Posted by Cairo on July 19, 2004, at 15:19:54
In reply to Re: Chronic pain -best med and weird reactions » Cairo, posted by BarbaraCat on July 14, 2004, at 13:33:31
Hi, Barbara Cat!
When my TSH started creeping up past 3, I was started on T4, but it has not made any difference with pain, muscle tightness or any other symptoms, despite my TSH coming down to .86. A trial of estrogen/progesterone replacement therapy didn't do anything and the progesterone days made me feel like I had the flu. I'm not a candidate for estrogen only as I still have a uterus and a family history of breast cancer makes me nervous about the estrogen anyway. Testosterone level was OK.
I'm convinced that I'm a candidate for a CRH augmentor as I look and feel like Addison's disease: I crash and burn in the afternoons after ANY stressor as small as making dinner. I'm waiting for my latest cortisol levels, including an 11pm salivary cortisol to see how low they are. Last time the 4pm was lowish, but that really doesn't show if I can mount a response to stress.
Me thinks I will ask for nortriptyline, as Elavil was the only one that seemed to help, but that was quite awhile ago.
I went to a holistic doctor who gave me nutritional IVs. Because my magnesium was probably low at the time, I did feel better. But I think that is treating the problem downstream; nutritional deficiencies can be caused by stress, so I've taken supplements, but this only helps minimally. The root problem goes higher, I think.
Also, while I've not been diagnosed with BP2, my Fibromyalgia doctor says that Lamictal has helped many of her patients. I've read posts on this forum about the similarity of atypical depression (which I think I have) and BP2. I'll be talking to my psychiatrist about this. I went off all meds except for the Desyrel in anticipation of trying something new, but unfortunately my doc broke his leg and had surgery, so my appointment got cancelled.
I also am prone to neck injury due not to disc disease, but those #*%% tight muscles! I went to Universal STudios with my daughter and went on the Mummy ride which I didn't know was a roller coaster. I grabbed my neck and thought I did OK, but two weeks later went on the Cat in the Hat ride and had what looks like a whiplash injury. Everything went downhill from there and my FMS flared big time. The only think that consistently helps is a wonderful physical therapist that I go to that does hands on work on my back and neck. Far better than trigger point injections or myofascial and spray and stretch massage therapy. But, alas, the effects don't last as long as I would like.
Back to the TSH, my endo will not try T3 or higher dose as she says that while I may feel better short term, feedback inhibition will shut the thyroid down. I have wondered, however, about what is suggested in the book, The Thyroid Solution, about substituting some of the T4 that I take with T3 in an amount that approaches the "natural" ratio in the body (forgive this approximation as I cannot recall exactly). I dunno, maybe I'll try what Larry Hoover suggests in another post about supplementing with selenium, tyrosine, etc.
Let's do keep in touch as the FMS road is a difficult one and we've got to keep everyone on their toes.
Cairo
poster:Cairo
thread:363567
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040719/msgs/367826.html