polbe
New Member
Posts: 26
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Post by polbe on Aug 27, 2011 18:43:21 GMT -5
I was in Costa Rica several times during the 1990s and around 2006. Sorry, I don't recall exact dates ! I was never well in the interior of the country, which is mainly high altitude (San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, ec.) I was perhaps a "2".
I was well on both the Pacific (Puntarenas) and Carribean (Cahuita) coasts, about an "8".
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 14, 2011 11:16:01 GMT -5
Paul writes:
I know of numerous people who went to Costa Rica while having ME. The majority, including myself, were in very good health there. For many of us, how we feel in Costa Rica varies with the altitude.
I personally was only well when on the coasts.
Costa Rica is more expensive than most countries in Latin America, but less expensive than Europe or North America.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 9:13:38 GMT -5
A report from this database. Scale is 1-10. (0=worst possible, 10=completely healthy) health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS....eportRows&tbl=1* From Paul Beith Central Valley of Costa Rica: San José, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia Score: 3 Probably the high altitude was a factor
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 10:32:15 GMT -5
A report from this database. Scale is 1-10. (0=worst possible, 10=completely healthy) health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS....eportRows&tbl=1* Paul Beith Pacific coast - Puntarenas Score: 7 I would rate it higher, but there is a rainy season which interrupts the well times for some of us. Was there only 2 days I was much better than in most places, except during rainy periods.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 12:50:18 GMT -5
Paul Beith writes:
Some one in another group was good enough to email me, reporting that his CFS is not so bad, when he is in high parts of Costa Rica. Up there, it was cold, foggy and windy usually.
He was not as well in the lower, warmer parts of Costa Rica. He suspects the difference could be related to environmental toxins, plant allergens or changes in diet.
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 12:57:34 GMT -5
A report: I have Fibromyalgia and live on the Pacific coast of British Columbia. The ocean is 40 feet from my front porch. I suffer greatly in the winter months with the lack of sunlight and the dark, cold rainy, gray days. The summer months are better, even with the long daylight hours the symptoms are still there though not quite as noticeable. I feel 100% better when I get to Costa Rica. It takes about 2 days, but I feel like there is no Fibromyalgia! We stay on the southern coast of the Nicoya Pen. mainly because we are ocean people, but we have travelled all over the country and I have noticed that it does disappear slower in other parts of Costa Rica, but very quickly on the beach. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we don't wear as much clothing? The sun warms us more on the beach? Maybe it is the salt water? We do a lot of snorkelling and the buoyancy is incredible...is this a possiblility....weightlessness? My husband suffers from psoraiasis and he is cured while we are down there too. We have bought property and hope to spend 6 months a year down there....for our health! We have been back in Canada for 5 days now after 6 weeks in CR and three days ago my Fribromyalgia showed up. It doesn't take long to return. I hate coming back to Canada because of this. We were thinking that perhpas we could market this and start a recovery vacation destination or something??? Costa Rica is #1! Deb health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/7
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 13:00:05 GMT -5
A report: This is fascinating! I felt relatively well in Costa Rica, too. I was there for only two weeks but fully expected to have my usual "holiday", spending all day in a foreign bed and crawling out for a short time some late evenings. I was in the relapsing and remitting stage of illness then and my work took me all over the world. I'll have to think about how I fared in other places but, I do think I did feel quite well in Costa Rica... travelled around by bus and small plane, just bummed around, hanging out in various places. The fact that I did not simply stay in bed in the first place I landed is very unusual as I was travelling alone and no one, and no work or responsibilities, to push me on. I wanted to move around. Now that I think about it, I felt best in Monte Verde. Yeah, Monte Verde made me feel almost energetic! -Honora health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/1135
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 13:02:24 GMT -5
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 15, 2011 13:09:46 GMT -5
One experienced extreme mold avoider decided to spend the winter (2009/2010) in Costa Rica and unfortunately got very sick as a result. Here are some comments:
"Costa Rica did not work for me at all, and I relapsed badly there -- and I was not able to get CSM, which I thought would be no problem as its readily available in MX. I'll never go back there.
"The house (which was concrete with a metal roof) was right next to a swamp that dried out while I was there. Does not mean the higher altitude regions are bad, they are very much cooler -- I was on the beach.
"I had pretty much the usual toxicity symptoms I experience with mold exposure, though perhaps less gastro effects. It was the central american jungle -- there's lots of green stuff. However, I've been in the Yucatan and looked straight at large colonies of mold under stairwells that had zero effect on me.
"Costa Rica has been subject to large impacts from pesticide use, specifically Benomyl. I would imagine if the thinking is there has been a mycological shift in soils, then this would be a prime suspect."
