The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a warning about large amounts of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl coming from Mexico.
Mexican drug cartels are manufacturing and importing mass quantities of pills and, based on a sampling of tablets seized nationwide between Jan. and Mar. 2019, the DEA found that 27% contained potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
“Capitalizing on the opioid epidemic and prescription drug abuse in the United States, drug trafficking organizations are now sending counterfeit pills made with fentanyl in bulk to the United States for distribution,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “Counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl and fentanyl-laced heroin are responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths in the United States each year.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is used as an opioid pain reliever, treating severe pain like some forms of cancer.
“It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine,” states the CDC on their website. “It is prescribed in the form of [adhesive] patches or lozenges.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle highlights that fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids are the primary problems behind the opioid crisis in New England.
“Fentanyl [is] involved in more deaths than any other illicit drug,” said Boyle.
Massachusetts has been ranked among the top ten states with the highest rates of drug overdose deaths involving opioids with 1,913 drug overdose deaths involving opioids in 2017. Opioid deaths in Massachusetts are twice as high at the national average, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
According to the DEA, a lethal dose of fentanyl is estimated to be just two milligrams but can vary based on an individual’s body size, tolerance, and amount of usage.
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**Comment**
Similarly to the false climate change narrative regarding the spread of ticks and Lyme disease, there is another false mantra – that those requiring pain medications are behind the “opioid crisis.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
This article from The Guardian, states that the upsurge in prescription opioids was in response to an under prescription crisis and that those suffering with severe and chronic pain were left to “writhe in pain” until policies changed in the 70s and 80s. The author points out that the opioid scare campaign of today mimics a scare campaign of history:https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/07/truth-us-opioid-crisis-too-easy-blame-doctors-not-prescriptions
You know something is wrong when a stage four cancer patient is sent home with Tylenol.
Now, thanks to the Washington Post’s investigation, we learn that the DEA directly negotiated with the drug industry to grantopioid manufacturersselective immunity from criminal seizure and prosecution. Is anyone really surprised? This has been the DEA’s business model for decades.
The following graphic (see link above), published by the Washington Post, reveals that at least 56 DEA and Justice Dept. officials left their government jobs to work for the pharmaceutical industry.
The first time I saw the award-winning Lyme documentary Under Our Skin, I was seated in the theater. In the film, a doctor who doesn’t believe in chronic Lyme was asked what might otherwise be causing the symptoms of the more than 427,000 people afflicted by tick-borne illness every year. He suggested it could just be the normal aches and pains of getting older.
With that bit of ignorance so baldly stated, everyone in the theater let out a collective groan.
There is a big difference between the aches and pains that come with tick-borne illnesses and those associated with every day life.
To be fair, those who haven’t wrestled with tick-borne illnesses might be confused by the generic descriptor “aches and pains.” That’s because it’s like so many other nebulous descriptions,—like “fatigue”—that could be the result of any number of illnesses. Let me explain.
In my former athletic life, I was a hard-core skier. In college I skied almost every winter day, and after I graduated and moved to Colorado, I skied every Saturday and Sunday from November to April. Often my muscles were sore after these workouts. Sometimes I’d even wake up with an aching back, but only because I’d worked my arms too hard the day before. These aches and pains were akin to those anyone might feel after working out at the gym, going for a run, or weeding the garden. The muscles get overworked, and you feel residual soreness.
Unless this type of soreness is indicative of a larger injury, it usually can be alleviated with gentle stretching, rest, ice and ibuprofen. Generally, the soreness dissipates within a few days, and you can continue with daily life—sometimes even exercising moderately—while these aches and pains heal. They are a nuisance but they’re not debilitating.
The same is true for what I know of the aches and pains of getting older. Granted, I am only 41, so I can’t speak yet to the pain my older readers feel when their bones start to complain or they develop arthritis. For me, the aches and pains of getting older mean that my knees creak when I crouch down to talk to a child. My back twinges more than it used to when I pick up a heavy bag or box and I’m more susceptible to a pulled muscle. When I fall down skiing, the bruises hurt a little more, I’m having more soreness the next day than when I was younger, and I tend to need more ibuprofen.
These aches and pains are tolerable. I might complain about them to a friend, but then I go on with my day. These pains don’t have me bedridden for months or years.They aren’t all over my entire body, just at the stressed joints. They don’t make me feel like I have a perpetual flu.
The aches and pains of Lyme disease do cover the entire body. When you have Lyme, you feel like your whole body is weighed down with a thick coating of molasses. It takes a slow, exhausting effort to lift your limbs. Your joints ache not in a post-work-out way, but in a way that feels like that molasses is pooling in your elbows, knees and toes. I’ve often felt a pulling sensation in these areas, like someone was gripping and yanking at my joints.
And the pain was not only in my joints. Because Lyme is a systemic inflammatory infection, I felt aches and pains all over my body. Think about how your ankle swells when you twist it badly. That’s because of inflammation. Now imagine that type of inflammation all over your entire body. That’s Lyme disease.
