anyone else have "chronic fatigue"?

[faithnotgreed]

i realize thats an umbrella term for different forms of illness. after a harsh bout of mono, i have never felt the same. i was very active with a lot of stress etc as are most people who end up with cfs and other chronic illnesses.
for everyones sake i wont go into the whole story but this illness has been an amazing & spiritual journey. i receive it as a gift.
i was already what is considered a Christian, but now i feel it much more deeply and have given up the control that i wanted to have in various parts of my life. i now release and let God guide me (when i allow it of course!). i still have learning to do of course but i feel a great peace and look forward to my recovery.

anyway over these 15 yrs since mono, i have gone from traditional doctor to alternative methods approx 6 yrs ago. i love this area where medicine and belief and tradition are challenged. though i have seen a little improvement i have tried many types of alternatives because i truly believe in them, and they give me much more hope (based in science and reason but also "blind faith") than does traditional medicine. i am sure many of you know what i mean when i speak of uncaring and insensitive doctors who want to prescribe instead of finding out what is wrong.

i have found a holistic md who listens well, and does some great alternative stuff incl an advanced muscle testing (kinesiology). i have had many forms of therapy incl removal and replacement of mercury amalgams. i am very thankful for all that i have been able to do and believe i will be well again

for a few yrs i have been given the consistent diagnosis of mercury toxicity and mono virus that never left my body. so this is what i have been working on with this doctor here and there. i do it only as i can (physically and financially) so its slow going.

so basically i am wondering if anyone else out there has debilitating fatigue or has sought out alternatives for their illness?
thank you for listening and for sharing. please feel free to comment or ask anything. im very open but didnt want to overwhelm anyone with too much information!

peace jude

[Eloriel]

1. I had CFS for 15 months -- which is way les time than most

people suffer with it.

My chiropractor (using applied kinesiology) finally identified it as a virus that morphed from Epstein-Barr (usually associated with CFS) to mono to -- always forget the name, something like cytomegalovirus. Back and forth. CFS is also usually associated with candidiasis, as you probably know. There are a number of natural remedies for candidiasis.

Anyway, it was absolutely hell, and it left me allergic to some painkillers and some antibiotics, which is why I try very hard to stay well enough not to need those things in the first place. It also left me with a little problem with short-term memory (tho I bet if I tried gingko biloba or bilberry routinely, that might dissipate -- it's not terrible, just "there" and noticeable occasionally).

That part of my life is nearly completely lost to me -- I remember very little about it (other than how "lost" I felt until I figured out what was wrong with me -- I was afraid for a while I might be going crazy). I DO remember one particular day which was very much like all the others except for an afternoon event. I had slept 12 hours the night before, did nothing all morning, took a 3-hour nap after lunch (greatly needed!), drove about 30 min. one way into Atlanta for a 45-minute meeting then home again (30 minutes) and arrived home absolutely EXHAUSTED and probably went to bed as early as 7 pm. It was just an awful, awful, awful time in my life.

For mercury, I take chlorella. We ALL have mercury in our bodies. Chlorella is reported to chelate it and flushes it out. I haven't noticed any ill effects from the chlorella.

[faithnotgreed]

3. exactly so

thank you for your response. using the appl kinesiology, a couple doctors have identified the mercury and viral stemming from the mono that never left. i have been tested multiple ways for emotional blocks and allergies but thankfully those arent an issue. but i know stress and anger are rampant so im very grateful not to have that added burden like many do

may i ask what the chiropractor advised you to do once he/she identified the virus? to have it named then treated and released sounds wonderful! i would love to hear more about that if its not asking too much. you clearly suffered during that time so perhaps its not all clear to you but if you can i would love to hear what was advised

and yes, we do all have mercury and many other toxins. i had previously tested for chlorella and cilantro and a form of dmps (i know) for the mercury and a great herbal mix from a monastery for the virus. at this point, i tested for a different, easier but potent chelator so i no longer do the above for mercury.
my illness is centered around those 2 issues ive mentioned and a couple doctors/dentist have explained to me that this can be a tough combination because the magnetic pull the virus has over the metal. so its a tougher road because you have to work on one, then the other and back again.

several yrs ago while i lived in nc, i actually had a serious "ozone" infusion over about 6 wks, in order to kill the virus. the doctor wasnt certain what virus but since my case had been so stubborn he tried that. well the 6 wks were difficult but it brought about an amazing 6 wks of feeling like i had never felt before. it was like being a little high really. truly amazing. but because even this heavy duty ozone therapy couldnt cure me then something else was interfering and it turns out to be the mercury. he didnt know i had that.

anyway i tell you all this because ive seen you post regarding alternatives and just wanted to share some of this. i also am currently receiving polarity treatment which is interesting. i had gotten some craniosacral work because i have a bit of compression on the right side of my head.

i love it all and have gotten into it quite a bit over the years.

