come our way. One day we were living
and loving and laughing, just like you. Now we are just struggling to
survive. We know that the majority of people have no idea that we’re down
here, but we also know that many know we are. We see them from time to
time. Most just walk by, ignoring our screams. Some spit on us and kick
more dirt on top of us, as we plead for our lives. We can hardly believe
our eyes, but this is what our lives have become, this living death. A
year ago, a few selfless and wonderful people tried to get us
out. Judy Mikovits and Annette Whittemore, our angels from
above, have been working tirelessly to get us out, but it’s a big job and they
cannot do it alone. Annette’s daughter is down here with us, encouraging
us to keep hanging on, even though she is suffering as much as we are.
Everyone down here is amazing. Even the ones who can no longer hold
themselves up, will try to hold up others. I could never have survived
this hideous place without them....."
FROM
DOM: Yep, we have been kicked to the curb. For example, last
year for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, I sent a description of FMS/CFIDS/M.E. to
approx. 40 friends and family and got just one response. Dear courageous
M.E./CFS patients - hang on! I believe help is coming with new
research. I have many GREAT articles on my homepage www.fms-help.com about relationships, skepticism and
FMS/CFIDS.
25. CFIDS ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA
http://www.cfids.org - Much helpful information
about chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS).
26. CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME LINKED TO THE
BOWEL
From a reader--
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101114/entlife/711159964 - Leaky gut syndrome and CFS.
Snippet: "CFS usually starts after flu-like illness or a period of chronic
stress. It is generally defined as having at least four of the following
symptoms: profound exhaustion after exercise, impaired memory/concentration,
unrefreshing sleep, muscle/joint pain, headaches, tender lymph nodes and
recurring sore throat without obvious infection."
FROM
DOM: I have read that anywhere from 67% - 80% of the immune system is
located in the "gut" (intestines)! Maybe this is why I was greatly helped
for so many years by an immune
balancing powder which works in the gut.
27. PACKAGE DELIVERY FAILURE VIRUS
From a reader--
"VERIFIED through Snopes
- http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp - I
feel that this is worth passing along. With Christmas coming up,
I can see where this could be a real problem. The
newest virus circulating is the Post Office/UPS/Fed Ex Delivery Failure.
You will receive an e-mail from the Post Office orUPS/Fed Ex Service along
with a packet number. It will say that they were unable to deliver a
package sent to you on such-and-such a date. It then asks you to print out
the invoice copy attached. DON'T TRY TO PRINT THIS. IT LAUNCHES
THE VIRUS!"
28. NEW SLEEP MED: SILENOR (SINEQUAN,
DOXEPIN)
From a reader--
"My doctor gave me a sample of a sleep med called
Silenor. Below is what I got off the website. It worked OK for
helping me stay asleep, but obviously my doc wasn’t listening when I told her
that my trouble right now is GETTING to sleep, not STAYING asleep. But, I was
glad to read that there is no physical dependency with Silenor, nor rebound
insomnia as it seems to be a sort of antihistamine. I didn’t feel as groggy the
next day as when I take other sleep meds. There is a coupon on the site to help
with the cost. I’m planning on
rotating Silenor into my regular regimen; I use sleep meds 2-3 times a week,
rotating Restoril (Temazepam) and Lunesta. Lunesta is EXTREMELY expensive
without a prescription @ $5.00-6.00 a pill! A once month supply from Walgreens
said it would be $220.00! Luckily, I have insurance but I had to fight with
Cigna to get them to pay for the Lunesta. I’m one of those people that Ambien
doesn’t work for, nor does Rozerem or Sonata. SNIPPET FROM THE WEBSITE: “Silenor is the first and only
non-controlled prescription sleep medication for people struggling to stay
asleep through the night that is not associated with a risk of abuse or physical
dependence. Although the exact way it
works is unknown, it is believed that Silenor helps you stay asleep by
blocking histamine, an important chemical messenger in the brain.
Silenor is available in 3 mg and 6 mg
tablets. The total daily dose should not be more than 6 mg. The dose should not
be more than 3 mg if you are taking Tagamet (cimetidine). For
faster onset and to minimize the potential for next-day effects, Silenor should
not be taken within 3 hours of a meal.'“
FROM DOM: There are 3 kinds of insomnia:
difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and early awakening.
Silenor (doxepin, sinequan) is for help in STAYING asleep. My insomnia
story is at www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. A list of things I've tried for sleep is at
www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm. A list of things I use now, and get restorative sleep most
nights is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. However, I am not a morning person - I work late, go to
bed late and get up "late" compared to a "normal" person without a sleep
disorder.
======================================
'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:
Alkalizing
Drops Antioxidants Cold Sore
Treatment Colloidal Silver DMSO
DNA Protector
& Immune Booster Essential Oils (Sponsor #905788) Immune Balancing Shake
Nutritional
Powder Omega 3's Oxygen
Drops Protein Powder Shingles
Treatment Stress Tablets Supplements (highly
bioavailable) Questions? Write dombush@bellsouth.net
FREE BUSINESS CARDS
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.
