Everything is making me sick suddenly

[Mboehme]

Warning: brief description of stool.

Hello. I’ve been diagnosed for about ten years and just in July I started being unable to tolerate pretty much anything. I can’t eat even certified gluten free schar’s stuff. I’m down to just fish (mostly canned sardines), sweet potatoes, olive oil, beef, and spinach. I am constantly dizzy and brain-foggy anyway. My gastrointestinal symptoms come and go at a whim. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what I eat because I eat the same thing all the time. I tried probiotics, a kind that my very sensitive celiac friend said didn’t make him sick, and weirdly they seemed to lessen my neurological symptoms but made my gastrointestinal ones worse. (Stool a good brown color and does not float, but after probiotics is slightly looser and takes on a petroleum-like smell.) I feel the probiotics are probably triggering me somehow also. I tried sauerkraut made in a gluten-free facility to get probiotics from my diet instead of supplements, and those seemed to lessen my gastro symptoms but I was having balance issues and couldn’t think again. I’ve been trying to go low-FODMAP and I’m not sure it’s helping.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated. This is ruining my life.

[trents]

What about SIBO?

[Mboehme]

50 minutes ago, trents said:

What about SIBO?

I don’t think so. I don’t have bad breath at all. And the symptoms are always more neurological than gastrointestinal, though the gastrointestinal ones do seem to be triggered by anything other than my restricted diet. They’re very mild, though, and the neurological ones are severe.

[trents]

When's the last time you had a follow-up antibody test or biopsy?

[Mboehme]

Just recently on the antibody test. I don’t know what the biopsy would be, though, or how to ask for it. The antibody test said “2”, which as I understand it is in the normal range. It’s all very confusing

[trents]

There is not just one antibody test that can be run. The most common is the tTG-IGA and the only one many physicians will order. Do you have or can you get a copy of the results that will specify what antibody test or tests were actually run? Do you have online access to your medical records? We would also need the reference ranges. Scores without reference ranges are not useful because different labs use different reference ranges to score negative or positive. https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/

The celiac biopsy is graded on something known as the "Marsh scale". It measures the damage done to the "villi" that line the small bowel: https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2017/02/necessity-marsh-scale-classification-assessment-villous-atrophy/

[Mboehme]

9 minutes ago, trents said:

There is not just one antibody test that can be run. The most common is the tTG-IGA and the only one many physicians will order. Do you have or can you get a copy of the results that will specify what antibody test or tests were actually run? Do you have online access to your medical records? We would also need the reference ranges. Scores without reference ranges are not useful because different labs use different reference ranges to score negative or positive. https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/

The celiac biopsy is graded on something known as the "Marsh scale". It measures the damage done to the "villi" that line the small bowel: https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2017/02/necessity-marsh-scale-classification-assessment-villous-atrophy/

Yes I have photographs of them but there doesn’t seem to be a way to post them here. Thank you for your concern, also

[trents]

34 minutes ago, Mboehme said:

Yes I have photographs of them but there doesn’t seem to be a way to post them here. Thank you for your concern, also

If you click on the three dots at the upper right corner of one of the posts you have already made you will see a choice to "Edit." Click on that and it will give you attachment tools at the bottom of the edit window.

[Mboehme]

20 minutes ago, trents said:

If you click on the three dots at the upper right corner of one of the posts you have already made you will see a choice to "Edit." Click on that and it will give you attachment tools at the bottom of the edit window.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I tried it on my phone and laptop and on both when I click the 3 dots the only options are "report" and "share".

[trents]

You only have a few minutes to perform an edit. Try creating a brand new post and then immediately try the three dots looking for the Edit function. The edit time window was recently reduced by our administrator because spammers were abusing the edit function.

Edited January 1, 2022 by trents

[Mboehme]

Okay I'll try with this one

 

5 minutes ago, trents said:

You only have a few minutes to perform an edit. Try creating a brand new post and then immediately try the three dots looking for the Edit function. The edit time window was recently reduced by our administrator because spammers were abusing the edit function.

Got it! There they are

[trents]

Too bad the physician didn't include a total IGA score along with the tTG-IGA. If total IGA is low it can give artificially low scores in individual antibody scores.

