Autoimmune Diseases: Patient Experiences

Writings by Current Case Study Patients:
    Periodically, accounts from our various patients will be presented here. Although patients are required to maintain a journal of their status starting weeks prior to beginning the drug regimen and continuing throughout treatment-- the publishing here is strictly voluntary and demonstrate the progress and status of patients in their own words.
       Excerpts from Patient #45's journal, referencing her experiences with the PDG Treatment Regimen
                                            (68 year old female- previously bedriden due to Fibromyalgia)

       "I have suffered from generalized pain for at the last 40 years. On AA pain scale of 1- 10, with 10 being the worst, I would put this generalized pain at approximately 3+ with some portion of this time the pain was a great deal worse, ranging about 6 - 8. I had a great deal of pain in my lower back and my knees also were quite painful. Visits to my main physician, resulted in X-rays and or MRI of the part and a prescription for a pain medication and sometimes a muscle relaxer. After several years of this scenario, I was sent me to a rheumatologist and after testing, the diagnoses of Fibromyalgia was made. He started me on a regime of Elavil and Flexeril at bedtime and encouraged a program of daily exercise, releasing me back to the care of my general physician. I was prescribed a course of pain medication, which, when finished, I would be “cured.”
       This scenario, more or less, continued for next several years. Severe knee pain sent me to an orthopedist, who did a knee replacement. Severe lower back pain sent me to a different orthopedist, resulting in the same scenario - X-rays, MRI, physical therapy and pain medication. The generalized muscle pain continued with no relief, except when using a pain medication. I was taking more and more pain medication to obtain relief and of course the doctors would not prescribe any larger doses. I broke my ankle in December 2005. This resulted in post traumatic osteoarthritis. At this point, nothing relieved the pain. So generalized muscle pain and more severe osteoarthritis pain became a way of life. After a course with a pain management doctor, my own general doctor was willing to take over the medication and now writes me a prescription for Vicodan ES, which is meant to last me one month and usually lasts me two weeks, with the last two weeks with no medication. I do also have a prescription for Tramadol, which kind of takes the edge off of the pain, but other than that, I just hurt.
       PDG offered me a opportunity to try their regimen of their drug therapy. When I started this journey the beginning levels of pain were about 5-6. I had pain in my hands, finger joints, hip, left knee, lower back, thigh muscles and upper arm muscles. The pain levels seemed to ease slightly within 8 hours when I retired. The next day pain levels were definitely lower. Over the next few days I certainly was feeling less pain than my previous“normal.” By the 4th day, I was feeling enough better that I overdid, visiting several shops and walking a great deal more than I had been doing. I have definitely had great deal of relief in the first few days I have been on the PDG regimen."

Published with the permission and at the requestof Patient #45.