H. Pylori retest came back negative today. So happy for that. I dreaded another round of treatment so it's nice to hear it's gone and I can move on.
I saw my primary care provider today to review thyroid labs from late November. Since going off my T3 supplement I have been slowly crashing. My antibodies were in the mid 200's (likely due to the H. Pylori) so she wants to do a retest to see where my hormone levels and antibodies are now. It would be nice if everything came back stellar but I know I need a little supplementation in the form of hormones to boost me back up and support motility and healing. Results should be back in a couple of days.
SIBOwise things have been pretty calm. I'm sure there are some little bugs in there but they seem to be held at bay for the moment.
My ARNP kind of scolded me for not keeping up on the bone broth. I made excuses but I know better so I came home and put some stew meat and marrow bones in the hot pot and started a batch of soup. It's much easier on digestion and I need to keep that in mind. I'd much rather sit with a jar of nuts, kale chips and chocolate :)
If you haven't been watching/listening to the Fat Summit you may want to check it out. It's been pretty good so far.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Self Sabotage
I was thinking about self sabotage this morning as it's been a topic bounced around a bit. As I drove I started thinking about what I would say. When I got home and popped open my email I discovered a blog post by Petra8Paleo on the subject and Sean Croxton's new podcast The Sessions which cover it, both far more eloquently than I ever could.
Off to do my HeartMath.
Off to do my HeartMath.
Monday, January 18, 2016
A post to read
One of the best thing to come out of my struggle with SIBO is my friendship with this guy. Here he outlines his treatments and the protocols used by all the major players. Thank you!
Friday, January 15, 2016
Stuck in a rut
I am in a big time rut. Not sure which way I want to go. My bloating is pretty minimal although I felt really bloated after drinking hot water yesterday morning, go figure. My food is in a rut, my routine is in a rut, all in kind of a negative way. I'm feeling the need to branch out but that takes decisions and I'm really sick and tired of making decisions :) Remember the good ole days when you bought what was available, did what the doctor (or neighbor) told you and just spent a lot of time hanging out. That's how my family was anyway. Everything is so pressured these days, so much information, options, responsibilites, worries. Maybe it's just because I'm a grown up, but I remember my mom doing lots of crafts, having coffee and game nights with friends, doing things for pleasure.
So I've been working on rebuilding and reseeding my gut, taking tons of probiotics (ColonCare, OrthoBiotic, Primal Defense, MegaSpore and PrescriptAssist), sometimes all in one day at different times but generally I rotate. The links are not necessarily the best prices or best places to buy just links from either stores I use or places that I have seen that carry hard to find products. I am not affiliated with any or them nor has anyone advised me to use these products. In other words proceed at your own risk.
I put my uBiome results through a program to create a uBiome tree and then consulted with Dr. Grace Liu. She seems to be the one on the cutting edge of the microbiome, talking a lot on her podcast about different bacterial families and their impact on gut health, but it seems that she bases a lot of her information from animal studies since not many human ones have been done yet. That said, she is wicked smart and all over the paleo community these days. (Dr. Ruscio encourages caution here and doesn't believe the microbiome is clinically useful at this point.) I was hoping that she was going to say I was ready for adding in some fibers and feeding my little critters but she said, "you are not ready". Now if the one person out there who is pushing people to feed their microbiome tells you no, you have to listen. She feels I need to get my adrenals and thyroid better supported, build my good flora and then I can move forward. After our call she emailed me two pages of information and recommendations. Well worth the money spent, in my opinion.
She also brought up an interesting point that I think we may start hearing more of, hidden viruses and pathogenic bacteria. She claimed that strep can hide out in the gut and "induce autoantibodies". She said that a couple of the probiotics above contain streptococcus but I couldn't find it on the label and have emailed the companies to clarify. I could find information online that they used to but nothing to indicate they still do (in my quick search).
So I've been looking into a couple of different diets protocols as well in an attempt to shake things up. I hate counting anything which is why I hang out where I am but really need to expand my horizons a bit. I'm also still hanging onto an extra 8 pounds that I have put on since August. While I am not overweight, I just don't feel myself and I haven't been keeping up my usual activity level so I am feeling really out of shape. I've started ZGym (the bunny slope workouts). She eats like a rabbit which is why she is so thin :) I looked at her food log. Anyway so I purchased the AltShift book and the Fast Tract App (already have the book). The former seems real meat heavy and the latter just too much counting. I've been playing around with adding carbs but I really turn into a carb monster and then overdo it. I wonder what my blood sugar is doing???
