RE: Re: frustrated - not sure what to do

[Guest guest]

Hi Jodi,

My answers are

below:

>Tell us a little bit more about yourself

so we know how to help or

>just reach into that bucket called

" SCD experience " and grab some

>useful info outta the hat for you

I have had food intolerances, bacterial imbalance, and candida

for a long time, never getting better. My two most common reactions to food are

abdominal distention and fluid retention in my lower body. I also have those

two symptoms during “PMS” although I have had a hysterectomy. On

11/18 last year my stomach went from flat to pregnant looking and I figured it

was either hormones or something I ate. However, it has not gone away so since

that date my stomach has been distended. Actually, it’s my entire abdomen

below and above my navel. When I eat it gets even worse – by evening I

feel a lot of discomfort. Last year a stool test revealed c. diff,

toxoplasmosis and bacterial overgrowth but I felt ok. Never had D instead I struggle

with C and take magnesium citrate for it. I took probiotics and S. boulardii

for the c. diff and I am in the middle of doing another stool test to check if

it’s gone as well as check for parasites and bacteria. But I feel so

miserable I don’t know what to do while I am waiting on the results.

What exactly are you eating?

Flounder, Ostrich, Pork, Venison, turkey zucchini, carrots,

green beans, coconut oil, olive oil, macadamia nut oil. All veggies are well

cooked and usually pureed.

What do you suffer from?

See above.

Any diagnosis?

Nothing specific

Do you have C or D? C

Exactly how long have you been on the diet?

Since January 2nd – I started with chicken

broth but felt I was reacting to it. Then I spent 4 days eating nothing but

veggie broth with pureed veggies, then moved on to ostrich.

Are you eating yogurt?

Not yet.

What are your major complaints?

Abdominal distention for 10 weeks now all day long, really bad

in the evening – causes great discomfort; weight gain, mostly in my lower

body; fatigue; food intolerances but can’t really tell what I am reacting

to due to constant abdominal distention; trouble concentrating, fatigue, mood

swings

a

[Guest guest]

Also shortness of breath, pulse pounding in my head, and

pressure/discomfort in my chest after eating 3 meals.

a

[Guest guest]

That's the reaction that I get when I eat avacado's!!! I call it hypoglycemia.

To: BTVC-SCD From: kristina.carlton@...Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:15:37 -0600Subject: RE: Re: frustrated - not sure what to do

Also shortness of breath, pulse pounding in my head, and pressure/discomfort in my chest after eating 3 meals.

a

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[Guest guest]

>That's

the reaction that I get when I eat avacado's!!! I call it hypoglycemia.

My blood sugar tends to run in the hundreds so I don’t think it’s

hypoglycemia for me.

[Guest guest]

My sister has similar trouble with protein. Do you have adrenal problems? How about fish? My sister buys tuna and then rinses it really well. She says that works for her.

To: BTVC-SCD From: kristina.carlton@...Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:42:44 -0600Subject: RE: Re: frustrated - not sure what to do

>That's the reaction that I get when I eat avacado's!!! I call it hypoglycemia.

My blood sugar tends to run in the hundreds so I don’t think it’s hypoglycemia for me.

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[Guest guest]

Jodi, you sound very knowledgeable. What is Toxo and what do you know about blood sugar dips? I have low blood sugar. How about cramps in the feet, hands, and legs?

Thanks so much.

To: BTVC-SCD From: jodah235@...Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:57:25 +0000Subject: Re: frustrated - not sure what to do

I wonder if this would have anything to do with Toxo??Besides that so many things can be attributed to die-off and bloodsugar level dips.Hang in there.Jodi>> Also shortness of breath, pulse pounding in my head, andpressure/discomfort> in my chest after eating 3 meals. > > a> Windows Live™ Hotmail®…more than just e-mail. See how it works.

[Guest guest]

>Have you

gone to a doc for this stuff? What about an integrative doc?

I had a very low outpatient maximum which I reached when I had

the colonoscopy last year. My benefit year runs from June to May so it will be

June 1st until I have insurance coverage again so I have not gone to

any new doctors. I did make an appt. with the gastroenterologist who did the

colonoscopy last year and he handed me some samples of Amitiza to take. It was

a waste of time and money.

