Tammy

[Guest guest]

Tammy: It's easier for me if you write your answer at the top, then delete as

much at the bottom as possible when you reply (most people cut their e-mails so

they are faster to download and send). Yeah, I thought the Amand protocol was

pretty intense but there are many who have done it out of desperation~I was

searching myself for something that would work and was contemplating it.

Changing your diet IS hard but worth any small changes you can do. Someone once

told me if you are craving sweets, eat some form of protein and see if that

helps. The other thing is if you are hungry, drink water as sometimes you are

just thirsty. I find if I work hard (like at our school cafeteria cooking for

250-300 people on a 5-7 hour shift working on a cement floor) when I am done I

crave sweets, so have to drink juice, eat fruit or anything to avoid processed

sugars.

I'm sorry you have so much pain~disk pain is horrid. My father-in-law has a bad

disk in his neck and back and also takes Oxycodone (the doc only gives him

enough for one month and he has to go back to see her to get a new

prescription). The neck thing may be more than fibro~that's a hard one to

decide. Do you see a chiropractor? The reason I ask is because our

chiropractor has a new machine that gently over time pulls the spine open to

where the disks can open up and not press on the nerves, which is what causes

the pain, and it prevents surgery. It isn't always covered by insurance and he

charges $5,000 for the treatment but it saves a lot of money and pain in the

long run for those it can help. You can also ask their opinion~some are doctor

savvy and will advise you properly, some are anti-doctor and drugs. The muscle

tightness we suffer from certainly does do some damage to our musculoskeletal

parts of our body. I would certainly want someone else's opinion before I did

surgery, but it may be necessary. Have you tried any supplements that enhance

joint regeneration? There are many products that help containing glucosamine

and perhaps chondroitin products. Ask at the natural foods centers near you if

you can or search on the internet.

There are many ways to find out what types of foods you are allergic to. I

actually went through Dr. Dantini on the internet (he lives in Florida and I'm

in California) and you go to a local lab where they draw blood and send it to

Sage Laboratories who does the food allergy testing. I have had it done many

times elsewhere and this was the best one done. They not only told me what I

couldn't have, they told me what I could have and even gave me some recipes for

cooking special things. I have bought a ton of cookbooks and found many now

that are more helpful than when I tried this 30 years ago. The biggest thing I

can recommend to you is to start deleting processed foods as much as possible.

Which means eating more simply, and I know that's hard when you can't even stand

to cook. There are things out there that you can eat without having additives

and colors and sugars, but you have to research it out, a little at a time. I

first spent an hour in the health food stores each time I went, now just do that

when I want to recheck what's available for wheat free eating. Now you can buy

stuff at the grocery store here in California that is gluten free. There are

other ways to do the food allergy testing~you avoid eating a specific food or

food group for a period of time, then add it back in to see what your reaction

is, but that is very time consuming.

When I first went on the food allergy rotation diet it took six months before I

really noticed a big difference in clarity and feeling better. But that seventh

month was fabulous!!! I got more done in that month than two years previously.

During the time I was getting so sick and trying to find answers, I was sorting,

purging and moving three houses in my husband's family along with eight family

members dying, going through menopause, our son through puberty and husband with

clinical depression, and now father-in-law with cancer (also depression,

CFS/FMS, panic-anxiety attacks, etc.). It has been a nightmarish rollercoaster

in this family. So having some answers to my health has been great. I also

tested positive to Epstein-Barr Virus (which I knew I had antibodies to) and has

always plagued me with swollen throat glands which tell me I'm getting sick or

too stressed , herpes simplex and herpes 6 and parvo virus. I was also on

Valtrex antiviral medication for that six months; also took melatonin to sleep,

went on HRT to sleep, etc. It has been an interesting journey in my life.

I'd really, like all of us, to just go someplace quiet and peaceful and warm,

with someone to cook and clean for me, and just be lazy and recuperate. Nice

dream.

Recuperation is a product that isn't an overnight cure but certainly has helped

a lot of us. It is part of the Alfred Blasi Protocol. He is from Spain and

formulated this product and gave it to a pharmacy to produce. Go to

AlfredblasiprotocolFMSCFS-subscribe and you can sign up to read

the e-mails and see what people are saying or asking about Recuperat-ion. The

chat website has been as good as this one for learning new stuff. You have to

order Recup from Spain, through the internet or by telephone, but it comes in a

couple of weeks and is great. I took two packages or sachets a day right away

but some people have to start with a smaller dose, which still helps but takes

longer. It is a combination of sodium (the right kind), potassium, calcium and

magnesium. You mix it with water~I put two sachets into a 1 litre water bottle,

shake, drink half am and the other half either pm or the next day. The

sugar-free orange is pretty good but many buy the saline to save money and then

add your own favorite juice and a small amount of sweetener that you can

tolerate (sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc.). I have found more energy,

less post-exertional malaise, I need fewer or shorter naps (20-30 minutes sleep

with an hour of resting on the bed versus 2-1/2 hour naps 1-3 times a day), and

I can do more for longer periods of time.

Sorry this is so long. If you want to e-mail me privately to chat more, please

feel free to do so. schmidtmba@... . I will be out of commission on

the internet from Feb 23-27th or so as they are termite tenting our house during

that time and we won't be on the internet. Prayers being sent your way. Feel

the arms of all of your new friends giving you a gentle hug and sending peaceful

thoughts your way.

Hi ,

Wow now i dont feel so nuts over that protocol. I thaught

it was alot to handle myself. They said i couldnt even walk barefoot

in grass. I was , am , kinda trying the hypoglsimia(sp) diet they

suggested. But i gotta tell you iam not doing to well. Too boring of

a diet and iam too tired to cook up all this stuff they recomend. I

take 1 to 2 mg of klonipin at night to sleep. If i dont my mind races

all night long. I also take oxcycodone for pain, only when absolutly

necessary. I take topamax for migraines, a muscle relaxer now and

then and sometimes xanax when my nerves are bad. This disease has

really gotten worse in the last two years, iam 46. I use to walk a

ton and i loved it and then i got so much in pain a few times it

scared me and i quit. I went for a short walk the other day its all i could

handle. My problem is this, the physical theropist says my neck is pretty bad

and he says he thinks i will need surgery. Iam afraid to take such a big chance

and not feel better, if its fibro related.I have been told that the fibro

probably caused the problems with my neck. If thats the case then wont it just

keep happenning? How do ifind out about the stuff you are taking? Recuperaation?

I appreciate your kindness and yes prayers would be most appreciated! oh and how

do you find what foods your allergic too? I crave sugar pretty bad,i m not

overweight i guess from the IBS it all goes right through me.

Thanks again for your response! Tammy

>

This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

[Guest guest]

Good Luck! My thoughts and prayers are with you. Just know that we

are all here for you and wishing you well.

Hugs,

Anita from Pa.