Hi Jen,


I found the same research myself recently. Very interesting stuff indeed. My mom is actually just finishing up doing the Mycoplasma treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. It appears she's been helped tremendously, though she is not feeling so great, because she had Candida prior to going on the antibiotics, and though the doctor gave her Diflucan in conjunction, and later added some super-strong Pro-biotics (400 billion organisms per pill) it doesn't seem to have done enough.

I'm contemplating trying to treat the Mycoplasma as well, but the doctor I'm seeing who is willing to do it, I'm not sure the lab he's sending specimens to is going to be able to do it right. I'm supposed to see an infectious disease specialist, who is said to have been able to successfully culture bacteria from the stomach and bladder (quite a feat I guess) next month so maybe I'll wait till then. Maybe not.

How are you feeling at this point in your treatment? I'd love to know!

Also, to the person who was talking about hormones, I'd love to hear more & find out how exactly you fixed the hormone problem, how do you know you're at the right levels if the blood tests came up innacurate? I'm having the same problem. My blood tests came back okay a few months ago, but I KNEW I was having problems (adrenal burnout and out of whack sex hormones) so I started taking DHEA and it helped soooo much, at least with the Adrenal burnout symptoms...

Thanks everyone for sharing what is working for them!

I am so glad to see so many people investigating alternative medicine. I blame the fact that I have fibro at all on two massive courses of IV antibiotics - 3 weeks each time of clyndamicin..the strongest on they have yet, followed by two weeks of oral.

Antibiotics are now listed as one of the top five known triggers for Fibro.

I had a bad spider bite on my neck that became infected. The trad, dr. wanted me to use...antibiotics. (56$) My alternative practitioner recommended colloidal silver ($6) be sprayed on site three times a day. Was gone in three days.

I am also on the course of trying to determine if I have a candida overgrowth. I have started using one container of Pro-Bio K per day...a fermented yogurt product that contains massive amounts of live culture. However, there is another school of thinking that says taking probiotics in pill form is better, as the pills have a special coating that doesn't dissolve until it reaches the intestines, thus protecting them from the acids in the stomach.

Just some of my experiences..am going to ask about oil of oregano!

When I over-exert I often get a sore throat and the beginnings of a sinus infections. If I spray the CS into my nose several times a day it doesn't progress into the full blown sinus infections (which were chronic for years and years). If I've waited too long and the infection is worse I use a dropper and turn my head upside down and drop it into my nose. It hurts, but it only takes a couple of doses to get rid of the infection.

My dh has fibro, and he went to a unique doctor a few years ago who treated it with long term antibiotics--to treat "infection"--and it worked, for a while. For about 2 years he felt much better, then the symptoms began to return.

I am trying to avoid antibiotics of all kinds as I am convinced, having examined my history, that two long courses of antibiotics undergone to treat cellulits and then infection after surgery were the final TRIGGER to start the fibro syndrome. I strongly believe that fibro has a degree of autoimmune deficiency associated with it!

colloidal silver was used years ago for rheumatoid arthritis. It may still be.

Robin, has his dr put him back on the antibiotics or is he trying a more natural approach?
I over did it earlier this summer and ended up flat on my back. I'm still overwhelmed with the pain and fatigue these days. I know that I need to try something new. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful ideas. I'm going to spend some time checking out those links now. I wonder how the CS experiment went? I've never taken it internally, but use it topically and in my nose with great results.

Molly I think you're on to something there. It definitely is connected with the immune system.

Quote:
I strongly believe that fibro has a degree of autoimmune deficiency associated with it!


I also believe it. I had an overactive thyroid and had to take the radioactive iodine to kill the overactive cells. A naturopath wouldn't touch my case as I was on beta blockers by that time..2 weeks after the iodine I went to a specialist and asked him why I had sore spots in my chest ribs...hurt like hell to touch. He didn't have a clue and said it had nothing to do with my treatment..I disagree..something happened at that time to bring on the trigger points that were not there before..that was the start of going downhill then...

