*** DOMINIE'S NEWSLETTER (PAGE
2) ***
OCTOBER 2003
www.fms-help.com/October2003Page2.htm
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.
This newsletter is continued
from Page 1
15.
FOODS AND INFLAMMATION
From immunesupport.com's Tip of the
Day--
Some foods have been shown to decrease
inflammation in the body, whereas others tend to increase the possibility of
inflammation. For example, animal foods contain fats that have been found to
increase an inflammatory response. But studies show that eating high-fat fish,
such as mackerel, bluefish, or tuna, that contain omega-3 fatty acids enables
the body to make products that tend to decrease the inflammation. (Source:
The Fibromyalgia Handbook - A 7-Step Program to Halt and Even Reverse
Fibromyalgia, by Harris H. McIlwain, M.D., and Debra Fulghum Bruce, M.S.,
published by Owl Books, 2003.) [NOTE
FROM DOMINIE: Just beware of high mercury content in some
fish.]
16.
FOLIC ACID AND DEPRESSION
From immunesupport.com's Tip of the
Day--
There is strong indication that some foods
high in the B vitamins help to alleviate some fibromyalgia symptoms. For
instance, folic acid, a B vitamin, seems to be a leader in mood management. In
research performed at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the Baylor
Research Institute in Dallas, studies conclude that people with low folic acid
levels are more likely to have melancholia, a type of depression characterized
by sadness and declines in mental and physical activity. The 8-week study of 213
patients also found that those with low levels of folic acid were significantly
less likely to respond to treatment for depression with fluoxetine (Prozac), a
common antidepressant medication used for fibromyalgia patients. Vitamin
B-12 works closely with folic acid to make red blood cells and prevent anemia,
memory loss, nerve damage, muscle weakness, and fatigue. (Source: The
Fibromyalgia Handbook - A 7-Step Program to Halt and Even Reverse Fibromyalgia,
by Harris H. McIlwain, M.D., and Debra Fulghum Bruce, M.S., published by Owl
Books, 2003.)
17.
KIDS' ALLERGIES
This article from MSNBC contributed by my
husband, Donnie--
**Childrens Health: The Allergy
Epidemic**
18.
ZOLOFT AND OXYCONTIN
From a newsletter reader--
"I take one 50 mg tablet [of Zoloft] at
bedtime and it is working great for me with no side effects. Also am
taking OxyContin - two 10 mg tablets nightly and have been pain free for over
two weeks which is when I started taking it and have had no side effects
whatsoever. Also take Ambien when I absolutely need it but I also have
Sleep Apnea which doesn't help since I have to sleep connected to a
machine. Have not felt this good in several years. I consider
it a miracle and it proves that God truly does answer
prayers." [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: You can find other comments
about these drugs by using the SEARCH feature on my fibromyalgia site at
http://www.fms-help.com Click on "SEARCH THIS SITE" in the yellow box
on the left.]
19.
LOWER MUSCLE COLLAGEN IN FIBRO PATIENTS
From immunesupport.com's Tip of the
Day--
To determine collagen and muscle pathology in
fibromyalgia (FM) patients, muscle biopsies were obtained from 27 female FM
patients, and from eight age-matched female control subjects. Amino acids were
determined by HPLC and electron microscopy was performed. The FM patients had
lower hydroxyproline and lower total concentration of the major amino acids of
collagen than the controls. No significant difference was seen in the
concentration of the major amino acids of myosin or of total protein. Electron
microscopy showed no significant differences between FM patients and controls
although atrophied muscle fibrils occurred in FM patients only, but frequencies
were not significantly different. It was concluded that the fibromyalgia
patients studied had a significantly lower amount of intramuscular collagen.
This may lower the threshold for muscle micro-injury and thereby result in
non-specific signs of muscle pathology. (Source: Rheumatology (Oxford), 2003 Jul
16. Gronemann ST, Ribel-Madsen S, Bartels EM, Danneskiold-Samsoe B, Bliddal
H.) [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: Isn't
this interesting?! Pain in the muscles is one of the main symptoms of
fibromyalgia. Amino acids are the building blocks of
protein.]
20.
CAN A CANCER DRUG HELP CFS?
From immunesupport.com--
Overcoming Chronic Fatigue with Procrit:
Interview with Barry Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Ivanhoe Broadcast News Q & A with
Barry Hurwitz, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Biomedical Engineering,
University of Miami, Miami, Florida. In this full-length doctor's interview,
Barry Hurwitz, Ph.D., explains how a drug typically used in cancer patients -
Procrit, may help people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. http://go1.warp9ems.com/go.pl?tu=35529509-15945
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE: Researchers using a
Darkfield microscope to analyze the blood of CFIDS patients have found that
their red blood cells clumped together, making it difficult for them to
move oxygen into the blood stream. This results in fatigue. OPC's
(oligomeric proanthocyanidins), which are powerful antioxidants, have been known
to help the red blood cells do their job. The drug Procrit sounds pretty
drastic, but it might help some CFIDS patients who have run out of other
options. People who say, "I know how you feel--I get tired too!" have
absolutely NO IDEA of the kind of fatigue that CFIDS patients endure. You
can barely stand up, you have no strength at all. You cannot function. You
can't work. You are shunned by family and friends who don't
understand. You lose everything. If this describes you,
please read my CFIDS story at http://www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm and also my 100 Tips for Coping at
http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm Another good article is about why "TRYING
HARDER" does NOT help the CFIDS patient--see http://www.fms-help.com/trying.htm A few years ago, a lady wrote me and said,
"I will not allow FMS/CFIDS to beat me! I am going to FIGHT IT with
everything I've got." Well, I knew this was the wrong approach to take
with this illness. A year later, the same person wrote back and said,
"Guess what, Dominie? This thing has whipped me!!" That's the nature
of this illness. It is very complex to deal with, but rebalancing your
immune function may be the right place to start.]
