Re: diet advice needed

[Guest guest]

Marcella,

apologies if I repeat info given earlier, am very short on time now [work]

but...

for gall bladder problems [if that's what you've got] Kava-Kava can help alot,

it helps with the pain, the actual stones and will help you feel more relaxed...

make sure the tincture you get is made from the roots, as in the real

traditional remedy... my neighbour had gall stones, was in great pain etc. got

her some Kava-Kava and the stones were out that evening... in some places it's

been banned because of liver damage but turns out companies were using other

parts of the plant to maximise profit etc.

having 3 babies in 3 years is a HUGE burden on a woman's body... it takes at

least 2 yrs to recover from having a baby... but you're there, with your babies

and I know how difficult it is... I had post natal depression after my first,

couldn't even think of having another one so waited and had my second 5 yrs

later, no post natal depression that time round.

guess the stress of not having medical insurance and worrying about your

deteriorating state doesn't help either... doesn't seem from your posts that

you're 'clinically' depressed though... more like overall exhaustion [now wonder

there really]... that in itself is enough to badly affect your immune system...

have a look at this article 'Low Adrenals? -- Hypoadrenia self-test at

--http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/nc/hypoadrenia.asp

wishing you all the best,

Dedy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/13/03 1:01:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Idol@... writes:

> If you can rectify your diet and health, those will probably take care of

> themselves. At the very least, they're probably not a priority, unless

> they're huge and giving you major trouble. The mercury filling, though,

> could be a problem, and if you can afford it you should seek out a

> biological dentist to have it removed and replaced with a healthy filling.

I agree unless the tooth is dead. There's really no way to know at all

without getting them checked. Often times bacteria need the help of a root

canal

to cause them to mutate into anaerobic super-virulent strains, but also often

this can happen when the tooth dies to begin with. And very often cavities do

not even cause significant pain. If the cavity is visible or is causing major

pain, it could be very very far along and the tooth could be dead or have one

of its roots infected etc, and could be causing a major systemic infection

that has the capacity to neutralize all the body's major enzymes and cause just

about any degenerative disease you can think of.

On the other hand, if the tooth is not dead, it is a relatively minor problem

and I would agree it is the least of hers at this point.

Chris

[Guest guest]

Marcella-

>I am making stock and have been getting some in almost every day over the

>past week.

How long are you cooking the stock (and at what temperature) and are you

including some acid in the recipe to leech out the maximum value from the

bones? Some wine or a little vinegar makes all the difference in the world.

>All I can get is hormone and antibiotic free beef right now . No, actually I

>believe the " 's lean beef " in the store is supposed to be grassfed. I

>can

>look into that. I can't really imagine eating it raw though. Any particular

>amount a day? I have found that eating meat makes me tired.

If eating meat makes you tired, you probably have impaired digestion and

you should try a pancreatin supplement or perhaps something Heidi

recommends, Bio-Gest, which includes pancreatin, ox bile and stomach acid

supplementation. I haven't tried it, but I may.

It's not impossible that you're more of an agriculturalist metabolic type,

but I think the recommendations for that type are almost certainly wrong,

since they're all geared towards fruit and grains and extremely low fat and

protein consumption, but I'd definitely try working on your digestion

before worrying about that.

What happens, though, when you eat refined carbs and/or sweet fruit

(without accompanying fat)? Do you feel good for hours, or does your blood

sugar peak and crash fairly quickly? I gather from your description of

yourself as hypoglycemic that you peak and crash, but I'd rather be sure.

As to raw, well, how about rare? Seared on the outside, just warm on the

inside? " Lean " beef doesn't sound very good, as grassfed fat is extremely

nutritious, though I suppose if you have impaired fat digestion it might be

useful in the extremely short term, but Heidi reports that kimchi is of

great help in digesting fats, and from its description, Bio-Gest sounds

that way too.

>I have been drinking raw milk for a while. But found it started to make me

>feel funny in the head almost lightheaded after drinking it. I can have kefir

>out of it and not have that happen.