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 18, 2011 9:00:23 GMT -5
A report from Paul Beith. * John tells me this about Costa Rica: "While looking in Atenas we stayed in Mercedes, just north of Atenas, for a couple of days. These couple of days were the best I felt in six years. I don't feel that it was just the Costarican trip because we have spent over four months in Costa Rican on other trips without the same effect." It seems that in a certain part of the central valley of Costa Rica, he found a spot where he was well! Costa Rica can vary tremendously in altitude, from one town to the next. health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/2057?l=1
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 18, 2011 9:18:05 GMT -5
A report from 2005: When in Florida I did feel better when on the coast line anywhere else was bad. Could not find much help medically either and doctors that I did see said their CFIDS patients that improved had moved away in order to improve. I moved away. I lived west of Tampa. Fatigue, brain fog, fibromyalgia, mcs, I needed extra oxygen. I stayed at about a 3. I felt better at the coast but could not afford to live there year round. All the pesticide use in fl was hard to deal with. I moved to coast in Costa Rica where I stay at about a 7. I also spend some time in the mountains of NC also much more good days there. In Fl I spent four years initially in bed early 1990's then would improve at the coast but had relapses in land. All my out of state sources recommend move out of Fl which I did as soon as financially possible. -ncmommysf health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/1990?l=1
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 18, 2011 10:41:20 GMT -5
A report from 2005: I am now in Costa Rica for more than 7 days. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I don't feel better at all! I have been in San Jose, Alajuela, Cerro de la Muerte (3000 m high or so), San Isidro, Longo Mai and now Dominical at the beach. I feel sick everywhere. Any advice? -Fox health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/1241?l=1* I have been now in Costa Rica for nearly two months and must unfortunately report that I do not feel better at all. It doesn't matter where I am in this country - ME-CFIDS-CFS is just stronger than any potential improvement that the circumstances of this country might offer. -Fox health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/1507?l=1
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Nov 19, 2011 7:22:23 GMT -5
A report from 2002: Im from New Zealand, almost as far south of the equater as you can get. Having lived there almost all of my life, except almost 3 years now in Costa Rica, I cant really guage if there is much of a difference. I know I felt great before I got sick( I was very sporty and healthy) but Id never been anywhere else. I was very sick in NZ for almost 10 years. I had a 'respite' of almost 2 years whilst pregnant and during our move to CR. I am starting to feel much worse but not yet as bad as in NZ. Id say CR is a 'feel better' place than NZ, wether distance from the equater has anything to do with it, I dont know. The places I lived in NZ were in the South Island, on the east coast. All fairly cold(tempretures range from below freezing in winter to high 30s celsius in summer), windy and very changable. Stacey health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/64?l=1
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Post by janisb on Nov 26, 2011 22:55:45 GMT -5
I was in Costa Rica last February for 10 days. Got sick in San Jose from solvents (diesel and gas fumes).on the way in and from air fresheners at hotel on the way out. [rated 1] Got worse from mold in La Fortuna/Arenal for one day [also 1] and left the next day. Spent the rest of the time near Quepos at a resort on a hilltop (not right on the beach) and slowly recovered from the mold hit. By the end of 8 days, I was about 6, which was much better than in my moldy house!
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Post by Lisa Petrison on Apr 13, 2012 14:14:26 GMT -5
A report via Paul Beith, from September 2007:
"I also have CFS (fortunately a rather mild case that does not seem to be progressing), and have had it most of my life. I found some relief when I moved to Costa Rica, and found it was best when I was living in a place called "La Penitencia" - where it is high, cold, foggy and windy most of the time (hence the name) - about the last place you would expect it to be better. As soon as I moved to a lower, warmer, more pleasant climate in Arenal de Guanacaste, it got a lot worse, though the climate made the pain and fatigue less burdensome. Since moving to the Central Plateau a month ago, it hasn't improved, even though the weather is cooler here - so I suspect it is related to environmental toxins, probably plant allergens, or maybe changes in diet."
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Post by corinne on Jan 20, 2014 23:34:55 GMT -5
Hi I am looking to get in touch with Deb. I am also on the west coast (canada) but do a lot better in the carribean. I would love to rent out the same place where deb stays or rent her place if she owns it. i practice extreme avoidance and am willing to use any brand of unscented products that the owner recommends. i am willing to not bring any item the might contaminate. Please let me know, lisa if you can put me in touch? A report: I have Fibromyalgia and live on the Pacific coast of British Columbia. The ocean is 40 feet from my front porch. I suffer greatly in the winter months with the lack of sunlight and the dark, cold rainy, gray days. The summer months are better, even with the long daylight hours the symptoms are still there though not quite as noticeable. I feel 100% better when I get to Costa Rica. It takes about 2 days, but I feel like there is no Fibromyalgia! We stay on the southern coast of the Nicoya Pen. mainly because we are ocean people, but we have travelled all over the country and I have noticed that it does disappear slower in other parts of Costa Rica, but very quickly on the beach. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we don't wear as much clothing? The sun warms us more on the beach? Maybe it is the salt water? We do a lot of snorkelling and the buoyancy is incredible...is this a possiblility....weightlessness? My husband suffers from psoraiasis and he is cured while we are down there too. We have bought property and hope to spend 6 months a year down there....for our health! We have been back in Canada for 5 days now after 6 weeks in CR and three days ago my Fribromyalgia showed up. It doesn't take long to return. I hate coming back to Canada because of this. We were thinking that perhpas we could market this and start a recovery vacation destination or something??? Costa Rica is #1! Deb health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CFS_CFIDS_ME/message/7
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