***For Lynn And Other FM/CFS Sufferers***

Hi. Colon cleansing and Liver Cleansing seem to be the cornerstone for many people's treatment. It makes sense that this would be true. We can go on spinning our wheels with bandaid solutions (even in alternative healthcare), or we can get to the root of the problem which in almost every case is toxicity. So by getting drainage to max and getting the main detox organ up to par(the liver), we create the internal powerhouse needed for the next phase....cellular detox.

You mentioned the vega machine which I have much experience with and to tell you the truth I don't hold much creedance in it's results. There are too many variables that affect the outcome of its diagnosis. A much better system to utilize would be the QXCI device which is like comparing the Universe to an apple in its abilities.

Just assume you have parasites and treat for them. We live in a culture that is riddled with parasites so treatment would be helpful and it certainly won't cause you harm.

Be aware that Psyllum is not for everyone. Some healers swear by it and others shun away from it. Be your own guide on this one. If you feel after a time it is harsh, then drop it. I have discussed this with one of Americas foremost Naturopaths, and colon experts, Gloria Gillbere ND, and she agrees that not everyone should be doing psyllum. Some have sensitivities to it.

For balancing your blood sugar, try to eat more often and you could supplement with some chromium which helped my hypoglycemia.
I had it so bad at one point the doctor didn't believe the results. Said it was impossible for me to be walking around with blood sugars that low. He ran the test again and it was even lower. I was used to feeling that bad..bonking..from my triathlon training. My blood Sugar is much better from diet (balanced vegetarian), chromium for a while (couple months), Liver Flushes and colonics. It's critical to excersise a bit too...even just walking. Watch the soy..the info my research is comming up with is not good. The good info is industry propoganda/hype, so please research that. Mercola has some good info on his site.

Mycoplasmic Fermentans is an organism that was created in US military labs and was knowingly released on citizens and military personal, It has become widespread in our population. It is one of the main organisms responsible for much of the chronic fatigue and FM we have today. It is an insiduous organism that comes in under the body's radar so the immune system has a hard time dealing with it. It was designed exactly this way. This is where the Beck protocol comes in handy. It has helped many people with this and other systemic infections. Certainly a good protocol to think about when bringing down one's total body load.
I can recommend some good reading on this and other topics if you are into books. I find your fears will melt away in direct proportion to your increasing knowledge. When you begin to see above the confusion and chaos, a certain peace of mind kicks in. Patterns emerge and deeper understanding of the nature of illness and disease becomes clearer.

Rebounding should be pursued. I couldn't bounce more than 10 times due to my back and muscle soreness. Go easy and work up. Time is on your side and your body/lymph will respond. You don't even have to jump so your feet come off the trampoline. Just a mild bounce raising your heels will do. Just do what you can. Do it several times a day. The key is the bouncing motion, however gentle, which helps move stagnant lymph. This is very important.

I'll mention again the use of hot/cold shower therapy which can also does wonders.

Further on external toxins.. do you live near industry, farming, other negative impacting sites? Do you live in a new home, older home? Do you have carpeting, etc. What kind of vacuum cleaner do you use. All these things and others, add up to a total load which becomes very important when your trying to gain headway in your healing.

Andreas recommends Pascalite clay which I will try out and get back to you with the results. I have read time and time again about very positive results from people using it to reduce their toxic load. You can search that out easily for a distributor near you. Its added to bath water which chelated toxins out of your skin.

Far Infrared Sauna s are expensive however I made one for myself very inexpensively. 1 tenth of the regular cost. If your interested, I'll tell you how and where to get your parts from. Mine cost me about 400 canadian to build.

My good friend Randy has done quite a bit of research on Far Infrared Sauna therapy. It saved him from devastating FM. I have included his story and a link to his sauna info after his story:

I had written an article for a magazine on my recovery from fibromyalgia (FMS). I was very encouraged to hear that others diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS) were also getting better following some of the ideas that worked for me. Having the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS) is devastating. All you want is your life back as you knew it before you developed this unexplained pain and fatigue. I hope that by posting the story on my recovery from fibromyalgia (FMS)it will help others regain their lives that they knew before.


Recovery from Fibromyalgia by Randy Gomm, B.Sc.

I knew I was in trouble when I couldn't hold onto a coffee mug or turn a doorknob with one hand because it would cause me such severe joint pain.

My story with fibromyalgia began about ten years ago. I considered myself a healthy and active 36-year-old male who had been employed as a firefighter for eleven years. I admit, I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and enjoyed participating in a variety of outdoor pursuits. I was on the Whistler Mountain volunteer ski patrol, mountain rescue team, and was an
avid white water kayaker.