I'd suggest cutting out every last bit of dairy for a week as an

experiment. Then add a little kefir back and see what happens. Sometimes

you can only observe an effect that way.

>I have been diagnosed as hypothyroid and take armour thyroid for it. I have

>been on it for about 7 months and I don't see any change

What dose are you on?

>I have also just started taking

>something desiccated for my adrenals.

This could definitely help too.

>My temps have always been low. I can remember it

>being like that in elementary school.

Now that you're experimenting with your diet, I suggest taking the

Basal Metabolism test every month and recording the results so you can

monitor your progress.

>I have the most energy late in

>the evening when I need to be getting to bed.

That's often attributed to adrenal exhaustion, so the adrenal

supplementation you started could definitely help.

There's something else that could help too, which you can read about here

-- http://www.brightenyourlife.info/ -- but I'm not sure it's a good idea

to try it until you've addressed some of your nutritional and digestive

problems first.

I know this sounds gross, but if you can, I'd suggest trying some raw

liver. Forget about storebought beef liver; that's almost certainly going

to be disgusting beyond words. But I get frozen bison liver from North

Star Bison, and it's actually quite palatable. It's also made a huge

difference in my energy levels. Liver is also relatively inexpensive, at

least compared to more widely-desired foods. You might get a package or

two and see how it sits with you, though I'd suggest waiting until you have

some more digestive aids going.

>No guesses about the side pain?

I'm sorry, I guess I missed that the first time around. Your sides

hurt? And it's not muscle or back pain? I'm not sure I could guess, actually.

-

[Guest guest]

Marcella-

>Thanks, I will check this out. I know it is candida for sure.

A good quality colloidal silver can work wonders against candida, but it's

not a cheap treatment. You can buy your own generator, but even there, a

good one just isn't going to be cheap.

>I have been getting coconut milk in with my chicken broth using that recipe

>in NT.

In light of your digestive problems, you might want to stick with coconut

oil for awhile and avoid the carbs in coconut milk.

> I hate the taste of cocunut oil though. Maybe it is just the brand I

>have.

What brand do you use? I've found it makes all the difference in the

world. I used to order Tropical Traditions coconut oil, and I found that

was great for cooking but I didn't like it straight, but Coconut Oil

Supreme (currently backordered for another month, unfortunately) is

extremely tasty. Radiant Life has a coconut oil which is supposed to be a

slight improvement even over Coconut Oil Supreme. Unfortunately, these

premium virgin coconut oils are rather cheaper than the refined, bleached

and deodorized junk that's all you can find in most stores, but if you can,

I strongly recommend trying one of them. I think Radiant Life still has

some virgin coconut oil in stock, too.

>I had been drinking beet kvass but ran out and need to make more.

ly I'm not sure beet kvass is the best probiotic for you. I made it a

couple times and found that even though I fermented it for a long time,

there was still enough residual sugar that it affected my blood

sugar. Kimchi may be a better bet.

-

[Guest guest]

Lynn-

>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.

Gallbladders and gallstones are most assuredly not my area of expertise,

and I certainly echo your strong recommendation for Marcella to get checked

out for stones, but I have read that something like 97-99% of gallbladder

removals are completely unwarranted. I knew a guy who developed a huge

gallstone (and for awhile his doctors all thought it was something else

entirely) and ultimately, rather than losing his gall bladder, they used

some kind of sonic shock waves to break it up and eliminate it.

-

[Guest guest]

>> my neighbour had gall stones, was in great pain etc. got her some Kava-Kava

and the stones were out that evening <<

Having had a stone get stuck in my bile duct, the last thing on earth I would

want is the stones " out. " People can and do live quite healthy and happy lives

with a few stones in their gall bladder. Most people have at least some if they

live long enough.

