Posted by JLx on April 1, 2003, at 11:55:39
In reply to warning--a little rant, but not against you. » JLx, posted by beardedlady on April 1, 2003, at 9:45:55
> You take a lot of stuff! I don't know how you can tell what is working and what isn't. And this is in addition to meds that don't work? And you can't eliminate them because?LOL, I knew that list would freak somebody out. :) I was pretty freaked out myself the first time I came to this site and saw the pain, desperation and multitude of drugs some people had already tried or were on with little effect -- or worse.
In fact, it was the book "The Noonday Demon" by Andrew Solomon that started me on my quest to find some real answers, as I was completely appalled by that book, beautifully written and ultimately hopeful that it was. Was this my future too? Anti-psychotics and amphetamines for depression?? 4 different meds at a time, some of which to counteract the side effects of the others? I thought, do I really have to assume that my life as I once knew it is completely over, that I will be on med after med for the rest of my life with MAYBE some relief, but that there is no real hope of ever being depression free? "What You Can Change... and What you Can't" by Martin E. P. Seligman, is another one that made me mad. "Moderate relief" he predicted for depression with effective treatment. But what was effective treatment? The meds -- one after another or in what combination and for how long before they poop-out? The cognitive therapy that people are not changed by in the 1 year follow-up studies?
Well, guess, again Dr. Seligman! No, I don't take meds anymore. I quit Zoloft and Provigil after one day taking magnesium. And back then the magnesium was the ONLY thing I was doing differently. Since this one thing ACTUALLY WORKED, I am following Eby's other advice AND I am following the advice of these other books too, just to be sure. I probably am overdoing it, but right now I would rather err on that side. I am desperate now -- again -- only this time it is to keep feeling WELL and also have the energy and other emotional wherewithall to pick up the wreckage of my life.
> Please don't take this the wrong way, but how did you "figure" this? Did you have a test for it?
No, no tests for Candida or hypoglycemia. I would love to go to a knowledgeable alternative medicine practitioner and have the appropriate tests -- this self-doctoring has been a lot of work and bother -- but I absolutely can't afford it even if I could find one. I have been going by the advice on George Eby's site, as well as the criteria/checklists from the book "Depression Free Naturally" and numerous other webpages I've run across lately. I'm also not a complete novice to the whole "natural health" industry.
> I need to be honest with you about my feelings about candidiasis....I never paid any attention to that yeast stuff before either, primarily because I could not imagine myself limiting my diet like that. Once I started taking magnesium, however, the dietary changes were easy and obviously needed once I reassessed the info and could actually tell how my body felt. I used to marvel at my sister when she would say that she would feel this or that way based on certain foods or supplements. I felt the same way all the time no matter what I did -- lousy!
I agree with you about Candidiasis as a deadly disease, thrusth, vaginal infections, etc. But I also think there can be a lower level problem with yeast. And it's not only "new agey" practitioners who think so. Check out this site:
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/hc/resourceareas_view/1,1438,560,00.html
Natural/alternative/complementary practitioners were talking about antioxidants and free radicals well over a decade before that info became medical-mainstream. Homocysteine and heart attacks? Don't bother trying to prevent that, you'll only have "expensive urine", the "experts" said. 3 decades later they're singing a different tune. H. pylori bacteria the cause of ulcers? Ridiculous! No wait...2 decades later... it's true! Magnesium for major depression? Don't bother, said my psychiatrist. ;)
> I am really glad you are feeling good, but I am wondering now whether it's really worth going to the store to buy magnesium and probiotics. You say the magnesium saved your life, and I believe you, but I just don't know how you know it was the magnesium and not the fifteen or twenty other things you take.
Because I didn't take them then, or I had been taking them all along (like the extra B and C vitamins) and was still suicidally depressed.
> I had hopes of maybe curing my insomnia once and for all, getting better sleep, reducing the number of migraines and headaches I get, and maybe being less irritable. But after seeing what you take each day, I am overwhelmed!The first time I walked into a health food store, I felt like I was in a foreign country and couldn't speak the language. It takes time and effort to learn, that's all. It's so easy now with the Web at least. There ARE doctors and other health practitioners such as nutritionists too, if one can afford it.
Whatever you may decide to try or not, good luck to you. :)
poster:JLx
thread:214008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/215080.html