Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 At 06:40 PM 7/11/2003, you wrote: ><<<When you say you have gluten " allergy " exactly how do you mean? Have >you had any testing done? Gluten intolerance is really a different animal >from other food intolerances.>>> > > >The naturopath I mentioned before told me I was allergic/sensitive to wheat. >About a year ago I tried an elimination diet and found myself extremely >sensitive to anything with gluten in it. I added brown rice back I my diet also and >though I didn't have as sever a reaction I started to feel worse after >including it. I discovered that eliminating the gluten took care of my depression in >a way antipdepressants never had. It was the first time I had felt good in as >long as I good remember but I added rice back in and gradually felt worse and >worse and have found it next to impossible to totally eliminate the gluten >ever since but I am at a point where I just have to and am. If you've been off gluten for awhile, it is next to impossible to get a " good " test for IgA intolerances, but the fact you react to it (and get canker sores from it) is a good test in my book (the " clinical " test -- you eat it, you get sick, you don't eat it, you get better). You are SOOO right that it is " next to impossible to totally eliminate " which is exactly why the doctors don't like to mention it (even the ones that know about it). But it is important to know that the reaction is an IMMUNE reaction, and not totally dose-dependent. That is, it is like peanut allergy in that a ridiculously TINY amount can set up the auto-immune reaction, and then your body is attacking itself. Most people end up keeping a food diary, complete with the source and brand of what they are eating, because so many manufactured goods are contaminated. Many grain foods are contaminated because the grains are grown in the same fields as wheat, or stored in the same silos. My husband ended up " healing " himself by going on a 2-week regimen of nothing but whole fruits and vegies (nothing packaged) and meat, fried or baked or whatever with no spices but salt and pepper. He took a couple of doses of Pepto Bismol daily. After 2 weeks he was ok, then he added stuff back in slowly. Starting off with soups and broths would be even better, because they are easy to digest (as people have been saying) and also because there is less chance for contamination. If you are living in a house with kids and a spouse who eat wheat, it is really, really hard to avoid it. It even gets on the towels. I was " wearing " my own kitchen towel (with a safety pin -- it is actually a great technique for saving time too) to avoid " their " towel. But then everyone gave up wheat which makes it much easier -- we don't allow it in the house. Some people react to it when it gets in the air too -- flour flies all over the place and you end up breathing it in, and they HAVE shown that you can react to allergens via breathing. >> Well, that is just really depressing! What is a long time? Up to 2 years. BUT -- most people never really eliminate gluten from the diet, so it takes longer. Also a lot of people are cross-reacting with other foods (yeast, milk, and eggs are the top of the list). Taking bio-gest with each meal REALLY helps because the proteins get digested more thorougly. > <<<Having a baby makes it worse.>>> > >How about 3 , 3 and under. Ack. I got wiped out with 2, and they are easy kids. > >> I will look into Delphi. Any other suggestions? There are good books, the best being " Dangerous Grains " , though it doesn't deal with lifestyle much. You can do a web search and get neat info -- www.celiac.com is kind of a clearinghouse that is pretty good. Most info is under " celiac " because it is the best studied, but most gluten-reactive folks don't have classic " celiac " -- the " celiac " definition was coined in the early 1900's before they knew what was going on. >Any cocunut oils that don't taste so coconutty? Not *good* ones! The Spectrum version has no taste (or used to). You can get purified MCT too, which is EASY to digest but you have to start slowly. You can also just use less fat for now. >I held them together with just eggs. They probably would have benefitted >taste wise from some flour but I didn't want to use any and my kids did like them. Ok, so that leaves just the eggs as potential issues ... or spices. I never could get salmon cakes to hold together though, you must be a good cook ... Also as for sleep -- you don't mention a spouse or other live-in, which would matter a lot one way or the other -- but one thing that saved me was sleeping with my first kid. (I could not with the second, but we do on weekends, upstairs away from my husband, who can't deal with kids at night!). It is recommended in " The Baby Book " (a great book for moms, BTW!) but our main motivation at first was that we had no room for a crib. Anyway, the kids tend to sleep when Mom is asleep, and the sleep more soundly, which is WONDERFUL. So if you are not doing that, I highly recommend it, if you are having problems with their schedule. Sometimes you can even convince all the kids to take a nap during the afternoon -- along with you -- just all pile into the bed and take a nap. Really helps the mom! -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 In a message dated 7/12/03 1:50:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jopollack2001@... writes: > Really? I also get very tired in the early evening and am buzzing > when it actually reaches bedtime. My own theory on this is that > obviously, when you get tired, your body is telling you to sleep. If > you don't sleep it's emergency reserves kick in to keep you awake and > functioning. The emergency reserve being adrenalin. I also find > that when I fight through the tiredness barrier, I get hungry, which > is my body calling out for the energy required to keep me going when > I should be fast asleep! Jo, What do you consider " early evening " ? What I've read is that if you find that you are tired through most of the day and in the evening, 6pm or thereabouts, you feel good, this is a sign of hypoadrenal. If