When you’re sick like I was, you will try anything and spend whatever it costs to get better. I can tell you some things I tried that did not work for me. I’m not saying they won’t work for someone else, but as always, research something before you spend your money so you’re not throwing it down the drain.
Vitamins and Supplements. I started taking massive amounts of supplements several years ago. It was so ingrained in my brain that I HAD to have these every day. I was taking magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin D, B vitamins, alpha lipoic acid, inositol, liver support, probiotics, fish oil, glutamine, digestive enzymes, MSM and that’s not even all of them, but you get the picture. When I look back these were some of my sickest times. So were they helping me? No. I tried to take the best quality and brands, I would never take some of those “buy one get one free” cheap ones at Walgreens or the grocery store. But, many of these things will only make a sick person sicker. Some have fillers or added ingredients and some diseases thrive off of things such as magnesium and B vitamins, so you could just be fueling the fire. It wasn’t easy to give them all up, it was kind of like a drug, and I really thought I would go downhill without them. I did quit taking all of them. The only thing I take now are antimicrobials and I do take salt and iodine as they have been helpful in my healing. Of course you can imagine the amount of money I was spending per month. Although we may be low in some minerals and vitamins, I truly believe the best way to get them is through real, whole food.
Functional Medicine. These kinds of places are popping up all over and becoming quite popular for those that want a more natural approach to health. I had heard about this doctor and was told he was a “blood detective”, so I was so excited to see him. I thought for sure this would be my answer to finally getting better. After an hour visit he gave me prescriptions for all kinds of lab work. Blood, stools, saliva, some at his office, some at a lab and some at home. In 30 days he would see me to go over the results. In the meantime, he had me buy a mountain of supplements that he conveniently sold at his office. It wasn’t even an option, it was like, you’re buying this. I felt very pressured. Some of the things he was giving me were things I was already taking but he assured me this brand was better. I left there and paid the bill. $3000.00. He should have given me heart medication because surely I was about to have a heart attack or my husband would when I had to explain the cost. I had no idea it was going to be that much money. They told me to make a “super bill” and submit it to my insurance company and they would probably reimburse me for everything. I never got a dime from my insurance company.
On top of everything I was already taking he added in thyroid medication, colostrum, amino acids and adrenal glandulars. Low adrenal function has become a hot topic and many natural doctors are quick to blame the adrenals. I still believe there is usually an underlying cause that is making the adrenals not function properly and you need to get to the root of that. He was having me take 6 glandulars a day! Looking back I find it unusual that he gave me all these things before he even saw my test results. But as I said he was highly recommended and I was so hopeful he was going to help me.
As I waited the thirty days I also began IV drips at his office. At $225 a pop. I did the Meyer’s cocktail which consists of different vitamins including high doses of vitamin C. These definitely gave me energy the next day, but I could certainly not keep it up a few times a week with that price tag.
When I finally went to see him for the results, I had so much hope. But when I got there he was leaving. Apparently he was having chest pains and was going to the ER. His assistants tried to go over everything with me, but there really was nothing that stood out. I was just told to keep on the program. And they charged me $300 for the “doctor visit”.
I kept up “the program” and not only was I feeling worse, but now I was so dizzy I could barely walk from my bedroom to my kitchen, I couldn’t get a deep breath and I had gained 10 pounds of fluid. I went to see him again and told him I was so sick. He said, “Oh everyone is getting sick, I’m sick and I am leaving the country tomorrow!” He tried to get me to buy some immunoglobulin but luckily I realized I had already bought that and had it at home. That day the bill was only $150 since it was just a half an hour visit with the good doctor.
After strictly following his protocol for almost three months I threw in the towel. All in all I probably spent $5000 there and never got any answers. My illness only worsened. I was devastated. I like the idea of alternative medicine. But if you don’t get to the root of what is causing your symptoms, what is the difference of covering it up with medication or natural supplements??
Acupuncture. I had a few friends that swore by acupuncture. It cured their migraines, insomnia, hot flashes and neck pain. I was referred to someone who was a “healer”. I really liked the doctor and without me telling her anything she said, “You have Lyme disease and it is affecting your kidney”. Well that blew me away. She said she could definitely improve my quality of life within a few months but I needed to come three times a week. She had me see another doctor that was less of a co-pay since I would be coming so often. By the way, the bill that first day was $500. Again she gave me herbs that they sold and it wasn’t even an option to say “no”. She said if she gave me the full treatment that first visit I would want to die, so they needed to go easy on me. Well, after that first visit I really thought I would die. Perhaps it was just coincidentally the worst day of my life, but I felt absolutely terrible. It was as if all my symptoms were magnified 100 times. I was terrified to go back. But I did. I went for three months, three days a week. At $100 a pop for my co pay, which they kept insisting my insurance was going to kick in soon. I really didn’t notice any difference. Sometimes I could sleep through the night on the night of the treatment but that was about it. I told them I felt a little better because I felt bad saying I didn’t think it was working. I gave up after three months. And loads of money once again dished out with nothing to show. I have a friend who also has Lyme and she claims acupuncture really helped her. Perhaps it can help you, I’m just sharing my story.
I also tried colonics, lymphatic massage, B12 shots and chiropractic adjustments. I found the adjustments actually made me worse the day after. These were my personal experiences. Research or talk to other people if you are going to try some new things and then decide if it is worth it for you. I wish I could get all that money and time I lost but I cannot so I just accept it as part of my journey.
Desperate for Health 