*** DOMINIE'S NEWSLETTER
***
JANUARY 2005
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 this page to read Topics 1-10:
1.
LETTERS FROM READERS
2.
FIBROMYLALGIA & VIRUSES
3.
ALLERGIES & ASTHMA
4.
BEXTRA - ADDITIONAL WARNING
5.
BIRTH MONTH LINKED TO MS
6.
MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN UPDATE & T-SHIRTS
7.
POLIO & FMS
8.
FIBROMYALGIAN (A NEW WORD)
9. DR.
MAJID ALI
10. L-5HTP
11.
HEART PALPITATIONS
12.
MORE ON HISTAMINE
13.
SAM-e
14. CELEBREX WARNING
15. BF
(A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT)
16.
HOSPITAL "SUPERBUGS" KILLED
17.
RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME (RLS) & IRON
18.
LIVER FLUSH?
19.
LIGHT, MELATONIN, CANCER & DEPRESSION
20.
HYPOTHALAMUS & FIBROMYALGIA
21.
READER HAS PROBLEM PAYING FOR MEDS
22.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFT CORNER
23. A
MERRY HEART
24.
DOMINIE'S PERSONAL UPDATE
Begin
reading the January 2005 issue here--
1. LETTERS
FROM READERS
"I would not want to miss
one of these newsletters. They're so
important to me. They provide needed beneficial
information and it is so heart warming and reassuring to be
validated after so many years."
"I am sure that you were meant to be an
advocate and get relief to help others. I hope that it can
happen to me someday, I pray for it all the time."
"Thank you for your generosity of spirit in sharing
important info through your website with us, the masses, so that we can make
health decisions for ourselves and not blindly follow where the
mainstream medical community would have us unquestioningly
go. You are a godsend to us all!"
"I miss my "old" self. I told my
husband the other day that my body hated me but I pretty much
felt the same way about it. LOL"
"I have been a sufferer of CFIDS and Fibromaligia for over
11 years, and must say that your website http://www.fms-help.com and information
is the best I have ever read."
"I just started subscribing to your newsletter, and I'm
astounded at how much you are able to accomplish. I seem to get worse and worse
and have been bed-bound, suicidal, for a long time now. Your
ability to persevere and find your "cure" gives me hope that mine is out there,
I just need to keep trying new things until I find what works for me. On
behalf of all of us FM/CFS sufferers, thank you for shining a light in
what-can-be an otherwise pitch-black world."
[NOTE FROM
DOMINIE: I've been in your shoes! Don't give up! When I was first
diagnosed in 1982, there was little knowledge about FMS/CFIDS. I suffered
with pain, depression, fatigue and insomnia, which resulted in the loss of
my career and the esteem of my family and friends. Thank God we have
the internet now for information and research! FMS/CFIDS is sometimes
called MILLIONAIRE'S DISEASE -- most of us spend a fortune trying different
things to get relief, which results in a CASHECTOMY! See http://www.fms-help.com/what.htm
for a list of things I
use and read my 100 Tips
for Coping for Fibromyalgia and Insomnia at http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm.
Each month my newsletter contains new information. We are all learning
from each other and it's great to know others care and understand! If you
are feeling suicidal, please see my page at http://www.fms-help.com/suicide.htm
- believe me, I understand!]
"Thaaaaaaaaaaank you so much for this
great source of information you don't know how much it is
helping me, the info about IBS is wondeful and very helpful."
"I am a Fibromyalgia sufferer and a friend of mine that
also has the disease told me about your website
http://www.fms-help.com and
I loved
it."
"I recently found your site while searching for Fibromyalgia
coping/treatment
tips online
http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm and
just wanted to say how great what I think you're doing is.
Your site is one
of the most
comprehensive I've seen as far as the variety of
different ideas
you offer, and that you do this
free of
charge is a wonderful thing. I'll
definitely be giving some of your
tips a try."
"When I was first diagnosed with FMS, 18 months ago, I
found your wonderful site. I read your coping tips often, as I
sometimes forget how best to get thru an especially difficult time. Your site
has been a Godsend to myself and so many others. For that I thank you very
much."
"I read your newsletter that an internet
friend shared with me. Very very informative and lots of hard work
and love goes into it I can tell."
"I am a believer in being led by the Holy Spirit and he is
never wrong. When I was browsing some fibro sites my eyes were drawn to
yours! GOD is so good, I pray that He will bless you abundantly
for your sharing & caring heart."
"I was so glad to see
your site
http://www.fms-help.com and have
access to your information
without having to pay...as this
disease has robbed me of my savings and investments and all my money plus given
me as you well know."
"Thank you for caring for
me. I know you feel how I hurt. At first people want
to know how you're doing. Now they don't even ask. I know you
know."
stumbled upon
it. It contains all the information I could ever
need and I'm just so happy!
Thanks for all of your effort to helping
me."
"I am just so grateful for your website
and all you do. It's by far the best FMS/CFS info on the
net!"
"Thank you, bless you for all the help
you are doing by giving away all this great
information."
2.
FIBROMYALGIA & VIRUSES
From immunesupport.com--
Fibromyalgia and Intestinal
Infection: The Bacteriophages Connection
03-15-2002
By Theophil Hey, M.D.
