*** DOMINIE'S NEWSLETTER (PAGE
1) ***
SEPTEMBER 2003
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 solely 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
Scroll
further down this page to read TOPICS 1-14:
1.
LETTERS FROM READERS
2.
NATIONAL INVISIBLE CHRONIC ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK
3.
POSTER PERSON FOR FMS/CFIDS (revisited)
4.
REMOVAL OF MERCURY FILLINGS HELPED FMS/CFIDS
5.
READER FINDS HELP FOR "FIBRO" SYMPTOMS
6.
IN-DEPTH FMS/CFS SITE
7. THE
CHILLOW FOR HOT FLASHES
8.
BLOOD PRESSURE AND FMS
9.
CORAL CALCIUM AND FIBROMYALGIA
10.
QUESTION ABOUT HOT TUBS AND STRESS
11.
HORMONES AND FMS
12.
DON'T DRINK MILK
13.
FIBRO 911 HELP
14.
FIBROMYALGIA INFO AND RESOURCES
15.
NEED COMFORT AND UNDERSTANDING?
16.
LIGHT BEHIND THE KNEES (revisited)
17.
ALUMINUM AND FIBRO (revisited)
18.
NEURONTIN (revisited)
19.
SLEEP AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
20.
XYREM (GHB) FOR SLEEP (revisited)
21.
SINUSITIS LINKED TO CHRONIC FATIGUE
22.
BIRTH CONTROL PILLS AND FIBRO
23.
ACUPUNCTURE AND FIBRO
24.
CFS AND DISORDERED IMMUNE FUNCTION
25.
MARY MOELLER'S FIBRO STORE
26.
READER HAS PRODUCTS TO SELL
27.
READER WANTS INPUT ABOUT NEURONTIN AND PAXIL
28.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFT CORNER
29.
DOMINIE'S PERSONAL UPDATE
1. LETTERS FROM
READERS
"I have spent a good deal of this afternoon
reading your site http://www.fms-help.com It is fantastic!
I cannot believe the amount of research you have done."
"I cannot make anyone understand what I am
going through, even though I have been diagnosed with fibro. People still think
I'm crazy or just looking for attention. I cried when I read your story
http://www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm because
I felt like I was reading my life story."
"My husband has taken our two children away
for a few days, so I can get on with some work, and what happens? My fatigue
kicks in! I sat weeping at the computer."
"Thanks for your comprehensive website
http://www.fms-help.com I have just been
diagnosed and your site helped me feel like I am not crazy. Finally there is an
explanation for all these strange symptoms."
"I am doing better since starting the immune shake. I am thrilled to see the change, to say the least. I've been on
it 2 weeks and 3 days." [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: This has
been the best thing I've ever found for my health
also.]
2. NATIONAL
INVISIBLE CHRONIC ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK
National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness
Week, September 22-28, 2003, is a designated time, worldwide, in which people
who live with chronic illness, those that love them, and organizations are
encouraged to educate the general public, churches, healthcare professionals and
government officials about the effects of living with a disease that is not
visually apparent. http://www.restministries.org/invisibleillness/netoutreach.htm
3. POSTER PERSON
FOR FMS/CFIDS (revisited)
In a previous newsletter, I asked for
suggestions for a possibly "poster person" for FMS/CFIDS who could advocate for
us and increase awareness and understanding of this illness. The following were
the suggestions I received from you:
1. Cher
2. Shirley Boone
3. Laura Hillenbrand (author of
Seabiscuit)
If you have any other suggestions or thoughts
on how we can get FMS/CFIDS into the public awareness, more research, etc.,
please write and I'll print some of your responses in the next
newsletter.
4. REMOVAL OF
MERCURY FILLINGS HELPED FMS/CFIDS
From a newsletter reader--
"I read about Mercury Fillings in the August
newsletter. Having my mercury fillings removed was one of the best things I did
to help overcome my CFS/FMS. When getting them removed, be sure your dentist
uses a mouth guard to keep ANY of the metal from going into your system. After I
had them removed, I took a supplement called Anti-Tox (by DaVinci Laboratories
of Vermont) to clear the metal out of my system. People have different
reactions, but in my case I developed a huge abscess on my chest. It ruptured in
about a week, and immediately after that I had a huge step in recovery from the
CFS/FMS. (Other things that have helped is working with a homeopath, and
eliminating wheat from my diet.)"