Different Lyme patients feel pain in different areas, depending where the Lyme bacteria (spirochetes) are gathered, and depending on which areas the infection has spread to. Some have migraine headaches. Some Lyme sufferers have back and neck pain that makes it hard to move. My worst aches were in my forearms and shins. I felt a deep pain in those bones, which would bruise to the touch. Returning to the molasses analogy, sometimes my forearms felt so weighted down that I could not type. I could hand write one sentence and then had to lie down.
These aches and pains went on for months, until antibiotics and prescription anti-inflammatory medication killed enough Lyme bacteria that the molasses feeling blissfully dissipated. The pain could not have been alleviated with ibuprofen or ice, because it was the result of a bacterial infection that was deep in my body. It wasn’t just a nuisance; it made daily life impossible.
Now, when I get “normal” aches and pains—when I’m sore from skiing, or my calves hurt from walking around the city in bad shoes, I know it’s not Lyme-related, because it’s not as deep or painful. It goes away on its own in a few days. When I less frequently feel a pulling sensation in my joints, shins or forearms, or when I can actually feel the spirochetes buzzing under the skin in those areas,–when I put my hands on my skin, I can feel a buzzing underneath, like electricity–then I know it’s a Lyme-related problem.
If only Lyme patients could show others what’s inside—if only we could demonstrate our infection the way we see illustrations of a smoker’s lungs. Perhaps then people who don’t have Lyme would better understand. To reiterate, Lyme pain is not the same as the typical aches and pains of aging, and it needs to be treated seriously, by a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD). You can find one here.
Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.
Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. She has written a memoir, One Tick Stopped the Clock, for which she is seeking representation. Contact her at: lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com.
“My diagnoses they came up with here was (that it was) just a pain syndrome,” she said. “I was put on Oxycodone and told to seek a psychologist. At this point I was using a cane. I was in so much pain even the Oxycodone wasn’t working.”
“I kept saying ‘Somethings wrong, I’m in pain,’ ” Fraser said. “Everyone’s telling you ‘You’re not in pain, it’s all in your head.’ ”
Many Lyme/MSIDS patients suffer with neuralgia, a twenty dollar word for pain due to irritated or damaged nerves. The following articles do a great job explaining it. I was elated to see that the first article written this month attributes Lyme disease to causing it, along with other infections. My guess is Bartonella, Babesia, Mycoplasma, Brucella, and possibly other tick-borne illnesses, including viruses, could all play a part. Because the CDC/NIH/IDSA do not accept the fact this is often times a polymicrobial illness(infected with far more than just Lyme), and many of the coinfections are not reportable, authorities have absolutely no idea about prevalence.
My guess is there are many diagnosed with neuralgia that have an undiagnosed Lyme/MSIDS infection.
Neuralgia refers to severe, shooting pain that occurs due to a damaged or irritated nerve. Neuralgia can affect any part of the body, causing mild to severe pain. Certain medications and surgical procedures can effectively treat neuralgia.Severe neuralgia can interfere with a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks and may impact their quality of life.Neuralgia has many possible causes, including:
pressure on nerves from bones, blood vessels, or tumors
other medical conditions, such as kidney disease or diabetes
aging
Types of neuralgia
Healthcare professionals divide neuralgia into categories depending on the areas of the body it affects. The following are some common types of neuralgia:
Trigeminal neuralgia
TN can cause shooting pain in the face.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) involves the trigeminal nerve in the head. It has three branches that send signals from the brain to the face, mouth, teeth, and nose.
TN falls into two subdivisions: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 TN causes a painful burning or electric shock-like sensation in parts of the face. People with type 1 TN experience irregular episodes that come on suddenly.
The duration of these episodes varies among people but can last up to 2 minutes, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Type 2 TN produces a constant, dull aching sensation in the face.
The exact cause of TN remains unclear. However, pressure from an enlarged blood vessel can irritate or even damage the trigeminal nerve.
Shingles is a viral infection that causes blisters and a painful skin rash. The varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, remains dormant in the nervous system and reactivates later in life, causing shingles.
When the virus reactivates, it can cause inflammation in the nerve fibers. This inflammation can lead to permanent nerve damage that causes pain, even after the infection subsides.
Occipital neuralgia
This form of neuralgia affects the occipital nerves, which originate in the neck and send signals to the back of the head.
Occipital neuralgia causes a throbbing or shooting pain that starts near the base of the skull and radiates along the scalp. Occipital neuralgia pain can flow to the back of the eyes.
Difficulty eating or swallowing are potential symptoms of peripheral neuralgia.
Peripheral neuralgia, or peripheral neuropathy, refers to pain that occurs due to nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. This includes all nerve fibers outside of the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral neuralgia can affect a single nerve or entire nerve groups.
Sustaining damage to the peripheral nervous system can affect nerves that control muscle movements, transmit sensory information, and regulate internal organs.