when you get tired is around when it gets dark, or a couple hours after, this is probably because you are supposed to go to sleep. I find the same thing, and have talked to others too. You get tired for a little while around 7 or 8 or so, obviously because that's when you should sleep, and then you get " buzzing " because you've already screwed up your system from not sleeping when your circadian rhythm is set to. until a century or so ago, people didn't stay up to long after dark, for hundreds of thousands of years... chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Jo, What do you get for sunlight? I think the most helpful thing to do is to get an hour of sunlight on bare eyes, not barrierred by windows, glasses, contacts, sunglasses, etc, every day. If possible, try to get this sunlight immediately upon getting up. Do some exercise outside right when you get up in the morning sun. Also very important is regular exercise. You don't want to exercise right before bed, but if you can exercise four to eight hours before bed this should help. Exercising at any time during the day should help, but I've found it most effective to exercise in the late afternoon. I realize this might not work with your schedule. I don't know what you do for work, but if there's anyway to get any kind of exercise while working this should help. Do you leave early? Maybe getting a good half hour or hour in before you leave? Do a search on Mercola for sleeping tips. He has a lot of helpful tips. I've found a couple of them to be counter-productive for me like not eating or drinking before bed, but mostly very good stuff that have helped me a lot. Definitely don't watch tv or go on the computer before bed! It stimulates the pineal gland, and I invariably find that going on the computer for longer than a half hour for bed gives me insomnia unless I wait at least a half hour before going to bed. Yet I do it anyway :-/ Chris In a message dated 7/12/03 6:44:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jopollack2001@... writes: > > Actually, I get tired around 7-8pm. However, this has been going on > mostly in the last couple of months, when it's not been getting > dark until gone 9pm. > > As I don't get home from work until after 6.30pm, then have dinner > and allow for digestion time before bed, is there anything I can do > to get out of the cycle? > > I have been sleeping very badly lately and I don't know why. > Difficulty getting to sleep and waking up at 5.20am most mornings (if > I go to bed an hour later, I awake at around 6.30, so I don't believe > it is a regular noise outside that is waking me). It's driving me > mad and I am suffering from sleep deprivation. " To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. " --Theodore Roosevelt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 ..<<< You mentioned that you had changed your diet, but I don't recall what changes you made - did you cut out any major sources of carbs?>>> I have cut out grains, fruits and natural sweeteners except stevia. Every morning I have vegetable juice like celery, cucumber, parsley and a little carrot. I haven't had much today. I had juice. Some pureed raw carrot with olive oil and lemon juice, some chicken broth with coconut milk and a little dulse and water to drink. I need to go get some more to eat. > << (Are you nauseated or just inappetant?)>> I just have no appetite. > <<<I would ask for a complete endocrine panel including sex hormones. These > are blood tests. Fertility clinics do sex hormone panels all the time, they > are highly reliable and widely available. I'm not sure why so many doctors > are averse to doing them or think they are unreliable or, in the case of those > who lean more toward alternative practice, why they seem to prefer the > much-less-reliable saliva tests. (If saliva tests were as reliable as blood tests, > fertility clinics would use them.) You want to know if your own estrogens > (you have more than one kind) and progesterone are at optimum levels - not just > within the lab's " normal " range, but actually optimum for your age. > > Sex hormones to check include: > > FSH (follilcle stimulating hormone) > Estradiol (one of the estrogens) > Estriol (another estrogen) > Testosterone > Progesterone > DHEA > > Usually the blood should be drawn on day 3 of your menstrual cycle.>>> I will look into all of these but I have no menstrual cycle as of yet so what would I do? > > > > <<The tests for digestive hormones and blood sugar are widely available. If > you are diagnosed hypoglycemic, I presume you've had blood sugar tests done > already? Or was this just diagnosed with either AK or based on symptoms?>> Based on symptoms. I did pass the GD test this pregnancy by 1 pt. > > > > > > > > <<<You mentioned in a later post that you are depressed, and that you have > three children under three. My guess is that you are severely sleep deprived. > Sleep deprivation has been proven again and again to disrupt all phases of > the endocrine system - sex hormones, sleep hormones, digestive hormones, stress > hormones. I don't know how to suggest you get more sleep, as most moms I > know are chronically sleep-deprived, but none of them that I know personally has > symptoms that sound as serious to me as yours do. >>> I am not really all that sleep deprived. I don't think. I just need to go to bed sooner. Dh has done most of the night time baby care from the beginning. I rarely nurse at night, we give him the NT formula. I didn't feel that I could handle the drain of nursing full time. I had just weaned my 2nd 4 months before this little guy was born. He was still nursing 8-12 times a day when I started weaning him. By 14 weeks pregnant I had lost 14 lbs and figured I couldn't feed three of us at once. This little guy had been sleeping 5-6 hours a night the past week and then the night before 7 hours and then last night 8 so I guess he is definitely sleeping through the night now. Maybe I am just used to feeling like crap all the time but what of my symptoms sounds so " serious " ? Thanks for all the suggestions as far as testing goes. Marcella > > Take