marius

Spelled it wrong ... "naturopathic" is correct.

indigo

I agree with marius, I'll probably never get across the ocean either (unless
I win the lottery ;D). Excellent idea Polenta!

belladonnis

Hey Nadia my cousin had leg pain that could not be figured out by doctors.
He sees an accupucturist and swears by it! He also suffered from headaches and it helps with those as well! Check on that and see what you think and if it might help.

NADIA

Hi bella.
I see a Physio Theraphist sometimes,and she did try the accupuncture on my neck,but never for the leg pains.
One of my doctors said she thinks that my body holds it's water back and then I get these heavy swellings at my knee area and it gets so bad that it actualy transfers to the rest of my leg in no time.But the problem is,that when I get these pains it's usually in the evenings when NOT even One of those doctor's are available,and most of the time they just pump you full of antibiotics or pain meds.Which I'm really sick off.

NADIA

O,and thanx for the advise,will definitely try it!

solosater

Hello all, I wanted to say that I hope I don't come across as complaining, of course I AM complaining but I don't want anyone to confuse me with one of those people who can only discuss their pain and sickness. Every one of us has something, be it physical pain, emotional pain or sickness and infirmity to deal with on a daily basis. I only discuss mine in what I feel are appropriate times and places and only to explain for those who don't know or to pick the brains of those who do...

I try to be a very optimistic person and generally make fun of my illnesses both physical and mental. I find it very hard to be around people who can only talk about their illness and I hope I've not made anyone here feel that way about me.

I saw my sleep specialist on Thursday; I made his day! I've had two sleep studies in the past year and after the second he thought my best bet was to stop many of my medications but he’d said he hadn't had a lot of success treating people with fibromyalgia as many of the medications he wanted me to stop were also ones that help me to cope with the fibromyalgia. Likely due to the migraine I was having when we had that conversation, I was unclear on the whole “this is not something many people can do” part of the plan and just did it.

I had been on an anti-anxiety medication three times a day (initially given to me to help me sleep [it didn't help me sleep but did make dealing with people WAY easier] and then upped when my sleep was so bad I was losing my mind), an anti-depressant (also given to help deal with the anxiety from not sleeping), two different opiates (given for pain associated with my fibromyalgia and the chronic migraines), and an amphetamine (given for my ADD). I looked over all the medication and limited myself to one anti-anxiety, 1/2 of my usual dose of anti-depressant, my usual dose of amphetamines and one opiate in the AM and one opiate in the early PM but none of any of the medications listed after two PM and added an “nsaid” three times daily and melatonin at bedtime at my doctor’s suggestion. That lasted about a week or two then I stopped the anti-anxiety and the anti-depressant altogether and added a muscle relaxer to my bedtime meds to help with the headaches and muscle pain.

I’ve been actually getting decent sleep and While I’m not dreaming yet (or at least not remembering them) I am waking up feeling as if I’ve had some sleep and I’m not stupid anymore! I’d noticed that I couldn’t do sudoku anymore; I couldn’t make sense of it and other logic based thinking was beyond me for a couple of months too.

So I made his day! He said he’s given the same advice to many of his patients but had very little response as most of them couldn’t take the time between stopping all the meds and when their bodies started feeling better from getting better sleep. He looked so proud, not only of my progress but I think too, of his being able to help a person in a category he has had little success with in the past. I kid you not, I thought he was going to cry and he had the biggest smile on his face. I told him he’d made my year.

I still have pain and likely will for the rest of my life but there is nothing so helpful in coping with illness as getting rest. I’ve been off of the anti-anxiety and anti-depression meds for at least a month; aside from the usual pain and fatigue from the fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and the migraines, I’m like a new person and I’m coping with those better than I have in a good year and a half at least.

marius

solosater - we're all different in how we react to meds. For whatever reason, my body does not like almost every medication. AT one time I was also on many pills but they were not working. That is why I fianlly went to the alternative med. psychiatrist/doctor ... who happens to be Native American, so he has a very different perspective on healing, medicines and all of that ... kind of like your doctor, it sounds! And .... just like you, it is a whole new world!

