Re: Salt Craving, Adrenals, Benicar - and Penny's back

[Guest guest]

" jellybelly92008 " <herranenb@h...> wrote:

I wonder if salt cravings could be an indicator that you will not do

well on Benicar?

Hi all,

I'm back. Tired from an intensive month being away from home, but

feeling pretty well. Hope everyone here is doing as well as possible.

Although I'm certain I won't be able to read everything I've missed,

I wanted to comment on this post regarding salt cravings and Benicar.

I've also had salt cravings my entire life. Always preferred salt to

sugar. And as you know, I've responded amazingly well to Benicar,

with no increase in salt cravings since starting it. So I don't have

a reason to think salt cravings and Benicar effectiveness are

related.

I had a lot of blood taken prior to my departure at the beginning of

July, including a test for my aldosterone. I haven't received word

of anything being amiss but will see my doc next week, and will let

you all know if there are any concerns after being on Benicar for

over a year now.

I was in Oregon all month, near Mount Hood, where I did a bit of

daily hiking. At first it was really difficult but became

increasingly easier, and I've found that I started to increase time

between doses or even skip a dose of benicar once in a while

(usually forgot) without the return of pain. I've also been on a

pretty reduced schedule of abx, and couldn't get Diflucan while I

was gone due to insurance squabbling and I'm still doing well,

despite much less medication overall.

Will see how it goes from here on out now that I'm back home.

penny

> I have had a strong craving for salt for as long as I can

remember.

> Give me salt any day over sugar and I will be happy. I was talking

> with my mom yesterday who has supposedly got MS and she craves

salt

> like me, preferable to sugar.

>

> It got me wondering and I did a search on Lyme and salt craving.

> There was info, but what kept coming up is adrenal fatigue and

even

> 's Disease which is adreanl disfunction to the max.

>

> Salt cravings are usually due to low adelesterone. Remember the

> conversations about Benicar and ARBs like Benicar lowering

> Adelesterone even further? One of the articles I found said that.

I

> wonder if salt cravings could be an indicator that you will not do

> well on Benicar?

>

> Salt craving can also be an indication of low magnesium, and

aren't

> most of us low there?

> =================================================================

>

> Your Adrenal HormonesThe adrenals, small glands located above each

> kidney, produce a number of importanthormones. The adrenals' inner

> medulla produces epinephrine and norepinephrine

(adrenaline).Tumors

> of the adrenal medulla which produce excess epinephrine and

> norepinephrine are calledpheochromocytomas. Deficiencies of the

> adrenal medulla that reduce the levels of thesehormones do not

give

> rise to clinical problems.Adrenals also contain an outer cortex,

> which produces hormones such as cortisol,

aldosterone,testosterone,

> DHEA, DHEAS, androstenedione and estrogens. Cortisol and

aldosterone

> are twoof the most important hormones the body makes. Excesses or

> deficiencies of these hormonesresult in important clinical

problems.

> Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, is the stress hormone and isinvolved

in

> weight control, infection fighting, quality of skin and bones, and

> heart function. Itslevels are the highest in the morning, and are

> increased by stress and severe illness. Too muchcortisol from any

> cause leads to Cushing's syndrome; the symptoms and signs of which

> includeweight gain, stretch marks, bruising, extra hair growth,

> irregular periods in women, loss ofmuscle, trouble sleeping and

> emotional problems, such as depression. Too little cortisol is

> partof the syndrome called 's disease, often marked by low

> energy, joint and abdominalpain, weight loss, diarrhea, fever, and

> electrolyte disturbances. If the adrenals are making toolittle

> cortisol, the pituitary compensates and makes more of the hormone,

> ACTH. If the pituitaryis not working, both ACTH and cortisol

levels

> may be low. Aldosterone is the salt-retaining hormone and is a

> mineralocorticoid. Excess of aldosterone leadsto high blood

pressure

> and low potassium. Deficiencies of aldosterone are much

> lessappreciated than deficiencies of cortisol, and lead to low

blood

> pressure and high pulse,especially on standing, the desire to eat

> salt (salt-craving), dizziness or lightheadedness onstanding, and

> palpitations. Severe cases may lead to high potassium and low

sodium

> in bloodtests. When the adrenal is not making aldosterone, renin,

a

> kidney hormone, increases. Excessesof cortisol and aldosterone may

> occur independently, that is a patient may have only

> excessaldosterone, only excess cortisol, or excesses of both.

