![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 21 to 45 of 228. Go back in thread:
Posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 16:15:43
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 17, 2005, at 12:39:58
>
Hey Elroy. Have you already started using the picamilon? I don't remember if you indicated this or not in previous posts. I did notice that at SMI2LE that they have a theanie/picamilon combination that sounds very attractive to me. But as you stated (wrote) they are currently having minor technical difficulties so I guess I'll see if I can find that combination elsewhere.I must say I feel a considerable amount of trepidation at going of the benzo again. The last time I had the help (?) of Neurontin but it appears to have left it's mark on my liver (raised liver enzyems). I so resent not being able to sleep without assistance. I'm very physically active and when I don't sleep, or only sleep minimally, I feel utterly limited. There is a study here in Sacramento for patients with fibromyalgisa (that would be me) using GHB-talk about something for the GABA receptors! I'm going to call the # but don't feel particulary hopeful due to my elevated liver enzymes, though they are only minimally so. I'd beter conclude this, I'm fighting the urge to go autobiographical!
one wistful World Citizen
OK, you can get picamilon cheaply at a number of places at decent prices (and some at outrageous prices). SMI2LE is a very good priced store, but he is having some business problems right now and there could be a wait for your order.
>
> http://www.smi2le.biz/Products.shtml
>
> Some other very decent possibilities (and I'm talking bulk powder amounts in some cases here):
>
> http://www.easycart.net/cgi-bin/BeyondACenturyInc./search.cgi
>
> http://www.smart-nutrition.net/info-picamilon.htm
> Also VG info on this page...
>
> http://www.biogenesis.co.za/pi-picamilone.asp
>
> I put in my order thru BAC, but will probably order from SMI2LE when they get their act togetehr again....
>
>
> BTW.... I am currently on Xanax XR. I plan on cutting my morning dose in half and taking reduced picamilon dosage in the AM and then take my regular Xanax XR dose in the PM. As I feel the Picamilon is working (as I see it, it is adding more GABA into the system rather than just maintianing the reduced levels that are there like the Ativan and Xanax do!), then I will reduce the PM dose for Xanax XR to 1/2 also, and add an early afternoon dose of Picamilon. After that I'll start weaning completely off the Xanax XR and replace it completely with the Picamilon.
>
> Elroy
>
> P.S. Have you looked into Rhodiola Rscea at all? If you can find a copy of the book, would strongly recommend "The Rhodiola Revolution".
Posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 16:35:10
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 17, 2005, at 12:39:58
Hey, I don't know if you noticed this or not but there is a psycho-babble category "withdrawal".
I can already see the carpal-tunnel syndrome coming on!;)W.C.
Posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 19:10:54
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 17, 2005, at 10:38:27
Hey Elroy. I forgot to share with you a very important aspect of my mental health program. This is a book by Eckhart Tolle called "The Power of Now". I've just been through the most difficutlt year in my entire life and the information I utilized from this book, in addition to vitamin G, has not only preserved my sanity but has brought me to a level of awareness and emotional/spiritual maturity that I never imagined possible.
And another thing... If my posts were sounding progressively morbid that's because I scared myself thinking about my eventual weaning from the benzo. I've got a court thing going on (civil) and have NO intention of even cutting down until THAT is over, which should be in another month or two. Using the information in the book coupled with the power of faith I just talked myself out of a mounting anxiety attack!!!
Elroy, it sure is good to know that there is somebody else out there that's trying to deal with this crap!World Citizen
Posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 19:30:34
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 16:15:43
Just got the Picamilon in today. Will start tomorrow.
Hey, seeing as how you have fibromyalgisa symptoms, I really think that you should check out the book "The Edge Effect" by that Dr. Braverman. On page 120 he lists fibromyalgisa as a specific response to a severe GABA deficiency. On his 1 to 10 scale, he rates that at the 7 range... 1 beinging the mildest and 10 being the worst.
In my case, I also suffer from neuropathic type pains (severe in the feet).
There's some speculation in my case that my highly elevated cortisol levels are damaging the nerve endings through the cortisol's toxicity. But maybe it's also from GABA deficiency - or just from GABA deficiency... I've got the high anxiety levels to corroborate the likely GABA deficiency.
Anyway, Dr. Braverman also lists neuropathy as a results of severe GABA deficiency, listing it also at 7 on that 1 to 10 scale!
I don't believe that there's any info that any of the particular supplements that we've been discussing will cause liver enzyme or functioning problems....
Nothing I've come across anyway.
Elroy
> >
> Hey Elroy. Have you already started using the picamilon? I don't remember if you indicated this or not in previous posts. I did notice that at SMI2LE that they have a theanie/picamilon combination that sounds very attractive to me. But as you stated (wrote) they are currently having minor technical difficulties so I guess I'll see if I can find that combination elsewhere.
>
> I must say I feel a considerable amount of trepidation at going of the benzo again. The last time I had the help (?) of Neurontin but it appears to have left it's mark on my liver (raised liver enzyems). I so resent not being able to sleep without assistance. I'm very physically active and when I don't sleep, or only sleep minimally, I feel utterly limited. There is a study here in Sacramento for patients with fibromyalgisa (that would be me) using GHB-talk about something for the GABA receptors! I'm going to call the # but don't feel particulary hopeful due to my elevated liver enzymes, though they are only minimally so. I'd beter conclude this, I'm fighting the urge to go autobiographical!
>
> one wistful World Citizen
>
>
> OK, you can get picamilon cheaply at a number of places at decent prices (and some at outrageous prices). SMI2LE is a very good priced store, but he is having some business problems right now and there could be a wait for your order.
> >
> > http://www.smi2le.biz/Products.shtml
> >
> > Some other very decent possibilities (and I'm talking bulk powder amounts in some cases here):
> >
> > http://www.easycart.net/cgi-bin/BeyondACenturyInc./search.cgi
> >
> > http://www.smart-nutrition.net/info-picamilon.htm
> > Also VG info on this page...
> >
> > http://www.biogenesis.co.za/pi-picamilone.asp
> >
> > I put in my order thru BAC, but will probably order from SMI2LE when they get their act togetehr again....
> >
> >
> > BTW.... I am currently on Xanax XR. I plan on cutting my morning dose in half and taking reduced picamilon dosage in the AM and then take my regular Xanax XR dose in the PM. As I feel the Picamilon is working (as I see it, it is adding more GABA into the system rather than just maintianing the reduced levels that are there like the Ativan and Xanax do!), then I will reduce the PM dose for Xanax XR to 1/2 also, and add an early afternoon dose of Picamilon. After that I'll start weaning completely off the Xanax XR and replace it completely with the Picamilon.
> >
> > Elroy
> >
> > P.S. Have you looked into Rhodiola Rscea at all? If you can find a copy of the book, would strongly recommend "The Rhodiola Revolution".
