Fibromyalgia - Causative Factors & Possible Solutions

Several authoritative sources of information regarding Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue along with their natural therapies.

Date:   10/13/2009 3:17:34 AM   ( 15 y ) ... viewed 3991 times

August 31, 2020 - "Can Viruses Cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?" -

"New research links chronic fatigue syndrome and some forms of cancer to a new AIDS-like virus.

A study published recently in the journal Science 1 suggests that a virus that has already been linked to some forms of cancer2 might be the underlying cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. The study reported that many patients who have the syndrome are infected with a recently discovered virus.

Chronic fatigue syndrome has long been a medical mystery and the subject of debate, sometimes bitter, among doctors, researchers, and patients. It affects at least one million Americans, causing extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, and other symptoms. Its cause is unknown, symptoms can last for years, and there is no effective treatment. Researchers disagree about whether it is one disease or a collection of symptoms that may have different causes in different patients. It has sometimes been stigmatized as more mental than physical, with patients labeled neurotic, depressed or hypochondriacal. Many patients find even the name of the disorder ('syndrome') offensive, a not-so-subtle hint that it is not a real disease.

But the new study is not conclusive, and a great deal of work remains to be done to find out whether the new virus really does play a role. Just detecting it in patients does not prove it is what made them sick; people with the syndrome may have some other underlying problem that makes them susceptible to the virus, which could be just a passenger in their cells.

Even so, thousands of patients have already contacted scientists, asking to be tested, said Dr. Judy Mikovits, the first author of the study and the research director at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, a research center created by the parents of a woman who has the syndrome. Dr. Mikovits said she expected a test to become available 'within weeks.'

The new suspect is a xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus, or XMRV, which probably descended from a group of viruses that cause cancer in mice. How or when XMRV found its way into humans is unknown. But it has also been linked to cancer in people: it was first identified a few years ago, in prostate cancer, and later detected in about one-quarter of biopsies from men with that disease (and in only 6 percent of benign biopsies). It is a retrovirus, from the same notorious family that causes AIDS and leukemia in people.

Dr. Mikovits and researchers from the National Cancer Institute and Cleveland Clinic reported in Science that 68 of 101 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, or 67 percent, were infected with XMRV, compared with only 3.7 percent of 218 healthy control subjects. Further testing after the paper was written found the virus in nearly 98 percent of about 300 patients with the syndrome, Dr. Mikovits said.

She said she believed that the virus would eventually be found in every patient with chronic fatigue syndrome. XMRV affects the immune system, can probably cause a variety of illnesses, and may join forces with other viruses to bring on the syndrome, she said.

Dr. William C. Reeves, who directs public health research on the syndrome at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called the research exciting but preliminary. 'We and others are looking at our own specimens and trying to confirm it,' he said. He noted that there had been earlier studies suggesting an infectious involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome, including a study in the 1990s linking the syndrome to another retrovirus.3 Most likely, the syndrome is not caused by any one particular virus but any number of similar organisms. This may explain why the same virus is not found in all chronic fatigue patients.

Frustration with the lack of answers over the years has led Annette and Harvey Whittemore, whose 31-year-old daughter has had the syndrome for 20 years, to spend several million dollars to set up a research institute at the University of Nevada in Reno in 2004, and to hire Dr. Mikovits to direct it.

Mrs. Whittemore said she had long believed that the syndrome was an infectious disease, but that scientists had rejected the idea. She finally decided, she said, 'If there was a place of our own where we could find the answers, we could do it more quickly.'

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said that the notion of a lingering viral infection was plausible. He said that although some patients claiming to have the syndrome seemed more likely to have a psychological problem, others seemed to have a physical illness.

'There is a group who are young, healthy, active, and engaged, and all of a sudden they are laid low by something,' Dr. Schaffner said. 'Everyone tells the physicians these are people who are functional and productive, and this is totally out of character. They are frustrated and often quite disheartened. You feel that medical science hasn't caught up with their illness yet.'

The National Cancer Institute is taking XMRV very seriously, said Dr. Stuart Le Grice, head of its Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Cancer Virology. He said health officials became especially concerned last spring when several research teams looking at prostate cancer reported finding XMRV in 3 percent to 4 percent of blood samples from healthy people in control groups. That could translate into 10 million Americans being infected with a newly discovered, poorly understood retrovirus that has already been linked to two diseases.

'Any virus at that level is obviously a cause for concern,' Dr. Le Grice said, adding that it was important to find out if the virus was associated with any more diseases, and how closely.

He said that just carrying the virus did not necessarily mean a person was at high risk for disease, noting that people may harbor other viruses that will never harm them. The immune system probably keeps the viruses in check.

But he asked, 'If it is a problem, how well can we diagnose it and how well can we treat it?' Even though antiretroviral drugs have already been developed to treat HIV infection, he said this virus was different and might need its own line of drugs. He said more studies were needed to find out how common the virus is and how it is being transmitted.

The new findings have intrigued scientists and are seen as vindication by some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and inspired in them hope for a treatment. 'I just feel like the whole future has changed for us,' said Anne Ursu, 36, a writer living in Cleveland who has the syndrome.

While medical treatments may take time to develop, those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome do not have to wait: they can start battling this disease right now, today. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are known to kill retroviruses similar to HIV and XMRV. Many chronic fatigue sufferers have reported positive results by adding coconut oil into their diets. An added benefit with the coconut oil is that it also boosts energy levels, giving chronic fatigue sufferers a much-needed energy lift.

Unlike most medications, coconut oil doesn't have any harmful side effects and may do a lot of good. For those who want to learn more about treating infectious illnesses with coconut oil, I recommend The New Arthritis Cure: Eliminate Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Pain Permanently. Although this book focuses on arthritis and fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia is commonly associated with chronic fatigue and the techniques in this book are just as valuable to chronic fatigue sufferers.

In addition, coconut oil has shown to possess potent anticancer properties. This feature along with the fact that it can kill cancer-causing viruses makes it a potentially valuable preventative treatment against XMRV-induced prostate cancer."[56]*

References:

1. Lombardi, V.C., et al. Detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Science 2009;326:585-589.

2. Kean, S. Virology. Chronic fatigue and prostate cancer: a retroviral connection? Science 2009;326:215.

3. DeFreitas, E., et al. Retroviral sequences relate to human T-lymphotropic virus type II in patients with chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991;88:2922-2926.

This article, in part, is adapted from The New York Times, "Is a Virus the Cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?" by Denise Grady.
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August 10, 2020 - "The New Arthritis Cure" - Also For Fibromyalgia -

"I have had chronic pain for 10 years," says Barbara Moody of Redmond, Washington. "Because of the pain I had to end my career as a firefighter." She also was an avid rock climber and runner, but had to give those up too. Barbara suffered from severe arthritis in her knees and back with accompanying nerve involvement in her feet. Walking summoned pain with every step. Over the years she endured four back surgeries and a spinal fusion. Despite medications and surgeries, her condition continued to worsen. Doctors recommended a fifth surgery and second fusion.

Conventional treatments for arthritis rely on drugs and surgery to calm inflammation and deaden pain. Doctors have yet to fully understand what causes arthritis. Treatment consists of trying to ease symptoms. This approach may help reduce the pain and discomfort temporarily but does nothing to stop the progression of the disease.

Although arthritis can occur at almost any age, the risk of developing this degenerative disease increases as we get older. Many doctors consider it an unavoidable part of the aging process. They give their patients pain killers and tell them to "learn to live with it."

Over the years many theories have been proposed as to the cause of arthritis, including food allergies, genetics, trauma, and infection. Scientists are now coming to the opinion that many cases of arthritis, if not all, occur in individuals who have an "arthritis gene." This gene is triggered by an infection, such as the flu, a urinary tract infection, candidiasis, or even an abscessed tooth. However, many people who don't have the so-called "arthritis gene" still develop arthritis, and many that do have the gene never develop arthritis. Why is this? Scientists don't have a clue, but they do recognize the importance of an infection initiating the process.

As evidence mounts it is becoming evident that arthritis occurs as a consequence of infection, regardless of genetic susceptibility. Researchers have identified numerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi with the various forms of arthritis.1-4

Lyme disease is a good example of arthritis developing from an infection. Lyme disease is caused by a bite from a deer tick that carries the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. If the bacteria happen to invade joint tissue, arthritis develops. Even after the systemic disease is gone, arthritis can remain indefinitely as a chronic condition.

Food poisoning has often been associated with the onset of chronic arthritis. The bacterium salmonella is a known troublemaker.5 In one notable instance in 2005, at least 592 individuals in Ontario, Canada developed acute gastroenteritis after consuming bean sprouts contaminated with salmonella. Approximately 46 percent of the victims afterwards developed chronic reactive arthritis.