It started off with bilateral knee pain. I believed I had been pushing my body too much on a few rescues and was overdoing my racquet sports. The usual rest and rehab did little to relieve the pain.

Just when you think you're at the bottom of the barrel, you discover there's still plenty of space beneath you; for after six months, I also developed pain in my wrists, ankles, thumbs, tailbone, etc. It seemed that any body part I overused would have acute pain in that area the next day.
I soon learned that if I ignored the pain and carried on, my symptoms just seemed to get worse.

I finally reached the stage where I could barely walk a city block and couldn't hold on to the telephone or write in my journal any more. Surely I was getting closer to the bottom of that old barrel.

Fortunately, I had very supportive friends and family. At one point, my resourceful and patient mother was even pulling research journals from the
university libraries and reading them to me over the phone, which I had propped up against my head, lying down in my bed. I'll be forever grateful, for I don't know how I could have coped without all the support.

In my search for answers, I had numerous lab tests and went to a number of specialists. Since nothing showed up in these tests, one doctor even suggested that it must be all in my head. I thought that was the 'easyout'.

I was fortunate enough to have a very kind doctor who knew me from the rescue team days and believed my symptoms were 'real'. I was referred to another rheumatologist who diagnosed me with 'fibromyalgia' (FM).

I was relieved to finally have a diagnosis and the 'label' of fibromyalgia managed to satisfy my insurance company so I could collect long-term disability.

About eight months after I had been off work, another firefighter in my four-man-crew came down with similar symptoms of fatigue and muscle pain and was unable to work. The light bulb came on. Perhaps we were exposed to some toxins at work and this initiated the downward spiral of debilitating
symptoms. I started to extensively research toxin exposure and discovered that many symptoms were identical to those of fibromyalgia. I thought I was the exception, and others diagnosed with fibromyalgia didn't have the same toxin problem until I attended the International Symposium on Functional Medicine in 1996. During the three day conference, many leading researchers in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome stated that most
of their patients with this disorder, had problems with their phase one and phase two detoxification pathways. Their toxic loads were high and if they worked at reducing this load, their symptoms often dramatically improved.

It really struck a nerve with me, for I had already connected with a couple of people who had fully recovered from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. They had all done the same things: improved their diet; reduced their stress levels; undertook a gradual exercise program; and did some major detoxifying through herbs, supplements, or sauna use.

My climb up from the bottom of the barrel:

I was off work for eight years but have been back working full-time for the past three years. Even though I'm not 100% yet, I'm getting closer all the time.

I'll review some of the things that worked for me in the hopes that someone else might benefit. I've also linked to a few other sites with more helpful info.

Improve your sleep:

Most people with FM have a problem with their deep sleep (stage 3 and 4); Alpha waves intrude on the slower Delta waves. Unfortunately, most growth hormones are produced in this deep sleep, which explains the trouble recovering from injuries. I started out with a low dosage tricyclic medication (nortriptyline)
and then switched to St. John's Wort. Experiment and find out what works best for you. Link to a good article on sleep and fibromyalgia.


Lowering your toxic load:

- I removed all the toxic cleaners from my home.

- I try to minimize my exposure to perfumes and colognes (petroleum based products) and new items that seem to seriously "off gas".

- If a manufactured product has a strong odor, chances are it's releasing some chemicals into the air. It didn't make a lot of sense to me to put
all this effort into detoxifying if I was going to continue adding to my toxic load.

- Try to make your bedroom as healthy an environment as you can. Remove anything that might off gas. Minimize the exposure to EMR (electromagnetic radiation) by placing your alarm clock away from your body when you sleep.
You can place zeolite bags (volcanic ash) at the opposite end of the bedroom to where your head lays. It has a negative ion charge that attracts mold. You can also put some of the zeolite into smaller bags in the fridge to keep your produce fresher much longer. A good source for the volcanic ash is at
www.leevalley.com. item # KD401

- I eat organic whenever possible.

Mercury Detoxification:

- I had my 'silver' Amalgams removed (actually 50% mercury content) from my teeth by a dentist that specialized in that process. Be very careful if you go this route, for having them removed incorrectly can increase the
mercury content in other parts of your body.

- I went through a series of chelation treatments with DMPS to lower my mercury levels. You don't have to look far on the web to read the controversy regarding DMSA and DMPS as chelators. Some people may seriously react.
If you do go the DMPS route, at first try only a small oral dose.
If one goes into an infrared sauna immediately after the chelation it accelerates the mercury removal and seems to really reduce one's reactions.


- If you want to avoid the drugs completely, sweating in a portable infrared sauna is very effective in reducing toxins and heavy metals. This kind of sauna has a comfortable temperature of 110 - 130°F vs. 180 - 210°F in a conventional sauna, but you sweat two to three times as much. The far infrared heat also
penetrates 1-1/2 inches below the skin, giving significant pain relief.