Do you have access to any biopsy results/Marsh scores? I'm not clear on whether or not you have ever had the endoscopy/biopsy for celiac done.

[Jackie Garrett]

12 hours ago, trents said:

Too bad the physician didn't include a total IGA score along with the tTG-IGA. If total IGA is low it can give artificially low scores in individual antibody scores.

Do you have access to any biopsy results/Marsh scores? I'm not clear on whether or not you have ever had the endoscopy/biopsy for celiac done.

Hello Mboehme

I was wondering are you having Dairy in your diet still and that includes things that can have starter cultures from Dairy, I can not have Dairy or things with Lactic acid/citric acid in and a lot of people as they get older can not tolerate things with milk or milk cultures in they can feel sick or begin to have some health issues, with me I never connected milk to my health issues I had had all my life until I started to increase it slightly and noticed I was getting more problems so I then made the connection, when I removed it from my diet my life long symptoms began to disappear, it was really Amazing to find that out after all these years, it may be worth considering if you can’t find an answer, some people do become Lactose/casein intolerant as they get older but with me, I believe now, I have always been intolerant since a baby, I know there are a lot of children that can not cope with milk from a very young age. Starter cultures are in a lot of things mainly the things a lot of us love, cheese, vinegars, alcohol fermented things you can look them up where to find them, it’s worth a try if your struggling. I struggle with anything acidic my body does not like acids. I try and follow a more alkaline way of eating and mainly drink water (a bit boring I know) I drink herbal teas with no caffeine in but not too many, because it doesn’t have the acids in like a lot of drinks do, I believe the acids from milk/ Lactose/starter cultures/ higher histamine foods damage our villi in some way stopping us from absorbing the nutrients we need to function properly. My opinion. I hope you find your answer. 
Take care

Jackie

[trents]

3 hours ago, Jackie Garrett said:

 

The OP lists the things that he is "down to" in his restrictive diet back in post #1 and dairy is not among them.

[knitty kitty]

@Mboehme,

Since you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease for ten years, having a Ttg reading as normal is great!  You've done well to avoid gluten! 

During that time on the gluten free diet, you may have developed vitamin and mineral insufficiencies, or, possibly, another autoimmune disease associated with Celiac Disease.  I have Celiac and Type Two Diabetes.  And I've had vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  I was very deficient in Thiamine (Vitamin B1).

Having high blood sugar made me feel dizzy and brain-foggy.   Diabetics have a higher metabolic need for thiamine.  Thiamine is needed to make insulin. 

I had Gastroparesis, where food doesn't move along the gastrointestinal tract properly,  found in both diabetes and thiamine deficiency.  Sometimes the exact same meal would cause problems, sometimes not, depending on whether the food had just sat in my GI tract and fermented or if it had moved along properly and been better absorbed.  My symptoms would wax and wane.  Only a tiny amount of thiamine from the diet are needed to improve deficiency symptoms.    

I included Schar crackers and sweet potatoes in my diet at that time.  Gluten free facsimile foods often are not enriched with vitamins as their gluten containing counterparts are required to do.  A diet high in carbohydrates from the Schar stuff and sweet potatoes requires more thiamine to turn them into energy than they contain.  

Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  If thiamine is deficient, the body only incompletely burns carbohydrates leaving lactic acid as a byproduct.  Lactic acid can build up in the body and cause problems.  Thiamine is needed to clear lactic acid from the body.  

Sweet potatoes contain thiaminase which is a chemical that renders Thiamine useless.  Caffeine and tannins (in tea and wine) are also thiaminases.  Fish contain thiaminase, too.  Spinach is high in oxalates which contribute to kidney stones.  Thiamine is needed to break down oxalates so they don't form kidney stones.  

I tried probiotics, too.  I had looser bowel movements that smelled strange, like gasoline and motor oil.  That smell is lactic acid.  There were lactic acid producing bacteria included in my probiotics.  Lactic acid producing bacteria are also used to ferment foods like sauerkraut.  These bacteria can have a laxative effect.  Some lactic acid producing bacteria can make thiamine.