>
>
Posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 19:35:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 16:15:43
Not sure if I mentioned this possibility to you or not, but I started looking into Brain Wave Generators and Binaural Beat Brainwaves as erlates to anxiety, depression and pain control. In researching that and downloading some stuff, I came across some interesting information on a technology called "Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation".
While finding some interesting results with Brain Wave generator effects (Binaural Beat Brainwaves), am becoming more convinced that there's definitely something to the CES technology. CES is an FDA registered treatment modality that is FDA approved for anxiety, depression, and some types of chronic pain.
This is NOT to be confused with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or with "Transcranial Magnetic Simulation" but is a completely different therapy from either of those.
See:
http://www.alpha-stim.com/Information/Technology/Protocol/Introduction_A/MET
http://www.alpha-stim.com/Information/Technology/Protocol/Introduction_A/ME
http://members.aol.com/bioelectric2002/website.htm
http://neurodynamicstrategies.com/ces.html
http://www.excel.net/%7Ejaguar/ces-info.html
http://www.drdebe.com/CRANIAL.htm
This particular following segment deals with pain therapy rather than anxiety or depression, but shows such a strong response that I felt it to be an excellent example. Remember, CES is technically approved by the FDA as treatment for "anxiety, depression, and insomnia", but more and more newer studies are researching it for pain relief purposes.
http://www.harborside.com/~aspenmed/page10.htm
QUOTE: Archives of Otolaryngology, 109(6):382-383, 1983... This is an early report of Alpha-Stim results on severe intractable cancer pain that failed to achieve relief with "heavy medication" and surgery conducted by the Division of Otolaryngology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The author states that the 3 cases anecdotally presented are representative of similar cases treated by Alpha-Stim. without exception, in every case there was a positive effect in decreasing pain. Objectively, these patients could be followed up by the amount of pain medication they required... In case 1, a 58 year old man had squamous cell carcinoma of the laryngeopharynx staged at T4N2M0, full course radiation therapy and radical neck dissection. After failing to achieve pain relief with 7 mg of morphine sulfate every 4 hours along with various sedatives, he achieved complete relief without medication at all for one week following 3 daily, 10 minute Alpha-Stim treatments of 500 microamps at 0.5 Hz, and then was maintained pain free with Alpha-Stim treatments every 3 days for 1 minute. Case 2, a 54 year old man who also had a neck dissection and radiation for a T3NOMO lesion of the larynx, and a primary squamous cell tumor of the left lung, required a combination of codeine, zomepirac sodium (Zomax), and amitriptyline hydrochloride (Elavil), which provided little relief. After 6 minutes of Alpha-Stim treatment he had complete relief of pain for 50 hours, after which further treatment caused the pain to disappear again. Case 3 was a 59 year old man who had a T4N1MO squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue and supraglottis. Codeine and meperidine failed to completely control his severe pain radiating to both ears. The pain was completely relieved for 8 hours after 12 minutes of Alpha-Stim treatment. The second treatment pain relief lasted 24 hours. The author noted that the longevity of the results was especially encouraging. In every case pain relief lasted at least 8 hours, and in case 2, the effect lasted more than 3 weeks. There was no indication of side effects, and usually there was no sensation of the electrical stimulus. The positive results are unquestionable, and this form of electrical stimulation should not be confused with TENS.
http://darwinpharmacy.com/ref-anxiety-008/anxiety-008-research-abs3.99.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieveids=11455071&dopt=Abstract>;
http://www.alpha-stim.com/Information/Products/Educational/CES_Excerpt/Chapter_9/chapter_9.html
In the book "The Edge Effect", Dr. Eric Braverman discussed brain enhancers and specifically brain neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, etc.). Overall a very good book - and it answered a lot of lingering questions that I had. Would strongly, strongly recommend the reading of this book!
What I found very interesting was that Dr. Braverman mentions the CES technology three different times in his book (all in a very positive vein) and apparently uses it in his own private practice also.
http://www.edgeeffect.org/cranial_electrical_stimulation.htm
Posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 20:06:09
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 17, 2005, at 19:10:54
How very interesting. My stressful period started about mid 90s with increased (ethical) problems at workplace and a whistleblower situation (yours truly) by late 90s. Ended up forced to take a disability retirment under extreme pressure. Filed a civil suit a couple years later but ended up having the court dismiss it last year - about two months before my second round of severe anxiety and depression really exploded (my first round started about a year after I filed the lawsuit and right in the middle of all the depositions, etc.). The actual "trigger" of the current event was a, well, family loss, but I've always felt that there was some delayed reaction to the civil case loss also.
Oh well. I know that for a few months there that everything was fine, what, about 4 months? There's where I want to get back to!
>
>
> Hey Elroy. I forgot to share with you a very important aspect of my mental health program. This is a book by Eckhart Tolle called "The Power of Now". I've just been through the most difficutlt year in my entire life and the information I utilized from this book, in addition to vitamin G, has not only preserved my sanity but has brought me to a level of awareness and emotional/spiritual maturity that I never imagined possible.
>
> And another thing... If my posts were sounding progressively morbid that's because I scared myself thinking about my eventual weaning from the benzo. I've got a court thing going on (civil) and have NO intention of even cutting down until THAT is over, which should be in another month or two. Using the information in the book coupled with the power of faith I just talked myself out of a mounting anxiety attack!!!
> Elroy, it sure is good to know that there is somebody else out there that's trying to deal with this crap!
>
> World Citizen
>
Posted by world citizen on February 18, 2005, at 20:54:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 19:30:34
Elroy! Elroy! Elroy!!!!If you suffer from Neuropathy according to my research the only substance than can REALLY affect it
(some sources say REVERSE it) is DHEA. DHEA counters cortisol in the body, which I'm sure you're aware, wreaks havoc on the body systems as it's part of the adrenaline chain. AND it is good for the mood-some sources say it successfully treats depression. If you feel inclined (after you exhaustively research it, as appears to be your way) you might want to start at 25-50 mgs. It would be ideal if you could get your MD to do a test (I don't remember if blood or saliva test is best) to find out where your levels are. From what I've read, after age 25, DHEA levels start to decline. Oh yeah, it's extremely good for the immune system!!!!!!!!!!!! The other thing, if you start taking it, some caution is advised as it might make you more "feisty" than you are accustomed to. NATROL carries a good one that has a good price too!I'm glad to hear that there is some one else out there has a sense of justice! My son and I were offered a settlement not long ago. I found it unacceptable on several levels, the main one being I wanted the "defendant" to suffer consequences for his (in)action. (I unknowingly lived in an apartment with toxic mold in it for 5!!!! years. The owner is an attorney that works directly under our "esteemed" govenor.)