> Similarly, deficiencies of cortisol andaldosterone deficiencies

may

> be independent.Many patients coming to see Dr. Friedman lately

with

> symptom of fatigue and often symptomsof salt-craving, " cognitive

> fuzziness " , dizziness or lightheadedness on standing, or

> palpitationshave low blood levels of aldosterone. He explains the

> connection between low aldosterone levelsand fatigue as follows:

> with low aldosterone, the kidney loses salt, leading to low blood

> volume.This coupled with the idea that the leg veins don't

constrict

> properly, leads to lower bloodvolume to the brain and fatigue and

> other symptoms. These patients often have a drop in theirblood

> pressure and an increase in their pulse when standing. They may

also

> have decreasedblood flow to the brain when measured by SPECT scan.

> Aldosterone deficiency may be madeworse if patients restrict their

> salt intake.Soon-to-be-published research by Dr. Friedman shows a

> few patterns of abnormalities in therenin-aldosterone axis. A

little

> more than half the patients with fatigue had low blood levels

ofboth

> renin and aldosterone. This is called hyporeninemic

> hypoaldosteronism and is probably due

> -------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> -----------

> Page 2

> to dysfunction of what is called the autonomic nervous system,

which

> sends messages from thebrain to the kidneys. Other aspects of the

> autonomic nervous system have been found to bedeficient in chronic

> fatigue syndrome. About one-third of the patients were found to

have

> lowaldosterone and high renin. This indicates a deficiency in the

> aldosterone production in theadrenals themselves, with a

> compensatory rise in the renin coming from the kidney.

> Thealdosterone defect can either be an isolated problem, or part

of

> 's disease (often early's disease), in which both

> cortisol and aldosterone production are diminished. Theremaining

> patients (about one-sixth) had both high renin and high

aldosterone.

> This is likely tobe a compensatory rise in both of these hormones

as

> a reaction to a low blood volume, mostlikely due to an inability

of

> the kidney to retain salt.Dr. Friedman recommends treating

patients

> with an individualized combination of increased saltconsumption, a

> synthetic form of aldosterone called Florinef (fludrocortisone),

or

> Midodrine(proamantine), a drug used to raise blood pressure. Salt

is

> the most benign of the treatments. Salt tablets can be purchased

in

> a drug store or a patient can add an extra teaspoon of salt to

> theirfood per day. Florinef comes in 0.1 mg pills and Dr. Friedman

> usually starts with 1/2 pill in themorning for a week or two and

> then goes up to 1 pill in the morning if no side effects occur.

> Themain side effects are headache and swelling in legs (edema).

> Midodrine comes in 5 mg pills andDr. Friedman usually starts with

5

> mg pills in the morning and noon. He may go up to 2 pillsthree

times

> a dayand sometimes needs to use both Florinef and Midodrine, as

well

> as extra salt.The side effects of Midodrine include high blood

> pressure, itching, goosebumps, numbness andthe feeling of writing

on

> your skin or scalp. Many of these side effects go away with use

> andboth drugs are unlikely to cause long term damage. Most

patients

> taking Florinef and Midodrine,as well as extra salt report an

> improvement in their symptoms of palpitations

> anddizziness/lightheadedness on standing, while many report an

> improvement in fatigue andcognitive dysfunction. Licorice,

available

> as a tea from Alvita, may help with mild cases.Dr. Friedman is

doing

> further research on the renin-aldosterone axis and chronic

> fatiguesyndrome (CFS) in a study generously funded by the CFIDS

> (Chronic Fatigue and ImmuneDysfunction Syndrome) Association of

> America. He is also studying the effect of Viagra onsymptoms of

CFS,

> with the idea that Viagra may improve blood flow to the brain. For

> moreinformation on these studies, please email Dr. Friedman at

> mail@g...; or toset up an appointment with Dr.

> Friedman, please email

> atappointments@g...

[Guest guest]

Hi Penny,

Nice to see you back, and glad you had a nice time.

It will be interesting to see what your adrenal fuctions are. I

don't think I have ever had my adrenals tested. They are going to be

tested this time though by my LLMD.

One thing that was true for me as far as the salt cravings, the

sicker I was, the more salt I wanted. I would sit and eat those 1

pound bags of sunflower seeds without stopping. I could go through

several bags a week. I salt my food heavily and then actually pour

salt on ths side of my plate so that I can dip each bite in salt

too. My family thinks I am nuts. When I was little, we had horses

and I used to love to lick the salt blocks, new ones of course.

>

> > I have had a strong craving for salt for as long as I can

> remember.

> > Give me salt any day over sugar and I will be happy. I was

talking

> > with my mom yesterday who has supposedly got MS and she craves

> salt

> > like me, preferable to sugar.

