Hey, neat!

So, the doc's been concerned about my blood pressure enough to prescribe two different things, now.  Neither worked well (as in, there was maybe a 5 pt bp drop, maximum--when I needed a 20 pt drop), and both had...side effects.  The first one was a diuretic, and pushed my already-low blood sodium into concerning ranges, even with me increasing my salt intake.  The second was a calcium channel blocker that caused a headache that acted like a migraine, but didn't respond to any of my usual anti-migraine tricks until the bp med wore off. 

I got the celery seed extract in the mail last Friday, and started taking it Sunday after I started feeling better--75mg 2x per day.  I researched it hard, looking at side effects (none listed), and drug interactions (interacts with levothyroxine by reducing what the body can absorb/use, but everything does, so I take it no closer than 4 hours after I take my thyroid meds). 

And my blood pressure did what I wanted it to.  It went down.  Significantly.  I had a follow-up doctor's appointment on Tuesday, and my blood pressure was smack-dab in the normal range.  Even with the frustration of having to have the appointment in the first place--I'd been called back because the doc hadn't paid attention to my chart and/or forgot and/or missed something.  And then the doc didn't bother to show at the appointment.  The NP that showed up to deal with me forty minutes into the appointment was quite nice, and I don't have to go back. 

So far, I'm not noticing any side effects.  Not even the threatened muscle cramps that the diuretic caused. 

I'm also back to taking the turmeric/curcumin (500 mg 3x per day for the rest of the week) and fish oil (1x per day--really high levels of DHA/ARA per capsule, and also includes 2000 IU of D3).  Standard, daily pain levels caused by inflammation are tolerable, at this point.  I can close my hands all the way, instead of having the joints where my index (and now middle) finger meets my palm freeze up.  My major, weight bearing joints are working better, too, and putting up with my yoga routine well enough that I was able to double my reps (2 reps of 12 flowing poses, 2x per day).  My joints feel a lot more stable, and hurt less.  And my energy levels aren't particularly impacted by the yoga. 

My balance is still off, but I'm still congested from last week's bout with the flu.  And it always hits me in the ears, really bad.  As in, my ears are so congested that my hearing is affected, and my balance is just...wonky, at best. 

Funny thing...I'd been trying to achieve several things for several years--lower pain levels, higher energy levels, feeling human.  I'd tried generic levothyroixine, Tirosint (which worked a lot better than the cheap tablets), Aleve, aspirin, Anacin (worked better, but could only take it in the mornings), Meloxicam (worked wonders, but couldn't take it often).  None of the above really helped significantly, or for as long as they should have.  Like they do for most people.

Currently, I'm taking NP Thyroid (desiccated porcine thyroid gland), turmeric/curcumin, fish oil, and now celery seed extract...and things are starting to turn around.  All of these things are fully natural, and unlike the pharmaceuticals listed above, they're working. 

My body is seriously weird.