Many of the organisms that are known to attack the joints are normal inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract such as salmonella, E. coli, and Proteus mirabilis. Proteus is also the most frequent cause of urinary tract infections, accounting for more than 80 percent of these infections. In one study, for instance, out of 76 rheumatoid arthritis patients, 33 percent showed evidence of Proteus or E. coli infection in the urinary tract. In 48 controls without arthritis, only 4 percent were infected.6

Another inhabitant of the intestinal tract that is known to cause joint trouble is Candida albicans. If researchers want to study the effects of osteoarthritis in animals, they can induce the disease by injecting Candida into the bloodstream. Osteoarthritis develops within days.7 Candida or yeast infections are very common. Many people are plagued by chronic Candida overgrowth. Women are the ones most troubled by Candida infections; likewise, they are the ones most affected by osteoarthritis.

Vaccinations are another source of infection that can affect the joints. Vaccines are preparations which consist of dead or weakened infectious microorganisms. They are injected into the bloodstream to stimulate a person's immune system to produce antibodies that can fight off the disease. Unfortunately, vaccines can also cause the diseases they are meant to protect against. These infections are often low-grade and mistaken for the flu or some other malady and mostly ignored. There are numerous case reports of people developing arthritis soon after receiving vaccinations.8-10

Perhaps the most deceptive cause of arthritis is from infected teeth and gums. It is deceptive because so many people have oral infections without knowing it and don't realize to what extent oral infections can influence the health of the entire body. Although pain is a good indication of an infection, infections are not always accompanied by pain or any noticeable symptoms. Teeth that are sensitive to heat or cold, gums that bleed easily, teeth that are discolored, chronic bad breath, receding gums, red (inflamed) gums, and root canalled teeth all indicate the presence of an active infection and potential for involvement in the joints. Infection in the teeth and gums can easily filter into the bloodstream and cause secondary infections elsewhere in the body, such as the joints.11 In fact, researchers familiar with the connection between oral health and arthritis state that the vast majority of arthritis cases are caused by dental infections.12

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to suggest a microbial cause to most forms of arthritis. Whether other factors influence the initiation of the disease, such as genetics or allergies, doesn't matter. The fact is that microorganisms initiate and perpetuate the disease.

If microorganisms are involved, you might think antibiotics would be an easy solution to the problem. While antibiotics can help with the systemic infections, they often have little effect on the joints. One of the reasons for this is that joints do not have a blood supply like other organs. Our joints are encased in a tough protective membrane. Blood cannot pass through this membrane, but bacteria can. Consequently, joints make good hiding places for them.

Without circulating blood, white blood cells and antibiotics are less effective in fighting off invasion. If the infection is caused by a virus or fungus, antibiotics are completely useless. Chronic infection in the joints can cause arthritis during or immediately after an illness, or it may not show up for months or years. Infections can flare up whenever the body is put under stress. Therefore, people with no apparent symptoms or who have only a mild case of arthritis can go along fine without problem and then suddenly be hit with an attack of arthritis. The pain can be set off by anything that stresses the body, such as poor diet, allergies, illness, excessive physical or emotional trauma, exposure to toxins, and even aging.

If antibiotics are of little value in combating the arthritic infections, what can be done? Knowing what causes arthritis provides a key to understanding the cure. My newest book The New Arthritis Cure: Eliminate Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Pain Permanently outlines several important steps you must take to overcome this crippling disease, stop the pain, and restore flexibility and motion.

The first step is to strengthen your immune system so it can more effectively fight off chronic infection. The primary way to do this is by dietary modification. In fact, a poor diet is a major contributing factor to the development of arthritis. A lack of good nutrition depresses immune function, allowing infection to spread and migrate into joint tissues. A diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, organic meat, eggs, and dairy and the reduction or elimination of overly processed foods is a must. Sweets and refined carbohydrates are the worst offenders. They contain little nutritional value, deplete essential nutrients during metabolism, and feed oral and intestinal microorganisms that cause most of the trouble.

The second step is to actively fight the infection within the body and the joints. Antibiotics have only a limited ability. They cannot fight viruses, fungi, or drug resistant bacteria. However, there is a natural product that can. That product is coconut oil. Coconut oil is composed predominately of a unique group of fat molecules known as medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids possess potent antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activity. Taking 2-4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily, with meals, can help rid your body of chronic infection.

The third step is to address your oral health. Since the vast majority of arthritis cases involve oral infections, this is an essential step. If you have any known dental issues you need to get them taken care of. Regular tooth brushing, flossing, and the use of mouthwash are not enough to remove infection and keep it out. Many people with good oral hygiene habits still get infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 90 percent of the population has some level of tooth decay. So apparently these methods aren't working. What does work is a process called oil pulling. Oil pulling is basically rinsing your mouth with vegetable oil, much like you would a mouthwash. However, in this case you would rinse your mouth for 15-20 minutes at a time at least once daily, before breakfast. After breakfast you would brush your teeth as usual. The oil attracts and collects the microorganisms in your mouth along with toxins, mucus, and pus. After swishing the oil in your mouth for the allotted time, spit it out, then rinse your mouth with water. Your mouth will feel clean and refreshed. There are other steps described in the book, but these are the most crucial.

Barbara, who was mentioned at the beginning of this article, followed these steps. "Here are the results I have noticed so far," she says after only four weeks. "Reversed documented nerve impingement and foot drop. Reversed documented osteoarthritis of my spine and knees. Avoided my fifth spine surgery and threatened second fusion. Restored my ability to exercise. I am able to walk down a flight of stairs without pain, limping, or gimping. I can also walk two miles without knee pain!...My prior problems were well documented with MRI and PET scans that showed nerve impingement, lack of ankle reflex and foot drop (inability to heel walk), inability to resist downward pressure on my great toe and foot. Then only four weeks later, I had a perfectly normal EMG; I could kneel walk; and I had a normal ankle reflex and good toe, foot, and ankle strength. The fact that this was so well documented, my doctors were completely amazed and interested. The doctor who did my EMG wanted the name of your book as did my surgeon." A diagnosis of arthritis is not a life sentence. There now is a cure for arthritis.

The same is true for those with fibromyalgia. Although fibromyalgia is not a form of arthritis, it has a similar origin and those with this condition respond well to the protocol outlined in the book.
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References

1. Toivanen, A. Alphaviruses: an emerging cause of arthritis? Curr Opin Rheumatol 2008;20:486-490.

2. Kobayashi, S., et al. Molecular aspects of rheumatoid arthritis: role of environmental factors. FEBS J 2008;275:4456-4462.

3. Amital, H., et al. Role of infectious agents in systemic rheumatic diseases. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2008;26:S27-S32.

4. Kozireva, S.V., et al. Incidence and clinical significance of parvovirus B19 infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2008;35:1265-1270.

5. Rohekar, S., et al. Symptomatic acute reactive arthritis after an outbreak of salmonella. J Rheumatol 2008;35:1599-1602.

6. Senior, B.W., et al. Evidence that patients with rheumatoid arthritis have asymptomatic 'non-significant' Proteus mirabilis bacteriuria more frequently than healthy controls. J Infect 1999;38:99-106.

7. Amanai, T., et al. Micro-CT analysis of experimental Candida osteoarthritis in rats. Mycopathologia 2008;166:133-141.

8. Benjamin, C.M., et al. Joint and limb symptoms in children after immunisation with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. British Medical Journal 1992;304:1075-1078.

9. Mitchell, L.A., et al. Chronic rubella vaccine-associated arthropathy. Archives of Internal Medicine 1993;153:2268-2274.

10. Nussinovitch, M., et al Arthritis after mumps and measles vaccination. Arch Dis Child 1995;72:348-349.

11. Liao, F., et al. Porphyromonasgingivalis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis-associated rheumatoid arthritis. Med Hypotheses 2009;72:732-735.

12. Fife, B. Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing. Colorado Springs, CO: Piccadilly Books, Ltd., 2008.[55]
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July 1, 2020 - Dr. Carolyn Dean -

"... In 2010 I wrote an article titled, 'Why I Hate Calcium'.

That article was written because people, especially women, were being led to believe that taking lots and lots of calcium was necessary to keep their bones from crumbling away.

It also shed light on the fact that magnesium is the 'dynamo' behind calcium – both are equally important for bones and many key processes in the body.

At that time, I was also recommending highly bioavailable sources of calcium (eg. food-based), as opposed to most common calcium supplements which are not as well absorbed, leaving unassimilated calcium to build up in the body causing heart disease, kidney stones, gallstones, heel spurs and fibromyalgia.

The growing popularity of today's plant-based and dairy-free diets means that people are getting less calcium.