Peripheral neuralgia can cause pain or numbnessin the hands, feet, arms, and legs. Other symptoms may include:
involuntary muscle twitching or cramping
loss of coordination
difficulty performing complex motor tasks, such as buttoning a shirt or tying shoelaces
Intercostal neuralgia affects the nerves that sit just below the ribs. Doctors call the muscles in this area the intercostal muscles.
Several potential factors may contribute to intercostal neuralgia, such as:
injuries or surgical procedures that involve the chest
pressure on the nerves
shingles or other viral infections
Intercostal neuralgia causes a sharp, burning pain that affects the chest wall, upper abdomen, and upper back. Certain physical movements, such as breathing, coughing, or laughing, can worsen the pain.
Additional symptoms may include:
tightness or pressure that wraps around the chest
tingling or numbness in the upper chest or upper back
muscle twitching
loss of appetite
Diabetic neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes. Because diabetes affects so many people, rates of peripheral neuropathy are now beginning to rise.
Symptoms include loss of balance and numbness, tingling, and pain. The best way to prevent diabetic neuropathy is to bring blood sugar levels within a suitable range.
Symptoms
In general, neuralgia causes intense and distinct symptoms, including:
sudden episodes of extreme shooting or stabbing pain that follows the path of a damaged or irritated nerve
persistent aching or burning pain
tingling or numbness
muscle weakness
loss of muscle mass, or atrophy
involuntary muscle twitching or cramping
Treatments
Treatment options for neuralgia vary depending on the type and severity of the condition.
Topical ointments, local nerve block, and steroid injections may offer temporary pain relief for mild neuralgia.
Treating severe neuralgia pain may require prescription medications, surgical procedures, or both.
Medications
A doctor may prescribe medication to treat neuralgia.
Pain relievers tend not to be very effective at controlling neuralgia pain. Medications that can treat the underlying causes of neuralgia include:
anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine, topiramate, and lamotrigine
Microvascular decompression: This helps remove an enlarged blood vessel pressing on a nerve. The procedure involves placing a soft pad between the blood vessel and the affected nerve.
Stereotactic surgery: This is a noninvasive procedure that delivers highly concentrated radiation beams to the root of a damaged nerve. The radiation disrupts the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
Balloon compression: This involves inserting a small balloon into the affected nerve. The balloon inflates, resulting in controlled, intentional nerve damage. This procedure prevents the affected nerve from sending pain signals to the brain. However, the effects of the procedure usually wear off after 1–2 years.
Outlook and takeaway
Neuralgia causes painful symptoms that vary in duration and severity. As well as pain, neuralgia can cause numbness, muscle weakness, and hypersensitivity.
If a person does not receive treatment, neuralgia can interfere with their ability to perform daily tasks.
People can work with a healthcare provider to establish the best course of treatment for their specific symptoms. If the condition does not respond to initial treatments, a healthcare provider may refer the person to a pain management specialist.
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**Comment**
They don’t list antimicrobial treatment as a treatment for this, but it is. Again, if Lyme/MSIDS is behind it, the only thing that’s going to squash this pain at the root is to eradicate the pathogens behind it. Nothing touched this pain for me but long-term antimicrobials. While some of the listed treatments may help, they are bandaids. I talk more about this further down. Keep reading….
Occipital neuralgia is the term for a headache that starts in the upper neck or back of the head and spreads or radiates behind the eyes, forehead, and up to the scalp.
Headaches are one the world’s most common health problems, with 80-90 percent of Americans experiencing a “tension headache” at some point in their lives.
Although headaches are a common health problem, occipital neuralgia is a specific type of headache. According to the American Migraine Foundation, it is also rare, affecting only 3.2 people out of every 100,000 a year.
Fast facts on occipital neuralgia:
It is called occipital because it affects the area around the occipital bone.
Pain associated with occipital neuralgia is often sudden and severe.
Symptoms can be alarming, but they are not usually associated with any life-threatening health conditions.
How is it different from other headaches?
Occipital neuralgia is a headache that begins in the upper neck or back of head.
Headaches due to occipital neuralgia are frequently quite painful, starting with a sharp, stabbing pain, but most people with this condition respond well to treatment and most recover.
Occipital neuralgia is different from other types of headaches in two ways:
The cause of the condition.
The specific places where individuals feel pain.
Other headaches have more general causes, which can range from sinus infections to high blood pressure to medications and many other potential triggers.
But occipital neuralgia only develops when the occipital nerves are irritated or injured. These nerves are found at the second and third vertebrae of the neck.
Occipital neuralgia pain will only develop in areas touched by the greater, lesser, and third occipital nerves.
With one on each side of the head, the occipital nerves run from the spine to the scalp, and sensitivity can develop anywhere along this route.
What is causing this headache?
There are many types of headache, learn more about them and their most effective remedies here.
What are the main symptoms?
