QUESTION:

I live with such pain yet my doctor says I am healthy? Help, I think I may have become a hypochondriac! What can possibly cause me to have pain in my knees, back, arms and all over. It never seems to stay in the same place, which is so confusing. Sometimes just touching my skin is painful and getting to be more so all the time yet the doctor says I'm healthy. How can this be? Am I a hypochondriac?
 
Janice Marie
 
ANSWER:
 
No Janice  I doubt you are a hypochondriac. If you were you wouldn't bother to ask me you would be visiting doctor after doctor.  But when your doctor finds "no problem" there could be a few things more you will need to look at to find your own answers as conventional medicine can only go so far as their education leaves a lot lacking in true healing practices.
 
I am assuming you are not on cholesterol or blood pressure medications, since your doctor says you are healthy. But just in case; BP and cholesterol lowering medications will drain the body of minerals and some vitamins that can create pain throughout the body! If not on those medications then you will need to become a detective.
 
First, look at your environment; are you living in new surroundings that could contain toxic chemicals, such as new furniture, carpeting, wallboard, cabinets, vinyl flooring? If any of those changes happened before you started on this pain road you might think about that as formaldehyde toxicity can create body pain. If you did make any of those change you can know for sure by taking a long 5 or 6-week vacation away from your environment and see if you have relief. If the symptoms subside while away you may be suffering environmental toxicity, which will require a lot of changes in your life.  Been there done that so if you find that is the culprit let me know and I can guide you through what I had to do.
 
Or have you added new room freshener, carpet spray or detergent in either the washing machine or kitchen? Have you changed anything that gives off an odor or fumes in your home? Be a detective. There are no tests to determine those environmental factors. This only requires a simple fix of not using them.
 
If none of that applies then take a look at the foods you are eating! We live in such a chemical filled society that we now eat dairy, fruits, vegetables and meats with all kinds of possible problems created by the chemicals and/or irradiation. Fruits and vegetables are now grown with only three nutrients as their base, as the ground is so depleted of the necessary nutrients. Therefore food is lacking the majority of required nutrients. Our fruits and vegetables are also treated with pesticides & insecticides while in the fields and these things cannot be totally washed off therefore we eat them. Fruits and vegetables are picked green in most instances then put through a chemical wash to make them appear ripened, without the nutrient content we need.  There are no studies done regarding the chemical washes some fruits and vegetables are put through, so we do not know the results that come from eating those foods.
 
ALSO, do you eat a lot of fast food, prepackaged processed foods? If so that alone has the risk of big problems. Do you eat meats grown traditionally? If so they are filled with hormones and antibiotics that can also create those toxic symptoms...
 
Foods could possibly be the catalyst to your problem. In order to determine that you will need to keep a diary of what you eat and the symptoms that occur. To do this accurately you will need to start an elimination diet. Eliminate the most likely culprits such as, dairy, wheat, corn, sugar, chocolate, and caffeine drinks - coffee, tea and colas - also different additives, such as MSG, artificial sweeteners, yellow and red dyes, etc.
 
You will need to read labels to find all the additives.  After one week of not eating the foods listed above, if symptoms have improved or gone away you know one or more of those are the culprit! To determine the one or more culprit begin reintroducing those problem foods one at a time. Give your body at least 48 hours to react. If you don't notice any changes - congestion, pain anywhere, headache, stomach upset, etc. - then you're probably okay with that particular food. If you are allergic or sensitive to one of these foods, your symptoms may be stronger than before. Your body will have had a chance to rest from fighting the food and will now respond stronger than ever. Keep detailed notes of each food and how you feel after eliminating and then re-introducing it.
 
Keep in mind that ingredients are often "hidden" in foods - like eggs and/or milk in bread. Read ingredient lists carefully. Furthermore, the various agents that processors use in foods, such as additives, preservatives, acidifiers, artificial flavors, and artificial colors, can also produce an allergic response, especially in children. Aspartame (NutraSweet, Sweet n Low, etc.), Splenda and MSG are very common offenders that present your symptoms as well. If there's a certain canned or processed food you eat regularly, avoid that food while following the elimination diet, as something in the processing may be fueling your condition.
 
Once a sensitivity to a certain food has been established, double check it by omitting it from the diet for another week. Then try reintroducing it a second time. Experiencing adverse reactions for a second time is a strong indication of a food allergy, and your best bet is to avoid that food altogether or find a way of desensitizing your system to it.  My friend Wayne Garland works with people to overcome sensitivities and if you wish to work with him to do that, let me know.
 
Another possibility; See a doctor who is experienced with fibromyalgia (FMS) symptoms and have him/her check for the markers to determine if fibromyalgia could be the culprit. Sugar and fats, hormonal imbalances, thyroid being common triggers for fibromyalgia. Also some FMS patients respond to wheat and/or dairy products in a negative manner as well.
 
Diary products is another culprit that leach calcium from your system and can create your pain. So if you are a heavy dairy consumer think in that area!
 
Please readers do not write saying that you have been told to consume a large amount of dairy for the calcium effect. I know all that... Guess who started the rumor that dairy was great for calcium intake? The dairy industry! Once upon a time that was true before homogenization and hormones were fed dairy cattle and their fed is full of chemicals making it very toxic!!! 
 
Canola oil Margarines and foods cooked in Canola oil can also produce your symptoms but usually along with those symptoms would be very thin skin with easy bruising and neurological (thinking or ambulating) problems.
 
The above scenarios are all overlooked by doctors when trying to ascertain a health problem as they are taught to read blood tests and radiology pictures not the body's symptoms only. Just because they did not find an existing problem does not mean that something will not appear in the future. But pain is the number one complaint with people seeing doctors and one that has the least answers by the doctors. As long as you are experiencing these symptoms there could be a risk of damage to an organ or a body's system that can appear up in the future.

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Thought for the Day
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