Desperately looking for help!!

[Bridgette]

I've been reading on this site for a while now and decided to join today to see if anyone can offer me some insight into what exactly is going on with my body.  So many of you on here seem so knowledgeable I'm amazed by you!  My current state of mind with so much brain fog just doesn't allow me to comprehend all the complex details of how the body works.

 

I'm going to try to keep this as brief as possible, but I figure some background is important. 

 

I am hypothyroid.  I was diagnosed with that when I was around16-17 and put on synthroid at that time.  I'm now 33.  I was a colicky baby and as a teenager I thought I might have had a touch of IBS or at least been lactose intolerant, but it was never so bad that I went to the doctor or did anything about it.

 

I have always been a bit more tired than most, but just assumed that was from my thyroid.  I had my first child when I was 24 and I felt amazing during the entire pregnancy.  The best I've ever felt - my husband joked that he was going to keep me pregnant all the time! LOL!  The only complaint I had was that my memory started to go.

 

I had my second child when I was27 and my only problem then was that my hormones were raging.  I had a sex drive like I've never had before in my life!

 

Fast forward to about 2 years ago.  I started exercising which I had never really done before and I felt really good, actually started to kick the fatigue I always had.  I ended up going on a vegetarian diet and went through a very intense workout program.  I started to develop a bunch of food sensitivities - first soy, then I noticed sharp stomach pains that seemed to be from gluten.  I was tested for celiac and it came back negative, but I had already eliminated all gluten for 2 months prior to the test and my understanding now is that the test wouldn't have been accurate because of that.  I should also add that I wasn't a soy-eating vegetarian.  I ate primarily veggies, beans, and nuts/seeds, and LOTS of fruit.  Very little processed foods though.

 

I later ended up with a dairy sensitivity as well as avocado, hemp, flax, etc, etc.  I thought it was leaky gut and ended up going on an anti-candida diet since I seemed to have a lot of the symptoms.  No matter what or how much I ate, I looked 3 months pregnant!  I've always been thing, but yet always had a "pouch."  I had MAJOR die off when I cut out all sugars. 

 

The diet seemed to work well for about 4 months.  All the bloating, fatigue, gas and cravings that I had went away.  But then after about 4 months my stomach started to feel raw and sore all the time.  I don't know if it was from the natural anti-fungals I was taking or the psyllium husks that were too hard on my system or just the fact that I was still eating pseudo-grains like quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, etc. I also had more fatigue come back.

 

I ended up finding the GAPS diet and started on that November 27th of last year.  Within a few weeks I started to get a bit more energy and feel better.  My stomach improved also. 

 

As a side note:  I've had 8 amalgams out since last November  - 6 of which were just done in February.  One has a crown and the others were all composite fillings.

 

Now onto my current issues!  I was doing well on GAPS with some setbacks here and there that I attributed to die off, detox, or food sensitivities.  I've been working with a doctor and nutritionist a bit who have ordered a ton of tests, but I don't necessarily feel like they are acting on them appropriately.  I know my free T3, T4, and TSH are low as well as my ferritin, B12 and vitamin D.  They had me do a NutrEval test from Genova recently and I cannot understand the results at all, but based on that test they had me start molybdenum, P5P (B6), folic acid and a few other supplements that I haven't started yet.

 

I started the molybdenum about two weeks ago, but unfortunately also took some new digestive enzymes the day before so I can't be certain of reactions.  I ended up with diarrhea and nausea.  The diarrhea stopped when I stopped the enzymes, which I now just think I can't take since I've had reactions to other brands too.  Unfortunately, the nausea is persisting.  For a while it seemed to happen before I ate and then if I ate something it was relieved.  Now it's a little before I eat, but then after eating I get extremely nauseous with a headache and stomach pains. 

 

I've been doing so much reading and I'm worried about the molybdenum and B6 somehow causing a problem with my sulfur detox pathway.  I can only tolerate 3 veggies right now and they are all high sulfur - peas, broccoli, and green beans, so I'm really worried about having to cut them out. 

 

How can I figure out this sulfur mess?  My brain fog is so bad that I just can't understand even 1/4 of the stuff I'm reading about detox and the transsulfuration pathway.  I did read that it can sometimes be a genetic problem and I know my son has behavioral problems when he has any artificial colors - could that all be related somehow? 