I'm all for using natural methods over chemical ones when they're available, but I don't think taking colloidal silver long-term can be healthy. If it works as it's supposed to, as an antibiotic, it kills a lot of things in your body, "helpful" bacteria and such, that are supposed to have a positive effect on your system. If this stuff is as powerful as it's claimed it is, you can be sure that it has drawbacks too.

I had EXTENSIVE blood work at my first visit to Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Center near Phila. When the doctor went over the results with me, I thought he was nuts. Yes, "invasion" would be the correct term when testing shows values so high that it would confirm an active infection of Epstein-Barr (which I had at 13 yrs old, now I'm 48).
It seems that the virus is capable of hiding in the body until the time is right to take over. When the adrenals are run down and thyroid won't work, etc, the virus is free to roam and multiply.
I don't believe medicine understands this currently, as each doctor I speak to makes up a different reason for it.

last time ive used antibiotics was 10yrs ago or so...(knock on wood) im lucky to be healthy and doesnt get sick aside from a cold here and there...but i do have fibro and in my case its not caused by antibio..nor grains or gluten or whatever ppl think whats out there that causes fibro...its just plain lack of sleep...when i had my son almost 19yrs ago he never slept... well let me rephrase ..he would sleep and get up every 2hrs of so for a year..then when he was about 2yrs old he would sleep maybe like 6hrs...since newborn i was up all the time with him...i was burnt...i never had deep sleep even before him but when he came along that triggered Fibro..i only found out about 6yrs ago that i had that...the only thing that works for me is my yoga and not do weight lifing like i use to..that is finish for me or all my joints are out of whacked...today i went out to shovel with hubby 40cm of snow fell today...we have an extremely long driveway.. (snowblower gave up) all my joints are hurting today from head to toe...what i wanted to say is that one day my husband was working with this spanish guy and this spanish guy believed in silver treatment..but i remember my husband had an infected finger (hes a machinist and cut himself) and the spanish man gave him a piece of silver and said to put it in water and drink it...i freaked out and said dont do that..hubby never took it either...but the spanish man really believes in this silver...it wasnt drops either but a piece of silver so i felt something was wrong...i dont think i would try colloidal silver for my fibro cause im not sure if it will really work for me...i dont know, im not a big fan on mixing stuff...maybe i need to read more...i know i alway read everything and research everything before taking anything...all of your posts are so interesting...ive learn a few things too..well im off to read your links...thanks

I've seen the band-aids with silver in them...So maybe there's evidence that topical treatments work if a band-aid company is willing to make money off of them. Still skeptical about ingesting it. Can't seem to get past the aluminum we're not supposed to be putting in our bodies either. Just me I guess. I hope it works for you. I'd love to know there's a cure that big pharma can't get it's claws into.

My fibro came on me when years ago I had to have some intestinal surgery and every since the surgery which has been 15 yrs. ago I have had fibro. I hurt all over, every muscle, even my skin hurts.

They give me muscle relaxers for it and even pain medication but nothing helps. I feel like I am running fever all the time even though the thermonther does not register any fever.
My docotr says there is nothing that can be done for it..I am just so tired of suffering with it.

Have you looked into Coconut Oil to help relieve the symptoms? I've just read "The Coconut Oil Miracle" by Bruce Fife and I think he mentions it in connection with fibromyalgia.

I hope you find something which helps.

amanda

Oh no, that sounds awful. But you shouldn't just give up looking for answers just because your doctor is clueless. There are patient groups with lots of knowledge and help for people with chronic pain. Please spend some time on the internet searching, you could find a solution.

Here's one: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/...hronic_pain.htm

I remember seeing on Mystery Diagnosis one woman who had terrible pain after an accident that spread and got worse... the disease was called RSD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comple...l_Pain_Syndrome

Anyway, even if they can't treat the underlying cause you should be under the care of a good pain management specialist.