> >

> > It got me wondering and I did a search on Lyme and salt craving.

> > There was info, but what kept coming up is adrenal fatigue and

> even

> > 's Disease which is adreanl disfunction to the max.

> >

> > Salt cravings are usually due to low adelesterone. Remember the

> > conversations about Benicar and ARBs like Benicar lowering

> > Adelesterone even further? One of the articles I found said

that.

> I

> > wonder if salt cravings could be an indicator that you will not

do

> > well on Benicar?

> >

> > Salt craving can also be an indication of low magnesium, and

> aren't

> > most of us low there?

> > =================================================================

> >

> > Your Adrenal HormonesThe adrenals, small glands located above

each

> > kidney, produce a number of importanthormones. The adrenals'

inner

> > medulla produces epinephrine and norepinephrine

> (adrenaline).Tumors

> > of the adrenal medulla which produce excess epinephrine and

> > norepinephrine are calledpheochromocytomas. Deficiencies of the

> > adrenal medulla that reduce the levels of thesehormones do not

> give

> > rise to clinical problems.Adrenals also contain an outer cortex,

> > which produces hormones such as cortisol,

> aldosterone,testosterone,

> > DHEA, DHEAS, androstenedione and estrogens. Cortisol and

> aldosterone

> > are twoof the most important hormones the body makes. Excesses

or

> > deficiencies of these hormonesresult in important clinical

> problems.

> > Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, is the stress hormone and isinvolved

> in

> > weight control, infection fighting, quality of skin and bones,

and

> > heart function. Itslevels are the highest in the morning, and

are

> > increased by stress and severe illness. Too muchcortisol from

any

> > cause leads to Cushing's syndrome; the symptoms and signs of

which

> > includeweight gain, stretch marks, bruising, extra hair growth,

> > irregular periods in women, loss ofmuscle, trouble sleeping and

> > emotional problems, such as depression. Too little cortisol is

> > partof the syndrome called 's disease, often marked by

low

> > energy, joint and abdominalpain, weight loss, diarrhea, fever,

and

> > electrolyte disturbances. If the adrenals are making toolittle

> > cortisol, the pituitary compensates and makes more of the

hormone,

> > ACTH. If the pituitaryis not working, both ACTH and cortisol

> levels

> > may be low. Aldosterone is the salt-retaining hormone and is a

> > mineralocorticoid. Excess of aldosterone leadsto high blood

> pressure

> > and low potassium. Deficiencies of aldosterone are much

> > lessappreciated than deficiencies of cortisol, and lead to low

> blood

> > pressure and high pulse,especially on standing, the desire to

eat

> > salt (salt-craving), dizziness or lightheadedness onstanding,

and

> > palpitations. Severe cases may lead to high potassium and low

> sodium

> > in bloodtests. When the adrenal is not making aldosterone,

renin,

> a

> > kidney hormone, increases. Excessesof cortisol and aldosterone

may

> > occur independently, that is a patient may have only

> > excessaldosterone, only excess cortisol, or excesses of both.

> > Similarly, deficiencies of cortisol andaldosterone deficiencies

> may

> > be independent.Many patients coming to see Dr. Friedman lately

> with

> > symptom of fatigue and often symptomsof salt-craving, " cognitive

> > fuzziness " , dizziness or lightheadedness on standing, or

> > palpitationshave low blood levels of aldosterone. He explains

the

> > connection between low aldosterone levelsand fatigue as follows:

> > with low aldosterone, the kidney loses salt, leading to low

blood

> > volume.This coupled with the idea that the leg veins don't

> constrict

> > properly, leads to lower bloodvolume to the brain and fatigue

and

> > other symptoms. These patients often have a drop in theirblood

> > pressure and an increase in their pulse when standing. They may

> also

> > have decreasedblood flow to the brain when measured by SPECT

scan.

> > Aldosterone deficiency may be madeworse if patients restrict

their

> > salt intake.Soon-to-be-published research by Dr. Friedman shows

a

> > few patterns of abnormalities in therenin-aldosterone axis. A

> little

> > more than half the patients with fatigue had low blood levels

> ofboth

> > renin and aldosterone. This is called hyporeninemic

> > hypoaldosteronism and is probably due

> > -----------------------------------------------------------------

--

> --

> > -----------

> > Page 2

> > to dysfunction of what is called the autonomic nervous system,

> which

> > sends messages from thebrain to the kidneys. Other aspects of

the

> > autonomic nervous system have been found to bedeficient in

chronic

> > fatigue syndrome. About one-third of the patients were found to

> have

> > lowaldosterone and high renin. This indicates a deficiency in

the

> > aldosterone production in theadrenals themselves, with a

> > compensatory rise in the renin coming from the kidney.

