Sleep Study update
The Lumie forum is for general discussion of Seasonal Affective Disorder and all things light therapy. To join in you'll need to register.
We do not monitor this forum every day. If you want to reach Lumie please go to our contact us page.
Posted by Amalthea, 14:53 12 February 2008I wanted to let you know I've been to an initial evaluation for my sleep study. They've been so thorough -- asked me tons of questions. At the end of it, the doctor looked at me and said, "You're a puzzle..."
He said he expects to find some interesting abnormalities in my sleep study. Hopefully they'll be treatable, but it sounds as though I'm headed in the right direction. He gave me an 8 out of 10 rating for scheduling priority. They could have gotten me in this week, but I can't manage it and didn't want to miss work so I'll start next Friday and have a second study in early March where they might try a CPAP machine or some form of treatment for me to see how much of a difference it will make for me. I see an allergist on Thursday morning to have another go at figuring out why I've got a rash on my shoulders, arms and upper back (tho conveniently, it was healing when he saw me and now I only have two spots on my arms that are healing again). Rheumatologist (for fibromyalgia & arthritis) is in early March. | |
Posted by Linda, 20:32 12 February 2008Can I just ask if you've had your female hormones and adrenals, as well as your thyroid, tested?
For a long time I had no idea how important these tests can be. I'm only realising now that if I'd had them done a few years back, if I'd known, I'd probably be feeling a lot better right now. It's amazing how awful a person can feel when one of these things is just a little "off," and they're all so intricately linked with each other. An imbalance in any of these could produce the symptoms you have, as well as some sort of toxin within or outside of your body. Maybe these are not ideas you are interested in right now, but I thought I'd add my two cents' as I like to help where I can. | |
Posted by Amalthea, 20:57 12 February 2008Thanks, Linda. I had a thyroid test just a few weeks ago. My last endocrine tests were last year, but this has been going on since about 2005. I lost 175lbs to get me to a healthy weight of 150lbs (5ft 7in tall) but felt WORSE than when I was heavy!
I started having troubles with fatigue and achiness, but doctors ignored my complaints. Today, I can't focus at work because my left arm is burning and awkwardly "heavy." My fingers aren't tingling, at least. I'm going to try avoiding sleeping on my left side - I have a feeling that I'm compressing the nerves. | |
Posted by Linda, 21:29 12 February 2008Sorry to hear you're feeling rough. I wish I had some immediate answers for you and I know that when I've researched various things I've come across tingling and painful limbs as symptoms, but as I wasn't looking them up specifically I can't remember what the suggestions were for causes and treatment. I do know that fibromyalgia can have a number of causes though, and unfortunately just to make things more complicated, test results aren't always reliable. I know this from the standpoint of mercury toxicity at least, because that's part of my own problem. There is no definitive test for mercury toxicity and in fact the most toxic people are the ones whose tests show low levels because their bodies have sequestered it away and can't get rid of it, so it's not in the bloodstream. Similarly, mercury can interfere with the function of thyroid hormones so that you can have normal test results for thyroid, and still be experiencing hypothyroid symptoms. Sometimes it has to come down to listening to your body and research, research, research. Fortunately I've found some forums whose members all use alt med, and we share and learn a lot. Some of them have even sent me books as presents and that's been really special.
Just a thought, but could there have been anything that happened in 2005 to trigger your condition, do you think? Did it start suddenly or was it a gradual onset? If you'd rather I stopped asking questions just let me know :) | |
Posted by Amalthea, 23:26 12 February 2008Linda, I respect you. I'm not so sure about alternative medicine.
