M.E etc..and natural wellness buddies

I just wanted to share with you some of the remedies, therapies and resources I used to facilitate my recovery from M.E, fibromyalgia, I.B.S, endometriosis, candida, PTSD and severe anxiety disorder. I call them wellness buddies, and I can’t claim that these things will cure you, but they can give you relief, comfort and a helping hand while you are getting to the root of things. 😊

I've already said in another post what I think 'HUMAN HEALING IS.' The arty part takes a bit of individualised creative thinking. The sciency bit is of course a bit more factual, however there can still be a unique response even to the quantifiable element. This is going to be a long post so if you have severe M.E or are not having not such a good day, with reading or being on the computer because of your cognitive function or how the EMR is affecting your nervous system, just print it off and read through it in sections when you feel up to it.

Before I start with my list I need to tell you something. I personally had to back off completely from the medical establishment, as I, like many had a few not so great experiences, to say the least. The final nail in the coffin for me was when I was admitted to the PRI in 2011 and it was then that I had to deal with a REALLY BAD set of circumstances. Those set of circumstances which accumulated to 9 terrible acts of unprofessionalism to say the least could have been avoided by people who are allegedly suppose to have a certain standard of "Duty of care" no matter what system they are working with! I left that admissions ward much worst than when I arrived, and the horrible position they had me and other patients in gave me anxiety and panic attacks like I'd never had before, which took me years to recover from. The atrocities that happened that night were nothing short of a complete and utter disgrace! It put me off seeing any doctor or nurse thereafter for a long time, which put me in danger as each time I had a horrible symptom that I thought I'd have to go back into the hospital for, it was compounded by the anxiety I felt about seeking medical help for years thereafter. This turned into one big vicious circle for me ~ my husband and best friend at that time had to continually comfort me and tell me I wasn't in any danger, to help calm my system down. I do say the word 'suffered' here instead of the usual 'dealing with' word I'd use when referring to illness, as those horrific panic attacks had my system spinning way out of control, sometimes in a continual loop for 13 hours at a time. Often mine would happen in the middle of the night too, so I'd be woken up with it all, with no apparent rhyme or reason that I could use as my foundation for exploring a way of 'dealing' with it! Having said all of that, through time and EFT practice I became enlightened as to why I was given those particular sets of circumstances to 'deal with. Which eventually gave me some sort of anchor. With time, patience and perseverance I did find out about my anxiety enemies and was able to transmute them into my anxiety wellness buddies. So while there may not be the rhyme there will at some point always be the reason. 

Anyway my point here is that I struggled with trusting medical professions for a long time and I'm still apprehensive with that, but I do recognise that it is very difficult for them within a system that is being abused in so many ways, so I definitely don't tar them all with the same stick, as there are those who still care and do go above and beyond the call fo duty. So I am not advocating that anyone do what I did and go it alone in most ways for the best part, but that you find support buddies (real compassionate people) who will give you a helping hand and support you in the best way possible when you need it, but also allow you the freedom to spread your wings and explore your own unique healing abilities, which is very empowering.

I personally made many mistakes along the way. I lost count of how many times I got up to the top of the mountain only to be kicked right back down to the bottom in a spectacularly brutal manner. But in the end when the chips are down these times are actually your defining moments, those moments when you are lying there at the bottom of that mountain all crumpled up, bruised and battered saying 'what the fuck!' It's then where it's even more crucial for you to tune in to your mind, body and spirit ask it questions like "What's troubling you? " "What is it that you need?" "Is there anything I can do to help you?" And your mind, body and spirit will give you those answers, for sure, 'maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but sometimes soon...as it is your friend and not your enemy, the body and mind is miraculous network of complexities...but it is not designed to attack itself! 

