Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
It took almost a lifetime, but in my 60's I finally found a doctor who prescribes more supplements than pharmaceuticals. She was at the Health Center I had been going to for years, and left to start her own practice. After suffering for years with doctors treating my symptoms with pills that did nothing, she identified the chronic problems, advised some otc anti histamines and two pharmacueticals, Singular and Tramadol, low dose, and a LOT of supplements. My inflammatory pain stopped, brain fog, stopped. I do know that a lot of people will not take things which are not covered by their insurance, they do not want to pay out of pocket. They have no problem with new car payments, going out to dinner, buying clothes that are top line outdoor and hiking wear, remodeling their homes and huge credit card bills, but swoon and yell that a supplements may come to a couple of 100 bucks a month, or will not eat whole foods because its too expensive, as they line up at the MacDonalds drive thru in their 30,000 dollar trucks.
You hit the nail on the head talking about priorities. I've always said I'd rather pay upfront on clean food and natural medicine than pay doctors and hospitals. That's the brainwashing factor at its best. And after the past three years people still believe the doctors and big pharma. I've seen some comments here from people living outside of USA talking about the pharmaceutical commercials. Pharma commercials barely exist outside of America. That tells us all we need to know.
Be careful with Tramadol. I took it so long my body was rejecting it and basically all pain or anti inflammatory medication. Over the past two years I'm off everything except I do get twenty tordal every three months. Also get tordal injections occasionally and that helps better than anything including natural medicine. I was prescribed tramadol after one surgery in March and oxytocin after the other surgery (had two in one week). I've never hurt like this and that's after 25 years of pain. I took one tramadol and it didn't help the pain from surgery or chronic pain. Next day took oxy and that didn't help. I'm thankful my body is rejecting pharmaceuticals. Up till last year I was still getting tizanadine (muscle relaxer). Last time I took one my legs felt numb and just weird. I still can't believe how much I took for twenty years. In one way I regret the meds but another way I don't because I was very active with horrible pain. For five years I went to at least one concert a month standing for hours in the pit (at stage). The standing started about 3-4 PM in line and I didn't sit till midnight on the way home. Over all I know they have damaged me in the long run and I've got to rebuild my health. Not impossible but a mountain worth climbing. Those concert years were valuable time spent with my daughter so no regrets!
what are the anti histamines?
I've been on Atarax since I was nine, almost fifty years. I have dermographism (hives from too much release of histamine in the blood). By accident I discovered St John's Wort helps the itching, nerve pain and prevents sun poison & fever blisters (same virus). I rarely take Atarax now but need something occasionally for allergies. Dimetapp is the only thing that helps. If I'd get smart and change my diet I'd see considerable improvement!
Many people find relief with Turmeric Curcumin (it needs pepper of something like ginger to work). It doesn't help me at all. I keep some available for detox in case I'm around sick people. Ginger is also good but I like ginger tea. Research mushrooms and and Adaptogens you might find something helpful.
https://www.superfoodevolution.com/what-are-adaptogens.html
I was prescribed Tramadol in 2008, and it did work, I have not increased the dose since then, and only needed the oxy for 10 days after a hip replacement. I do not believe I can ever stop taking it, I tried. I have no cartlidge left, bone on bone all through thanks to the Babesia bacteria from Lyme. It is 50mg in morning and at night, when I tried to get off of it, the pain in my bones came back. I cannot take NSAID's (Advil, etc). I took them all the time due to deep sciatica, and eventually it led to stomach and gut issues. The antihistamines I take are Allegra, Pepcid AC, and Singular, which is a prescription. After years of NSAIDS and Lyme, I developed something called Mast Cell Reactive Syndrome, ended up in Anaphylaxis from it last February, almost died, because I did not think the antihistamines my doc was recommending was consequential, because I did not want anymore over the counter stuff. Well, I was wrong. I changed my diet, stopped with fermented foods, stopped with gluten altogether, basically just ate chicken, rice, cut out tomatos, mayo, etc. After 6 months, I can now enjoy some tomato based sauces (fresh), and my pain from inflammations, those traveling nerve pains, has come to a halt. I prepped with so much canned food, I have to start eating some of it, last night I had canned spinach and it was fine. Canned foods are high in histamines, the longer a food is kept, canned or pouched, it develops histamines, but I was fine, I also take something called "Super Digestive Enzymes" from Life Extension. which helps when I eat some "iffy" foods. NAC every single day since 2015 saved me from respiratory anaphylaxis, I had full body hives and vomiting, but no throat closures, thanks to NAC. Doc prescribed an epi pen, but I have yet to use it as long as I follow the protocol and diet. I am not super paranoid about mold like everyone seems to be, I clean with peroxide and borax, and have air filters throughout the house and I seem fine. I figure as human beings we have been living with molds since time began for us, so there is no eliminating it, we just have to take care that our immune functions so they do not turn on us. Which is why vaccines screw everything up, that and constantly killing off the good bacteria, disinfecting everything, etc, I figure if you were raised up since the 50's we are all compromised in the immune department. Luckily, natural health has been a "hobby" of mine since a friend gave me a book called "Back to Eden" by Jethro Klaus in 1974.
Glad to hear you have a plan that's working for you have a plan that works for you. We are all different and have to find the right groove. I was asking about antihistamine in case it was natural medicine. I've tried all those you mentioned. So far St. John's wort is working and I've got a backup for Atarax if needed. I have NSAID RX and I rarely take it, only in extreme emergencies. My herbal medicine cabinet helps with inflammation a lot. Thanks for the tip on the book.