Because so many people are looking for information on Medical Marijuana, I thought I would post more helpful links.
Medical Marijuana: This page lists quotes from important people through time who are in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. Here is another link to the same article:
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/54
medicalmarijuana.procon.org/
I have another blog about international health. I posted about Indonesia and the problem of pollution they have there. I thought I would post it here too. Sorry it doesn’t have anything to do with fatigue, but you might find the information helpful.
Ahh beautiful wonderful Indonesia. So full of mystery, culture, and diversity. Yet most people are unaware of Indonesia.
Indonesia is an archipelago of approximately 17,508 islands in South East Asia. It is the fourth largest country in the world with a whopping population of 238 million. The majority of the population is Muslim making it the largest Muslim populated country in the world. The language spoken in Indonesia is cleverly called “Indonesian” which is a compilation of about 300 different dialects.
For a taste of Indonesia’s culture and flare click here.
I went to Indonesia as a service representative for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 2006. When I tell people I went to Indonesia, automatic reactions are: “OH WOW…. where is that again?” and “What language do they speak there?” Its surprising to me how over and over again this is the reaction I get. Everyone has heard of Indonesia. They probably just don’t realize it.
Indonesia has been no stranger to natural disasters. In the 2004 Tsunami Indonesia was the hardest hit with a total of 240,774people killed. There have been numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Indonesia gets beat up on all sides yearly. A genius blog was put together about this Called “Indonesian Disasters” I recommended it if you want to learn more.
This youtube video of the Tsunami always makes me cry. Click here.
Indonesia also has its fair share of not so natural disasters including problems with air pollution. Indonesia has many factories, and considering its giant population mostly found on the island of Java no emissions laws= major problems. I remember flying into Jakarta and thinking, wow, what is this haze? The hole time I was there I didn’t get a lick of sunlight, and Indonesia is on the equator! coincidence? Nope. Pollution. If we are worried about the ozone layer, we need to start worrying more about the major dumpers of air pollution.
I found this statistic chilling “According to the Statistic Central Agency, the number of vehicles in Jakarta in 2003 was 3.4 million motorcycles, 1.99 million passenger cars, 467,000 trucks, and 392,000 buses. Meanwhile, oil fuel consumption increased. In 2003, oil fuel use was 68 percent of total energy consumption. In 2004–2005, the demand for gasoline in Jakarta rose, resulting in increased air pollution. Ambient air pollution has a significant impact on the health and economic sectors. Health care costs increase by US$3.8 million per year. On average, people have only 18 “good air” days in a year. In 2004, 46 percent of all illness cases in Jakarta were respiratory related.” For more click here.
So what are they doing about it? In my opinion not enough. Not because I am snooty, but because I have such a great love for the people there, and their health matters to me. When I came home from Indonesia, I had heavy metals in my lungs and had to pump the anti-oxidants to get it out. I couldn’t imagine breathing all that in all my life long. Indonesia did apologize to the WHO for the pollution in 1997.
Here is what is being done, as of 2002, but is it enough?
IBS.
Do you alternate from diarrhea to solid to diarrhea to solid? Does your stomach have an overall weak feeling when you eat? Do you get overly tired when you eat? You might have IBS.
The causes of IBS are not all certain, but it is known that stress can aggravate it. Luckily if you can figure out what is causing it in your own body, you can get it under control. There are also medications available for it. According to WEbMD, hormones can also cause it, and so can different kinds of foods. Click here for more information from WebMD.
Yeah its crapy (no pun intended) and yeah it causes fatigue. It also causes depression.
In my mind body health class I learned that your stomach is the second biggest chemical receptor aside from your brain. When your stomach is suffering so do the chemicals, making your mood suffer. Some people call it the second brain of the body.
