Less pain, more energy: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, neck and knee pain

Dear Dr. Roberts;

Here is my testimonial. When I first wrote to you I felt like a fish swimming in a fishbowl, all alone with my EDS pain and chronic illness. I was ready to try anything and at the point of giving up.

Just a few of my conditions were;

- bulging/herniated C4,C5,and C6

- Ruptured L-5 L6-S1 with tears between 5 and 6

- torn meniscus in left knee

- Right carotid dissection intra and extracranial w/psuedoanerysm under skull and in neck (still there and caused constant, excrutiating pain) 4mm at last MRA

- skins tears easily, bruising horrendous

- joints pop everytime I move – I sound like rice krispies

I was diagnosed with a variant form of EDS in ’04 as my skin cell biopsy showed it wasn’t VEDS.

The meds I was on: Plavix 75 once daily, aspirin 81mg,  Toprol 100 mg, Lisinopril 10 mg, Catapres .1 twice daily, flexeril 5 mg once, zanaflex 4 mg once, Celexa 60 mg once, Lipitor 40 mg., Phenerghan 25 mg PRN, Xanax .25 PRN, Percocet 10 mg PRN (not working anymore I have developed a tolerance),  Stadol shot at ER standing order for vasospam and migraine, Vit C 5 grams daily, Niacin, Fish Oil and Flax Seed oil.

I had tried Lyrica but it had terrible side effects causing vertigo and vomiting.

When I first wrote to you the worst pain was in my lower back and my left knee and horrible pain in my neck because of the psuedoanerysm.

I could not stand up straight or move without pain radiating down my left leg and spasms in my back. I had been to PT for the last year with little help as my joints are lax and I can not do many of the exercises without popping.

Despite all the meds and every therapy I remained in extreme pain. I was so tired of the extreme pain that I keep myself isolated at home much of the time. I have a reacher, a walker, and a wheelchair but refuse to get in the chair as I don’t want to lose my mobility.

I have had every kind of “-ologist” there is. I was tired of doctors and felt hopeless. Most of my doctors don’t know much about EDS and can only treat my symptoms, as surgery is not an option for me.

When I saw your site and read the testimonials I became convinced that I had severe inflammation. I wrote you on facebook and you sent me Banjo.

After using Banjo for 4 days the neck pain was GONE! I definitely had more energy. My back pain was better but not gone and my left knee with the torn meniscus would still hurt, but only if I moved it in a certain way.

I felt much better overall and the best part was that I couldn’t feel that my neck felt normal for the first time in 5 years! I had been using narcotics with no relief for almost five years and after just two days of Banjo I quit the narcotics. That is the greatest relief as I was so tired of feeling drugged.

Thanks a million! I am loving the pain free neck and am able to bend knee easier. And thank you for your dedication to pain relief with a non-addictive medication. I am very grateful to have an alternative to narcotics which I hated because of the side-effects.

I believe that God sent you to me through FB.

Respectfully and sincerely submitted,

Mary Dunn