21.
COSTCO HAS LOWEST PRICES ON DRUGS (AND WHY)
Received from a newsletter
reader--
Since the cost of prescription drugs is so
outrageous, I thought everyone I knew should know about this. Please read
the following and pass it on.
On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an
investigative reporter for Channel
7 News in Detroit, did a
story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his
investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up
as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's not a typo..... three
thousand percent!
So often, we blame the drug companies for the
high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the
fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example,
if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you
might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you
get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you
think you are "saving" $20. What the pharmacist is not telling
you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10!
At the end of the report, one of the anchors
asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not
adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently
charged little over their cost for the generic drugs.
I went to the Costco site, where you can look
up any drug, and get it's online price. It says that the in-store prices
are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to
give you one example the drug, Compazine, which helps prevent
nausea in chemo patients. The generic equivalent, which cost
$54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I
could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 pain pills, I paid
$72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.
I would like to mention, that although Costco
is a "membership" type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy
prescriptions there, as it is a federally regulated substance.
You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the
pharmacy, and they will let you in.
22.
CONSTIPATION A PROBLEM?
Try taking some magnesium tablets before
bedtime. This mineral draws water into the colon, making elimination
easier. Also, glycerine suppositories, such as the Wal-Mart generic brand
or those made by Fleet, can be helpful for keeping you regular.
23.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFT CORNER
This story sent in by a newsletter reader has
a lot of implications for those of us with FMS/CFIDS--
A water bearer in a small town in Europe had
two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across
his neck.
One pot had a crack in it, while the other
pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream
to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with
the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments, perfect for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its
own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what
it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a
bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream...
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack
in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house, why don't
you have me repaired."
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice
that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other
pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your
flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we
walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate the Shabbat table. Without you being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE That is
a beautiful story with so much meaning for us "cracked pots." God has a
plan for each of us, even though right now we "see through a glass
darkly." My husband said that we finite human beings see our lives
like on a small TV screen, but God sees the BIGGER picture like at the
cinema regarding our lives and the things that happen. "And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28]
25.
DOMINIE'S PERSONAL UPDATE
I continue to do great--I finally worked out a
regimen of things that work well for me. If you're curious, see www.fms-help.com/what.htm Also,
below are some helpful links--
MY FIBROMYALGIA
STORY: www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm
MY CHRONIC FATIGUE
STORY: www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm
100 TIPS FOR COPING
WITH FIBROMYALGIA AND INSOMNIA: www.fms-help.com/tips.htm
I've been thinking lately about why aromatherapy (using high quality essential oils) helps some of us.
Basically, they work on the limbic system of the brain, which is tied to the
olfactory system (sense of smell). Our hypothalamus and other glands in
the brain are part of the limbic system. My THEORY is that the
hypothalamus has been affected by mycoplasmas (mutated viruses and bacteria)
which take over when the immune system is not functioning right. Then the
immune system goes into overdrive searching for the "invaders" but can't find
them since mycoplasmas hide behind normal cells. The body begins attacking
itself, which is the definition of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE.
Regarding SLEEP
MEDS AND IDEAS, see my sleep page at www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm
I also use HEAROS EAR PLUGS
from Wal-Mart, which are the softest most effctive ear plugs I've found.
I like to wear a BLACK SLEEP MASK if I am still
sleeping after the sun comes up. My husband doesn't like dark shades on
the windows, so using a sleep mask is the best answer for me.
I have a MAGNETIC MATTRESS
PAD that I like very much and a magnetic pillow. Be careful in
shopping for these kinds of items. They are expensive. Be sure you get a
good and reputable brand. The company that made mine is out of
business.
I find it calming to put a cold pack on
my forehead or behind my neck when retiring for the night. I have a sort
of "cloth-covered" COLD PACK that I keep in the
freezer for this purpose.
I find it helpful to get some mild
exercise every day (either walking or very light weights -
3 lbs.) I experience some soreness if I eat too many simple carbohydrates
(sugar, white flour, etc.) Humidity and
weather changes affect my FMS more than heat or cold. If you need
other ideas, please read my 100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia and
Insomnia at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm
If you need marriage advice (wives only), please check
out my marriage booklet at http://www.fms-help.com/marriage1.htm This is written for the Christian wife. (I need to read
it as much as anyone else. In fact, I sometimes say, "Take my
advice......I'm not using it!!!"
I hope you have enjoyed this month's
newsletter!
Dominie Soo
Bush