Please help - I have suddenly been struck down with anxiety, depression and extreme fatigue - updated 10/02/15

"I am a 16 year old male suffering from adrenal fatigue.

About two months ago something happened. During a very long time i had been working out excessively in the gym and using a very high-caffeine drink before my workouts. I only rested one day a week and I usually spent that day studying or doing other activities. 

I felt great untill that one week when suddenly my energy wasn't quite as high as usual. I ignored my tiredness and drank my high-caffeine drink and worked out anyway. Then i started noticing my confidence going down for no reason. By the end of that week i was tired and in a strange way i didn't have my usual confidence. I ignored these symptoms and worked out with my high- caffeine drink anyway. Then one day after my workout something happened. I came home and had a HUGE "down", i was suddenly depressed and was struck by anxiety AND I was so tired. I also felt weak in my knees, wrists and hands. Ever since that day it has not gone away. I sleep over ten hours yet I'm tired and fatigued when i wake up. 

Now i am noticing other symptoms like blue/black under eyes, lines on my fingers and most of all i have lost the lust for life and being happy. (also sex drive for that matter). I also did the pipil test with the flashlight and my pupils seemed to struggle to keep attracting. 

My doctor didn't see anything wrong when he saw the urinal- and blood test but i know there is something wrong with my body. 

I am thinking about buying the Dr Wilson adrenal fatigue quarter pack. The only thing that i am unsure of is if there is any age restriction. I am only 16 but i really need to recover from this. My main concern is that this adrenal fatigue will mess my whole puberty and maturing process because the adrenals are responsible for 40% of the hormones or whatever...

Please help!"

(Quoted with permission)

_________________

Gary:

High caffeine pre-workout supplements are all the rage right now; however they are a deal with the devil, so to speak.  There is payback later in return for the immediate benefits.  

Symptoms of excess caffeine use include:

Immediate

• Fast and irregular heartbeat (palpitations).
• Increased blood pressure.
• Rambling speech and thoughts.
• Jitters.
• Nervousness and anxiety.
• Headaches.
• Tummy upset.
• Insomnia.
• Cardiac arrest (death).

Long term (if still alive!)

• Addiction.
• Stomach ulcers.
• Depression.
• Extreme tiredness, weakness of heart and muscles and extreme loss of stamina.

The risk of death is real:  at least two young men have died from cardiac arrest in New Zealand gyms in recent years, shortly after consuming pre-workout energy supplements.

Enough said about these pre-workout supplements, other than to say, "Don't take them!"

Let's get some help for this young man by answering his questions and giving some helpful advice.

Can he take Dr Wilson's Adrenal Fatigue supplements?

The answer is "Yes!" His signs and symptoms, including pupil test, are consistent with adrenal fatigue and there is no age for diet and nutrient interventions to aid recovery.  His story and description of symptoms point to his having exhausted and or damaged his adrenal glands, presumably from the combination of excessive use of stimulants combined with hard daily workouts and presumably an inadequate diet.

How the adrenals work

The adrenal glands manufacture almost 50 different hormones, including steroid hormones such as adrenalin, cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen and testosterone.  Adrenalin and cortisol are shot into the bloodstream during stress such as when working out.  These hormones quicken the pulse, increase blood pressure, mobilise fats and sugars, heighten the senses and generally prepare the body and mind for battle (very much like caffeine when you think about it).  Yes, caffeine stimulates the adrenals to release these hormones.  Here the problems begin!

The adrenals do not have an endless supply of cortisol and adrenalin: they continuously produce tiny amounts of these hormones which are carefully stored in readiness for the occasional stressful event.  If the adrenals are being constantly signalled to drop their loads due to excessive caffeine consumption, intense workouts and a fast life in general, then the adrenals can quickly be depleted and even begin to suffer damage.  Especially if combined with a nutrient-poor diet.  

The end result can be CRASH and BURN big time, including cardiac failure because the adrenal hormones regulate blood pressure and heart function (think of the paramedic injecting adrenaline directly into the heart muscle when resuscitating a victim of cardiac arrest).

Dr Wilson's products are safe to take at any age.  If they contained hormones, I would not be saying this.  Dr Wilson's products are carefully formulated nutritional products derived from the best ingredients available.  There are no hormones in them at all: The ingredients provide the nutritional substrate that exhausted and damaged glands so desperately need to both repair and to manufacture more hormones as and when required.

There are many adrenal support supplements available nowadays and I have played round with many over the years.  However, each time i have gone full circle back to Dr Wilson's adrenal products.  His may be quite expensive but they are simply the best.

I have looked at the medical tests that this young man's doctor ordered and the doctor is correct when reviewing the test results to conclude that he could see nothing the matter.  

For two reasons:

1. The doctor ordered the wrong tests, if he was wanting to assess adrenal function.
2. Doctors are no longer taught about how to recognise or treat adrenal fatigue.  Medicine will only recognise adrenal shutdown at its most extreme (Addison's) for which the treatment is powerful patent steroids.