So, been doing a lot of questioning, a little bit of experimenting, some grumbling and wallowing :)
So I've been working on rebuilding and reseeding my gut, taking tons of probiotics (ColonCare, OrthoBiotic, Primal Defense, MegaSpore and PrescriptAssist), sometimes all in one day at different times but generally I rotate. The links are not necessarily the best prices or best places to buy just links from either stores I use or places that I have seen that carry hard to find products. I am not affiliated with any or them nor has anyone advised me to use these products. In other words proceed at your own risk.
I put my uBiome results through a program to create a uBiome tree and then consulted with Dr. Grace Liu. She seems to be the one on the cutting edge of the microbiome, talking a lot on her podcast about different bacterial families and their impact on gut health, but it seems that she bases a lot of her information from animal studies since not many human ones have been done yet. That said, she is wicked smart and all over the paleo community these days. (Dr. Ruscio encourages caution here and doesn't believe the microbiome is clinically useful at this point.) I was hoping that she was going to say I was ready for adding in some fibers and feeding my little critters but she said, "you are not ready". Now if the one person out there who is pushing people to feed their microbiome tells you no, you have to listen. She feels I need to get my adrenals and thyroid better supported, build my good flora and then I can move forward. After our call she emailed me two pages of information and recommendations. Well worth the money spent, in my opinion.
She also brought up an interesting point that I think we may start hearing more of, hidden viruses and pathogenic bacteria. She claimed that strep can hide out in the gut and "induce autoantibodies". She said that a couple of the probiotics above contain streptococcus but I couldn't find it on the label and have emailed the companies to clarify. I could find information online that they used to but nothing to indicate they still do (in my quick search).
So I've been looking into a couple of different diets protocols as well in an attempt to shake things up. I hate counting anything which is why I hang out where I am but really need to expand my horizons a bit. I'm also still hanging onto an extra 8 pounds that I have put on since August. While I am not overweight, I just don't feel myself and I haven't been keeping up my usual activity level so I am feeling really out of shape. I've started ZGym (the bunny slope workouts). She eats like a rabbit which is why she is so thin :) I looked at her food log. Anyway so I purchased the AltShift book and the Fast Tract App (already have the book). The former seems real meat heavy and the latter just too much counting. I've been playing around with adding carbs but I really turn into a carb monster and then overdo it. I wonder what my blood sugar is doing???
So, been doing a lot of questioning, a little bit of experimenting, some grumbling and wallowing :)
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Merry... err... Happy Holidays
Sorry I haven't been posting much. Lots of experimentation, questioning and thinking.
I'm feeling pretty darn good. The only SIBOesque symptom I have on a regular basis is bloating, although that could be related to the permeability that's still lingering or the H. Pylori (if that's still there) or my inability to digest protein well coupled with my lack of digestive support due to H. Pylori protocol. I've had constipation a few times in the last month but not horrible.
Feeling much better after working on the adrenals. I have been using the adrenal glandulars, DHEA and licorice root. I've worked up to one drop (1.2mg) of DHEA with breakfast and one drop with lunch. That was ROUGH. For the first 3-4 days I was sooooo irritable, angry and just climbing out of my skin. I don't know how bodybuilders ever survive actual hardcore steriods. Phew! If you recall my ND recommended I work up to 3 drops, 3 times a day and honestly I don't know that that kind of dose is warranted. Less is more! I've been using a couple of drops of licorice with lunch to help extend my cortisol since afternoons are my biggest drop in energy. I have not added in the Pregnenolone yet.
I ordered some mushrooms from Four Sigma Foods after listening to this podcast from Ben Greenfield. He can be a little out there but I believe he is smart and does his research on things that he himself uses. Like me he is also interested in a lot of self experimentation. So while mushrooms themselves are a big NO NO for SIBO I decided I'd give them a whirl since they can be so supportive of the other issues I am dealing with (thyroid, adrenal). And my husband LOVES mushrooms so if I don't like them I'm sure he will. I ordered the Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps and Chaga bundle since they were on sale plus there was a coupon for an additional 15%. It's still listed on their site but I'm not sure it's still active. I wanted to try the hot chocolate blends but they have nightshades and I'm avoiding those for now.
After finishing the digestion portion of my nutrition certification class and learning a lot about the structure of the intestinal lining I decided to try coconut elimination for a while. I cannot put coconut on my skin or lips without them getting super chapped. It takes about 3 days and then the skin feels like it's going to be peel from my body. It's weird. The intestinal lining is made of epithelial cells, obviously different from the skin, but seemingly a lot more delicate. As I've restricted my diet more and more I've added in more coconut oil and more coconut milk. Given the response of my skin I thought it would be good to take a break and see what happens. Oh and I was negative on the Array 10 which is part of why I kept ignoring my external reaction.