care, > > Christie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Chris Actually, I get tired around 7-8pm. However, this has been going on mostly in the last couple of months, when it's not been getting dark until gone 9pm. As I don't get home from work until after 6.30pm, then have dinner and allow for digestion time before bed, is there anything I can do to get out of the cycle? I have been sleeping very badly lately and I don't know why. Difficulty getting to sleep and waking up at 5.20am most mornings (if I go to bed an hour later, I awake at around 6.30, so I don't believe it is a regular noise outside that is waking me). It's driving me mad and I am suffering from sleep deprivation. Jo > What I've read is that if you find > that you are tired through most of the day and in the evening, 6pm or > thereabouts, you feel good, this is a sign of hypoadrenal. If when you get tired is > around when it gets dark, or a couple hours after, this is probably because you > are supposed to go to sleep. > > I find the same thing, and have talked to others too. You get tired for a > little while around 7 or 8 or so, obviously because that's when you should > sleep, and then you get " buzzing " because you've already screwed up your system > from not sleeping when your circadian rhythm is set to. > > until a century or so ago, people didn't stay up to long after dark, for > hundreds of thousands of years... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 <<<If you've been off gluten for awhile, it is next to impossible to get a " good " test for IgA intolerances, but the fact you react to it (and get canker sores from it) is a good test in my book (the " clinical " test -- you eat it, you get sick, you don't eat it, you get better).>>> I was looking at the site you mentioned and I don't think I would even want to be tested for it if it meant I couldn't get health insurance in the future. I was really surprised by that. > > <<<You are SOOO right that it is " next to impossible to totally eliminate " > which > is exactly why the doctors don't like to mention it (even the ones that > know about it). But it is important to know that the reaction is an IMMUNE > reaction, and not totally dose-dependent. That is, it is like peanut allergy > in that a ridiculously TINY amount can set up the auto-immune reaction, > >>> This is really interesting. > > > > <<<My husband ended up " healing " himself by going on a 2-week regimen > of nothing but whole fruits and vegies (nothing packaged) and meat, > fried or baked or whatever with no spices but salt and pepper. He took > a couple of doses of Pepto Bismol daily. After 2 weeks he was ok, then > he added stuff back in slowly.>>> Why did he take Pepto Bismol? > > <<<Starting off with soups and broths would be even better, because > they are easy to digest (as people have been saying) and also because > there is less chance for contamination. If you are living in a house > with kids and a spouse who eat wheat, it is really, really hard > to avoid it. It even gets on the towels. I was " wearing " my own > kitchen towel (with a safety pin -- it is actually a great technique > for saving time too) to avoid " their " towel. But then everyone > gave up wheat which makes it much easier -- we don't allow it > in the house. Some people react to it when it gets in the air > too -- flour flies all over the place and you end up breathing > it in, and they HAVE shown that you can react to allergens > via breathing.>>> We have some whole grains in a bucket but I don't buy things with wheat in it for them except rarely (that I know of). I haven't made them bread in months. It wouldn't be hard to take it out of everyone's diets, if we never visit my parents again:) My children are too little to object and my husband would be totally supportive. > > > <<<Up to 2 years. BUT -- most people never really eliminate gluten from > the diet, so it takes longer. Also a lot of people are cross-reacting > with other foods (yeast, milk, and eggs are the top of the list). > Taking bio-gest with each meal REALLY helps because the proteins > get digested more thorougly.>>> What defines getting well? You can start reintroducing it right? <<<> There are good books, the best being " Dangerous Grains " , though > it doesn't deal with lifestyle much. You can do a web search > and get neat info -- www.celiac.com is kind of a clearinghouse > that is pretty good. Most info is under " celiac " because it > is the best studied, but most gluten-reactive folks don't > have classic " celiac " -- the " celiac " definition was coined in the > early 1900's before they knew what was going on.>>> What really is the difference between gluten intolerance and celiac? I get alot of conflicting info from what I have read. > > > > > > > <<<Ok, so that leaves just the eggs as potential issues ... or spices. I > never could > get salmon cakes to hold together though, you must be a good cook ...>>> I had them with raw creme freche and dill and sea salt. I have had the creme freche lately though and not noticed a reaction. I had some earlier that day with a few bites of blackberries and had no problems. > > <<<Also as for sleep -- you don't mention a spouse or other live-in, which > would matter a lot one way or the other -- but one thing that saved me > was sleeping with my first kid. (I could not with the second, but we > do on weekends, upstairs away from my husband, who can't deal > with kids at night!). It is recommended in " The Baby Book " (a great > book for moms, BTW!) but our main motivation at first was > that we had no room for a crib. Anyway, the kids tend to sleep > when Mom is asleep, and the sleep more soundly, which is WONDERFUL. > So if you are not doing that, I highly recommend it, if you are > having problems with their schedule. Sometimes you can > even convince all the kids to take a nap during the afternoon -- > along with you -- just all pile into the bed and take a nap. > Really helps the mom!