Excess lactic acid has been observed in Wernicke's Encephalopathy, a form of thiamine deficiency.  Balance problems and brain fog are symptoms of encephalopathy.

I found taking thiamine supplements improved my health dramatically.  The brain fog cleared, my diabetes is controlled by diet, my digestion improved.  

Interesting articles....

Wernicke Encephalopathy and Lactic Acidosis in Thiamine Deficiency

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32284483/

Severe lactic acidosis reversed by thiamine within 24 hours

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388689/

Distinctive acid-base pattern in Wernicke's encephalopathy

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17145109/

 

Discuss with your doctor the possibility of another autoimmune disease like diabetes, thiamine deficiency and lactic acidosis, and the benefits of thiamine supplementation.  

 

 

22 hours ago, Mboehme said:

Warning: brief description of stool.

Hello. I’ve been diagnosed for about ten years and just in July I started being unable to tolerate pretty much anything. I can’t eat even certified gluten free schar’s stuff. I’m down to just fish (mostly canned sardines), sweet potatoes, olive oil, beef, and spinach. I am constantly dizzy and brain-foggy anyway. My gastrointestinal symptoms come and go at a whim. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what I eat because I eat the same thing all the time. I tried probiotics, a kind that my very sensitive celiac friend said didn’t make him sick, and weirdly they seemed to lessen my neurological symptoms but made my gastrointestinal ones worse. (Stool a good brown color and does not float, but after probiotics is slightly looser and takes on a petroleum-like smell.) I feel the probiotics are probably triggering me somehow also. I tried sauerkraut made in a gluten-free facility to get probiotics from my diet instead of supplements, and those seemed to lessen my gastro symptoms but I was having balance issues and couldn’t think again. I’ve been trying to go low-FODMAP and I’m not sure it’s helping.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated. This is ruining my life.

 

[Mboehme]

19 hours ago, trents said:

Too bad the physician didn't include a total IGA score along with the tTG-IGA. If total IGA is low it can give artificially low scores in individual antibody scores.

Do you have access to any biopsy results/Marsh scores? I'm not clear on whether or not you have ever had the endoscopy/biopsy for celiac done.

I’ll see whether I can get the total. And we’re doing an endoscopy soon. I’ll get the results as soon as I can. Thank you!

[Mboehme]

1 hour ago, knitty kitty said:

@Mboehme,

Since you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease for ten years, having a Ttg reading as normal is great!  You've done well to avoid gluten! 

During that time on the gluten free diet, you may have developed vitamin and mineral insufficiencies, or, possibly, another autoimmune disease associated with Celiac Disease.  I have Celiac and Type Two Diabetes.  And I've had vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  I was very deficient in Thiamine (Vitamin B1).

Having high blood sugar made me feel dizzy and brain-foggy.   Diabetics have a higher metabolic need for thiamine.  Thiamine is needed to make insulin. 

I had Gastroparesis, where food doesn't move along the gastrointestinal tract properly,  found in both diabetes and thiamine deficiency.  Sometimes the exact same meal would cause problems, sometimes not, depending on whether the food had just sat in my GI tract and fermented or if it had moved along properly and been better absorbed.  My symptoms would wax and wane.  Only a tiny amount of thiamine from the diet are needed to improve deficiency symptoms.    

I included Schar crackers and sweet potatoes in my diet at that time.  Gluten free facsimile foods often are not enriched with vitamins as their gluten containing counterparts are required to do.  A diet high in carbohydrates from the Schar stuff and sweet potatoes requires more thiamine to turn them into energy than they contain.  

Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  If thiamine is deficient, the body only incompletely burns carbohydrates leaving lactic acid as a byproduct.  Lactic acid can build up in the body and cause problems.  Thiamine is needed to clear lactic acid from the body.  

Sweet potatoes contain thiaminase which is a chemical that renders Thiamine useless.  Caffeine and tannins (in tea and wine) are also thiaminases.  Fish contain thiaminase, too.  Spinach is high in oxalates which contribute to kidney stones.  Thiamine is needed to break down oxalates so they don't form kidney stones.  