Natural remedies to alleviate symptoms offer a great deal of comfort whilst supporting and assisting the healing process, which can only ever be a combination of mind, body and spiritual practices (holistic). One without the other won't work in the long term, there is no such thing as a quick fix. Below I will list a summarised version of various remedies and this post will be one of these that will need further and more in depth explanation within some of these areas on other posts. Please always consult with your doctor to assess if you need tests to rule out other conditions that can have similar symptoms and crucially if you have new symptoms come along, don't just assume It's just another 'unexplained M.E symptom.' Also it's advisable to check with your health care provider whether any complimentary therapy would have a negative effect with your conventional therapies if you are taking any etc... Dr. Google can sometimes be a scary place to go for some and doesn't always have the most accurate and up to date guidance! And some of us just really need to get back to that place where the quote "Trust me I'm a doctor" is a fact of life and really resonates with us.

The first and most important wellness buddy is food. Which could either be your best friend or worst enemy. And that’s not just for a condition like M.E. Hippocrates said ‘Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food, ‘ as what you fuel your body with makes the world of difference. Real food will be covered in a topic of its own coming soon...

Not too long after I first became ill 19 years ago I remember using nux Vom and sepia as my homeopathic remedies. I also used aerobic oxygen drops  (stabilised molecules of oxygen) to give my cells a boost, help fight infection, help muscles, and it helped with brain fog, that and aloe Vera helped my stomach. Noni juice at that time was packed full of vital vitamins and minerals too as often if I had no carers about and  I was too unwell to make something to eat. At times I also used zinc, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B supplements, fish oil too along with milk thistle and kelp for a while. It’s advisable to work with a naturopath to find a good balance of your unique requirements at various times when introducing supplements, herbal remedies etc...

Muscle pain: 

Carrier oil - 100mls grapeseed or almond oil with 6 drops of eucalyptus oil, 4 drops of black pepper, 6 drops of lavender and 4 drops of rosemary. This is a 1% dilution which is what I use to begin with chronic conditions, and especially with M.E as we can be very sensitive to strong aromas, even those that are natural. You can rub this on your muscles three times a day but not too near bed time for your last application because of the stimulating properties of three of these oils. You wouldn't want to use Eucalyptus oil if you were taking homeopathic remedies or rosemary if you had epilepsy. You also wouldn't use lavender in the first three months of pregnancy or if you had a history of miscarriage. You can use this for two weeks then have a break as eucalyptus oil shouldn't be used continuously for long periods of times, but the great news is many oils have similar properties so you don't need to, and if it works for you like it did for me then the analgesic and anti inflammatory properties work really quickly, there is also the benefit here of having the anti viral aspect and a good balance of calming and stimulating properties in this blend for the mind too. Bathing in a warm bath with a cup of epsom salts 2-3 times a week  before you put the oil on helps too, the extra magnesium helps with muscle pain, headaches, lowering of blood pressure and reducing the effects of stress. Magnesium oil is also good for muscle pain if you are unable to get or make your own aromatherapy blends. Warning: Please remember that magnesium supplementation is not recommended for those with kidney diseases or kidney health issues. If that’s you, then please talk with your doctor prior to using any products with magnesium. Healthy kidneys can excrete excess magnesium, but compromised kidneys will struggle with it. Reflexology works really well as it can assist the healing process and remove blockages without touching the muscles, which can sometime make matters worst as it stimulates the muscles and can be really difficult and painful if you have severe M.E. Muscle pain can also respond well to changes and diet and carefully planned exercise, when the time is right.

Joint pain: 

This blend is very similar to the one above but just substitute the black pepper for ginger oil (although not if you are taking meds like warfarin or other meds that thin the blood) There is a balm I do for joint pain which I feel is slightly better than an oil for this purpose. I've not had that assessed by a cosmetic chemist yet to sell in my shop but I can make it for those I have a consultation with and I will write this recipe up on a post I am going to do specifically on various aspects of joint care, including foods that help reduce inflammation which also help with joint and muscle pain.