>I get this too. It's gotten a lot better

but if I eat too much fruit

>(my Achillies Heel is fruit juice) and I

believe it somehow feeds the

>bad bugs specifically Candida Yeasts. It's

really bad and

>uncomfortable. My belly has swelled at

times to look like I am

>pregnant too.

Mine has been permanent since mid-November.

>First of all, How long ago was this test

done last year? Which lab?

>Did you do a purge? Which tests did you

do now?

It was last year in May with Diagnos-Techs. I am not sure what

you mean by purge. Now I am being re-tested for C. Diff., toxoplasmosis, other

bacterial overgrowth, level of good bacteria, yeast, and parasites.

>C Diff is a problem. I deal with C Diff

issues too.

>Have you gone on antibiotics for this?

If so and it's not getting

>knocked out you may need to try

Vancomycin or even antibiotic pulse

>therapy perhaps with Tindamax?

No, I did not. I never had D or really bad problems until now or

until November. Back when the test was done I actually felt pretty good. From

what I have read on the cdiffsupport forum, antibiotics do not work most of the

time because it does not kill the spores of c. diff and then you have killed a

bunch of good bacteria with the antibiotics which just lets the c. diff get out

of hand again.

>With the Toxo- are all of your meats

fully cooked?

>Also, coconut oil is delicious and

highly nutritious but since it is

>naturally anti-fungal it can produce a

die-off reaction. Maybe you

>should pull it and see how you feel?

I have been eating it since 2003 so I doubt it’s still causing

die off.

>How long were you cooking the chicken

broth?

24 hours.

>How are you preparing the ostrich meat?

Cooked 12 hours in water – no spices.

>Have you tried some very weak home-made

ginger tea?

>What about taking an epsom salt bath at

night?

Epsom salt baths tend to make me feel worse since I don’t do

well with sulfates.

>I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I

hope you get your results

>soon. I would also look into an

integrative doc if funds allow.

>ACAM.org is a great site to figure a

name out.

Thanks – I will look up some doctors but I doubt I can afford to

go see any one right now.

Thanks,

a

[Guest guest]

>My

sister has similar trouble with protein. Do you have adrenal problems? How

about fish? My sister buys tuna and then rinses it really well. She says that

works for her.

Yes, I have adrenal problems. I am doing a saliva test tomorrow

to get my levels re-checked. Protein in general was never a problem for me. I

just feel like I am becoming intolerant to everything I am eating.

a

[Guest guest]

>So, what

tests have you done now and which doc ordered it?

In May 2008 I had a full GI panel with saliva testing for soy,

egg, milk, and wheat. Now the doc is just repeating bacteria, parasites, c.

diff, and yeast. They are checking for antibodies to parasites in saliva and

actual parasites in the stool. I took the first sample today and will take the

second sample on Thursday and then overnight it to the lab. It was ordered by a

doctor I saw last year in January. I don’t know that he is familiar with

SCD and he did give me probiotics with FOS and bifido bacteria last year, but

he is in favor of a grain free, sugar free diet. Unfortunately he is very

expensive. He charges roughly $165 for a hour.

>That a long time to be walking around

with C Diff detected in stool in

>a normal lab...

I read that many people are asymptomatic.

>A purge is a pill they give you before

the stool test so that all of

>the various bacteria and pathogens shed

their layers into the poop. I

>was highly suspect of this but over

at HC was totally right as I

>met this GI who is knowledgeable and

dismisses many stool tests

>without proper purges. I have fallen

into this category for the past

>7 years.

How do you find a doctor who orders a test like

this?

>Well ABX doesn't help some- but that

depends on the treatment course

>and how it was done! It also depends on

how resistant the C Diff has

>gotten. That is why Pulsing and Vanco

are used. At times people need

>to get it in IV. It is also important to

work on Candida issues with

>this (SCD naturally takes care of this-

it's important to not be too

>fruit, honey, nut, mushroom, cheese

heavy)

I don’t eat mushrooms or cheese – I can’t

tolerate dairy – and I cut back on honey although I wasn’t using a

lot anyhow. I don’t think my doctor is familiar with pulsing. He said if

the C. diff still shows up on this test then we can try and antibiotic since the

S. boulardii did not help. He recommended Tinidazole (sp?) for 10 days.

>It is also important to find a good

quality probiotic and S Boulardii

>while on the antibiotic therapy. That

way the good guys get

>introduced into the system.