I tried probiotics, too.  I had looser bowel movements that smelled strange, like gasoline and motor oil.  That smell is lactic acid.  There were lactic acid producing bacteria included in my probiotics.  Lactic acid producing bacteria are also used to ferment foods like sauerkraut.  These bacteria can have a laxative effect.  Some lactic acid producing bacteria can make thiamine.

Excess lactic acid has been observed in Wernicke's Encephalopathy, a form of thiamine deficiency.  Balance problems and brain fog are symptoms of encephalopathy.

I found taking thiamine supplements improved my health dramatically.  The brain fog cleared, my diabetes is controlled by diet, my digestion improved.  

Interesting articles....

Wernicke Encephalopathy and Lactic Acidosis in Thiamine Deficiency

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32284483/

Severe lactic acidosis reversed by thiamine within 24 hours

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388689/

Distinctive acid-base pattern in Wernicke's encephalopathy

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17145109/

 

Discuss with your doctor the possibility of another autoimmune disease like diabetes, thiamine deficiency and lactic acidosis, and the benefits of thiamine supplementation.  

 

 

 

I was taking vitamin b complex but those pills were certainly making me sick, too. They were country life so they were certified gluten-free, also. What kind of supplement did you use?

[knitty kitty]

I take Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that gets into cells easily, made by Life Extension.  And their B Complex.  

I've tried Country Life B Complex and don't care for them.  They made me ill, too.   I prefer to take smaller doses throughout the day than one tablet with high doses of B vitamins.  Your body can't absorb that much of those vitamins all at once.   And I don't like their synthetic inositol hexaniacinate.  I prefer the kind of niacin that causes flushing.  

 

 

[Mboehme]

21 minutes ago, knitty kitty said:

I take Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that gets into cells easily, made by Life Extension.  And their B Complex.  

I've tried Country Life B Complex and don't care for them.  They made me ill, too.   I prefer to take smaller doses throughout the day than one tablet with high doses of B vitamins.  Your body can't absorb that much of those vitamins all at once.   And I don't like their synthetic inositol hexaniacinate.  I prefer the kind of niacin that causes flushing.  

 

 

Okay I got some of it. I did already give up tea, which was saddest for me. It’s the only thing I have been enjoying, gastronomically. I read matcha tea has significant vitamin b1 in it, though? Tea is the one thing I really miss

[knitty kitty]

7 minutes ago, Mboehme said:

Okay I got some of it. I did already give up tea, which was saddest for me. It’s the only thing I have been enjoying, gastronomically. I read matcha tea has significant vitamin b1 in it, though? Tea is the one thing I really miss

Yes, I agree, losing tea for a while was hard to do. Good thing is, once you get your vitamin (thiamine) levels up, you can indulge sometimes.

I like Oolong tea.  It's a semifermented green tea that contains the amino acid L-Theanine which is calming and healing to your intestinal tract.  L-tryptophan (another form of Niacin) is another amino acid that is healing.  

I haven't tried matcha tea, but since it contains so much caffeine, I would be hesitant to drink it regularly.   

 

[GF-Cate]

On 1/1/2022 at 10:40 AM, Mboehme said:

Warning: brief description of stool.

Hello. I’ve been diagnosed for about ten years and just in July I started being unable to tolerate pretty much anything. I can’t eat even certified gluten free schar’s stuff. I’m down to just fish (mostly canned sardines), sweet potatoes, olive oil, beef, and spinach. I am constantly dizzy and brain-foggy anyway. My gastrointestinal symptoms come and go at a whim. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what I eat because I eat the same thing all the time. I tried probiotics, a kind that my very sensitive celiac friend said didn’t make him sick, and weirdly they seemed to lessen my neurological symptoms but made my gastrointestinal ones worse. (Stool a good brown color and does not float, but after probiotics is slightly looser and takes on a petroleum-like smell.) I feel the probiotics are probably triggering me somehow also. I tried sauerkraut made in a gluten-free facility to get probiotics from my diet instead of supplements, and those seemed to lessen my gastro symptoms but I was having balance issues and couldn’t think again. I’ve been trying to go low-FODMAP and I’m not sure it’s helping.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated. This is ruining my life.