>>> I co-slept with my second. It was a necessity. He nursed every 10 min around the clock and it was how I survived. My first slept through the night at 4 weeks and it looks like Fintan is doing it now also. I love sleeping with a baby but I really want my own room in the bed. I avoid sleeping during the day because I feel so horrible when I do it. I can't quite recover from it. I need to get the one I coslept with to sleep now. He has to sleep alone at nap time because he bounces off the walls for an hour or so before going to sleep. He is fine at night. I am really tired though, not all that sleep deprived but exhausted from one of those 2 year olds who has to go through everything and empty it out or dump the silverware and shoes in the trash, spread potatoes around the house, put rocks in the toilet etc...He doesn't want toys he wants appliances!! Marcella > > > -- Heidi > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Uggh, that sounds horrible. But I thought that gallbladder pains were in a different spot, the upper back/chest area? I guess I need to find out what it would cost to get some insurance. Marcella > > > > > > Marcella, this sounds a lot like gallbladder to me, and it's nothing to > mess with. Once you've got gallstones even natural health practitioners > admit there's not much to be done. Find a way to get checked out. (I > imagine this will run counter to other advice you'll get here, but I > have passed a gallstone and I'd rather give vaginal birth to triplets > all at once than pass one of those puppies again.) > > Lynn S. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 > <<<Well, you won't hear any arguments from me! NOTHING hurts more than a > gall stone. Nothing on this earth. I've never had a child but women I know who > have had both babies and gallstones, tell me that the gall stone pain is > worse than childbirth. On a scale of 1-10 it's a thousand. > > Christie>>> > Can you get an epidural for this? LOL > > Marcella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Marcella, Do you have any root canalled teeth or teeth that had been removed from severe decay? This is something that should always be considered with any degenerative diseases especially ones that seem to be related to systemic infections. If you have root canalled teeth, there is little chance they are not involved, and if you have removed teeth it is also possible.These could, if you have them, be contributing or directly causing to just about every symptom you've mentioned. Of course they could all also have other causes, but it is an important question to ask anyone with systemic problems I think. chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 No, I have had no root canals or teeth removed. I do have two fillings. One mercury one that was given agains my wish. I had requested a white filling and when the silver one was put in the dentist had the nerve to tell me it would get lighter!! I was 14 and easily pushed around. Of course this is the same dentist that told my aunt that there is NO mercury in fillings anymore. Quite a liar huh? But I know I have some cavities that have not been taken care of. Marcella > Marcella, > > Do you have any root canalled teeth or teeth that had been removed from > severe decay? > > This is something that should always be considered with any degenerative > diseases especially ones that seem to be related to systemic infections. If > you > have root canalled teeth, there is little chance they are not involved, and > if > you have removed teeth it is also possible.These could, if you have them, be > contributing or directly causing to just about every symptom you've > mentioned. > > Of course they could all also have other causes, but it is an important > question to ask anyone with systemic problems I think. > > chris > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 I guess that is the problem. I have felt bad for so long that it is my norm. I don't go battering down hospital walls because of it. I grew up with an " it's all in your head, just get up and go and you will feel better " kind of dad. And a mom who did attempt to take me to one dr or another since I was small but never followed through with anything. And I functioned. I mean nothing was growing out the side of my neck. <<<> I consider all those things quite serious, although only one of them > wouldn't be so unusual. But all three tells me your endocrine system is in big > trouble. (I say three because I'm not sure you DO have weak adrenals. You may, > I just don't know for sure. This is a big catch-all diagnosis and I think > it's often just an easy guess.)>>> I was told I had a systemic candida infection when I was about 15 I think and diagnosed with alot of allergies. But nobody ever took it seriously. I tell my inlaws when we have visited them that I can not eat certain things. They have NEVER taken it into consideration. I can just sit at the table and watch them eat or eat what they serve. I am just used to these issues being of no real concern to others. Like I said if I am not bleeding and nothing is growing out of my neck what could be wrong with me? I am not sure what the deal is but with the exception of my husband no one takes seriously the idea that I might have to do something other than take a pill to feel better. > > <<<You also said, " It seems the only way I can feel > good is to not eat anything. " This I find really very scary. Not only do we > need to eat to live (obviously), but food should make you feel good, not bad! > Or at least it should leave you feeling normal. Anything that fundamentally > interferes with a basic function of life is very serious indeed, in my > personal world view.>>> I can eat whatever I want and I deal with being severely depressed and with not having enough energy to do much more than move from the bed to the sofa. I can try and eliminate food allergens from my diet and feel better. The problem is that when I try to do that there are so many things that I will get a strong reaction from or I can't determine what of what I ate made me feel bad. I tried eating something lately I had heard recommended to get in alot of raw fats. I had raw cream, butter, a little coconut oil, a raw egg yolk and some frozen strawberries and stevia. I spent hours, most of the day, in pain and had diarrhea. My mom actually came over to watch the kids so my husband could go to work. Ok, so that is really not normal. I guess you have a point. I had forgotten about that. Could that be gallbladder? I just thought it was an allergic reaction to something I had eaten. > > <<<You continue to say you have no appetite, you forget to eat, you have > mild postpartum depression (although I do wonder if your lack of appetite, which > is severe, is not also a symptom of postpartum hormonal problems), you have > had depression in the past. Depression is a severe symptom, again, because it > interferes with a basic life function and alters how you perceive the world.