Although I haven’t mentioned it at this blog yet, last month I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The good news is that at least now I don’t feel like I’m completely insane for thinking that something is wrong. The bad news is that she won’t pony up with the good meds without first trying lower-level stuff like Motrin 800s.
That’s what I get for firing my old prescription-happy doctor.
My friends, bless their hearts, have taken to sending me all sorts of interesting suggestions. One recommends I sprinkle everything I eat with a mix of chili pepper, jalapeños and habañero because the capsaicin is associated with pain relief. I try not to point out that such studies involve topical applications because, with her being a natural blond, I’d have to spend time explaining that “topical application” doesn’t mean bikini-blogging. Besides, I’m already a big fan of the hot stuff but it hasn’t done anything in the way of pain relief.
Then there’s my Ayurvedic-devotee friend who swears that fibromyalgia is an “air diseases” created by built up toxins in the joints resulting from a weak colon. Uh-huh. Her solution? High colonics. Riiiiight. I’m pretty sure my jalapeño habit’s already taken care of that for me, anyway.
I’ve also heard that colloidal silver has helped many folks with fibromyalgia, although it’s hard to know what to believe when it comes to that stuff. There’s certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence on the web from folks who praise the stuff, but there’s also plenty of stuff pointing out that colloidal silver generators sold to most home users don’t really produce colloidal silver at all.
The Feds at one point had launched a major initiative against its claims which promised to cure everything from pimples to cancer. That, some folks insist, is just proof there’s a Big Conspiracy between the FDA and deep-pocket pharmaceutical companies.
On the other hand, colloidal silver used to be a very widely respected medicine and was used as a mainstream antibiotic until the late 1930s when pharmaceutical companies found cheaper alternatives. One form of it is still used to protect newborn infants from eye infections, as a matter of fact.
Me? I’m a big fan of taking all these various claims with a grain of salt… and a shot of vodka, which as any martini lover will tell you can, in large enough doses, also serve as a high colonic. So I’m engaging in a home remedy of my own: an Absolut Peppar martini mixed in a silver martini shaker with ice then strained and garnished with a jalapeño-stuffed olive.
What the heck, I figure it’s about as scientific as all of the other recommendations I’ve received so far.
