Category Archives: health&wellness - Page 2

Low Impact Exercises to Get Your Blood Flowing

Posted by on January 10, 2008 Comments Off

I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in ages. Unfortunately my rash is back. I’m pretty sure this all has to do with the wonderful weather we’re having here in Southeastern Ohio and I’m so thankful for it. I’m going to take some time today and get out of this house. And hopefully burn some of Mags’ engery. :)

We have some old bar stools in the basement and I’m considering bringing those up so I can do some stretching exercises. Low impact, low stress exercises are recommended to keep the fatigue and pain at bay. Start out slow to adjust to any new workout routine, and don’t overdo it. Otherwise, if you’re like me, the next day you’ll feel it in bones you didn’t even use.

What kind of exercises make me feel better?

Stretching

The bar stools will be good in stretching my back without hurting my knees and/or elbows. If you have something similar- high chairs or counters that are relatively close to each other- you can use them. Make sure to place your chairs close enough together that you’re not going to fall down trying this and far enough away that you actually get some benefit. Simply place one leg as high as you can on one stool (or chair), turn to the other top, place your hands on the top and lean into your hands. You do this with both sides. Do it slowly and far enough that you feel some stretching. You’ll wake up your muscles and help them remember that they are useful for something.

Walking

Another good exercise is walking. Of course, you’ve heard this all before, so what am I going to tell you that’s new? Nothing. It’s important for both your bones and muscles to be active. For people suffering with chronic pain, I’m certainly not going to advocate running or power walking. That would take too much out of you. But a gentle stroll around town for about an hour will do your body good. You’ll absorb some much need vitamins from the sun, get fresh air, and get the blood flowing properly through your muscles. It’s also good for your spirit to get out in the world and be a part of it. Many people with chronic illness spend way too much time cooped up indoors, so getting out is incredibly beneficial. Oh! And if it’s raining just take an umbrella. Rain is good for your soul too.

Dancing

Another thing that I like to do (and something which I did a little of yesterday) is dancing. You don’t have to do the hip-hop thing or be a prima ballerina. Just get a groove going and let out a little sweat. You know which moves will cause you the most pain and which will invigorate you- and if you don’t you will after a couple of days of this – so get with it! I do some Salsa dancing with Mags (to the tunes of Fisher Price Little People on CD) and get a little sweat going. It’s nice and she has tons of fun. A good half hour of this will do the trick and maybe even raise your spirits. If you’re body-conscious then close the door and do it alone. You’ll like it and might make it a habit.

Yoga

Low impact yoga is something else that I do. I don’t do this often because Mags and the pooch think that floor time is play time and so I don’t get much done with them around, but you can find one or two days a week to fit this in and it could be beneficial. I use the beginners version every time. If I get more advanced, the poses get more painful, and I pay for it the next day. I’m trying to fight off the fatigue, not send myself into episodes (“flares” to most people).

Yoga is an excellent way to learn deep breathing and relaxation techniques, which are also beneficial in fighting chronic pain and fatigue. As you stretch and bend you have to take deep, cleansing breaths and that can carry over into other aspects of life as stress relievers.

Not For Losing Weight

I don’t do these exercises to lose weight. For that you need cardio exercises and sweating and pain (for me- ultimately). My body can’t take that. However, you should see some weight loss benefits if you couple these low-impact exercises with a healthy diet. You won’t get the results you see on “The Biggest Loser” though and it’s important that folks with chronic pain and fatigue realize that. Slow but steady wins the race and makes us healthier, but not dramatically thinner.

I’ve basically given up going to the gym, walking fast and trying to lose that last 30 pounds quickly. I can’t handle too much activity. I certainly can’t handle getting sweaty for an hour three times a week. Nope, I take it slow and easy, which helps me fight the fatigue and be a part of my family again.

That’s my goal.

Lack of Vitamin Can Cause Chronic Pain

Posted by on November 20, 2007 Comments Off

I went back to the rheumatologist yesterday and apparently I’m severely Vitamin D deficient. He’s putting me on a mega dose of a supplement. It was a very quick visit, of course, so I didn’t get to ask any questions (what is with doctors avoiding the question and answer sessions?). So, I came home and did some research.

Apparently Vitamin D deficiency, the major cause of Rickets, wasn’t a problem for a long time. Now because so many people are warned about staying out of the sun and using massive amounts of sunscreen, they’re getting ill again. But many doctors don’t test for this particular deficiency because it was so rare before- and they don’t like to do new stuff (except for using their prescription pad for new meds, of course).

How do you become Vitamin D deficient?

People are using more and more sunscreen at a higher SPF and many are told to avoid direct sunlight all together. That means that valuable Vitamin D is blocked and avoided too, because the sun produces most of the Vitamin D that we need. And according to some, anyone above 30 degrees North latitude is at greater risk in the winter (of becoming Vitamin D deficient), because the angle of the sun prevents the vitamin from getting through to us. This could be why so many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

During the winter at latitudes above 35 degrees North and South, very little, if any, vitamin D can be produced in the skin. For example, in Boston (42°N) no vitamin D is produced from November through February.[source]

Another reason for the deficiency is malabsorbtion due to intestinal issues (such as Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, or Irritable Bowl Syndrome) or kidney problems. This can be especially true if you’re like me and avoid direct sunlight at all costs and can’t get the nutrients needed through food. Of course, I rarely eat liver and/or herring, but that’s another story.