And another thing!!!!!! I tried TMG (trimethyglycine)!!! This stuff is great!!! I took 500 mgs in the morning, 250 mgs in the late afternoon. Now I'm up to 6 miles a day, in terms of aerobic walking!! I would HIGHLY advise you to research THIS stuff. AND I ordered 2 bottles of Theanine Serene from iHERB in addition to some American Ginseng (which is very good for the adrenals Mr-Running-On-Cortisol!
World Citizen
Posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 23:00:40
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 18, 2005, at 20:54:56
Just started TMG this last week. Am still building dosages up. Just about to where you are at. Haven't really noticed anything yet. I used samE for a while there and did seem to notice a difference. And then recently read that TMG not only accomplished the same thing but was safer and cheaper. So figure I'll give it a more prolonged try.
My DHEA levels were recently tested and weren't terribly bad. Within a lab reference range of 18.0 to 319.0 mine were at 139.6. Still was less than 50% level. Assuming that they would be better off at the "top third" level, so around 210 to 300 range, I figured that I probably should be supplementing??? I'm just surprised that the level wasn't even lower, what with the high cortisol levels (back in Sept/Oct my cortisol levels were 5 to 6 times the maximum normal range).
Question... do you think that the 7-keto-DHEA version would be just as effective as the regular DHEA? Being on testosterone replacment therapy already (yes, it started back in June along with all of this other business), I would prefer to steer away from the androgenic effects of regular DHEA as I could develop a problem with excessive conversion to estrogen. That would throw my TRT program horribly and terribly out of balance.
http://www.1fast400.com/?ingredients_id=69
I do believe that the cortisol problem - with me - is one of the central keys. I do think that the extreme anxiety initially suffered (in this most recent bout) caused the really high cortisol levels (and not the opposite), but I also believe that the HPA Axis has gotten "stuck" in a broken position and needs to somehow get re-set - otherwise none of the anti0anxiety or AD supps are going to work completely effectively!
>
> Elroy! Elroy! Elroy!!!!
>
> If you suffer from Neuropathy according to my research the only substance than can REALLY affect it
> (some sources say REVERSE it) is DHEA. DHEA counters cortisol in the body, which I'm sure you're aware, wreaks havoc on the body systems as it's part of the adrenaline chain. AND it is good for the mood-some sources say it successfully treats depression. If you feel inclined (after you exhaustively research it, as appears to be your way) you might want to start at 25-50 mgs. It would be ideal if you could get your MD to do a test (I don't remember if blood or saliva test is best) to find out where your levels are. From what I've read, after age 25, DHEA levels start to decline. Oh yeah, it's extremely good for the immune system!!!!!!!!!!!! The other thing, if you start taking it, some caution is advised as it might make you more "feisty" than you are accustomed to. NATROL carries a good one that has a good price too!
>
> I'm glad to hear that there is some one else out there has a sense of justice! My son and I were offered a settlement not long ago. I found it unacceptable on several levels, the main one being I wanted the "defendant" to suffer consequences for his (in)action. (I unknowingly lived in an apartment with toxic mold in it for 5!!!! years. The owner is an attorney that works directly under our "esteemed" govenor.)
>
> And another thing!!!!!! I tried TMG (trimethyglycine)!!! This stuff is great!!! I took 500 mgs in the morning, 250 mgs in the late afternoon. Now I'm up to 6 miles a day, in terms of aerobic walking!! I would HIGHLY advise you to research THIS stuff. AND I ordered 2 bottles of Theanine Serene from iHERB in addition to some American Ginseng (which is very good for the adrenals Mr-Running-On-Cortisol!
>
> World Citizen
Posted by world citizen on February 18, 2005, at 23:13:11
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 20:06:09
Elroy, in my haste to tell you about DHEA I neglected to tell you how sorry I am that things have been so hard for you. I must say, you seem to be handling it with courage! I don't know where I read it but it goes something like this: courage means feeling the fear and doing the righteous thing anyway.
Incidently, I'm looking forward (not!) to the 5th volume of MY deposition. It's been over a year since they first started them 01/15/04. I can only think that they've thought that I'd just give up. Though the truth probably lies more in the realm of the attornies just getting a lot of milage ($) out of the case. Whatever. I'm not afraid of it anymore. I realized my job is just to tell the truth and to be as sincere as possible. The outcome I will accept as the Will of God. Now, lest you get the wrong impression of me, I'll tell you that sometimes God ordains that "things contrary to (our) wishes should occur". I've grown SOOOOOOO much by staring down my own fears as a result of this! Though it has been a rough ride!!!!!!!!!!
World Citizen
> How very interesting. My stressful period started about mid 90s with increased (ethical) problems at workplace and a whistleblower situation (yours truly) by late 90s. Ended up forced to take a disability retirment under extreme pressure. Filed a civil suit a couple years later but ended up having the court dismiss it last year - about two months before my second round of severe anxiety and depression really exploded (my first round started about a year after I filed the lawsuit and right in the middle of all the depositions, etc.). The actual "trigger" of the current event was a, well, family loss, but I've always felt that there was some delayed reaction to the civil case loss also.
>
> Oh well. I know that for a few months there that everything was fine, what, about 4 months? There's where I want to get back to!
>
>
>
> >
> >
> > Hey Elroy. I forgot to share with you a very important aspect of my mental health program. This is a book by Eckhart Tolle called "The Power of Now". I've just been through the most difficutlt year in my entire life and the information I utilized from this book, in addition to vitamin G, has not only preserved my sanity but has brought me to a level of awareness and emotional/spiritual maturity that I never imagined possible.
> >
> > And another thing... If my posts were sounding progressively morbid that's because I scared myself thinking about my eventual weaning from the benzo. I've got a court thing going on (civil) and have NO intention of even cutting down until THAT is over, which should be in another month or two. Using the information in the book coupled with the power of faith I just talked myself out of a mounting anxiety attack!!!
> > Elroy, it sure is good to know that there is somebody else out there that's trying to deal with this crap!
> >
> > World Citizen
> >
>
>
Posted by world citizen on February 18, 2005, at 23:38:23
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 23:00:40
>
Hey, 2 things come to my mind in response to your post. First, do you have an endocrinologist? It seems to me that the DHEA would help, but if you've got some sort of endocrine condition I think you should consult with them. I believe your anxiety is at LEAST as valid as whatever other conditions you've got going on. I've tried the 7-KETO stuff and it totally wired me up and made it so that when I got hungry I got SERIOUSLY hungry. I mean the CAT FOOD was starting to look good, and it was the DRY stuff!!!
Are you consuming soy products? Soy is VERY estrogenic.