It's so tough to be having reactions and not be able to pinpoint the cause.

As others have mentioned, it's certainly possible to have developed another autoimmune disease, which is not uncommon once you have one.

Some people have luck with the AIP diet (autoimmune paleo protocol) to try to eliminate symptoms:

https://autoimmunewellness.com/what-is-autoimmune-paleo/

Have you ever had/recently had testing of nutrient levels to see if you have any deficiencies? Things like D, iron, B-12, an iron panel including ferritin (certain nutrient deficiencies can cause neurological symptoms).

https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/treatment-and-follow-up/

You mentioned July as the start the symptoms - any changes to your lifestyle that happened then or illness that may have triggered the start of these symptoms?

Is your home 100% gluten free? Any cross contact possibilities? Things that may have gluten such as flavored tea/herbal tea, alcohol, medicines- both prescription & over the counter (pain reliever, cold meds, upset stomach meds, etc.), vitamins/supplements, gums/mints, lip balm, pet foods, etc.? 

When I was having symptoms I couldn't figure out on my own, I found the podcast series by the "Gluten Free RN" really helpful - I listened to all of the archived episodes. I also did a consult with her that helped me figure out some sneaky gluten sources that were causing my symptoms. It was pricey & out of pocket, but worth it for me personally.

https://glutenfreern.com/

I hope you can figure out what's causing your symptoms.

[Jackie Garrett]

On 1/1/2022 at 3:40 PM, Mboehme said:

Warning: brief description of stool.

Hello. I’ve been diagnosed for about ten years and just in July I started being unable to tolerate pretty much anything. I can’t eat even certified gluten free schar’s stuff. I’m down to just fish (mostly canned sardines), sweet potatoes, olive oil, beef, and spinach. I am constantly dizzy and brain-foggy anyway. My gastrointestinal symptoms come and go at a whim. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what I eat because I eat the same thing all the time. I tried probiotics, a kind that my very sensitive celiac friend said didn’t make him sick, and weirdly they seemed to lessen my neurological symptoms but made my gastrointestinal ones worse. (Stool a good brown color and does not float, but after probiotics is slightly looser and takes on a petroleum-like smell.) I feel the probiotics are probably triggering me somehow also. I tried sauerkraut made in a gluten-free facility to get probiotics from my diet instead of supplements, and those seemed to lessen my gastro symptoms but I was having balance issues and couldn’t think again. I’ve been trying to go low-FODMAP and I’m not sure it’s helping.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated. This is ruining my life.

Hello Mboehme

With me, I really react to medication/supplements anything with Lactose used as a filler in to make up the tablets, I got very brain foggy, I couldn’t concentrate, had  a constant hunger and gained weight quickly and brought on other symptoms it really affected me and at that time I hadn’t connected Lactose to my symptoms, I came off the meds and the constant hunger in time started to go but I was left with tingly fingers like carpel tunnel syndrome, it was about a year later when I realised that Dairy/Lactose was causing big problems with my health was my light bulb moment and the reason I was getting more symptoms was because of the Lactose in my medication so you see it’s not only the food/ drinks it’s the filler in the meds that can cause symptoms too in some of us less tolerant people, if I have anything with it in i will get a reaction of some sort the first being a hot feeling over my body, I believe it’s the histamine reaction and a build up of acid in my body, so as long as stay away from it I’m fine, no brain fog or many, many of my other symptoms. So maybe have a Lactose free Med/ Supplements it may help it could be that your Lactose ingestion could be your supplements or meds, just a thought. I wouldn’t recommend coming off/ changing meds without speaking to a Dr. first, I am hoping the meds/supplements can have a different filler in soon as I believe it is causing a lot of gastric/ microbiome problems in our bodies. Maybe get checked out for Acidosis and acid levels in your body.