(Adrenal fatigue has been written out of the medical textbooks since the late 1950's at about the time of the commercial launch of a steroid drug called Prednisone.  Previously, doctors were taught how to use glandular extracts for the treatment of adrenal exhaustion).

Here is what I recommend for this young man:

• Commence a course of Dr Wilson's adrenal fatigue programme under the guidance of a trained health professional.  Refer here to find a practitioner.  
• Start with Dr Wilson's Adrenal Rebuilder, Super Adrenal Stress Formula and Adrenal C.
• It may be necessary to consistently follow an adrenal fatigue recovery programme for as long as three months - sometimes longer - to be sure that one has recovered.  Young people generally recover faster than older people.
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants and get plenty of rest, including regular sleep.
• Exercise, but only every second day.  The exercise may be invigorating while not being exhausting.
• Ensure the diet is rich in all of the nutrients the body requires to manufacture lean tissue, hormones and neurotransmitters.  This means a wide range of fats and proteins from fresh animal, fish and plant sources.  Eggs are a good source of everything.  Eat bright and dark vegetables and berries for powerful protective antioxidants.  
• In addition to Dr Wilson's adrenal formulations, take a good quality multivitamin.
• Protein is not stored like fat and sugar in the body.  If protein is not immediately available from digestion for tissue repair, hormone production and so on, then the protein will be taken from lean tissues, thus weakening the body.  To become stronger and healthier it is a good rule of thumb to have a little protein about every four waking hours.
• If there has not been a significant improvement within about six weeks then it may be wise to investigate for additional possibilities that may contribute to chronic fatigue, such as glandular fever, which is very common in young men and women but difficult to diagnose until after the disease has run its course.

Further reading:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11398615

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

The link between stress, acne depression and anxiety (Updated 14/05/14)

Acne was rare when I was a teenager during the 1960's, sure there were cases, but nowhere the number we see nowadays. It seems every second teenager now has acne.

Depression and anxiety appear to be on the rise and there is growing evidence that the three are interlinked. If they are, what, if anything is their common factor? What might be their root cause? I think I know the answer.

First, read this excerpt from

Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis - back to the future?

Whitney P Bowe and Alan C Logan

"In recent years it has been confirmed that hypochlorhydria is a significant risk factor for small intestinal bacterial over growth (SIBO). Indeed SIBO is detected via hydrogen breath testing in half of patients on long-term proton pump inhibitor treatment [13]. SIBO presents itself on a wide continuum between being asymptomatic and, at its extreme, a severe malabsorption syndrome. For many, there may be very mild gastrointestinal symptoms, including bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation [14]. It is also reported to be prevalent in functional syndromes such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome [15]. SIBO can compromise proper absorption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, B vitamins, and other micronutrients due to bacterial interference. Excess bacteria can successfully compete for nutrients, produce toxic metabolites, and cause direct injury to enterocytes in the small intestine [16]. Just as Stokes and Pillsbury had supposed, SIBO has recently been shown to be associated with increased intestinal permeability, whereas antimicrobial treatment of SIBO helps to restore the normal intestinal barrier [17]. Experimental studies show that psychological stress stagnates normal small intestinal transit time, encourages overgrowth of bacteria, and compromises the intestinal barrier [18]. SIBO is strongly associated with depression and anxiety, while eradication of SIBO improves emotional symptoms [19,20]. Although the frequency of SIBO in acne vulgaris has not yet been investigated, a recent report indicates that SIBO is 10 times more prevalent in those with acne rosacea vs. healthy controls. Correction of SIBO leads to marked clinical improvement in patients with rosacea [21]."

I recommend that you take time out to read the entire article here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038963/

This quote is equally fascinating:

“We here propose that mammals evolved with a dermal microflora that contributed to the regulation of body physiology by providing nitrite from commensal ammonia-oxidising bacteria in response to ammonia released during sweating. We further hypothesise that modern skin hygiene practices have led to a gradual loss of these bacteria from our skin. Together with other life-style related changes associated with an insufficient bodily supply of nitrite and depletion of other nitric oxide (NO) related species, a condition we here define as “nitropenia” has led to a perturbation of cellular redox signalling which manifests as dysregulated immunity and generalised inflammation. If proven correct, this scenario could provide an additional evolutionary rationale and a mechanistic basis for the simultaneous rises in prevalence of a number of seemingly unrelated chronic illnesses over the past 3-4 decades.” 
http://books.google.com/books?id=a3mwmXzpsjkC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA103#v=onepage&q&f=false 

Using the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis to detect the ongoing drivers for acne, gut and mood issues

The following chart is the hair tissue mineral analysis HTMA) for a 14 year old suffering gut and acne issues.  Needless to say he is feeling miserable (depressed).  Who wouldn't?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) of a 14 year old boy suffering acne and gut ulcers

Key symptoms

• Terrible skin with acne sores everywhere, especially the face.
• Mouth and throat ulcers.
• Difficulty eating anything, including holding it down.  Diarrhoea.
• Insomnia.
• Failure to thrive, thin and delayed puberty.
• Not feeling good about himself.