Even the plant-based folks are not eating enough leafy green vegetables to meet their calcium requirements. Some people are turning to bone broth ..."[54]
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October 27, 2019 -

"Multiple research studies have shown that users (of far infrared heat) have a significant reduction in pain from many varying conditions ranging from chronic back pain and sore muscles, to fibromyalgia and even the pain associated with the blood disease sickle cell anemia. A Japanese study found that patients suffering from fibromyalgia, a debilitating condition characterized by sleep disturbance and widespread pain, experienced a staggering 78% reduction in their pain after 10 sessions, and a 50% reduction after only one session."[53]
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April 8, 2019 - “Natural Fibromyalgia Choices: Find the Cause and Heal the Symptoms” -

Jane Oelke, ND just released her brand-new Lifestyle Prescriptions® Health Coaching-based book “Natural Fibromyalgia Choices: Find the Cause and Heal the Symptoms”.

Natural Fibromyalgia Choices guides you with innovative quizzes and questions to help you understand the cause of your fibromyalgia pain.
...

This book delivers hope to people with fibromyalgia showing effective ways to be free of this chronic hypersensitivity reaction.

Discover how to reduce nervous system stress that is making your muscles cry out in pain. You will gain better health through awareness with these activities:

Recognize physical, emotional, and social stress triggers.
Complete fibromyalgia pain quizzes to discover your cause of pain.
Discover about how emotions, beliefs, and values affect pain intensity.
See how thyroid and adrenal imbalances affect pain.
Understand how toxins and microbes affect organ tissues.
Learn to measure your levels of acidity to balance your metabolism.
Find out how antioxidants and minerals help balance free radicals to reduce pain.
Realize how homeopathic remedies and energy medicine relieve pain.
Read many practical recommendations to improve energy and metabolism.
Natural Fibromyalgia Choices incorporates Lifestyle Prescriptions® Health Coaching to understand the root cause of your symptoms, and assists you with techniques to make positive progress to a better life.

“Fibromyalgia can be healed, that’s the empowering message of this excellent book. Understanding your body’s healing intelligence, finding the 6 root-causes and healing one organ tissue symptom after the other makes Jane’s approach so powerful.”
Johannes R. Fisslinger, Foundation Lifestyle Prescriptions University.[52]
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Comment:
Lifestyle Prescriptions® is a synthesis of several healing modalities that include the "Biological Laws" discovered by Dr. Hamer (that formed the basis of German New Medicine). By identifying the emotional shock/s that occurred prior to the onset of the symptoms and discovering the conflicted beliefs beneath the emotions one can begin to understand the root-cause of the disease known as Fibromyalgia.
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July 29, 2018 - Loss of Life Direction & Chronic Fatigue -

"... If the adrenals are shut down, what is the question to ask the patient? The question is – What is your direction in life? In many cases of CFS, the individual feels lost, feels separated from the flock, is the black sheep in the family, doesn’t feel part of any group. Such an individual has lost their direction in life. This is the best question to ask someone who is chronically tired – What are you doing tomorrow? If they say that just thinking about tomorrow makes them feel tired, that means they think there is no future for them ..."[47]
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I wonder whether there are more incidences of CFS with individuals who do not have a Defined Self Center in the Human Design as this is the center for Direction!
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December 12, 2018 - H2O2 vs Candida-Causing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -

"... In the large intestine, acidophilus lactobacillus produces H2O2 which keeps the ubiquitous candida yeast from multiplying out of control. When candida spreads out of the intestine, it escapes the natural control system and can gain a foothold in the organs of the body, causing what is called chronic fatigue syndrome."[50]
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August 23, 2018 - Fibromyalgia and CFS – the Real Story - By: Dr. Carolyn Dean -

(With) Fibromyalgia or CFS, one of the most frustrating things is not being able to get doctors to recognize that you have it. Your symptoms are often dismissed as psychosomatic and brushed aside with a prescription for antidepressants, or they are misdiagnosed as other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and lupus.

The list of symptoms and conditions related to FM and CFS is long and can be overwhelming to the mind, adding to the chronic stress and suffering.

Here are just a few of the topics we discussed in a 2017 webinar, "Fibromyalgia and CFS – the Real Story":

- What causes these conditions
- How they are misdiagnosed
- The role of nutrient deficiencies

This webinar will leave you with a clear picture of how to arm your immune system with the right foods, nutrients, and minerals to maintain the healthy operation of your body.

This 1-hour webinar is loaded with information on the root causes of these conditions. We covered the importance of minerals and maintaining a healthy immune system, as well as balancing yeast levels in the body. Audience members submitted some excellent questions and Ginney and I managed to answer most of them.

Here is the link to the webinar recording which is posted on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDAjQFPiAIs

Even if you were in attendance, you'll probably want to watch the presentation again, because there is a lot of detailed, scientific information which should give you the language to better consult with your physician if you're seeking treatment for Fibromyalgia or CFS.

Make sure you watch to the end so you don't miss any important details, and you get the bonus gift link.

Aloha,

Dr. Carolyn Dean
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June 30, 2018 - Caffeine in Beverages & Chronic Fatigue -

"... Caffeine and its related substance theobromine (from tea and cocoa) are like sugar in their effects on the body. They stimulate the adrenal glands to release an adrenaline-like substance, which in turn causes the liver to release sugar into the blood stream. This is what gives you the 'lift' when you drink coffee, tea or caffeinated soft drinks. The problem is that the delicate blood-sugar-regulation mechanism cannot long tolerate the constant stimulation of habitual caffeine ingestion. Often the blood sugar lowering mechanisms overreact, causing low blood sugar and its concomitant complaints of chronic fatigue, dizziness, depression, allergies and behavioral disorders. Caffeine-containing drinks irritate the lining of the stomach and cause an increase in stomach acid. They affect the nervous system, leading to insomnia and restlessness. Prolonged use of caffeine can contribute to any one of a number of serious diseases, such as cancer, bone loss, mental disorders and birth defects. Caffeine's effects on the nervous system are most pronounced in children—yet cola drinks have become standard fare for our youth. It has been said that if coffee were introduced as a new drug today, it would not receive FDA approval. It is best to avoid all sources of caffeine and related substances—not just colas but also coffee and tea, decongestants, pep pills, aspirin, diuretics and—we're sorry to say—chocolate."[46]
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My friend whom I had in mind when I first started this blog who has Fibromyalgia (and who has "complaints of chronic fatigue") apparently suffers from "the constant stimulation of habitual caffeine ingestion" by "prolonged use of caffeine" via regularly drinking coffee and eating chocolate.
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July 1, 2018 - "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" -

Ever the optimist, I saw the title of a Medscape article “A Revised Approach for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” as a possible breakthrough in the treatment of this condition. After all, allopathic medicine does need a different approach than the drugs that form the basis of current treatment.

But once again I was disappointed because right off the bat the doctor said there is no cure but doctors should try to improve patients’ symptoms and quality of life with individualized treatment. CFS affects people differently so there is no standardized treatment for this condition; there will never be one cause of CFS and one drug that “cures” it. Individualized treatment means you line up a patient’s symptoms and apply a drug to each one. It’s a very unsuccessful treatment approach since it leads to more toxicity and nutrient deficiencies in these patients.

Here is an excerpt from my Magnesium Miracle (2017) outlining the way I treat CFS and Fibromyalgia with much greater success.

Treatment For Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia

Diet and supplements should focus on building the immune system and the digestive system. In my experience, addressing yeast overgrowth and magnesium deficiency can result in overall improvement of about 70–80 percent in CFS and fibromyalgia. Further improvement comes from treating low thyroid, weakened adrenals, estrogen dominance, and heavy metal toxicity. For these conditions I recommend my ReMag, ReMyte and ReAline formulas.

Supplements For Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia

* ReMag: With picometer, stabilized-ionic, non-laxative magnesium you can reach therapeutic amounts. Start with ¼ tsp (75 mg) and work up to 2-3 tsp (300-900 mg) per day. Add ReMag to a liter of water and sip all day to achieve full absorption. See Chapter 18 for more advice about magnesium supplementation.

* ReMag Spray – Transfer to a spray bottle – 8 sprays = 20 drops = 1 ml. Each drop contains 2.5 mg of stabilized ionic magnesium, so 8 sprays = 20 mg.

*ReMyte: Picometer, 12-Mineral Solution: ½ tsp three times a day or in a liter of water with ReMag and sipped through the day.

* ReCalcia: Picometer, stabilized ionic calcium, boron, vanadium. 1-2 tsp per day (1 tsp (300 mg calcium). Or get your daily 600 mg of calcium from dietary sources and/or bone broth or half from diet and half from ReCalcia. See Resources for more on ReCalcia, Appendix B for calcium food lists, and Appendix C for bone broth recipe.

* B Complex Plus – ReAline: 1 capsule twice per day (Contains: Food-based B1, 4 Methylated Bs: B2, B6, Methylfolate, B12, plus L-Methionine (precursor to glutathione) and L-Taurine, which supports the heart and weight loss).

* Vitamin C Complex: 200 mg 2x/da from a food-based source or make your own Liposomal Vitamin C. (See Appendix D for Liposomal Vitamin C Recipe.) And Ascorbic acid: 1,000 mg 2x/da.