[Jackie Garrett]

On 1/3/2022 at 9:44 AM, Jackie Garrett said:

Hello Mboehme

With me, I really react to medication/supplements anything with Lactose used as a filler in to make up the tablets, I got very brain foggy, I couldn’t concentrate, had  a constant hunger and gained weight quickly and brought on other symptoms it really affected me and at that time I hadn’t connected Lactose to my symptoms, I came off the meds and the constant hunger in time started to go but I was left with tingly fingers like carpel tunnel syndrome, it was about a year later when I realised that Dairy/Lactose was causing big problems with my health was my light bulb moment and the reason I was getting more symptoms was because of the Lactose in my medication so you see it’s not only the food/ drinks it’s the filler in the meds that can cause symptoms too in some of us less tolerant people, if I have anything with it in i will get a reaction of some sort the first being a hot feeling over my body, I believe it’s the histamine reaction and a build up of acid in my body, so as long as stay away from it I’m fine, no brain fog or many, many of my other symptoms. So maybe have a Lactose free Med/ Supplements it may help it could be that your Lactose ingestion could be your supplements or meds, just a thought. I wouldn’t recommend coming off/ changing meds without speaking to a Dr. first, I am hoping the meds/supplements can have a different filler in soon as I believe it is causing a lot of gastric/ microbiome problems in our bodies. Maybe get checked out for Acidosis and acid levels in your body.

Hello Mboehme

You may find this interesting, too much acid  from things we are ingesting can cause a number of illnesses. If you read on down the page it explains a lot.

Paper Authors String The pH Paradigm Shift for Human Health: Challenges

The Cause and Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Robert O Young  

Universal Medical Imaging Group, USA 

Correspondence: Robert O Young, Universal Medical Imaging Group, 16390 Dia Del Sol Valley Center, California 92082, USA, Tel phmiracleliving@aol.com

Received: August 05, 2016 | Published:August 26, 2016

Citation: Young OR (2016) The Cause and Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Int J Complement Alt Med 4(3): 00116. DOI: 10.15406/ijcam.2016.04.00116

 Download PDF

Introduction

Current medical science suggests that Rheumatoid Arthritis (Ra) is an Autoimmune Disease, theorizing that white blood cells mistakenly attack healthy joints, tissues and organs causing chronic inflammation and degeneration of the joints and organs (Figure 1). 

In contrast and in the reverse, my thirty years of hematological research suggests that any inflammation and/or degeneration of tissues, joints and/or organs is the result of tissue, joint and/or organ acidosis from the retention of dietary, metabolic, respiratory, and environmental acids that have not been properly eliminated or excreted through the four channels of elimination – urination, perspiration, defecation and/or respiration. My own research suggests that acid retention primarily from diet and metabolism breaks down tissues, joints and/or organs that causes the activation of the white blood cells as a janitorial cleansing mechanism rather than a mechanism that attacks and destroys invading microorganisms or mistakenly attacking healthy or unhealthy joints, tissues and/or organs [1,2]. 

The main purpose of white blood cells is to maintain cleanliness of the blood and tissues as the primary janitors of the body fluids in the support of the body’s alkaline design. In the thirty plus years of looking at live unstained and unchanged blood I have never witnessed white blood cells attacking healthy tissues, joints or organs [1,2].

My pH Miracle “New Biology” theory suggests that all sickness and disease, including rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the over-acidification of the blood and then tissues due to an inverted way of living, eating and thinking [2]. I call this retention of acid in the tissues, “Latent Tissue Acidosis.” Simply put, inflammation can only exist when acid is present and when acid is present this causes inflammation that leads to tissue and/or organ degeneration. There is no other cause of inflammation than the retention of dietary, metabolic, respiratory and/or environmental acids which have not been properly eliminated through the four channels of elimination. The body will only adsorb and then absorb dietary and/or metabolic acids when they cannot be properly eliminated. This is the way the body protects the delicate alkaline pH of the blood at 7.365 [1,2]. On the other hand, living an alkaline lifestyle and diet which I call the pH Miracle lifestyle and diet can lead to health, energy, vitality and fitness and the prevention of all sickness and disease, including the prevention or the reversal of rheumatoid arthritis [1,2]. 

The immune system contains a complex organization of cells and antibodies (acid chelators) designed normally to “collect and eliminate” cellular debris NOT “seek and destroy” some phantom invader (virus, bacteria, yeast, mold) of the body, from the outside world. [1,2] Patients with rheumatoid arthritis create antibodies which are then released to target, bind and neutralize dietary, metabolic, respiratory and/or environmental acids preventing inflammation or acid buildup of the tissues, joints and/or organs. Because acid can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic acidic retention condition I call “Systemic Latent Tissue Acidosis (Figure 2).” 