[Eloriel]

8. Fascinating. Thanks for sharing all that.

I wish I had kept track, as I do now, of my health and what I did day-by-day, but I didn't.

I can only say that I saw my wizard/healer/chiro at least twice a month, brought home a big handful of homeopathics and supplements each time, and also spent even more money on supplements at my local healthfood store -- whatever jumped out at me (in the usual way, intuitively). I do think the homeopathics were a big part of the recovery.

I don't recall that finally identifying the root cause (the virus) made any real difference in the treatment, it just helped both of us know what we were dealing with. The applied kinesiology pretty much trumps everything -- letting your body tell your healthcare practitioner what's needed. (I LOVE kinesiology!)

At the very end, I was feeling much better physically, but finally realized that I was depressed (took me a while to actually realize that), so I mentioned it to him and he tested me and gave me a plant-based lithium which was still available at that time, and bingo! That was it for me. I took it for a few weeks, probably, and then suddenly "forgot" to take it anymore, which is typically a sign that you're finished with it. But I was definitely 95% back to the old me after that. (Prior to the lithium, I was like 85 - 90% back to the old me.)

That's all I can remember to tell you.

There was one other thing that I'll go ahead and mention. One of the things that allowed this to happen to me was working for myself for 5 years and burning myself to an absolute crisp. I mean, an absolute crisp. So one of the things I had to come to terms with when I "collapsed," was that I was a workaholic, and I mean that in the true addiction sense. The way I define it, or the way it worked for me, was that I got my sense of self, etc., from my "performance," and the praise and positive reinforcement from doing a good job. I realized I'd been a workaholic, in that sense, since at least age 5. If I performed well, I would be loved, appreciated, validated as a human being. Etc.

Okay, so then what? I realized it, but then I also realized that that was WHO I WAS and I had literally NO idea how to be or behave any different. Absolutely NO idea. So I looked and looked and finally found a couple of Workaholics Anonymous groups in the Atlanta area. Our culture promotes and rewards workaholism, so it was no surprise, really, that there were few groups even in a city as large as Atlanta, AND those 3 groups only had about 3 or 4 members each. LOL.

BUT, at least they had some materials that helped me see how NOT to be a workaholic, how a "normal" person sees things and behaves. So I attended a few WA meetings, but also attended CODA meetings fairly frequently, since that's the underlying addiction, IMO and from what I've read, for everyone who has an addiction of any kind. That's the only other thing (besides reading, which is a constant in my life) that I remember from this period, and even that I don't remember all that well. Chiropractor visits, CODA, sleep, more sleep, rinse and repeat.

(I'm not sharing this because I think you have a similar problem -- but rather because it's part of my own story.)

[faithnotgreed]

9. wow. thank you for fleshing that out. its quite fascinating and impressive

to hear what youve been through and what youve learned. i completely relate to crashing based on too much stress and work. though i wasnt a workaholic as you identify with, i was way over my head working and trying to handle family things (i was a director of a small non-profit; sister was an addict) for a couple years.

it takes a partnership between you and the healer to get to a place of wellness so thats great that you could work in partnership and do the hard work that it really does take. to go to meetings and seek out support and guidance takes vulnerability and commitment and i commend you for all you did.

im glad that you found someone so great as this chiropractor. i know that emotion is either at the base or a significant component of basically most illnesses no matter what those illnesses are. until the ozone, i had some anger that i needed to deal with but didnt "see" it enough until after the ozone trtmt. then when i felt something lift, and didnt lash out as i would sometimes, i could talk about it and found out it was evident some times but i hadnt faced it yet. so there was some good stuff that came from the ozone.

you mention a plant based lithium. when you have the time could you talk more about that? my mom has depression and though she has other problems, i know if one thing could lift it would of course help her to deal with some other stuff or allow her to open up emotionally even if its only enough for her to be able to deal with her illness
in fact right now i learned about a chiropractor/appl kinesiology person in raleigh that i want her to go to, but since i no longer live there she is resistant to go on her own, though she is willing to go if i was there to take her. recently she is losing her vision so its hard for her to get there but i would love to see if she could be helped by this chiropractor. so ill make sure to pass along a little of your story.

like you i believe in this. its almost a separate world and is so rich in what it represents and how powerful it can be when done properly.
because of all the complexities of health, and because im fortunate that my mind is still active and working as usual, then i have kept track of all this for multiple years. i had a lot of records and recommendations to keep track of so it just worked itself out to manage it and keep my own notes. im naturally curious and not someone who is going to just accept what im being told. thats what many want you to do so i learned early on in all this that i had to learn about the treatments and the options. so i have an interactive relationship with whomever treats me. besides, i am highly interested in alternative medicine so its been great to be so involved. i would rather i didnt have to learn it out of personal experience! but im thankful for it.

