wise use of alternative medicine

[Guest guest]

Since I have been suffering from fibromyalgia, I, like many of you in

this community has tried one thing after another in the attempt to

have a normal life again. As you know, conventional medicine has

little to offer fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue except for sleep meds

and anti-depressants.

So, should we just rely on these doctors because there have not been

enough successful double blind, placebo-based scientific studies done?

This pressure has been placed on me " greatly " from my brother who is

the director of Medical Research Ethics at UCSD (nationally

respected). However, he has not experienced this illness. I would

unequivically say, NO - within limits.

Unfortunately, we are forced to be our own best health practioners and

do our own research. I have come to several conclusions:

1) First do your research to find if the alternative protocol has has

known significant, negative side effects. If it has, stay clear of

it. (ie. DMPS challenge)

2) Do your research to find out if it has significantly helped a

reasonable number of individuals.

3) If the product(s) are relatively benign,(ie. guiafenesin) I would

say move ahead under a trusted health practitioner's care.

4) DON'T LISTEN TO CHIROPRACTORS OR OTHER HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WHO

RELY ON APPLIED KINESIOLOGY TO DETERMINE THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED OR THE

WEAKNESSES IN YOUR BODY. I've gone to many, some of the most

respected, with results all over the place. None said I had

fibromyalgia. (It was parasites, heavy metals, vitamin or mineral

deficiencies, adrenal insufficiency, etc.). Medical tests I've taken

have proven each one wrong - including what food allergies they told

me I had.

5) Each person and case is different. Don't GUESS what's off with

you! FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU. If you can afford it, (my

insurance PPO pays for a lot of this). your health practitioners can

order any of the following tests for you to know for sure what needs

to be corrected WITH YOU:

- Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis from Great Smokies

Diagnostic Laboratories

-Complete Detoxification Profile/Oxidative Stress Analysis from Great

Smokies

-Cellular assessment of nutrients from Spectracell.

-Food sensitivity test from either US Biotek or Meridian Valley labs

-Hormone and neurotransmitter profile from Neuroscience (888)

342-7272; saliva is much more accurate than blood for hormone testing.

-CFIDS blood work by AAL Reference Lab (T cells, natural killer

cells, Epstein Bar virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Human Herpes Virus 6)

-Comprehensive thyroid assessment (most blood labs can do this):

iclude T4 by dialysis, TSH, Reverse T3, Free T3,Thyroid Uptake,

Thyroid antibodies

THEN, find an integrative doctor who can help correct your problems.

There are many out there now.