Many medical issues: How do you manage multiple chronic conditions?

its so true sometimes i feel i am losing it because of all the symptoms and now long waits for drs. our local dermatologist phone message says you have to wait nine to twelve months for an appointment ; criminal!! I am NOT "into" politics but am in Canada and our governments municipal, provincial and federal all saw this coing, maybe not covid, but ageing population, more illnesses being discovered with new equipment, doctors even taking off to usa .... and now after working from home or part time many drs. take fridays off and vacations without naming an alternate, so its waiting hours in emerge etc. there are always those who are "worse off" but for each of us in our own bodies dealing with out own pain and sometimes multiple issues its tough to make it through the day sometimes.... and yes now i have tinnitus too... hugs

Boy I am in the same group. I am 74 & it has been a struggle. Started with diagnoses of fibro in 1984 but ignored it cause alot worse was coming, then not long after woke up paralyzed after going to bed with tingling in feet, lasted one day. Got to emerg. He sends me to neuros. spent 16 yrs looking for another dr. I knew I had ms, sister had it she had numb bottom of feet, me I had every symptom, finally got diag. in 2000 after so many Drs wouldn't help me. 1996 diag. with ehlers- danlos only one that is non genetic, (EDS). I am hyper mobile which also contributed to falls. one fall contributed to a torn acl which surgeon wouldn't fix, cause husband had died. So then at the univ of MI they found by accident they found blood test smoldering MGUS which can lead to multiple myeloma. I was diag. with sjogrens with pica issues, lupus not active, then the essential temors started, I've lost almost all teeth from sjogrens, looked online at Neuro who diag. MS he died of cancer was world famous.
I don't have cancer, my heart is fine my bones are ok, my rheuma. says primary disease organs can rupture, as EDS & never depressed. Recent neuro missed diag. a drug, didn't tell me it lowers blood pressure so I falling for a yr till another took me off it. Very unhappy!!

Too difficult to understand too many short forms .eeeeek!!

I am 76 years and very interested. I too have multiple chronic conditions, diabetes, hypertension, 6 autoimmune diseases (too rare) and many more!

Just read the above responses, adding that I have smoldering nyeloma, peripheral neuropathy including numb feet, sjogrens, RA, OA, have been loosing my teeth. I even had one specialist say that doctors could take a course on you. All of my doctors say that I have a lot going on. I have a question for all of you, do all of you have high inflammation markers?

I am 76 years and very interested. I too have multiple chronic conditions, diabetes, hypertension, 6 autoimmune diseases (too rare) and many more!

J
I have a question for all of you, do all of you have high inflammation markers?

Carolee888, I just happened to see your post and am floored!

My mother had severe RA and I've learned recently that Vitamin D3 deficiency can be a contributing factor. Sure enough, she got almost ZERO sunlight on her skin (burned so easily that she avoided it), didn't take supplements, smoked heavily.

I promise I won't launch into a lecture but my spontaneous reaction to a few other posts was, "Are you nutrient deficient? Have you been taking vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, amino acids, etc.? Do you know about, and have you been taking, natural anti-inflammatories? Have you been tested for deficiencies?"

How am I so well informed? I'm a health nut for a variety of reasons. I DVR three different health shows every Mon - Fri. I research! I subscribe to two magazines that devote a good part of each issue to health tidbits. One is a weekly. The other is a monthly publication. I am motivated by and passionate about my husband's health and well-being.

FWIW (For What It's Worth), my husband and I submit hair samples to Advanced Food Intolerance Labs twice a year. The results are comprehensive and informative. For instance, I learned I was deficient in choline. Choline deficiency is a contributing factor in cognitive disorders (dementia, Alzheimer's). I was on an H2 Blocker Antihistamine for decades for my cutaneous mastocytosis to relieve the ferocious itching. Those H2 Blockers, which are also antacids, deplete choline or make it difficult for our digestive systems to process and utilize choline. Now that I'm no longer exposed to "triggers" in the workplace, I've ceased taking my Tagamet/Famotidine. And, yes, I am now supplementing choline! Looking forward to the results from the hair sample I'll be sending in on February 14.

BTW, AFIL offers discounts via Groupon.com. Granted, blood tests may be better for some indicators; however, do they really reveal over 1,000 items? Food Intolerances, Drink Intolerances, Vitamins, Minerals, Fatty Acids, Heavy Metals, Toxins, Gut Biome, Candida & Yeast, Digestive Enzymes and more?

No, I don't receive a referral fee or commission. I just want to tout a laboratory that has helped me and my beloved focus on and correct our deficiencies. Wishing everyone the best! Goodness is meant to be shared!

Not bragging, just so grateful! I am now on zero Rx medications and 1 Claritin per day. Yes, Claritin is an antihistamine but it's an H1 Blocker, not an H2 Blocker. Who knows? With the addition of a handful of natural antihistamines, I may be able to cease 35+ years of daily Claritin! Yes, I've been on Claritin for so long that, in the beginning, it was available by Rx only.

I have a motto: God's Pharmacy First! For atheists, my other motto is: Mother Nature Provides!