thanks so much for taking the time to share what youve done and been through. i appreciate it very much. i know youre busy with multiple things; i hope i didnt push you to talk about this. thats the last thing you need!

best wishes eloriel. its been a real pleasure talking with you. i realize i gave way too much information! but you never know if others besides us will read this at some point. i know after all this time i still have not found anyone who has the illness as i have it - and my doctors confirm this - so i always like to share my stuff just in case someone has been searching too.

heres to wellness - in whatever form that takes
jude

[Eloriel]

14. no, you didn't push me at all

(I don't push easily. ;-) )

There's not much more I can say about the plant-based lithium, except that when he handed it to me he said something about the fact that this has now been taken off the market (FDA I presume), but he had that one left.

[autorank]

2. My sympathies. This is rough.

If you have not done this, you should have your physician check out infectious diseases, particularly tic born illness like Lyme Disease. The DC area has a fair amount of tics. If you ever had Lyme, untreated or inadequately treated, you have a risk for chronic Lyme Disease. I don't have it but my wife does. She went through multiple labels (e.g. CFS) until she got a doctor that did a real Lyme test, a PCR genetic test. You don't need that test to be positive for a diagnosis, according to Lyme practitioners, but if it shows positive that means it's in the DNA. Check out this site, it may be helpful. But get your MD working for you. If you don't get help with this, ask your doctor about stimulants. There is NOTHING wrong with these if medically formulated and used under medical care.

Good luck.

http://www.lymenet.org/

[faithnotgreed]

4. hi autorank. thank you so much for your response

i have been tested for lyme though not in the advanced way that you mention. and i definitely agree that this is a very misunderstood and undiagnosed problem for people. amy tan talked of her health problems that finally turned out to be lyme i think, probably a couple yrs ago. i hope your wife has gotten the treatment she needs for this.

at this point since more than 1 alternative doctor has diagnosed the same thing for me (as i mention) i feel confident of what is going on. i had quite a case of mono and never recovered. so this makes sense. though were not aware of this, most everyone has mercury or other metals in their system. some people can handle the assault of the environment and not get sick but there are many of us who cant so we are hit with various chronic illnesses. its layered of course and happens over time, and illnesses such as cfs usually surface hard with some traumatic event like virus or chidlbirth or accident.

over the past years i have tried all number of treatments and even had a couple sleep tests. from one of these, i was given stimulants and took them at first. they didnt help and then i thought more about it and decided i wanted to get at the root of what was causing such awful fatigue.

of course like everyone else, stress also played a large part in my illness really taking over. i was director of a non profit and had far too much going on, in addition to the mono still in my body etc

anyway this is all a learning process and people are different and respond to different courses of treatment. i wish you and your wife the best. i know that the merry go round of doctors and prescriptions and therapies can be overwhelming. im glad your wife was finally properly diagnosed. many people arent.

take care jude

[autorank]

5. Thanks for your kind words.

There is so much we don't know. The 'Elisa & Western Blot' combined tests are the common tests for Lyme. Some people are positive on these if they have chronic Lyme. Others are negative but positive on the PCR genetic test. Still others are negative on both but fit the fairly lengthy symptom profile developed for chronic Lyme over the past 8-10 years. That's the problem, there is no one clear test but the symptoms are well outlined. The treatment for Lyme is described on LymeNet. The longer you've had the condition, the specialists say, the longer the treatment and vis a versa. I hope you get the help you need. There is a DC metro area Lyme association called, I think, The National Capitol Lyme Association. The very best wishes in your hunt for what ails you!!!

It turns out my wife has had the condition for some time. It's been called all sorts of things CFS, Fibromyalgia, Reiters Syndrome...all wrong. Treatment helps but can be an ordeal. In addition to all the other great reasons to elect Kerry, the cause of science and particularly stem-cell research, was very important to us. I just hope CA, Canada, Europe, or better yet, India (I would so love that) takes up the cause and nails down some effective treatments for all conditions where benefit can be derived (Lyme causes reactive arthritis in a big way).

[faithnotgreed]

6. may i ask how she is now feeling

and what she did if she now feels better? since you mention that she was finally properly diagnosed, then i assume she was able to get real treatment.

again, im glad for you both. youve clearly gone through a great deal to get to this place. i cannot believe how much is not known and how much disinformation is out there. doctors are content to give you referrals even when they have no idea what theyre doing! i understand about the tests. so many tests and prescriptions etc, and so few real answers.

im glad youve found an answer.