Based on the scientific results of twelve years of
continuous investigation we now regard as proven that a connection exists
between Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (PFS) and evidence of bacteriophages
(specific E. coli phages) found in the stool of patients. The virology
department of the Medical College in Hanover (MHH) used electron- microscopes to
detect bacteriophages (viruses) in the stool of more than 80% of patients
examined. By comparison, they were detected in only 12 - 13% of the control
group. Scientifically speaking, this result is deemed to be of great scientific
significance. Bacteriophages (viruses) infect their
specific host cell (in this case the E. coli bacteria) and cause the E. coli
bacteria to produce new viruses via the viral genes. [NOTE
FROM DOMINIE: You can read the rest of the article at
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm?ID=3426&Reviewed=YES]
3.
ALLERGIES & ASTHMA
From a newsletter reader--
"The Plot Against Asthma and
Allergy Patients is a fantastic book that gives you info on how the
total body functions, and why allergies and asthma are related with CFS and
other, as he calls them, functional encephalopathies. No other book gives
such detailed info. It is full of criticism as well as indicates the way
out. No wonder doctors do not want to do it the right way. At least
now, I know why I am sick and what to do. This book has equipped me.
It is like killing 10 birds with one stone. On page 383,
read on fibromyalgia as functional encephalopathy.
It explains why it works. I am being treated by honey bee venom now, and
the active ingredient is histamine. Not for nothing, bee keepers are the
healthiest people. My pains are gone completely. Now, I am still on
therapy for my allergies and that are getting better and better.
It has become my desk book. I was lucky to have
found this dr as he lives in my city. I was a
mess. Within 5 weeks, I am flying."
4. BEXTRA -
ADDITIONAL WARNING
From the Tenderpoints
newsletter--
The FDA announced important new information
on side effects associated with the use of Bextra, a COX-2 selective
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indicated for the treatment of
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain). A
"boxed" warning, strengthening previous warnings about the risk of
life-threatening skin reactions, and a new bolded warning contraindicating the
use of Bextra in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
were added to the label.
Read the 2004 MedWatch safety summary,
including links to the Talk Paper, Questions and Answers, and revised label at:
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2004/safety04.htm#Bextra
5. BIRTH
MONTH LINKED TO MS
6.
FMS/CFIDS MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN
UPDATE
There are 25 people on the
MLC team working through fibro fog and pain to get the word out about the
Million Letter Campaign to FMS/CFIDS support groups and organizations,
doctors and lawyers. See http://www.fms-help.com/letter.htm
for information about the MLC and where and when
to mail your letters.
WE NEED MORE
HELP! If you can volunteer some time, please go to the MLC
workers' site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/million_letter_campaign
and ask to be invited to join the group.
Our list manager, Rebecca, is giving out weekly assignments between now and May
1, 2005, which is the target date for mailing our letters. There may be a
job that you can do!
Million Letter Campaign T-shirts and
sweatshirts are now available! People who
have received their orders have been raving about how great these shirts
are!! See http://www.fms-help.com/tshirts.htm The shirts are super for individuals or support
groups. The prices are reasonable and a portion of the proceeds goes to
campaign expenses, as a donation from the T-shirt company.
What can YOU do to help the Million Letter
Campaign? Let everyone in your email address book
know--simply direct them to the site at http://www.fms-help.com/letter.htm Everyone seems to know someone with fibromyalgia or
chronic fatigue syndrome. If junk mail can make it around the planet in 24
hours, so can our campaign to help increase awareness of FMS/CFIDS.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF VICTIMS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WRITE
AND MAIL THEIR LETTERS ON MAY 1, 2005 TOO! This will increase the
number of letters sent!
7. POLIO
& FMS
From a newsletter reader--
"I know my problems are from having had polio
many years ago. I like to read your articles about fibromyalgia because many of
the polio victims are erroneously diagnosed with fibromyalgia because the
symptoms can seem very similar. One of my post polio
associates referred me to you about a year ago."
8.
FIBROMYALGIAN (A NEW WORD)
From a newsletter reader who described
herself as....
"A FELLOW
FIBROMYALGIAN"
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE:
Sometimes people with fibromyalgia refer to themselves as a "Fibromite."
That's a good word--but "Fibromyalgian" is really
creative!]
9.
DR. MAJID ALI
From
Yvonne Keeny, Executive Director, Fibromyalgia Coalition International in response
to an article in the December newsletter--
"Regarding the article 'Positive
Results in 150 Fibromyalgia Patients' http://www.fms-help.com/December2004.htm,
the reader said the article from 'Aging Healthfully' magazine would be
helpful if in PLAIN English. I agree that Dr. Majid Ali is a little
difficult to follow. Dr. Ali spoke at our first annual FM/CFS
Awareness Day Conference here in Kansas City 5 years ago. One of the reason he
is a little hard to follow is because he has ADD. However, if you pay attention
and ignore some of his rambling, I believe you will find he has some
of the best information available on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
syndrome. In addition to several other credentials, Dr. Ali is past
president and professor of Medicine at Capital University of Integrative
Medicine in Washington, DC. He is also one of the most intelligent,
compassionate, caring individuals I have ever met. You can visit
his Web site www.majidAli.com and get information on
not only FM/CFS but almost everything connected with these illnesses from
allergies to yeast overgrowth."
10.
L-5HTP
From a newsletter reader--
"I've been taking a new supplement, name L-5
HTP Hydroxytryptophan, it's a natural suplement and help with depression,
anxiety, insomnia, etc. It's been very helpeful, I've been sleeping much
better since I start taking it, wich is fantastic, since I used to get up a few
times during the night. I was wondering if you Know this supplement and if you
can comment about it in your site, it may help someone else not only myself, I
hope. Also I cut all Nutrasweet and MSG and so far it's working, the pain
it's not so bad. Sometimes I feel much better and some days is just to much
to cope but I always try to keep positive and never down."