functional dr. or holistic
Posted , 6 users are following.
Do any of you do this. If so which and why. I am so confused and feel that I also have colitis that I need to do more. I know this is all about supplements. Do you believe in all of this? I am not taking any supplements right now, when I did i had terrible stomach problems, i think that is what casued the colitis. I was working wiht a nutritionist and she gave me 7 at one time to start. What are you taking? Anybody eating carbs? I had cut out all sugar and carbs but started back on some carbs to gain weight. Was in hospital last week for 3 day with a crazy virus. I am losing it quickly. Don't know which way to turn thanks all.
0 likes, 26 replies
EileenH karen81902
Posted
There are doctors who claim to be able to cure and manage illnesses by using supplements that they can not - and PMR is really one of them.
I don't eat processed carbs - and I also rarely eat fruit or root veg. None of that is banned completely but it is the only way I can lose the pred weight. If you are losing weight while on pred then you have less to worry about. However - I hope your doctors are taking your weight loss seriously and have investigated and ruled out any of the more serius causes of PMR. PMR is only the outward expression of an underlying illness and there are quite a few and some are potentially very nasty.
But extreme approaches to medical problems are difficult to maintain - and I don't know about the USA but in many countries someone with no qualifications and no real knowledge of medicine/physiology can call themselves a "nutritionist" and peddle their wares. Which may be nothing more than snake oil - and have almost certainly not been subjected to manufacturing standards controls. I'm not saying that pharmaceuticals are perfect - but they are monitored very closely.
Anhaga EileenH
Posted
This "nutritionist" thing is a real bugbear for my daughter, a registered detitian, as people mistake the self-proclaimed nutritionist for a dietitian who has spent four years obtaining a university degree in the subject.
EileenH Anhaga
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Exactly - and they appear all over the media these days spouting a load of rubbish. Had one this morning complaining that fish and chips in the UK should come as standardised portions because of obesity! As if having fish and chips on holiday was what made people obese! My favourite saying about that is that it isn't what you eat between Christmas and New Year that makes you fat - it's what you eat between New Year and Christmas...
Anhaga EileenH
Posted
julian. karen81902
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short version of a long story ..... I was overseas when pmr struck and had to remain undiagnosed as it was outside the experience of doctors where I was traveling. I described the type of doctor I needed to my daughter so she could make an appointment for the day I landed. Worked a treat, took GP about 5 minutes to diagnose.
One of the criteria was "holistic thinker".
For me "functional dr or holistic" is a false dichotomy. For me holistic is a way of thinking, hijacked by some as a brand name.
In general, when solving problems, my first step is stabilise. Then change. Sorry, I can't imagine agreeing to "7 supplements to start" without some concept of process. It sounds a bit like "trial and error".
Having said that I'm also a bit wary of specialist doctors. I usually head back to GP to join the dots. I seem to be doing fine without reference to a rheumy.
Anhaga karen81902
Posted
As for alternative treatments, I receive alternative treatment, which I thoroughly researched beforehand, and have been finding helpful. But, Karen, it in no way replaces the prednisone. I think, like the friends of mine who have unfortunately suffered with cancer, it is wise to make the most of standard treatment, but alternative treatments, provided they do not actually interfere with the effectiveness of the standard medication or surgery, can be very helpful. My friends, I've more than one who's done this, also got treated by a specialist in Chinese medicine. In both cases they found their quality of life vastly improved, and both outlived (one still lives) by far the original prognosis. In my case I really do feel my alternative therapy (low intensity light therapy) has given me a better quality of life by helping me reduce my pred dose and keep it down, as well as improving my general sense of well-being.
That being said, I think that there could be naturopaths who have both the time and the interest to investigate a patient's condition more fully than a physician who is focussed on a specific ailment. So you could get a more complete idea of possible nutritional deficiencies. My doctor, for example, only tests my iron, Vitamin D reluctantly done once at my request, but I could pay extra and a naturopath would order all the appropriate tests be done - calcium, for example, and perhaps some of the other vitamins, like B12 and things I don't even know about but could be important. I also think that a good naturopath may be able to find things that can help chronic conditions, simply cecause they are trained to think outside the box. Ask around and get recommendations from people who have been helped. But remember it's just an adjunct to the treatment your family doctor can give you.
EileenH Anhaga
Posted
Actually Anhaga - calcium is something that should be checked by your GP on a regular basis if you are on pred and calcium supplements. It is part of a normal set of blood tests. B vitamins are also done by GPs here. Can't remember what else I've had.