[autorank]

7. Sure, check your 'inbox'...autorank

[Cadence]

10. Look into ion cleanse foot bath treatments

if you can. It really helps. :)

[faithnotgreed]

11. ion cleanse? can you give me an idea what that is

or is that why you told me to look into it?!

ive heard of ionized water and
i have done clay foot baths but i imagine youre talking about something else. can you tell me if youve done them and for what condition?

thanks so much. thats quite a teaser you put out there!

[Cadence]

12. Oh sorry didn't mean to make it a teaser.

:) Sure I can tell you more. I used it when I was curing my chronic fatigue.
I had a guy I know build one for me because he knew how to reverse engineer things and could do that. But I believe you can buy them on the internet or you might find someone locally that offers the treatment so you can try it out.

Negative ion theory has been around for awhile and you've probably heard about the large number of negative ions that are caused by waves crashing into a beach and that's what gives people that feeling of peace and well being. Positive ions are what wreak havoc on our systems.

I found a site that explained it better than I could this late at night.

"A water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. When the molecule loses a hydrogen atom, the remaining OH molecule takes on a negative charge. As you walk along the beach, your body absorbs millions of these negatively charged ions, which alkalize the blood and tissue. Because of poor diet and high stress, we tend to accumulate and store excessive quantities of waste products, such as diacetic, lactic, pyruvic, uric, carbonic, acetic, butyric, and hepatic acids. "
snip



How the IonCleanse Works

Generating Ions

An ion is a charged atom that has gained or lost an electron which creates a magnetic field capable of attaching to and neutralizing oppositely charged particles. These neutralized particles are extracted from the body through the process called osmosis. Osmosis is a scientific term that is used to describe the movement of particles through a membrane from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration. In this case, the higher concentration refers to the ion field that is set up by placing the array into the water while running the unit.

The array is placed into the water alongside the hands, feet, or body while the power supply delivers a low level direct current to the array. This causes the metals within the array in combination with water and salt to generate positively and negatively charged ions by separating oxygen and hydrogen in the water.

The practitioner determines the polarity setting through the use of litmus paper (pH strips) or muscle testing. We speculate that ions generated by the IonCleanse travel through the body attaching themselves to a multitude of toxic substances, thereby neutralizing their positive or negative charge. It may be possible to reduce pain and other symptoms caused by a lifetime of toxic buildup in the body (assuming the symptoms are caused by toxic buildup). The long-term effectiveness of the IonCleanse detoxification process depends on other life-enhancing changes a person is willing to make.

http://www.amajordifference.com/iontheory.htm

[faithnotgreed]

13. thank you for the explanation. may i ask

more about your chronic fatigue? im highly interested in this disease process and love to hear from others who have experienced this and of course what they have been through on their way to wellness

whatever amount of information you want to share is perfectly fine. im very interested but i dont want to pry or make you feel uncomfortable. you can see above an outline of my experience if that helps you at all in your response

i would enjoy hearing
- what finally brought on the cfs
- what you were diagnosed with and what type of healer you saw that helped you
- what level of illness did you have when you started the ion cleanse
- what was your experience like with the ion cleanse and did you take supplements or chelators etc
- how long did it take for you to feel better

any of this is a big help to me and i thank you for sharing whatever you want.
best wishes

[Eloriel]

15. My chiro has one of these and I tried it once

would like to try it again -- it's quite the amazing thing. It was a little rough on me the first time (full hour) -- cleansed my kidneys primarily, I think, but also left them feeling a little battered. But I might try half that time -- or have him muscle test me. I'm stronger and have more stamina now than I did back then (earlier this year).

If it helps with CFS I'd say definitely give it a try. But try to find someone who has one (like a chiropractor, or get one of your healthcare guys to get one).

[faithnotgreed]

16. hi cadence - please check your pm (12/5)

[dbt]

17. Hello, everyone! Please tell me about 1999 and your CFS.

Did your condition exist before roughly 1999 (perhaps two or three years earlier), or has it only begun to affect you since then? I ask because 1999 was the year that people began noticing what has now come to be called Chemtrails.

Since the advent of the trails, respiratory ailments have been reported to be increasing substantially--and there is a feeling of lethargy, "tiredness" associated with them.

Chemtrails have been reliably reported to contain fine particles of aluminum and barium, neither of which should be taken into the body on a regular basis. Aluminum is also associated with Alzheimer's, IIRC.

Then, there is the increase of activity by HAARP that has coincided with the arrival of the trails. In short, HAARP beams millions of watts of low-frequency radio waves (ELF) toward the ionosphere--and the antenna array can also be configured to beam into the ground.