HTMA findings are consistent with symptoms

• Elevated Fe relative to Cu indicates infectious anaemia
• Elevated Zn indicates severe zinc loss.
• High Ca to Mg indicates tendency for insomnia, diverticulosis, muscle cramps difficulty with concentration and nervousness.

The zinc pattern is an interesting one.  It indicates that this young man is not holding onto zinc, but losing it through his hair.  Zinc loss/deficiency is associated with:

• Depression
• Viruses (acne)
• Fungal infections 
• Candida
• Anorexia
• Peptic ulcers
• Poor wound healing
• Lowered immunity
• Autism
• Stretch marks
• Slow growth 

There are more symptoms but these are the ones most relevant in this discussion.  He is a sitting duck for viral and fungal infections, depression, ulcerations of the gut and poor healing.

Incidentally, the indication of a chronic infection (elevated Fe relative to Cu) is most likely due to the acne and ulcerations in his gut. 

The problem with zinc loss is almost universal in the HTMA I do.  I am convinced that this is due to two things:

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics causing near-permanent changes in a person's gut flora.  This may be precipitated by a single course of antibiotics at any time of a person's life, especially during childhood.  Fungal and yeast overgrowths stress the supply of zinc.  Zinc is a powerful antifungal and antiviral and a person with fungal, yeast and viral infections, including gut ulcerations, needs huge amounts of this mineral.  Paradoxically, zinc deficiency inside the body usually shows up as elevated zinc levels in the hair.  It may be partly because the body is attempting to concentrate zinc where it is needed for fungal infection control - the hair, nails, skin and the gut tissues.

Is there a single person in New Zealand who has never had an antibiotic?

An antibiotic is a bit like taking Roundup and spraying a native bush reserve to kill some rogue gorse plants.  The Roundup kills everything, leaving a barren land.  Guess what comes back first?  Yes - An overgrowth of gorse, so thick that anything else is smothered to death and another flyover with Roundup only gives temporary respite. This is what can happen in the gut following an antibiotic.  Elevated Zn on the HTMA is an indicator there may be fungal and yeast overgrowths.  The lasting solution is a patient process of clearing and thinning the overgrowth without resort to indiscriminate chemical, with plantings of a wide variety of natives.  Its a slow process that may take many years to complete, if ever.  Gut health, in the modern world that is soaked with toxins and depleted food, requires constant attention.

The Modern diet is a major contributor because it is so lacking in minerals such as zinc and magnesium and devoid of most vitamins, many of which are needed for the body to properly utilise minerals.

18 Year old female with severe acne.  Note similar pattern with Zn to that of the 14 year old boy.
The elevated Cu is due to glandular fever having altered liver function and depressing K.

Conclusion

I am convinced there is a link between antibiotic use, the poor modern diet, stress and the distressing triad of acne, gut dysbiosis and depression.

Treatment is not yet another indiscriminate B-52 bombing raid with antibiotics: it consists of the long term nurturing of the gut to gradually replace the "gorse" overgrowth with a rich flora of healthy bacteria.  It consists of healthy dietary changes and the use of vitamin, mineral and herbal preparations to facilitate this long and gradual process of recovery.  Treatment includes identifying and reducing, or better managing stresses in one's life.  Clearly, an upset of the mind leads to an upset of the gut.

An aside: My position on antibiotic use

Coming to New Zealand now: Intense barn dairy farming.  Many animals in close proximity = disease.
Which means much higher use of antibiotics.

Well, for a start, it may only be a matter of a few years before antibiotics cease to be effective against many bugs that are rapidly evolving into "Superbugs".  Antibiotics have been abused in human and animal health and we are paying for it big time now.  In New Zealand, as with the rest of the world, the use of antibiotics is almost universal within factory farming of chickens and pigs.  We have been so spoiled with the wonders of antibiotics that we have almost forgotten how to prevent and treat infection through other means, such as cleaning a wound.  If we are lacking vitamins and minerals and are stressed then our ability to fight infection is poor.  The point I am making is that we hardly ever need antibiotics, if only we knew what to do.

Antibiotics are amazing drugs but they have been abused.  I want to see these wonder drugs reserved for the few cases that really need them: People with compromised immune systems and/or bugs that threaten permanent harm or to kill.  For the rest of us basically healthy people: Stay away from antibiotics!  

With regards to agriculture, intense factory farming is reliant on antibiotics.  We need to get back to more humane farming of animals, including giving them space to roam.

"Gary: when was the last time you took an antibiotic?"

My answer: I can't remember and I am still alive, healthy and kicking.  Despite the fact that I participate in sports like mountain biking which involve constant cuts, grazes and infection.

Gary's thigh treated without antibiotics while avoiding the risks of their
use, such as gut dysbiosis.

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

The evidence mounts that antidepressants are associated with increased harm to self and others

Suicide by fabulously successful people with, apparently exciting and fulfilling lives ahead of them is never far from the news headlines.  Tragic!  Why, oh why did they do it - and how could they ever find the strength of will to carry through with it?