- Any kind of sweating you do will be helpful, for it can reduce your toxic levels while taking the stress off your liver and kidneys.

Thyroid:

- If your temperature first thing in the morning is 1 degree F or more below normal, you may have problems with your thyroid even though your lab tests don't indicate one. Mercury can often interfere with the thyroid gland. I'm presently researching the different ways one can use to regain thyroid function. Lowering your mercury levels is a good place to start.

Exercise program:

- Research has shown that those with fibromyalgia have low tissue oxygen levels. Unfortunately, although an aerobic exercise program would be very beneficial, most people with FM would be set back significantly.

- I found the trick was to very slowly increase the intensity and duration of any exercise, being careful to minimize the number of eccentric contractions (extending a muscle under load - for example having something heavy in your hands and reaching to place it on a top shelf would be an eccentric contraction).

- I faithfully walked at a rubberized track and very slowly increased my distance and speed over many months. I followed this with lots of gentle stretching. I found a good book on stretching called "The Stark Reality of Stretching" by Dr. Steven D. Stark

Stress Reduction:

- There are numerous books and tapes out on this issue. Although I had a lot of difficulty at first, I found Herbert Benson's book, "The Relaxation Response",
a good place to start.

Diet:

- I tried numerous diets on my roller coaster recovery ride.

- I don't believe there is one diet that will work for everyone, but if one avoids processed food and increases their vegetable consumption it should really help.

- I tried to make my diet more alkaline; I added sea vegetables to soups and stews.

- Sipping a small glass of water with apple cider vinegar during a meal helped my digestion.

- I avoided all sugars so as not to feed the fungi and other critters that were thriving in my body. parasites and fungi produce endotoxins which add to your toxic load. Stevia was a great substitute.

- Kefir assisted in reestablishing my friendly bacteria.

- I made sure I got my EFAs by having flaxseed and borage oils daily.

Supplements:

- I became very wary of all the new wonder products that would help me recover overnight. My cupboards are full of them.

- Most researchers have found that their FM patients have malabsorption problems, often because of intestinal dysbiosis (those critters again), so they are low in many vital nutrients.

- When you introduce something new, start off with a small dose and wait a few days before increasing. Don't make the mistake I did and introduce too many things at once. Then if you react and your pain levels increase too much, you won't know the cause.

- Grapeseed extract was very beneficial in reducing my pain levels.

- Minerals were taken daily, especially trace minerals and magnesium citrate.

- I often rotated different herbs and supplements to help out my
overtaxed adrenal gland and liver.

- I've been very impressed with Raintree Nutrition Inc. ( www.rain-tree.com )
as a reasonable source of good quality herbs. My favorite herbs were chanca piedra for the liver and maca or suma root for the thyroid/adrenal support.
Remember to start off with small amounts and only introduce one at a time.

- I haven't bought the common perception that this is a life sentence, for I truly believe that one can fully recover from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Although recovering from any chronic condition is a lot of work, the rewards at the end of the journey make it well worth it.


Books that I have found very helpful:

- The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates
- Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
- Alternative Medicine Guide - Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and
Environmental Illness by Burton Goldberg


Bio: Randy Gomm B.Sc. is an independent researcher investigating various detoxification protocols.


Please note: I'm afraid it would be impossible for me to respond to all your e-mail enquiries.
If you have any helpful suggestions that worked for you or beneficial web sites,
please let me know. I'll try to update the website every few months.

I wish you all the best in your recovery,
Randy.
thefmguy@yahoo.ca



I thought including my friends story would give you some inspiration. The main thrust of his treatment was the sauna. He told me many times that it was a miracle. It helped him tremendously. Randy has some good info he compiled on Far Infrared Sauna s at his site HERE.

Both him and I and several others that keep in contact, continue to share our research in the hopes of helping as many people as possible.
I'm still writing my story. My trip has been more involved than most due to the nature of my chemical injuries and their overwhelming impact on my health, but my knowledge base has grown due to the complexity of the problem. Because of this I am able to help others with the gained knowledge, which can only be a good thing.

Let me know how those adrenals fair in your test. A leaky gut test may be helful as a biomarker for the future. They are relatively cheap and easy on the system. If I can tolerate it anyone can.

Sorry it took a while to respond. It took some time to compile the info for you. I hope it helps. If you can get the book "Freedom From Judgement" from Andreas's site, I highly recommend it. It will help you with your fears and really take an unnecessary load off you. Gives you a way to view the fear that will be of great benefit. Also, like I said, if your into reading I can suggest some really great books that will change your paradigm in a big and positive way.

Here's to your healthy future. *wink*
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