* Vitamin D3: 1,000 IU or 20 minutes in the sun daily. Blue Ice Royal provides vitamin A, D, K2 from fermented cod liver oil and butter oil. Dosage: 1 capsule 2x/da.

Learn more by visiting my website http://www.drcarolyndean.com and subscribe to my health tips by email.[46]

Carolyn Dean MD ND -
The Doctor of the Future®
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March 5, 2018 -

"If you are battling a condition such as ... fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or MS, it is vitally important that you keep yourself as hydrated as possible."[35]

I also am thinking of the book: "Your Body's Many Cries For Water":
"Chronic dehydration is the root cause of almost all currently encountered major diseases of the human body."[36]

Special notes: If you drink coffee (even if its "organic" and made with pure mountain spring water) you'll need additional water to compensate for the water that gets pulled out-of-service within the body in order to neutralize the impact of the coffee.

When you wake up after "8 hours" of sleep your body is dehydrated from not having any water during that time while the body's need for water continued. Therefor first thing you need to do is hydrate with at least a couple glasses of water plus sea salt (drinking up to about 8 ounces at a time). You can also add lemon juice to this water.

The 'Good Doctor' Batmanghelidj, M.D. says:
"I have seen water completely reverse conditions such as: Asthma. Angina. Hypertension. Migraine headaches. Arthritis pain. Back pain. Colitis pain and chronic constipation. Heartburn and hiatal hernia."[37]
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October 28, 2017 - Magnesium Supplementation – Boosting Your Brain Power -

In the first hour of the most recent recording of "the Dr. Carolyn Dean Live radio show" at 4:42: Dr. Carolyn addresses "Concerns about people with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue giving up and feeling their condition is incurable because nothing has worked for them before and they don't want to try anything new."[26]

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October 9, 2017 - Dr. Carolyn Dean

"Last week, Ginney and I hosted a webinar where we exposed the root causes of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The webinar had a great turnout ...

We put this webinar together for anyone who has been affected by these conditions or simply wants to avoid ever experiencing the pain, exhaustion and confusion of Fibro and CFS.

This is the best information you'll find about the true root causes of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, free or paid!

View the video replay right now by clicking on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDAjQFPiAIs

Here's a sampling of what you'll learn from the webinar:

- What causes these conditions
- How they are misdiagnosed
- The role of nutrient deficiencies

You will leave with a clear picture of how to bulletproof your immune system with the right foods, nutrients, and minerals to support the proper structure and function of your body. So, be sure to watch this video to get my perspective on Fibromyalgia and CFS, gained from my unique experiences studying and treating these conditions since they first emerged over 30 years ago.

We also give out a secret gift link at the end of the webinar, with FREE bonus material. If Fibromyalgia or CFS have touched your life in any way, do not miss this webinar!

Watch now by clicking on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDAjQFPiAIs

Aloha,

Dr. Carolyn Dean
RnA ReSet"

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February 1, 2019 - Also- Regarding ATP and Magnesium as The Essential Cofactor -

"Magnesium's most important function is the creation of energy in the trillions of cells making up our body. Magnesium is a cofactor in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in 6 of the 8 steps in the Krebs cycle, which is how human cells create energy. So, if the body is deficient in magnesium, this can cause dysfunction in the way that cells metabolize sugar. In extreme cases, this can even lead to insulin resistance."[51]
-


***
October 16, 2017 -

Today's Wellness Tip From the Future...with Dr. Carolyn Dean
Fibro/CFS & "Autism Research Confined to Drugs"

During my Fibro/CFS Webinar on Oct 6, 2017, a chat message came from a listener who said that a Research MD, PhD in San Diego, Dr. Robert Naviaux is doing working on a "crucial link to normalizing our mitochondria and thus normalizing our energy production."

He said that Dr. Naviaux' research is aimed at treating the root cause of Fibro/CFS and many other chronic neurodegenerative diseases at the mitochondrial level. Mark said that my approach of "re-balancing the immune system and correcting mineral deficiencies is NOT the same as treating the root cause of these problems." I very strongly beg to differ. Let me explain. But first, I have to lay the groundwork.

My impression of medical research is very jaded because I know it's going to be about drug testing. This is a learned assumption because medical research is scarily expensive and most of it is funded by drug companies with an eye to patenting a drug that they can sell without competition for 20 years. Even if there is public funding for drugs, there are laws in place that "require that publicly-financed and developed drug products be given to the drug industry free and clear and along with official government assistance in making sure these drugs are a commercial success." (See the section "Legalized Conflict of Interest" in my book Death by Modern Medicine.[23]

What does Dr. Naviaux' research entail? At an Autism Research website[24] I found the following: "Starting in 2008, Dr. Naviaux began investigating autism from a metabolic standpoint and soon came to view that the underlying mechanism of autism might be metabolic and regulated by the mitochondria. In 2013 Dr. Naviaux published the first of several papers about his Cell Danger Response theory of autism and experiments in autism mouse models. In 2015 he obtained approval to try (a drug called) suramin in humans." So there's my answer. Naviaux is doing drug research.

What is the Cell Danger Response (CDR)? It's the way the body naturally, normally, and every day responds to threat or stress through inflammation, immunity, and oxidative stress. The purine nucleotide signals the CDR but if it is maintained for too long the CDR leads to prolonged inflammation. Naviaux doesn't mention that RNA and DNA are also purine nucleotides but says he wants to inhibit the binding of eATP (extracellular adenosine triphosphate) another molecule with purine nucleotides to key purine receptors. Here's the most interesting part of this whole story. What is the full designation of ATP? It is ATP-Mg. The question is, how will he just kill eATP binding and not affect ATP throughout the body?

Most of you know ATP as the energy molecules of the body produced in mitochondria via the Krebs cycle where 6 of the 8 steps require magnesium. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, that should work, let's kill ATP! He doesn't mention what that will do to our RNA and DNA or our energy or anything else that ATP does in the body. He wants to Kill the CDR signal because the theory is that it's the persistence of the CDR that is the basis of chronic disease. And that's his root cause!

How does ATP become eATP? "The ATP concentration in cell cytosol is between 2mM and 5mM. Following membrane damage or necrosis, all cells can release ATP into the extracellular environment, which can then act in an autocrine/paracrine manner to influence local purinergic signalling." Low levels of eATP are normal, but high levels create inflammation. So, here's my take on this statement – if you damage a cell with too much calcium and not enough magnesium present you cause a release of ATP into the extracellular fluid making it a signal to inflammation. What keeps this from happening? Magnesium. What is the basic treatment for inflammation? Magnesium. What is the most common proinflammatory substance in the body? Calcium. What is one of the major functions of magnesium? Cell Signalling.

So, until someone tells me it's not, I say the root cause of Fibro and CFS is magnesium deficiency with extra inflammation caused by yeast overgrowth!

Naviaux wanting to shut down the CDR to protect us from chronic disease reminds me of how prednisone was justified in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis starting in 1949 to shut down the inflammatory response that was damaging joints. Unfortunately, the long-term use of that drug was more horrific than the disease. Are we setting ourselves up once again?

The number of children – soon to be adults – with autism and spectrum disorders is going to overwhelm our social services and lead to a permanent vacuum in the labor market. Making this population viable in the work force is hugely important and you will see more efforts to design drugs to treat these disorders. Do not mistake them for cures or treatment of the root cause – see them for the band aids that they are, comparable to Ritalin and Adderral. Also remember that autism and spectrum disorders are created by our toxic, drugged, vaccinated, and nutrient-deficient culture.

Naviaux said that in 2008, he searched the world for any drug that could inhibit eATP signaling and found suramin. "Our work suggests that the CDR is at the heart of autism as well as other chronic conditions and may explain why these conditions have been rising over the past 30 years." He says that CDR and abnormalities in purine signaling create a metabolic syndrome that is the root cause of ASD, no matter what the particular set of genes or environmental triggers a child has. He later retracts this statement.

In a small study Naviaux gave ten children one IV dose of surinam. Several of them improved for a few weeks. Will this mean that children will have to be injected every 2 weeks? What will the long term side effects be to a constant shut down of eATP?

What is suramin? You can read all about it on wiki or any medical website. It's a drug used to treat the parasite that causes African sleeping sickness and river blindness. It's only available by injection or by IV and it causes a lot of very unpleasant side effects. When it was tested on HIV/AIDS patients there were a significant number of fatal occurrences so it was abandoned for this condition. So what makes it all of a sudden "safe" to use in autistic kids or people with CFS?

Naviaux recently put suramin in the back seat and says that his work is really about examining the role of the Cell Danger Response (CDR) in autism and other conditions. Another article said that Naviaux and his colleagues do not believe CDR is the cause of ASD, but rather a fundamental driver that combines with other factors, such as genetics or environmental toxins and suramin, at this stage, is not the ultimate answer.