> > Thealdosterone defect can either be an isolated problem, or part

> of

> > 's disease (often early's disease), in which both

> > cortisol and aldosterone production are diminished. Theremaining

> > patients (about one-sixth) had both high renin and high

> aldosterone.

> > This is likely tobe a compensatory rise in both of these

hormones

> as

> > a reaction to a low blood volume, mostlikely due to an inability

> of

> > the kidney to retain salt.Dr. Friedman recommends treating

> patients

> > with an individualized combination of increased saltconsumption,

a

> > synthetic form of aldosterone called Florinef (fludrocortisone),

> or

> > Midodrine(proamantine), a drug used to raise blood pressure.

Salt

> is

> > the most benign of the treatments. Salt tablets can be purchased

> in

> > a drug store or a patient can add an extra teaspoon of salt to

> > theirfood per day. Florinef comes in 0.1 mg pills and Dr.

Friedman

> > usually starts with 1/2 pill in themorning for a week or two and

> > then goes up to 1 pill in the morning if no side effects occur.

> > Themain side effects are headache and swelling in legs (edema).

> > Midodrine comes in 5 mg pills andDr. Friedman usually starts

with

> 5

> > mg pills in the morning and noon. He may go up to 2 pillsthree

> times

> > a dayand sometimes needs to use both Florinef and Midodrine, as

> well

> > as extra salt.The side effects of Midodrine include high blood

> > pressure, itching, goosebumps, numbness andthe feeling of

writing

> on

> > your skin or scalp. Many of these side effects go away with use

> > andboth drugs are unlikely to cause long term damage. Most

> patients

> > taking Florinef and Midodrine,as well as extra salt report an

> > improvement in their symptoms of palpitations

> > anddizziness/lightheadedness on standing, while many report an

> > improvement in fatigue andcognitive dysfunction. Licorice,

> available

> > as a tea from Alvita, may help with mild cases.Dr. Friedman is

> doing

> > further research on the renin-aldosterone axis and chronic

> > fatiguesyndrome (CFS) in a study generously funded by the CFIDS

> > (Chronic Fatigue and ImmuneDysfunction Syndrome) Association of

> > America. He is also studying the effect of Viagra onsymptoms of

> CFS,

> > with the idea that Viagra may improve blood flow to the brain.

For

> > moreinformation on these studies, please email Dr. Friedman at

> > mail@g...; or toset up an appointment with Dr.

> > Friedman, please email

> > atappointments@g...

[Guest guest]

Hi Jelly,

How's your thyroid? Often if you're dx'd with thyroid problems, your

adrenals will be involved. It's very common for pwCFS. The synthroid

insert even says you should have your adrenals tested before

starting any thyroid replacement therapy, but docs almost always

ignore that. My thyroid's been a problem and my adrenals tested

really off a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the cortef for the

adrenals caused more problems than it seemed to help, so I've never

done much about it other than take B vitimains, and I haven't had

them tested since. Not until this alderosterone test so it will be

interesting to see.

Especially interesting that the thyroid and adrenals are so closely

related and that I've reduced my thyroid meds to less than half

since the Benicar was introduced. I'm currently on 45mg max per day

of Armour. That's a big difference from where I started. If my

aldesterone or adrenals have been even more compromised than they

already were, I'll be surprised, since I'm not feeling it.

penny

> >

> > > I have had a strong craving for salt for as long as I can

> > remember.

> > > Give me salt any day over sugar and I will be happy. I was

> talking

> > > with my mom yesterday who has supposedly got MS and she craves

> > salt

> > > like me, preferable to sugar.

> > >

> > > It got me wondering and I did a search on Lyme and salt

craving.

> > > There was info, but what kept coming up is adrenal fatigue and

> > even

> > > 's Disease which is adreanl disfunction to the max.

> > >

> > > Salt cravings are usually due to low adelesterone. Remember

the

> > > conversations about Benicar and ARBs like Benicar lowering

> > > Adelesterone even further? One of the articles I found said

> that.

> > I

> > > wonder if salt cravings could be an indicator that you will

not

> do

> > > well on Benicar?

> > >

> > > Salt craving can also be an indication of low magnesium, and

> > aren't

> > > most of us low there?