I found another article on how fiber can help reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
I found an interesting article on, don’t laugh, askmen.com. It says that the most tell tale sign of depression is fatigue or lethargy. It also says doctors haven’t yet tackled the problem of fatigue that comes with depression, so even when the depression subsides, the fatigue stays. How does it work exactly? Nobody really knows. Here are some of my ideas:
I think that its probably because of the chemical imbalance in your body/brain. I learned in my Mind Body Health class that your stomach has as many chemical receptors in it or more than your brain does. It has been called the “second brain” of the body. It is sending chemical messages for the digestion of food. So when your stomach is bad, it could be the cause of your fatigue.
I found an article on WEbMD which says “Researchers found people who are depressed are more than four times as likely to develop unexplained fatigue, and those who suffer from fatigue are nearly three times as likely to become depressed.” The article talks about how depression and fatigue fuel off each other. If you want to read more, click here.
Here is a good illustration of how I am feeling right now…
I believe it all of your body works together and depression could be a side effect of many different conditions. What do you think?
Here is a list from Pro/Con.org that presents both sides of the case.
I found this topic interesting. A friend of mine recently started smoking pot to relieve his depression and anxiety. When he told me it was like a little explosion inside my body. I was bursting with questions of risks, illegality, side effects, and risk of addiction.
Is it addictive? Well, yes. But doctors say its less addictive than caffeine! Others say it is very addictive and dangerous. So whats the truth? …I don’t know… what do you think?
Drugpolicy.org rehearsed a history on medical marijuana. To see it, click here. I also found a website for the supporters and users of medical marijuana with links to show you how to get a card so that you can legally use marijuana. Click here to see the website.
The Union is a documentary about Medical Marijuana gives the history of marijuana and its illegality. According to this documentary there is really no good reason for it to be illegal. It was made illegal for reasons which had nothing to do with the medical aspect of the drugs. There is a link to watch The Union at the bottom of this post. Currently medical marijuana is legal in these states:
Having watched my friend, marijuana does wonders for his anxiety and depression. He is like a different person, which makes me pro.
This guy makes an interesting argument though. He says that marijuana destroys magnesium in your body which is what keeps your body in an equilibrium state. Watch him here.
I guess I really don’t know what to think about the whole thing. I guess I will have to wait and see when more information comes out. For more videos on Medical Marijuana please see the videos page on this website.
Helicobacter Pylori is a nasty bacteria which causes ulcers and stomach inflammation. Most people don’t know about it, but the crazy thing is- over half the world has it! Just read the information from Pub Med. It can cause fatigue and other problems.
It passes from person to person, and usually you get it when you are a kid according to Pub Med. So basically most people carry it around, but unless something triggers an ulcer you might not know you have it. Symptoms are the same as if you have an ulcer. Check out this blog if you want more info. Its informational and fun to read.
If you are having trouble with your stomach and you are not sure what is causing your fatigue, it could be worthwhile to check if you have Helicobacter pylori. If you do have it, it can be cured with a round of antibiotics.
This is one thing I will blog about that I actually haven’t experienced myself. (Not yet anyway… knock on wood…)
About 1 in 5 women experience a urinary tract infection during their lifetime. The reason for women being more susceptable to urinary tract infections is unknown. There are many different reasons including the bacteria E.coli which normally is found in the colon. Sometimes it is without symptoms, but usually women have some sort of symptoms. Burning urination, to feel tired, shaky, and pain in the bladder even when not urinating.
When you have a urinary tract infection your desire to urinate is intense, but only a little comes out. The urine might be cloudy or milky. For more information on signs and symptoms click here.
I found this interesting article about how to prevent urinary tract infections. Click Here.
