Instead of being impulsive and diving right into the next killing spree since my small intestine is still overrun with methane, I'm trying a little patience. Not my strong suit and if you've read any of my earlier posts you know I was more likely to go stronger, longer which has not been to my benefit. I tried fasting, lasted two days, which makes sense since SIBO can have such a damaging effect on your ability to digest and assimilate. So I was talking this through with my coach on Wednesday. She's more of a business/lifestyle coach, not a health coach but she's so darned good at reading me and getting me to really think things through on my own that I broached the subject with her. You tell me what to do and I'm likely to push back but lead me there and let me think it's my idea and I'm all in :) . Such is the way of my crazy brain!
So, a year and a half ago after my last major "I'm going to rotate through ever last antimicrobial in the cupboard in a last ditch effort to get rid of every last archaea" episode, I gained 10 lbs, like BOOM! This has annoyed the hell out of me for a multitude of reasons, one being I can't get my wedding band on, the other being I feel like a stuffed sausage in my clothes. So while I say that I want to fast to let my digestion rest what I really want to do is lose these stubborn 10 lbs. So this was the conversation with my coach, am I really fasting for the right reasons?? Maybe I just need to read The Complete Guide to Fasting again, I said. She responded, stop reading, you are just giving yourself analysis paralysis, what does your body tell you? I started to respond again from the head. No, she said, take some time, lay on the floor, hand on heart and belly and really listen. I don't have to. My body is soooo hungry for nutrition, which means fasting will continue to be torture and I should really contemplate elemental if I do in fact want to give my digestion a rest.
I have a bag of the Integrative Therapeutics Physicians Elemental Diet but it's so sugary (dextrose and tapioca maltodextrin are the first two ingredients) that I am too chicken to try it. I'm afraid it's just going to make me itch like crazy since I react so easily to sugars. Not to mention that I would have to take antifungals as it can feed yeast overgrowth bigtime. I'm sensitive to both potato and tapioca so there's that too. I believe the dextrose is from potato since the formula is corn and wheat free. Those are the major sources of dextrose (potato, corn, wheat). So back to contemplating the homemade elemental.... so nasty. Still not sure that I want to go that route but really feel like my body could use the love. In the meantime I'm stuffing my face with mexican food and contemplating beer :P.
Just a comment on the IT Elemental Diet, although, you seem to have healthy caution about it. I have been trying to rid myself of SIBO for about 4.5 years and have gotten to the point if my meals have 15 or 20 grams of carbs that is a carb feast. Add to that I never really liked sugar my whole life. Never ate much candy, soda, etc.. It just makes me feel bad. I am not diabetic but I don't seem to have great sugar control. Anyway, first time I tried that after about 3 hours I virtually went into hypoglycemic shock. Unfortunately, I was away from home. Really wasn't sure I was going to make it back. By the time I did I was so weak I could hardly walk, sweating, heart palpitations, dizziness, etc.. Suffice to say it has enough sugar in it to kill an elephant and sugar that goes right into your blood via stomach. Of course, it does not feed the bugs but for me just way too much sugar and then there is the yeast too. Disappointing because I had run out of herbal abx that were effective
ReplyDeleteThat is scary and why I'd stick with homemade since you can control everything. Totally disgusting taking but an option.
DeleteSo a friend alerted me to this - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03913.x/full
I'm contemplating trying it but working on motility and healing for now. All the antimicrobials over and over just worry me.
Yes, every time I go through course of antimicrobials I say never again but then symptoms get so bad I cave. I do think over the long run you can damage your microbiome diversity, perhaps, permanently.
ReplyDeleteThe squalamine sounds interesting and they are in phase II or beyond on basically lovastatin coated or modified to stay in the small intestine vs systemic that Dr Pimentel says messes with the methanogen lifecyle but I guess supportive or other therapy to get the MMC and motility working is the holy grail vs kill or starve strategies
The squalamine sounds interesting and they are in phase II trials or beyond on a basically lovastatin with coating or some method to keep in small intestine vs systemic that Dr Pimentel says messes with the methanogen lifecycle but I guess lifestyle ch
Thanks for continuing to share. I'm pulling my hair Or and at my wits end . Going on three years. Can't deal with this anymore. And I was a fitness profession and super healthy for years . I barely eat cuz of the pain and discomfort yet continue to gain and gain. I just don't know anymore. Third attempt to treat methane and paying all out of pocket because no docs on east coast are knowlegable about sibo. Doing treatment long distance with Dr Micheal ruscio invali but thousands of dollars and no success in seven months :,/
ReplyDeleteTried to email you but it didn't go through. So sorry you are struggling so much. Sometimes it takes a while to unravel what is going on. I think most all of us end up paying a lot out of pocket. If you haven't done so you could try the elemental. It's often more effective and less expensive then continuing with the various herbals. I would say switch providers but that isn't always the answer since you may spend more money starting from scratch and having new/different labs run. Ruscio is supposed to be really good. Know that it does get better. Listen to your body, rest when you need to. If you ever want to chat via phone, skype or facetime, let me know.
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