Struggling with daily life due to Chronic Pain

Pop_Up_Pirate

teddysmum wrote: »

There are lots of internet experts, some of whom give out dangerous information.


I prefer to listen to people with known qualifications and track record.


Are you qualified in any way ?


With Type 2 diabetes the insulin is not good enough or is in too small supply to work properly, therefore the system is broken. Drugs, which are not the first call (except via some GPs who are not well informed) can increase production/efficiency, but if they are stopped they go back to square one.


A good diet does not cure diabetes, it just provides nourishment that the impaired insulin output can cope with, so show glucose results in the normal range.


As I have pointed out, people with type 2 who have a good diet and normal test, for years, can suddenly deteriorate. It is said to be a progressive disorder, so eventually, diet alone does not help.


Of course,if you are not diagnosed until 75 and die at 76 from some other cause, you could appear to have been cured, as there was not sufficient time for a relapse.


Saying someone with diabetes is cured by diet, is like saying that someone with an allergy to fish is cured if they don't eat fish, just because they don't have rashes or breathing problems , as they will if they eat fish again.


An alcoholic who hasn't drunk alcohol for years is not cured, either, as if they start drinking again the cravings and other symptoms will return.

Listen to people with a "track record" of what? Keeping people in a never ending cycle?
Do you understand what "empirical evidence" is?
That is not some information from the internet found on a few personal blogs.

Read scientific publications, study the human body and how it works, listen to doctors on podcasts, speak to experts and do some proper research.

Diabetes2 is not a case of 'the body is broken and can't be fixed' and thinking that way will only leave you in a cycle of meds and symptoms and increasing ones at that.
It is progressive when nothing changes.

There are many many doctors who are now beginning to reject 'conventional medicine' and about time too, because a lot of it keeps people sick and doesn't address the key issues: our modern, uncontrolled, lifestyles. There is a reason why diabetes 2 used to be called "The sugar disease" and that's all foods that convert to sugar. Bread, pasta, any starches, dairy, most fruits etc.
Most diabetic nutritionists tell diabetics to eat starches and fruit and that keeps them sugar poisoned!

One doctor, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, M.D says "Type 2 diabetes is a fully curable disease. And still conventional medicine treat it as the opposite – as a chronic and progressive disease. We try to mask the symptoms and slow down the complications, instead of curing it!"

Have a read of his site, It's nicely explained without biochemistry and too much science.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

He isn't the only one...as I said, there are 100s more like him.

It is obvious from the increasing amount of diabetics that conventional medicine doesn't prevent it, only manages symptoms to an extent. Many of them will get worse over time and end up with heart disease, blindness, ulcers, amputations etc.

Isn't going Low Carb, High Fat worth a try for better health, a longer life and free from the threat of losing limbs?
Is eating bread, potatoes, pasta, cakes, etc worth it?

lessonlearned

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

Listen to people with a "track record" of what? Keeping people in a never ending cycle?
Do you understand what "empirical evidence" is?
That is not some information from the internet found on a few personal blogs.

Read scientific publications, study the human body and how it works, listen to doctors on podcasts, speak to experts and do some proper research.

Diabetes2 is not a case of 'the body is broken and can't be fixed' and thinking that way will only leave you in a cycle of meds and symptoms and increasing ones at that.
It is progressive when nothing changes.

There are many many doctors who are now beginning to reject 'conventional medicine' and about time too, because a lot of it keeps people sick and doesn't address the key issues: our modern, uncontrolled, lifestyles. There is a reason why diabetes 2 used to be called "The sugar disease" and that's all foods that convert to sugar. Bread, pasta, any starches, dairy, most fruits etc.
Most diabetic nutritionists tell diabetics to eat starches and fruit and that keeps them sugar poisoned!

One doctor, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, M.D says "Type 2 diabetes is a fully curable disease. And still conventional medicine treat it as the opposite – as a chronic and progressive disease. We try to mask the symptoms and slow down the complications, instead of curing it!"

Have a read of his site, It's nicely explained without biochemistry and too much science.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

He isn't the only one...as I said, there are 100s more like him.

It is obvious from the increasing amount of diabetics that conventional medicine doesn't prevent it, only manages symptoms to an extent. Many of them will get worse over time and end up with heart disease, blindness, ulcers, amputations etc.

Isn't going Low Carb, High Fat worth a try for better health, a longer life and free from the threat of losing limbs?
Is eating bread, potatoes, pasta, cakes, etc worth it?

Ditto the above.

Just about word for word.

I saw my mother die from the complications of diabetes.......it was not pretty.

If it means me avoiding what she went through them Going Low Carb is most definitely worth a shot. In fact Its a no brainer.

But setting aside diabetes and getting back to the initial point of the thread....Chronic Pain.

I HAVE cured myself of IBS, GERD, migraines and fibromyalgia purely by changing my eating habits .......bringing my blood sugar levels back down to normal was the proverbial "icing in the cake" - pun intended.

I am pain free and I take no medications at all.

Drugs only mask symptoms, they rarely get to the root cause of illness. You have to go deeper and look for what's causing the disease in the first place.