 

Another thing is that when I first started GAPS I started taking Epsom salt baths to detox.  At first they made me nauseous and I really had to work my way up to a full cup per tub.  Then they started to make me feel relaxed and energized all at the same time.  After starting the molybdenum and B6, they are now making me nauseous again. I know there are some connections to sulfur, but again - the brain fog just doesn't allow me to connect the dots. 

 

I have no idea what to do, what to eat, what to think, etc, etc, etc.  I'm sorry this was so terribly long, but I'm hoping someone on here can point me in the right direction to find out what is going on!  I did just order a hair test yesterday, so I'm hoping to have those results within the next few weeks. 

 

I'm going to try to attach my NutrEval test results so maybe someone can help me make sense of them.  Thanks so much for any help you can offer : )

 

 

 

[Pat Robinson]

Bridgette,

 

Did you have a holistic dentist who protected you with IOAMT amalgam removal protocols, ventilation, tooth dam, chelation afterwards? Are ALL of the mercury fillings out now?

http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/candida-101

Do you know of Andy Cutler, author of "Amalgam Illness"? Cutler says that roughly 3-6 mos after removal, circulating metals go up, along with symptoms. Your body moves mercury around for a year or more after removal and there is another dump of mercury from body stores at about a year.

What are you doing to chelate/bind the mercury safely out of your body? Headaches and nausea, brain fog and depressed thyroid all are mercury toxicity symptoms.

 

Are you taking MAGNESIUM? What type and how much? What about B12, again type? SELENIUM? again dose/frequency. These are critical to excreting mercury.

Short term, I'd try a tiny bite of Bubbies sauerkraut or other cabbage with each meal to improve stomach acid, thus digestion/absorption of nutrients. Homeopathic Nux Vomica can help with nausea. Ginger can too.

I would take 5-MTHF folate, not folic acid.

I'll link a bunch of relevant threads for you to read. It is safer to address nutrient deficiencies before removing mercury in order to effectively detox the big mercury exposure during removal. Here are some crucial ones to help with acute symptoms:  Vit C, selenium, Bentonite clay, baking soda (1/4 teaspoon in water, AWAY from meals), Epsom salt baths (gradual).

 

Are you taking any probiotics and anti-fungals currently? I'd stop or back-off while having symptoms, as they can increase issues.

Start here: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/candida-101

(scroll all the way down and read each of those threads!)

 

UNDERACTIVE THYROID: http://www.facebook.com/HealThyself/posts/10150110943619243

 

Thyroid 101: http://heal-thyself.ning.c om/forum/topics/thyroid-10 1

 

Addressing nutrients after/with veg*n diet:http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gut-healing-with-a-raw-...

 

Folate vs. folic acid: https://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/folate-vs-folic-acid

 

Yes, molybdenum and Epsom salts can help with reactions due to additives, artificial colors.

 

Personally, I'd consult a Classical Homeopath and/or a TCM/acupuncturist to help with improving a) symptoms and b) detoxification. Along with focusing on healing the gut: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/overwhelmed-where-to-start

 

I would find some organic chicken liver and/or some grass-fed beef liver and eat 3-6 ounces a week. Here are a bunch of recipes: June 19, 2010 at 2:57pm,  April 27, 2010 at 11:44am,  April 11, 2010 at 9:33pm,  March 23, 2010 at 3:08pm,  March 21, 2010 at 10:37pm

I'd take Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil or fermented CLO for the Omega 3 fatty acids.  Find a selenium source. I like Brazil nuts.

For food, I'd focus on fruits, cooked veggies and bone broth.

Pat

[Bridgette]

Thanks so much for your response Pat!  I appreciate it more than you know!

 

My dentist did follow proper protocol (rubber dam, ventilation, etc, etc), but he does not deal with chelation at all.  I haven't yet started to do anything about chelating the mercury.  I was hoping to build my immune system and detox pathways up first.

 

I do currently take the following supplements each day:

 

• selenium - 200 mcg
• vitamin c - 6 g
• vitamin d - 8,000 IU
• magnesium - 200 mg of Natural Calm - I tend to get diarrhea with anymore than this so I've recently started using a magnesium cream as well
• 4 ml fermented cod liver oil
• I'm also on synthroid - 88 mcg though I'm hoping to be switched to natural thyroid soon

I stopped taking the molybdenum (150 m cg) the last several days hoping that it would stop my nausea, but so far it hasn't. I had also started taking P5P and stopped that for now as well.  Any idea if those 2 could cause nausea or negative reactions?  I seem to have trouble with a lot of B vitamins, but I've never been able to figure out why. 