Secondly, I would thoroughly suggest you find a GOOD accupuncurist. Some people think if they can't understand how a thing works that there is no scientific basis to it. Let's put it this way, the State of California allows Acupuncture for certain medical problems. I see mine because of pain. I'm thinking about neuralgia+acupuncture=Elroy feels much better!!!!!! I hope your insurance covers it and I hope you can find a good one (they're like MDs, just because they have a license to practice doesn't mean they were A students!!!) AND I hope you're open to the possibity that this could help. They even have meridian thingies for stress etc. I'll put it this way Elroy, if I get a sufficient amount of money out of this "case" I intend to give my acupuncturist an agreed upon retainer so I can go in and see her whenever I need to and won't have to jump through any Medi-Cal hoops!!!!!AND I just got verification from iHERB they are sending my stuff! YIPPEEEE! (No, I'm not wired up I just tend to be very enthusiastic!)
World Citizen
Just started TMG this last week. Am still building dosages up. Just about to where you are at. Haven't really noticed anything yet. I used samE for a while there and did seem to notice a difference. And then recently read that TMG not only accomplished the same thing but was safer and cheaper. So figure I'll give it a more prolonged try.
>
> My DHEA levels were recently tested and weren't terribly bad. Within a lab reference range of 18.0 to 319.0 mine were at 139.6. Still was less than 50% level. Assuming that they would be better off at the "top third" level, so around 210 to 300 range, I figured that I probably should be supplementing??? I'm just surprised that the level wasn't even lower, what with the high cortisol levels (back in Sept/Oct my cortisol levels were 5 to 6 times the maximum normal range).
>
> Question... do you think that the 7-keto-DHEA version would be just as effective as the regular DHEA? Being on testosterone replacment therapy already (yes, it started back in June along with all of this other business), I would prefer to steer away from the androgenic effects of regular DHEA as I could develop a problem with excessive conversion to estrogen. That would throw my TRT program horribly and terribly out of balance.
>
> http://www.1fast400.com/?ingredients_id=69
>
> I do believe that the cortisol problem - with me - is one of the central keys. I do think that the extreme anxiety initially suffered (in this most recent bout) caused the really high cortisol levels (and not the opposite), but I also believe that the HPA Axis has gotten "stuck" in a broken position and needs to somehow get re-set - otherwise none of the anti0anxiety or AD supps are going to work completely effectively!
>
>
>
>
Posted by world citizen on February 19, 2005, at 2:02:23
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 23:00:40
Elroy I think my computer is getting suspicious!!!(tee-hee:)
(And now back to our lead story where K, I mean World Citizen attempts to facilitate the alleviation of some of Elroys' discomfort. World Citizen is sincere yet slightly impaired due to her old nemesis/friend Atavan)
Elroy I've been clicking keys and pointing cursors till I've come upon some potential alternatives for the DHEA-at least in terms of the neuropathy. By the way is it Diabetic Neuropathy? If it is then both alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine are supposed to be very effective for it. The one site I have for you is lifeextensionvitamins.com.
I usually shy away from getting information from the very place that would like to sell me the item, BUT this seems very thorough and dignified.I find it very interesting, nay even synchronistic that you began taking the TMG just a week ago.
You know when I first moved here to this apartment I was never so scared in my life. I had never lived alone before. I'd raised my 2 sons was trying to finish my 20 year degree. (that would seem to require the entire alphabet to tag along after my name). Actually, I stopped going to school when my sons were 2 and 4, it was clear that they needed me and I needed to be the best mom I could be. Short story stretched out to unimaginable lengths-NO that's not what I was going to say! Long story short (much better) I waited until my pain was under control (THAT'S another thing about DLPA it obliberates chronic pain by doing something horrid to the enzyme that would attempt to neutralize my lovely little endorphins) and my sons had both reached the age of maturity. I deliberately moved to that apartment because it was SOOO close to school, only 4 blocks away. I kept trying and things kept getting weirder. Finally in JUne of 02 I had to quit my job, I didn't know what was wrong I just had a constant sense of forboding. That summer was REALLY hot and I had NO airconditioner (on the 2nd floor I might add!) and all the little mold spores were doing their little microscopic dances in the air. I really thought I was losing my mind. I would wake up gasping like I had apnea or something-NOOOO the Sleep Clinic said I had Night Terrors. Such a gentle was to awaken!!! I started having panic attacks-I felt like there was not enough air anywhere. I had thought all along that my symtoms were actually side-effects of the klonopin I was taking at the time. So this "brilliant" neurologist puts me on Halcion! I went from a long acting benzo to one of the shortest acting ones. This did not improve matters (caution understatement in progress!) as I went through 2 weeks of bezo withdrawal AND having my head F***ed with from the mold (stachybotrys, to be more precise). I ended going over to the park around 3 or 4 am to try to sleep most nights There is a HUGE redwood tree over there and after I'd do my walking around the park in the daytime I would just sit next to the tree and cry, pray and sing. I became familiar to a hawk that lived nearby. I spent so much time over there trying to understand why God was allowing me to lose my mind that I witnessed the hawks young as they fledged. I don't mean to burden you (or whoever else reads this)but I'm going to have to talk about all this at the impending deposition finale. I had to move out in 01/03 because the stuff made me so sick the MD told me to get out. So I did. For the next eight months I stayed with my dearly loved Bahai friends (or theirfamily) I lived in four different locaions during this time. Lost my all-time favorite cat. And then by the Grace of God I found a home in the apartment I'm currently residing-it's been a year and a half!!! The thing is I've finally learned to live alone. I had my sons when I was very young and their dad (Vietnam vet) wasn't there at all for them. I faced the scariest thing in my entire life in the last year. I've had to face my abadonment issues. I've had to let go of erroneous beliefs about who I am and those beliefs weren't too happy about being evicted-they fought back and they're MEAN!!
I'm hoping there is something like World Citizens'life part 2. Where I get to finally get to own my personal power and not be afraid of it.
That's it I just ran out of stuff to say. Lucky YOU!
World Citizen
Posted by world citizen on February 19, 2005, at 12:35:43
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 18, 2005, at 23:00:40
Hey Elroy. I just wanted to make sure you're aware of the existence of DMSO. This stuff is incredible for stopping pain AND SO MUCH MORE!They have some information on it at the Memorial Sloan Cancer Center WWW.mskcc.org. They make reference to it aleviating neuropathic pain. My son just recently bought a gallon of the stuff, I wasn't aware that it could be purchased over the (e)counter. They have it at eVitamins. I'm not aware of the purity, I've emailed them and made this very observation to them. If the stuff is capable of being absorbed right through the skin (not that WE would use it for that purpose!) then I don't feel it's very responsible on their part to omit that crucial bit of information. At any rate, if this seems like something you'd like to try I think the place my son got his sells it in smaller quantities. I'm exceedingly happy with it. I don't find it leaves a garlic taste in my mouth at all!
WC
Posted by Elroy on February 19, 2005, at 14:05:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 18, 2005, at 23:38:23
Yes, I have an endocrinologist but he is concerned only with tracking my cortisol levels to see if I get to the Cushing's state at some point (he doesn't believe so based upon the way the test results have been going). That, and writing scripts for my TRT therapy (AndroGel). If I need other things tested, like DHEA or estrogen levels, I pretty much have to beg him for them as he seems to be clueless as to why I would want those things tested. And this guy works for a major metropolitan clinic. Of course he is prety much a Cushings type of specialist so that may account for a lot of it also.
