The info on Relia-Lean says not to take it if you're on antidepressant meds. Have any of you taken this with antidepressants, or dropped your a/ds to take it? I have fibro symptoms--esp major leg pain & morning fogginess, but I'm a long term a/d user and afraid to drop them--I'm non-functional w/o them.

Spac3y

Saw my nutritionist a couple of days ago and shes testing me for adrenal stress and cortisol. I've just received the book so I'll get stuck in and see what happens! Why can't UK G.Ps look into this sort of thing? I've had no quality of life for the past 15 years, just painkillers handed out! Yet nutritionists etc know all about the tests! Its costing me a fortune but it'll be worth it if I can get well again!

Tamij,

Was just reading the beginning of this thread and you mentioned Glucophage as being oral insulin. It is not oral insulin. It is a drug that prevents sugar from being absorbed in the gut and prevents the liver from releasing too much glucose into the system. Just for your info.

It's been a while now, how are you guys doing with this treatment? Has it really helped?

A hormone profile differentiates persons with CFS versus those suffering from major depression (versus reactive depression).
It's fairly accepted that patients with major depression have higher cortisol levels and patients with CFS have lower cortisol levels.
---------------------------------------------
The following are examples from government
websites - National Institutes of Health, Surgeon
General's Office & Center for Disease Control -
better examples are available but this at least
backs up this statement:
------------------------------------------
AS PER NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WEBSITE:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/events/prosteo.cfm

"Although its causes are unclear, major
depression is associated with hormonal
abnormalities. ... higher cortisol levels, often
found in depressed patients, ..."
------------------------------------------
AS PER SURGEON GENERAL'S WEBSITE:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/libra...pter3/sec5.html

Biological Factors
"Some of the core symptoms of depression, such as
changes in appetite and sleep patterns, are
related to the functions of the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus is, in turn, closely tied to the
function of the pituitary gland. Abnormalities of
pituitary function, such as increased rates of
circulating cortisol and hypo- or
hyperthyroidism, are well established
features of depression in adults (Goodwin &
Jamison, 1990)"
------------------------------------------
AS PER CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/info.htm

C. Hypothalamic-Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis
"Multiple laboratory studies have suggested that
the central nervous system may have an important
role in CFS. Physical or emotional stress, which
is commonly reported as a pre-onset condition in
CFS patients,
activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
axis, or HPA axis, leading to increased release
of cortisol and other hormones. Cortisol and
corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), which are
also produced during the activation of the HPA
axis, influence the immune system and many
other body systems. They may also affect several
aspects of behavior.
Recent studies revealed that CFS patients often
produce lower levels of cortisol than do healthy
controls. Similar hormonal abnormalities have
been observed by others in CFS patients and in
persons with related
disorders like fibromyalgia. Cortisol suppresses
inflammation and cellular immune activation, and
reduced levels might relax constraints on
inflammatory processes and immune cell
activation. As with the immunologic data, the
altered cortisol levels noted in CFS cases fall
within the accepted range of normal, and only the
average between cases and controls allows the
distinction to be made. Therefore, cortisol
levels cannot be used as a diagnostic marker for
an individual with CFS.
A placebo-controlled trial, in which 70 CFS
patients were randomized to receive either just
enough hydrocortisone each day to restore their
cortisol levels to normal or placebo pills for 12
weeks, concluded that low levels of cortisol
itself are not directly responsible for symptoms
of CFS, and that hormonal replacement is not an
effective treatment."

I went out today looking for relia-lean , relacore, realcortin and had no luck...GNC said they dont carry that so i presume its in USA only...went to 4 places all ask to get the name of company that does it...would anyone know if they sell it here in Canada?

thanks
Helene

also for a fantastic cure for fibro is the watercure

it works for me...

http://www.watercure2.com/

tamij,
thanks for this wonderful info, i've been fighting illness for about 3 years now and believe i have these symptoms also, although i have not been tested. sometimes i feel like the dr's think i'm nuts. how long did it take you to be daignosed?
can't wait to here from you.


newbie
Sadiemae

Hi, I've just joined and was delighted to see a post from someone in the UK! Where did you find a good nutritionist who will test cortisol? This sounds quite hopeful for me (CFS, etc.)

Michelle, Lancashire

One of the plans on this site deals with balancing the major hormones insulin, cortisol and adrenaline. It's the Schwarzbein Principle II (not I). It's one of the best I've read so far.

Another book I've read about Hormones is "Mastering Leptin", which has recently been discover to be the master hormone of all the other hormones. It's remarkable. Anyway, they have a specific chapter dealing with Fibro.

We're only hitting the tip of the iceburg with the horrible effects of excessive cortisol.

Wanda

I cant find relacore in Canada...no one from USA wants to ship to Canada...so if anyone out there knows a place plzzzzzzzzz tell me where i can order from here in Canada....

thanks
Lan

Hi Michelle (Scotties45)

I have only now seen your post or I would have responded sooner.

There is an umbrella organisation for nutritionists in the UK called BANT that has a list of nutritionists. There are different nutritionist schools and one of them is the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. My nutritionist trained with them. But you can order saliva tests through all sorts of practitioners including chiropractors for example.

I did try nutritional therapy with particular supplements to help my symptoms but this didn't really help. It took me a while (months!) to figure out that I was tired in the day because I had pain at night which prevented me from having a good night's sleep. No wonder nutritional therapy on its own didn't work! I am persevering with low carbing and taking a multi and fish oil supplements though.

All the best

Michaela

Hi Tamij
I too suffer from fibro and I can feel your hubbies PAIN. My Doctor put me on muscle relaxers and it only helps for awhile. What is this relacore?
Thanks,
Jan
Canal fulton, Ohio

Hi all, hope today is less difficult than it sometimes can be.

I'm really interested in the herbal option to lower cortisol levels discussed in this thread. So far I've come across:
Relacore
Rela-cortin
Relia-lean

Anyone done some comparison and research on why which ingredients do what? Just getting a little overwhelmed :eek Thanks All!

undefinedundefinedundefined I have been disabled from FMS, CFS,IBS and all the other things that come with these illnesses. I have been severly disabled for about 3 years, what that means is no playing with my kids no love making etc>
you know the story just lie around in pain and wait to die.
Looks like NOT ANYMORE thank you all for posting info on Relacore this stuff really works, I have tried so many other things and some work for awhile and some dont do anything, tamij thank you for sharing your info so much.
My first day on Relacore (you can buy at GNC or any health food store)
and already have cut my pain meds in half.
Just to let you all know just in pain pills alone I take 400 pills a month,
yes 400, I take Norco and Ultram. But not for long now baby,
THANK YOU ALL for sharing your stories.
If you suffer from FMS you need to try Relacore it works its great.
I will keep you all posted.

relacore not so good for me after a few days of use, I would how ever
recommend it for people with mild FMS.undefinedundefinedundefined