While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic acidic symptomology, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience periods without symptoms. However, rheumatoid arthritis will become a progressive acidic illness as acids buildup in the connective and fatty tissues that has the potential to cause joint destruction and functional disability if the patient continues his/her acidic lifestyle and diet [1,2]. 

A joint is where two bones meet to allow movement of body parts. Arthritis means joint inflammation caused by tissue acidosis. The joint inflammation or acids of rheumatoid arthritis causes swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness in the joints. The acid caused inflammation of rheumatoid disease can also occur in tissues around the joints, such as the tendons, ligaments, and muscles when dietary, metabolic, respiratory and/or environmental acids are retained and not properly eliminated due to congestion of the elimination organs, including the bowels, lungs, skin and/or urinary tract system.

In some people with rheumatoid arthritis, the retention of dietary, metabolic, respiratory and/or environmental acids leads to chronic inflammation and the destruction of the cartilage, bone, and ligaments, causing deformity of the joints. Acidic damage to the joints can occur early in the disease and can be progressive as acids buildup in the connective and fatty tissues. Moreover, studies have shown that the progressive acidic damage to the joints does not necessarily correlate with the degree of pain, stiffness, or swelling present in the joints. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common acidic rheumatic disease, affecting approximately 1.3 million people in the United States, according to current census data. The disease is a symptom of acid retention that is three times more common in women as in men. I would suggest that women tend to ingest higher levels of lactose/lactic acid or rheumatoid dis-ease causing acidic foods such as chocolate, ice cream, yogurt, milk, cheese, and sugar, in all of its forms, including honey, maple syrup, sucrose, maltose, fructose, and glucose [1,2]. 

Figure 1: Chronic inflammation and degeneration of the joints and organs.

Figure 2: Picture of a joint affected by dietary and/or metabolic acid causing rheumatoid arthritis 

Men and women with rheumatoid arthritis have a high prevalence of preclinical atherosclerosis independent of traditional risk factors, suggesting that chronic acidic inflammation and, possibly, dis-ease severity are atherogenic in this population [3]. Regarding this matter an editorial published at Circulation Journal in 1999 have discussed about the many similarities shared by rheumatoid and atherosclerosis [4]. Researchers have found that the atherosclerotic process begins very early in the course of rheumatoid arthritis with the study revealing a significant increase in intima-media thickness, an indicator of atherosclerosis, in just 18 months [5]. Other scientists have found a rapid increase in myocardial infarction risk following diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis amongst patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2006 [6]. 

Having researched the blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients for over thirty years, I have found other studies investigating cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in rheumatic diseases that validates my own conclusions. [1,2] Although there are few studies in this direction, I have noticed that the sympathetic nervous system activity may be elevated in rheumatic diseases compared with health patients [7,8] According, my view the sympathetic predominance is the primary factor in the cascade of events leading to increased lactic acid retention from oxygen deprivation, dairy products and high sugar fruit leads to an acidic environment and latent tissue acidosis”, generating atherogenesis [9,10]. 

Also, I have discovered a study from the eighties showing high values of lactate/lactic acid in seropositive rheumatic disease and crystal-induced arthritis (the solidification of dietary and/or metabolic lactic acid), with the author suggesting that synovial lactate/lactic acid measurement could be a reliable indicator for differentiating inflammatory arthritides [11]. In parallel, the amount of lactate/lactic acid released by the myocardiumhas been shown to be related to the severity of coronary artery disease [12,13]. Going deeper I found additional scientific research validating my own acid retention theory with the following information from a paper published in 1924 [14] entitled “The alleged role of lactic acid in arthritis and rheumatoid conditions”, that states: “In 1858 Richardson published the results of extensive experiments on dogs in which the injection of large quantities of lactic acid, intraperitoneally, was followed by severe joint involvement. The condition of the joints was similar to that seen in acute arthritis, and Richardson suggested that the arthritic syndrome was due to an accumulation of lactic acid in the body. This theory found further support in 1877, when Foster reported that the administration of lactic acid by mouth to two diabetic patients resulted in painful and swollen joints. The pain and swelling persisted as long as the lactic acid administration was continued and disappeared promptly after the lactic acid was discontinued. These early experiments were apparently never repeated or extended but they have exerted some influence in the formation of hypotheses regarding the disease”.