I really think that Western diagnostics are the best tool to evaluate gall

bladder health. And if the gall bladder is diseased or has many stones or you

are having serious pain, you should definitely not mess around. I tried for

almost two years to keep my gall bladder and it nearly killed me. My mom kept

hers for about 40 years after her first attack, and when the surgeons finally

had to remove it, she was in her 60s and it was infected, inflamed, and, in the

surgeon's words, " nasty. " It also had over 100 stones in it, unlike mine which

had only around 60 and still sent me to the ER in an ambulance.

Even if the symptoms go away, even if you pass a few stones, that is not likely

to be the whole picture. And while herbs may help with symptoms (peppermint, for

instance, can help), there is nothing that will dissolve the stones, and even if

it did, the passing of the gravel and smaller stones can be hideously painful.

Christie

[Guest guest]

Marcella-

If you can rectify your diet and health, those will probably take care of

themselves. At the very least, they're probably not a priority, unless

they're huge and giving you major trouble. The mercury filling, though,

could be a problem, and if you can afford it you should seek out a

biological dentist to have it removed and replaced with a healthy filling.

>But I know I have some cavities that have not been taken care of.

-

[Guest guest]

I think a lot of your symptons sound like hypoglycemia. Eat lightly in

the evenings but no protein or carbs. They will keep you awake all night.

I work in a Low Carb shop and a lot of people that go on the diet have

some of the same symptoms and say after getting off the carbs (wheat and

sugar, potatoes and such) have more energy and sleep at night when they

have had insomnia all of their lives. Blood sugars level out and blood

pressures drop. It is a miracle to a lot of people. It may only be part

of your problem though. I still think you should get some blood work done

and check the anemia out also. My youngest daughter was on the wick

program and had some state funded insurance when pregnant with her

daughter and after she gave birth until her husband qualified for

insurance with his job.It was very minimal money and is set up for people

that need help. It was hard for her but she needed the help , she was so

sick through the pregnancy, and couldn't work. Sometimes we need a

helping hand. Also 3 kids in such a short time frame would wear anyone

out. When we get run down our systems shut down and thats when the

Candida loves to take over. I suffered with yeast infections for years.

Found out I had Gestational Diabetes with my pregnancies. Did they check

for that when you were pregnant? Do you have a County Hospital there?

They can probably point you in the right direction as far as getting some

medical help goes. I will be praying for you. It really does help! Cheri

On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 23:45:32 -0700 Heidi Schuppenhauer

<heidis@...> writes:

>

> >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

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

How much do you take? I read everything I can get my hands on and want to

know more about this time release T3. Do you take it with your regular

Thryoid Meds ? I was doing great on a larger amount of Levoxyl and when

they took more tests my Dr. said I was taking too much. She lowered my

dosage and in three days I was a basket case. She immediately upped the

dosage to where it was and it took 2 wks to get to feel good again.

Everyone knows you never do Soy for at least 4 hrs after taking Thryoid

meds.( " RIGHT'' )and I don't do Soy at all. And that you don't eat for at

least a hr. after taking the Meds. And that you are supposed to take the

Meds at the same time each day. They don't always tell you these things

when they first give you Thryoid meds. I was fortunate, my Dr. did tell

me but my sister started taking the medication and felt worse and she

was doing all these things above. She started her day with a soy protein

shake and took her meds with it. She now has all the facts and is doing

well . Cheri

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 15:12:19 -0400 Idol <Idol@...>

writes:

> Lynn-

>

> I'm eager to try time-release T3 for overnight (I take a massive

> dose of

> T3, enough to kill most people, because of a very, very unusual

> resistance

> problem) but I haven't found any yet. Did you get it from a

> compounding

> pharmacy?

>

> >he immediately put me on

> >time-release T3

>

>

>

> -

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Marcella,

have a look at this site - http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

quote -- " Adrenal Fatigue is a health disorder that can affect anyone who

experiences persistent or severe emotional or physical stress. It is also an

important contributing factor in health conditions ranging from allergies to

obesity. Despite its prevalence in our modern world, Adrenal Fatigue has

generally been ignored and untreated by the medical community. "

Dedy

[Guest guest]

> If you can rectify your diet and health, those will probably take care

> of themselves. At the very least, they're probably not a priority,

> unless they're huge and giving you major trouble. The mercury

> filling, though, could be a problem, and if you can afford it you

> should seek out a biological dentist to have it removed and replaced

> with a healthy filling.