I am not an expert in psychiatry but I do have a better than usual knowledge of the inner workings of the human body, including what goes on within the brain.  I think antidepressants and other psychoactive drugs have a lot to answer for.  Where the information is available, prescription drugs are never far from the death scene.

What has intrigued me for a long time is the growing evidence of the link between psychoactive drugs, such as for depression and hyperactivity, and destructive behaviour such as suicides, suicide-homicides, mass shootings at schools and workplaces, and other horrific crimes such as infanticide.

"Documents show that 109 people have been wounded and 58 killed in recent shootings where the shooters were taking psychotropic drugs. The FDA has reports of 11,000 incidents of violence resulting from these drugs between 2004 -2011, including 300 homicides, representing less than 10% of actual incidents."

"Psychology Today, January 5, 2011 describes this problem in detail. Of the 1937 total case reports of violence toward others by individuals taking psychotropic drugs, there were 387 cases of homicide, 404 physical assaults, 27 cases of physical abuse, 896 reports of homicidal ideation, and 223 cases of “violence related symptoms.”

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/stress-and-health-dr-lind/2013/jan/15/guns-and-drugs/  

Bear in mind that most adverse effects of drugs are horrendously under or misreported, so the above figures should be regarded as not ore than 10% of actual rates.

Despite the growing evidence of harm (and ineffectiveness), these drugs continue to be prescribed with gay abandon by your doctor.  Are they on the same planet as me?  Am I missing something?  These drugs are dangerous.

All of us have destructive thoughts that, if acted upon, have the potential to cause enormous harm to oneself and others, such as the urge to smash that overbearing boss right in the face; but you bite your lip and hold back.  Why?  Because you have voices in the back of your mind saying, "Don't do it Gary!"  You listen and you hold back.  That's the work of your "Voices of Self-Preservation".  We all have them there to ensure our survival.  I suspect these drugs dull those voices, allowing those destructive thoughts to be acted upon.

"Notably, emotional side-effects had an impact on perceived quality of parenting and were occasionally linked to thoughts of self-harm or suicide."

Emotional side-effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors:

BJP 2009, 195:211-217.
Jonathan Price, Victoria Cole and Guy M. Goodwin

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/195/3/211.full.pdf

The study quoted above, which I urge you to read in full, identifies emotional dulling and detachment as common experiences of people on antidepressants:

"Most participants described a general reduction in the intensity of all the emotions that they experienced, so that all their emotions felt flattened or evened out, and their emotional responses to all events were toned down in some way. Very common descriptions of this phenomenon included feelings of emotions being ‘dulled’, ‘numbed’, ‘flattened’ or completely ‘blocked’, as well as descriptions of feeling ‘blank’ and ‘flat’. A few participants described a more extreme phenomenon, in which they did not experience any emotions at all. Others felt that they often experienced their emotions as thoughts rather than as feelings, as if their emotional experience had become more ‘cognitive’ or ‘intellectual’. Some participants were able rationally to recognise situations in which they should feel a certain way, and yet the actual emotional response was not there or was altered in some way. Alternatively, some participants could still respond to emotional situations in an appropriate way, but without what they felt was real feeling."

"Most participants described feeling emotionally detached or disconnected, and attributed this to their SSRI antidepressant. Some participants described being detached from their surroundings, and described feelings of being ‘in limbo’, of ‘unreality’ or ‘disconnection’ and of feeling as though they were a ‘spectator’ rather than a participant. Some participants described functioning like a ‘zombie’ or ‘robot’, with reduced or absent emotional responses. Some participants described feeling detached from their own emotions and instincts. Most participants described that this emotional detachment extended to a detachment from other people. Specifically, they felt reduced sympathy and empathy, and felt detached during social interactions. In particular, manyparticipants described an emotional detachment from their friends and family, including their partner or children. Participants’ attitudes towards emotional detachment from other people were mixed. Although this was often seen as an undesirable side-effect of antidepressants, it was also sometimes seen as beneficial, by allowing disengagement from others’ problems, others’ negative emotions and highly charged situations that
would otherwise be upsetting."

"Almost all participants described not caring about things that used to matter to them and attributed this change to their SSRI antidepressant. They cared less about themselves, about other people and about the consequences of their actions. Not caring could have both helpful and unhelpful consequences, reducing the sense of pressure and stress that some participants felt in their daily lives, yet increasing the likelihood that important tasks were neglected. Many participants described a general feeling of indifference to things in life that used to matter to them. Many participants described feeling apathetic and unmotivated, despite their illness having improved and attributed this apathy to their antidepressant. Some participants felt that their sensible, safety conscious, side had diminished and they just did not care as much about the consequences to themselves of their behaviour. As a result, they might behave in a less careful, considered way. A few participants went further, mentioning thoughts of self-harm or suicide that they related, at least in part, to feelings of emotional detachment and emotional numbness. One participant had started to self-harm in an effort to feel emotion. Many participants reported not caring as much about others, such as during social interaction, by being less sensitive or courteous towards other people. In addition, many described reduced concern for others’ feelings, and reduced concern about other peoples’ opinions of them. Some participants described being less concerned or even unable to care about responsibilities in their everyday lives, such as at home, in their finances or at work, and might include, for example, a lack of urgency or need to complete tasks."

