Anyway, I had an insanely long bad period but I’m feeling better now. One factor in the improvement was stopping Effexor XR, which I’d taken for years. I didn’t actually do that on purpose — It was due to an insanely irresponsible doctor who refused to see me because of a screw-up in his office’s procedures, not anything I’d done wrong. I had to just stop taking it, cold turkey, which led to seizures and other problems. On the plus side, though, I’ve been far less drowsy and don’t need nearly as many hours of sleep as I did before. (I’m actually experiencing some insomnia, which isn’t good, but it’s a change.)

Anyway, my Social Security disability claim was finally approved after over five years of waiting. They haven’t started paying anything yet, but that’s supposed to happen Real Soon Now. I have to tell you, though — the Medicare thing is a confusing maze of choices, obviously designed by bureaucrats. You almost need to become a Medicare expert just to know what benefits are available and how to get them!

For now, here’s a link to an article I found interesting:
Do Fibromyalgia Pain Killers Make You a Likely Crime Victim?

I don’t agree with all of the advice. People in Georgia have been arrested for having legitimately prescribed medications because the medications weren’t in prescription containers. It’s a real nuisance to carry the bottles instead of just what you need, and it probably does put us at greater risk for crime — but is it worth being arrested? That’s a Catch-22.

Why Mental Lethargy When Sick

During an infection, humans typically experience a set of physiological and psychological symptoms, including fever, confusion, decreased motivation, depression and anxiety that are accompanied by a slowing of movements.

These changes, collectively known as “sickness behavior,” are the body’s way of conserving energy during illness so that an effective immune response can be launched. This new study helps researchers further understand how cytokines communicate between the immune system and the brain to promote sickness behavior.

Since many people with CFS/ME have chronic fevers and other symptoms similar to those of infectious illnesses, I have to wonder if the results of this study will be examined with regards to CFS/ME.

I’m pleased with it. There are very few, mostly immaterial inaccuracies.

First, most of the reports are not clear about the fact that this was a literature study, rather than a controlled clinical study.

Second, while at least one story did claim that the literature study was followed up with an “observational study” in which all of the FMS/CFS/ME patients in a particular clinic were given cortisol. That does not meet the standards of a controlled, clinical study, which would require an untreated control group and a group receiving placebos instead of cortisol.

There have been multiple clinical studies of the effects of steroids on FMS/CFS/ME. I found records of studies of prednisone and hydrocortisone, in particular. Those studies did not find any positive effects from treatment compared to placebos, and in some cases there were significant problems resulting from the treatments. I did not find a study specifically involving cortisol, but I don’t know if that’s because there hasn’t been one or because I don’t have access to the appropriate databases. (I’m sure there are more studies out there, but I don’t have access to Medline.)

I’d strongly suggest waiting for the results of repeatable, controlled clinical tests of cortisol before trying steroid treatment. Steroids have serious side effects, and should not be taken lightly.

The best new pain cures, with a focus on women

Many women have a tough time finding the right kind of relief for their pain — and for good reason: Until recently, experts hadn’t actually studied women’s pain specifically, and most research wasn’t conducted with a woman’s hormones and physique in mind. All that’s changing, though.

Docs now know that to banish our aches, they must develop treatments formulated for women’s bodies. What’s more, researchers are also looking for — and finding — ways to head pain off at the pass, so those of us with chronic troubles such as migraine, fibromyalgia, or backache don’t have to be hobbled by pain on a daily basis. Here, how the new research will help you live an (almost) pain-free life. Health.com: Smart ways to banish pain

It’s definitely good news that they’re doing the research, at least! There’s good information here on how estrogen and other hormones affect the central nervous system. The article specifically mentions treatment for migraines and other headaches, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

There’s a definite anti-painkiller bias in the article, unfortunately. The author doesn’t seem to grasp the fact that ibuprofen isn’t enough “preventive medicine” for some of us, but if you can look past that it’s a decent article.

Low-energy bulbs ‘cause migraine’

I’ve had concerns about this issue myself. Fluorescent bulbs have always been a problem for me, and the “low-energy” bulbs that are so popular now are fluorescent. The flickering of fluorescent bulbs can also trigger seizures in epileptics. While manufacturers claim that the new bulbs don’t flicker, they still cause problems for some people. Eye strain from the low-intensity light is cited, but some of us do perceive flickering.

The U.K. plans to ban the sale of conventional (incandescent) bulbs within the next four years. Patients’ associations are asking that the older bulbs remain available for those who have issues with the newer ones.

This article didn’t happen to mention another problem with the disposal of the bulbs: they contain mercury. You can’t just toss them in the trash, and if one breaks you have an environmental hazard. That cost is seldom mentioned when people talk about how much can be saved by switching to those bulbs. When I looked for legal ways to dispose of the bulbs here in Atlanta¹, all of the results involved paying $1 or more per bulb. How many people are going to do that? Not many, which means that the bulbs will go into landfills, releasing the mercury.

In looking for a citation regarding the disposal problems, I came across another article that states that the fluorescent bulbs also cause skin healing problems for those who are photosensitive due to lupus, eczema, or other conditions.

I think we’ll keep buying the full-spectrum incandescent bulbs for now.