Ok, bear with me I'm new and still rather ignorant, but how do cavities

take care of themselves?? I was always taught once you have them they

must be drilled out and filled.

I too think I have mercury fillings, how much does it usually run to get

those switched out?

Dawn

[Guest guest]

Hello, everyone!

I'm new to the list! =)

I've been reading this thread with great interest as I have several

problems myself, some of which sound similar to Marcella though I have

had no children and no pains, or problems with fats. I am however,

hypothyroid (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), which is actually an autoimmune

disorder and suspect maybe celiac/gluten intolerance. Anyhow, point of

this post was to discuss Marcella's thyroid condition.

> >I have been diagnosed as hypothyroid and take armour thyroid for it.

> >I have been on it for about 7 months and I don't see any change

>

> What dose are you on?

I have some questions for Marcella. Are you on the first dose you were

prescribed?? My doctor, I see one of the top specialists for thyroid

conditions, has had to tweak my medication at least 15 times in the 2

years I've been seeing him, and probably more if I could afford to go

more often.

What is your TSH level?? Most doctors don't know ANYTHING about

thyroid disorders. I am not kidding. =( As long as your TSH is below 5.5

they won't bother testing you anymore, or upping your hormone

treatment. I didn't feel well until I was under 1.0 on my TSH, AND was

getting supplemented with Levoxyl because my body isn't converting T4

into T3, which is what the body actually uses. Now I am on Armour

(desiccated animal thyroid) and Levoxyl (synthetic T3). I feel MUCH

better but still not " right " though I believe that is more of a whole system

problem of which I have only recently become aware.

Also, I cut out ALL commercial salts and have switched to " sea salt " and

now am finally switching to celtic salt. The iodine in most salts is harmfull

and oversupplementation of iodine can make your thyroid condition

worse, and according to my doctor encourage an auto-immune response.

I believe that it is a matter of natural iodine vs. chemical salts and

supplements.

I have been researching WAP for about 2 years now, have taken over as

chapter leader in Austin, Texas, and have been slowly integrating one

part of the diet at a time. Now we are working on a low carb, no wheat

unless fermented, and added probiotics/enzymes (through kefir and

kombucha). I am only on day 2 and haven't gotten the stuff to make my

kefir and kombucha but I have a feeling, from what I've learned, that

these should help immensely.

My advice would be to work on things one at a time, so a) figure out what

is causing the side pain and if it is gall bladder as more experienced and

wiser listmembers suspect then heed their advice! get your TSH

tested again, if you can afford it, to get your medication tweaked and

monitor your lab results yourself... never trust a doctor 100% and you

should realize that pregnancy can make the condition worse c) work on

integrating some probiotics and enzymes into your diet d) contact your

local WAP chapter to find resources for organic veggies, grassfed meat

and poultry, farm fresh eggs, and raw milk - people can be very helpful

and understanding of your situation. I know! I'm a poor college kid =)

WAP has an article " ask the doctor " about thyroid conditions that might

help: http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/ask_hypo.htm

I know my thyroid, and other organs, were starved for proper nutrients

and fats most of my life as I was on low-fat diets, with HIGH carbs and

little to no real vegetables since I was about 8 years old to " control " my

weight. Of course all it did was make me sick, fat and miserable. =) Dad

still thinks it is a problem of overeating (my mom is fat and binges) but he

just doesn't get it and neither did I for a long time. Only now that I am

starting to see the big picture to I realize that there is hope to feeling

better.

I wish you luck and future good health, I hope everything can turn around

for you. I understand what feeling bad is like, i too haven't felt healthy

since I was about 15 and I am 25 now.