The pain from occipital neuralgia may spread to the sides of the head or behind the eyes.
For most people, the pain strikes on only one side of the head. It also tends to spread, usually from where the skull meets the neck, and then traveling up the back of the head and to the sides or behind the eyes.
In many individuals, the scalp can be affected, especially where the occipital nerves connect.
It can feel sore or extremely sensitive.
Light may also irritate the eyes.
Occipital neuralgia is described as coming in bursts of pain that come and go, lasting for a few seconds or minutes. At times, individuals may experience a lingering ache between more extreme bouts of pain.
Small movements can trigger an outburst of pain from occipital neuralgia. These movements include:
turning the head to the side
putting the head down on a pillow
brushing or washing the hair
The pain can be quite intense, which can prompt some individuals with the condition to say it is like a migraine or a cluster headache, even though these are different types and require different treatments.
What causes it?
Different conditions and circumstances can irritate the occipital nerves, which then give rise to occipital neuralgia.
Injury
Injuries to the neck area, such as whiplash from a car accident or some other sort of trauma, can damage the occipital nerves and lead to this condition.
Muscular problems
Tight muscles in the neck and the back of the head can put the squeeze on occipital nerves and pinch or entrap them, which can also lead to occipital neuralgia.
Back issues
Problems with the spine, such as arthritis, degenerating discs, or spondylosis, are possible sources of pressure on the occipital nerves, as are tumors.
Other causes
Other conditions that can play a role in developing occipital neuralgia include:
In many cases, it is not possible for someone to identify a single factor that damaged or irritated the occipital nerves.
How is it diagnosed?
During an examination the doctor may see if pressing on the occipital nerve area causes pain.
A doctor taking a medical history and conducting a physical exam diagnoses occipital neuralgia.
This condition causes extreme tenderness along the occipital nerves. So, during a physical exam, the doctor may press on these areas to see if the pressure generates pain.
It is not always easy to diagnose occipital neuralgia because it has similar characteristics to many other kinds of headaches.
After initial exams, a doctor may order more involved tests.
One way to diagnose occipital neuralgia can also provide relief.
If a nerve block injected between the C2 and C3 vertebrae makes the symptoms go away, it is a strong indication of occipital neuralgia.
Deadening the nerves with anesthetics and corticosteroids helps individuals feel better, although the effects are temporary, only lasting about 12 weeks. However, injections into the vertebrae and numbing nerves are involved procedures, so a doctor will often pursue less invasive treatments first.
Can it be prevented?
For some people, antiepileptic medications and tricyclic antidepressants can prevent bouts of pain due to occipital neuralgia.
Treatments
Doctors will usually recommend straightforward treatments when individuals are first diagnosed with occipital neuralgia. These include:
The aim is to provide many people with relief by relaxing and releasing the muscles that are putting pressure on the occipital nerves.
Other medications, such as muscle relaxants and anticonvulsants, can help offset symptoms.
Nerve blockers
Nerve-blocking injections, which are used to diagnose the condition, can also be used to prevent pain.
Pulsed radiofrequency
Pulsed radiofrequency may be employed to stimulate the occipital nerves to keep them from sending pain signals. Although this procedure is more invasive than massage and medication, it does not damage any nerves or nearby tissue.
Surgery
Surgery is reserved for the most painful and difficult cases. Through a process called microvascular decompression, doctors eliminate pressure on the nerves by moving encroaching blood vessels out of the way.
Home remedies
Home remedies can do a lot to relieve the pain when tight muscles, injury, and stress cause occipital neuralgia.
Rest, massage, and warm compresses can help individuals work out the kinks that are creating pressure in their necks.
Physical therapy can help individuals work through the crisis phase of their occipital neuralgia and provide them with exercises they can do to prevent a recurrence of this painful condition.
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**Comment**
Again, they don’t state that proper antimicrobials addressing the systemic infection causing this as a treatment, but it is. And for Lyme/MSIDS patients, it’s an extremely important treatment because as I stated before, all the others are mere bandaids.
This occipital neuralgia was my Achilles Heel and thorn in my side for years due to Lyme/MSIDS. I even had a MRI to rule out Chiari, which can be the result of a systemic infection. I met 3 people in the same week with a Lyme/MSIDS diagnosis who also had Chiari: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/02/chiari/
I’m certain there are plenty more patients with this symptom who have an undiagnosed Lyme/MSIDS infection.
Home remedies wouldn’t touch this pain with a 10 foot pole, much less NSAIDS. I would caution the use of corticosteroids as these will suppress your immune system. The caveat would be if you are on an antimicrobial regimen and your practitioner is monitoring you. I also caution the use of NSAIDS as taking massive doses of Ibuprofen about shut my husband’s liver down.
