Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; NSD/LSD and muscle spasm? Ideas?

Ok I have been LSD for 2.5 months - my bones do not hurt and my gut is 80% but continuing to improve with details.

My question is - does anyone have experience controlling muscle spasm?

My spine is 95% fused - only a few C's work any more. My muscles in my back go into what I call whole back spasm. Usually from work stress (or sitting all day)or a bad sitting/sleeping situation. I cannot even tell where the center of attack is - somewhere betweenn the base of my skull and my tail bone.

My normal treatment is ice, heat and Meds. I am sick of the meds - they are not meant for muscle relaxing - pain pills.

Do I need to try to get to NSD? My wife is helping me get there slowly.

Dont get me wrong - I am 98% better overall - just the diet.

Let me know - Dotsyisle? Dragonslayer

Thanks KA

Brian

Hi, Brian:

I have had muscle spasms, especially early in my AS career, but also whenever I fast for long periods. Sometimes, it can be due to electrolyte balance and mineral depletion--especially calcium and magnesium. It is important to supplement with these and other minerals--even potassium (but NOT phosphorous), which can cause these.

If you are taking EFAs (especially GLAs), it is important to take these at different times than the minerals--and minerals on an empty stomach (high acid).

The magnesium is quite inexpensive as magnesium citrate available in all pharmacies for 1-3 dollars/month supply. It is used by the quart bottle to 'cleanse' before a procedure (like the friendly innuendoscope). Gatoraide (yeeeech) is another potential source for the electrolytes, however, these may not be the issue--we often have trapped nerves that cause the spasm and an anti-spasmodic drug could help very much (they usually do not have severe side effects), but certainly continue with magnesium--it could potentially UN-trap such nerves.

Best to You, and appreciate the great news about the LSD helping you so much--keep up the good work!

John

Sincere thanks again

Brian

Oh yes I should mention the only reason the cervical joints that still work have only freed up since the diet!!

I was having a hard time seeing semi trucks coming - ouch!

Brian

My muscles spasm like mad from dairy. I don't know why!

Brian,
You might want to try the magnesium first, to make sure the root of the problem isn't a mineral deficiency. However, if that doesn't bring relief, I have a couple of ideas:

1) Kava-kava: (from "Arthritis", by Zamperion) "Kava-kava functions as one of the least toxic yet most powerful herbal skeletal muscle relaxants and has been used traditionally by Hawaiians for rheumatism and the treatment of arthritis." The book mentions concern about long-term use and the liver. Also, it causes drowsiness in some individuals, so use for the first time in the evening.

2) TENS: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. I have a TENS unit, paid for by my insurance company, which I used for pain relief when my neck was really bad. You put sticky electrodes with wires on your skin and they attach to a small unit you clip onto your waistband. The unit sends out mild electrical signals. It feels sort of like a buzzing. The electrical signals block the nerves from transmitting pain signals. I wore mine at work, at home and sometimes all night while I slept. I found it extremely effective for mild to moderate pain. I learned to use it early in the pain cycle, because pain causes tension which causes more pain which causes more tension...until you are in spasm. If I put the TENS on when I first started to tighten up, I could short circuit the whole pain-tension cycle and prevent the spasms. Most insurances cover them. My insurance bought mine for me and I get to keep it. They will also pay for a lifetime supply of new electrodes.

Karen

I gave up on minerals years back as they just seem too potent, invasive and unbalanced - just like medications.
Green in plants EQUALS chlorophyll EQUALS magnesium and it is important to have them early in the day - yes, greens for breakfast. Most greens are also well balanced with calcium.
Kelp granules add all the minerals we need without even thinking about it. Sea salt is similar.
I used to get calf cramps before using these regularly. Good fresh greens are just what Popeye says they are and if you have ANY space, grow your own.
One post mentions take magnesium, take calcium and avoid phosporous. This is what happens with most greens and the mineral regulator for all these is Vitamin D - don't take it though, get the sunshine, eat the eggs etc. etc.
Food is medicine.
The best supplements (to my mind) are ones taken to allow one to digest and assimilate our real food...

About vitamin D-Brian lives in New Mexico where he can get lots of sun so he may not need vitamin D.

However, where I live in northern Pennsylvania, the sunlight is not strong enough to make vitamin D from September to May. The sunlight has to be fairly strong to cause vitamin D synthesis, so for a large part of the year I cannot make vitamin D myself.

3 1/2 ounces of salmon has 360 IU of vitamin D and 3 oz of tuna (canned, in oil) has 200 IU. Eggs have 20 IU. The current US guidelines call for 200-600 IU per day, but the the general thought is that the number should be much higher, about 1000 IU per day. If you live in the north, it's pretty hard to get enough vitamin D from food.

My vitamin D levels were tested a year ago last June. I am outside regularly, was taking 400 mg vitamin D every day (as D2 which is less potent than D3) and still came up very D deficient. I take cod liver oid as a vitamin D source now.

If anyone is in doubt, vitamin D levels are fairly easy to test.

Karen

Thanks everyone