The point: Chemtrails and HAARP arrived in roughly 1999. When did your CFS arrive?

Peace,
dbt

[faithnotgreed]

18. hi dbt thanks for your post

to answer your specific question: the mono hit in 1989 which triggered the stuff that had been accumulating in my body (poor diet, stress, metal etc)
so from that point on i never felt recovered but kept going. then about 1997 i just crashed

i will say that i believe theres a great deal of toxicity in our society incl emotional, chemical, metal, etc
so i would believe that any number of things trigger illnesses. and do we have a LOT of disease in our society, some which people dont even know about or recognize as a distinct illness

thanks for giving your insight...

[Lorien]

19. I've had Fibromyalgia and CFS since 1981

I was diagnosed when I was in High school (most people don't know that's it's been around since then)! I haven't had a day where I really felt "awake" since I was about 14 or so. There is no moment of time-none-when I would rather be awake than asleep.It's hard for me to even imagine anything else.

The only thing that's helped me even a little has been high doses of several vitamins and other supplements, like super malic, MSM, magnesium and calcium, B vitamins, etc. I've tried eating a strictly raw food diet (made me even more exhausted), I tried high protein (got gallstones for it), I tried strict vegetarian (again; exhausted). Weight training helps, but I'm usually too tired for that too.

I wish I had better answers for you. :-(

[faithnotgreed]

20. im so sorry lorien.... mines been 15 yrs but you have suffered far

longer.

may i ask if youve read my posts on this thread? basically i am working to chelate mercury and get rid of the mono virus which never left my body 15 yrs ago.

i have a holistic md who does advanced kinesiology, and am taking natural/alternative medicine supplements and vitamins. im also getting some polarity (energy) bodywork.
i have seen many specialists incl so called cfs specialists but have felt frustrated and confused with these practitioners until several yrs ago when i have gone truly grounded alternative.

im very hopeful and happy with this track even though it hasnt given noticeable results yet. i feel like my disease has been identified, so its just a matter of tackling it properly and methodically.

my prayers are with you and if you would like to pm me or talk here then i am more than happy to. i dont want to overwhelm but just let me know if youd like to share at all

best wishes to you

on edit: i have heard so many people diagnosed with either fm or cfs. its like an epidemic. i believe that in one offshoot or another, it is partially grounded in and triggered by emotional and/or environmental toxins (there are so many) or viruses or other trauma such as childbirth or accident. just in life, most of us have some or all of these but some are better able to handle it. some of us arent when it finally adds up over time to be too much. its complicated and layered of course, and not quickly gotten rid of, but people can definitely get their health back. i believe that strongly even though it hasnt "kicked in" for me yet.

[Lorien]

22. I have loads of fillings in my teeth, and had mono several times

as a child and as a teenager. I guess it was after the last bad bout of mono around age 13 or 14 that I just never fully recovered. I've tried alternative medicines (though not the chelated therapy you mentioned). My insurance pays for next to nothing anyway, and I don't have the funds for anything else, so I'm pretty much on my own with the supplements, etc.

Keep us updated with what you've been doing. If you feel a significant improvement, then I'd certainly like to hear about that!

[faithnotgreed]

24. wow... again i am so sorry for that. that makes a lot of sense

because as i have mentioned, my constant fatigue has been with me ever since a rough bout with mono i had while in college.
i just never felt right and knew it had to be related to the mono but kept on and pursued traditional medicine doctors. then after years of stressful life things incl work etc, i just crashed into a deep fatigue that prevented a normal life.

out of that journey i had gotten into alternative help, incl holistic dental work out and am dealing with the mercury still in my system and the mono virus.

these 2 components hang onto each other so im working on that. i am incredibly in debt but have a small but wonderful support system.

and yes, if this works out i will definitely let people know. its going to take time because its not a quick fix but i will keep with it.

may i ask what your main symptoms are? whatever you do or dont want to share is completely understandable.
im sending you very best wishes. im glad to have talked with you

[Lorien]

25. Thanks so much for the warm wishes

as for symptoms; I have painful joints, muscle stiffness, extreme fatigue (of course),depression and migraines /near constant headaches (although, when I can afford it, botox injections on my brow COMPLETELY relieve me of headaches and migraines). I had a Parvo virus years ago that sent my Fibromyalgia into overdrive; it was like having a full body "Charley horse", I couldn't walk or move much for days, and my hands and feet swelled to grotesque proportions. Fortunately, once you've had Parvo, you won't get it again. My muscles never really came back after that. I have difficulty getting them to move sometimes, and even mild exercise leaves me with an extreme "burn" afterwards (though drinking an electrolyte mix helps). The moral? Avoid kids with Parvo at all costs if you have Fibromyalgia!