By 2016, Naviaux turned his attention to CFS with a Metabolomics and Genetics Study.[25] He says that "When the CDR gets stuck, normal healing can't proceed. If this happens, it could theoretically lead to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)." So, he's still chasing theories and keeping the grants and funding coming with a new spin and special testing called Metabolomics. Text on the study website says that metabolomics is one of the hottest rising stars in the high tech race to gain a molecular understanding of health and disease. Metabolomics uses a machine called a "mass spectrometer" to measure hundreds of chemicals in our blood. I say it's just more biohacking without a solution in site. Nowhere in Naviaux' work do I hear mention of magnesium or its importance as a basic building block of health. It's as if it doesn't even exist.

When I've had the pleasure of working with spectrum kids, the best results are obtained with a yeast-free diet and magnesium. More recently we are finding the Completement Formulas are helping, especially ReMag Lotion and ReStructure. I can't say that the damage that has been done in creating this disease can be reversed. However, if we are going to only be able to treat symptoms, we should use the safest protocols we possibly can.

References:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567724913002390
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/researchers_studying_century_old_drug_in_potential_new_approach_to_autism
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27142306
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25979766
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19193605
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3706437/

Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future®
-

***
July 30, 2018 -

"... chronic conditions that are diagnosed may be related to nutrient deficiencies. When those nutrient deficiencies are identified and treated, the symptoms resolve. That should be the first step in improving health – not the last desperate step after a person is on 20 drugs and suffering the side effects of Polypharmacy."[48]
-

***
December 5, 2018 - "Be A Health Outlaw!" - Carolyn Dean MD ND -

My blog “Why Doctors Fear Magnesium” revealed the narrow mindedness of doctors and triggered many irate stories from readers. Here’s one:

“My sister has osteoarthritis, MS, fibromyalgia, and several other things and she’s gone to a rheumatologist for a while. At the last visit, the doc mentioned that my sister’s “numbers” were much better and what they are giving her to do is obviously working well.

My sister said no, I’m not following your protocol but doing what my sister has recommended, which is a combination of probiotics, your ReMag and other Completement products. The doctor AND her assistant both told her that’s not possible. When my sister insisted that’s the only changes she made, they actually told her that she was LYING. So much for mainstream doctors.
-

I have a doctor in the family and her mother has heart issues and takes pills for restless legs. When she caught me giving her Mom some magnesium she went ballistic and lit into me. If I didn’t know I was right, I could have been humiliated but I just chalked it up to her giant Dr. God ego. I’m giving the Mom some magnesium lotion in a swapped out bottle for Xmas. Hah! Take that, Dr. God.”
-

I told this customer that we are health outlaws! And that reminded me of the derogatory term Health Nut! How crazy is it to call someone who wants to be healthy a Nut!![49]
-

Comment: I've had a family member refer to me as a "Health Nut". Fortunately I didn't take offense to that. However another time the same family member strongly protested about my bring a super-food supplement to the restaurant for my meal. (Not really a problem for me as I can always decline invites to restaurants that have largely lost their appeals to me anyway.) Now this "family member" is suffering a number of health conditions that I think are largely due to insufficient nutrition and especially magnesium deficiency. What is sad is that they still don't seem to have an ear to hear or even to consider the possibility of nutrient deficiency!
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April 4, 2018 -

"... In an 8-week single-blinded pilot study using 4.5 mg of LDN each night, serum levels of numerous proinflammatory cytokines ... were significantly reduced when compared to baseline in patients suffering from fibromyalgia.

There have been several published articles on the use of LDN in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. In a 2013 placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study involving 31 women with fibromyalgia, a 4.5 mg dose of LDN at bedtime reduced daily pain levels (P=0.016) and improved mood (P=0.039) and overall reported quality of life (P=0.045). ... in a study conducted in 2009 by the same researchers, the same dose of LDN reduced pain levels and improved symptoms of fatigue (P=0.008) and stress (P=0.003) in 10 women with fibromyalgia."[Article footnote: 40]"[41]
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October 3, 2017 -

Today's Wellness Tip From the Future...with Dr. Carolyn Dean

My Amazing Mitochondria

"After reading my Lady Gaga Feels Your Pain blog, someone reminded me that Fluroquinolone toxicity can be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. Fluoroquinolone forums are saying that these drugs leech minerals from the body and magnesium deficiency is a known marker. This reader wondered if Fluoroquinolone toxicity, which is already known to be associated with mitochondrial damage, has anything to do with magnesium deficiency.

Lord Sufferin' Cats. Yes!!

But you're not going to hear this from most doctors because they don't know how intimately magnesium is involved in mitochondrial function. Actually they don't know much about magnesium at all!!

You may have heard me say that mitochrondria are responsible for making ATP energy in the body – the stuff that keeps us awake and alive and out of bed. Inside the mito the Krebs cycle churns away making ATP in 8 biochemical steps, six of which require magnesium. Bottom line – no magnesium, no energy! This combination of ATP and magnesium triggers production of the body's protein structures by revving up messenger RNA. And ATP-Mg is also a requirement for the production of DNA.

There are 1,000 to 2,000 mitochondria in every cell in the body (except red blood cells and skin cells) during energy production they create waste products called reactive oxygen species (ROSs) that include free radicals. A build up of ROSs can damage mitochondrial DNA. And what protects cells and mitochrondria from ROS damage?

That's right! Magnesium.

What makes ROS damage worse?

Calcium.

Here's how Dr. Guy Abraham describes the problem of too much calcium in mitochondria. In order to protect the fluid inside cells from becoming overly saturated with calcium, there is a magnesium-dependent mechanism that shunts calcium into the mitochondria. It's meant for short-term use only, so it can backfire because if too much calcium is taken up for too long, the excess calcium in the mitochondria inhibits ATP synthesis. Mitochondrial calcification without the intervention of sufficient magnesium eventually results in cell death.

My question is: Beyond the absolute need for magnesium to make ATP, could calcium excess and magnesium deficiency be the underlying cause of mitochondrial dysfunction that many natural medicine practitioners say can trigger chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other chronic diseases? If so, the obvious treatment would be to limit calcium intake and increase magnesium supplementation to the point of saturation.

Not surprisingly the following nutrients that support mitochondrial function are all covered in Total Body ReSet!

B-complex – (methylated B's in ReAline)
Magnesium (ReMag)
Zinc (ReMyte)
Manganese (ReMyte)
Glutathione (L-methionine in ReAline and whey in ReStructure are glutathione precursors)
You may see other products being promoted for mitochondrial health but they are usually antioxidants to deal with mito ROS waste, they are not the mineral and vitamin cofactors in the Krebs cycle itself. I think mito waste is best eliminated by magnesium and ReAline.

Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future®

RESOURCES: Along the borders and in the links of my web site you can find my books, writings, and my call-in radio show. Email your questions to: questions@drcarolyndeanlive.com.

SUBSCRIBE! If someone forwarded this email to you please sign up for your own subscription – plus get a complimentary copy of week one of my 2-year wellness program. Just go to... http://drcarolyndean.com/completement-now-trial/
"
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October 1, 2017 -

“We see addictive patterns in all types of illnesses - especially those with fatigue related conditions where we may be addicted to productivity, perfectionism, action, anxiety, achieving or over-focusing on others - all leading to varying degrees of burnout due to lack of real rest and relaxation.

These addictions are always to numb or avoid the emotional pain we are feeling underneath and distract ourselves.

Rarely is the underlying emotional aspect addressed and supported in recovery from fatigue and pain conditions.”[22]

***
September 29, 2017 -

Consider a possible "Adrenal Cortex Conflict".[19]

"Adrenal cortex - Disease process:

Conflict content - Moving-into-wrong-direction-conflict, or being thrown off the track.
1st phase - In the conflict phase there is a necrosis of the adrenal cortex that reduces the production of cortisol, causing a stressed fatigue, and an overall weakness. Typical diagnoses go from high blood pressure to Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome, or Addison's disease.

2nd phase - In the regeneration phase we see a refilling of the necrosis that may be diagnosed as adrenal cysts. The cysts start being liquid, but consolidate and endure later, generating an excess of cortisol production. Despite of the vagotonia in this phase we feel full of beans and energy.
The common diagnosis is hirsitismus or a Cushing's syndrome. At the end of the regeneration phase the blood pressure and the adrenal function return to normality.

Germ layer - Middle germ layer, mesoderm

Brain relay - Cerebral medulla, passage to midbrain

Biological meaning - The biological meaning is the cell increase, and the regeneration phase, in order to increase the production of cortisol."[20]

A number of years ago my mother had complained of (what appeared to me as chronic) "fatigue". At that time I first thought she was simply naturally exhausted from all that it took her to maintain her three bedroom home as well as provide some care for her semi-disabled partner. Now I think the "self-talk" examples that Christian Fledge gave[21] could be worth considering.

Since then a professor friend complained of continual "fatigue" and mentioned fibromyalgia which originally got me researching this and resulting in this blog. My Human Design learning process is one of integration and in regards to this subject matter I see both a "non-desease"/deficiency consideration as well as a possible DHS worthy of consideration.