Hi Frenchie! I have vitamin and mineral problems! I take a multivitamin gummie. I also have sarcodosis whch means that I cannot take Calicum and or Vitamin D!!! Very difficult to find a multi vitamin without those too. I have a folic acid deficient. Take B12 under the tongue. I took them as pills for years and finally got retested, and I was deficient, But the sublingual dots do raise my level to normal!!!! I am potassium deficent and take care that by one big banana a day.

I used to take Claritian but I buy the generic Loratadine at 10 mg a day. Even so, I still have multiple allergy problems! I have gut problems and used to something very good for it but cannot afford to buy it any more. I have been looking at gut enzeme combinations for help but I probably need to take a separate one. I check of the ingredients of the combos, some make my hypothyroid worse, diabetes worse, high blood pressure worse,diverticulitis, GERD and Laryngeal Reflux worse, asthma worse. Have you found any gut enyzmes that do not have those side effects. I have taken Famotidine but stopped because I have iron deficiency anemia and it heightens it, had to take blood transfusion. No Famotidine or Metrotrexate for me. I have been told to go on a biologic but I will not do it. One that was recommended to me caused a quickly developing brain tumor that was inoperatable. I have not been checked for choline deficiency. WIll check out, on a Protonix for many years and still have the above problems. I found one natural antihistamine that helps but I can't remember the name of it. I research before I take. Will definitely check our Choline. That might help me a lot!

Carolee888, you are among the most challenged I've ever encountered. Like you, I switched to generic Claritin/Loratadine years ago. I also take 5,000 mcg B12 sublingual. Unlike you, I had to cut back on my potassium. After a desperate 18 months of chronic diarrhea due to the Kung Flu double jab, I over-supplemented the potassium!

It's quite a commitment to educate ourselves.

As to choline, I don't know the benefits, per se. I do know a deficiency has consequences. Aside from maintaining cognition, there are probably other nutritional benefits.

We are so complex and each of us is unique.

I am ignorant about biologics. Sounds scary. For all you know, your sharing may have saved someone from an adverse reaction.

In a manner of speaking, I'm the human guinea pig. Though, as with my excess potassium, I/we must be careful.

Wishing you the best!

LOL I am reading your reply right now I cannot drink our tap water without getting diarrhea. I finally chased it down to parasite in our city water. I went through all the reports on the City Water sites, they lowered the amount of parasite which causes diarrhea to a level for normal people not to get diarrhea. I am immune challenged, I have Igm deficiency far below nornal levels. I started to drink only microwaved water (3 minutes) and bottled water and the diarrhea from that cause stopped!

My potassium is regularly tested by my hemo/onc. I was sent years ago to see a diabetes nutritionist. After an hour of discussing what I can eat and cannot eat, her eyes started to get big! Anyway, I had been eating one banana a day because I felt better. But after eating 1/2 a day, I did not have enough potassium. My hemo/onc told me I had to one whole banana ever since and I have been sticking to that!

I wonder if we are two peas in a pod! LOL

Oh, Carolee888, I hope we are two peas in a pod in this regard.

After 18 months of post-vax diarrhea (never had the Wu Flu, strong immune system due to all the natural strengtheners I take--B Complex, extra B12, C, D3, Zinc, Beta Glucan, Astragalus and more), I have been back to normal. Until I found the solution, the magic bullet, even my highly restricted, low histamine diet didn't help. After that Pfizer double jab, I was allergic to almost every food on the planet! Allergic? Diagnosed as Case #138 in America with mastocytosis? You know I tried double Claritin, double Tagamet, double Famotidine, went to the ER for slow drip IV infusion of Famotidine. NONE of the antihistamines/histamine blockers helped. But...

A histamine DIGESTER did help! Immediate improvement! Desiccated beef kidney is a great source of DAO Enzyme which breaks down histamines. I've been back to normal for three or four months now. I had dropped down to an alarming 115 pounds and am now back to my best weight: 127!!! All thanks to 2 capsules of DAO Enzyme (beef kidney) with every meal. I also take a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme (1 capsule) with every meal. I'm even tolerating plain, non-fat Greek yogurt and broad-spectrum probiotics again. I'm back to eating everything and anything. Granted, I'm a health nut so verrrrrry seldom indulge in what I consider junk food. But, if I want to, I can.

Don't give up! Keep researching! I wish I could offer something helpful, useful, specific to your various medical challenges. Like me, perhaps you'll read the journey of another and discover something efficacious. That's how I discovered DAO Enzyme--on the Inspire.com forum. Similar to Mayo Clinic but with some tedious moderators/muzzlers. I've been shut down more than once for sharing facts, truth, substantiated info from legit medical sources. You know... Like MDs! They should really keep their personal politics out of it. People's health and even their lives are at stake. Much too important to suspend someone who just might have valuable info to share. Such as this fact (and I apologize for not being able to provide attribution, but the source was a legit medical newsletter):

An international collection of data determined that. after the Covid vax, there was "a worldwide spike in food hypersensitivity." Yes, I memorized that phrase so it is a verbatim quote. I even recall the Pfizer vax was the worst with a 2.6% increase. Now, why would I remember that statistic? Because I got the Pfizer double jab. And that's when my "troubles" began. And that's when my hunt for a solution began. One, only one genius of an Allergist steered a mastocytosis patient to DAO Enzyme. That patient shared on Inspire.com and I've had my happy ending.

So, again, don't give up! I'm rooting for you!