This pain may be the person’s first acknowledged symptom of Lyme/MSIDS. Often men will suffer and self medicate and deny a real problem. This is where spouses, friends, and family need to be educated about the possibility of a tick borne illness so they can mention it to the suffering person. If you are popping NSIDS like candy, something’s wrong. Getting them to an open-minded, trained practitioner who will consider tick borne illness is your next job. Contact your local support group for a list of ILADS-trained doctors.
Also, this pain for me radiated to the right side of my head from the occipital area to the right temple. There were times my right shoulder was involved with pain and numbness going all the way down my arm into my right pinkie finger. The finger would also move on its own. This can happen anywhere in the body.
The following neurological conditions may be responsible for headaches on one side:
Occipital neuralgia: This occurs when nerves running from the top of the spinal cord to the scalp (occipital nerves) become damaged or inflamed. Symptoms include sharp pain in the back of the head and neck, pain behind the eye, and sensitivity to light.
Temporal arteritis: Arteries in the head and neck become inflamed with temporal arteritis. Along with muscle pain, it causes a severe headache on the side of the head. Other symptoms include fatigue, jaw pain, and tender temples.
Trigeminal neuralgia: This causes intense pain in the face and head. The pain usually affects only one side at a time. It is caused by disruption to the trigeminal nerve at the base of the brain.
Lyme/MSIDS infections can be behind all of this. Spread the word.
My numbers won’t budge. Every month I go in for a blood test and every month I get an email from my doctor stating that my inflammatory markers are the same. The numbers are not so high to cause a panic, but they’re not low enough to signal any real improvement either. I’ve tried everything from meditation to medication, but nothing seems to work. Each month I pray the numbers will drop and I’m devastated when month after month they stay the same.
I’ve put in all the work; there’s been no stinting. I’ve been in treatment for three years. I’ve changed my lifestyle, my diet, and most difficult of all, my mindset. But I keep coming up short. There’s no doubt I’m better. My bedridden days are mostly in the past, and the pain that keeps me up at night (painsomnia, I call it) happens once or twice week instead of every day. Another marker of my improvement is after treatment my herxheimer reactions are greatly diminished. These are positive trends, but still I am not where I want to be. I want clinical proof that my recovery is real. I want to know unequivocally that I’m heading toward remission. I’ve been at this dreaded plateau for months waiting to break free. I anxiously await the day when my inflammatory markers take a dramatic drop.
Your plateau may be different than mine. Maybe you, too, made big improvements in the beginning and now it’s tapering off, or maybe you’re stuck waiting for any minuscule improvement at all. Either way the lack of progress may be the hardest thing to bear.
All this was weighing heavily on me. Then one day I started thinking about actual plateaus in nature. Consider for a moment you are climbing up a mountain and reach a plateau. You’ve done the grueling work of going up the mountain and now you are walking on level ground. You are still moving forward, that hasn’t changed, but you’re not increasing your elevation. Maybe that’s what plateaus are in treatment—a leveling off that doesn’t feel like progress, because you aren’t climbing anymore. But you have achieved an incremental improvement in your recovery.
This bit of visualization changed the way I thought about my lack of headway, though there were still some questions I needed to ask myself— questions you may need to ask yourself as well:
Q: Have I really plateaued or is my progress just going slowly?
A: With Lyme disease the improvement can be slow . . . very slow. As they say, any progress is good progress. If you feel comfortable with your treatment protocol, you may need to practice patience and remember you are getting better. However, sometimes the progress is too slow and even if there is incremental improvement you may want talk to your doctor about exploring ways to speed up your treatment plan.
Q: Have you hit a plateau before? What helped jumpstart my healing?
A: If this has happened before, what was it that made the difference? Maybe it’s a new supplement or an increased dose of medication. Maybe your thyroid or adrenals are out of balance and need attention. Try to remember back to what helped you before and try it again. It may help to keep a journal about what you think is and isn’t working for you.
Q: Do I need to change my treatment or ride it out?
A: As I said, with Lyme getting better takes time. Ask yourself if you think your current treatment plan is sufficient to to get you better. This is a good place to use your intuition. If you feel skeptical every time you meet with your doctor that might be your body telling you something.
Q: If I plan to stay the course when will I know it’s time to adjust?
A: Give yourself a timeline—six months, nine months—for when you want to reevaluate. Verbalize your timeline to your doctor, so she or he knows what you’re thinking. Ask if there is a test that can be run at that time to compare where you were before to where you are now.
Q: Am I testing too often?
A: If you’re like me and your numbers aren’t budging, maybe it’s time to put more space between tests. This depends naturally on what is medically advisable. But I I did realize that the constant testing was causing me frequent disappointments, which weren’t good for my healing. I have since decided to go from once a month to once every other month for my bloodwork and focus on other things in the meantime.
Q: Is there something else I could do to move forward?
A: A plateau is the perfect time to reevaluate your habits. Perhaps it’s time to add more nutrients to your diet or increase detox. Have you always wanted to try a complementary therapy? Now may be the time. Or are there other options?
Q: Is this a good time for a healing pause?
