I am new to this list.....joint pain -- BRAVO Michael!

[Guest guest]

> I hate what is happening in medicine.

 

What a great post, Michael!!

 

I've fought FMS for decades and you're right on. Most doctors

haven't got a clue, and to make the sufferer feel like they're

somehow mentally defective is a common ploy to cover up the doctor's

inability to deal with the problems -- and unwillingness to admit it.

 

> Also, graded exercise programs should be avoided, as they only have

been shown to help a minority of patients.

 

The exercise programs and physical therapy didn't help -- they only

exacerbated the symptoms.

 

> Mainly, i have to recommend that no patient with these kinds of

symptoms succumb to any suggestion or order to take psychiatric

medications. Those will only make things worse.

 

Hear, hear! I was put on several psychotropic drugs by a doctor who

specialized in FMS, but I was unable to tolerate any of them. He

said I had " paradoxical response " . Prozac was the worst... the more

he upped my dose, the more pain and depression I had until I wept at

the drop of a hat and thought about suicide way too much. When I

refused to take it any more, this doctor had a temper tantrum at me.

Needless to say, that was the last time I ever went there!

 

After that I went off on my own with it, basically willing to try

anything I thought was safe, and experimented for years. I'm not

hunky-dorey now, but much improved. I'm still always open to what

might help.

 

> Food allergies should be checked out.

 

What's helped me most is being very careful of what I eat... you said

food allergies, I say blood type food lists, but the latter is just a

short-cut to the former. I got terrific help from that!

 

> Instead, get in-depth nutritional counseling first.

 

Also, the more raw fruits and veggies I eat, the better I feel. What

I eat makes a huge difference in my energy levels and my emotional

moods, too. If I eat wrong I can get very depressed and paranoid...

I was blown away when I discovered that! I could kill myself after

eating corn, bananas, vinegar, or drinking regular tea.

 

> Avoid taking Advil, Ibuprofin, and Acetominephan, as these can

cause kidney damage.

 

I've found that a good ice pack can often work better than any pain

killer. I got a great one from the drugstore that is in the shape of

a " U " to fit around my neck/shoulders, and another one to put on my

back. If I use them in the winter, I use a heating pad or microwaved

ice pack on another part of me, and that keeps the chilled feeling

away.

 

Help also comes to me from good chiropractors... I like the ones with

AK after their name, for applied kinesiology.

 

Getting off my waterbed and onto a foam mattress was a big relief. I

knew I couldn't stand a conventional bed (debilitating pain in the

hips), and I clung to that waterbed far too long. Latex was

expensive, but worth every penny. I saved money by purchasing at a

foam shop (didn't need the fancy cover) and using my waterbed box as

a support. If someone can't afford that (and I sure couldn't now),

then a good foam mattress topper pad may do the trick.

 

> Then, have your living and working environments checked by a

professional for the presence of toxic chemicals, fungi, and

electromagnetic fields.

 

How do we find someone who can do that?

 

> You may correspond privately with me if you want more details,

particularly on environmental matters.

 

Is there anything you can share here?

 

I'm interested in the herbs that help, too, if you can share them

please.

 

Thanks!

 

Melinda