I wonder if one day I will ever wake up from this horrible thing they call fatigue. I go to bed tired, I get up tired, I walk around like a zombie, I take a nap (like the one I just got up from) and I am still tired. It’s a never ending story for me. I get 8 hours of sleep at night, I exercise, I watch my diet, yet- I’m sitting here eating a giant bowl of sugar free low fat ice cream, trying to wake my body enough to manage a post on hypothyroidism wondering where my young body full of endless energy went. (Come back please wonder body!) Anyone who has experienced real fatigue like I have, knows that fatigue is like battling against your body, just to live. Everything is a struggle. But I guess until someday when we have a fancy cure for fatigue, I will continue to blog about it in my life and things I have found to hopefully help others. So back to the topic at hand:
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is pretty simple. Its where your thyroid is under active and can’t produce necessary hormones for a thriving metabolism, leaving you feel totally sluggish. Symptoms? According to the Mayo Clinic-
I found this interesting article on how hypothyroidism can be traced to Soy. If you are interested Click Here.
This is your thyroid:
Hypothyroidism is something that runs in my family and has always caused me frustration because I have been tested, and they always say I am borderline, which to me basically means that I have all the symptoms, but not enough to get help.
Thyroid problems are often missed by the regular blood tests There are other tests available upon request. If you suspect you have a thyroid problem, make sure and get throughly tested.
Be careful of hypothyroidism natural remedies, and also of the doctor prescribed ones. They can do a lot of damage, and you can also get hooked to them. Do careful research before choosing which one you are going to use.
Chronic Fatigue syndrome is kind of a catch all, for when you are super tired all the time, but nobody can pin down what the actual problem is. Modern medicine is moving away from this term, but in the past doctors have linked it to chronic EBV, immune function, and hormonal imbalance, like it says in this article. Here is the diagnosis of CFS criteria according to the CDC:
The fatigue and impaired memory or concentration must have impaired normal daily activities, along with other symptoms that must have persisted or recurred during 6 or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue.
So, how do you go about curing something that nobody seems to know the real cause of?
Well, there is no cure-cause noone really knows what it is!
herbal remedies.
If you have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, it would probably be worth while to dive a little deeper to find out the real problem. It could be a number of things.
Not that I am an expert, but I have been dealing with fatigue for a long long time. While you figure out what is really wrong, take 5 Mg of melatonin at night to help you sleep. Echinacea can help ward off colds and infections, and of course, diet and exercise work wonders. Also it might be worthwhile to look at your schedule, see if you are getting regular rest, and proper nutrition.
For more videos on Chronic Fatigue Syndome, click on the videos link.
Ahh the evil, evil Epstein-Barr Virus. When you have the Epstein Barr Virus all you want to do is sleep. Fatigue is your constant companion. I remember when I had this, I would get up and be tired again an hour later, no matter how much I slept. All through the day I didn’t want to speak cause it was too much effort. Lifting my arms was like lifting a ton of bricks. Most days I would come home and sleep no matter what time. I probably slept 14-16 hours a day while I had an active version of this awful virus. Funny thing is, my doctors had no idea what it was. Anyone out there relate to this?
This nasty virus is the one that causes Mononucleosis or “the kissing disease”. The scary thing is that pretty much everyone carries around this virus but they don’t know! Apparently it is all over the world and according to the CDC, ” 95% of adults between 35 and 40 years of age have been infected. Infants become susceptible to EBV as soon as maternal antibody protection (present at birth) disappears”.
For a scientific rundown on the disease what it is and what it does, please watch this Fox News report.
The problem is, there is no treatment for this nasty virus. The Doctors office will give take blood samples and can find if you have been infected with the disease, but once you know you have it, there is really nothing you can do. EBV can also become a chronic disease because we can never fully get rid of it. So how does one cope?
Here is how I coped. I went to a homeopathic doctor. They have a remedy called “EBV stat” I took it to help get rid of the virus. I also slept a lot. I knew for my body to fight off the virus I would need rest. Eventually it went away. Vitamin C is also a good way to help your body fight off incoming infections when infected with the virus.
Here is another story of Epstein Barr. If you think you might be suffering from it, it might be helpful for you to watch the story of a woman who has suffered from EBV. Click Here
Women and Fatigue 