I become very frustrated with threads like this. People complain they are in pain, the drugs don't work, their doctors won't/can't help, how the pain impacts and ruins their lives and yet, when you offer them an explanation and a way out they shut they ears and refuse to try and help themselves.

I simply don't get this. Why continue to suffer. Why not just try and make things better yourself.

To all of you suffering from fibromyalgia, whether diagnosed or just suspected, or, indeed, any kind of chronic pain, and for whom drug therapies aren't working, why not try changing your diet and see how you go.

Ditch the carbs. Give it 3 months. You might need to go a step further and cut out the nightshade family too, or, you might be ok with them. It's trial and error.

Give your body what it needs, proper food, rest, sleep, exercise. Give your body the chance to regenerate and heal itself.

Seriously, You have got nothing to lose - nothing that is, except your pain.

Surely it's worth a shot.

Pop_Up_Pirate

100% agree with you lessonlearned.
We were in bad shape in our household, pain, never ending meds, "uncurable" disease and illness.
Awful. What did we have to look forward to other than a hope of a cure?

Yet the 'cure' was within grasp all the time, yet not one nutritionist, not one doctor, not one health professional told us what to do.

So we did it ourselves.
Completely changed our diets......drastically.

And all illnesses gone. Disappeared. No more meds.
Is it hard work? Oh yes. Temptations are all around, but we soon got used to it and found a way to manage. Treats are now TREATS. Christmas maybe and that's it.
Is it worth it? An even bigger yes.

We eat no refined carbs, no sugar, no grains, no nightshades, no dairy, no legumes, no cooking oil and tons and tons of fat, meat and veggies.

Worth a shot isn't it?

[Deleted User]

When reading your post I wondered what your quality of sleep was like? Do you often wake in the night and wake in the morning not feeling refreshed? I did wonder about ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - i was diagnosed with this last year and I did have a lot of pain which came and went (which was described as "fibromyalgic") and was sometimes in one part of the body and sometimes in another. Its cause seems to be a problem with the adrenals, hypothalamus and pituary gland and so affects a lot of different functions as well as poor sleep, digestion, temperature regulation, pain control, etc.

It's been recently found that people with ME/CFS can't digest carbs properly - and don't use them to generate energy (relying on fats instead - which is a much more inefficient way & leads to painful lactic acid build up in the muscles).

I was referred to a fatigue clinic, but only after a whole battery of tests had been done to make sure that nothing else was going on (including lupus and coeliac disease). It certainly sounds as though you need your lupus test repeating - hopefully the doctor you see will be able to arrange that. Insist. Don't give up.

And, in common with lots of people here, I've drastically changed my diet to cut out sugar, processed foods, most carbs, and flour. Wouldn't go back. Now I eat to live, I don't live to eat.

Good luck.

OldMotherTucker

Hi Swimmum.

I was dx'd with Lupus about 15 years ago after a lifetime of illness. I'm happy to say that my illness is well managed and I am relatively painfree now compared to the misery I used to suffer.
I am no longer on any medication apart form OTC painkillers BUT I was told right from the start by my Rheumy and GP that this was the ultimate goal in treating chronic AI diseases.

I agree 100% that diet is a huge factor - I have been following the Anti-Arthritus diet since pre-internetty days. It's not a fad but, IT ALONE will not 'cure' you.

Equally important is stress management - ordinarily 'stress' as such is not a bad thing - it keeps us alive!! But it also stimulates the immune system which causes it to pump out the 'wrong' antibodies hence the pain and eventually damages joints and organs.

Stress is hard to identify and see - a bit like radiation (at least that's my analogy) Also UV light can stimulate the immune system and trigger a flare and it's important to note that some foods, even those regarded as healthy can do the same.



Diet, rest and life style changes will all help immensely but there is no one solution and I will remind you that, without regular monitoring of your disease by qualified Practioners, you risk doing damage that you can't see or feel.

Take it gently - don't do what I did 15 years ago and cut out everything - just be sensible. I cut out all processed foods quite quickly but wasn't in a position back then to prep a lot of fresh food and I suffered because of it!

Good luck though. Just remember some of the advice you have been given here, although it's not wrong - it's incomplete . . a bit like telling a Learner Driver 'You'll be fine as long as you stick to the left!!':rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Mrs_Ryan

I think I mentioned on the other thread- last time I cut out carbs, I didn't just feel a 'bit rough' I was so ill I was nearly hospitalised- I collapsed several times as my body couldn't take the strain due to all my other medical problems. My doctor told me under no circumstances was I to attempt it again because of all my other complex problems, but hey what does she know? Judging by some of the posts on here, she doesn't know anything
I don't eat red meat either as I don't like it so chucking a cut of meat into a cooker would actually make me physically ill as I don't like the taste or texture of it. I could eat a lettuce leaf per day and I would still be in agony! I used to live on ready meals but now I mostly eat chicken, salmon and a lot of stir fries, which my partner puts in the Actifry for me. I eat frozen veg and a large variety of it. The majority of the reasons I'm not able to cook are more mental than physical so once again no diet is going to cure that!

lessonlearned

Actually Mrs Ryan, the average GP knows very little about nutrition, hence all the conflicting advice. It is not covered by their training in any great detail.