I've had a lot of success with GOOD medical doctors. Unfortunately, I've not had much success lately FINDING good medical doctors. I'm really antsy because I can't get in with the rheumatologist until March. When it first happened, my arm felt so heavy... like a dead weight. I was honestly afraid that my arm was going to end up being useless! Then, I remembered back to 2005 when I had tingling fingers, a weak grip, wrist pain, pain and burning like an open sore around my shoulder-blade and pain/burning in my chest running diagonally down my chest above my breast. The doctor back then insisted "What hurts worse?!" He made me point to one spot. He gave me a lidocaine/ketone shot in my left wrist. The only reason I know what was in the shot was that the night after I got the shot, my skin started to "bubble" and I got a rash... Apparently, the shot ate away my fat tissue in my arm. His office told me it was a rare "allergy" to the shot. I later found out it was because they didn't put the shot in deep enough. His colleague showed it to a medical student and told the student that... not knowing that the guy who did it had an office down the hall. They said I had "Neuritis." I think I had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome -- a compression of the nerves coming from the spinal area. Another "bad" doctor. Thank goodness they're not all that way. | |
Posted by Linda, 07:10 13 February 2008I remember reading about that episode you had with that particular doctor. That's pretty scary. You're right, it's a good thing that not all of them are as incompetent as that.
Maybe it would help if you could think back to any changes at all in your life in 2005. Moving house, a new job, anything that might have exposed you to toxins in the environment? Buildings can make people ill when they don't circulate the air properly, or when re-decorating is done and people are sensitive to the chemicals e.g. in new carpets or paint. Sometimes the air itself is toxic, as was the case for a woman who worked in a parking lot booth and was getting carbon monoxide poisoning. (Ironically it was the parking lot for a hospital and the consultants she saw there eventually told her it was all in her head.) Other things to look at could be an operation you had, a drug you took, a particular stress you were under, changes to your diet, and so on. Past medical history could also be a factor. For me, I think the combination of getting 4 mercury fillings plus installing the wifi in the house is what made me ill, and it's taking time to put right. They are not, however, what you'd immediately pick out as culprits. These are things that a good ND would discuss with you. Alt med unfortunately gets the reputation in the mainstream of being all about prescribing possibly dangerous herbs and other "dubious" practices when people "should" be seeing a "proper" doctor. Unfortunately my own GP ran out of options a long way back. I saw various doctors and consultants as well when I had crippling IBS pain, and they couldn't help either. Eventually I changed my diet, and at the time all I did was cut out sugar and white flour. I've never had an IBS pang since. I do honestly hope you get the help you need from the specialists. I would just say don't give up if they don't know what to tell you. There's no reason why anyone should have to live their life in pain and there is a root cause waiting to be found. | |
Posted by Amalthea, 10:50 13 February 2008What qualifications do Naturalpathic doctors have? Linda, I'm completely skeptical... I'll be honest. Frankly, how do you know that they're not getting successes from the placebo effect?
I do hate to tramp on what you believe in. I do think some herbs are beneficial, but I'll argue anyone who says that because something is "natural" that it's safe. Anything that you put in your body that has a chemical effect is by definition is a drug. Whether it's "natural" or not is a moot point. I expect the osteoarthritis kicked off a mess of trouble for me. It's probably linked to fibromyalgia. In addition, after 2001, I started relying more on being able to carry heavy loads on a regular basis... especially on my back and shoulders (backpack). I didn't drive, so I would carry groceries home from across town in my backpack. I've over-done it many times. That's why I think my arm troubles are due to nerve compression around my neck girdle area... heavy backpack. | |
Posted by Linda, 14:47 13 February 2008In that case, I hope the expert you're seeing can help you. If it's physical damage then docs are pretty good at mending it.
