Yes, I'm using turmeric drops. My legs are better, but I'm still afraid to try a soaking bath, for fear I can't get up. I put my friend on some herbs that I had around. He still can't get to a real doctor (such as they are).
To elaborate on Coyote's post - I take Zyflamend, which has turmeric, ginger, and a bunch of other anti-inflammatory stuff. I find it helpful.
Yes, @Coyote !
Curcumin supplements ( a substance in turmeric) has been wonderful for me. It has dramatically reduced my issues with tendonitis. I thought I was going to need surgery on my hand but it is manageable now, not nearly as swollen filled with pain. I have less joint paint and I know inflammation in my body all over has decreased. Also, I have lost some weight.
Arnica, a homeopathic is also helpful for some types of pain. It works best when taken without food. No garlic or peppermint either as those will weaken its ability to work.
I had a bad fall two years ago and fractured my patella in 8 places. My integrative doc recommended Wobenzym PS for the inflammation and pain following my surgery. It worked really well. Wobenzym contains systemic enzyme support, and was originally prescribed by doctors in Germany going back to the 60's. My husband began taking it when he could no longer take cortisone shots for the inflammation and bad pain in his hand. It took about 2 days to work, and now he swears by it. He's been taking it daily for 2 years. There is an "N" and a "PS" version; PS is the one that physicians prescribe. I believe the main difference is that PS contains twice the amount of the major active ingredients -- PS is also twice the cost of the N version.
I also agree with many of you about curcumin/turmeric. I find that it really helps. Lovendures, thanks for the tip about not taking peppermint or garlic with arnica -- I wasn't aware of that.
I've never tried the CBD oil. I guess we're all different in terms of how our bodies respond to certain supplements and meds. I once tried the low dose naltrexone, and it made me very hyper. My doctor even had me drastically cut down on the dosage, and it still had that effect. That was about 5 years ago; don't know how I'd respond to it now. My doc said that sometimes we can react to the fillers in a pill, rather than the actual active ingredient. Hard to say until you test it out. Given my sensitivities, I'm just really cautious when I try any meds and even some supplements.
When I had a reading with Jeanne, she said, as an empath, I was constantly bombarded with energy...very similar to sunbeams hitting me all the time. And that's exactly how I feel; it's like my body feels like it's constantly walking through a hailstorm. I'm constantly being hit. I feel it more when I watch the news, or when I'm in a crowd of people. Heck, even being by myself I can feel it. It's no wonder I spent my entire life trying to block the bombardment with food.
I read a book that talks about those souls who volunteered to come to Earth to help, specifically after the atom bomb was dropped. I am what is considered to be a 2nd wave volunteer, and my only purpose is to act like an antenna, to spread my light to everyone I come in contact with. Apparently, I don't need to do anything. I just have to be. Which, when I think of it, I wish I knew before I took out student loans to get my Master's degree.
I can do yoga, and take magnesium. I'm already on an SSRI for anxiety, and I take Xanax as needed. But to be honest, the only thing I want to do is hide. I dream of running away and hiding somewhere in the cool mountains. Get off the grid totally. No news. No social media. No phone. Yet, I feel a personal responsibility to those in my life just to be present. I'm tired of it.
I feel so bad that I'm not doing enough for others...but it takes all my energy just to get through the workday. My biggest fear is that, when I cross over to the other side, I will be told I didn't do enough to help.
I really wanted to reply to this topic, to you, and as I was starting to write something, I was distracted. Maybe it was because it wasn't time. I am also a person suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue disorder, osteoarthritis, discopathy, etc, which brought me to a deep depression. I use to be an active person until adulthood. I was always having aches and pains but when I got mononucleosis, my pain tolerance went down the drain.
So I feel for you. If you say your skin hurt, I'll understand. If you say your nails or hair hurt, I'll understand. I didn't think nails could hurt until I had a fall last spring. But I think what is most difficult for me is the lack of support or understanding from family and friends. So, when I get a "pain attack" I just turn away and further isolate myself.
As I'm writing this, I went to pick up my budgie. He is tiny, only 7 months old. There are some spots on my hands where he steps and it hurts really bad.
Jeanne put the finger on it when she wrote about the lifestyle we lead. "I want to put something on you that prevents you from reading any bad news, and fill your day with dancing, games, news that delights you, and gets you believing that there is so much good in this world, so many people taking care of it, that you can finally take a long break from holding the world together yourself. "
I wake up in the morning and go directly to this little being I got about a month ago and say "hi". I sing with it, I dance with it (well, my version of dancing). He is bringing me a lot of good light. Zootherapy can be amazing. I'm a dog person so I never thought I'd get into birds, yet here I am.