> > >

=================================================================

> > >

> > > Your Adrenal HormonesThe adrenals, small glands located above

> each

> > > kidney, produce a number of importanthormones. The adrenals'

> inner

> > > medulla produces epinephrine and norepinephrine

> > (adrenaline).Tumors

> > > of the adrenal medulla which produce excess epinephrine and

> > > norepinephrine are calledpheochromocytomas. Deficiencies of

the

> > > adrenal medulla that reduce the levels of thesehormones do not

> > give

> > > rise to clinical problems.Adrenals also contain an outer

cortex,

> > > which produces hormones such as cortisol,

> > aldosterone,testosterone,

> > > DHEA, DHEAS, androstenedione and estrogens. Cortisol and

> > aldosterone

> > > are twoof the most important hormones the body makes. Excesses

> or

> > > deficiencies of these hormonesresult in important clinical

> > problems.

> > > Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, is the stress hormone and

isinvolved

> > in

> > > weight control, infection fighting, quality of skin and bones,

> and

> > > heart function. Itslevels are the highest in the morning, and

> are

> > > increased by stress and severe illness. Too muchcortisol from

> any

> > > cause leads to Cushing's syndrome; the symptoms and signs of

> which

> > > includeweight gain, stretch marks, bruising, extra hair

growth,

> > > irregular periods in women, loss ofmuscle, trouble sleeping

and

> > > emotional problems, such as depression. Too little cortisol is

> > > partof the syndrome called 's disease, often marked by

> low

> > > energy, joint and abdominalpain, weight loss, diarrhea, fever,

> and

> > > electrolyte disturbances. If the adrenals are making toolittle

> > > cortisol, the pituitary compensates and makes more of the

> hormone,

> > > ACTH. If the pituitaryis not working, both ACTH and cortisol

> > levels

> > > may be low. Aldosterone is the salt-retaining hormone and is a

> > > mineralocorticoid. Excess of aldosterone leadsto high blood

> > pressure

> > > and low potassium. Deficiencies of aldosterone are much

> > > lessappreciated than deficiencies of cortisol, and lead to low

> > blood

> > > pressure and high pulse,especially on standing, the desire to

> eat

> > > salt (salt-craving), dizziness or lightheadedness onstanding,

> and

> > > palpitations. Severe cases may lead to high potassium and low

> > sodium

> > > in bloodtests. When the adrenal is not making aldosterone,

> renin,

> > a

> > > kidney hormone, increases. Excessesof cortisol and aldosterone

> may

> > > occur independently, that is a patient may have only

> > > excessaldosterone, only excess cortisol, or excesses of both.

> > > Similarly, deficiencies of cortisol andaldosterone

deficiencies

> > may

> > > be independent.Many patients coming to see Dr. Friedman lately

> > with

> > > symptom of fatigue and often symptomsof salt-

craving, " cognitive

> > > fuzziness " , dizziness or lightheadedness on standing, or

> > > palpitationshave low blood levels of aldosterone. He explains

> the

> > > connection between low aldosterone levelsand fatigue as

follows:

> > > with low aldosterone, the kidney loses salt, leading to low

> blood

> > > volume.This coupled with the idea that the leg veins don't

> > constrict

> > > properly, leads to lower bloodvolume to the brain and fatigue

> and

> > > other symptoms. These patients often have a drop in theirblood

> > > pressure and an increase in their pulse when standing. They

may

> > also

> > > have decreasedblood flow to the brain when measured by SPECT

> scan.

> > > Aldosterone deficiency may be madeworse if patients restrict

> their

> > > salt intake.Soon-to-be-published research by Dr. Friedman

shows

> a

> > > few patterns of abnormalities in therenin-aldosterone axis. A

> > little

> > > more than half the patients with fatigue had low blood levels

> > ofboth

> > > renin and aldosterone. This is called hyporeninemic

> > > hypoaldosteronism and is probably due

> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------

--

> --

> > --

> > > -----------

> > > Page 2

> > > to dysfunction of what is called the autonomic nervous system,

> > which

> > > sends messages from thebrain to the kidneys. Other aspects of

> the

> > > autonomic nervous system have been found to bedeficient in

> chronic

> > > fatigue syndrome. About one-third of the patients were found

to

> > have

> > > lowaldosterone and high renin. This indicates a deficiency in

> the

> > > aldosterone production in theadrenals themselves, with a

> > > compensatory rise in the renin coming from the kidney.

> > > Thealdosterone defect can either be an isolated problem, or

part

> > of

> > > 's disease (often early's disease), in which

both

> > > cortisol and aldosterone production are diminished.