[faithnotgreed]

26. gosh lorien. you truly are amazing. you have or have had ALL

of that and still you can do so many things! i am amazed. thank you for sharing all of that with me; you must have some kind of resolve.

im glad there are things you do that help you feel some better. my mom has depression and numbness/heaviness throughout both arms. her vision is just about gone now which is a more recent development.

im thankful she doesnt have crippling depression but its not good and she stays in more than is good for her etc
and there may be one supplement - flor essence or a liver detox called ultra d - that she has asked me to get her more of. this helps with elimination and bloating, which can be an issue for her, but other than that she hasnt had any real improvement from anything that she takes.
so im glad that you have some things that can help you

i really have enjoyed hearing from you. this is all so interesting to me and its great to meet someone else who was also so impacted by the mono virus.

take good care and hope you get some good rest during this busy season....

[emcguffie]

34. just checking, have you tried..?

Have you had a sleep study, to see if you have sleep apnea?

And then, my doctor (Derek Enlander in NYC) has put many of his patients on Xyrem, which increases your delta sleep, your slow wave sleep. This has been one thing that has helped. I was getting terribly weak, and this brought my strength back. Well, "strength" being relative. Delta sleep, stage 4, is when your body does most of its recuperating. If it is wrecked, then so are you.

But I still hurt like hell.

Apparently we all have disturbed sleep architecture, even if you think you're sleeping like a baby.

There is a site for Xyrem, it's Orphan Pharmaceuticals. Enlander is in there somewhere listed as doing a study.

The other thing is have you been tested for Mycoplasma? Many people are feeling better attacking those guys, which so many CFIDS/FM patients have.

[Eurobabe]

21. Website you might be interested in...

In preparation for National Thyroid Awareness Month (January 2005) and my commitment to make others aware of Thyroid health, I invite you all to come over to a very interesting website that talks about CFS and Fibromyalgia. I have been researching thyroid disease since being dx'd hypothyroid in August '03.

http://www.drlowe.com/frf/guttler/addenda.htm#Addendum%201

There are a group of doctors who strongly believe that both CFS and Fibromyalgia are manifestations of underlying thyroid malfunction. The ironic thing about CFS and Fibro are that these diseases were not even in the books until about 5-6 years after doctors adopted the gold standard lab test for thyroid function, the TSH test. Most of the time now, when you have bloodwork done for thyroid function, doctors only run a TSH. Prior to this (and the advent of synthetic thyroid hormones like Synthroid) people used to take Armour (dessicated pork thyroid)and were adjusted on medication by how they FELT, not by some labs test. It's too complicated to try to explain it all here in a paragraph, it has taken me the better part of the year to learn how this all works in the body (taking natural thyroid meds vs. synthetic) But I will tell you that many doctors undertreat their patients for thyroid problems, and most don't feel quite well on synthetics alone. It is the natural thyroid medicine that makes us feel well again. I have had some fibromyalgia type symptoms in my joints that completely disappeared when I switched from synthetic to natural thyroid medication.

So in honor of Thyroid Awareness Month, have your thyroid checked and keep your body in balance. If you would like more info, email me at DU. Peace, -Crozet

[faithnotgreed]

23. hi - yes i definitely agree that thyroid is one of the many possible

problems contributing to all kinds of dis-ease for people incl depression, anxiety, cfs, autism spectrum etc just as you are saying

im not sure what you attribute it to, and im respectful of all peoples beliefs on this, but for me i believe that there are reasons why so very many people have so very many different health issues. some are related to thyroid malfunction for sure

it is for the reasons as i just posted today: either one or a combination of things. some of the suspects are underlying heavy metals (which can be from so many sources incl dental work, lead in paints or water, etc etc), viruses, formaldehydes and other pollutants, and the list goes on. basically we all have some level of this junk in our systems because of living in the "modern" world. however some of us have weakened systems either at birth or over the years from so many sources, so we are much more vulnerable to these assaults. and certainly the thyroid (or adrenal and other hormonal components) take a huge hit from this toxicity. the endocrine system seems to be among the most vulnerable.

and yes, its definitely under diagnosed and not dealt with in a comprehensive way. from my personal experience (myself and my mom), many doctors incl some alternative ones, dont check this early and look for other things first when it is something that should be tested early with tsh etc.

i do want to say that it can be important (i learned this because of my moms experience) to also have adrenal issues checked out first before treating thyroid if that is also an issue. my mom took some t4 from her traditional doctor and she got heart palpitations so she stopped taking it. we learned much later this is because her adrenals couldnt handle that. anyway that is only one story. we all have our different systems and illnesses and comfort so one size does not fit all by any stretch.

anyway. sorry to go on about that and im truly glad that you have a diagnosis that sounds right to you and your body. some people definitely feel better after being diagnosed and taking proper medication. so that has to feel wonderful and im glad that youve gotten the help you seek.

thanks so much for sharing this website and your experience. its great to hear from everyone who is going through some aspect of illness because there is so much for me to learn.

peace

[Eurobabe]

27. agree with everything you said...