Take care,

Dawn

[Guest guest]

> Gallbladders and gallstones are most assuredly not my area of

> expertise,

> and I certainly echo your strong recommendation for Marcella to get

> checked

> out for stones,

I'm not trying to be rude, or force a point of view on anyone, I hope

you understand. I just happen to know something about this. Here's my

background on this issue: I not only passed a stone and had my

gallbladder removed, I'm a professional journalist and researched the

article I wrote with both allopathic doctors and sources, and doctors

at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine here in Portland. Even

the naturopaths agree that at some point when irritation of the

gallbladder has gotten to a debilitating point the thing has to go,

there's just not much else that can be done. Believe me, I tried to get

out of having the surgery and in the end it was the only option.

So I'm not an expert, but I've done the research. (As to who paid

for the article--I did. The New Homemaker is my site. While my ad

network accepts pharmaceutical ads, it has no say on what content I

present on the site and I'd be surprised if the drug companies even

knew they advertised on TNH.)

> but I have read that something like 97-99% of gallbladder

> removals are completely unwarranted. I knew a guy who developed a huge

> gallstone (and for awhile his doctors all thought it was something else

> entirely) and ultimately, rather than losing his gall bladder, they

> used

> some kind of sonic shock waves to break it up and eliminate it.

That's a procedure called lithotripsy; it's only effective in a very

small number of cases and it's a treatment of last resort usually when

the patient is too sick or otherwise unable to have surgery. Often

lithotripsy is used to break up particularly large stones so that the

surgeon can then get the gallbladder out lapascopically (through a

series of small incisions) rather than through a traditional large

incision (difference in recovery time is huge--laparascopic procedures

being much easier on the patient). In other words, it's a precursor to

surgery rather than a substitute. Keep in mind also that very small

stones (such as those created by lithotripsy) can also irritate the

gallbladder, and the small stones over time will grow into larger ones;

they form much like pearls in an oyster, adding layer upon layer of

bile salts and cholesterol. At best lithotripsy is a stop-gap

procedure, and for pregnant women, one of the groups most at risk for

cholecystitis, it poses a greater danger to the fetus than surgery.

Between 15 and 20 percent of the US population have gallstones, but of

those people, only a quarter will ever know the stones exist; the rest

experience no pain or other symptoms. I would be extremely surprised if

the majority of gallbladder removals were unnecessary; every last

person I know who's had the surgery suffered greatly beforehand and was

relieved to have the thing out (that's about two dozen folks--not a

scientific sample but still of note). I know I was, and remain so. If

you can remember where you saw the 97-99% figure, I'd really like to

read it myself.

Now, AVOIDING the problem in the first place--that's an area that's up

for debate! Don't crash diet is the best advice I can give on that

one from my research.

Lynn S.

-----

Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan

The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/

Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/

[Guest guest]

Dawn-

Based on my experience, you're AMAZINGLY lucky to have a doctor like

that. I've always had immense difficulty getting adequate thyroid

prescribed specifically because of their current single-factor focus on the

TSH test.

>What is your TSH level?? Most doctors don't know ANYTHING about

>thyroid disorders. I am not kidding. =( As long as your TSH is below 5.5

>they won't bother testing you anymore, or upping your hormone

>treatment. I didn't feel well until I was under 1.0 on my TSH, AND was

>getting supplemented with Levoxyl because my body isn't converting T4

>into T3, which is what the body actually uses. Now I am on Armour

>(desiccated animal thyroid) and Levoxyl (synthetic T3). I feel MUCH

>better but still not " right " though I believe that is more of a whole system

>problem of which I have only recently become aware.

-

[Guest guest]

Dawn-

>Ok, bear with me I'm new and still rather ignorant, but how do cavities

>take care of themselves?? I was always taught once you have them they

>must be drilled out and filled.

That is indeed the conventional wisdom, but many people on a WAPF-type

diet, particularly one which incorporates a good number of raw meats and

animal fats, report tooth remineralization. If you have a large hole I

don't know that the hole will fill in, but the cavity will seal over and

the tooth will, as I understand it, become healthy.