After listening to Dr. Keller on the Phoenix Helix podcast and her extreme caution about probiotics I cut back on them for a while. I don't know why. I was a patient of hers and didn't find her methods super effective. It only took a few days for me to realize I feel so much better when I take a ton of various probiotics. I resisted listening to the podcast for a long time and now I know why. Of course Dr. Ruscio came out with his own video and said if you tolerate things there is no reason to get rid of them. That speaks to me a lot more than possible unnecessary restriction.
I got my UBiome results back. I haven't had a time to really dive into them but I can tell you the reporting is so much faster and more detailed and easier to understand than The American Gut Project that I did before. And UBiome often runs smoking deals where you can get 3 kits and run time lapse self experiments on your gut biome to see how much of an impact your treatment or diet or exercise or whatever impacts your bacteria. Fascinating!
I hope everyone enjoys their holiday season whatever they celebrate! Remember to take time to take care of yourself. You deserve it!
I'm feeling pretty darn good. The only SIBOesque symptom I have on a regular basis is bloating, although that could be related to the permeability that's still lingering or the H. Pylori (if that's still there) or my inability to digest protein well coupled with my lack of digestive support due to H. Pylori protocol. I've had constipation a few times in the last month but not horrible.
Feeling much better after working on the adrenals. I have been using the adrenal glandulars, DHEA and licorice root. I've worked up to one drop (1.2mg) of DHEA with breakfast and one drop with lunch. That was ROUGH. For the first 3-4 days I was sooooo irritable, angry and just climbing out of my skin. I don't know how bodybuilders ever survive actual hardcore steriods. Phew! If you recall my ND recommended I work up to 3 drops, 3 times a day and honestly I don't know that that kind of dose is warranted. Less is more! I've been using a couple of drops of licorice with lunch to help extend my cortisol since afternoons are my biggest drop in energy. I have not added in the Pregnenolone yet.
I ordered some mushrooms from Four Sigma Foods after listening to this podcast from Ben Greenfield. He can be a little out there but I believe he is smart and does his research on things that he himself uses. Like me he is also interested in a lot of self experimentation. So while mushrooms themselves are a big NO NO for SIBO I decided I'd give them a whirl since they can be so supportive of the other issues I am dealing with (thyroid, adrenal). And my husband LOVES mushrooms so if I don't like them I'm sure he will. I ordered the Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps and Chaga bundle since they were on sale plus there was a coupon for an additional 15%. It's still listed on their site but I'm not sure it's still active. I wanted to try the hot chocolate blends but they have nightshades and I'm avoiding those for now.
After finishing the digestion portion of my nutrition certification class and learning a lot about the structure of the intestinal lining I decided to try coconut elimination for a while. I cannot put coconut on my skin or lips without them getting super chapped. It takes about 3 days and then the skin feels like it's going to be peel from my body. It's weird. The intestinal lining is made of epithelial cells, obviously different from the skin, but seemingly a lot more delicate. As I've restricted my diet more and more I've added in more coconut oil and more coconut milk. Given the response of my skin I thought it would be good to take a break and see what happens. Oh and I was negative on the Array 10 which is part of why I kept ignoring my external reaction.
After listening to Dr. Keller on the Phoenix Helix podcast and her extreme caution about probiotics I cut back on them for a while. I don't know why. I was a patient of hers and didn't find her methods super effective. It only took a few days for me to realize I feel so much better when I take a ton of various probiotics. I resisted listening to the podcast for a long time and now I know why. Of course Dr. Ruscio came out with his own video and said if you tolerate things there is no reason to get rid of them. That speaks to me a lot more than possible unnecessary restriction.
I got my UBiome results back. I haven't had a time to really dive into them but I can tell you the reporting is so much faster and more detailed and easier to understand than The American Gut Project that I did before. And UBiome often runs smoking deals where you can get 3 kits and run time lapse self experiments on your gut biome to see how much of an impact your treatment or diet or exercise or whatever impacts your bacteria. Fascinating!
I hope everyone enjoys their holiday season whatever they celebrate! Remember to take time to take care of yourself. You deserve it!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Current Protocol
Adrenals:
- Adrenal Glandular - 100mg breakfast and lunch
- Licorice Root - a few drops with lunch (helps extend life of cortisol)
- Cordycepts - one tablet with breakfast
- DHEA sublingual - up to 4 drops with meals (haven't added this yet)
- Pregnenolone sublingual - up to 4 drops with meals (haven't added this yet)
Thyroid
- Zinc - breakfast and dinner
- Wobenzyme-N - 5-10 caps, 3 times a day on an empty stomach. WOW! Just looked through my notes and found that. Wonder if she meant 5-10 separated into 3 doses or up to 30 a day! That's a ton of pills!