***
September 28, 2017 -

"Since Lady Gaga has released a documentary where she comes out of the closet about her lifelong battle with Fibromyalgia, you will start to hear more and more about this condition and its close relative Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as medical talking heads race to capitalize on the widespread attention created by Gaga's story.

It must be immensely frustrating for sufferers of fibromyalgia to have their symptoms dismissed or ignored for decades until a celebrity like Lady Gaga comes forth with the condition and suddenly everyone is an expert.

What I've observed for the past 30 years is a long chain of events leading to magnesium and mineral deficiencies and yeast overgrowth culminating in CFS and Fibromyalgia. To me these aren't disease conditions, they are deficiency conditions and should be treated as such.

This lifelong downward spiral of health goes from diaper rash, treated with cortisone creams, which encourage further growth of the yeast, to multiple courses of antibiotics for childhood infections, to the prevalence of synthetic foods, to synthetic hormone treatments for menopause. Magnesium is depleted with every step of this scenario.

Along with magnesium deficiency, other minerals that support the thyroid and adrenals are compromised. Add onto this burden yeast toxins from overuse of antibiotics and a poor diet and you have a powerful recipe for CFS and Fibromyalgia.

Having studied and treated this condition since it surfaced, I can tell you Fibromyalgia is yet another one of the many effects of a body that is deficient in minerals (especially magnesium) and overgrown with yeast. ..."[18]

***
March 30, 2017 -

"studies have shown that excessive levels of oxalates in the blood interfere with mitochondrial function and have been linked with such diverse diseases as fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis and possibly the autistic spectrum of disorders."[9]

Oxalates are abundant in the popular "healthy greens" that have been actively promoted over the last couple decades. Cooking the greens reduces the oxalates.

"...
In most people, only a very small amount of the oxalates consumed from food are absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut. However, in people with intestinal dysbiosis (abnormal bacteria in the gut) or inflammation, either of which could lead to “leaky gut syndrome,” the rate of absorption of oxalates might rise from the normal level of 1 to 2 percent to as high as 40 to 50 percent. In this situation, these absorbed oxalates can create a number of problems. The most well-known problem is kidney stones, which arise when the excessive amount of oxalates binds with calcium in the blood. In addition, excessive oxalate levels in the blood have been linked to painful inflammation, interference with the function of glutathione (sometimes called our master anti-oxidant), lipid peroxidation (linked with atherosclerosis), and painful joint deposits."[9]

I know intelligent people who despite their intelligence are ignorantly feeding their "fibromyalgia" with raw unprocessed "healthy greens".

***
October 13, 2009 -

Physicians' Protocol For Using Antibiotics in Rheumatic Disease.

Signs And Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

One of the main features of fibromyalgia is the morning stiffness, fatigue, and multiple areas of tenderness in typical locations. Most patients with fibromyalgia complain of pain over many areas of the body, with an average of six to nine locations. Although the pain is frequently described as being all over, it is most prominent in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and back.

Tender points are generally symmetrical and on both sides of the body. The areas of tenderness are usually small (less than an inch in diameter) and deep within the muscle. They are often located in sites that are slightly tender in normal people.

Patients with fibromyalgia, however, differ in having increased tenderness at these sites than normal persons. Firm palpation with the thumb (just past the point where the nail turns white) over the outside elbow will typically cause a vague sensation of discomfort. Patients with fibromyalgia will experience much more pain and will often withdraw the arm involuntarily.

More than 70% of patients describe their pain as profound aching and stiffness of the muscles. Often it is relatively constant from moment to moment, but certain positions or movements may momentarily worsen the pain. Other terms used to describe the pain are dull and numb.

Sharp or intermittent pain is relatively uncommon. Patients with fibromyalgia often complain that sudden loud noises worsen their pain. The generalized stiffness of fibromyalgia does not diminish with activity, unlike the stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis, which lessens as the day progresses.

Despite the lack of abnormal lab tests, patients can suffer considerable discomfort. The fatigue is often severe enough to impair activities of work and recreation. Patients commonly experience fatigue on arising and complain of being more fatigued when they wake up then when they went to bed. Over 90% of patients believe the pain, stiffness, and fatigue are made worse by cold, damp weather. Overexertion, anxiety and stress are also factors. Many people find that localized heat, such as hot baths, showers, or heating pads, give them some relief. There is also a tendency for pain to improve in the summer with mild activity or with rest.

Some patients will date the onset of their symptoms to some initiating event. This is often an injury, such as a fall, a motor vehicle accident, or a vocational or sports injury. Others find that their symptoms began with a stressful or emotional event, such as a death in the family, a divorce, a job loss, or similar occurrence.

Pain Location

Patients with fibromyalgia have pain in at least 11 of the following 18 tender point sites (one on each side of the body):

Base of the skull where the suboccipital muscle inserts.
Back of the low neck (anterior intertransverse spaces of C5-C7).
Midpoint of the upper shoulders (trapezius).
On the back in the middle of the scapula.
On the chest where the second rib attaches to the breastbone (sternum).
One inch below the outside of each elbow (lateral epicondyle).
Upper outer quadrant of buttocks.
Just behind the swelling on the upper leg bone below the hip (trochanteric prominence).
The inside of both knees (medial fat pads proximal to the joint line).

Treatment Of Fibromyalgia

There is a persuasive body of emerging evidence that indicates that patients with fibromyalgia are physically unfit in terms of sustained endurance. Some studies show that cardiovascular fitness training programs can decrease fibromyalgia pain by 75%. Sleep is critical to the improvement. Many times, improved fitness will correct the sleep disturbance.

My favorite, and most profoundly beneficial treatment for fibromyalgia is NST.

Allergies, especially to mold, seem to be another common cause of fibromyalgia. There are some simple interventions using techniques called Total Body Modification (TBM) 800-243-4826.[1]

***
May 25, 2014 -

"If we are constantly bombarded by toxic substances we experience fatigue, because the liver is forced to work at garbage re­moval rather than using its energy for the upbuilding process."[2]

***
February 4th, 2016 -

The Causes of Fibromyalgia

"There are a number of things that are known to cause fibromyalgia and they all have a connection to oxidative stress.

Chronic infections: Epstein Barr virus, Lyme Disease (Borellia), and others. These infections are known to trigger inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation causes pain and increases oxidative stress.

Stress, and specifically adrenal distress. When the body is under ongoing stress whether from lack of sleep, unending deadlines, trauma, toxins, or excess sugar, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis adapts to the stress by producing either more or less cortisol (the main stress hormone). This increase or decrease in cortisol levels increase inflammation, pain and oxidative stress.

Intestinal permeability, otherwise known as leaky gut. Stress leads to leaky gut, and once permeability increases in the gut lining, more and more inflammation, pain and oxidative stress results.

Mitochondrial dysfunction. The energy producers in our cells (mitochondria) are quite vulnerable to oxidative stress, which causes them to slow down or even to damage cells, leading to fatigue and pain. Here are some tips for supporting your mitochondria.

Neurotransmitter imbalances. The messengers in our nervous system, many of which are produced in our gut, can be thrown off track by inflammation and oxidative stress, affecting not just mood, focus and sleep, but also increasing pain."[3]

***
January 11, 2017 -

Consider "Letting Go of Labels"[4]

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March 5, 2017 -

"Research[5] has shown there is a 6 fold increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome with ACEs[8]. One study[6] showed 60% of women with Fibromyalgia had suffered sexual abuse."[7]

This research underscores Mind-Body medicine(MBM) in general and as presented by a number of MBM pioneers.

***
July 5. 2017 - More Re: "The Causes of Fibromyalgia" (From February 4th, 2016) -

Think Lyme Disease:
“A healthy immune system is an equal or better match for Borrelia (one of the microbes in ticks most commonly attributed to Lyme Disease). A healthy immune system can seek out and destroy it, wherever it may hide. … Illness only arises when the immune system is in a weakened state and is unable to suppress the natural aggressiveness of the microbe.”: “Unlocking Lyme” by William Rawls[10]

***
July 21, 2017 -

Comment - Chef Jemichel says -

Very Good to hear from you, Lauren!

A dear friend recently reported to me that they had Lyme symptoms. That relaunched me not further research and now all signed-up for a Lyme webinar that includes the gut! Also connected with a doctor who recovered form his Lyme ordeal and now teaches an herbal approach to recovering the immune system. I find your current herbal connection to be good news! Especially in the context of “community” I can’t help byt think that Herb Pharm is an excellent environment for healing.

I reviewed the Human Design BodyGraph I had generated for you to look at the Spleen center and then looked at your Destiny Cards to see where you may have a Heart suit. I finally found that you have the Four of Hearts[16] by way of your Incarnation on November 2nd (as calculated in your Design). Maybe this card’s description offers you an additional insight?