"Some participants felt their personality had changed in some way, or been lost, leaving them ‘like a shell’. In some ways, they were not the person that they used to be. Participants reported that specific aspects of their personality, and, in particular, emotional aspects, had been changed or lost, such that they were a different person. These changes were attributed by participants to their SSRI antidepressant. Some participants believed that at times their antidepressant had made them behave quite out of character. One participant believed that the medication had changed their personality permanently, having a lasting effect beyond finishing their medication."

"..it was notable that descriptions of emotional side effects were not limited to SSRIs, and were often associated with other commonly prescribed medications, including serotonin– noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (such as venlafaxine) and mood stabilisers (such as lithium salts)."  

Nor did this study look into the effects of a person on these antidepressant drugs going on a weekend bender with alcohol, party pills and various other recreational drugs and prescription medicines - lethal!

The flattening of the emotions, feelings of detachment, suicidal thoughts and simply not caring - plus the dulling of one's voices of preservation - and you have a lethal mix.  The evidence is mounting that these drugs cause enormous harm.  As I said, these drugs have a lot to answer for.   

In my experience, if they do work, they are only effective for a month or two and then cease to be of any benefit for depression.  The long list of side effects quickly begin to kick in and these may include loss of sexual satisfaction and weight gain - if these aren't depressing, then what is?  In my opinion, the only occasion for prescribing an antidepressant is to rescue an acute situation and to buy time, in terms of a few weeks, while practical interventions such as intensive counseling, home help, business and financial assistance, are implemented.  

If there is not a comprehensive intervention plan and process for cessation of the drug, then it should not be prescribed at all.

Further related reading: http://blog.garymoller.com/2010/05/why-does-blood-pressure-sometimes-go.html

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Why does blood pressure sometimes go dangerously out of control with the use of antidepressants? (Updated)

Over recent months I have had two near identical inquiries about dangerously elevated blood pressure, both involving young women, one resulting in stroke.

Before I go further, I recognise that the following is a difficult topic to deal with because it involves an inexact science, emotions and risk.  I am about to present one viewpoint that I feel is well supported by what we know of human physiology.  However; there is never a "One size fits all" solution to complex health issues, so what I am writing here needs to be applied with caution on a case by case basis.  We are all the same while all being different.  Human beings are incredibly complex and unpredictable creatures, so please take care!

The common factor is both were, and as far as I know, are still taking antidepressant drugs in the class of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's).  On both occasions, to my knowledge, the treating doctors never suggested

Anxiety, depression, migraines, heavy periods and their link with copper toxicity explained

"Have suffered severe anxiety (panic disorder), depression and iron deficiency, as well as daily headaches and monthly migraines. Take antidepressants - mood and anxiety have improved now.

Had a hysterectomy, iron is improved. I still suffer headaches daily - especially lately though for a while they were much improved. "
 __________________________________

Gary:

It is common to find women who have Premenstrual Syndrome to have elevated tissue copper levels on the hair tissue mineral analysis (refer image left).  Many women on oral and copper IUD contraceptives have elevated copper levels.  Copper and zinc regulate the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone.  An imbalance between copper, zinc, as well as the hormones, estrogen and progesterone are likely to be the chief culprits contributing to menstrual problems, including heavy bleeding.

Symptoms of elevated copper echo PMS: Devastating frontal headaches, depression, fatigue, constipation, emotional volatility, weight gain and food cravings.  The symptoms vary depending on the severity of copper toxicity.

Contraceptive use, a severe viral infection, severe stress and disordered eating (anorexia, bulemia) may be causes of elevated copper, as can wearing of copper bracelets.  Females may first suffer from copper toxicity with the onset of puberty when the female hormones surge.  Copper toxicity may persist for many years and well after the causation has long gone.

Copper is an elemental antagonist of iron.  If copper is elevated then iron will tend to be low.  Iron supplementation is usually a fruitless therapy for as long as copper levels are elevated.

While a hysterectomy may relieve the symptoms of heavy bleeding, pain and fatigue, it does not address the underlying drivers of menstrual discomfort which may be elevated copper.  If copper is elevated then the damage will continue, albeit with less obvious symptoms.  The same can be said for the use of antidepressants to treat the symptoms of copper induced depression.

Copper is an antagonist of potassium.  If copper is high, then potassium will tend to be low (Refer chart upper left).  Low tissue potassium is associated with anxiety and panic attacks.

Long term relief from migraines, panic attacks, depression and menstrual abnormalities can be found without resorting to powerful medications or surgery.  Relief by natural means is not overnight and requires a lot of determination.  Begin your journey by determining if there are any abnormalities with elements like copper, sodium and zinc and then setting about methodically correcting these.  This is done with a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and making what changes are necessary to nutrition, lifestyle and taking dietary supplements.

_______________________________________

About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!


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Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).