It's OK, you're not tramping on anything. I don't even tend to talk about naturopathy with people if they seem to have zero interest and I've had conversations with some very hard-nosed skeptics -- not that I expect to change anyone's mind, but they caught me off my guard and made me learn a lot more about what I was talking about. It's honestly not a matter of belief either. It's what works. Mainstream doctors are taught to identify symptoms, classify them, and prescribe drugs. You would be hard-pressed to find a drug that actually cures anything, versus alleviating the symptoms without treating the underlying cause. Judiciously-prescribed antibiotics perhaps. Whereas in naturopathy you look at the reasons why the symptoms occur in the first place. You look at lifestyle, diet, toxins, all these things that can have an effect on how you feel. What's more, they are all interconnected, so a good ND will look at the body holistically. In conventional medicine most doctors have a specialty but know little about other branches of medicine. I've seen what's worked and what's failed to work for myself and a lot of other people and it isn't an issue for me, I'm just very sad that conventional doctors are lacking this knowledge. It should be part of their basic medical training. That isn't to say that there aren't quacks in any practice. Reputation and credentials can be helpful in choosing someone to see. The ND I will be seeing next month is also a qualified MD with decades of experience, he's got a good reputation, and I know he knows what he's doing. BTW you can call a herb a drug if you like. Herbs are used in place of pharmaceuticals. But in naturopathy, before you prescribed herbs, you'd find what the root of the problem is and treat it with diet, supplements, chelating agents, lifestyle changes, whatever it took. Herbs can help alleviate symptoms in the meantime, usually more safely and often more effectively than pharmaceuticals. I'm deeply indebted to several herbs for keeping me on an even keel while I've been addressing my own problems. | |
Posted by Me, 22:27 13 February 2008Linda
Can I just say that I too cleared my IBS by change of diet for approximately 9 months, 14ish years ago. An alternative health expert(!) decided it was candida and so I set about changing my diet - basically no yeast or sugar. Yeast and wheat generally go together with most recipes, so I was on a very similar diet to yourself. It worked brilliantly. Lost a stone in weight too in two weeks. my IBS settled such a long time ago with a change of diet. now my brain fog (and weight loss again) eased amazing quickly recently due to change of diet again - I am totally convinced that diet can directly or undirectly cause symptoms that are a complete and utter pain to cope with. My husband has just quit caffeine. It took him 5 days to get rid of the splitting headache, flu like symptoms and fatigue and grumpiness. Whilst he was in the grips of it we did the candida test for him and found out that he may have it too - so we changed his diet also - no harm in trying. He phoned up today, he feels fantastic too. He has less anxiety, feels energetic and seems to have life in his voice again. When I saw him yesterday he had sparkling eyes again, a long time since i saw that. Im converted, so is he and he is a hard one to convince! He hasnt even reached for chocolate either - he says he doesnt need it and has started to ask to try foods which he has always hated!! Weird. As far as herbals goes, i suppose I tend to stick to the well known old remedies. I get frustrated going to the docs as they always seem to treat the problem directly not the whole body. ie I was given peppermint tablets to ease my IBS - wasnt offered a cure that came from an alternative health specialist. It would be fantastic if modern day doctors could treat the body as a whole and the said area. They seem to be pushing for a quick answer, Im sure there would be less people suffering from ailments of modern day life if they were to take the slower healthier option. Obviously wouldnt work with everybody, but a healthy diet would cause less damage than an unhealthy one .... Hmmmmm..... this last sentence got me thinking. Im sure my recent problems got worse still starting to take wholemeal wheat, rice, pasta etc. Im sure that I seem to be less tolerant of this items these days. Had a thyroid test recently, negative. Having a coeliac test next week, reckon that will be neg. too but got to make sure. Love to all Me x | |
Posted by Linda, 07:35 14 February 2008That's fantastic that your husband is making healthy changes. Mine gives the nod to what I do but he claims that he cannot do it himself. He drinks coffee, smokes, eats junk food, and on top of it all he hates his job. He's a sitting duck for illness but unfortunately it often seems that people don't become interested in holistic medicine until they are very ill and have gone through the conventional medical system without receiving the help they need.
Diet really is a powerful tool for taking control of your health -- if my husband could see that too, he wouldn't claim that he can't help himself when it comes to eating junk food LOL. I'm actually on a different diet from the one I started with, though the fact that the original one cured my IBS is, I think, testament to what even some mild changes can do. Especially since I had to heal from the antidepressant damage, I've needed something stricter called the Paleolithic Diet. No grains, potatoes, legumes, unfermented dairy, sugar, or processed foods. I enjoy it actually because I don't miss the sluggish, bloated feeling from the grains, and my body really likes protein and healthy fats. My carbs come from vegetables and some occasional fruit. This is a very healing diet and it can cure type II diabetes and apparently also autoimmune diseases such as MS -- I came across a website run by people who had done this. The aim is to give the body what it evolved to need, and cut out most everything else. I need to get the results of my own thyroid test today. Tricky to know what to do though. If my hormones are low, it would be tempting just to throw some natural thyroid hormone at it. But recently I've also learned that low thyroid can be caused by low progesterone, and I have some symptoms of low progesterone. I've started using a cream for that, see if it helps. Underneath it all I think it is mercury toxicity which is continuing to create the imbalances. You really have to put your detective hat on sometimes in order to find out what's going on. I'd love to go back to the days when I trusted a doctor to fix it all for me :) It's sort of like eating hydrogenated fat. It may look like a tasty treat but I'll know forevermore just how bad it is for my health. | |
Posted by Me, 14:01 14 February 2008I reckon your diet would suit me fine with the addition of sugar and yeast.