I'm thinking seriously about giving the 7-keto a try. I have frequent daytime fatigue and lack of motivation (some of which may be getting caused by the Xanax?) and if the 7-keto could counter that, help knock back the cortisol, and have a positive effect on the neuropathy, well, that would be heaven sent! Right now am using Rhodiola Roscea (a Russian herbal), PS, and Relora (magnolia extract) as my primary anti-cortisol compounds, with some limited effectiveness. Actually, right now I have cut out my anti-cortisol supps as I have cortisol level testings with my endo next week and he likes them done "clean" so he has a better idea of what the body is doing "on its own".
No, I have cut my soy consumption out almost completely. I'm sure when we got out to eat I get some soy-based products here and there (since it's in salad dressing and various things), but consumption is very, very minimal. I also take zinc and the product DIIM to keep estrogen conversion under control (my last test results showed estrogen levels to be doing decently).
Haven't really looked into accupuncture as (A) my insurance won't cover it and (B) haven't found one in my NE Ohio area who stood out as being "the real deal". I have experimented some with EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which works on some of the same concepts as accupuncture (energy meridians, etc.).
> >
> Hey, 2 things come to my mind in response to your post. First, do you have an endocrinologist? It seems to me that the DHEA would help, but if you've got some sort of endocrine condition I think you should consult with them. I believe your anxiety is at LEAST as valid as whatever other conditions you've got going on. I've tried the 7-KETO stuff and it totally wired me up and made it so that when I got hungry I got SERIOUSLY hungry. I mean the CAT FOOD was starting to look good, and it was the DRY stuff!!!
> Are you consuming soy products? Soy is VERY estrogenic.
> Secondly, I would thoroughly suggest you find a GOOD accupuncurist. Some people think if they can't understand how a thing works that there is no scientific basis to it. Let's put it this way, the State of California allows Acupuncture for certain medical problems. I see mine because of pain. I'm thinking about neuralgia+acupuncture=Elroy feels much better!!!!!! I hope your insurance covers it and I hope you can find a good one (they're like MDs, just because they have a license to practice doesn't mean they were A students!!!) AND I hope you're open to the possibity that this could help. They even have meridian thingies for stress etc. I'll put it this way Elroy, if I get a sufficient amount of money out of this "case" I intend to give my acupuncturist an agreed upon retainer so I can go in and see her whenever I need to and won't have to jump through any Medi-Cal hoops!!!!!
>
> AND I just got verification from iHERB they are sending my stuff! YIPPEEEE! (No, I'm not wired up I just tend to be very enthusiastic!)
> World Citizen
>
>
> Just started TMG this last week. Am still building dosages up. Just about to where you are at. Haven't really noticed anything yet. I used samE for a while there and did seem to notice a difference. And then recently read that TMG not only accomplished the same thing but was safer and cheaper. So figure I'll give it a more prolonged try.
> >
> > My DHEA levels were recently tested and weren't terribly bad. Within a lab reference range of 18.0 to 319.0 mine were at 139.6. Still was less than 50% level. Assuming that they would be better off at the "top third" level, so around 210 to 300 range, I figured that I probably should be supplementing??? I'm just surprised that the level wasn't even lower, what with the high cortisol levels (back in Sept/Oct my cortisol levels were 5 to 6 times the maximum normal range).
> >
> > Question... do you think that the 7-keto-DHEA version would be just as effective as the regular DHEA? Being on testosterone replacment therapy already (yes, it started back in June along with all of this other business), I would prefer to steer away from the androgenic effects of regular DHEA as I could develop a problem with excessive conversion to estrogen. That would throw my TRT program horribly and terribly out of balance.
> >
> > http://www.1fast400.com/?ingredients_id=69
> >
> > I do believe that the cortisol problem - with me - is one of the central keys. I do think that the extreme anxiety initially suffered (in this most recent bout) caused the really high cortisol levels (and not the opposite), but I also believe that the HPA Axis has gotten "stuck" in a broken position and needs to somehow get re-set - otherwise none of the anti0anxiety or AD supps are going to work completely effectively!
> >
> >
> >
> >
Posted by Elroy on February 19, 2005, at 15:47:33
In reply to Re: Selegiline, posted by world citizen on February 19, 2005, at 2:02:23
No, it's not a diabetic neuropathy. One doctor early last year felt that it was an alcohol related neuropathy, but my current endo disputed that in that I had pretty much quit drinking by 2000 and the symptoms didn't start for a couple years after that. My fasting blood sugars have been on the high side of normal and slightly above normal (105, 107, 117) but also more recently dropped down to the high normal range again. Seems to fluctuate along with the levels of cortisol.
In fact, they're simply not sure exactly what it is. It's very similar to neuropathy as it affects the feet and hands (much much more primarily the feet). But aso doesn't seem to fit the standard profiles for neuropathy.
WebMd says:
#1 A tingling sensation in the toes or in the balls of the feet that eventually spreads up the legs toward the trunk. Less commonly, the sensation may begin in the hands and spread up the arms.
#2 Numbness in the hands and feet that spreads up the arms and legs.
#3 Weakness or heaviness in muscles throughout the body. This may be accompanied by cramping, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.
#4 Sensitive skin that may be painful to the touch. Prickling, burning, tingling, or sharp stabbing sensations may occur spontaneously and usually worsen at night.
#5 A foot-drop walking gait and/or problems with balance or coordination.I have parts of number one - only it was a burning / stinging type of pain accompanied by extreely cold feeling "inside the feet" (note: I had the "extremely cold feet" feeling or the previous two winters when I had my first milder bout with anxiety)... no spreading up the legs towards the torso.
Number two: nothing at all, absolutely no numbness. Either noticeable pain or mild pain.
Number three: no, none of this at all.
Number four: only partly - definitely have the Prickling, burning, tingling sensations, but none of the sensitivity nor does it worsen at night... in fact if any thing it gets slightly better at night and I can sleep okay with it.
Number five: no, noe of that either.
Some info tht I found on DMSO - am still looking for something specifically tying it in to neuropathy...