About drug interactions and debilitating joint pain

I am 63 -- female & very active (cardio & lift moderate to light weights). In the past year I have noticed more debilitating pain in my right knee & shoulder & lower back. X-rays show osteoarthritis & degenerative disc in lower back. I am also on levothyroxine for hypothyroid & zoloft for depression (& once monthly Boniva).
Which of your products is best for me & will not interact with my prescription meds (or cause weight gain!)? I will await your answer.
_____________________________
Gary:
 There are several issues going on here that need to be addressed.  Simply taking a supplement on its own for joint pain will have disappointing results.

Thyroid
When the thyroid is functioning poorly, there is a loss of calcium from the bone and this tends to be deposited into the soft tissues, including the joints.  This shows up as progressive loss of bone density, arthritis, including spurring of the joint margins, muscle pain, fatigue and the calcification of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis).  There is always an adrenal fatigue component which impacts directly on thyroid function.  Prescribing a thyroid medication may partially alleviate matters but not entirely because the other glandular factors are being ignored.  Thyroid problems are often preceded by events of significant stress and poor eating.

Zoloft

Taken for depression, Zoloft may give some relief during the first month after which any benefits to mood are mostly lost due to habituation.  From thereon, the drug is taken just to be able to continue to function during the day, let alone to feel "good".  Due to its messy effects on nerve neurotransmitters the user may suffer increasing fatigue, joint and muscle pain and blood pressure may fluctuate wildly. 

Depression is closely associated with adrenal fatigue and associated thyroid dysfunction.  Medicating for depression does not address these underlying drivers.

Boniva

Boniva is a bisphosphonate drug that I consider to be one of the most awful drugs that are commonly prescribed.  It works by killing off healthy bone.  It is so toxic that it can only be taken once a month and the person may not lie down after taking the drug otherwise it will burn out the oesophagus!  In my opinion, these drugs should be banned.  How a doctor can continue to prescribe these drugs when there is so much evidence of serious harm, is beyond me.

Notice how slick drugs marketers use uplifting names for these poisons to lull people into a false sense of safety and security: Boniva Bon = good or well and iva = uplifting. 

• User Reviews of Boniva  Prepare to be shocked.
• I have written about 30 articles about these drugs in a effort to get the warnings out to the public.  Please go here and read more about bisphosphonates.

What to do:

• Stop taking the Boniva immediately.  This can be done safely with the only side effects of doing so being feeling much better.
• Do not stop taking the other two without first consulting your doctor.  If your Dr is not supportive of a staged withdrawal, first of the depression drug and then the thyroid medication (given  you have not had your thyroid removed or irradiated), then consider finding another doctor.
• While you are at it you might like to amuse yourself by testing the knowledge of your health professional.
• Please read these articles about adrenal fatigue.
• Commence an adrenal and thyroid support programme by first doing this assessment then emailing me your scores.  We will then take things from there.  An adrenal and thyroid support programme will not interfere with your current medication but will prepare you for a safe withdrawal from them later on.

Be prepared for this process of recovery of health to be a long journey in terms of years, rather than months.  But do not despair - begin your journey with one step, then the next and the next.....  The sooner you start, the sooner you get there, no matter the distance.

_______________________________________

About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!

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Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).

Football star's suicide timely warning of consequences of repeated head injury

"Duerson, 50, was found dead Thursday night in his home outside Miami, Fla., with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest. His suicide came after he reportedly requested via a text message to loved ones that his brain be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease associated with repeated head injuries that can result in depression, dementia and suicide."
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/3927848-419/goodell-says-duersons-death-sad.html
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Gary:

The message in this article applies equally to other contact sports including rugby union and league which are very popular participation sports here in New Zealand. The sad news of this former American Football star's suicide is timely, considering all the media publicity happening here in NZ right now about depression, fronted by former All Black, John Kirwan who has published a book about his battle with depression.

Not once (as far as I am aware) has it been mentioned in this high profile campaign that repeated head injury, including "Bell Ringers" (No loss of consciousness), which happen all the time in rugby and league games, may lead to depression later in life.

If there is a history of more than a few concussions happening during sports participation, then immediate retirement is the best option.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!

Your email address:

Powered by FeedBlitz

Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).

What are the health risks of low vitamin D and how much should I take as a supplement?

The high rate of natural production of vitamin D in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D because it has such profound implications for health and vitality. In the last year that I have been getting people to have their vitamin D levels tested, not one has returned with an optimum result, including myself. this is an appalling result that has serious implications for the health of New Zealanders.

Photo: A ridiculous requirement: Polynesian kids hiding from the sun on a sunless Autumn day in Wellington City!

What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that has recently been found to play a role in a wide variety of diseases. Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing:

• Seventeen varieties of cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis
  
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle wasting
• Birth defects
• Periodontal disease

The list seems to be growing by the day.

This does not mean that vitamin D is the only cause of these diseases, or that you will not get them if you take vitamin D. What it does mean is that the possiblility of vitamin D deficiency should always be considered when dealing with these and related ailments; especially in those cases where there has been a failure to recover. It also means that health professionals and public health officials must review and revise their policies about being "Sun Smart" because these may be contributing to causing far more disease than they might be preventing. This is especially the case for dark-skinned people, like my partner and our children, who may require 20-50 times as much sunlight to be healthy as compared to white-skinned people like myself.

