Keto diet and chronic pain

Brain and nerves
21

I hear ya Gary. I'll be 51yr old next month and I feel that my life is already over. I'm just hanging around for the ones that I love and love me. I have no love for myself anymore. I'm suffering around the clock. My wife has told me that I moan in pain when I do sleep. Major diagnoses, not sure if you know my full story. I live in SC and I cannot use med maj. Not sure if it would help anyway. Can't find a doc that will give me benzos or pain meds. I cannot do PT in this condition. Have an app with my nurse pract. on weds at VA hospital to fill him in on my major surgery on 2-26-18 and go from there. Last time I seen him the Pain management stopped my meds to get a fresh start which is BS. After that I saw 4 neurosurgeons and I found out "myself through research" what was going on in my C-1 vertebrae and skull. Cranioveratebral Instability. The 4th one confirmed it, had surgery, device what implanted, now I cannot move my head at all. I've had CRPS for over 2yrs and the surgery made it rapidly worse. Trigeminal and Occipital Neuralgia as well. I'm in a constant flare up. This is a short version of my health. I'm couch ridden only on my right side now for over 2 yrs and the last 6 months and going I'm on it at least 22 hours a day. I can't sleep in bed with my wife due to the fact that I may roll to my left side. My right side is breaking down and beginning to be affected by CRPS. I have no life and I'm imprisoning my wife to my illnesses. I feel for her. So I know what you mean when you feel that you are making your daughter suffer as well. BUT,,,, we have to keep hanging on. Take care this evening.

Jimmy

22

Ya, I followed your story. We are at the same place in life at this time. We just took different paths to get there.

23

This is true. Just kinda wonder where the real cures and treatments are for people with chronic and life threatening diseases. Been thinking that for a long time way before I got ill.

24

I sent you a private message to tell you what K is.

25

Kudos!!

I have been doing the Keto diet for 2 years now, and if I fall off the wagon for more than about 24 hours I feel terrible...Immediate exacerbation of burning pain in my extremities, headache, and crushing fatigue. This is followed in short order by digestive upset of the IBS-D variety, such that I must put my fruits and veggies thru a blender before consuming.

This diet has been around since the 1920's, so has definitely stood the test of time. The only thing I would add is that back in the day, all animal foods were pasture-fed by definition, but since WW2, not so much. Pasture-fed animal foods contain more essential fatty acids, especially Omega 3's, and so are better for health in the long run. I do understand that for some, price is prohibitive or these products may just plain not be available at market, but even if you can only find pastured eggs, it is so worth it. If you live in a place where you can keep a few chickens of your own, so much the better.

I have been researching the autoimmune/inflammatory aspect of CRPS, and it turns out that since at least 2015, there is evidence that at least for some severely affected patients with full body or near full-body signs and symptoms, the neurological component appears to be a form of autoimmune encephalopathy.

If not already done, check out the signs and symptoms of same on your favorite reputable medical site. Historically, the CRPS literature is full of accounts of patients with neuro deficits of the "nobody knows why it happens but it happens" variety.

I'm thinking this is why it happens. It may be one or more similar types of antigen/antibody reactions, as cancer, fibromyalgia and dermoid cyst patients have been known to pop with autoimmune encephalopathy, but at whatever station a given patient boards this particular neurological train, they seem to arrive at roughly the same destination in terms of the affects on the central nervous system.

Effective treatment seems to be IVIG or plasma exchange, in any case. I think ketamine IV works as well, as a neuromodulator...At least it does for me. But only for about 3 weeks after each infusion.