Monday, July 28, 2008

Fibromyalgia, Hormonal and Sleep Problems, and Soy

Hello Readers - I was using the new Cuil search engine and I found this article. It is sad that Reliv Distributors believe / think that they know more than doctors. While modern medicines do damage, this does not give a Reliv Distributor the right to contradict. I wish someone would sue Reliv for the damage it has done to people.

Fibromyalgia, Hormonal and Sleep Problems, and Soy

Posted on 03:11PM (EDT) on 2007-06-28

I have had FMS for 20+ years. I have severely disordered sleep, as well as hormonal imbalance, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, pain everywhere, and low energy. I was being treated by a very knowlegeable fibromyalgia expert for 4 years. However, after about 1 year, I had to have a transabdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. After that my health began to decline again. A friend introduced me to RELIV products, most of which are soy-based. I told my doctor and was told that the soy may affect the absorption of my Armour Thyroid medication. I decided that I would believe the extreme claims of the RELIV marketers, and went on the supplement (going off my doctor's recommended supplements). I began to feel really good for the first several months. I was using 2 double "shakes" per day. However, after a year+ I began to be more and more in pain again, and my thyroid T4 and T3 labs were coming out low all the time. I had to continually increase my dosage of thyroid meds. Then I was urged to go on 3 double "shakes" per day, which I did for about 2 months. That was the time when things started to go seriously wrong for me. My labs showed a very high cardio CRP, my thyroid (all tests) was bottoming out, my hormone tests were bottoming out, I contracted numerous chronic viruses, I was in bad pain all the time, I couldn't sleep even though I was on the same sleep meds, etc. I finally went off RELIV and back to taking Enzymatic Therapy's Daily Energy Enfusion, and I began to feel somewhat better. However, the damage is done, and I have had to take quite a few hormonal, adrenal, etc. supplements. I'm short of breath most of the time, putting on weight without changing my very small diet, and have been depressed a lot (once again).

I would urge anyone who has fibromyalgia to seriously consider NOT taking RELIV or any other soy product (soy milk, tofu, and the like) as they contain phytoestrogens and apparently really mess with an under functioning thyroid and low progesterone, estradiol, and estriol.

Article Copied From - http://www.revolutionhealth.com/blogs/relivdisaster

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I to have fibromyalgia, I went on reliv, on November 4th,2008 within 3 to 4 days I could not sleep due to lots of flem in my throat, after 3 week of not sleeping one day I suddenly felt very dizzy, I was unable to walk without feeling like I was going to pass out. I sat on my couch all day, at about 6 in the evening my mother called to see how I was feeling, I told her what was going on, and she came to my house to pick me up. I called the hospital hotline and they hade me give the phone to my mom, they told her not to try to take me to the hospital herself, but to call 911 immediately. When they got there my pb which has always been fine, was at 154 over 90. I was rushed to the hospital, and on the way there my head started to hurt so bad, it caused tears to pour out of my eyes, the pain was at a ten or higher, I never want to experience that ever again. The dizzyness was so bad I could not even make it to the bathroom without help, how embarassing. I was in the hospital for three days. By the time I was let out of the hospital I had been off of the Reliv for 3 days, it took another 2 days for the dizzyness to go away, and after stopping the Reliv, the flem is gone. One week later, my friend who started Reliv 1 week after me, ended up in the hospital with the same exact symptoms, she was in the hospital for 4 days. I wish I knew what steps to take to go after Reliv, it is to strange that we both had the same problems after starting Reliv, and now that we are off of it we both feel better. Melody Rachidi

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Melody,

Thank you so much for taking the time to post your story for us. I am so sorry to hear about what Reliv has done to you. Thankfully most people don't have such a severe reaction.

I hope that our other readers will take careful note of this and think carefully before using these products.

Short of talking to an attorney I don't know what more to tell you about going after Reliv.

Anonymous said...

I have fybo and was recommend this product but I am also hypothyroid and know that soy will interfere with my thyroid meds, so I would not try this product. I am sorry melody that you suffered, thank you for telling your story since there are so many people out there who do not know!

Arianne White said...

I was diagnosed last week with Fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism. I feel so sick and depressed. Now, I'm on desiccated thyroid and I feel much better than before. My sympathy is with you. Hugs.

The Truth Comes Out said...

I have done tons and tons of research on soy, before I realized that I may have FMS (yet to be officially diagnosed). I discovered manny, many bad things about it, including that breast cancer survivors are usually told to avoid it. There was a study published in Aug 2010 (very recent) that showed (in rats) that a diet high in soy lead not to cancer, but when mammary tumors arose, that they grew very aggressively (their word, not mine). With the fact that it is in practically everything (go ahead, try to find a soy free pet food, processed food, margarine, etc...not easy at all) it makes me wonder if medical science is, in fact, finding new illnesses and diseases more than in the past (like with fibromyalgia and autism) or if we are creating it with our diets and the amount of processed and fast food we eat.

I would like to say that I really do hope that you feel better and the best advice I could offer: Listen to your doc. If it does not sound right, either get a second opinion from another doc or for NUMEROUS sources online, including research, so you can explain to your doc WHY you don't agree with him/her. Keep the lines of communication open, above all else. And, the most important thing, on those days that you hurt so bad you cry out in pain just getting up to go to the bathroom, that your body feels as if it is betraying you like a cheating lover, that you feel as if you slept on nothing more than a stone pile, remember this: An angel is looking down upon you, feeling each tear, each pain, each sorrow, as if it were it's own. That an angel is waiting to comfort you, if you allow it. Meditation is a great way to help it come through to comfort you, to hold you...without pain, to love you...as you wish to be, innocent as a child, loving as any parent would be, and would never hurt you.

I don't know if that help you, but it frequently gets me through the bad days. Just knowing my guardian angel is looking down on me, sharing my pain, crying my tears and always willing to give me hugs that never hurt.

Samantha D

Unknown said...

Although not accepted widely by bodies such as the FDA etc, there is a theory raised by Peter DÁdamo who launched a book some years back called Eat Right For Your Blood Type.
I won't go into too much detail here (but it is a real good read and eye opening)except to say that if his theories are true, and many thousands of people (myself included) agree with him, then not everyone would find soy beneficial, in fact to some it could be harmful.
DÁdamo says that due to different genetic makeup certain blood types benefit from certain diets and it also goes the opposite way.
As I am a type A blood, I am supposed to find soy very beneficial to my health and I have found that taking Reliv products has helped me alot.
This "one size fits all" approach to healthcare whether it be modern or alternative forms could prove dangerous if DÁdamo's theories are correct which I believe them to be.
I would urge people to do their own due dilligence before taking anyones word regarding your health, be it a Reliv distributor or your doctor as after all it is your life and you should at least take some responsibility for it.
Hope this helps someone.
:)