>I too think I have mercury fillings, how much does it usually run to get

>those switched out?

I have no idea what it costs (in one of my few strokes of luck, I never had

enough money to go to the dentist, so I never got fillings for any of my

cavities) but since there are so few biological dentists, it probably costs

a premium to have someone who knows how to do it safely and properly

perform the procedure. (As I understand it, getting any old dentist to do

it -- cheaply -- will tend to cause a large release of mercury into your

system, but I have no idea how reliable that information is.)

-

[Guest guest]

> Based on my experience, you're AMAZINGLY lucky to have a doctor like

> that. I've always had immense difficulty getting adequate thyroid

> prescribed specifically because of their current single-factor focus

> on the

> TSH test.

Amen, ! I suffered from low thyroid for years and no one would

believe me because of the TSH test. Sure, I had all the symptoms, but

my tests came out fine so too bad. I saw a naturopath for an unrelated

problem and once he saw my intake sheet he immediately put me on

time-release T3 and a bit of T4. Within 3 years my thyroid healed

itself and I'm no longer on meds for it.

Lynn S.

-----

Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan

The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/

Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/

[Guest guest]

Lynn-

I'm eager to try time-release T3 for overnight (I take a massive dose of

T3, enough to kill most people, because of a very, very unusual resistance

problem) but I haven't found any yet. Did you get it from a compounding

pharmacy?

>he immediately put me on

>time-release T3

-

[Guest guest]

Heya, .

> Based on my experience, you're AMAZINGLY lucky to have a doctor like

> that. I've always had immense difficulty getting adequate thyroid

> prescribed specifically because of their current single-factor focus

> on the TSH test.

Luck had little to do with it. =) I was stuck with doctors that didn't know

what they were doing and I wouldn't stand for it. I did lots of research, got

onto lists, and found a book called _The Thyroid Solution: A Mind-Body

Program for Beating Depression and Regaining Your Emotional and

Physical Health_ by Dr. Ridha Arem. I then asked around on the lists

about how good he was as a doctor, and based on that response and the

information I found in the book I decided to go see him. What was lucky

was that I was on an insurance that let me see whatever doctor I wanted,

and that he was in Houston, Texas and not far from where I lived at the

time. I would be seeing him now if I had any kind of insurance to cover

the lab tests, which run about $500. Dr. Arem is a very nice man, one of

the only doctors who has ever looked at me as a person and not

condemned all my problems because I was overweight. He seems to

understand that it is a symptom of other problems. However, he is an

allopathic doctor and does rely heavily on drugs. He supports a moderate

carb intake but doesn't encourage good fats and lots of protein. I have

considered approaching him about WAP stuff, as he has become diabetic

recently and I worry about him! =) I don't know how perceptive he would

be as most doctors are, well, arrogant and won't listen to non-doctors.

I do recommend anyone with a thyroid disorder trying, however they can,

to go and see him. As long as you don't have a disorder like mine you

can probably see him initially every 6 months, and then once a year.

I have read that autoimmune thyroid disorders can be caused by candida

growth and that kefir or kombucha can help normalize that. I'll be

keeping my fingers crossed as I have been told there is no cure for my

disorder. If nothing else I know I can eat healthy and have healthy

children without all my problems which range from TMJ (jaw problems),

to metabolic disfunction, weight gain, well, there's a long list. =(

Dawn

[Guest guest]

> I'm eager to try time-release T3 for overnight (I take a massive dose

> of

> T3, enough to kill most people, because of a very, very unusual

> resistance

> problem) but I haven't found any yet. Did you get it from a

> compounding

> pharmacy?

Yes. My naturopath for this was Milner at the Center for Natural

Medicine here in Portland, OR. He's very on top of the latest stuff

with the thyroid. Here's his website: http://www.cnm-inc.com/

Unaffiliated except as a former patient.

Lynn S.