QUOTE: DMSO, although not approved by the FDA for anything except an unusual bladder condition (interstitial cystitis), is widely used in sports medicine. Professional sports in particular use DMSO to get their athletes recovered from injury and back on the playing field. Each team knows the competition will use it, and this would mean a tremendous advantage for the other team, if it were to be ignored. Combine that with the fact that DMSO is as safe as it is effective (unlike large-dose steroid injections, which were once commonly used in professional sports) and its use becomes mandatory in professional sports medicine. Only medical grade - never industrial grade - should be used on the human body due to the acetone and acid contaminants present in the industrial grade product. END QUOTE
> Elroy I think my computer is getting suspicious!!!(tee-hee:)
>
> (And now back to our lead story where K, I mean World Citizen attempts to facilitate the alleviation of some of Elroys' discomfort. World Citizen is sincere yet slightly impaired due to her old nemesis/friend Atavan)
> Elroy I've been clicking keys and pointing cursors till I've come upon some potential alternatives for the DHEA-at least in terms of the neuropathy. By the way is it Diabetic Neuropathy? If it is then both alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine are supposed to be very effective for it. The one site I have for you is lifeextensionvitamins.com.
> I usually shy away from getting information from the very place that would like to sell me the item, BUT this seems very thorough and dignified.
>
> I find it very interesting, nay even synchronistic that you began taking the TMG just a week ago.
>
> You know when I first moved here to this apartment I was never so scared in my life. I had never lived alone before. I'd raised my 2 sons was trying to finish my 20 year degree. (that would seem to require the entire alphabet to tag along after my name). Actually, I stopped going to school when my sons were 2 and 4, it was clear that they needed me and I needed to be the best mom I could be. Short story stretched out to unimaginable lengths-NO that's not what I was going to say! Long story short (much better) I waited until my pain was under control (THAT'S another thing about DLPA it obliberates chronic pain by doing something horrid to the enzyme that would attempt to neutralize my lovely little endorphins) and my sons had both reached the age of maturity. I deliberately moved to that apartment because it was SOOO close to school, only 4 blocks away. I kept trying and things kept getting weirder. Finally in JUne of 02 I had to quit my job, I didn't know what was wrong I just had a constant sense of forboding. That summer was REALLY hot and I had NO airconditioner (on the 2nd floor I might add!) and all the little mold spores were doing their little microscopic dances in the air. I really thought I was losing my mind. I would wake up gasping like I had apnea or something-NOOOO the Sleep Clinic said I had Night Terrors. Such a gentle was to awaken!!! I started having panic attacks-I felt like there was not enough air anywhere. I had thought all along that my symtoms were actually side-effects of the klonopin I was taking at the time. So this "brilliant" neurologist puts me on Halcion! I went from a long acting benzo to one of the shortest acting ones. This did not improve matters (caution understatement in progress!) as I went through 2 weeks of bezo withdrawal AND having my head F***ed with from the mold (stachybotrys, to be more precise). I ended going over to the park around 3 or 4 am to try to sleep most nights There is a HUGE redwood tree over there and after I'd do my walking around the park in the daytime I would just sit next to the tree and cry, pray and sing. I became familiar to a hawk that lived nearby. I spent so much time over there trying to understand why God was allowing me to lose my mind that I witnessed the hawks young as they fledged. I don't mean to burden you (or whoever else reads this)but I'm going to have to talk about all this at the impending deposition finale. I had to move out in 01/03 because the stuff made me so sick the MD told me to get out. So I did. For the next eight months I stayed with my dearly loved Bahai friends (or theirfamily) I lived in four different locaions during this time. Lost my all-time favorite cat. And then by the Grace of God I found a home in the apartment I'm currently residing-it's been a year and a half!!! The thing is I've finally learned to live alone. I had my sons when I was very young and their dad (Vietnam vet) wasn't there at all for them. I faced the scariest thing in my entire life in the last year. I've had to face my abadonment issues. I've had to let go of erroneous beliefs about who I am and those beliefs weren't too happy about being evicted-they fought back and they're MEAN!!
>
> I'm hoping there is something like World Citizens'life part 2. Where I get to finally get to own my personal power and not be afraid of it.
>
> That's it I just ran out of stuff to say. Lucky YOU!
> World Citizen
>
Posted by world citizen on February 19, 2005, at 17:40:37
In reply to Re: Selegiline » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 19, 2005, at 15:47:33
Sloan-Kettering - About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products: Search ...
... Small scale studies conducted in the early 1980’s suggested DMSO may help to relieve
peripheral neuropathy (1) , post-thoracotomy pain and other non ...
www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/ 11571.cfm?RecordID=560&tab=HC - 81k - Cached - Similar pages
Posted by Elroy on February 21, 2005, at 17:41:43
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 19, 2005, at 17:40:37
Have actually found some tidbits of info here and there was some basic research (as relates to neuropathy and DMSO). A lot of the meds available for treatment therapy are specifically engineered for diabetic neuropathy and often discuss returning sensitivity to the numbed areas... In my case I have no numbness, and if anything simply have very sensitive enrves in the form of the pain!
Anyway....
http://www.colecenter.com/therapies/dmso.shtml
http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/dmso_and_vitamin_b12.htmIn a similar fashion have you heard of Emu Oil in dealing with neuropathy pains with a similar action as DMSO?
http://www.emuoilsource.com/painmanagement.html
Some other info:
http://www.mendosa.com/neuro.htm
QUOTE: Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that Benfotiamine is effective at reducing the pain of diabetic neuropathy, and no side effects or signs of toxicity have emerged. Based on these trials, Benfotiamine has been approved for use as a therapy for neuropathy in Germany for more than a decade. Furthermore, Benfotiamine is not just an pain killer, but actually improves nerve functioning. Free online abstracts of Benfotiamine studies include "Effectiveness of different benfotiamine dosage regimens in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy", "Therapeutic efficacy of 'Milgamma' in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy," and "A benfotiamine-vitamin B combination in treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy." END QUOTE
The benfotiamine sounds very interesting, but I wonder if its treatment mechanism is more inclined towards specifically diabetic neuropathy???
A big question that I have is whether or not the meds / supps / protocols will work on other types of neuropathy.... as mine clearly doesn't seem to be diabetic induced.
Also.....
QUOTE: The Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer's Lyrica pill to treat nerve pain associated with diabetic neuropathy (and shingles). It is the successor to Pfizer's Neurontin, now also available as a generic. Pfizer hasn't set a date for Lyrica's introduction in the United States or a price. Lyrica will compete with Lilly's Cymbalta, which the F.D.A. cleared in September as a treatment for the pain of peripheral neuropathy. This information comes from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/01/business/01pfizer.html?oref=login
END QUOTEThe interesting thing about Lyrica is that it also appears to have some very positive effects related to anxiety and depression also (I have found a number of postings on this site concerning Lyrica).
What I find interesting is that Dr. Braverman ("The Edge Effect") lists peripheral neuropathy as one of the disorders of GABA deficiency. Possibly a reason why meds like Lyrica are effective for that type of pain???
> Sloan-Kettering - About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products: Search ...
> ... Small scale studies conducted in the early 1980’s suggested DMSO may help to relieve
> peripheral neuropathy (1) , post-thoracotomy pain and other non ...