A: Have no doubts, recovery from Lyme treatment is a full-time job. It seems like there’s always something else you can try, but is that the best thing for your body? This could be an indication that it’s time to take a break from all the intensity and let your body rest at the top of the mountain.
Take some time and ask yourself these questions. Get quiet and let your intuition speak. There are few doctors, medications, or therapies that can give us as much insight as our own common sense. Remember the image of the mountain and keep walking forward on the level ground of the plateau—the uphill slope may be only a few steps ahead.
Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.
Kerry J. Heckman is a licensed therapist and author of the healing and wellness blog Words Heal. She was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in 2016.
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**Comment**
Great article to begin meaningful dialogue.
Not sure what tests she keeps having done but I’ve heard mixed opinions about the CD-57 test which some docs swear by and others like my own say it’s a general, very basic indicator of immunity and unless you have the number before you were sick and then taken at regular intervals throughout treatment, it’s just a number. https://www.tiredoflyme.com/cd57.html
Another thing that helped this inflammation/pain for me was systemic enzymes: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/22/systemic-enzymes/ There are many brands out there. You might have to try a few to find one that works. I’ve tried different variations of Wobenzym as well as a brand my doctor sells. (I’m not affiliated with any companies)
I’ll never forget the ranger in the documentary, “Under Our Skin,” state that he never could have imagined that his greatest improvement would come AFTER three years of treatment. This has been my experience and my husband’s as well. I must add that after 4.5 years of treatment for us, and two relapses requiring 2-3 month stints of treatment, we got better EACH TIME we treated. This very well could be the “cycling” approached discussed by Dr. Burrascano here: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/28/the-history-of-lyme-disease-dr-burrascano/In brief: he found that cycling 3-4 times typically worked for most patients. Ironically, the 3rd cycle yielded the worst herx. Pam Weintraub wrote about this in, “Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Disease Epidemic,” way back in the 90’s, yet few doctors do this. Cycling just means that after you are symptom-free for 2-3 months you quit ALL treatment. If and when symptoms return, you hit hard with antibiotics until symptoms leave again. You do this 3-4 times. Burrascano states his symptoms never returned and many of his patients had the same experience.
When I hit a plateau after years of treatment yet still had symptoms, I called another LLMD I knew and asked if he’d be willing to do a phone consultation with me, not as a treating physician, but as a second ear to hear what I’ve done to give me ideas for any omissions he saw. That phone call was worth every penny as he carefully listened to what I’d done and gave me ideas for things to try. Very helpful. I then took that knowledge to my LLMD and he was smart enough to implement them at my request based on another experienced practitioner’s wisdom.
Lastly, I’ve found surrounding myself with experienced patients and doctors to be extremely helpful. You learn a lot by sharing your experiences and always come away with something you haven’t tried before. Don’t let this information bog you down. Only try 1 thing at a time so you can track any changes. Support Group is a great place to do this. Always run things by your practitioner as there might be drug interactions or things you need to consider or can’t try at all based on your specific issues/drug interactions.
I’ve learned the most from patients who are on the same journey. Don’t isolate yourself.
Your body has a barrier to keep foreign chemicals from accessing your brain and spinal cord. Researchers have discovered by coating nanocapsules with CBD oil, they could carry particles into the brain of mice
CBD is the nonpsychoactive component of cannabis, which has strong anti-anxiety effects. Its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier suggests your brain has cannabinoid receptors used to maintain health
Although it’s normal to be concerned, too much stress and anxiety steals your time, energy and health; according to the World Health Organization, by 2030 global costs of anxiety treatment are expected to reach $147 billion annually
Low levels of endocannabinoids impact your risk of migraines, fibroids, irritable bowel syndrome and neurological conditions, but using CBD alone is not the answer to support your endocannabinoid system (ECS)
Natural ways to boost your ECS include avoiding pesticides, optimizing omega-3 intake, fasting, exercise and reducing stress
The cannabis plant has over 400 chemicals and at least 60 different cannabinoids1 — chemical compounds the human body is uniquely equipped to respond to. Of the two primary chemicals, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), only THC has psychoactive properties.
THC is the compound in cannabis triggering a “high,” whereas CBD has no psychoactive effects. Both compounds, and other phytochemicals found in medical marijuana plants, have a long list of beneficial effects on health.
Medical marijuana is a term used for the use of the whole, unprocessed plant or its chemicals to treat a medical condition.2,3 With the exception of four cannabis-containing or cannabis-related products for specific conditions with a prescription, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any “marketing application for cannabis for the treatment of any disease or condition.”4 On the other hand, some states have gone ahead and approved it themselves for certain medical conditions.5
The number of states that have decriminalized, legalized or allowed medical marijuana sales continues to grow. In some states, cannabis is fully legal or illegal, but in others the laws are mixed, allowing medicinal use but not recreational.6
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,7 notable scientific study results led to the creation of two FDA-approved medications containing cannabinoid chemicals in pill form, but not the use of the whole plant. Recently scientists proved CBD can carry other chemicals across the blood brain barrier, opening up its medicinal potential even further.