-----

Lynn Siprelle * Writer, Mother, Programmer, Fiber Artisan

The New Homemaker: http://www.newhomemaker.com/

Siprelle & Associates: http://www.siprelle.com/

[Guest guest]

There's a competing theory on treating gall bladder with diet.

(I'm not presenting an alternative to surgery, but to the low-fat diet

advice)

It's assumed that if the gall bladder can't work right, you shouldn't eat fat

or cholesterol as that is the problem with the gall bladder and the gb can't

process it.

However, Tom Cowan presented his theory that gall stones form from a

deficiency of animal fat and cholesterol, as a way of preserving the cholesterol

in a

recent Wise Traditions and suggested eating lots and lots of it. He said he's

treated people with this advice, and has observed two cases where gall stones

were reversed through diet alone by eating enormous quantities of animal fat

and cholesterol.

I'm not making any claim for the accuracy of this statement and am certainly

not claiming I can give dietary advice to someone with this problem, just

pointing out that the low-fat recommendations may be misguided and this other

theory exists.

Chris

[Guest guest]

> Jo,

>

> What do you get for sunlight?

Weekdays... nothing.

If possible, try to get this sunlight

> immediately upon getting up. Do some exercise outside right when

you get up in the

> morning sun.

I don't have anywhere outside to do exercise - just a back yard on a

busy through road - very visible! And the weather in the UK does not

normally lend itself well to outdoor activity!

>

> Also very important is regular exercise.

*sigh* I know! I keep meaning to get up early to do my pilates. But

sleep is so precious to me I don't want to lose that half hour. And

this sleep thing has only been a problem for me fo 6 monhts, and I

really can't think of what I've been doing differently.

> Do a search on Mercola for sleeping tips. He has a lot of helpful

tips.

Thanks for all the advice

Jo

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/13/03 7:06:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Idol@... writes:

> Really! Never having gone in for dentistry, I didn't know it could be dead

>

> without obvious visual (and olfactory) signs. You mean a tooth can be

> normal white or off-white for an extended period of time after dying? That

> seems counterintuitive enough that I'll actually remember it. <g>

I had a dead tooth and didn't know I had cavities. (I had over a dozen).

My aunt is a dental assistant and she said once a patient had a cavity that

had a very, very tiny hole on the outside. When they started drilling in, it

turned out nearly the entire inside was decay. The surface is often

non-reflective of what's going on in the inside.

Once the tooth is entirely dead there will be no pain at all. However,

usually the tooth is considered " dead " when the nerve still has some feeling

left.

In this case, the decayed nerve can be so acidic that anesthetic will have no

effect whatsoever on it. This happened to me. I had a double dose in my

gums, and then a third dose sprayed directly all over the exposed nerve and it

didn't do a damn thing.

But if it were to get beyond this point far, the feeling could be totally

knocked out.

The tooth would probably raise up above the rest of the toothline a little

bit, but it would be easy to be oblivious to that if you weren't looking for it.

If your immune system is up to par you might have inflammation around it, but

not necessarily. In fact, an asymtomatic dead or dying tooth is a lot more

dangerous than a symptomatic one. Most dentists today still assume that

abscesses and other forms of inflammation are correlated with degree of

infection,

but Price did the actual research and found the exact opposite to be the case.

A large abscess is not caused by infection, but is the immune system making a

barrier to prevent systemic infection. No abscess means the

bacteria/fungi/parasites infecting the tooth are in all liklihood flooding in a

constant

stream into the blood.

Chris

[Guest guest]

> 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.

Marcella

Ihave to pipe up here. This is something I feel very stronly about.

Quite frankly, how dare they!!!! If you are good enough to ask them

to respect your food choices, then they should try to cater for you.

You are family, after all, not an unwanted guest or a stranger. If

you sat and watched them ate often enough, wouldn't they get the

hint? Alternatively, take your own stuff and make a point of eating

it at the same time as everyone else to show how seriously you take

your own health (if you take it seriously, then they should)

And then you can get your own back by feeding them some raw meat and

other NT delicacies!

