Date:   5/24/2012 9:16:45 PM ( 12 y ago)
Hits:   6,431
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1943220

First, let me apologize for the length of this post, in reality I've ommitted more details precisely because of that...

On April 30th I began having some "attacks" that at first I thought were effects of thyroiditis, I felt so bad I decided to go to a doctor and not having insurance or money I went to a "free clinic".  They ordered a TSH test and the typical blood tests, my TSH was high (9) and my liver enzymes were high.  None of these things are really new since in '00 I'd been diagnosed with "hypothyroidism" (but later became sure what I really have is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which my own mother had)  and not too long after my liver enzymes began to show elevation on various tests.  I also could not really tolerate thyroid meds well, which I've read is a sign of adrenal imbalance of which I've shown many of the symptoms on different occasions.  In 2010, and just now, any infectious type of hepatitis was ruled out.  But these attacks were different from other thyroiditis attacks I'd experienced, the symptoms have been more intense and the inflammation of longer duration, especially the sudden adrenaline rushes that seem to set me on fire and shoot my blood pressure up, among other things.

But doctors in all their brilliancy immediately wanted to prescribe a high blood pressure medication, I suspect because of my age (59) they take for granted that I must have hardened arteries or whatever, but for most of my life I've been pretty health-conscious and taken care of myself, plus taken a number of supplements, and even in recent years, when NOT under stress, my b/p has been perfectly normal.  I've faced the same thing countless times because my blood pressure at times seemed to shoot up, especially during or after times of stress, which to me is just the expected reaction but not indicative of a "permanent" condition.  And for over a year now I noticed that it seemed to go up after I laid down to go to sleep, which I read is another sign of adrenal fatigue, and up until recently taking a "OO" capsule filled with magnesium sulfate before going to bed prevented that annoying effect that kept me awake. 

However, at the onset of this recent "episode", which includes tachycardia and/or palpitations, besides a host of other symptoms that are listed in most adrenal fatigue websites, magnesium wasn't working and after doing some reading I found I needed more calcium as I was taking little and not too regularly.    Keeping the balance between those two has not been easy so maybe that why in part I've continued to get these attacks every 4-5 days.  Experimentally, I began taking a dessicated adrenal gland supplement and it calmed my heart down just shortly after I started it that very first day.  Unfortunately, it has not stopped the attacks entirely and it could be because there are several hormones in it and the amount from capsule to capsule more than likely varies; still I feel I'm on the right track, besides, I've had symptoms of adrenal fatigue in several different occasions through the years and most of the time an adrenal support supplement (mostly vitamins) helped me get better.

The problem came in trying to get the doctors to take me seriously.  They ordered a useless cortisol blood test and proclaimed I have no adrenal problem.  And many years ago the same thing happened when a 24-hr urine cortisol test was ordered (also useless) at a time when I had most signs of high cortisol.  Today the 'doc-du-jour' at the clinic offered the same test so he could refer me to an endo and I declined because it's almost guaranteed to come back negative.  And all he had in his "bag of goodies" was Amlodipine, a band-aid for my high blood pressure.   I accepted it because one night last week I feared I would get a stroke because my head began to throb and I was insanely hot all over,, but once home I immediately looked it up and saw that it's contraindicated when there's "liver disease" (not completely ruled out) plus there's a mile-long list of possible side effects, and since I've had elevated liver enzymes I began to overreact to EVERYTHING (and, no, I know it's not "in my head") I decided I'm not desperate enough to take what appears to me like a very dangerous drug.

Since I'd been lurking at this forum (used to participate in others in years past) I decided to post to ask for opinions, or rather validation, because I "ain't" touching that stuff.

I've decided for now just to go to Mental Health to get a Rx for a mild tranquilizer to help me deal with any subsequent "attacks" (they are pretty much like panic attacks...) and a course of sleeping pills to help me go back to sleeping at night, I've been sleeping during the day on/off for years and I know this alone will fry anyone's adrenals.  Perhaps with these "crutches" plus some herbal supplements and vitamins both my liver and adrenals can heal.  I'm very hopeful because I realized my 3 most recent episodes in the last 2 years happened after eating wheat and dairy products, which I've learned do not agree with me, in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm gluten intolerant, my father was and I've read this is hereditary, and after I stopped I eventually began to feel better.

Lastly, I'm thinking that if my self-ministrations don't bring some kind of positive result soon I'm even willing to go further into debt in order to obtain help from a good doctor that practices complimentary medicine, but any suggestions "in the meantime" will be greatly appreciated.

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