> > >> I have wondered if the lack of appetite could be depression except that I have never had lack of appetite with depression except for the occasional day. I am also feeling alot less depressed than I was before I lost my appetite. > > <<<You said " I have never felt this way before. " This would lead me to > believe that your condition is worsening, in that you have a new symptom or a new > set of symptoms.>>> The lack of appetite is what is new. > > <<<You said you have a pain in the right side that comes and goes, that you > think is a kidney infection. You think it could also possibly be your gall > bladder. You mention you have no insurance so you have to take care of this > yourself, but what is " this " ? Gallbladder is, as someone else pointed out, very > serious, potentially life-threatening. Ask me, I know, as I was raced to the > hospital a few years ago with a stone lodged in my common bile duct, > literally screaming in pain, for emergency gb surgery.>>> I was told I had had a kidney infection. I don't think I have one now. One midwife had suggested gallbladder but then didn't act like it was serious. " this " that I need to take care of is the whole group of symptoms I guess that make me feel so awful. I don't have insurance and very little money and medical caregivers in general in my experience do not listen. They will charge me $100 to tell me what is wrong with me without really every listening to what I say and in the end it doesn't accomplish much except I am out $100. > > <<<That is why I think your symptoms sound serious. Is there no way for you > to obtain medical care in your area, without insurance? You have three young > children and some very distressing symptoms. >>> There are very few Dr's that will do much other than prescribe an antidepressant or an antibiotic and I doubt the alternative is at the health dept:) I think most MD's if you don't have money or insurance will just wait till you are taken to the ER in an ambulance before addressing anything. I would like to looking into insurance for myself to cover possible treatment BUT am I in so bad a health that I can pass the medical exam they initially do? Marcella > > All my best, > > Christie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Marcella, this sounds a lot like gallbladder to me, and it's nothing to mess with. Once you've got gallstones even natural health practitioners admit there's not much to be done. Find a way to get checked out. (I imagine this will run counter to other advice you'll get here, but I have passed a gallstone and I'd rather give vaginal birth to triplets all at once than pass one of those puppies again.) Lynn S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Get your hands on 'How We Heal' by on (North Atlantic Books) Bellanger Melb, Aust _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail is now available on Australian mobile phones. Go to http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilecentral/signup.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> Marcella, this sounds a lot like gallbladder to me, and it's nothing to mess with. Once you've got gallstones even natural health practitioners admit there's not much to be done. Find a way to get checked out. (I imagine this will run counter to other advice you'll get here, but I have passed a gallstone and I'd rather give vaginal birth to triplets all at once than pass one of those puppies again.) << Well, you won't hear any arguments from me! NOTHING hurts more than a gall stone. Nothing on this earth. I've never had a child but women I know who have had both babies and gallstones, tell me that the gall stone pain is worse than childbirth. On a scale of 1-10 it's a thousand. Christie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> Maybe I am just used to feeling like crap all the time but what of my symptoms sounds so " serious " ? << Marcella, I am not a stunning example of good health, but if I felt as bad as you describe I would be battering down the walls of my local hospital. You said: " I have felt horrible since I was about 14 and I am 26 now. " Hon, that's a long long time to feel even a little off, let alone " horrible. " You said: " I know I am hypothyroid and have weak adrenals. I have alot of food allergies such as gluten, citrus and dairy in different forms. I have systemic candida also " I consider all those things quite serious, although only one of them wouldn't be so unusual. But all three tells me your endocrine system is in big trouble. (I say three because I'm not sure you DO have weak adrenals. You may, I just don't know for sure. This is a big catch-all diagnosis and I think it's often just an easy guess.) You also said, " It seems the only way I can feel good is to not eat anything. " This I find really very scary. Not only do we need to eat to live (obviously), but food should make you feel good, not bad! Or at least it should leave you feeling normal. Anything that fundamentally interferes with a basic function of life is very serious indeed, in my personal world view. You continue to say you have no appetite, you forget to eat, you have mild postpartum depression (although I do wonder if your lack of appetite, which is severe, is not also a symptom of postpartum hormonal problems), you have had depression in the past. Depression is a severe symptom, again, because it interferes with a basic life function and alters how you perceive the world. You also said you have achey joints, a headache, and a pain in your