I am SO very happy for you!!! There is nothing like a good night's sleep. And, since I read somewhere that you are Christian, I'll just tell you I've been praying for you and your situation ... and will keep doing so. That is really neat too that your doctor was so happy! I bet he was. What a great story you shared with us - makes my day too, not just your doctors! : )

schnuggie

Hi solosater. I actually think you are very brave and although I dislike being around ill people I do have loads of sympathy and empathy for everyone who suffers from chronic pain or any other debilitating disease. I just can not handle being around pain that I can't fix, although I'm no doctor or miracle worker! I have somthing calles Vasculitis. It is an attack on my immune system that in turns attacks my bloodvessels. It causes excrutiating pain and extreme bleeding under the skin. I do not know anybody with this disease so I would welcome some input from anyone out there with this disease. I think it is great to talk about stuff like this, because we can be each others'pillars of strength, even if we do not know each other. Every experience is different and therefore every answer or input is different and most likely something you can use or draw from.

schnuggie

Sorry, my spelling is disastrous as I am actually Afrikaans speaking.

polenta

The more we get to know people, the more we realize that nobody is disease-free. I've heard more about diseases here on this site than in a long time elsewhere. I think we feel freer here because we are anonymous. I guess nobody is like they describe as "healthy" in medical texts. Who's absolutely healthy? Nobody, young or old. I have psoriasis. Does that count?

schnuggie

I should say yes...That counts.

Dragon

solosater, I'm so glad to hear you've had such a positive response ot changing your meds. My step-dad had a somewhat similar experience. He'd had heart surgery done and afterwards was on quite a few medications including something to help him sleep. After some time he found he couldn't sleep at all at night and would just pace or lay on the couch awake most of the night until he finally fell asleep in the wee hours of morning. Then during the day he had a terrible time staying awake and getting things done. He'd drag himself out of bed at 8:30 (much later than was normal for him) then work for the morning, when he came home for lunch he'd lay down for a little nap and would be out for hours. He felt exhausted all day and unable to sleep all night. He went to his doctor with all his meds and asked him to show him which were the one he couldn't live without, he'd stop everything else. Shockingly (to the doctor as well) he found that he was on 3 or 4 different sleep aids at once. Apperantly no one bothered to check his chart before putting him on something new. He stopped everything that could be stopped cold turkey and weaned himself off everything else that he didn't need to keep his heart condition under control. Since then he feels so much better and is back to his normal sleep cycle.
It really seems like a lot of doctors think the answer to everything is to throw another drug at it. It's always refreshing to hear of one who wants to reduce them rather than add to them.

solosater

marius, thank you!

schnuggie, I've heard of vasculitis but had no idea beyond that it was a disease of the vascular system. It sounds terrible! I don't have anything to add as far as helping with it but I certainly do feel for you. I know most every "auto immune" disorder can be helped to some extent by staying healthy (diet, exercise and sleep), but I imagine you already know that.

I understand too that it is hard to be around people whose illnesses you cannot fix and whose pain you cannot heal. Even though she's been my friend for ever I still try to fix my friend's MS every time we're together; I drive us both nuts with trying to help when she can do for herself or giving her advice she doesn't welcome. We've agreed to forgive each other's craziness and its saved our friendship but it isn't always easy.

polenta, I've had trouble with acne and folliculitis on and off my entire life and while it isn't the same as psoriasis I've always been very grateful I don't have to deal with a constant skin issue. I have very sensitive skin but I can deal with it as I know what sets it off; I understand that both eczema and psoriasis can be set off by stress and when are we not stressed? I'd be stressed about being stressed! Yes that counts.

And Dragon, I know I lucked out finding a doctor who was willing to see ME and treat ME and not just another case of insomnia. I actually got his name from my eye doctor if you can believe it! I went in to have my vision and eyes looked at to see if they might be causing my migraines and this guy takes one look at me and tells me I need to see a sleep specialist. I kid you not I was in his office for about three minutes when he diagnosed my sleep apnea and told me that if I got better sleep I'd have less anxiety and my pain and fatigue would be better as well. I hadn't told him about the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue or the sleep apnea - he just knew! When he said he'd send my doctor a note with a specialist's name and number I was determined to see the guy this guy was impressed with. Apparently they worked together years ago and they still refer patients back and forth. It's a huge change from "Let's try this pill and see what happens."

When my father died I was fine for a while but when the grief hit it was crazy; I was breaking down while I was driving, or working, or walking in the mall, I just never knew when I would break down and it was getting a little hard to take. I mentioned it to my doctor, whom I've since fired, and he pulled out his little magic pad and wrote me a script for Prozac. PROZAC! For grief! I was so shocked. I thought maybe a referral to a counselor but nope, Prozac. I never went back but I did seem to handle the grief better. Perhaps out of knowing that I was acting like a person who might need Prozac? Yeah, some doctors are all about the medicine and not really about the healing; they treat the symptoms but not the illness.

