Homeopathic Treatments

Have any of you used homeopathic treatments for your chronic fatigue? I went to a homeopathic doctor, and he gave me pulsatilla for energy and my period problems. But the bottle at the store said that it was for a stuffy nose...which was fine b/c I always have a stuffy nose due to allergies. But pulsatilla hasn't helped any of those three. I'm desperate for some energy...

BW,
One of the things I use to help with my fatigue is Malic Acid caplets. I try to take 2400mg a day. Malic acid is one of the required compounds that the mitochondria (energy factories) in your cells use to convert glucose to energy. There is a process called the Krebs Cycle and in this cycle glucose is converted to energy plus ATP with the help of malic acid at the end of the process. Not enough malic acid means not enough energy.

Malic acid is made from apple skins. (An apple a day... ) There are confirmed studies that have found that taking at least 2400mg of malic acid a day will help with fatigue and the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Only problem is... you have to start out slow. The magnesium in this stuff can give you bad diarrhea, which isn't much fun if you have IBD or CD. Starting with small doses will allow your body to get used to it (or not, if you are sensitive). Don't know if this will help but here's hoping.

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~ Jeannie
Moderator for Fibromyalgia and Diabetes

you can try B12 injections or oral tablets, Provigil, and ritalin ( rx stimulants)

have you had a sleep study?

magnesium injections or oral tablets and vitamin d


not a doc though

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Chronic Lyme Disease,Fibromyalgia, CFS, PCOS, sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, bulging discs to name a few

I had my magnesium level checked a couple months ago, and it was in normal range. I definitely don't want to take malic acid or magnesium if it's in normal range, just in case of diarrhea! IBD and IBS is enough!


Vitamin D hasn't helped, and my B12 levels were very high last summer and didn't help fatigue at all.



No, haven't been in a sleep study. I think I'll make one more trip to the homeopathic doctor, and then maybe perhaps try Provigil (I'm always paranoid something will affect my IBD).

Hi Bookworm,

I'm usually on the Chronic Pain forum but saw your post and wanted to help.

I worked in Alternative Medicine for 21 yrs. with an M.D. who is also a Homeopath.  Homeopathy is based on symptoms (not diagnosis).  Even though the Pulsatilla bottle stated those symptoms on the label, it covers hundreds of other symptoms as well.  When you saw your Dr. he probably asked you very detailed questions which is called reporitization, based on your answers Pulsatilla probably covered most of your symptoms.  Homeopathy is not a quick fix (although it can work instantly on some symptoms).  Its like peeling an onion, layer by layer things you've had or been exposed to since birth have led up to where you are today.  Homeopathic remedies begin to unpeel the onion layer by layer until they get to the core problem, along the way you may need other Homeopathic remedies to work through another layer and so on. 

It works,  be patient and keep in close contact with your Homeopath of any changes along the way.

I hope I didn't confuse you with my readers digest version above.  There are many modalities of Alternative Medicine available and supplements, you can find a lot of information now on google but I would definitely direct your questions to your Homeopath.  In our office our entire staff was trained and always available to answer patients questions.  Its different then regular medicine as we are all used to getting a prescription, taking it and within a few days we are better.  Homeopathy is a slower process that clears the problem in most cases for good.

Good luck to you, its well worth the journey. 

Patti 

I have had chronic fatigue and Epstein Barr virus for 18 years (since I was 33 years old back in 1992) .. . .I have found something that has helped me incredibly and has put me into remission (no more weekly fevers, anxiety attacks, dizzy spells, headaches, bodyaches, etc. -- list list goes on as you well know). 

Thanks for the reply, Patti. I'm now trying silicea, but it hasn't helped with fatigue. I have many other issues, so I'm guessing it's really hard to find just one homeopathic med to cover all of them.

Hi Bookworm,

Just remember Homeopathic treatment is a Process not an event...by that I mean it takes time.  Even if the remedies results are not obvious, it is doing something, somewhere in the body. 

Take a moment to write a list of all of your symptoms, physical and mental, no matter how small they are.  Sometimes our pictures are so big that we don't see when some of the more minor issues have resolved.  We used to tell patients to make their list and then pull them out every 14-30 days to see how many of their issues have resolved.  By doing this you may see some progress that will keep you hopeful during the process.

Hang in there!!

XXOO
Patti

Patti,

Do homeopathic meds have side effects? My bowels have become irregular since around the time I started homeopathic meds.

Bookworm,

Not really, you can relive old symptoms....was there a time when you had a problem with irregular bowels?  Sometimes they can prompt diarrhea as you clear symptoms.

Patti

I have ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease), so yeah I definitely have had issues with my bowels, although not so much in the past year or so (until now) b/c I've been in remission.

edt, what do you think about kali phosphoricum for fatigue? I've been on it for a couple weeks and I thought I saw a difference right away, but now I'm getting back to excessive fatigue.

Homeopathy has been the one thing that has probably helped me most. It is a process, and a commitment really. It is not a passive treatment, you need to be involved and very aware of your body and openly and actively working with your homeopath. Make sure you have found a very skilled and experienced homeopath. Don't skimp here, do some research on who is the best in your area. What remedy is prescribed is not going to be the same for you as for me or another person. The whole picture will be looked at, including things that you do not associate with CFS or FM. Homeopathy has helped me to get past my CFS which had left me bedridden for much of 2 years, and when I do have "crashes" it is what helps me recover quickly. Keep at it and good luck!

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pasara
"Don't be afraid."

Can I take it long-term? My doctor said to take it for a month, and when I didn't notice much of a difference, he said he couldn't help me anymore. But I'm still taking it b/c it helps my menstrual problems and I'm hoping that it will make a difference with fatigue.

There's a site called Elixirs.com that sells "Magnesium Phos", "Mold Total Control Formula", and "Onosmodium Virginianum", all purported to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I think the Onosmodium Virginianum would probably be your best bet, says that it treats "severe mental and muscular weakness that is particularly worse from mental exertion". See if this helps you out. I've been looking into the site to see what alternatives I have to treating my panic/anxiety disorder if my prescription drug costs go too high because of the Healthcare Bill passed by Congress.

I wanted to tell you guys about a homeopathic pill I ordered online (Amazon.com) called Kali Phos 6x. Its like a sugar pill, that's supposed to be for Stress, Simple Nervous Tension, Headaches and it's the "Hyland's" brand.

Its always hard to be able to tell what gave you the relief, but according to my journal, every time I take this stuff, my muscles stay down (meaning instable, frozen feeling). I need to research more into what is really in this stuff but its working for me so far. I also keep a electronic journal and log items everyday to see what makes me feel good and what doesn't.

I have came a long way.

I am selling my template here if you are interested in purchasing:

http://bitbuffet.com/buy/448/527/

Post Edited (fibrofreedom) : 8/21/2010 1:50:00 AM (GMT-6)