The Blood-Brain Barrier Is Designed to Protect Your Brain
More than 100 years ago, scientists discovered not everything injected into the bloodstream would reach the brain or spinal cord.8 Through research, scientists discovered the blood-brain barrier is semi permeable; in other words, it allows some materials to cross into your neurological system, but prevents others.
The importance of the blood-brain barrier to the health of your neurological system cannot be overstated. One portion of the system is formed by endothelial cells lining the microvasculature, which feeds your brain. This protects it from circulating agents and substances capable of disturbing your neurological functioning.9
The endothelial tissue in other capillaries in your body have small spaces allowing substances to move between the inside and outside of the vessel. In the brain, these cells fit together so tightly that many substances cannot leave the bloodstream and enter the brain.10
Additionally, glial cells — astrocytes — form another layer around the blood vessels and are involved in a two-way communication affecting physiology and pathology.11 This barrier mechanism is vital for normal functioning and providing a stable internal environment. One compound known to normally pass the blood-brain barrier is CBD.
Pharmaceutical Industry Finds Way to Use CBD as a Trojan Horse
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the city of Troy.12 To gain access, the Greeks used a massive wooden horse constructed to hide a select force of men. It was presented as a gift, thereby allowing the Greek warriors to enter and destroy the city. Researchers believe CBD can act as a Trojan horse, helping move restricted chemicals across the blood-brain barrier.13
Researchers were interested in using CBD as a means to an end. They attached CBD, resembling endocannabinoids made by both mice and humans, to the outside of nanocapsules loaded with fluorescent molecules.
The fluorescence enabled the researchers to track the particles with the hope the experiment would mimic what occurs in the blood-brain barrier of humans. They demonstrated the CBD nanocarriers could transport fluorescent molecules across the blood-brain barrier in mice.14
When added in vitro to human cells mimicking the blood-brain barrier, the nanocarriers with CBD were more successful in passing through the cells than those without the CBD. Researchers also found when CBD nanocapsules were injected into healthy mice, 2.5 times more of them entered the animals’ brains than nanocarriers of equal size lacking the CBD coating.
Cannabidiol — Nonpsychoactive Component Has Anti-Anxiety Effects
The ability of CBD to naturally move across the blood-brain barrier indicates there are endocannabinoid receptors in the brain, which your neurological system uses to maintain optimal health. One of the benefits of CBD on your neurological system is reducing anxiety.
A meta-analysis15 evaluated the potential for CBD as a treatment for anxiety-related disorders. They found preclinical evidence strongly supported it for the treatment for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A second large retrospective study16 looked at cases in psychiatric clinics involving the application of CBD for anxiety and sleep complaints. It too found the data supported the use of CBD for anxiety-related disorders.
In a small study17 involving 24 patients with generalized social anxiety disorder who, while diagnosed, had never been treated, half received CBD while the other half received a placebo. Another 12 healthy control subjects performed the test without receiving either medication or a placebo.
Each volunteer participated in a double-blind procedure. The researchers compared the effects of a simulation of public speaking on the 36 individuals, finding CBD pretreatment significantly affected cognitive impairment, anxiety and discomfort in speech performance.
The participants in the placebo group experienced higher anxiety, cognitive impairment and alert levels than the control group. No significant differences were observed between those taking CBD and the healthy control subjects who took nothing.18
These results piqued the interest of Dr. Esther Blessing, psychiatrist and researcher at New York University. She obtained funding from the National Institutes of Health, and along with collaborators are beginning a clinical trial to test if CBD helps those with PTSD and moderate or severe alcohol use disorder.19
The researchers plan to use pharmaceutical grade CBD or a placebo daily on 50 participants with the goal of evaluating alcohol intake in those who take CBD.
A second study20 now in Phase II is exploring whether CBD may help prevent relapse in opioid addicts. As explained by Blessing, CBD is different from cannabis. Although it’s extracted from cannabis, it does not lead to altered perception or cognition.21 She commented:22
“Drugs can be non-psychoactive and still have an effect on the brain. CBD does have an effect on the brain, but it seems to affect the brain in possibly medicinal ways.”
Anxiety Steals Time, Energy and Lives
Although it’s normal to be concerned about aspects of your life, too much stress and worry may devastate your health. A rise in stress levels and anxiety may trigger physical, mental or emotion changes, an indicator of anxiety disorders.23 Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in the U.S., affecting an estimated 40 million adults.
Those suffering are three to five times more likely to see their physician and six times more likely to be hospitalized. It’s not uncommon for someone with anxiety to also suffer depression.24 Anxiety disorders carry a significant financial burden to individuals, families and communities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2030, the global annual cost of anxiety will reach $147 billion.25 Researchers in one study concluded:26
“The cost burden of depression, anxiety, and emotional disorders is among the greatest of any disease conditions in the workforce. It is worth considering methods for quantifying direct and indirect costs that use administrative data sources given their utility.”