It bothers me constantly that vitamin D deficiency is seldom investigated as a potential factor in ill health. It bothers me even more when a blood test is ordered and the results are not properly interpreted.

Where does vitamin D come from?
Vitamin D comes pricipally from exposure of the skin to sunlight. The UVB rays convert cholesterol into vitamin D. Most of us make about 20,000 units of vitamin D after about 20 minutes of summer sun. This is about 100 times more vitamin D than the health experts say you need every day. If you are not getting vitamin D from sunlight then you need up to 4,000 units per day through diet (about 40 glasses of milk per day). Good dietary sources are:

• Cod liver oil
• Oily Fish
• Eggs
  
• Animal liver and other organs
  
• Dairy products

This assumes that the animals, including the chickens and cows have been raised in open fields where they have been able to get plenty of sunshine themselves.

During days of no sunlight and during winter you may supplement with up to 2,000 units of vitamin D which you can get from Red Seal cod liver oil capsules (200 units per capsule) or Thompson's Vitamin D (2 capsules provide 2,000 units) available from www.myotec.co.nz .

Nutritents that are critical for health, including vitamind D, E and A are fat soluble. If you are on a fat free or cholesterol-lowering diet, your ability to uptake these nutrients through your digestive system and to put them to good use in your body may be severely compromised. You must take in fat with these vitamins. This is one reason why fat-free cholesterol lowering diets and medications are often associated with declining health.

If you have not already done so, go and ask your doctor for a blood test for vitamin D - even if you are presently healthy, then keep the results and compare successive results as the years go by. Write to me if you need assistance with interpreting the results.

Treat the whole person and not the disease

"Gary
My Vit D was 63 - which is the lower end of the scale.??
Mum's was 41.
Dr said he has no idea what is wrong with my calf, never struck it before. Have had little pain for over a week now, then Wednesday I felt my calf ' clinch' again and it has ached ever since. I was aware of it as soon as I woke up this morning too. No walk. Tried to get appt with Dr today so he could see what it is like when sore, no go. Tried to get appt with physio, no go. She must have realised that I was close to tears as she rung back and said if there was a cancellation she would fit me in. Told me not to walk meanwhile. Seeing her on Monday. Really really depressed and fed up now!"
Anon
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Gary Moller comments:
The modern health system is failing many people because it is based on an inapproriate medical-financial model that treats all diseases as it would an infection or a broken bone.

This woman has been struggling for years with all kinds of health problems, aches and pains, depression and very gradually getting worse. It took several months for us to get the vitamin D test completed and the results are revealing. Cause for concern while also being very good news. Bear in mind that these vitamin D results are her seasonal peak, having been taken towards the end of summer. They will now begin to plummet with winter setting in. Bad news unless corrective action is taken.
Optimum for vtamin D is 120+ especially if one is struggling with illness. Low vitamin D is a factor in depression and muscle and joint pain.

Ongoing physiotherapy, anti-depressants, pain killers and anti-inflammatories are largely a waste of time for her because none of these deal with the root causes of her pain which are to do with lifestyle factors that have been in place and have been doing their damage for decades.

She should also be referred for counselling because she could do with this as support and the Dr can not provide this service during appointments that are just 15 minutes duration. The problem is that a referral to counselling is costly to the patient and this may be a further source of stress. With 99% of the national health $$ tied up in pharmaceutical and surgical based healthcare, there is little funding or investment in these ancillary services.

This lovely person needs to make significant longterm changes to diet and lifestyle, including the way she exercises and she needs to get out in the sun more (without burning of course!). Sadly, the medical system, as it is, is very limited in what it can do to help.

Depression link with chronic cough

"Among people suffering from chronic cough, more than half have symptoms of depression, new research shows. The good news is that the depression seems to lift as the cough improves."
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Gary Moller comments:
Duuh? Did we miss something? Ok, so I am looking awful and coughing all over the place, grossing other people out. That's depressing.

So, what do we do? Place the person on antidepressants and antibiotics - one or both? Do we take a cough suppressant? This is leading medicine down the wrong path of treating the symptoms and not the cause. Symptoms are being treated to treat symptoms.

While a course of antibiotics may be necessary to get on top of any infection; to really get to the heart of the matter of conditions like chronic chest infections and depression, we need to investigate and deal with the real underlying causes. In doing so, we might find any of the following at work:

• Vitamin D deficient which is linked with chronic respirattory infections and depression
• Malnutrition related to a junk diet that usually goes hand in hand with feeling depressed
• Poor living conditions
• Abuse of drugs including cigarettes, marijuana, prescription drugs and alcohol
• Sleep disturbances
• Chronic stress - financial problems, a lousy marriage or job, no job, no goals, too many committments, out of control kids etc

To not deal with these by means other than drugging is to leave the wolf at the door waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

Some Australian childcare centres now requiring wearing of sunglasses

"Australian eye experts say childcare centres and schools should be keeping children in the shade in the middle of the day and teaching them to wear sunglasses as well as hats and sunscreen. "

"My children go to childcare. They have to wear hats outside and sunscreen and I think sunglasses should be part of that," said the father of Georgia, almost three, and Thomas, one."There's no reason they shouldn't be wearing them. There's no harm that will come to them from wearing them. It's all good for their long-term sight."

