Advertisement

Q: I have had Fibromyalgia and IBS for about 7 years. It has gotten worse over the last 6 months or so. My Doctor, who has been really great, has tried so many medications to help, but nothing seems to really help. I have just started going to another specialist that deals with a lot of Fibro patients and he mentioned about a shot that he gives, I did some research about it and it is called a Myers cocktail.

Has anyone heard of it, or tried it, or have any other information about it? – Cindy

A: Though readers are invited to share their experiences with the Myers' cocktail, our search for info indicates it is administered by an MD as an intravenous (IV) “pharmaceutical strength” nutritional therapy (usually B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C, calcium). It may be that your doctor’s idea is a similar mix of nutrients delivered more simply as an injection (shot). As with B12 shots, one could speculate that this is an efficient way to deliver important nutrients straight to the bloodstream if the patient is deficient and/or the digestive tract etc. may not be effectively metabolizing/absorbing/manufacturing these nutrients from food or dietary supplements.

Here are some resources with different info about Myers’ cocktail:

1. At the Bastyr Center website - which is a good source of information on nutritional issues.

2. From Wikipedia – history etc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers'_cocktail)

3. At the FibromyalgiaNetwork site – which discusses the issue of cost for Myers’ cocktail IV therapy (not shots) vs. taking oral supplements. (B12 at least, can be taken sublingually to bypass the digestive tract & enter the bloodstream.)

There seems to be a product that can be taken orally containing Myers’ cocktail nutrients – apparently prescribed by a doctor/taken under a doctor’s care and must be shipped and stored cold.

Are FM and ME the same?

Q: I was diagnosed with FMS in 2001. Are ME and FMS the same? Different? Treated the same? Please send me more information on ME and how it can/can't be related. – Patti

A: See the article “FM and ME/CFS – The Same, Related, or Different?” in today’s newsletter. It should answer most of your questions.

Natural alternative for Lyrica^R?

Q: Is there an alternative natural product for Lyrica?

A: Lyrica^R is a potent and sophisticated drug that affects the central nervous system in a way that can reduce seizures and affect pain impulses, though exactly how is still unknown. When you consider natural alternatives for this or any drug, it’s good to recognize how pharmaceutical drugs differ from nutrients and supplements.

• Drugs tend to work by taking the place of the body’s own systems for coping with problems – toxic assaults, injuries, or pathogens. A certain antibiotic can take over the immune system’s job to kill certain pathogens, for example. Drugs tend to work quickly.
• Most nutrients and supplements, on the other hand, bolster supplies of what the body’s systems and cells would naturally employ or manufacture to function and repair themselves. Because supplements work in this way, weeks or months may sometimes be required to derive benefits.

As for natural alternatives to Lyrica that might be helpful, the prospects would depend on the type and cause of the pain you have. Does your doctor believe it is related to inflammation, is it muscle or joint pain, or owing to tension or low cellular ATP production, or to a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B12, or magnesium, for example? If you’re shopping in ProHealth’s catalog or online store, products in the "Soreness & Swelling" or "Joints & Bones" categories may be possibilities. And as always, make no addition or change to your health support regimen without researching and discussing it explicitly with your healthcare team.

Also, as the latest research shows, each person’s genetic makeup includes mutations in some of the genes responsible for efficient production of essential enzymes (more than 800 enzymes are known to date), explaining as never before why different things may work for different people.

DVD training program from England?

Q: Has [anyone] taken the DVD training program from England on retraining the brain? [Have you heard of] anyone in the USA who has recovered with this approach? – Louis

A: If the program you are referring to is the Amygdala Retraining Program being promoted by Ashok Gupta, we do know that Cort Johnson is currently working with the program and is chronicling his experiences in a blog on his Website, Phoenix Rising: A Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. You can read Cort’s blog at http://phoenix-cfs.org/BlogAmygdalaTraining1.htm.

Is earlobe pain FM-related?

Q: I was just wondering if anyone with Fibromyalgia ever suffers from pain in their earlobes. It’s a stabbing pain like I get from my sciatica, and while it doesn’t happen as often, it certainly hurts and I look pretty silly holding onto and rubbing my ear. While it usually attacks my left ear, occasionally I’ll get pain in my right ear as well. I can’t really connect it to anything and it doesn’t happen all that often – maybe once every other month or so. But it really hurts. I did have surgery for TMJ [temporomandibular joint disorder] in 1984. Could this be related? Any information would be helpful. – Susan

A: With fibromyalgia, it can often be difficult to tell what the source of a specific pain might be. Since FM causes pain amplification, something relatively minor that wouldn’t even be noticed by the average person can be quite painful for someone with fibromyalgia. It’s not unusual for pain to recur in a particular spot for unknown reasons. Perhaps there is some kind of general weakness or minor injury in that area that is easily triggered. We just don’t know for sure.

There is one condition we know of – called Raynaud’s disease – that some people with FM also have, which can cause earlobe pain. It most frequently affects your fingers and toes, but can also affect your nose, lips and earlobes. Raynaud’s can cause these areas of your body to feel numb, cold and painful in response to cold temperatures or stress. With Raynaud's disease, the arteries that supply blood to your skin narrow, limiting blood circulation to the affected areas. You can learn more about Raynaud’s disease at MayoClinic.com (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/raynauds-disease/DS00433).

____
Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is generic and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness, condition, or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.