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Welcome to the Complementary Medicine Community
by laura1967, Feb 10, 2009 10:36AM
, Feb 10, 2009 10:36AM
WELCOME to all our newcomers and existing members to the Complementary Medicine Forum! My name is Laura and as CL of this community I look forward to helping us grow this particular forum together. As more and more people get sick and fail to get better, the journey begins as they seek alternative information and ways to find solutions to their health issues -- together as a community we can help each other heal.
Having gotten ill 5 yrs ago, and having looked into and tried many, many alternative ways to assist my healing, I've found successful common ground to blend western & complimentary ways. Having studied and applied alternative and complimentary medicine for the past 15 yrs, as well as developed some wonderful friendships with naturopathic physicians whom have taught me so much, my passion continues to grow. The greatest thing we all can do for ourselves is to take Preventitive measures with our health---and share our knowledge among each other on this community.
With your help, together we can build a wealth of information -- It's very exciting that a community like this available to all of us --- Thanks to YOU and MedHelp!!
Laura1967
CL - Compementary Medicine Community
Having gotten ill 5 yrs ago, and having looked into and tried many, many alternative ways to assist my healing, I've found successful common ground to blend western & complimentary ways. Having studied and applied alternative and complimentary medicine for the past 15 yrs, as well as developed some wonderful friendships with naturopathic physicians whom have taught me so much, my passion continues to grow. The greatest thing we all can do for ourselves is to take Preventitive measures with our health---and share our knowledge among each other on this community.
With your help, together we can build a wealth of information -- It's very exciting that a community like this available to all of us --- Thanks to YOU and MedHelp!!
Laura1967
CL - Compementary Medicine Community
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I'm very happy that this forum exists as I'm a strong believer in alternative medicine. i've been taking western medicine for the treatment of ulcerative colitis since 2001 and am currently undergoing acupuncture twice a week while continuing with my medication. I love acupuncture, i love the optimism, hope, and alternative path that eastern and holistic medicine take... and i'm feeling very good lately... just wanted to share and say thank you and encourage others who may feel that their western doctors may not be offering the support or understanding that they need/want to seek out some alternative means... and share your stories! i know we all have 'em...
It's great to see you as leader of this community. I've connected with a great chiropractor who helps with my fibromyalgia. I don't know much about accupuncture or holistic medicine but would like to know more. I'm looking forward to learning from the other members of the community.
Glad to see you here....spread the word. :)
I have acupuncture treatments once a week for back spasms, nerves, anxiety, and many other problems, and it helps, it takes time, but worth it.
I also see a chiropractor twice weekly. He is just now starting cold laser treatments on me for my upper back spasms, neck problems, and glandular health and lymphatic system. It has been like an answer to my prayers in the aspect that a lot of my neck pain is gone for the first time in months. Sure, I will have to keep having this particular type of treatment for awhile, but, who cares, it works, and I am so thankful.
I read constantly journals written by some of the tip top alternative medicine professionals, some to include, Dr. Sinatra, Dr Bruce West, Dr Jonathon Wright, who, by the way, used to be one of my doctors, and Dr David Williams. I wager, I read more books on health and healing than most doctors do, but then, I more than likely have more time to do so.
Many years back, I worked in a very well respected health food store and loved it so much, I learned lots there, however, so much as changed since then, and due to so many unfair government restrictions, a health store employee really cannot say or do things that will help the customer, it is sad. That is one reason I am planning on going back to school starting in may to become a Medical Assistant, afterwords, I would love to work with a Naturopath or some doc that thinks along the same lines as myself. Being a Christian, I would find it very difficult to work with a physician that cares nothing for the patient's well being and just pushed drugs, oh my, no way.
Anyway, I am sure glad to see this forum. I will post as my neck and back pain enable me. I am not on line alot due to that as my chiropractor told me to be careful when using this computer, we just discovered I have significant arthritis of the neck and a bone spur starting, an MRI done last May showed several bulging disc's in the mid back region, so, my acupuncturists and chiro are working on these areas as well.
I look forward to everyones' posts and learning new things. I hope I will be able to help at times as well.
God bless
Susie
Oh yes, I do have issues also with anxiety, GERD, and heart PAC's, I am a member of those groups too, so, I am especially interested in alternative methods to help these problems as well. I have had the heart tests done, such as Echo and holter done, I asked my Naturopath to order them and she did, so, I know my heart is in pretty good shape, now, I just have to get over my fear of the "flutters" and get my anxiety and tummy problems under control. :)
When you are at your computer, if you are sitting up, try a moist heat pack while on computer so your neck doesn;t tighten with the strain. :)
Anything good out there for hair loss?