However, it would cover so many foods it would be restrictive for me and I think that when you change your diet, its still got to be interesting else i will not stick to it. Also having kids in the house, and their favourite foods too (Mmmmmmm) would be too much of a temptation. Linda, is your informative brain able to connect the following so that I can do some research cos I cant find anything as yet:- I seem to be intolerant to wheat, and other types of flour (tried the main varieties - including rice (and rice grains) and spelt. Going to give buckwheat a try (a derivative of rhubarb apparently). My tummy swells very quickly once ive had flour included items. Its still an on-going process to find out which I am intolerant to. But it seems to follow the above pattern. I feel ok after spouted wheat bread (I think). Any ideas? thanks thanks Me x | |
Posted by Linda, 15:36 14 February 2008Just that gluten intolerance is very common. A lot of people feel better with few (whole)grains, or no grains at all. If you can find some grains that work for you then that's great, but it's not weird or unusual to react the way you are doing. Food intolerances can develop for a number of reasons but what you've got sounds no more pathological than people who are intolerant to dairy -- humans have only been eating grains for about 12,000 years after all, which is a blink of an eye in evolutionary terms.
Depends, also, on whether you are insulin resistant/have blood sugar issues. When this is the case, as it is with me, it's best to have as few grains as possible because they spike blood sugar. Sprouted wheat bread, if you tolerate it, sounds good for sandwiches. There are all kinds of ways around grains. Instead of pouring bolognaise sauce or curries over rice or pasta, I just pour them over vegetables. Instead of mashed potato I might have mashed butternut squash. Instead of sandwiches for lunch I eat salad (out of the house) or maybe an omelette with veg (inside the house). Before I started feeling particularly lousy, I did all kinds of experimenting. Fermented some veg and some dairy. Bought a dehydrator and made some beef jerky that was really more-ish. Roasted fresh coconut for a treat. Right now it's hard to get up to cook anything so I often end up eating sausages at least once a day, which isn't good because they contain a carcinogenic preservative called nitrite (which more foreward-thinking countries have banned from their food, but not us). The kind and quantity of fat you eat can make a big difference too. The high carb, low fat diet we've been sold on the USDA food pyramid for decades is based on flawed research. You might be interested in reading this article: The Skinny on Fats http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html | |
Posted by Me, 20:34 14 February 2008Thanks Linda, just got to keep plodding on till I find the culprits. Have a blood test for coeliac on Monday.
Did you know that sausages also have wheat in? I get some gluten free ones from my local farm shop. In fact the big chains seem to put wheat products in almost anything these days. Dont have much time for experimenting - just basic healthy foods. Quite like halved red peppers (long ones)with goats cheese inside grilled with salad. Good and quick. A few toasted chopped nuts on the top of crunchiness and I did enjoy a little watered down hot redcurrant sauce drizzled on the top. Yum Yum. I tend to have tandoori chicken with salad and lemon if I have a takeaway. Else jacket potatoes. Ive found some really tasty organic ones - they are very very good, dont even need a filling on the top of them, just some salad - Mmmmm. Take care Linda, Hopefully you wont hear too much from me now, as Im picking up fantastically and now have the energy to keep going with all the housework that Ive not done for months. I'll take a look at your link. Thanks for your help again. Me x | |
Posted by Linda, 22:21 14 February 2008Wow, it's good to hear you are feeling better. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. You've made me hungry now too :) Tandoori chicken is something else I used to cook at home a lot. Also, a Thai chicken dish. I have bags of frozen homemade chicken stock that go well in any kind of chicken casserole or soup. At the moment it's hard to remember having the energy to cook any of those things but this is what happens to me in Feb/March. The progesterone cream is possibly helping, though these things take time. Keeping fingers crossed.
Good luck Me, enjoy the coming spring! :) | |
| ©Lumie |
| Page last updated on