I am always yammering about how our food is poisoning us. I have tried to get more "clean," this past year -- going organic as possible. Notice a big difference in the meats. I switched to a fluoride free toothpaste, drink only good quality bottled water, cut out caffeine and pared back sugar intake. I know you can't pin illness all on one source, but thyroid malfunction is implicated in so many things, one would never even guess it was connected.

One thyroid book I have, by the father of Broda Barnes Institute (BB himself) is brutally honest when he says that what anitbiotics have done is taken over nature's right to weed the weak from the strong. Harsh as it may seem, those who have weak immune systems would have died off from flu or other disease, not passing their weak genes to offspring. So modern medicine is killing us as a species too, along with everything else you mentioned. He sees a real weakening of mankind from mid-20th century onwards.

Thyroid is not the magic bullet, and there are some folks who need to have other things tested prior to starting thy-meds, ie ferritin levels (low iron count mimics thyroid issues) adrenal fatigue, are the biggies.
I hope your mom is on the proper meds and feeling better. Thyroid disease strikes all types. No one could believe that I had a thy problem because I am 5'8" and used to weigh 125-130 lbs. But after gaining 5 lbs every year for past 4 years, I got up to 160 and said something is wrong here, it can't just be aging and changing metabolism. Lo and behold it was thyroid! Since getting on proper meds, I have peeled off 15 lbs. and I feel terrific!

[faithnotgreed]

29. that is such a great - and important - story you just shared

thanks for the response. after hearing more of your situation i can again say that im so happy that you found what was wrong and what your body needed. many are not that lucky but im sure you know that even those with just thyroid issues.
i got a thyroid book as well because we initially thought my mom was hypothyroid. i cant recall the name but its about hypo and the womans name is mary...

i didnt want to overstate but YES! i also agree with all youve said here. i was just thinking today about the food additives, pesticides and oh the list goes on... a complete assault done by so many different corporations, pharmaceuticals and all the rest. and i know antibiotics and steroids are unnatural and used way too often. i dont think its harsh to say that all these kinds of things that technology has "given" society, has most definitely weakened us all.
again, some people get hit really hard in this weakened state and others are able to handle it better.

and about my mom. from what weve been told most recently from an alternative md who specializes in thyroid and adrenal issues, he says that her thyroid is ok and has tested her a couple different times incl tsh
he thinks adrenals are the first issue she needs to deal with. her depression and and brain cloudiness and other health/emotional issues dont allow her to get the help she needs. but it is interesting that when she saw my holistic md he said she had one toxic root canal tooth (out of her 4 root canals) that needed cleaning out and replacing first. second on the list is mercury.

after a year of saying no, she got the tooth dealt with which felt very good to her and she was glad she had that done. it didnt make any noticeable difference but there are enough loads on her body that there is not one magic thing - at least not yet! i know she has some real emotional burdens from childhood - most of us do dont we?!
the mercury is a whole other thing so i dont think we will get to that for some time if at all.

so thank you for asking about her. i share so much because you asked but also because others may read this and identify with something weve said and i want to make sure to give whatever information i have

thanks again. ive been glad to hear from you and it must be amazing to actually know what you can do to feel better. and im glad youve gone healthy and organic. i pretty much only eat organic and wash off the lettuce first, drink spring water etc. i do want to look into distilled water but have read that since it takes out minerals that its not always the best idea. i dont know but ill do some looking into that because again, theres not only one answer

best wishes to you. and please share anytime! theres so much out there to learn isnt there? in peace

[Pathwalker]

28. Oh my. I was diagnosed hypo-thyroid in 1972.

I took the Armour tyroid medication, and it worked for years, until it started building up unhealthy levels of T-4. They took me off it for several months, then put me on Synthroid, which turned me HyPER and gave me a goiter. They took me off Synthroid, and are "waitng to see what happens". I've since had 2 large cysts aspirated, and more are growing.
It's been downhill for my health ever since.

