ME/CFS MCS and how it all fits together?

[Guest guest]

I'm in the situation of having seen quite a few practitioners and still find

myself very ill, but poor. I'm alive, which is a good sign, but what to do next?

I'm having some second thoughts about the current level of treatment which

involves acupuncture, muscle testing, homeopathics and supplements, costing

about $200 a week.

Back at the beginning of November the naturopath tested my thyroid medications

because I was having problems with arrythmia, hypertension, head racing and so

forth. They tested poorly and the assumption was made (mine as well as her's I

suppose because I WANTED it to be so) that I didn't need them anymore. So I

stopped taking them and at first felt better, noticing, but not connecting at

the time, that I'd become much more reactive to chemicals, that I had herpes

after months of no eruptions and that my blood pressure was high.

After the brief improvement, I was feeling pretty rough, reacting to anything

and everything, gradually worsening, until just before Christmas I fell in a

heap and remained in bed until just a day or so ago.

About a week ago, having had an epiphany, as you do, I realised there might be

some connection with the cessation of the thyroid medication and took a very

small dose to see what happened. My temp went up just slightly, and my blood

pressure went down just slightly, a good sign so I tried the dose I'd been on

before. At first I could tell my body was saying, " yes pllllleeease " but after a

few days the familiar overdose symptoms returned, so I tried a smaller dose and

have slowly felt the benefit.

I'm due to see the doctor (will I have some explaining to do! - to say she was

upset I was seeing a naturopath would be an understatement, but I thought well

I'll come back and show you how fantasticly well I'm doing) in a week's time for

blood tests to check my hormone levels, so then I'll be able to organise a dose

closer to what my body needs now.

The naturopath also muscle tested zinc and said I didn't need it, but I have

loads of those white spots on my nails, so I knew I did, so I tested again, by

swallowing some zinc liquid and it was sweet tasting, which meant I was

deficient, so I'm taking that again. I'm also back on the iodine complex and

selenium. (She'd tested homeopathic selenium and said it was strong, but when I

actually tried using it I felt sick on just one drop, so I went back to the

selenium drops my EI doctor prescribed a couple of years ago.) I've added

L-Acetyl-Carnitine.

On the subject of the EI doctor, he was pretty good, but very expensive. I

reckon we spent $20,000 over two years and he wanted me to keep coming for

treatment for at least three years.

I feel jaded, disillusioned and frustrated. I've had ME/CFS/MCS for 11 years,

and I don't expect miracles, but for crying out loud I'm not a money pit. In

2004 I was beginning to feel better. I could walk every day if I paced myself,

and even managed a 9km bush walk when on holiday. By the end of 2004 I was a

screaming wreck, having been diagnosed finally with the hypo thyroidism.

I'd like to understand how the thyroid interacts with the MCS/Herpes/mineral

levels. And I'd like to be able to talk to the doctor and the naturopath with

some sort of simple understanding and authority, about how it's all come unstuck

again and what I need from them now.

Can anyone offer some suggestions?