Theremaining

> > > patients (about one-sixth) had both high renin and high

> > aldosterone.

> > > This is likely tobe a compensatory rise in both of these

> hormones

> > as

> > > a reaction to a low blood volume, mostlikely due to an

inability

> > of

> > > the kidney to retain salt.Dr. Friedman recommends treating

> > patients

> > > with an individualized combination of increased

saltconsumption,

> a

> > > synthetic form of aldosterone called Florinef

(fludrocortisone),

> > or

> > > Midodrine(proamantine), a drug used to raise blood pressure.

> Salt

> > is

> > > the most benign of the treatments. Salt tablets can be

purchased

> > in

> > > a drug store or a patient can add an extra teaspoon of salt to

> > > theirfood per day. Florinef comes in 0.1 mg pills and Dr.

> Friedman

> > > usually starts with 1/2 pill in themorning for a week or two

and

> > > then goes up to 1 pill in the morning if no side effects

occur.

> > > Themain side effects are headache and swelling in legs

(edema).

> > > Midodrine comes in 5 mg pills andDr. Friedman usually starts

> with

> > 5

> > > mg pills in the morning and noon. He may go up to 2 pillsthree

> > times

> > > a dayand sometimes needs to use both Florinef and Midodrine,

as

> > well

> > > as extra salt.The side effects of Midodrine include high blood

> > > pressure, itching, goosebumps, numbness andthe feeling of

> writing

> > on

> > > your skin or scalp. Many of these side effects go away with

use

> > > andboth drugs are unlikely to cause long term damage. Most

> > patients

> > > taking Florinef and Midodrine,as well as extra salt report an

> > > improvement in their symptoms of palpitations

> > > anddizziness/lightheadedness on standing, while many report an

> > > improvement in fatigue andcognitive dysfunction. Licorice,

> > available

> > > as a tea from Alvita, may help with mild cases.Dr. Friedman is

> > doing

> > > further research on the renin-aldosterone axis and chronic

> > > fatiguesyndrome (CFS) in a study generously funded by the

CFIDS

> > > (Chronic Fatigue and ImmuneDysfunction Syndrome) Association

of

> > > America. He is also studying the effect of Viagra onsymptoms

of

> > CFS,

> > > with the idea that Viagra may improve blood flow to the brain.

> For

> > > moreinformation on these studies, please email Dr. Friedman at

> > > mail@g...; or toset up an appointment with Dr.

> > > Friedman, please email

> > > atappointments@g...

[Guest guest]

I think when the body is sick, with a pathogen present, the brain

signals a salt craving. I have for the last 3 years used a lot of

salt. I never did this before.

I have not been following the board much, as I moved to a new office

several months ago and I can't go online except for company

business. I hope you all are showing some improvement. The office

move couldn't have come at a better time, as my health has improved,

and I don't find myself compelled to the board and web surfing for

answers as I did before. I am still on doxy, have pulsed in some

biaxin recently, and waiting for some thai zith for more pulsing. I

had discovered something several months ago that I believe greatly

improved my pathogen count. I was on doxy at the time. I had some

mino on hand. I had learned that zith builds up in the tissues, so I

stopped doxy and took 250 twice a day zith for a week to get it

loaded up good, then stepped it back down to once a day for a week,

but added full doses of doxy for a day, then the next day the full

dose of doxy (2)in the morning and one mino in the evening. I got

major local herxing at the infection site the felt like some serious

dying effect. My ear lobes felt as if someone was twisting them with

their thumb and forefinger, something was squeezing my eyeballs, and

felt like knots formed inside both cheek bones. I also slipped in

one biaxin 250 at lunch one day, which was probably a high stress on

the liver with all that zith built up but I didn't think it was

critical in light of the fact that I hadn't been on macs long. After

doing this, I felt like I had put a serious hurt on a lot of

bacteria. After doing this, I went back on straight doxy, but upped

the bromelain to 12100 gdu a day. More good herx but not like the

zith et. al. combo. I have recently taken as much as 36000 gdu

bromelain a day in three divided doses, but mostly 24000 in two

doses. I had to do this with some food. I really believe that it has

a negative effect on the bacterias outer membrane or biofilm as well

as having a potentiating effect, as well as other positive effects

such as cellular realignment/reconditioning. While doing this, I

have seen no noticeable changes in bladder function. I have also

drank tons of water. Maybe I am a fool for all of this

experimentation, but I really worked up to all this slowly and never

felt in danger. Short of taking IV Ketek, I don't think that I could

have improved any other way. I have recently tested negative for

myco, but feel there is something else trying to die in my head. I'm

sure it was the myco cauising the cfs, as I am gaining all kinds of

energy, but still the local head pain exagerrated with abx. I am

wondering if the abx is not partially causing pain as a result of

deteriorated myelan sheath at area of infection. I still have a

faint and very ocassional wave of malaise, but I think this is about

to die completely. My jaw stays very stiff, I am guessing there is

damage. I can't help but think my doctor would cringe at what I am

doing.