5. READER FINDS
HELP FOR "FIBRO" SYMPTOMS
From a newsletter reader--
"I have written to you in the past and have
loved your information. I
recently came back to the states for furlough
and went to a number of
doctors. My diagnosis in Thailand of
fibromyalgia was incorrect and
thru a few different avenues have received
huge relief.
The first was when I went to a Palmer
graduate chiropractor who
assessed that my straight neck should be
curved like a "C".
He adjusted my neck and thru exercises I am
much better.
Then my allergist checked my blood and urine
and found that
I am very low in B-12--not according to the
REAL world but
he felt that a level between 1000-2000 is
more ideal. So I
am also on IM injections times two times a
week for 5 weeks
and then start sublingual B-12. This has
really boosted my
energy level---how surprised was I when I
read in your
article this month about B-12!!
I am also low in some amino acids and almost
toxic high
in others--so here I need to be careful and
not take
a blended mix a amino acids that are so
readily available.
Because I am so toxicly high in some amino
acids I am
unable to really get any benefit from the
normal intake
of B-12--thus ---my body is cancelling out
any benefit
from food injested B-12. He recommended that
I do
not eat:chicken, pork, beef, tuna, and salmon
for 30 days.
It is day 11 of this diet and I feel great! I
thought it
would be difficult to stick to this diet, but
after being
on the candida diet for 4 years---meat is lot
easier for
me to give up than sugar. I have never been a
fish
eater, but have found to like it more and
more.
The next interesting discovery that this
doctor
found was that my estrogen and progesterone
are
at 1/2 and 1/4 of what they should be. So I
am
taking herbal supplements for the estrogen
and
a cream from GNC for the progesterone.
I am so happy that he looked at my whole
person
and found missing nutritional things rather
than just
throwing another pill at me.
I am slowly healing, but I have more energy
than
I did 2 weeks ago."
6. IN-DEPTH FMS/CFS
SITE
A newsletter readers sent in this informative
site--
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME, CFIDS) and
Fibromyalgia -- some possible helps -- by Charles Weber
7. THE CHILLOW FOR
HOT FLASHES
This looks interesting! You slip it into your
pillow to make it cool! Might help improve sleep--
8. BLOOD PRESSURE
AND FMS?
From a newsletter reader--
"I always had low blood pressure until I got
Fibro. I've talked to several of our Newsletter readers (at least a dozen or so)
& they also have high BP, but never had it before the were zapped with
Fibro. Could you please address this in one of your next "Wonderful
Newsletters." After all, Fibro is a soft tissue disease which involves: muscles,
ligaments & tendons, & God only knows what else. So it does sort of make
sense, since the heart is a major muscle in our body."
9. CORAL CALCIUM
AND FIBROMYALGIA
Received two emails from newsletter readers
on this subject--
"I was taking Coral Calcium for a few months
& noticed that the aches & pains, etc. regarding the Fibro has greatly
improved, but not the sleep part. I really did not realize it until I
stopped taking the product a few weeks ago, and the pain is now back
again. I was so thrilled that I was getting a break with the Fibro pain,
but now it's back, in full force. The other day, I was stuck in
bed & was trying to think if I had been doing anything
different & the only thing I did come up with was that I wasn't taking the
Coral Calcium for about 2 weeks. As soon as I started taking it again,
(within 2-3 days) the pain is pretty much under control again. I
guess that I was in so much pain with the--now--ruptured disc & another
herniated disc at L4, that I couldn't get out of bed to do
anything. Do you know if anyone else has benefited from Coral
Calcium? It is supposed to improve sleep too, but has not helped me at all
with that. I'm still up for days or weeks at a time. I can't
believe how I could be so darn tired & not be able to
sleep. So - that's still quite a mystery."