I have S. boulardii from Pure Encapsulations and L. Acidophilus

from GI Pro Health.

>All I can say, is that things shift on

the diet- so what once may have

>worked in the past may need to be

reintro'd later as we experience a

>different layer of die-off and healing.

>But you know your body best so if it is

working than it's working for you.

I haven’t had any coconut oil in 2 days and will continue

to leave it out and see how I feel.

Thank you for your recommendations.

a

[Guest guest]

Thank you. The SCDiet has really improved my blood sugar problems, but I stilll get foot cramps and can't figure out what causes them. I eat 2 eggs everyday (magnesium) plus the yogurt, which I think has helped a lot with the leg cramps. I have osteoporosis as a result of years of malabsorption.

Thanks for the info. I will stay with the diet and maybe it will all vanish!

To: BTVC-SCD From: jodah235@...Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:25:21 +0000Subject: Re: frustrated - not sure what to do

Hi K,a wrote she had/has toxoplasmosis come up in one of her tests.It's a parasite most of the noise is with pregnant women (although nojoke for anyone else- just effects the fetus if I am not mistaken) Cat poop is a big culprit with Toxo.I have been learning about the blood sugar level issues myself.There can be so many reasons for this;Candida, Adrenal fatigue/insufficiency, Low Cortisol, Thyroidproblems, Hormonal imbalance, electrolyte imbalance etc.. and on and on.It is hard to pin point. One thing that helps is eating proteinregularly every couple of hours.. for blood sugar issues.The cramps can be associated with Adrenal issues.. I would tend tothink it's a separate problem but I could be wrong.Do you find that your cramps are associated with the blood sugar drops?Have you ever felt different if you take Magnesium (I would stay awayfrom Mag Sulfate can cause headaches in some) or Selenium or potassium?Another good indication if you need electrolytes is if you experienceleg "charlie horse"I would try and up my electrolytes (Kim M has some awesome ways shedeals with this) and see if your leg cramps get better.Jodi>> > Jodi, you sound very knowledgeable. What is Toxo and what do youknow about blood sugar dips? I have low blood sugar. How about crampsin the feet, hands, and legs?> Thanks so much. Hotmail® goes where you go. On a PC, on the Web, on your phone. See how.

[Guest guest]

>So, last

year you had the stool test and Saliva test done??

>Does Diagnos Techs deal with Stool?

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, Diagnos-Techs is one of the labs

that does saliva and stool testing. I had to take 2 or 3 stool samples and also

take saliva samples. They check for antibodies in the saliva and for the actual

parasites and/or bacteria in the stool.

>Which lab did your Stool test??

Diagnos-Techs – I have a PDF of the results if you would

like to see them. Actually my doctor said they are really good about finding

parasites although they are hard to detect.

>People with C Diff must have stool tested.

One cannot gauge via Saliva.

c. diff was tested with stool.

>Saliva can help with many different

issues.

>Have you looked into Genova Diagnostics

and what about a urine

>dysbiosis- Metametrix and Genova both do

this. It works great with

>stool testing as it measures the

excretions of the critters. So

>together the tests can really give a

good piece of the puzzle although

>stool is necessary, urine dysbiosis is

just an added plus. So if

>money is tight just go for stool.

I am familiar with Genova but since the last test was done by

Diagnos-Techs and that’s the lab my doctor uses I figured I will use the

same lab so I am comparing apples to apples. Also, the re-test is a little cheaper

than a new test with Genova.

>All the stool tests you have done in the

past was it through normal

>labs like Lab Corp or Quest? If so they

are utterly useless with this

>stuff.

No, I have always been tested through Diagnos-Techs or Genova.

The one in May 2007 was with Diagnos-Techs. Their GI panel is very popular as

it also tests for enzyme deficiency, SiGA, etc. and more. But I am not getting the

full panel this time.

>My GI is doctor Chapman in NYC- if all

else fails maybe you want to

>call his office and ask for a referral

for a doc in your area that

>would be familiar with the ins and outs

of C Diff and pulsing.

>Chapman is like the papa bear of GI's in

the States.

>Not a supporter of SCD but knows what he

is talking about when it

>comes to other things.

>Still kills me how these intelligent

docs are utterly useless when it

>comes to diet.. Crazy to me.

Yes, it amazes me, too. As well as the fact that they still just

hand out sample meds instead of really digging deeper.

a