Thank-you to all who responded to my post in July. Stress=Cortisol; too much pain to even think, but things are improving & this is why...

[Poppy_the_cat]

Stress is a killer - we all know it.

I am hashimoto's. I have adrenal fatigue and I have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I have 17 known food intolerances. Posture and seating for me are vital, as is sleep!...this is what happened to me...

The medical profession discusses 'stress' everywhere, but just how much do they really, really understand it or attribute it as the real centre of the vortex to so many ills - seriously!??

Mid July my mother suffered a suspected heart attack.

Our stress levels went through the roof.

The adrenalin kicked in big time. We just dropped everything and sprang into action. We drove her a short cut to the local hospital. We ended up waiting with her in A&E, both out in the waiting room and then by her bed when she was allocated one.

# The seating was abominably uncomfortable. I knew it would ruin me....I even had to search for blankets to roll them up to for a poor heavily pregnant woman to give her some relief for the small of her back.

The seating was fixed to the ground in the waiting room, so to watch my mother, as I had beeb instructed, for the slightest sign of change, I had to sit very awkwardly, sideways on.... which was diablolical.

# The total time we spent in hosptal was from 9.30pm, till 06.30am next morning.

I did not sleep 5 minutes all that time. We drove home, leaving my Mom at 06.30am.

I then slept for about 1 and 1/2 hours before having to get up and go to work.

In total I went from sleeping last on the Thursday night ...through to not being able to sleep till Saturday early evening on 1 & 1/2 hours sleep.

# This scenrio of: severe sleep deprivation ; lack of food ; hightened stress ; & uncomfortable seating posture caused me really severe levels of pain.

Pain mostly in my head, my right eye socket, my right ear, the right side of my head, behind my ear on my head, it was a burning sensation; my palate, upper and lower, my teeth all on the right, my throat all on the right, I could hardly swallow; my tongue went numb down the right side; my neck and shoulder - all on the right.

Needless to say the level of pain which was totally morphine resistant was the worst I have experienced, possibly that I have ever had, that it connected to thyroid and fibromyalgia. It was of such magnitude, saliva was dribbling out of my mouth. I could get no relief, no sleep, nothing. I could not even tough my head with my finger. At that point dying would have been a mercy!

Many people most kindly replied to my post, describing what I was going through, with some very constructive advice and want to say a collective thank-you to all.

sorry I've gone into italic and don't now how to remove it!

Everything everybody said, got me thinking, so I did the following:

1/ I took ample doses of vitamin B12 - for the nerve endings.

2/ bought 2 new soft feather pillows - mine were a bit old...

3/ took extra Omega 3 fish oil

4/ started on vitamin D3 & magnesium again...

5/ I took iron and Vitamin C.

The first week was a nighmare. I could not function; the days and nights were a blur of pain and nothing else. Then one day I got angry, and had to lift a very heavy chair, looking to access a chest of drawers... the extreme effort gave me a few minutes of pain relief! I was astounded.

I held on to that discovery and thought about it long and hard..

If we just step back a moment and consider what we are constantly told.

'Get some excercise'.... 'pace yourself'.... oh my goodness do I hate those words.

The problem with fibroymalgia and thyroid with all its mysteries is 'nutrition'. To add to that & having gluten intolerance and so many other issues with the gut, adequate vitamin and nutritional absorption for me and I suspect many others on this site, means having the capacity to actually excercise is a fairytale!

Instead of being told 'to excercise' when we clearly can't even get out of bed, which sets up up to fail from the first step...what we should be asked and investigated for instead, is vital vitamin levels/nutritional functioning capacity! You can't drive your car if there is no gas/petrol in the tank!

LIfting the heavy chair confirmed for me that I needed to exert myself. I think to 'expend' the high levels of stress/cortisol was how I saw it, if nothing else. I needed to get rid of the poison and excercise is clearly the way to do it... so I soop'ed myself up with the above vitamins and supplements to get some 'gas in the tank' in preparation.

I found my swimsuit and went swimming.

Due to a rotator cuff injury to my right shoulder socket, I can only do breast stroke.