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE: An immune balancing shake helps me and many others
sleep better. I still need to use a small amount of sleep meds, but
it's better than "rotisserizing" for hours or knocking myself out with heavy
duty sleep meds into a "coma" state only to wake up a few hours later
with a hangover. The sleep disorder is one of the worst aspects of FMS, in
my experience. See my sleep page at www.fms-help.com/sleep.htm
]
"I have taken Coral Calcium Plus since
mid-February. It has done wonders for me as far as energy, mood, and
general well-being. I no longer bother to take Ogen as HRT. The
coral calcium does the trick. However, unlike a couple of people I know,
this seems to do little or nothing for my fibromyalgia in terms of reduced
pain. I was also blessed with an extremely high pain threshhold. I
view having had two babies with absolutely no drugs of any sort as a
cakewalk. However, the fibromyalgia is a whole different story."
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE: I use a mineral
sachet in my drinking water to keep my pH more healthily
alkaline. I get a really bad overactive bladder problem when I get too
acidic. Have been using the sachets now for 4 years and wouldn't be
without them--unless I want to get up 6-15 times per
night!]
10. QUESTION
ABOUT HOT TUBS AND STRESS
Newsletter reader, Linda at ILIKPRIZE@aol.com, would like some
feedback from others with fibro. Here is her email:
"i do know that stress is one of the greatest
contributing factors to the pain and i wonder if i can continue working
very much longer. i would like to hear from other fms patients who deal with a
lot of stress. i get it both at work and at home. as to the men out there who
have spouses with fibro, please remember that a hug a day is one of the cheapest
meds available. God bless each of you who cope with this cruel disease my heart
and prayers go out to you. i have a hot tub which helps. have any of you tried
this type of therapy?" [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: See my 100 Tips for Coping
with Fibromyalgia and Insomnia at http://www.fms-help.com/tips.htm ]
11. HORMONES
AND FMS
Question from a newsletter
reader--
"When my periods stopped for 3 or 4 months I
didn't have any pain at all nor fatigue, I felt just so healthy, but when they
returned so did the pain, and some pregnant women have reported no pain
during pregnancy. However once giving birth the pain returned. I
wonder if there could be some link or some way of finding out why this happens,
maybe they would learn some thing that could help cure FM. I dont know ,
just a thought , Do women after they've gone through menopause, when their
periods have completely stopped, still get FM pain?" [NOTE FROM DOMINIE: See my tip at
http://www.fms-help.com/tips9.htm#9 about the hormone relaxin, which is abundant during
pregnancy and its relation to FMS. This is the interesting research of Dr.
Samuel Yue.]
12. DON'T
DRINK MILK
Quotes sent in by a newsletter
reader--
"Countries with the highest rates of
osteoporosis,
such as the United States, England, and Sweden,
consume the
most milk." - Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 1993
"Dietary
protein increases production of acid in the
blood which can be neutralized by
calcium mobilized
from the skeleton." - American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, 1995; 61 (4)
"Even when eating 1,400 mg of calcium daily, one
can
lose up to 4% of his or her bone mass each year while
consuming a
high-protein diet." - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
1979;32(4)
"Those populations with the highest calcium intakes
had
higher fracture rates than those with more modest
calcium
intakes." - California Tissue International
1992;50
"Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy
foods
had significantly increased risks of hip fractures." - 12-year Harvard study of
78,000 women - American Journal of Public Health 1997;87
"Consumption of
dairy products, particularly at age 20 years,
were associated with an
increased risk of hip fractures...
metabolism of dietary protein causes
increased urinary
excretion of calcium." - American Journal of Epidemiology
1994;139
Check out these links about
MILK--
[NOTE FROM DOMINIE: See my
tip about milk at www.fms-help.com/tips4.htm#42 I have been off dairy products for about 7
years now. I found improvement in my health almost right away. I was
not lactose intolerant. My body reacted negatively to the hormones and
antibiotics in commercially produced milk. I had breast tenderness and
bloating, just like PMS symptoms whenever I consumed dairy products, but had
never made the association with dairy products until I stopped using
them. www.notmilk.com is a site worth taking a look at. Some people find
that their allergies and intestinal problems go away when they stop drinking
milk. You know the commercial with the milk mustache people who say "Got
milk?" Maybe it should be, "Got illness?"]
13. FIBRO 911
HELP
Great site sent in by a newsletter
reader--
MEDICAL AND LEGAL RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH
FMS
14.
FIBROMYALGIA INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Another comprehensive site sent in by a
newsletter reader--