Anhaga EileenH
Posted
i know. She doesn't and always seems so rushed that by the time I've got through the things I really need to discuss there's no time left to ask. I know the GPs can and do get the verious tests run, it's just a question of whether they think it necessary, and I also think they've been told to keep the lab budgets down and only test for really essential things. She does ESR, iron, random sugar and some sort of blood profile whatever that is. Think that's all. My feeling is if any of those things show a bad trend she'll follow up with further tests.
EileenH Anhaga
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Anhaga EileenH
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and she's only following ferritin because mine's been so low
They're only just beginning to automate things here, I can tell they are because of new forms, but my dr in denial that she'll eventually have to get on board with it.
Think all those things must have been done early on, although before I understood that I could and should be asking for more than simple everything ok, or not.
Can you tell me why calcium is important?
EileenH Anhaga
Posted
Those I mentioned have been automated for 40 years! Perhaps not fully automated but multi-channel analysers. They were all happening when I started in the field - took all the fun out of test tubes and pipettes
How long have you got? However - this is a bit judicious copying and pasting to save me writing it:-
"Calcium is important for overall health. Almost every cell in our body uses calcium in some way. Some areas where our bodies use calcium is in our nervous system, muscles, heart and bone. Our bones store calcium in addition to providing support for our bodies. As we age, we absorb less and less calcium from our diet, causing our bodies to take more and more calcium from our bones. Over time this aging process can cause or contribute to osteopenia or osteoporosis. ...
Our bodies like to keep the amount of calcium in our blood within a certain narrow range. This range allows the cells in our body to stay healthy and perform jobs necessary for life. When blood calcium levels are low the amount of calcium in our blood goes below normal, our parathyroid glands release a hormone called parathyroid hormone (PTH). Although this sounds similar to thyroid hormone, PTH is different. PTH tells our bones to release more calcium into the blood stream. PTH also helps activate vitamin D which in turn increases intestinal calcium absorbtion."
"99% of the body's calcium is contained within the skeleton as calcium salts making up the inorganic parts of the bone. The remaining 1% is found in several forms in the blood. The blood calcium levels are tightly controlled within a very narrow range of 2.1-2.6 millimoles per litre. The reason for this is that the movement of calcium ions across cell membranes affects many fundamental processes such as:
- intracellular cell signalling
- muscle cell contraction
- nerve cell activity
Tiny alterations of blood calcium levels upset this delicate balance of calcium movement and can lead to a wide range of problems."
"When excess blood calcium accumulates the following can occur:
1. The formation of stones - the excess calcium can form stones (calculi) in organs such as the kidneys.
2. Fractures - hypercalcaemia often indicates excessive resorption (degradation) of bones making them prone to break after only minor trauma (pathological fractures).
3. Proximal myopathy - weakness in the proximal muscles (the muscles of the upper limbs) due to insufficient calcium for efficient muscle contraction.
4. Pancreatitis - calcium deposits in the pancreas can result in inflammation of the pancreas causing pain, nausea and vomiting.
5. Mental changes - alterations in brain activity due to abnormal nerve function can lead to depression, confusion, memory loss and parkinsonism-type symptoms.
When blood calcium becomes too low the following can occur:
1. Paraesthesia - this is a sensation of numbness in areas of the body and is due to impaired activity of sensory nerves.
2. Cramps - altered calcium levels cause abnormalities of muscle contraction resulting in cramps around the body. In particular it can cause laryngospasm, (spasm of the muscles of the larynx).
3. Tetany - this is prolonged sustained involuntary contraction of muscles due to muscle nerve conduction problems.
4. Agitation and seizures - abnormal levels of brain activity can cause seizures and agitation."
So - pred and calcium supplements are setting up a fairly delicate balance in the body and it matters that it is right. The blood level isn't always represenative of tissue levels - but often it is, especially in combination with symptoms.
Anhaga EileenH
Posted
After I sent that reply I realized I had misunderstood. I was referring to the e-access to tests, a completely different thing. Of course our labs are all up to the minute with their technology.
Thanks for all the technical info.
My takeaway is if your calcium is out of balance you're going to get some pretty serious symptoms, and if it isn't you don't and how would a test every few months, or at all for that matter, be helpful? If there's time I will ask about it but I've a lengthy list of things to discuss, not least the long secret DXA scan results! So probably I'll ask next year.
It does sound, however, as though she should have had this test run early on. Perhaps she did and I would never have known unless there was an abnormality.
They're not very good with preventive care here, sad to say, as in the long run it would save a large fortune in medical costs.