Jo

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/13/03 10:12:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

christiekeith@... writes:

> So, I don't think anyone is going to say that eating fat CAUSES gall

> bladder disease. I think it can just irritate an already-highly-compromised

gall

> bladder.

Oh, I know folks don't say that. But Tom Cowan believes eating enormous

quantites of animal fat and cholesterol REVERSES gall bladder disease. Perhaps

this could be more or less dangerous depending on how far along it is. But he

is saying that low-fat or cholesterol deficiency is exactly what can cause gall

stones. That the gall bladder creates gall stones as a way of conserving

cholesterol just like in starvation mode you create fat to conserve calories

rather than expending them. And if you don't eat, sometimes eating more or more

regularly can alone help you lose some weight.

Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi Glenn, I had GERD also and loosing 40 lbs took care of mine. Thanks

for the sound advice it is good to hear from a professional, who works

with this kind if thing all the time. That is what makes this web page so

great. The experiences of others help you to look where sometimes you

would not think to. When I was suffering so with this I just knew that I

was having a heart attack. The Dr. gave me Prilosec and it was a wonder

drug for me. But had some interesting side effects and then I read what

the medication acctually does to your body and it scared me to death. I

then took measures to get off the drug andby loosing weight it also took

care of other problems as a side benefit. Ch

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 14:14:10 -0700 " gsd " <gsd03@...> writes:

> My name is Glenn, and my wife is the usual participant of this group.

> I was

> shown the posting by Marcella and felt that I had to chime in

> because I have

> experienced some similar symptoms. Your original post states that

> the pain

> is " ...on my right side, kind of in the back under the back of my

> rib

> cage... " . Gallbladder pain is indeed usually in the right upper

> quadrant,

> often times extending to the middle, around the bottom of the

> breastbone, or

> radiating into a shoulder (frequently the left). I have experienced

> pain

> much like you described, and I would describe it as being like a

> bubble in

> my gut the size of the Hindenberg. The pain would usually come on

> soon

> after I eat and would hang around for 8-12 hours. I could feel the

> aftershocks for days. This pain would seem to extend from front all

> the way

> to back, and I thought that if I could only swallow a hose I could

> relieve

> the pressure.

>

> My naturopath performed an allergy test on me and discovered that

> among a

> host of other substances I was allergic or at least sensitive to

> Oregano and

> MSG (anybody surprised at that one?) Since becoming aware of this I

> have

> steadfastly avoided those substances and have had very few

> recurrences of

> the pain. My MD had me on Prevacid, but I now keep the little

> bottle of

> pills as a personal museum piece.

>

> I agree with previous postings recommending that you have an

> ultrasound of

> the gallbladder. I have some expertise in this area as that is what

> I do

> for a living. By far the majority of people with symptoms similar

> to yours

> are negative for gallstones and the problem is something else. That

> would

> be good to know, as it will direct you and your doctor in another

> direction.

> Also, if there are stones, they may not be the problem. Evaluating

> the

> thickness and vascularity of the gallbladder wall, looking for fluid

> around

> the gallbladder, measuring the diameter of the ducts leading from

> the liver

> to the gb and from the gb to the intestine can all contribute to

> ruling in

> or ruling out gb disease. There is also a nuclear medicine test

> which will

> determine if a perfectly normal looking gb is in fact a

> non-functioning gb,

> which just sits there doing nothing but causing trouble. The size

> of a gb

> stone is not important. Where that stone decides to come to rest

> is. If

> things have gone dreadfully wrong for your gb it very well may have

> to come

> out. When this point is reached things like insurance will diminish

> in

> importance and the shortest route to the hospital will grow in a

> roughly

> inverse proportion.

>

> I think that you have taken an important first step by contacting

> this group

> and presumably doing some of your own research. I wish you the best

> of luck

> and will also be praying for you.

>

> Glenn

>

>

>

>

>

>