> > >

> > > > I have had a strong craving for salt for as long as I can

> > > remember.

> > > > Give me salt any day over sugar and I will be happy. I was

> > talking

> > > > with my mom yesterday who has supposedly got MS and she

craves

> > > salt

> > > > like me, preferable to sugar.

> > > >

> > > > It got me wondering and I did a search on Lyme and salt

> craving.

> > > > There was info, but what kept coming up is adrenal fatigue

and

> > > even

> > > > 's Disease which is adreanl disfunction to the max.

> > > >

> > > > Salt cravings are usually due to low adelesterone. Remember

> the

> > > > conversations about Benicar and ARBs like Benicar lowering

> > > > Adelesterone even further? One of the articles I found said

> > that.

> > > I

> > > > wonder if salt cravings could be an indicator that you will

> not

> > do

> > > > well on Benicar?

> > > >

> > > > Salt craving can also be an indication of low magnesium, and

> > > aren't

> > > > most of us low there?

> > > >

> =================================================================

> > > >

> > > > Your Adrenal HormonesThe adrenals, small glands located

above

> > each

> > > > kidney, produce a number of importanthormones. The adrenals'

> > inner

> > > > medulla produces epinephrine and norepinephrine

> > > (adrenaline).Tumors

> > > > of the adrenal medulla which produce excess epinephrine and

> > > > norepinephrine are calledpheochromocytomas. Deficiencies of

> the

> > > > adrenal medulla that reduce the levels of thesehormones do

not

> > > give

> > > > rise to clinical problems.Adrenals also contain an outer

> cortex,

> > > > which produces hormones such as cortisol,

> > > aldosterone,testosterone,

> > > > DHEA, DHEAS, androstenedione and estrogens. Cortisol and

> > > aldosterone

> > > > are twoof the most important hormones the body makes.

Excesses

> > or

> > > > deficiencies of these hormonesresult in important clinical

> > > problems.

> > > > Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, is the stress hormone and

> isinvolved

> > > in

> > > > weight control, infection fighting, quality of skin and

bones,

> > and

> > > > heart function. Itslevels are the highest in the morning,

and

> > are

> > > > increased by stress and severe illness. Too muchcortisol

from

> > any

> > > > cause leads to Cushing's syndrome; the symptoms and signs of

> > which

> > > > includeweight gain, stretch marks, bruising, extra hair

> growth,

> > > > irregular periods in women, loss ofmuscle, trouble sleeping

> and

> > > > emotional problems, such as depression. Too little cortisol

is

> > > > partof the syndrome called 's disease, often marked

by

> > low

> > > > energy, joint and abdominalpain, weight loss, diarrhea,

fever,

> > and

> > > > electrolyte disturbances. If the adrenals are making

toolittle

> > > > cortisol, the pituitary compensates and makes more of the

> > hormone,

> > > > ACTH. If the pituitaryis not working, both ACTH and cortisol

> > > levels

> > > > may be low. Aldosterone is the salt-retaining hormone and is

a

> > > > mineralocorticoid. Excess of aldosterone leadsto high blood

> > > pressure

> > > > and low potassium. Deficiencies of aldosterone are much

> > > > lessappreciated than deficiencies of cortisol, and lead to

low

> > > blood

> > > > pressure and high pulse,especially on standing, the desire

to

> > eat

> > > > salt (salt-craving), dizziness or lightheadedness

onstanding,

> > and

> > > > palpitations. Severe cases may lead to high potassium and

low

> > > sodium

> > > > in bloodtests. When the adrenal is not making aldosterone,

> > renin,

> > > a

> > > > kidney hormone, increases. Excessesof cortisol and

aldosterone

> > may

> > > > occur independently, that is a patient may have only

> > > > excessaldosterone, only excess cortisol, or excesses of

both.