What are the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness and muscle aches and pains in both children and adults.[source]

That study states that every person involved with it had pain complaints and was Vitamin D deficient. Other symptoms include fatigue and bone pain. It also states that the problem is getting worse because of warnings and fears of skin cancer. Fair skinned people, such as those of Northern European descent, are better equipped to absorb Vitamin D from the sun, but because of the high use of sunscreen these people are just as susceptible to becoming deficient as those with darker skin.

Vitamin D malnutrition may also be linked to an increased susceptibility to several chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, tuberculosis, cancer, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder and several autoimmune diseases [source]

How do you know if you’re deficient?

Have you been tested for any vitamin deficiency? If not, ask your doctor to do a simple blood test. The normal range for Vitamin D is 16.0 to 74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) [source]. My Vitamin D registered at 6 ng/mL, so I’m very low. A simple blood test was all it took to find out that I am deficient. None of my other doctors bothered to include this test in with their other blood tests, so it’s taken almost 2 years to find this out. If you are experiencing chronic bone and muscle pain, fatigue, and any other strange symptoms that your doctor can’t figure out, ask if he or she has done a test for this particular deficiency (or any other vitamin deficiency for that matter). If not, ask for it.

What now?

My doctor has prescribed what he calls a “mega dose” of Vitamin D supplement. I’m to take it only once a week. He’s also advised that I take a calcium supplement because the deficiency causes osteoporosis and calcium helps the body absorb the Vitamin D supplement better. You can safely take up from 300 IU (International Units) to 4,000 IU of Vitamin D a day. Dietary sources of the vitamin can provide up to 250 IU, so when sunlight isn’t available (or in the case of Lupus patients, ill-advised) it’s suggested that you supplement with a pill.

I’m not sure if my deficiency is because of malabsorbtion or because I’ve been actively avoiding sunlight. I’ll find out soon enough because of other tests (if you have gastrointestinal issues you should have a colonoscopy). I’ll also let you know if my symptoms improve with the vitamin supplement I’ve been prescribed.

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Merck Inspired Me

Posted by on November 9, 2007 Comments Off

Today I found out that Merck is going to pay $4.85 BILLION in settlements because of it’s “blockbuster” painkiller, VIOXX. I was more than a little appalled, but not at all surprised, that so many people had taken the drug and it took so long to get it off the market. In my own experience with doctors and prescriptions, I’ve learned that you can’t trust a doctor’s prescription pad. He or she may have ulterior motives for wanting you to take what they’re offering. I’m especially wary after the last couple of doctor’s that I’ve seen really pushed medicines on me that I didn’t want and wouldn’t benefit me (especially because of my bad reactions to them).

So, I was finally bitten by the article bug and wrote one up for AC. I initially thought I would publish it here and see what kind of hits I got with it, but changed my mind. My audience here is so small compared to who reads over there (the CPs who read AC articles voraciously but rarely venture into blogland, for instance. It doesn’t hurt that I get money over there either. :) Since it’s largely an op-ed piece I had to submit for no upfront payment, but that’s ok. It’s also non-exclusive. So, if it does well I’ll know where to concentrate my talents and maybe submit to a higher paying establishment (like Constant Content).

 

Here’s an excerpt of “When Good Drugs Go Bad: Why Your Doctor’s Prescription Pad Might Endanger Your Life”.

My primary care physician likes to promote relatively new medications and has been known, at least with me, to either not know of or intentionally mislead about serious side effects of particular medications. When he prescribed Tramadol (Ultram) for me he assured me that it was non-habit forming and that there were no serious side effects. He failed to mention that:

Commonly reported side effects include nausea, constipation, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and vomiting. Less commonly reported side effects include itching, sweating, dry mouth, diarrhea, rash, visual disturbances, and vertigo. Some patients who received tramadol have reported seizures. Abrupt withdrawal of tramadol may result in anxiety, sweating, insomnia, rigors, pain, nausea, diarrhea, tremors, and hallucinations. [Emphasis mine. Source]

As a matter of fact, because of I’m so leery of taking medications with which I’m unfamiliar, I asked him about possible adverse side effects. He assured me that Tramadol (Ultram) is no worse that prescription strength acetaminophen or ibuprofen. At that time I trusted his judgement. Later at a checkup I told his NP that I sometimes took two pills at a time because they did little to alleviate my pain. She told me it was fine as long as I didn’t go over 500 mgs a day. She then consulted with the same doctor that prescribed the medication, and returned to tell me I was taking too much, that it wasn’t good for me and I should take the vicodin primarily for pain. She told me that I could take the Tramadol to boost the vicodin “occasionally”. I was again reassured that the Tramadol was basically safe and not to worry about anything. I already knew about the withdrawal symptoms, now I worried about other things. It’s better for me to take a controlled narcotic than this? Bye, bye Tramadol.

Read More “When Good Drugs Go Bad”

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