> www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/ 11571.cfm?RecordID=560&tab=HC - 81k - Cached - Similar pages
Posted by world citizen on February 21, 2005, at 21:33:42
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 21, 2005, at 17:41:43
Hey Elroy. I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clear. DMSO is a variation on a theme of MSM,the stuff people take to help their bodies repair itself. I use DMSO for any acute pain I have, with the exception of headache-I'm not sure I want in my hair! I use it when my Fibro gets too bad for the DLPA alone (like when I eat the foods I KNOW I'm senseitive to) and when my neck gets bad (herniated discs-4. It's good if one's knees hurt, lower back etc. I'm pretty sure it can help your neuropathy even if you don't know the origin.
There is a pain med. called Clinoril that it is
ill-advised taking while using DMSO. I don't know why this is or what happens if you combined them.Elroy, the DMSO really does work amazingly well.
World Citizen
Posted by Elroy on February 22, 2005, at 22:36:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 21, 2005, at 21:33:42
Oh no, no problem, I understood about the DMSO clearly. In fact, my Mom is a Shaklee distributer and somewhat of a health nut and used to employ it (back then) with joint pains, etc. I just found it surprising that one retailer was pointing to the possibility of MSM offering some of those same benefits - but without the DMSO "problems".
Personally, I think that it just might be worth a try. Not only alone, but also as a carrier for B1 and B12 vitamins, and maybe bromelain?
Just a thought....
Of course I still want to look into the possibilities of the "cranial electrotherapy stimulation" devices. They supposedly work on not only anxiety, depression, and insomnia, but also on pain....
Wish I could find more "user feedback" on those....
> Hey Elroy. I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clear. DMSO is a variation on a theme of MSM,the stuff people take to help their bodies repair itself. I use DMSO for any acute pain I have, with the exception of headache-I'm not sure I want in my hair! I use it when my Fibro gets too bad for the DLPA alone (like when I eat the foods I KNOW I'm senseitive to) and when my neck gets bad (herniated discs-4. It's good if one's knees hurt, lower back etc. I'm pretty sure it can help your neuropathy even if you don't know the origin.
>
> There is a pain med. called Clinoril that it is
> ill-advised taking while using DMSO. I don't know why this is or what happens if you combined them.
>
> Elroy, the DMSO really does work amazingly well.
> World Citizen
Posted by world citizen on February 22, 2005, at 23:56:27
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 22, 2005, at 22:36:56
Hey Elroy,
I wanted to ask you something. You had mentioned that you'd stopped drinking alcohol in 2000. (congratulations by the way!) My question is did you have much of a problem with it? The reason I ask is because extensive use of alcolhol can deplete the body of certain B vitamins. One of them, or maybe it's folate, if deficient in the body can cause neuropathy.
I mix the DMSO with some organic lotion and use it on my face. Actually, I take a little fresh bee pollen, smash it up in my palm THEN add my DMSO mixture, mix well and apply liberally. It's VERY nourishing to the skin. I can't tell you how many people remarked on the change in my complexion! (I'm thinking that same combination just might be very nourishing to your feet!)
I got the word today the trial date is still on for next month. I thought for sure the "other side" would try to get a bogus continuane. We'll see!
World Citizen
Posted by Elroy on February 23, 2005, at 16:29:51
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 22, 2005, at 23:56:27
Interesting question. Between mid 70s and early 90s would say definitely a heavy social drinker. By mid 90s was cutting back quite a bit and by late 90s was down to mild social drinker. Between 2000 and 2002 I had a very occasional beer or glass of wine. Since 2002... nothing.
That said, I have had one doctor feel that it very well might be alcohol-induced, yet I have had a couple of others say that the onset of this came on so much later - after the cessation of the heavier drinking. I have also been advised that there are really two forms of alcohol-involved PN. One is the type that involved acute alcohol (where the alcohol abuse right at that time is so intense that nerves are literally damaged) and the other type is that type where the abuse is chronic and the nerve damage is more related to on-going malnutrition.
I would point out that during this same time period I was very heavy into working out, weight lifting, and so forth. Also I was big into taking supplements (vitamins, minerals, extra protein, etc.). No, no steroids, ever at any time. Also I watched my weight to a degree as I did some minor level competitive weight lifting and needed to be aware of weight limits. So the point is that I seriously doubt if there was any nutrient malnutrition going on.
Frustratingly, I have my endo indicating to me that this (the PN) is probably directly related to the elevated cortisol, I have info from Cushings support boards that indicate numerous of their members have PN symptoms, and yet I have experts from PN forums telling me that they can't see any way that it could be cortisol related... which then bums me out further that there could be yet something else going on??? It just seems too "coincidental" that ALL of these symptoms (anxiety, hypogonadism, UTI-type symptoms, strong PN type symptoms, and tinnitus) all came on with 2 - 3 weeks of each other and subsequent highly elevated cortisol levels were found. Actually the severe anxiety came on first (June 2004) and then after about week or two was followed by the other symptoms which came out within 2 - 3 weeks of each other.
Now it's like they're feeding off of each other. The high anxiety (even with the Xanax) boosts the tinnitus or maybe another day it's the PN and then the PN is elevated one day and jacks up the anxiety. And in the background is the constant elevated cortisol - which may actually be the "Bad Guy" behind everything.
>
>
> Hey Elroy,
>
> I wanted to ask you something. You had mentioned that you'd stopped drinking alcohol in 2000. (congratulations by the way!) My question is did you have much of a problem with it? The reason I ask is because extensive use of alcolhol can deplete the body of certain B vitamins. One of them, or maybe it's folate, if deficient in the body can cause neuropathy.
>
> I mix the DMSO with some organic lotion and use it on my face. Actually, I take a little fresh bee pollen, smash it up in my palm THEN add my DMSO mixture, mix well and apply liberally. It's VERY nourishing to the skin. I can't tell you how many people remarked on the change in my complexion! (I'm thinking that same combination just might be very nourishing to your feet!)
>
> I got the word today the trial date is still on for next month. I thought for sure the "other side" would try to get a bogus continuane. We'll see!
>
> World Citizen
Posted by world citizen on February 24, 2005, at 0:22:57
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 23, 2005, at 16:29:51
So Elroy, would the 7-Keto be a problem for you? I'm not aware if it can be turned into estrogen in your system. The OTHER thing that accurs to me is thatyou might have been exposed to some sort of toxin-environmental, food additives (by the way, you don't use aspartame, do you? It is very neurotoxic and causes other problems as well!!!) Maybe if you had hair analysis done you might find a culprit. Did you get any tooth fillings during that time frame, mercury is incredibly toxic. It might just be that your cortisol went crazy because of the crap that was going on in your life. Have you considered therapy so you might process this stuff and perhaps come up with ways of relaxing and letting go so as to reduce your cortisol? I'm just asking, I have not a clue.