For more, click the hyperlinked title and the following: http://www.babybanz.co.nz/news.php

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Gary Moller comments:

We are seeing an explosion of ailments that are associated with lack of sunshine. These include spontaneous childhood fractures (Gilchrist fractures), depresssion, a resurgence of tuberculosis, ulcerative digestive tract diseases, neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis and all manner of terrifying cancers, including breast, prostate and cervical cancer.

A single-minded attempt to terrorise entire populations, regardless of skin type, about the dangers of sunlight in order to prevent a single disease (melanoma) is contributing to this explosion of diseases - if not being the principal cause.

We know, for instance, that exposure of skin to sunlight during the adolescent years can reduce a girl's lifetime risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50%. Do you hear about that from the cancer prevention agencies? No!

Bright sunlight on the face during the morning hours suppresses the hormone melatonin which causes sleepiness and depression. Wearing dark glasses during the day upsets the body's natural day-night biorythms, including suppression of melatonin during waking hours. Should we be doing this to our children from their earliest years?

As an aside, large floppy hats and sunglasses on children prevent the proper development of peripheral vision which is essential for safety and sporting activities. If not developed during early childhood this ability is lost forever.

The Australian, New Zealand or US Cancer Society and the rest that are spear-heading this erroneous and scandalous campaign of terror and consequent illness have no credibility as neutral advisors on the matter. This is because of the fact that much of their revenue is reliant on the sale of commercial products including protective clothing, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. They have no credibility, so my advice is to take their advice with a grain of salt.

Been feeling depressed or stressed lately?

If you live in a city like Wellington and if you go to the doctor as an adult, the overwhelming odds are that you will be going because you are either feeling depressed or stressed, or both. The overwhelming odds are, as well, that you will be prescribed a mind altering drug that is euphemistically cloaked with an uplifting trade name. Treatment may include one drug to put you to sleep and another to get you going during the day.

Direct to consumer drugs advertising has a lot to do with this. Surveys show that direct to consumer drugs advertising influences patient actions and doctors will prescribe what the patient requests 70% of the time the patient asks for the drug by name. Drs are heavily influenced themselves by advertising. Their professional journals and conferences rely on pharmaceutical advertising and subsidies. You know the adds: Looking miserable and left out, along comes the happy pill and you are transformed into the "Life of the Party". The other kind of ad that comes on is the authoritative tv personality health advisor who recommends this and that pill in a way that sets out to normalise drugs use. In all cases, the long list of side effects is quickly flashed, or scrolled incomprehensively for about 1 second.

"So what's your problem with this, Moller?" You might ask.

My problem is that the public is being sold expensive and addictive so-called quick fixes that may cause huge problems many years down the line. The quick fix is no such thing either, because it is masking the symptoms while failing to deal with the causes. If the medication deals with the real causes, then I do not have a problem.

So the recipient of the happy pills is being set up for all kinds of horrible health problems that may not show for many years. These may be diseases of the digestive system, liver cancer, kidney failure, circulation problems, gum disease and dementia. During the interim they must contend with brain fog and the stress of the increasing drain on their finances as new medications are added to the mix to offset the increasingly horrible side effects of the toxic chemical cocktail mix. The doctor is in the unfortunate position of having few other treatment options other than to prescribe.

Meanwhile, the original causes of the anxiety and depression go untreated; causes such as a lousy job, family or relationship problems, financial problems, lack of sunlight, cofffee or alcohol abuse or poor nutrition and fitness to name a few.

Just so that you have something uplifting to look forward to after reading this rather depressing article, I will soon post an article that outlines some of the very good natural alternatives to the happy pill option for feeling anxous and/or depressed.

Therapeutic Caning

Therapeutic caning!
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/03/28/nopainnogain.shtml
According to The Moscow News, Russian scientists claim that frequent beatings across the buttocks with a stout cane cures everything from depression to lethargy to alcohol and drug addiction. Apparently, it's also quite effective against all manner of psychosomatic illnesses.

The reasoning behind this makes sense of a sort: The pain of caning causes the body to release large quantities of endorphins, chemicals that cause happiness, arousal, and euphoria. These chemicals can lift the spirits of those who are down in the dumps or so filled with self-pity and self-loathing that they've spiraled into addiction.

And if the endorphins don't make you better, the desire to avoid another caning might snap you out of your dark mood real quickly, wouldn't you say?

The Russians claim that the technique is merely a revival of an identical treatment a group of 19th-century German doctors used to great success. As twisted and humorous as this must seem to you, here's the funniest part: The "practitioners" of this therapy are getting the equivalent of $140 dollars for a standard course of treatment (30 canings).

Comment by Gary Moller:

I think I will stick to running.