When watching movies, I only watch comedies. Every evening, I make sure to listen to comedies before going to bed. Laughing therapy is something I would like to try. Apparently it isn't only hilarious but it is a physical exercise that is very good for you.
There is a book from Dr. Steven Gundry called "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain". A friend of my mother read through that book and has been following the recommendations religiously. She used to always live in pain, debilitating pain. She couldn't lead a normal life. (ring a bell?) Well since she started following the dietary guidelines she has been living pain free. My mother is reading it. Based on the things she told me, I decided to try reducing the milk products intake in my diet. I'm a cheesaholic, so it's tough. But WOW, I see a huge difference in my pain level and threshold between when I eat cheese and when I don't.
Many people will suggests many different things. It's a trial and error process: what works and what doesn't. I also find that practising mindfulness helps me a great deal. I wish you luck, send you love and healing light. I understand what you are living through because I'm living through it along with you.
This is such a great thread. Thank you, Pacosurfer for starting it, and the rest of you who have contributed such great ideas, all coming from people here who have also struggled with chronic illness.
When I first got lyme four years ago and antibiotics wouldn't make it go away, I stepped into this world of wonderful remedies for chronic illness. The two biggest no-nos for me, the conditions that make my symptoms flare up are (1) being too sedentary, and (2) exposing myself to toxic news and toxic people (same thing actually), (3) laughter is a huge remedy, as is (4) being in nature, especially being active in nature, like gardening, hiking, kayaking, swimming.
As an empath, nature is my biggest healer. As soon as I get to a country lake or mountains, I am strengthened. I think of Heidi, the Swiss orphan who lived in the mountains with her grandfather. When her concerned relatives made her come and live in the city, she got deathly ill. Only a return to the mountains with the meadows and the cows and her grandfather could bring her back to life.
I understand what you are saying Jeanne, (about nature). When I was living in Toronto, I would take at least one vacation week a year, generally in the fall, ad go to a cloistered monastery where they would accept women one week/month for private retreats. Their monastery was isolated and a big part of their land was forested. I would walk hours in the forest, meditating and praying, being so thankful for being there and for every little thing surrounding me. My new apartment, although still a city is by the river and we are surrounded by trees, every morning I take my coffee on the balcony enjoying the peace. I feel energized for the day, at peace, positive and motivated. I hope I'll remember how lucky I am to have such a nice environment.
A friend of mine, Judy Tsafrir, who is a holistic psychiatrist just posted this article on her website after attending a conference on the impacts of EMF (electromagnet fields) on our psyches and bodies. Strong fields from Bluetooths and wireless waves from your iPhones, and computers and the modems could be affecting you. And there are remedies for this. Like getting a pair of $29 ear buds that eliminate the EMFs. I'm buying them for my whole family. My desktop is already hooked up to an ethernet wire rather than wireless. But not sure if that makes a difference.
We've known about the bad effects of electromagnet fields since the 1970's. When I wrote for EastWest Journal in the mid 1980's we did a whole issue on it. But now with the rise of wireless communication, the hazard has gotten pushed under the rug.
Here's Judy's article: https://www.judytsafrirmd.com/blog/. Judy also has other articles on her site for ways to help mental illness with nutrition, in case you would like to learn more about this.
I put it in this thread because I think it could be one more contributor to chronic illness that we can fix. If anyone knows of some other solutions, I'd like to know.
Hi, I may not have fibro but I do have interstitial cystitis and pcos. I was recently diagnosed with pcos and I've been taking ashitaba with milk thistle for bout 6 months now and its keeping my blood sugar and blood pressure stabilized. My cholesterol is now normal and its reversed my fatty liver. Enzymes were 61 now 29 which Is normal.
I also had the added complications of getting lithium poisoning at age 10 and not only did I almost die, but it left me with slightly damaged kidneys, slight brain damage, and metabolic damage.
Like I must have animal protein at least twice a week and regular plant protein with each meal or my kidneys will actually start shutting down. So much protein is coming out each time I go
The ashitaba has totally been helping it which is great.
Been having weight issues ever since. Its caused lots of problems for me.
I also have been gluten free for 4 months now as I found out I'm dangerously intolerant to it. I feel better from it.
wonder what the cause for pcos and cystitis are, would love to be able to get rid of all this puffy inflammation and water weight off me.
Also the ashitaba really does work well I can confirm the claims its stated are true as my dr and I have been monitoring my stats for 7 months now on this stuff.
http://en.drmakise.com/ashitaba_chalcone/
You have to get the real stuff from a special compounding lab in Japan where it grows from. Lot of other places in the US that sell it are fake.
https://www.makiselifeup.com/product/ashitaba-chalcone-japonica/
Hope that helps some people?