side, possibly from eating eggs in a salmon cake. Again, by itself this is not serious, but in the overall picture I think it's certainly worth some concern. You said " I have never felt this way before. " This would lead me to believe that your condition is worsening, in that you have a new symptom or a new set of symptoms. You said you have a pain in the right side that comes and goes, that you think is a kidney infection. You think it could also possibly be your gall bladder. You mention you have no insurance so you have to take care of this yourself, but what is " this " ? Gallbladder is, as someone else pointed out, very serious, potentially life-threatening. Ask me, I know, as I was raced to the hospital a few years ago with a stone lodged in my common bile duct, literally screaming in pain, for emergency gb surgery. A kidney infection is also extremely serious. Kidney infections are very hard to eradicate and can cause auto-immune disorders and seed infection to other parts of the body including the heart. They can cause sepsis. They are nothing to mess around with and can be life-threatening. That is why I think your symptoms sound serious. Is there no way for you to obtain medical care in your area, without insurance? You have three young children and some very distressing symptoms. All my best, Christie Re: diet advice needed .<<< You mentioned that you had changed your diet, but I don't recall what changes you made - did you cut out any major sources of carbs?>>> I have cut out grains, fruits and natural sweeteners except stevia. Every morning I have vegetable juice like celery, cucumber, parsley and a little carrot. I haven't had much today. I had juice. Some pureed raw carrot with olive oil and lemon juice, some chicken broth with coconut milk and a little dulse and water to drink. I need to go get some more to eat. > << (Are you nauseated or just inappetant?)>> I just have no appetite. > <<<I would ask for a complete endocrine panel including sex hormones. These > are blood tests. Fertility clinics do sex hormone panels all the time, they > are highly reliable and widely available. I'm not sure why so many doctors > are averse to doing them or think they are unreliable or, in the case of those > who lean more toward alternative practice, why they seem to prefer the > much-less-reliable saliva tests. (If saliva tests were as reliable as blood tests, > fertility clinics would use them.) You want to know if your own estrogens > (you have more than one kind) and progesterone are at optimum levels - not just > within the lab's " normal " range, but actually optimum for your age. > > Sex hormones to check include: > > FSH (follilcle stimulating hormone) > Estradiol (one of the estrogens) > Estriol (another estrogen) > Testosterone > Progesterone > DHEA > > Usually the blood should be drawn on day 3 of your menstrual cycle.>>> I will look into all of these but I have no menstrual cycle as of yet so what would I do? > > > > <<The tests for digestive hormones and blood sugar are widely available. If > you are diagnosed hypoglycemic, I presume you've had blood sugar tests done > already? Or was this just diagnosed with either AK or based on symptoms?>> Based on symptoms. I did pass the GD test this pregnancy by 1 pt. > > > > > > > > <<<You mentioned in a later post that you are depressed, and that you have > three children under three. My guess is that you are severely sleep deprived. > Sleep deprivation has been proven again and again to disrupt all phases of > the endocrine system - sex hormones, sleep hormones, digestive hormones, stress > hormones. I don't know how to suggest you get more sleep, as most moms I > know are chronically sleep-deprived, but none of them that I know personally has > symptoms that sound as serious to me as yours do. >>> I am not really all that sleep deprived. I don't think. I just need to go to bed sooner. Dh has done most of the night time baby care from the beginning. I rarely nurse at night, we give him the NT formula. I didn't feel that I could handle the drain of nursing full time. I had just weaned my 2nd 4 months before this little guy was born. He was still nursing 8-12 times a day when I started weaning him. By 14 weeks pregnant I had lost 14 lbs and figured I couldn't feed three of us at once. This little guy had been sleeping 5-6 hours a night the past week and then the night before 7 hours and then last night 8 so I guess he is definitely sleeping through the night now. Maybe I am just used to feeling like crap all the time but what of my symptoms sounds so " serious " ? Thanks for all the suggestions as far as testing goes. Marcella > > Take care, > > Christie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> Can you get an epidural for this? LOL << LOL, good question! I was on major drugs, but I never thought to ask about an epidural. <G> I do know that when I was finally taken down for surgery, the anesthesiologist came to my side and said " Are there any questions I can answer for you or anything I can do for you? " I said, " All I want is to be unconsious. " He laughed and said, " I can do that for you. " And he did. <G> Christie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> Of course they could all also have other causes, but it is an important question to ask anyone with systemic problems I think. << I agree, particularly if it turns out you have a kidney infection. Studies of bacteria in kidney infections find that an amazing number of them originate in the mouth. Of course, they also come from the bladder. But it's a thought. Christie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> I would like to looking into insurance for myself to cover possible treatment BUT am I in so bad a health that I can pass the medical exam they initially do? << One nice thing about being off the medical system radar is that they probably have no idea what symptoms you have. And most of the things you mention are pretty vague from the perspective of conventional medicine. Do you see any kind of MD or OD right now, such as your thyroid doc? Anyone whose info on you would be in the big medical history computer in