The cost of anxiety is measured in more than finances, as it takes an enormous emotional and physical toll. Long-term negative health effects may include digestive issues, insomnia, substance abuse disorders and depression,27 each of which come with a laundry list of physical symptoms, emotional disruption and financial burden.
Differences Between Recreational and Medicinal Use
The healing properties of medical cannabis come primarily from high levels of CBD and critical levels of other medicinal terpenes and flavonoids. However, THC, responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis, also has medicinal benefits.28,29 Growers are able to use selective breeding techniques to increase CBD and lower levels of THC for medicinal use.
While CBD has gained the most attention, CBD alone cannot fully support your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). Cannabinoid receptors in the human body were discovered in the 1990s,30 which in turn led to the realization our body makes endogenous cannabinoids that influence these receptors.
It was also discovered the ECS orchestrates communication between other bodily systems, such as your respiratory, digestive, immune and cardiovascular systems. The ECS does this via receptors found in every organ, including your skin. The use of medicinal CBD is aimed at the health benefits derived from providing your ECS with sufficient support.
However, if you choose to use exogenous CBD, it’s important to choose the right product as some do not meet the claims made on the label.31 Since CBD oil became a focus of popular holistic medicine almost overnight, the rapid innovations in the market have been impressive. However, while products quickly enter the market, effective control has not caught up yet.
Despite CBD being sold as a food supplement, it is often used for significant health problems. The WHO analyzed available scientific data and concluded CBD does not require drug scheduling. Nevertheless, CBD manufacturing may benefit from a preparation analysis to reduce contaminants and ensure the product in the bottle is what’s on the label.32
Researchers believe the methodology to achieve this goal already exists and the approach would hold the producer accountable for quality and safety. Until a system is in place, if you live in a state that has legalized CBD, it is important you purchase any products from a trusted source.
Single Magic Bullet Is Not the Answer to Support Your Endocannabinoid System
In this video clip from an interview with Carl Germano, board-certified nutritionist and phytocannabiniods expert, he discusses the need to move away from the single magic bullet idea of separating one nutritional compound from a plant and expecting miraculous results.
It’s important in many cases to consume the whole plant. The cannabis plant contains at least 60 other cannabinoids and 400 other chemicals, and many of these other phytocannabinoids and terpenes are needed to fully support your ECS.
However, the vilification of cannabis continues to negatively impact the ability to use the compounds medicinally.33CBD oil has demonstrated use in the treatment of pain,34 which represents a significant threat to the sale of opioids responsible for a large piece of the financial growth of Big Pharma in the past decade.35
Purdue Pharma went even further, trying to position the company as an “end-to-end provider” of opioids and the treatment for addiction.36 The cannabis plant also poses economic threats37 to the lumber, energy, food and other industries as the fiber may be used to make paper, biofuel, building materials, food products and oil, clothing, shoes and even jewelry.
Cannabinoids Necessary for Optimal Health
Low levels of endocannabinoids in your system result in ill health. As you age, your body becomes less efficient in creating endocannabinoids needed for optimal health. According to Germano, cannabinoids may be used as biological markers for specific conditions and illnesses.
Endocannabinoid deficiency has been identified in those with migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and neurological conditions, for example. Research has also discovered an intimate relationship between ECS and your omega-3 status, as omega-3 fat improves your cannabinoid receptors.
Other conditions associated with low levels include stress, anxiety, insomnia and eye health. For a long list of health benefits you’ll receive from supporting your ECS system, see my previous article, “The Many Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis and Cannabidiol (CBD).”
Avoid pesticides and phthalates — Start by avoiding chemicals blocking the receptivity of your endogenous system by reducing your exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides and phthalates. Find more information about phthalates in my previous article, “Phthalate Exposure Threatens Human Survival.”
Optimize your omega-3 intake — There’s an intimate relationship between your ECS and your omega-3 status. Omega-3 fats make your cannabinoid receptors more active, and are used as backbone structures to produce cannabinoids in your body.
Expose yourself to cold temperatures — In past articles I’ve written about some of the surprising benefits of extreme temperatures. One of those benefits is the regulation of endocannabinoid in white and brown adipose tissue.
Fasting —Intermittent fasting may improve your health using yet another mechanism in your body — by increasing your endocannabinoid levels, and regulating your ECS.
Caffeine — Regular caffeine consumption regulates and enhances the activation of cannabinoid receptors. Remember the added caffeine may also disrupt quality sleep, so it’s important to forgo any caffeinated substances after 2 p.m.
Exercise — Although exercise is an excellent stress reducer, research also finds the much talked about “runner’s high” may be a function of the release of endocannabinoids in your brain and not just endorphins. If you are new to exercise, you’ll find suggestions and links in my previous article, “Exercise to Improve Your Body and Your Brain.”
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Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.
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