*** DOMINIE'S NEWSLETTER
***
FEBRUARY 2005 - PAGE 1
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I am a
fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this newsletter
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 newsletter.
Scroll
down to read Topics 1-9:
1. LETTERS FROM READERS
2. MY
OWN MEDICINE
3.
READER HAS PROBLEM WITH PAIN MEDS & DOCTOR
4.
SLEEP MEDS
5.
SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS FIBROMYALGIA
6.
FIBROMYALGIA RESEARCH SITES
7. LISTEN AND REST
8.
THYROID AND FMS
9.
FMS/CFIDS MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN - MAY 1, 2005
10.
RLS & ANTIDEPRESSANTS
11.
HERNIATED DISC CAUSING PAIN?
12.
CYMBALTA FOR DEPRESSION? BE CAREFUL!
13. ONLINE PETITION FOR FMS/CFIDS TO BE
HEARD
14.
MARITAL HARMONY
15.
DR. SARNO REVISITED
16.
FREQUENT URINATION AND TEFLON COOKWARE
17.
FREE MEDICINE
18.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFT CORNER
19.
DOMINIE'S PERSONAL UPDATE
1.
LETTERS FROM READERS
"I love your 100 tip site
http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm on
coping with fibromyalgia. I am going to buy those hearos from Walmart for coping
with noise, especially at night. I suffer from insomnia,,,,and always wake up
around 4 AM,can't fall back to sleep, and this has been for
years. I have had fibro for about 15 years or more,,,,,,,,,always going to
drs,,,, and never finding any answers to what was wrong with me, so was
labelled psychosomatic (in my head), I could scream my head off when
no one seems to really care,,,,,, and to this day I feel like I'm all alone with
the pain. I'm always searching, hoping and praying that
more research would go into this mystery
illness, fibromyalgia, that we were so sadly
striken with."
"Thank you for being a voice for FMS
persons. It IS the purpose of why you were particularily
chosen to go through the journey of having FMS, so that you may affect
others."
"My mother has been suffering so it's a great
comfort to our family knowing that there are helpful people such as yourself to
give us hope in conquering this hateful
condition."
"THANK YOU SO MUCH for your site http://www.fms-help.com! You
totally inspired me and I hope to GOD we can all get better for
once and for all!"
"Stumbled (good word for me) upon your site
http://www.fms-help.com today. The
doctors are puzzled. I've been to primary care, rheumatologist
and now a neurologist. One good thing about fibro is it teaches me how to
spell these words. Arrgh."
"I can't tell
you how much your info has helped me because alot of the
symtoms where not
mentioned to me by the doctors. However, I have
read a lot of
books but the most great info was from
you."
"Your website
is a god send. Fibro knocked me flat on my back about 6 years ago for
about 3 months. It took a further two years to sustain some sort of
normality, although I am far from good, just to have a better day is good.
We have no real help here in Australia, it's just medication after
medication. I had been looking on the net for more answers, as something
has to change, I can't keep living like this - well if you call it living! Your 100 tips for coping http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm
is fantastic, I have already started on a few things which are
helping."
"Dominie, your booklet http://www.fms-help.com/marriage.htm
is fantastic! I’ll be re-reading it from
time to time. Because of the great advice, I’ve stopped watching some TV
shows that promote unbiblical views. I already feel a sense of
peace that’s been missing for awhile."
"Really enjoy your newsletter--don't know how
you put out such a good one, but you are really
doing a good
job."
"I found your website http://www.fms-help.com and have been
reading the material in fascination–we’ve been through many of
the same experiences and therapies.”
"I found you originally when I was seeking
marital help on the internet. I made a copy of your marriage survival
kit http://www.fms-help.com/marriage.htm --it is wonderful. Unfortunately though, my husband and I are
still separated, but I did get many many words of wisdom from
this."
"Your website http://www.fms-help.com has such
great information that I wish I had had when I started my
journey. You've done a great job of summarizing what seems like ALL the info I
have found over the
years plus a few I haven't discovered yet. Doctors should
just refer sufferers to your website!"
"I found your 100 tips for coping http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm
(etc.) very interesting and many, if not most, were of the kind "deja vue" for
me --i.e., I had already tried them or are currently using them. But
not all! I think I have been doing a parallell and similar
research to yours over here in Sweden, all by myself. But you certainly
have put it all into the computer in a most admirable way as well, as to help
others with the same illness. Thank you for that!"
"Thanks so much for you website. Of all the websites and information I've
found yours has been most
helpful, uplifting and informative.
Thank God for making people as generous as you have been. I was just
diagnosed with FM, CFS on Tuesday night. The more I read your website, the more
my life makes sense. Everything is starting to fall together. (At least in
my head--it's sort of falling apart in my life! Ha!) All the symptoms
http://www.fms-help.com/signs.htm seem to fit...I have almost every symptom I've read about
online."
"I have been reading your newletter for several years but
have never corresponded with you. Your newsletter is extremely informative
and useful to anyone who has FMS/CFIDS and I thank you for it. My heart
goes out to you in your sorrow of losing you father. What a joy he seems
to have been. You are very lucky.