Happy Trails![11]

Continuing with "The Soaked Bean" Lauren also writes about what has helped:
Her #3 item I list first: "Having a daily gratitude practice”,
#2. "Distinguishing Between Symptoms and Tendencies”,
#1. "Letting Go of Labels"[12]

***
July 28, 2017 -

One of the presenters in the Immune Defense Summit[14] is a nauturopathic physician who practices functional medicine.[38] The title of his presentation is: "Testing Immune Strength: A Functional Approach" He says: "Several tests are available for a diagnosis of Lyme disease. These include direct and indirect tests. Indirect tests look for the patient’s immune response to B. burgdorferi. Direct tests look for the presence of B. burgdorferi antigens or nucleic acids."[13]

***
August 4, 2017 - Consider the Chinese Medicinal Herb: Dan Shen

"Dan Shen was shown to prevent strokes and protect the brain in the event of a stroke, and raise dopamine levels, thereby aiding mood disorders. It also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects, particularly against Bartonella and the Lyme disease bacteria spirochete."[15]

***
September 15, 2017 -

The idea that fibromyalgia is a dysbiotic disease makes perfect sense to me now as I'm convinced that the gut ultimately has to be considered just as Hippocrates (and so many natural cure doctors) indicated.

Also here is an account of one individual who worked her way through to total recovery from fibromyalgia:
https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/66-fibro-hope/

Comment posted at "Book Review: Fibromyalgia In A Nutshell"[17]

***
November 4, 2017 - More Re: Calcium in "Fibromyalgia muscle spasms and calcification".[27]

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January 19, 2018 - "Can chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia depend on metals in the teeth?"[28]

***
January 21, 2018 - Article: One of - "9 Signs You Have Magnesium Deficiency and How to Treat It" by Dr. Axe.

Muscle Pain/Fibromyalgia -

A study published in Magnesium Research examined the role magnesium plays in fibromyalgia symptoms, and it uncovered that increasing magnesium consumption reduced pain and tenderness and also improved immune blood markers. [29]

Oftentimes linked to autoimmune disorders[30], this research should encourage fibromyalgia patients because it highlights the systemic effects that magnesium supplements have on the body.[31]
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This article attracted my attention initially just for the connection with Fibromyalgia - however the "mother-of-all-causes of sickness originating within the body" (my phrase) that it refers to is nothing less than the quintessential foundation and real ground of all health for the whole entire body-mind/mind-body matrix! The fact that this is a gut-centric foundation offers a tremendous reference for the encouragement of "Chef-Doctors" as primary bridge-builders between medicine and our entire agricultural and food system.
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January 22, 2018 - Continuing with the need to optimize the Immune System -

The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions - By Mary Enig, PhD.
Published July 8, 2004 -

Many people recognize that saturated fats are needed for energy, hormone production, cellular membranes and for organ padding. You may be surprised to learn that certain saturated fatty acids are also needed for important signaling and stabilization processes in the body. (The the Immune System is wholly dependent upon "signaling".)

Signaling processes work in the cells at the level of the membrane proteins, many of which are called G-protein receptors. The G-protein receptors become stimulated by different molecules and can be turned off or on in a manner similar to a binary light switch, which remains on for a limited time and then flips itself off until it is stimulated again.

The saturated fatty acids that play important roles in these processes are the 16-carbon palmitic acid, the 14-carbon myristic acid and the 12-carbon lauric acid. These saturated fatty acids are found in certain food fats. Palmitic acid, for example, comprises 45 percent of palm oil and about 25 percent of animal and dairy fats. ...
...

When researchers looked at the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids in the T-cells (white blood cells), from both young and old donors, they found that a loss of saturated fatty acids in the lymphocytes was responsible for age-related declines in white blood cell function. They found that they could correct cellular deficiencies in palmitic acid and myristic acid by adding these saturated fatty acids.

Most Westerners consume very little myristic acid because it is provided by coconut oil and dairy fats, both of which we are told to avoid. But myristic acid is a very important fatty acid, which the body uses to stabilize many different proteins, including proteins used in the immune system and to fight tumors. This function is called myristoylation; it occurs when myristic acid is attached to the protein in a specific position where it functions usefully. For example, the body has the ability to suppress production of tumors from lung cancer cells if a certain genetically determined suppressor gene is available. This gene is called fus1 and is a protein that has been modified with covalent addition of the saturated fatty acid myristic acid. Thus, the loss of myristic acid from the diet can have unfortunate consequences, including cancer and immune system dysfunction.

...
Stearic acid is the 18-carbon saturated fatty acid. The main sources are animal tallows, which contain about 20-25 percent stearic acid, and chocolate, which contains about 35 percent stearic acid. In other foods it occurs only on levels of 1-2 percent.

How much total saturated do we need? During the 1970s, researchers from Canada found that animals fed rapeseed oil and canola oil developed heart lesions. This problem was corrected when they added saturated fat to the animals diets. On the basis of this and other research, they ultimately determined that the diet should contain at least 25 percent of fat as saturated fat. Among the food fats that they tested, the one found to have the best proportion of saturated fat was lard, the very fat we are told to avoid under all circumstances!

These are some of the complex but vital reasons we need to include palm oil, coconut oil, butter and lard in our diets.[32]
-

My mind's way of summarizing the above is: BC-LP which stands for Butter, Coconut oil, Lard, Palm oil. Its also the order that I personally follow for having these good fats and fortunately I almost always have my first choice of Butter!
-

Additional optimizing of the Immune System from Dr. Carolyn Dean:
"High susceptibility to disease occurs when the body is low in immune boosting minerals; digestible protein; methylated B vitamins; and precursors to glutathione."[33]
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February 17. 2018 - Groundbreaking Study Shows Shielding EMF Improves Autoimmune Disease -

"Novel research reveals that blocking exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) produces significant symptom changes in 90% of patients with autoimmune disease. No longer can it be ignored that manmade electromagnetic radiation poses innumerable risks to human health"[34]
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March 11, 2018 - Adrenal -

I made several references above here with regards to the adrenals from three major perspectives: new medicine, nutrition and stress management. The "Medical Medium" adds additional information that you may find as interesting as I have.[39]
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March 16, 2018 -What "Guided Self Healing" Can Do For You -

Guided Self Healing has been used very successfully in the treatment of the following:

Physical: Chronic Pain, Asthma, Allergies, Respiratory Illnesses, Crohn’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Idiopathic Diseases (those of unknown origin) and others.[40]
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May 31, 2018 - Lyme Disease -

"Most Lyme-literate doctors use magnesium as part of their treatment protocol. Some say at least 80% of Lyme sufferers are magnesium deficient. I say that 80% of the general population is deficient in magnesium – so I would put the Lyme population even higher.

But, like most practitioners, they tell their patients to take magnesium to the point of bowel tolerance. However, with the creation of a picometer, stabilized ion form of magnesium (ReMag), Lyme patients can take enough magnesium to become saturated and open up the 700-800 enzyme systems in the body. Magnesium saturation helps alleviate many Lyme symptoms affecting the nerves and muscles; decreases the infectious load; detoxifies heavy metals; and supports hormone function. ..."[45]
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Notes:

[1] Apparently part of a presentation "at the 32nd International Congress of the Great Lakes College of Clinical Medicine. Baltimore, Maryland, September 25, 1999"
Dr. Joseph M. Mercola

http://www.distance-healer.com/76.html

Also see:
http://www.clinical-rounds.com/pdf/fibromyalgia_interview.pdf

And: http://www.clinical-rounds.com/interview.html

[2] http://www.anthromed.org/Article.aspx?artpk=429

[3] https://doctordoni.com/2016/01/oxidative-stress-and-fibromyalgia.html

[4] http://thesoakedbean.com/2017/01/10/3-ways-toward-recovery-from-chronic-illness/

[5] https://www.cdc.gov/cfs/news/features/childhood_adversity.html

[6] http://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/1998/12000/Physical_and_Sexual_Abuse_in_Female_Patients_With.2.aspx

[7] The 7 Steps to Healing Emotional Trauma and Building Resilience.:
7StepstoHealingEmotionalTraumaeBookwithCover1.pdf

[8] Adverse Childhood Experiences

[9] https://www.drcowansgarden.com/blogs/news/the-low-down-on-oxalates?utm_source=All+Contacts&utm_campaign=5bc5189e91-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0c94ba897d-5bc5189e91-58658917&ct=t(Low_Oxalate_and_Beet_Jar_and_Pouches3_30_2017)&mc_cid=5bc5189e91&mc_eid=41d3a5c3b2

[10] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7WMNIP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

[11] http://thesoakedbean.com/2017/07/21/drawing-plants-into-yr-circle-what-i-learned-at-herb-pharm/#comment-5094

[12] http://thesoakedbean.com/2017/01/10/3-ways-toward-recovery-from-chronic-illness/

[13] http://www.thedempsterclinic.com/lyme-testing-blood/

[14] http://immunedefensesummit.com

[15] https://fourfoldhealing.com/blogs/news/the-beautiful-chinese-medicine-herb-that-loves-the-heart

[16] https://knowyourdestinycards.com/birth-cards/four-of-hearts/

[17] https://www.fibrodaze.com/fibromyalgia-in-a-nutshell/#comment-33403

Also see: http://www.drcourtneycraig.com/blog/effective-treatment-for-sibo

[18] In an email article titled: "The little-known real cause of Fibromyalgia and CFS" dated: September 28, 2017 - by Dr. Carolyn Dean.