 

The last time I tried B12 I got extremely tired from it.  A nutritionist told me it had something to do with the form of B12 (methylcobalamin) and the fact that I probably have an impaired methylation pathway - no idea what any of that means though!  He suggested I try hydroxocobalamin, which I just ordered.I do have Andy Cutler's book and have read as much as I can.  As I mentioned above, the problem is that nothing is sinking in to me right now.  I used to have a brain and be intelligent; now I just can't focus or understand anything!

 

I worry that I have candida issues, so I don't eat any fruits right now.  The only veggies I seem to tolerate are broccoli, peas, and green beans which are all high sulfur and I'm afraid I'm developing a sulfur sensitivity. 

 

My diet right now (and for the last 4 months) consists of the following:

 

• broth
• broccoli, peas, green beans
• chicken, beef, bison, pork
• lots of natural animal fats
• I've been using sauerkraut juice and coconut water kefir as my sources of probiotics, but I'm worried about continuing the sauerkraut juice if I am developing a sulfur issue
• no dairy, soy, gluten, grains of any kind, processed foods, fruit, sweet veg, sweeteners, nuts/seeds

I generally have soup for 2 meals a day.

 

Do you have any idea why the Epsom salt baths would suddenly be making me nauseous? I will add the folate and try to find a homeopath/acupuncturist to work on detox issues.  I'm always nervous to just pick someone out of the phone book - do you know of any sites that have recommendations or reviews?  I've never done homeopathy or acupuncture before and don't know what to look/ask for.

 

Thanks again for your time!

[Suzanne Stapler]

Hi, 

I'm a nutritionist.  Have you ever thought you may need some animal protein and fat?  I know I could never be on a vegetarian or vegan diet.  I would be constantly hungry and dizzy all the time.  I am on a modified Paleo Diet and I have never felt so good in my life.  I also have a low thyroid although not hypothyroid.  I have great energy and my weight is going down.  I am slightly gluten intolerant so I don't eat wheat, rye, barley or oats.  Many people who have an issue with lactose often have an issue with gluten.  Yet, have you ever tried raw milk, straight from the cow?   When they pasteurize the dairy, the milk enzymes get destroyed which is why so many people need Lactaid. I buy it and I don't have a problem with it.  I have been drinking it for six years and I have never gotten sick from it.   You won't either.   Do you happen to know what your blood type is?

 

This is the Paleo Diet.  I eat protein, a fat and a carb at every meal.  The protein is all grass fed, organic, and free range or wild. The carbs -- fruits and veg, and fat is either virgin coconut or palm oil for cooking and virgin olive oil for drizzling on salads.  I don't eat a lot of fruit, which I see you are avoiding this too.  I eat some nuts and seeds but not that often. Oh, I also eat a lot of fermented foods.  They help immensely.  I drink kombucha very often, eat sauerkraut.  I can explain kombucha to you when we speak.  Oops, I missed some things that you wrote in your note.

I see that you are eating meat, taking D, not eating gluten, fruit,etc.

 

I looked at your pdf that you attached.  I think the supplement recommendations are way too low.  I also noticed that there was no recommendation for D3, calcium.  I think they are very important.  We are in the same city.  You could call me if you want to talk further.  This is my home #484-580-8164.   I have a good friend who is a homeopathy professional.

 

Suzanne Stapler, MS (soon to be a CNC -- Certified Nutrition Counselor).

[Bridgette]

Hi Suzanne,

 

Thanks for all the input.  I probably wasn't clear in my post, but I'm no longer a vegetarian - that's just when I started noticing a lot of the food sensitivities.  As I said above, I now follow the GAPS diet and eat  a lot of meat, meat broths, and animal fats - in fact, that's the majority of my diet right now since I'm having trouble with so many veggies :(  I also don't do dairy products since they are only allowed on the GAPS diet if they are fermented and my stomach doesn't quite tolerate that yet.

 

I am a blood type O. 

[Suzanne Stapler]

Let me talk to a couple of friends about this.  I'll see if we can come up with some other things for you to do.

[Suzanne Stapler]

Bridgette,  I asked a friend of mine on Facebook who is a Naturopath and he said there's a lot that you are dealing with .  We both think that you should find a local Naturopath and really get some help and maybe one who knows Oriental Medicine.  I looked online and found one for you.  I know nothing about her but she might be a good place to start.  She's on Facebook, so she's reachable.  Maybe she knows someone closer to your home if she's not the right one for you:

 

http://illuminatinghealth.com/?gclid=COiDw8mB8KcCFUvd4Aod6hsUcQ