If you are really struggling you might be better to ask for a referral to a nutritionist.

I actually paid to see one privately. Cost me £80 but I consider it money well spent. Probably one of my best investments.

OldMotherTucker

Moving away from diet Swimmum . .

Tens machines - I've found Tens machines too painful to use and cause muscle pain in the days after treatment. The stimulation can trigger the immune system but you won't necessarily feel the effects of those extra rogue antibodies straight away. Same for sunlight and massage . .

Exercise and rest are equally important. Inflammation will build up in the joints and this has to 'go' somewhere. Have you asked to be referred to a physio. I've found that have a better anatomical knowledge of my body help to isolate and identify the many different types of pain so I can continue to be ative without aggravating the affected tendon, ligament etc

A typical mum thing to do is ignore minor pains but, like the proverbial straw that breaks the camel back, this are often the ones that bring you to your knees - if you can bend them that is:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: - and leave you sobbing over the sink:(

Pain doesn't have to be severe to be debilitating - long term mild pain can cause depression/low mood which affects your ability to cope with everything else. Then you get trapped in the misery of illness and life in general.

Also fatigue is insidious - I had to learn to be quite selfish! I was referred to a pain clinic many years ago where they taught 'Pacing' which I initially thought was aload of crap! A few years later, I had some CBT and I totally embraced pacing just as some of the converts on this thread embrace healthy eating.

I had to stop trying to be super mum and beating myself up for being such a weak and flawed specimen. In a tiny nut shell, I budget my time, energy and tolerance.I operate and plan my day in 4 hour chunks - each chunk allows an activity or task/ a rest and something to look forward. Like diet, I couldn't instigate these changes over night - and it's pretty flexible to allow for having fun! Psychologically you feel better if you are in control rather than the pain!! And you have to learn to say 'No!' without making excuses or feeling guilty or apologising!!

Learn to say 'No, I'm busy (having a much needed rest!!)
(putting my needs first!!)
(There are other people who can help you with that!!)

Also learn to ask for help!! Especially if you live in a home with another able adult and youngsters!

Blue Badge - Have you applied for PIP because you don't need a diagnosis for that and as far as I know you just need 8 mobility points.

Hope some of this helps!

MonkeyDr

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

One doctor, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, M.D says "Type 2 diabetes is a fully curable disease. And still conventional medicine treat it as the opposite – as a chronic and progressive disease. We try to mask the symptoms and slow down the complications, instead of curing it!"

Have a read of his site, It's nicely explained without biochemistry and too much science.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

I was interested and went to his site. I couldn't actually see the quote about T2DM being curable, but I didn't look at every page. On his main diabetes page he talks about low carb diets improving levels, but not about curing T2DM.

Have you read the peer-reviewed papers that he lists as evidence? I have. None of them prove / describe / suggest that the diet is a 'cure', and all of the outcomes measured are measures of improved diabetic control. In all of the papers the low-carb / ketogenic group still had diabetes at the end of follow-up, as measured by HbA1c (which is the gold standard).

I think there is some evidence that these sorts of diets can help with T2DM control, and hopefully prevent or delay some of the longer-term complications, but there will also be people for whom they are not suitable, and there are also people who will be able to gain good control without them.

(someone mentioned pancreas regeneration as a potential future cure - that would be for T1DM not T2DM, as in type 2 the problem is insulin resistance not lack of production).

It is great that your diet worked for your family and improved your life. It will not necessarily work for everyone else's problems. Intentionally or not, you are also cruelly adding to the false narrative that T2DM is entirely the sufferer's fault.

Mrs_Ryan

lessonlearned wrote: »

Actually Mrs Ryan, the average GP knows very little about nutrition, hence all the conflicting advice. It is not covered by their training in any great detail.

If you are really struggling you might be better to ask for a referral to a nutritionist.

I actually paid to see one privately. Cost me £80 but I consider it money well spent. Probably one of my best investments.

Unfortunately my ESA doesn't stretch to paying £80 for a nutritionist I can pretty much put up with the pain- it isnt for the most part the pain that stops me from doing much, apart from on the days when my tumours decide to make their presence felt which can floor me for days. If some quack 'diet' could cure my personality disorder and anxiety and alopecia I might be interested as that's what stops me living my life in the way I would like but as I've said no diet is going to cure them. Some days I don't want to even move from the sofa as my mood is so low and I certainly don't want to start messing around with sharp knives and hot pans- on days like that I'm lucky if I can open a bag of crisps! My mate got sent to a nutritionist and all the stuff she got told to eat I wouldn't touch with a fifty foot barge pole, I've got serious issues with food and an eating disorder so I'm not really enamoured with the idea of messing with my diet!
I guess it may sound like I'm making excuses but my mental health problems are massively complex and largely govern my poor relationship with food. I've had therapy and all sorts and have now been told there's nothing more they can do for me so I guess my poor relationship with food will continue. It's not something I can just snap out of either and nothing any nutritionist can help me with as the minute they start telling me I have to eat stuff that I'm not prepared to then I'll just point blank refuse.