Marva and her lighter

[Catticus]

@Blossom

Blossom! I've missed my Awesome Blossom!


It's an OTC antihistamine brand. I use the Equate brand from the big river or the big W, called "ChlorTabs" because they're cheaper, but the same thing.

The ingredient is: "Chlorpheniramine Maleate"; 4mg, "4 hour relief." You can get tablets that are higher in mg. I believe they're 12 hour relief.

I don't know what your medical history is or any medications you may be taking, so you should look it up.

Our family has used Chlor-Trimeton since I can remember for allergies (itchy, runny noses) but since it usually causes drowsiness, I started using it when I couldn't sleep, instead of using Diphenhydramine AKA Benadryl.

I still use Diphenhydramine from Equate for sleep, if I'm out of Chlor-Trimeton or ChlorTabs.

Eons ago, my sis and I used Excedrin PM for sleep, then realized we didn't need the other ingredients, just the Diphenhydramine.

So we switched to Benadryl. But the more we used it, the higher in dose we had to go, so we stopped using it as much. Plus the restless leg syndrome is awful and happened when I took too much.

The same happens with pretty much everything if taken daily or nightly (having to up the dose) so I don't use the ChlorTabs every night.

[Catticus]

Herbal sleep aids 101

Valerian This is an effective sleep aid but only for occasional use-(may cause stomach problems) don't use if you have a bad liver or irregular heartbeat and a very few people find it causes insomnia!

St John's Wort An extremely good sleep aid and also works for anxiety and sometimes depression-- BUT has a lot of drug interactions . Don't take if you use Xanax or Wellbutrin or are using Chemo drugs like Taxatere. If you are taking ANY prescription drugs I would consult with your pharmacist.
Also makes you sensitive to direct sunlight and gives some people headaches in large doses.

Dried Passion Flower makes a great tea (1 tsp per 8 oz cup) but hard to find

Chamomile tea (put 3 bags per cup) and it helps to put a lavender sachet under your pillow or sniff frankincense to help you relax- no side effects and you can find at the grocery store

YUP!!!!!

[Catticus]

@JewelryQueen

My lamps were supposed to be here today. Now it says Saturday.

They were sitting in Compton, CA when it said Thursday. Now they're in Los Angeles.

Uh...they're going backwards?!?

I have a feeling these "crushed gemstone" lamps are going to be just as described: CRUSHED.


JQ, have you ever made lotion with the scent of Orange Blossoms? We grew up with an orange tree in our backyard. Ohhhhhhh, what a marvelous scent.

If you do make it, I would definitely like to purchase some from you!

Where I grew up, Orange Blossoms were a scent in the air at night.

So was the smell of Skunk.

But believe it or not, I actually like the smell of Skunk! From a distance, of course. Skunks lived near the freeways, off on the sides of them in the trees and bushes when I was a child, so it brings back memories of warm, summer nights when we were children.

Okay, enough looking back. It hurts too much.

Then again, so does the present, and thinking about the future.


Hey! Maybe you can make me some lotion with the light scent of SKUNK! Nah, I wouldn't do that to you!

[JewelryQueen]

@Blossom --I hesitated sharing this but here we go

In one week it will be 8 years ago that I was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of endometrial cancer. They said it was stage 3 1/2. I said "no such thing" and they said well it can't be stage 4--because it hasn't spread throughout your body yet, but you have the highest CA125 (cancer indicator) we have ever seen! They were not sure if the combination of 5 late term miscarriages and an IUD that took a little trip through my body by puncturing the uterine wall contributed, or not.

I said "Well this stubborn Finn is not going to die!" Following surgery I got 2 blood clots in my lungs (Pulmonary emboli) and I wouldn't die. Then I got Mersa and I wouldn't die. Then I had high test chemotherapy 5 days a week for over a month. It made my hair fall out, killed the nerves in my feet (although it still feels like I am walking on a bed of nails) and I lost 49 pounds in a month and a half. I weighed under 100 pounds and I wouldn't die. Then came the high intensity internal radiation (think cattle prod up your hoo hoo) where they put you in a room and say "Don't worry--If you scream we can hear you, because we have microphones in there!" and I wouldn't die. This was followed by less intense radiation treatments.

Long story long, I have been in remission for almost 3 years---"Cause I wouldn't die!

And if anyone thinks this is funny I will totally lose it!!!!!

[Catticus]

[JewelryQueen]

Cheer up Catticus!

As promised I hobbled to the PO today and my lotion supplies were there! I made you a bottle of the lemon already. Was going to make rose tomorrow but it looks like one rose and one orange coming up, if I have two bottles left. (My sisters are killing me-- I just sent 12 bottles to one so I am low on bottles and out of my cute labels. I think she is selling them! And I don't even like her!)

I think your lamps are going to the house I don't live in anymore to join my bracelet. Ya think?

[Vicky]

Oh my goodness Catticus,
Here im explaining RLS and you too have it. So u share this misery. I just started on Neupro patch. Might help with RLS. Expensive. I have a $47 copay monthly if I stay on it
As far as benadryl ( diphenhydramine) I dont take it, because articles claim it can cause Alzheimers. Maybe they are wrong. I just stay away.
Since they dont know what causes RLS, they try opiates, tranquilizers, even parkinson meds. Most dont work well. Im praying this patch works, before I buy the entire stock from Shoplc ( side effect : shopping sprees)

[Vicky]

Jewelry queen,
Your story brought back lots of memories.
The DRS told my daughter 15 years ago that I will probably die. I had MRSA 5x, was on an infusaport. I didnt have cancer. My body just decided to take a break from functioning. I stopped making blood. All the blood transfusions were destroyed by my body. I lost vision in one eye. They couldnt believe when my vision returned. Long story. I recovered against all odds. Went back to work at my medical career.
I think I survived because I knew alot and laughed at their fears. Am I 100%. No. But I believe that God let us live for a reason.

[JewelryQueen]

@Vicky
@Catticus

Miss Buttinski here on RLS

My suggestions for natural remedies include:


Start with Iron but make sure it is one that is actually absorbed in your system. I like dessicated liver tablets the best. May make your stool black

Magnesium has also proven helpful for some

Ginger Root can help too

Some people say Ginkgo Biloba works- but I have no experience with this

Selenium in combo with Niacin and B-12 has proven helpful but take only in the morning or you may never get to sleep! Also Niacin can make your face flush red

Lastly---NO caffeine No coffee, no tea (other than herbal) no Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, you get the picture

My Grandma really was a whiz and a lot of this stuff is coming back to me!!

PS They think poor circulation in the legs contributes to this

[Gypsy]

@Vicky
@Catticus

Miss Buttinski here on RLS

My suggestions for natural remedies include:


Start with Iron but make sure it is one that is actually absorbed in your system. I like dessicated liver tablets the best. May make your stool black

Magnesium has also proven helpful for some

Ginger Root can help too

Some people say Ginkgo Biloba works- but I have no experience with this

Selenium in combo with Niacin and B-12 has proven helpful but take only in the morning or you may never get to sleep! Also Niacin can make your face flush red

Lastly---NO caffeine No coffee, no tea (other than herbal) no Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, you get the picture

My Grandma really was a whiz and a lot of this stuff is coming back to

Jewelry Queen

As.bad as my insomnia gets and I do long for a nice long nap somedays........if you try and take my coffee someone's gonna get hurt Gypsy