World Citizen
Posted by Elroy on February 24, 2005, at 19:02:56
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 24, 2005, at 0:22:57
No, I don't believe that 7-KETO would be a problem (specifically that version of DHEA). In fact, it is on my definite "To Try" list. Especially since it also has a known anti-cortisol effect.
As to aspartame, in my efforts to stay away from sugar, I used to consume that occasionally. Very little however as I just haven't been much into sweets (diet food style or otherwise). I have since replaced it with (mainly) stevia and occasionally sucralose....
As to: "It might just be that your cortisol went crazy because of the crap that was going on in your life."
I think that is a very likely scenario. I think that I had slightly elevated cortisol for several years (let's say 1996 - 1999), with a "bump up" then from 2000 - 2002. There was some on-going therapy between July 2002 and early Feb 2004 (which I think caused the cortisol to plaeau off if not recede slightly... but overall, I think that the HP Axis was already "mostly broken" and just waiting for the right trigger). The therapy (and Ambien) was stopped as I "was better" (in fact was feeling greater than I had in years). Then in June of 2004 there was then a family loss situation that provided that trigger and there was suddenly a huge amount of anxiety. That was then soon followed by hypogonadism, strong peripheral neuropathy symptoms, strong UTI type symptoms, and tinnitus... with the first starting within about 2 weeks of the anxiety onset and all of them surfacing within about 2 - 3 weeks of each other! So I think that in one sense the chronic anxiety stressed (over-stressed) the HPA Axis which resulted in chronic high levels of cortisol. The chronic high levels of cortisol enhanced the anxiety and the very severe anxiety "broke" the HPA Axis, causing a steady flood of excessive cortisol which - along with the anxiety - caused the rapid onset of the various physical disorders.
As to: "Have you considered therapy so you might process this stuff and perhaps come up with ways of relaxing and letting go so as to reduce your cortisol?"....
Yes.
First response (after the PCP visits with a Kouple of Klowns) was with endos - as I knew that there was something going on wrong "inside". That's when the super low Test and the super high cortisol was found.
Then I fired things back up with the Psych Doc as the anxiety levels were just continuing to escalate - and I knew that whereas that first time I got away with no meds (other than herbal SJW), that this time around the anxiety was so severe that meds were going to be needed. Plus I later found out that Xanax has been shown to be quite beneficial for several types of tinnitus.
But hands-on therapy is now the next stage coming up. I am starting things back up with my prior therapist in a couple of weeks. Plus I found out that she is now advanced trained in that EMDR technology so she's going to incorporate that therapy.
See: http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=4144
I am also considering adding in the Redirecting Self Therapy into the mix.
See: http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=4083
Finally, I believe that the brain neurotransmitters are completely out of balance and that some need boosting (see Dr. Braverman's book, "The Edge Effect"), so I am going to simultaneously address those particulars with specific nutrients and the use of a CES device.
Oh... and on top of all of that, I'm going to address the cortisol levels directly by escalting use of anti-cortisol supps - and maybe trying to actually talk my endo into doing the short-term RU486 therapy for stopping cortisol and re-setting the HPA Axis.
Anxieties and depressions that do not respond effectively to early efforts to correct brain neurotransmiiters are - IMHO - very likely to be a result of a broken HPA Axis... especially, I believe, in scenarios where anxiety started first and depression came in later. Anyway, the system cannot completely turn off the Fight Or Flight Mechanism so until the HPA Axis gets "re-set", the meds don't work, or do for a while and then stop working, and the various therapy approaches either don't work, or work very, very slowly.
Anyway, there has been some interesting research done into the use of RU486 for treating severe depression (and would work similarly IMO in cases of anxiety, etc. that were related to elevated cortisol - which we KNOW exists in my case).
See:
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/psychotic.asp (this is my type of depression... active, anxious, agitated)
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p040592.html
http://www2.eclinicalpsychiatrynews.com/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=full&id=aqc04032616
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nnp/research/publication/18411
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2000/november8/ru486-1108.html
http://www.wctv6.com/news/features/1/326156.html
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/psychotic_ru486.asp
>
> So Elroy, would the 7-Keto be a problem for you? I'm not aware if it can be turned into estrogen in your system. The OTHER thing that accurs to me is thatyou might have been exposed to some sort of toxin-environmental, food additives (by the way, you don't use aspartame, do you? It is very neurotoxic and causes other problems as well!!!) Maybe if you had hair analysis done you might find a culprit. Did you get any tooth fillings during that time frame, mercury is incredibly toxic. It might just be that your cortisol went crazy because of the crap that was going on in your life. Have you considered therapy so you might process this stuff and perhaps come up with ways of relaxing and letting go so as to reduce your cortisol? I'm just asking, I have not a clue.
> World Citizen
Posted by world citizen on February 24, 2005, at 20:29:10
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 24, 2005, at 19:02:56
Hey Elroy,
I don't know if you've heard of Dr. John Lee or not I've got several of his books. He addresses male hormone issues as well as female, here is his site;
www.johnleemd.comI'm VERY happy to hear you're going to continue the therapy, sometimes we need to have our issues heard so we can process them!
World Citizen!
Posted by world citizen on February 25, 2005, at 23:40:18
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site » world citizen, posted by Elroy on February 24, 2005, at 19:02:56
Elroy, have you ever heard of tribulus?
I don't have a specific site for you. But I looked it up on the internet after being reminded by a friend. This stuff is for guys. It reduces CORTISOL and reduces DEPRESSION. This stuff is for real!! My son took it and had very good results, he's the one that reminded me of it's efficacy. He recommended a specific brand-I cant' remember at the moment but will consult with him further over the weekend and get back to you.
I hope all is well!
World Citizen!
Posted by Elroy on February 27, 2005, at 18:43:41
In reply to Re: Selegiline here's the DMSO site, posted by world citizen on February 25, 2005, at 23:40:18
Yes, have heard of it and tried it. Did nothing for me. The extremely elevated cortisol basically shut down the sex hormone production and required a full-fledged testosterone replacement therapy. The TRT uses AndroGel where a bioidentical form of testosterone is used. It becomes an expensive pharmaceutical substance NOT becuse of the testosterone... since it's bio-identical, the Pharma cannot patent the testosterone so it has to devise and patent the DELIVERY mechanism... and then charge the consumer an ungodly amount of money. With my insurance coverage and buying 90-day lots in advance, it ends up costing (co-pay) me less than what the comparable amount of tribulus would - and in my circumstances, the tribulus wouldn't work anyway!
P.S. Have also read some recent stuff that DHEA (incl 7-KETO version) doesn't really reduce elevated cortisol levels, but that it simply increases DHEA levels which modifies the DHEA/cortisol ratio os as to make cortisol levels seem lesser only in comparison to DHEA levels. Not a bad thing, in fact is a good thing, but not what I need right now. My DHEA levels aren't in the top 20% but they aren't low either. I have a bigger concern to get the cortisol levels down - permanently - into normal ranges....
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