the sky? I wouldn't lie on the application as they'll just use it as a reason to deny coverage if you make a claim, but much of what you're complaining of is not the kind of thing they are looking for. Also, most health insurance will make you wait 90 days or some other time period to be covered, to rule out a lot of pre-existing conditions, unless you were previously insured. The only thing that they might be concerned about is your thyroid condition. I am not trying in any way to scare you, by the way. I just was trying to reflect back my perception of what you were saying, to give you some perspective on what it looked like to me as far as how serious it is. I truly believe that you should be willing to go to any lengths to feel good, and not just accept feeling crappy for all your adult life. I don't know why others have brushed it off, whether that was their problem or if perhaps you expressed yourself in a way that dismisses what you're saying, possibly for the reasons you gave as to why you don't take this seriously. But I'll say this: I do believe that you can feel good, and that you deserve to feel good, and that the things that are wrong with you are probably more or less one thing, except that pain in the side which I would try to get pinned down ASAP. Christie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >I have been sleeping very badly lately and I don't know why. >Difficulty getting to sleep and waking up at 5.20am most mornings (if >I go to bed an hour later, I awake at around 6.30, so I don't believe >it is a regular noise outside that is waking me). It's driving me >mad and I am suffering from sleep deprivation. > >Jo For some reason I get this whenever I don't eat enough in the evening. I started having a few rice crackers and lox (and, I admit) a glass of wine, and sleep great. If I eat too much in the evening, I sleep in way too late. Too little and I'm up at 5. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 > Well, you won't hear any arguments from me! NOTHING hurts more than a > gall stone. Nothing on this earth. I've never had a child but women I > know who have had both babies and gallstones, tell me that the gall > stone pain is worse than childbirth. On a scale of 1-10 it's a > thousand. Yeah, in the words of Spinal Tap, it goes to eleven. First you think you're dying and then you wish you were dying. Had there been a gun nearby I would have happily shot myself to make it stop. Here's my article on gallstones: http://www.newhomemaker.com/health/gallbladder.html It advises extremely low fat if you're having gallstone trouble, but it's a temporary measure until you can get to surgery. Extreme low fat and dieting can actually cause gallstones in the first place. What concerns me about Marcella's story is the location of the pain and the proximity to pregnancy. These are classic indications of gallbladder trouble, Marcella; you really need to have it checked out. Not only is passing a stone one of the most painful things that can happen to you (and I've had a heart attack and gone through both labor and a c-section), but if a stone gets stuck in the bile duct you can develop pancreatitis and die. My 22-year-old sister-in-law nearly bit it this way. Lithotripsy--concentrated blasts of ultrasound--can break up stones, but it's a chancy procedure at best and can sometimes make a bad situation worse. Usually once you've started having gallbladder attacks the only thing for it is to yank that puppy. Even my naturopaths said so, and they are very anti-surgery generally speaking. Lynn S. ----- Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/ Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 > Uggh, that sounds horrible. But I thought that gallbladder pains were > in a > different spot, the upper back/chest area? I guess I need to find out > what it > would cost to get some insurance. Read my article. When I had the pain it was front and center right below my breast bone; when I passed a stone the pain radiated through to my back. Gallbladder pain tends to be toward the right, but doesn't have to be, and tends to be just under or just below the rib cage, but doesn't have to be. It's very individual; gallbladders are in different spots in different people but generally speaking are above the liver to the center right of the breastbone. You have three babies who need you. Get some health insurance. We're on WIC and may have to get food stamps, so I know all about how hard it is; we are lucky to (finally) have paid health insurance through my husband's work. During the time he was un/underemployed, we begged, borrowed and contemplated stealing to pay our $700/mo health insurance premium (more than our house payment) and wondered if we were making the right decision. When I had my heart attack that year, coverage for five days of the ICU and cardiologists' fees more than paid back the previous six months of premiums. It's that important. Best, Lynn S. ----- Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/ Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >> Can you get an epidural for this? LOL 1 word: Demerol. aaahhh, demerol. The last gallbladder attack I had I literally blessed the nurse as she pushed it into my IV. Lynn S. ----- Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/ Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 > had heard recommended to get in alot of raw > fats. I had raw cream, butter, a little coconut oil, a raw egg yolk > and some > frozen strawberries and stevia. I spent hours, most of the day, in > pain and had > diarrhea. My mom actually came over to watch the kids so my husband > could go to > work. Ok, so that is really not normal. I guess you have a point. I had > forgotten about that. Could that be gallbladder? I just thought it was > an allergic > reaction to something I had eaten. Marcella, this is a classic case of cholecystitis--gallbladder trouble--I'm telling you, you've got to get an ultrasound asap before you end up in the ER. I am betting you have that gallbladder removed before the end of the year. THIS IS NOT AN ALLERGY. Lynn S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >I was looking at the site you mentioned and I don't think I would even want >to be tested for it if it meant I couldn't get health insurance in the future. >I was really surprised by that. That is one reason I didn't have my kids tested, and I got tested " on my own dime. " And the test I got done is not the classic " celiac " test. If you do get diagnosed celiac it is bad news, insurance wise. But they don't care about " gluten intolerance " . They have not figured out, yet, that they are the same disease. Like others have been saying though, if you CAN get to a doctor, you should. You probably will NOT show up positive on an IgA blood test, even if they do it, because you haven't been eating gluten. And most docs won't do it unless you ask anyway, because very, very few of them have read anything about gluten intolerance. They think it is very rare, or in your head. However, it is a good idea to get insurance before ANY diagnostic tests because in most states, if you get diagnosed with something expensive, it will not be covered when you DO get insurance. The health care in this country ... ! Pain in the right quadrant could be gall bladder or kidney, or appendicitis, or anything. Pain has a way of showing up in places other than where it originated -- back pain does that a lot. When I get a stiff back, it shows up in my hip, for some reason. If you can press on it, then it hurts when you let UP, then it is likely appendicitis and you REALLY need to get to a doctor. > Why did he take Pepto Bismol? Pepto helps heal damage to the gut. It also kills " bad " bacteria (and maybe the good ones too), so then the probiotics you are eating can get a better foothold. >We have some whole grains in a bucket but I don't buy things with wheat in it >for them except rarely (that I know of). I haven't made them bread in months. >It wouldn't be hard to take it out of everyone's diets, if we never visit my >parents again:) My children are too little to object and my husband would be >totally supportive. You are fortunate. My husband was supportive after I started " cooking different " , because he started to feel better. He didn't know WHY he was feeling better, then he did the meat/vegie/Pepto thing and really got better. My daughter got supportive after she figured out the wheat was giving her canker sores -- she HATES canker sores, and she reliably gets them when she eats something with wheat or malt in it. >What defines getting well? You can start reintroducing it right? No. There is zero evidence that gluten intolerance goes away, and a good deal of evidence that people who THINK it has gone away are in fact getting damage. Some of the other allergies can go away, but not this one. Though some folks disagree on this: none of the folks who disagree are researchers though, that I've read. > >What really is the difference between gluten intolerance and celiac? I get >alot of conflicting info from what I have read. Zero difference. Celiac is ONE symptom of gluten intolerance, which is an autoimmune disorder. Celiac is defined by a certain degree of damage to the villi in the upper intestine ... not all folks with gluten intolerance have that damage, and often it isn't found when they DO have it. It is probable though, that said damage can ALSO be caused by other factors, such as other allergies or bacterial overgrowth or candida, so maybe some folks with " celiac " are not gluten intolerant. > >I had them with raw creme freche and dill and sea salt. I have had the creme >freche lately though and not noticed a reaction. I had some earlier that day >with a few bites of blackberries and had no problems. Some brands of herbs have gluten in them (from not cleaning the lines, or they use starch to make them pour easier). McCormick is ok though. I've had problems with some other brands, mostly smaller companies. >I co-slept with my second. It was a necessity. He nursed every 10 min around >the clock and it was how I survived. My first slept through the night at 4 >weeks and it looks like Fintan is doing it now also. I love sleeping with a baby >but I really want my own room in the bed. I avoid sleeping during the day >because I feel so horrible when I do it. I can't quite recover from it. I need to >get the one I coslept with to sleep now. He has to sleep alone at nap time >because he bounces off the walls for an hour or so before going to sleep. He is >fine at night. I am really tired though, not all that sleep deprived but >exhausted from one of those 2 year olds who has to go through everything and empty >it out or dump the silverware and shoes in the trash, spread potatoes around >the house, put rocks in the toilet etc...He doesn't want toys he wants >appliances!! Well, mine are STILL that way. The oldest is 9 and they are just beginning to put stuff away when they get it out! -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 >I am betting you have that gallbladder removed >before the end of the year. THIS IS NOT AN ALLERGY. > >Lynn S. Or it might be both. Many people with gluten intolerances lose their gall bladder a LOT -- the gluten problems can damage the gall bladder (and pancreas/liver/thyroid) very badly. If you don't believe me, do a search on: " gall bladder " gluten. One typical story: http://www.mandlmedia.com/aviva/fall.html We were very close and it was very stressful. The stress affected my stomach and made an already bad situation worse. My grandmother was ok, I was busy with college and was fine with the Zantac until shortly before my 20th birthday. I was awake all night with a typical " attack " that this time, would not go away. In the morning I was in the emergency room and after many tests, gall stones were found. I had my gall bladder removed a week later and I thought for once I could move on with my life. I was fine for a few months and then the same stomach disorders returned. I was starting to believe it was all in my head. --- She then goes on for more years with more problems, until she changes her diet. It really is NOT an either/or situation. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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