Other wellness buddies for muscle pain, neck pain and restless legs : The nerve and muscle pain in my neck and back of the head was a nightmare for me not only because of the M.E but because of  a few head and neck strains and injuries I sustained. I used a transdermal application of magnesium oil, and I still have to do that now and then, as I found the essential oils blend just made my hair all greasy, although if this does happen you can always use arrowroot powder on your hair to soak up the oil. Magnesium oil isn’t actually an oil though it's basically magnesium chloride in distilled water. It's easy to make but if you aren't well enough it's widely available online or from the health shops, just follow the advice on the bottle. I have sensitive skin so I use the 15% dilution type. I found it very good for neck pain, muscle pain, cramps, tremors, and restless legs...Another great remedy for restless legs is to have an orgasm. I know who would have thought...but yes it's true, and there will be science behind it I'm sure with all those hormones that get released! Don't over do it with the magnesium oil in terms of if you are having epsom salts baths spraying on many parts of your body etc...The general rule is to start with six sprays and you can work your way up gradually over the days to 20. But to be honest I've never really had to go up much past 10, and I rarely did but if I ever had to use the spray over and above the baths on the same day I'd just leave quite a few hours in between. *Check with your GP or pharmacist before adding magnesium to your health routine as it can interact with certain medications. * Please remember balance with everything...Slow and steady wins the race with M.E!

Foggy head and cognitive function:

First thing here is to eliminate neurotoxins like fluoride in toothpaste and use natural toothpaste and paraffin free dental floss. Don't use any pots and pans or cooking instruments with aluminium or teflon, instead use cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic, glass. Instead of buying things like tomatoes etc in tins buy them in glass bottles or cartons. Keep a check on your consumption of high mercury fish, there is a table you can print off online with advice on what sustainable fish have high levels, medium levels and low levels of mercury. The great debate still rages on about amalgam fillings. Personally it worried me sick for a time as I have loads of them in big continuous lines that I got pretty much all at the same time when I was a child. I've spoken to many people about this including a cardiologist who's had M.E for over 30 years, and spent all his life savings going to Switzerland to get teeth removed by a specialist, only to find out it didn't make a blind bit of difference to his symptoms. I am of the school of thought that once they are in place they must be pretty inert. It seems to be causing people problems when the vapours go into their system when they are not at that inert stage. If I need to get any removed or new ones I'd go for the ceramic version. In the meantime I do oil pulling each day and regularly use coriander, parsley, dulce seaweed flakes, spinach, kale, barley grass which all help with detoxing and eliminating the build up of heavy metals like mercury in your body. Food wise to help with cognitive function it's good using ghee some days for cooking as it also supports the brain and nervous system, walnuts, turmeric, eggs, avocado, rosemary, raw cacao powder, omega 3 oils like cold pressed olive oil for drizzling and low temperature cooking or hemp oil, butter and coconut oil for higher temperature cooking. I tend to mix it around a bit and just instinctively find the right balance with what suits the foods I'm preparing. Putting a couple of drops of rosemary oil on a hanky and inhaling the vapour every now and then, or in some hot water and doing a steam inhalation is also really good, again not if you have epilepsy or if you are at a stage where you have a lot of over activity with your adrenal gland (when you are feeling hyper etc) as this can just over stimulate things further. Another great option is to put 3 drops of rosemary oil and 3 drops of lemon oil in a diffuser or oil burner, best to avoid scented candles, as they have paraffin, some have lead wicks, and they have the most highly concentrated artificial scents. I have searched far and wide and never found a pure and natural candle scent, and essential oils are highly volatile so they don't fair well with the high temperature needed to burn a candle, even with a fixative oil. I have wasted quite a bit of my precious oils experimenting with this one albeit to no avail. So i just stick with making my plain eco soya candles or beeswax and put the oil in the burner or diffuser. Avoid...Caffeine, alcohol, sugar, gluten, refined carbs and artificial sweeteners, not just for brain fog but for many other reasons that will become apparent. More about toxins in another post...

IBS and endometriosis pain: 

For the pain for both of these conditions I used the same blend of essential oils -  Grapeseed oil 100mls with 20 drops of camomile and 20 drops of mandarin oil , mandarin oil is photo-toxic and shouldn't be used if you are going to be in the sun for the next 24 hours, and camomile oil shouldn't be used in the first trimester of pregnancy or with a history of miscarriage. This blend of oils have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties in them. I'd use about a ten pence size and rub it all round my stomach area in a clockwise direction three times a day if need be, and then a warm hot water bottle on my stomach. This method always got rid of the pain in between 5 and 10 minutes, whereas pain killers which caused me m