This is extremely difficult to type, because I'm extremely in massive fatigue and pain, and it seems that every time I try to reach out for help, being as desperate as I am, people either want to make fun or not believe me. It's hard to explain without other people judging, saying I'm crazy, or looking for causes that I know are completely unrelated. You've got to remember that I am speaking from 31 years of age, and I have some rare disorder that nobody has been able to accurately diagnose me with yet. I have been to a general practitioner, neurologist, rheumatologist, have had extensive blood work done, as well as been to the E.R. over how severe this problem is.
Let's start from the beginning: When I was as young as 13, I had a very unusual problem. I was extremely sensitive to herbs (herbal medicines). I first noticed it when washing my hair with a shampoo that happened to contain Ginseng in it without my knowledge. All of a sudden, I was having symptoms that felt like what you would assume methamphetamines would feel like. I was having racing heart beat, elevated breathing, racing thoughts, way too much energy, insomnia, etc. The source of the problem was obvious as it happened immediately when I used that product. I looked at the ingredient label and started looking up what was in the shampoo that possibly could have caused such a reaction. The only ingredient that could possible cause symptoms like that: Panax Ginseng Extract. I did an internet search and looked up what Ginseng even was. Boom! Nailed it. This type of thing kept happening over and over with all sorts of products, and it was very difficult to get people to understand me or take me seriously other than my parents. The sensitivities were specific to whatever the actual herb does in the body.
After adversely reacting and being hypersensitive to countless extracts from age 13 to 19, a mix of good luck plus an internet user's advice led me to attempt to see if Ashwagandha would help in some way to give me relief. It was like magic. For the first time in my life (age 19), I could actually have contact with herbal medicines and not have a 1,000x's exaggerated reaction. I began using Ashwagandha daily for over 4 years or so and it felt like an answered prayer. The only caveat was that on days where I forgot to take it in the morning, all of my sensitivities started coming back.
During this four years, I discovered very quickly that Chamomile extract did the exact opposite. If I took Chamomile (for relaxation, sleep, etc) it would directly negate the Ashwagandha and all of the sensitivities were come back just like before.
After reading that there is a possibility that the reason Ashwagandha is working is that it affects acetyl-cholinergic activity in the body, I decided to attempt to see if I could take Choline Bitartrate and/or CDP Choline to see if that would be a safer long-term option. It seemed to work, although I remember pretty soon after starting Choline having intense muscular pain and massive unforgiving fatigue from the very beginning. I could barely walk up a hill!!! Which is unusual for a 24 year old male. Then something even crazier happened: The effects of either of those Choline supplements was permanent. I didn't have to take anything at all and I was no longer sensitive to anything. But not only that, herbal medicines didn't even work anymore. As a matter of fact, no supplements at all seemed to work properly other than make me feel awful. That was 2009.
The past 8 years have gone by living with extreme muscular fatigue and massive lack of energy, knowing it started immediately when I used CDP Choline & Choline Bitartrate and hasn't let up since, desperately trying every day to find out what went wrong and how to (partially) get the sensitivities rebalance, or get to a homeostasis. After trying everything under the sun, I retried CDP Choline and Choline Bitartrate between March and July of this year, and they made me even WORSE. I now have not been able to work in over 4 months, and I'm in severe fatigue and significant pain. It feels like there is barely enough energy to breathe. I've told my story to a neurologist at the medical center here, as well as the Emergency Room, my local doctor, and a Rheumatologist, and nobody seems to have a clue!
I feel so alone, because people want to judge me and say "I'm getting older" or "I need to eat better" or other online insults, when they don't know that my diet is fine, and they completely discredit all of the circumstances around what is wrong with me. I obviously was born with some unknown disorder, I need help, and I'm desperate for somebody to crack this code for me. I've attached a chart which may provide a summary. I can't wait for the day when somebody can tell me what's causing this.
Any help is appreciated. Ask any questions, but please be kind and understanding. I would not have gone into so much detail in this post unless I was 100% certain about how these things affected me.
I'm looking for a supplement to REVERSE the imbalance caused by Choline Bitartrate and/or CDP Choline. [See chart.]
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