Degenerating disks, dementia, bipolar II
 

I've had arthritis in my neck and back since college. Exercise and some aspirin worked for a long time, then for 20+ years acupuncture. The last two years it's gotten much worse and nothing helps, no pills, no injections, and the cervical and lumbar vertebrae are fractured and degenerating. They say I run a fairly high risk of some paralysis in an operation.

My mother's family has lots of dementia, mostly physically based like carotid arteries clogging and blocking oxygen. My dad died with Alzheimer's and his mom probably did too. I have four genetic markers for Alzheimer's.

For nearly ten years I've been treated for bipolar disorder, type II. The medications mostly all now are having side effects--sleep walking, insomnia, rash, or not helping.

I'm pushing 70 and was recently bullied into quitting my job. The job kept me going, having something to do I was good at. Now I have no income, nothing besides Medicare insurance, and my health is worse because I'm so depressed (my opinion). I have Medicare PCP, T, & pdoc. I don't feel like I'm getting any better in any way.

If anyone has found help for these, I'd appreciate hearing about you.

I hear ya, Roads, and I feel your anguish as well.

As you say, the job, the working kept you going, it was something you were good at and could feel good, confident in your life, in your being.
Having such place of belonging is so vital and necessary to us.

I can so well relate with your losses and the struggles you are now trying to cope with daily.
These are tremendous losses we both are enduring now.
I also have garnered unwittingly in the past year a new label of bipolar II.
I don't have mood swings and I don't 'cycle', so I am dubious, while I take their foul meds which are wreaking havoc on my physical well being.

I wish I had answers to your appeal for help. If you are as depressed as I imagine you may be, considering, then I would direct your attention to the recent ketamine nasal spray studies. I would imagine there to be clinical trials in the Bay Area.

I just wanted to reach out to someone who seems in a different yet similar boat as I!
It's so darn lonely to be so alone at this age!

For whatever it may be worth, the lithium orotate is of interest to me.
FYI the following: Lithium Orotate
“I have been to see my GP today who is also an amazing homeopathic doctor. Alzheimer's runs in my family and I asked my GP what I can do to protect myself from this awful disease she mentioned this Lithium Orotate (LO).-as well as green tea , coq10, apples and apple juice, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin.”
- alyon, From The Lithium Doctor book.

The green tea, CoQ10, cayenne, turmeric all are excellent for our brains, I know.

Thanks so much, theta.you give me both information and hope.
I've a few more ideas that I'm following thru. I am so grateful for
Your imput.

Roads

How's it going, roads?
 

Hi,

I hope that by now you have some help and some relief.

I am just newly trying to get appointed with a neurologist.
There are none within 70 miles. This is not my kind of place.
Here's hoping we each and all get some relief that we deserve.