EileenH Anhaga
Posted
Basically to be sure you calcium isn't creeping up (or down if you aren't on calcium supplements). Some people don't need them - and others who do, don't get them. So you check - even the best doctor can't see through skin and bone. Even though some of them appear to think they can!
FlipDover_Aust karen81902
Posted
I was seeing a 'bog standard' GP for 15 years up until about 6 months ago - she didn't believe in any supplements or 'diet' changes (other than weight loss based on bog standard 'calories in v calories out'
. She was very quick to diagnose PMR so I can't fault her for that. But now I see what you would call a 'functional' medicine doctor and the real bonus of seeing her is that we are now treating ALL of me, not just my PMR or BP, or hip bursitis as separate issues. I take a number of supplements, vitamins and minerals, all based on blood and urine tests. She gives me all the medical literature to read and lets me make my own decisions about whether I'll take something or not. I have to say that I've tackled things that I'd given up on - long term stuff - and I'm feeling better and far more positive.
The thing with supplements is to build up slowly, let your tummy get used to the doses.
tory38006 FlipDover_Aust
Posted
feels like when it is flaring.I have a left hip pain which is more
groin bikini line area that hurts like the sickens when it acts up.
I have had it xray ed and by CT scan and nothing shows up.
There is a bulge type swelling just above the pelvic bone when
it acts up.It first hit me about 5 years ago and it felt like I was
giving birth out my hip.I was just curious what hip bursitis
felt like.Thanks for any input you can give.Hugs,Tory
FlipDover_Aust tory38006
Posted
Hi Tory,
My pain is felt deep inside the pelvic girdle - very much like PMR pain which is why I was confused about which thing was causing me the pain at different times.
Originally it just hurt to walk - sort of stiff, and painful - not a sharp pain like you hurt yourself, more constant. I couldn't lie on my hips for any length of time and the pain woke me up if I did.
The big 'test' is if you press your hip with your fingers on the side of your hip you can find a spot that is incredibly sore - you'll know it when you hit it - you'll probably want to scream.
tory38006 FlipDover_Aust
Posted
Thanks for the explanation.I have PMR type symptoms but have RA symptoms too,I do have osteoarthritis and fibro.It's so hard
to tell what's what.I do know where the spot is and it is I believe
where you pointed out inside the pelvic girdle.I wince if I press
there when it is flaring.I recently had a mammogram that caused
it to flare.Let's just say mu upper half isn't small lol and it takes
several twists and turns to get the exam done.The pain I feel
is like a strong stiff deep ache and like you I can't walk well or
get comfortable.Just a quick thought when I get pmr pain in
shoulders it feels like I have been punched hard.The hip feels
similar in pain.Is that the deep ache you feel?
FlipDover_Aust tory38006
Posted
sounds like it Tory. A deep achey pain. I couldn't walk properly and it feels 'tight' if you make it work to fast or hard.
I've been tackling one thing at a time since starting with a more holistic/functional medicine GP. Actually doing something about ALL the little things that make life annoying and add to your incapacity. With PMR I don't need gammy hips and the like!
FlipDover_Aust tory38006
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I haven't said anything to warrent my post being moderated so I suspect it will turn up later. Probably just used a word or phrase that got picked up by the software.
Basically I said it sounds like what I've got. :-)
tory38006 FlipDover_Aust
Posted
Oh I understand that one I seem to have a knack for it ha ha
Thanks for the help
EileenH tory38006
Posted
https://patient.info/health/greater-trochanteric-pain-syndrome
If you look at the image you can see where the bursa is shown over the point of the hip bone. That's where it hurts when you poke it!
However - the inflammation can also spread to the iliopsoas bursa which is deep in the front of the hip and the pain is usually deep in the groin. Both together is - shall we say - INTERESTING!
tory38006 EileenH
Posted
Thanks Eileen for that info,my pain is where the left hip line shows
the the diagram and I am assuming the lower part of the pelvis
according to the diagram.I am thinking what caused the whole
process to begin with was a slip and fall in my driveway from
slippery ice/snow 5 years ago and then a year later walking my
dog(St Bernard
) pulled me too fast and down I went again lol.
But would that cause a chronic condition? My left hip hasn't been
the same since and if I twist or turn the wrong way it will flare back
up....Interesting for sure ow ow
EileenH tory38006
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tory38006 EileenH
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more attention to my hip when in a flare.Thanks Eileen
FlipDover_Aust tory38006
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you can try asking your GP for some cortisone shots - I had one in each hip about a month ago and it's been a miraculous relief. I wish I'd done it years ago!
tory38006 FlipDover_Aust
Posted