Posted by Jerry on October 27, 1998 at 04:18:11:
Hi to everyone.
In the spirit of this amazing message board, I want to provide brief feedback (my own plus from those of you who contact me directly on e.mail and per ICQ):
Stunning positive feedback by literally everyone who embarked upon water therapy. Also, I am no passing the 14 day mark (as you know my first pain free period in 2 years). The only very slight set backs (3 in total)guided me towards the following revolusionary insight. All three these "slight set backs" followed within 1 hour of having consumed salt in some form or other. Back to the biology text books I went. Listen to this:
The human body performs a highly sophisticated balancing act regarding the water/salt ratio in our molecular cell structures. The brain structures governing this process are the preoptic nucleus and hypothalamus, and the transporting mechanism of neural messages in this regard is serotinin. Brilliant research in recent years have, listen carefuly, discovered that the hypothalumus and the neurotransmitter serotinine are per excellence involved in cluster formation! What am I saying?
Well, it therefor is clear that the previous discoveries(of which biological brain structures are involved with clusters) and another known fact (the actual brain structures regulating the water/salt balance in our cells) are linked!! This is starting to explain, thus, (although not conclusively as yet)why water intake, alcohol (a diuretic), salt (an anti-diuretic agent), nicotine (an anti-diuretic) have been reported to be associated with clusters!!!!!!!!!
The black sheep of the above substances, nicotine, (because reports re its impact upon clusters are controvertial), cannot be ignored just because of its controvertiality. It has a distinct anti-diuretic (water retaining) effect on the body.Why do sufferes report that by stopping to smoke does not end their clusters? Because 1) (speculative): Nicotine does some damage to the biological water/salt regulator which is not being undone by eventual avoidance of nicotine!
2)Because the cluster triggering influence of salt intake has up to now not being reported in any studies I have read(it does not mean they do not exist!). So, it all means that focussing on the water/salt reulator of our bodies have brought us sufferers closer to a victory than what we've been before. Why? Well, try drinking a large glass of water on the half hour while awake (at least on the hour), have another glass or two when you wake up at night, and have 2 to 3 glasses at the onset of a cluster. Place a total ban on alcohol, and avoid salt (at least in its pure form on chips, on peanuts, on meat, in soup, on eggs, etc.) Do not force the smoking restraint upon yourself at first, but plan to gradually let go, for the prevention of longer term re-occurrence of clusters. Be prepared to gain the benefits within the first couple of days. Careful: Please involve your doctor, as intake of vast quantities of water should be medically monitored, especially if you are taking medicine. Specifically, those of you who are on Lithium, (one of the chemical success stories for clusters) should really go on water therapy and salt therapy in close association with your physician! The uncanny and strange thing about Lithium is that it is a chemical substance, conspicuously similar to salt!! Why does it prevent clusters, and real salt appear to trigger it? We do not yet understand, but listen to this: Lithium impacts upon the serotinin levels of the the body! (again serotinin, therefor again the preoptic nucleus and the hypothalumus!!!) What I need is your detailed feedback, ongoing, please. In particular, you need to tell me whether avoidance of salt, or the intake of salt triggers your clusters (as the salt discovery does not feature prominantly, if at all, in the scientific litereture re clusters). Also, you need to inform me (either on the message board, or by e.mail or by ICQ) what your average water intake was prior to starting water therapy. We are now really getting somewhere...aand what is fascinating...we've done it ourselves!!! Once again, thanx so much for all of you who take part in the message board, others who contact me directly, and so forth!! Thanx for your support in these extremely painful times for all of us...and in particular, thanx to the person who started and maintains this message board!!!!!
Kindest regards to you all
Jerry