SIBO/Gut Support
- Digestive enzymes with meals
- Lion's Mane at bedtime*
- Acetyl L-Carnitine at bedtime*
- L-Glutamine between meals and at bedtime
- Zinc L-Carnosine between meals and at bedtime
- Iberogast before meals
- Megaspore - 2 caps with lunch
- Orthobiotic/PrescriptAssist/Primal Defense (rotating) - between meals
H. Pylori
- Mastic Gum - 2 caps with meals
- NAC - 1 cap with meals
- Biocidin - before meals (both kills and provides biofilm disruption, contemplating switching to Interfase Plus and Allimax)
*Lion's mane and Acetyl L-Carnitine are thought to help with nerve regeneration in the small intestine. Even though I've had lifelong motility issues I don't recall having the bloating or other issues until after the two food poisoning incidents 6 years ago. I'm running off the assumption that they were the tipping point. Although to be honest I don't remember a heck off a lot about my health from the first couple of years of my son's life. My adrenals just tanked after my pregnancy and it's all a blur.
Has it really been that long...
I would blame it on the holidays but I really don't get all up in arms about it. We don't make many obligations and we don't buy gifts. What did happen is I got a whopper of a cold from my son just after Thanksgiving. I even ended up taking Mucinex D several days. For him it landed in his chest for me it socked into my sinuses. I really didn't feel that bad but ended up draining out a lot of bloody mucus and my massage therapist said my sinuses felt really puffy. The draining was almost worse than when it was stuck.
Oh and I had another screw put in my jaw just as I was getting sick. That helped a lot! And another screw came out yesterday (meaning I took it out). They wanted to cut my gums and screw into my cheekbone but I said no. (Um, no way in hell!). It makes sense to pull on the jaw if you are trying to intrude the teeth but to pull on the cheekbone to push up into the jaw just seems like you are asking for trouble.
I finally finished up my Matula tea treatment for the H. Pylori. I have another month of the biofilm buster (biocidin), Mastic gum and licorice root and then I retest. I can't wait to be able to take Betaine and/or Ox Bile again. I just feel like I am not breaking things down and my digestion feels more sluggish. I do not like it.
I've been taking adrenal glandular support and licorice root when I remember to help prolong the life of the cortisol circulating. I need to add in DHEA and Pregnenolone although I am toying with adding Cordycepts first. My mentor is against this, she feels that formulas provide a better synergistic effect.
I went over my thyroid tests with the ND on Monday and my thyroid hormones were borderline so no need to supplement, Yay! But my TPO antibodies were in the high 200's. She thinks it's due to the H. Pylori treatment. I'm hoping so! She recommended Wobenzyme-N to help bring the antibodies down by reducing inflammation. I've heard great things about proteolytic enzymes. Livestrong calls bullshit on them but they help the body break down protein so if I don't feel like they are having a benefit outside of meals I can take them with meals since I can't break down protein completely by myself.
Oh and no more itching! Ha! Stupid ass lactase! In light of the Hashimoto's confirmation it's back to LDN.
Oh and I had another screw put in my jaw just as I was getting sick. That helped a lot! And another screw came out yesterday (meaning I took it out). They wanted to cut my gums and screw into my cheekbone but I said no. (Um, no way in hell!). It makes sense to pull on the jaw if you are trying to intrude the teeth but to pull on the cheekbone to push up into the jaw just seems like you are asking for trouble.
I finally finished up my Matula tea treatment for the H. Pylori. I have another month of the biofilm buster (biocidin), Mastic gum and licorice root and then I retest. I can't wait to be able to take Betaine and/or Ox Bile again. I just feel like I am not breaking things down and my digestion feels more sluggish. I do not like it.
I've been taking adrenal glandular support and licorice root when I remember to help prolong the life of the cortisol circulating. I need to add in DHEA and Pregnenolone although I am toying with adding Cordycepts first. My mentor is against this, she feels that formulas provide a better synergistic effect.
I went over my thyroid tests with the ND on Monday and my thyroid hormones were borderline so no need to supplement, Yay! But my TPO antibodies were in the high 200's. She thinks it's due to the H. Pylori treatment. I'm hoping so! She recommended Wobenzyme-N to help bring the antibodies down by reducing inflammation. I've heard great things about proteolytic enzymes. Livestrong calls bullshit on them but they help the body break down protein so if I don't feel like they are having a benefit outside of meals I can take them with meals since I can't break down protein completely by myself.
Oh and no more itching! Ha! Stupid ass lactase! In light of the Hashimoto's confirmation it's back to LDN.
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