[19] http://www.vitalitylink.com/article-german-new-medicine-2896-cfs-adrenal-conflict-fatigue-cortisol-barr

[20] META-Medicine® Organ-Mind-Brain Directory Page 2 Copyright © 2006-2007 by Intl. Meta-Medicine Association. All rights reserved.:
http://docplayer.net/39482810-Meta-medicine-organ-mind-directory.html

[21] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaLkElzp-TI

[22] Form an article titled: “The Disease Delusion” by Niki Gratrix:
https://www.nikigratrix.com/the-disease-delusion/#more-8535

[23] https://drcarolyndean.com/2017/10/death-by-modern-medicine-seeking-safe-solutions-3rd-edition-ebook-2014/

[24] http://www.nofone.org/dr-naviaux-q-and-a-suramin?_ke=Y2hlZkB0aGVzZXRydXRocy5jb20%3D&utm_campaign=Autism%2BResearch%2BConfined%2Bto%2BDrugs%2B(MqFdwE)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Dr.%2BCarolyn%2BDean's%2Bmailing%2Blist

[25] https://www.omf.ngo/expanded-mecfs-metabolomics-study/?utm_campaign=Autism+Research+Confined+to+Drugs+%28MqFdwE%29&utm_medium=email&_ke=Y2hlZkB0aGVzZXRydXRocy5jb20%3D&utm_source=Dr.+Carolyn+Dean%27s+mailing+list

[26] https://drcarolyndeanlive.com/2017/10/23/magnesium-supplementation-boosting-your-brain-power/

November 29, 2017 - Break Through Your Barriers - with Carolyn Dean MD ND, The Doctor of the Future® -

Carolyn Dean writes:
I titled my talk[i] "3 Ways to Dissolve the Despair of Chronic Disease" which airs Dec 12, 2017. I chose this topic because I recently had some disturbing interactions with Fibromyalgia people on Facebook who just don't think they will ever get better. I wanted to address the despondency, despair, and pessimism that they expressed!

I've done a lot of work with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia and decades ago attributed it to yeast overgrowth and mineral deficiencies (especially magnesium). I outline my treatment protocol in a recent CFS, Fibromyalgia Webinar. However, because I was saying that these chronic conditions could be treated, people just didn't believe me. Their argument was that these are chronic diseases with no known cause and therefore not treatable! They thought my solutions were too simple and didn't think I covered all the possible causes of these conditions.

When you study magnesium you realize how many things can go wrong if you don't have enough magnesium and having a dozen symptoms doesn't mean a dozen different condition! I've enumerated 65 disease conditions that are really magnesium deficiency. The same could be said for yeast overgrowth with its 178 different toxins that set up dozens of symptoms that are also misdiagnosed as diseases.

Instead of attending to the basics of mineral deficiency and yeast overgrowth, doctors and patients undertake more and more testing to find out "the cause' of their chronic diseases and get talked into taking drugs to suppress symptoms. On one of Bob's radio shows a listener told the story of with work associate who had a chronic cough. She was finally persuaded to go to the doctor to find out what was wrong. She came back with no real diagnose but appointments for more tests and nine drugs!

As a starting point I told Janine and the audience to begin with hydration, sea salt and magnesium. Once you are hydrated and have some proper minerals on board, you will feel more energy and be able to tackle a better diet, more exercise and add more of my Completement Formulas to attain better and better health. You can read much more in my free eBooks at http://www.drcarolyndeanlive.com.

[i] for this summit; https://summits.thesupremeloveproject.com

[27] "The Magnesium Miracle":
https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2389650
See: "November 3, 2017 - The War on Calcification"

[28] https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Stejskal&prev=search

[29] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7786692

[30] https://draxe.com/autoimmune-disease-symptoms/

[31] https://draxe.com/9-signs-magnesium-deficiency/

[32] https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/know-your-fats/the-importance-of-saturated-fats-for-biological-functions/

[33] in "Today's Wellness Tip From the Future...with Dr. Carolyn Dean"
sent on January 21, 2018.

[34] http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/groundbreaking-study-shows-shielding-emf-improves-autoimmune-disease

[35] http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/chronic-dehydration

[36] http://www.franksinger.com/importance_of_water.htm

[37] http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/greatesthits3-2.html

[38] "Functional medicine is an approach to health care that looks at the underlying function of the body organs. It looks at the weblike interaction between all of our organs that lead to the health that we have today. It accepts the concept that genes are not written in stone. Our genes take our environment to activate them or deactivate them and that is what leads to our current health status. Just because your parents had heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease, does not mean that that is your fate. Functional medicine realizes that by modifying environment and lifestyle, good genes are activated and bad genes are turned off.
-
...
'... The United States has worse health-care outcomes and lower life expectancy than almost every other developed nation. ... Chronic diseases now affect one in two Americans and account for 80 percent of our health-care costs. Yet despite a host of new drugs and procedures, the incidence of chronic disease continues to rise, not only in the United States but around the globe as developing countries adopt the worst of our food and culture."[43]

Also: "The United States is one of the wealthiest nations worldwide, but Americans have a shorter life expectancy compared with residents of almost all other high-income countries, ranking 31st in the world for life expectancy at birth in 2015. In 2014, with a total health expenditure per capita of $9402, the United States was ranked first in the world for health expenditure as a percent of gross domestic product (17.1%). However, the US healthcare system has focused primarily on drug discoveries and disease treatment rather than prevention. Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are the commonest and costliest of all health problems but are largely preventable. It has been widely acknowledged that unhealthy lifestyles are major risk factors for various chronic diseases and premature death."[42]
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Comment: 'The worst of our food' was identified about eighty years ago by Dr. Weston A. Price (sugar, refined grains, canned foods, pasteurized milk and devitalized fats and oils–what Price called the “displacing foods of modern commerce”[44] and virtually all the commercial products made with these). Since then the impact of the mega-food industry along with the drug industry can be likened unto a viral parasitic invasion that has secured a virtual takeover of the body. However, your dietary choices impact more than just your body alone - it feeds these predatory industries that are insanely possessed with a "bottom line" that is in disregard for the fallout of this myopic obsession! The nature of the mindlessness behind these industries can be identified as psychopathic!
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[39] http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/adrenal-fatigue-epidemic

[40] http://www.guidedselfhealing.org/What%20GSH%20Can%20Do%20For%20You.html

[41] https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2018-04/uses-low-dose-naltrexone-clinical-practice
With footnote: Parkitny L, Younger J. Reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines after eight weeks of low-dose naltrexone for fibromyalgia. Biomedicines. 2017;5(2). pii: E16.

[42] https://healthmetrics.heart.org/impact-of-healthy-lifestyle-factors-on-life-expectancies-in-the-u-s-population/

[43] http://www.drsoram.com/bland1/

[44] https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/traditional-diets/ancient-dietary-wisdom-for-tomorrows-children/

[45] "Recovering from post-Lyme mineral deficiency" By: Dr. Carolyn Dean in email from RnA ReSet.

[46] Nourishing Traditions, p. 51 - 52.

[46] https://drcarolyndean.com/2018/07/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

[47] https://drcarolyndean.com/2017/03/the-total-biology-of-cfs/

[48] https://drcarolyndean.com/2018/07/polypharmacy-in-the-elderly/

[49] https://drcarolyndean.com/2018/12/be-a-health-outlaw/

[50] https://drsircus.com/general/h2o2-hydrogen-peroxide/

[51] In email (subscription) titled: "What to do about low energy".

[52] https://lifestyleprescriptions.org/blog/new-book-natural-fibromyalgia-choices-find-the-cause-and-heal-the-symptoms/

[53] https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1874/4491/files/1_Understanding_FIR_2014.pdf?3871165636354351977

[54] In the current subscription email with Subject line: "I said I hated calcium, but…"

[55] http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/hwnl_6-4.htm

[56] http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/hwnl_6-5.htm
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Keywords:

Fibromyalgia, fatigue, liver, oxidative stress, Neurotransmitter imbalances, Mitochondrial dysfunction, Intestinal permeability, leaky gut, adverse childhood experience, emotional trauma, lyme disease, Borrelia, dan shen, Magnesium Supplementation, Brain Power, Calcification, chef-doctor, hydration, dehydration, Asthma, Angina, Hypertension, Migraine headaches, Arthritis pain, Back pain, Colitis pain, chronic constipation, Heartburn, hiatal hernia, low dose naltrexone, health, CFS
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