Your website and newletters are amazing and the amount of
time and dedication awe-inspiring.
Thank you and may your sorrow pass into warm and wonderful
rememberances soon." [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: I made a webpage to
honor my dad at http://www.fms-help.com/eulogy.htm]
2. MY OWN
MEDICINE
The Process
of Recovery from Chronic Illness
Diane Kerner chronicles the development of
her CFS and her remarkable recovery process. She is now back to
working full time, which is impressive! The book is emotionally
validating for FMS/CFIDS sufferers--from the author's description of how
her CFS began (it seemed like the flu) to her terrifying descent into full
blown CFS, which most of us can relate to. Diane's journal entries are
reassuring, especially when people say that the weird symptoms are all in your
head! Fortunately, the author had a working husband and no children at the
time she was disabled. Some sufferers will not be able to follow Diane's
good suggestions, such as "nap when you feel like it," but many others WILL
be able to benefit from her excellent ideas and strategies. The book was
the right length--not too long or too technical for chronically ill people
to read, yet interesting and helpful...the kind of book you read all the way
through. The price is $11.95. Available at online booksellers or
by special order from your favorite bookstore.
3. READER
HAS PROBLEM WITH PAIN MEDS AND DOCTOR
"I am having a problem with my doctor... She
doesn't seem to have enough time for all of my medical conditions... for the
last month i have gone with out any pain meds and I am seriously on the verge of
suicide and she still wont help me... Do you know if I have any rights as a
patient to have my pain managed? Or do you know of a place I could look to give
me that information? My doctor said that she doesn't want to put me on narcotic
pain medication that I would have to take every day for the rest of my life...
but she isn't in my shoes and doesn't understand my pain... and fear that I am
going to have a mental break down and end up hurting my child because I just
cant go one feeling like this anymore. I need to stand up for my care, and I am
willing to I just need to know what to do..... I'm kinda stuck in between a rock
and a hard spot since my insurance isn't well liked because it is for low income
families and the doctors tend to lose money or not get enough when working with
them. So not many doctors will take new patients who have the Oregon health
plan. So I don't have many options... please give me ideas... I would
really appreciate it!" [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: Please respond directly
to Erikka at erikka97128@yahoo.com She has given permission for her email address to be in the
newsletter to receive feedback from readers.]
From a newsletter reader--
"Thank you for the sleep page http://www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm. I had
forgotten about
it. When one is not in fibro flare, it is so easy to
forget the bad times and resources that helped.
As to sleep, your
experience with Pamelor supported my belief that my
panicky dream from my first 10 mg. pill was a result of that med. Last
night, I was fortunate enough to sleep on 4 tsp. (50 mg.) of
diphenhydramine (Benadryl). The liquid
children's version was suggested by my PA, because it is easy to reduce or
increase the dose. I do cut my Ambien in half, taking 5
mg. I will now use
it when the diphenhydramine does not work. And cutting the
pill even smaller is a good idea, if hard to do.
Thanks again for the help.
If any of my helps are useful for others, please use them."
5. SIMILAR
SYMPTOMS AS FIBROMYALGIA
From a posting on the net sent in by a
newsletter reader--
Some disorders that can cause similar
symptoms (to FMS) are:
Thyroid disease
Myofascial pain syndrome
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Lyme disease
Celiac disease and gluten
sensitivity
Statin myopathy
Metabolic disorder
Mercury toxicity
Lupus erythematosus (SLE)
6.
FIBROMYALGIA RESEARCH SITES
From a posting on the net sent in by a
reader--
7. LISTEN AND
REST
Advice from a posting on the net about
FMS/CFIDS--
1. Accept your limitations.
2. "Listen" to the first body signals of fatigue, and
stop any exercise before becoming noticeably tired. Rule of thumb: don't
exert more than 70% of your capacity.
3. Rest. Shift between
limited exercise/rest, etc. "Body signals of fatigue" are
individual.
8. THYROID
AND FMS
From a newsletter reader--
"I am pretty convinced that
the bulk of my problems were thyroid related. My depression is
gone, my pain is gone, my fatigue, headaches and weight issues are
gone. I haven't lost all the additional weight, but I'm not
gaining like I was before. I'm
waiting to see what is left of the fibro. The doctor still thinks I am
probably dealing with both conditions, but it's obvious now that the thyroid was
the greater of the two. I'm still waiting for my follow-up exam with the
endocrinologist in February, but in the meantime, my life has really changed in
a huge way."
9. FMS/CFIDS MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN - MAY 1,
2005
Got this encouraging email--
"There is an old Native American saying
by Sitting Bull it is: "As individual fingers we are easily
broken, all together we make a mighty fist. This is sooooo true,
even with the fibro/cfids junk. This MLC http://www.fms-help.com/letter.htm is
such a great thing you started. I give you a standing
ovation!"
CONTINUE TO PAGE 2
(TOPICS 10-19)
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