As painful as my head was, I experienced relief after swimming! Relief that lasts. It was a miracle. It was as though the stress and cortisol were draining out of me, or rather being squeezed out.

BUt it could only have been possible with the consumption of the vitamin programme that I put myself on, prior to going.

I started off, or rather struggled with 20 lengths the first time. Four sessions later and I am up to 38 lengths... I used to do many more in the past.

I still have pain if I don't watch my posture.

I'm still stressed awaiting improvement for my mother and the resolution of not having our GP... BUt its nowhere near that totally incapacitating, 'wishing you were dead' pain... So I wanted to pass on my observations to others in the hope that it might help.

I cannot stress enough, that I think nutrition or rather it is our deficient nutrition that is at the base culprit of everything we suffer from. Medication will only patch us up and every medicine has a down side as well as an up side. What I feel I need to do, is keep looking to see what is missing within and how I can help myself from what I put in.

Best wishes to all.

Poppy the Cat

[HowCome]

I shouldn’t be writing at this hour, (re sleep dep, and its damaging effects on my MH and ability to cope with family life)...

But very interesting observation about exercising out the cortisol. Something i am thinking about... need to build in some regular ‘sweating it out’, not something I’ve done much since having my son, now 8... eek!

Also feel very similar about the current norms of nutrition... refined-carb-heavy and “easy” food is everywhere, but not really very nutritious. I feel like a veg-pusher at home, trying to teach better patterns than i have myself. I don’t find it easy to cook from scratch. But I do steam 2 types of veg with every meal! Plus potatoes if i can distract hubby & son from pasta!

(Have stopped buying chocolate and gluten-free cakes & cookies, otherwise I just crack!)

Hope your Mum and you make soeedy recoveries, poppythecat.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to HowCome]

Thank-you.

I felt my observations are very valid.

The trouble is we are so depleted that exhaustion defeats us...but nobody asks what is the possible reason for the exhaustion? Supplements have given me the added energy to be able to exercise, so I think it's worth looking into on an individual basis.

Good luck.

Plus the exercise has helped me sleep better.

Best Wishes

Poppy the 🐈

[DIYqueen]

My friend has fibromyalgia. She is currently investigating diet and supplements to optimise levels but she is so far resisting my encouragement to get tested for them and for thyroid issues. I don't know why. However, what she does do everyday is push through the pain and exhaustion to exercise. As you found, she says that once she gets going it brings some relief. The caution (she has found the hard way) is not to over do it.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to DIYqueen]

The trouble with pushing oneself is that we risk totally flooring ourselves. I've done it. The only reason I have felt an improved inner core strength particularly in my back and kidney area is because of taking supplements, due to having such defective gut function/absorption and restricted diet due to food intolerances.

It's all so chicken and egg isn't it!

With regard to your friend resisting bring tested, some folk are like that. They seem to take it personally.

I had a dear friend of 20 years with a similar approach. Her situation was complex. Her husband twisted my words and she took offence and fell out with me. She lived off black coffee and cigarettes, her coeliac condition was so severe. Sadly she is no longer with us. The coroner's report revealed that she had severe issues with her hip (at 46)... And so many other things that indicated to me suspected chronically low levels of vitamin D, (she was do white she was almost transparent and permanently exhaust and aching...) All indicative of suspected thyroid issues , she had all the symptoms of fibromyalgia (her husband made her out to be a hysteric) for which she was never diagnosed...and so many other things including diabetes...so much of what I feared.. all very sad, coupled with a toxic marriage.

Hopefully your friend will benefit from supplements and improve herself to alleviate her symptoms. Fingers crossed.

Best Wishes

Poppy the 🐈

[DIYqueen in reply to Poppy_the_cat]

Thanks Poppy. She is very keen to get well. I think she is not sure about testing for thyroid as she 'doesn't want something else wrong with her' I can understand that but it may be part of the problem. Maybe some time to think will bring her round.

wrt to testing things she could supplement, not sure why she resists. She is a lovely woman, 'clean' living and tries hard to find that balance between activity and rest. She says if she does too little she stiffens up and the pain worsens, if she does too much she is wiped out for days. She is quite good with it now.

So sad about your friend.