[faithnotgreed]

30. oh wow. im sorry to hear that

so the t4 built up to unhealthy levels (or your body was producing differently as you got older and with taking supplemental t3/t4, then the t4 became too high??) i have no idea of course

may i ask if youre seeing a thyroid doctor or your normal physician? i know there are different types of thyroid medication and its clear the synthroid they put you on is not good. im so sorry for what youve gone through with that.

i wish you well notorious. as im sure you know, thyroid can be tricky to get diagnosed and dealt with properly but once you do, it can kick in so quickly.

take good care and i hope you will check back in and let us know what youre going through. sending you warm wishes for your health....

[Pathwalker]

31. Thank you for your warm wishes. Yes, I have seen,

A Thyroid Specialist, an Endrocronolist, and a Thyroid Surgeon. All of them in the last 2 years. They couldn't agree on what course to take, and I `made the decision to let it ride as long as I could.

As for the T-4 levels, it seemed to happen when I got Diabetes Type 2. The better I handle the Diabetes, the worse the thyroid does. I have made the decision that handling the Diabetes is more important - and 2 out of three Drs. agree with me. The Surgeon thinks I should just remove the thyroid and be done with it. I think it would simply open a whole new set of issues.
But lately, as my blood sugars get low, my thyroid symptoms get...nasty.

Is there more than one type of Synthroid now? Maybe I could take one of them. The one I took caused so many problems. I would love to know if there are other options.

[faithnotgreed]

32. heres the best information i can give - it may be a start

i just did a quick search for alternatives to synthroid and found the site that i i went to when i was searching for hypothyroid information for my mom. its the "about" web site and it does have a great deal of information incl a link for the best thyroid doctors. you can find this link under the "essentials" title on the upper left side of the page. i found that helpful because it even includes feedback from patients.

its clearly more complicated than i can help with but i am glad to help you in any way i can incl any online research if you like.

take good care. since you have already seen these various doctors i am assuming they are not helping you much. perhaps - though i certainly dont know your situation - it is a good time to seek out options to not just your medication but also to your doctors.

again, i think this website is a good one since it covers a lot, has some good links and seems to be accessible to those of us who are just trying to make some sense of what may be going on with our health.

im glad your instinct has told you not to have the thyroid removed. i know it must be difficult

please do let me know if i can help in any way and i would like to hear if you learn anything that can help. in peace

[emcguffie]

33. for years and years

I have had CFIDS/FM.

seven or eight. I still work, support my family, so I think that's why I cannot get better.

But I did just start a long-term antibiotic treatment for Mycoplasma, which I just found out I had. Hopefully that will work. I'm having the "Herxheimer" reaction that you get when the little monsters start dying off. So that is good news. But it means I feel horrible, horrible, horrible.

[faithnotgreed]

36. best wishes to you.. i know what its like to keep pushing

please let us know if this does do anything for you because im sure there are others who are in the same boat

take care jude

[LiberalEsto]

35. I had a bout of CFS after my second child was born

This was back in 1986-87. I think labor and giving birth may have been a trigger, and the lack of sleep made it worse.

I was so tired I couldn't stand up most of the time, or even sit up. I sent my 3-year-old up the stairs to fetch diapers and clean clothes when it was time to change the baby. My husband would pick up frozen dinners on the way home, and nuke them for us.

For a while my family doctor put me on the anti-yeast diet, but it didn't do much. I also did an anti-hypoglycemia diet for about a year.

The fatigue gradually went away after a period of years and in 1989 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I've been put on Elavil (which did very little except make me gain weight), had several kinds of physical therapy, taken anti-inflammatory meds, etc. Also olive leaf extract, omega 3 supplements, and I can't remember what else. Oh, and therapy and meds for anxiety and severe depression.

Tests for Lyme keep coming up negative. I've been tested -- by several doctors - for thyroid problems, including a radioactive scan, but they all show up negative. Also been checked for H. pylori and T-myco, negative.

I also have multi-chemical sensitivities.

Reducing the chemicals in our home is what's helped me the most. I only use low-VOC paint, and clean with baking soda, vinegar and citrus-based cleaners.
I avoid products that contain fragrances, and don't wear perfume or scented deodorant. I buy fragrance-free Shaklee laundry detergent online, and shower with Cetaphil soap and Citre Shine hair products. My vacuum has allergy-filtering bags, and we had our heating ducts cleaned.
I try to avoid processed foods and food coloring. If I use makeup, it has to be hypoallergenic and sometimes even that doesn't do the trick.

Good luck with getting rid of your CFS. Hope you feel better soon.

[faithnotgreed]

37. hello... i appreciate hearing from you about your experience

thats wonderful that your fatigue went away (ive heard those stories but never actually met anyone who had it happen like that!)

its wonderful that youre aware of what chemicals do and made some life changes

im not sure what kind of dr youre going to but you clearly are trying and i wish you all the best
please let me know and i thank you for your well wishes