I went to a naturopath, but its really expensive, but I want to keep going.
Make sure you are supporting your adrenals properly because adrenal weakness can also cause hair loss.
:)
Oh yea, a reminder, I've also heard "you have HYPOthyroidism." They stress the HYPO and say it slow like I'm totally lame with dead batteries in my hearing aid. "shouldn't affect your heart like that, that's HYPER". UGH!!!
You must have been seen by drs who are lacking thyroid knowledge (putting it nicely)!
Where are your levels now at? Did you have all the proper tests run? TSH, Free T3, Free T4? How often are you being tested?
It can be common to have the ups and downs when first regulating your levels. Heck I am on almost 4 yrs of trying to regulate.....but I have hashimoto's so that is the reason for so many ups and downs.
Did you get tested for hashi's? Sorry I don't remember what we spoke about over on the thyroid comm, so please refresh me. :)
It took me 4 endos to find one who would treat me.
Hang in there... we are all in this together.
Good luck, god bless.
Laura, before you had assured me I was not crazy. This stuff was completely new and very strange. You told me of your hashimoto's and regulation issues. I had not had the experience of feeling better yet and when it drifted away I became very curious and thought about what you had said. That's why I chose to ask you about it. I don't know if others experience a cycle as I described when it does happen to them or not.
I'm also afraid some of this I'm just sort of going to have to wing it so to speak. I lost my job, and do to some pre-existing conditions I'm pretty much uninsurable, paying staggering amouts for all current medical. In short, I don't have a clue what my levels are now, that's for another day. It's just been a little over a month since I started the meds. The GP has a very laid back attitude suggesting I "come back in a couple of months or so". No tests for hashimoto's.
It is very difficult to understand this disease and even harder for those of us who were fast paced energetic people. I had a corporate management position that I had to give up when I was at one of my sickest points, so I understand completely. I am also a single sole supporting mom with a house as well.....it made it even more stressful.
Whenever you go to dr, always ask for self pay amounts....stress that to them. You might have to bite the bullet and find a new dr who specializes in thyroid. It is critical that you keep track of your levels every six weeks to see if you need medicine increase. Call the hospitals and labs in your area and ask them for the self pay costs of TSH, Free T4 and Free T3.....usually all for under $100. Also you are going to have to have a hashimotos test eventually.
Have you thought about applying for medicaid? Or a program through your county. You have paid your taxes towards it and you might as well apply and use it.
This insurance world isn't fair...this I know and feel for you as well....the whole system stinks!
I can try to help you walk through as much as I can. :)
I've been on an antibiotic regimen for about 5 months, but literally can't stomach it anymore. I'm interested in learning more about how to work towards better health without antibiotics.
I have a lot of weird, painful, and bizarre symptoms from the Lyme, as well as the same type of issues found in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, though I am not diagnosed with those later conditions. I also have a sluggish thyroid, but my TSH is always on the boarder line of the normal limits, so I'm not being treated. I really need to have more and better energy.
I'm looking forward to reading the posts here and hopefully getting some ideas for how to manage my symptoms and illness.
It's great to see you posting here. I also have a sluggish thyroid and my TSH is also on borderline. I really, really wish that these Endocrinologists, who I understand frequently discuss changing the normal lab values for these thyroid tests, would step up to the plate and do it. What I did was follow Jernigan's instructions and take iodine, but I did it responsibly and worked with my Endocrinologist first. After a few days, I noticed improvements and I'm just thrilled that I no longer have dry hair ! LOL ! In fact, I washed my hair last night and used a deep conditioner that I had and my hair even looks oily today. I no longer need to supplement with iodine... at least not at this time.
I wish they would do more research on hormones and autoimmune diseases... don't you ?
Hey... great to see you here !
Quite unexpectantly, my friend finally experienced an inexpensive solution to her own hair loss that I'm sure others would like to hear about. She said that when she started taking folic acid that she stopped experiencing such dramatic hair loss. This was actually just recently that she discovered this as a solution in her own case. I don't know if this will work for everyone with thyroid issues, but folic acid is something that many of us are low in, so I'm sure that supplementing folic acid is something that wouldn't hurt, in any case.