> > > > Similarly, deficiencies of cortisol andaldosterone

> deficiencies

> > > may

> > > > be independent.Many patients coming to see Dr. Friedman

lately

> > > with

> > > > symptom of fatigue and often symptomsof salt-

> craving, " cognitive

> > > > fuzziness " , dizziness or lightheadedness on standing, or

> > > > palpitationshave low blood levels of aldosterone. He

explains

> > the

> > > > connection between low aldosterone levelsand fatigue as

> follows:

> > > > with low aldosterone, the kidney loses salt, leading to low

> > blood

> > > > volume.This coupled with the idea that the leg veins don't

> > > constrict

> > > > properly, leads to lower bloodvolume to the brain and

fatigue

> > and

> > > > other symptoms. These patients often have a drop in

theirblood

> > > > pressure and an increase in their pulse when standing. They

> may

> > > also

> > > > have decreasedblood flow to the brain when measured by SPECT

> > scan.

> > > > Aldosterone deficiency may be madeworse if patients restrict

> > their

> > > > salt intake.Soon-to-be-published research by Dr. Friedman

> shows

> > a

> > > > few patterns of abnormalities in therenin-aldosterone axis.

A

> > > little

> > > > more than half the patients with fatigue had low blood

levels

> > > ofboth

> > > > renin and aldosterone. This is called hyporeninemic

> > > > hypoaldosteronism and is probably due

> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------

--

> --

> > --

> > > --

> > > > -----------

> > > > Page 2

> > > > to dysfunction of what is called the autonomic nervous

system,

> > > which

> > > > sends messages from thebrain to the kidneys. Other aspects

of

> > the

> > > > autonomic nervous system have been found to bedeficient in

> > chronic

> > > > fatigue syndrome. About one-third of the patients were found

> to

> > > have

> > > > lowaldosterone and high renin. This indicates a deficiency

in

> > the

> > > > aldosterone production in theadrenals themselves, with a

> > > > compensatory rise in the renin coming from the kidney.

> > > > Thealdosterone defect can either be an isolated problem, or

> part

> > > of

> > > > 's disease (often early's disease), in which

> both

> > > > cortisol and aldosterone production are diminished.

> Theremaining

> > > > patients (about one-sixth) had both high renin and high

> > > aldosterone.

> > > > This is likely tobe a compensatory rise in both of these

> > hormones

> > > as

> > > > a reaction to a low blood volume, mostlikely due to an

> inability

> > > of

> > > > the kidney to retain salt.Dr. Friedman recommends treating

> > > patients

> > > > with an individualized combination of increased

> saltconsumption,

> > a

> > > > synthetic form of aldosterone called Florinef

> (fludrocortisone),

> > > or

> > > > Midodrine(proamantine), a drug used to raise blood pressure.

> > Salt

> > > is

> > > > the most benign of the treatments. Salt tablets can be

> purchased

> > > in

> > > > a drug store or a patient can add an extra teaspoon of salt

to

> > > > theirfood per day. Florinef comes in 0.1 mg pills and Dr.

> > Friedman

> > > > usually starts with 1/2 pill in themorning for a week or two

> and

> > > > then goes up to 1 pill in the morning if no side effects

> occur.

> > > > Themain side effects are headache and swelling in legs

> (edema).

> > > > Midodrine comes in 5 mg pills andDr. Friedman usually starts

> > with

> > > 5

> > > > mg pills in the morning and noon. He may go up to 2

pillsthree

> > > times

> > > > a dayand sometimes needs to use both Florinef and Midodrine,

> as

> > > well

> > > > as extra salt.The side effects of Midodrine include high

blood

> > > > pressure, itching, goosebumps, numbness andthe feeling of

> > writing

> > > on

> > > > your skin or scalp. Many of these side effects go away with

> use

> > > > andboth drugs are unlikely to cause long term damage. Most

> > > patients

> > > > taking Florinef and Midodrine,as well as extra salt report

an

> > > > improvement in their symptoms of palpitations

> > > > anddizziness/lightheadedness on standing, while many report

an

> > > > improvement in fatigue andcognitive dysfunction. Licorice,

> > > available

> > > > as a tea from Alvita, may help with mild cases.Dr. Friedman

is

> > > doing

> > > > further research on the renin-aldosterone axis and chronic

> > > > fatiguesyndrome (CFS) in a study generously funded by the

> CFIDS

> > > > (Chronic Fatigue and ImmuneDysfunction Syndrome) Association

> of

> > > > America. He is also studying the effect of Viagra onsymptoms

> of

> > > CFS,

> > > > with the idea that Viagra may improve blood flow to the

brain.

> > For

> > > > moreinformation on these studies, please email Dr. Friedman

at

> > > > mail@g...; or toset up an appointment with Dr.

> > > > Friedman, please email

> > > > atappointments@g...