I've said it before I have some really great doctors and one thing that I really like is that they all look more to the source than the symptom so I feel ok about taking the meds when they do prescribe them. The majority of the meds I've stopped taking were prescribed because I wasn't getting sleep; unfortunately the one prescribing them wasn't clear on HOW they helped you to sleep and so she didn't really get that I was worse off each time she gave me a different pill. None of my doctors besides the specialist know these meds cause this trouble, even the pharmacist is stumped, so I've just started to run everything new by him and he's ok with that. The other doctor's know his reputation and are ok with it as well in fact my PCP has asked me to contact his office before taking anything she prescribes just to be sure so I don't end up back where I was. It's really nice to see doctors deferring to a more knowledgeable person and not getting all puffed up about their own ideas.

I would really hate to hear that anyone had read this thread and decided to quit drugs prescribed by their doctors. Please don't take anything you read here or anywhere else as gospel! Talk to your doctor! Stopping medications can sometimes be very dangerous and taking them for another couple of weeks until you can see your doctor will be soon enough for anyone who thinks their meds might be causing them trouble.

schnuggie

Thanks guys! Today is not such a good day for me. Lots of pain and tears.

marius

schnuggie - I know those days, much better than I wish. Pain and tears.

My heart goes out to you. Fully!!! I'm awake because? I don't know. But, I tell you the truth ... I have many native american friends and they say one of the loveliest things I've ever heard, "Mitakuye Oyasin."

It means, "we are all related." But, when THEY say it, they really and truly mean it. And, I believe them. I believe that we ARE all related to each other and that makes, YOU, schnuggie, my very dear and beloved sister.

I am sending you the very best thought of peace, comfort and love that I can muster. : )

Another thing they say is that our Creator gave us two prayers: one is tears and the other is laughter. Both are important prayers and both should be shared. Thank you for sharing!

schnuggie

Marius, my tears and pain vanished when I read this. Thank you for caring and thank you for not telling me to get a grip. Sometimes u just want some loving and sympathy and other days u just want everyone to leave u alone so u can handle your pain and tears alone. Today I wanted some TLC and got it! I really wish it was possible to meet u! Thanks for caring and giving to a complete stranger. In life today that is rare. THANK YOU!!!!

polenta

get well schnuggie.
As for me I've had my blood pressure taken and.... IT'S BACK TO NORMAL.
Bravo!!!!!!!
Salt is a disaster..............but it's DELICIOUS!!!!
HAVE FUN, ENJOY GUYS.

midnightpoet

Wow, this thread is a beautiful place, and brought tears to my eyes a couple times as I read everything. There's so much openness and caring here, and it's hard to find that in this world, I think. I'm sorry I didn't discover it sooner, I feel like I'm coming into this late.

Belladonnis...I get weird vibrations in my leg, too. I never thought much of it, and just called it my "phantom cell phone".

Solo...I've had dreams of losing all my teeth for years. The most vivid one being when I was probably 9, and I stood there and watched all my teeth float away on balloons. I had my wisdom teeth taken out when I was 17, and I don't think I've been to a dentist since, but I still have the dreams frequently.

I've felt so alone in the world for most of my life, and seeing a place like this, where people are sharing and supporting each other...being helpful and sympathetic...It fills me with wonder. With people like all of you in the world, it's hard to believe that anyone can truly be alone unless they choose to be. My heart goes out to all of you suffering...I wish a hug could take the pain away.

I have bi-polar and borderline personality disorder. I feel constantly trapped inside my head, and every day is like fighting an uphill battle against myself. I have a hard time interacting with people, itrw or on the internet, because I'm constantly so wrapped up in my own thoughts and emotions that I don't know how to get out of my head and be a real person. Medication helps, but I have so much trouble remembering to take it...and I always dream, that maybe one day, I'll be able to be normal.

Thank you all for giving me a little bit of faith in humanity.

marius

schnuggie, you are welcome. I meant every word of it. Glad you got some relief. It does always come, but sometimes so hard to wait for it. : )

Polenta - hooray for your normal blood pressure!

midnightpoet - "She's a shiny soul." Those are the words I heard inside my head when I was reading what you wrote. It's like if someone says, "She shines!" You know - a glow or a radiance. Anyway, that's the picture your words gave me. Quite lovely! : )

Anyway, want to tell you my ideas about "being normal" but they need some time to form. Let me just say that although I do not have bi-polar or borderline, others in my family do and some friends do too. I've seen great success for many who suffer with those and related difficulties (self included) so I'll get back with you when the muses do their work.

Meanwhile, thanks for sharing as you did. That takes courage, I think, and love too! And gee whiz - we all need some of that!!! : )

schnuggie

Polenta, great for your bloodpressure!!! I'm happy for u and yes salt is lovely but so baaaaad!
Midnightpoet: You are great!!! Here is my hug for you (*). With us you are never alone.