This paper from 1924 strengthens my conviction, placed in the article, “Old experiments with rabbits and dogs,” provides powerful evidence of my acid retention theory causing All sickness and disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, where it was shown that lactic acid-fed rabbits and dogs may develop atherosclerotic lesions [15]. 

Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Alkalinity

A recently published study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism [16] has provided further evidence that the consumption of and supplementation with alkaline minerals is essential for good health. The objective of the study was to understand the effect of alkaline minerals (potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride) on bone health - specifically, the ability of these alkaline minerals to slow the bone resorption rate and calcium excretion. 

The participants who were taking the bicarbonate supplements had significant reductions in urinary N-telopeptide and calcium excretion when compared to the control group. This means that when taking the alkaline minerals, bones remained stronger and healthier [16]. 

In the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Joseph Campbell provides a thorough review of the scientific literature surrounding minerals and disease and highlights that the alkaline minerals, magnesium and calcium, are critical to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). He also highlights that “Excessive consumption of acid producing foods, results in metabolic acidosis. When this occurs, the parathyroid hormone stimulates the removal of calcium from the bones and teeth (osteolysis), to buffer or neutralize the excess acidity, including lactate and lactic acid. After many years, such calcium loss results in depleted bone, bone weakness and structure” [17]. 

Alkaline Mineral Supplementation Decreases Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

This incredible study from Institute for Prevention and Nutrition (Germany) provides clear and unquestionable evidence that using an alkaline mineral supplementation (30g daily) reduces pain and increased movement in patients with moderately active Rheumatoid Arthritis over a 12-week period [18].

Alkaline Food Mineral Sources in the Prevention or Cure of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Potassium: Avocado, Spinach, Soy sprouts, Lentils Swiss Chard, Tomatos, Broccoli Cucumber, Beetroot, Greens and Carrots

Magnesium: Pumpkin Seeds, Spinach, Soy sprouts, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Cucumber, Sunflower Seed sprouts, Pumpkin seeds, Tomatoes Celery, Quinoa, Almonds

Calcium: Basil, Turnip, Thyme, Spinach, Greens, Broccoli, Swiss Chard/Silverbeet, Romaine Lettuce,Kale, Celery, Cabbage, Green Beans, Asparagus Brussel Sprouts, Garlic

sodium: Avocado, Carrots, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Lettuce, Greens, Parsley, Peppers, Radish, Sunflower Seed, sprouts, Turnip

Note on Sodium: The source of sodium can also come from non-processed sea or lake salts, not processed table salt or the salt added to refined foods.

Sodium and Table Salt

Today’s common table salt is made up of chemicals that pollute the body fluids and wreak havoc on the alkaline design of the body. Table salt is 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt causing the potential for a myriad of health challenges in your body. For more details on the importance of sodium chloride/salt in the diet read my article: “Salt That Heals and Salt That Kills” - http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2006/10/salt-that-kills-and-salt-that-heals.html 
Sodium is the most important essential alkalizing element in the body, and the above listed alkaline vegetables will provide the body with a good, clean alkaline source of this important mineral.

Conclusion

Sufficient alkaline minerals is essential to good health and the prevention or cure of arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. To stay alkaline and healthy and free from all sickness and disease, including free from arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the body needs support by minimizing dietary acids and focusing on the ingestion of alkalizing green fruit, vegetables and drinking 9.5pH alkaline water. When you over-consume acidic foods and drinks, the body will be forced to use its alkaline reserves (calcium from bones, for example) to neutralize these dietary acids which in turn may then lead to joint, tissue and organ inflammation and degeneration. The body can only make alkaline buffers from base minerals, including sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. By giving the body an abundance of alkalinity or base minerals through diet and mineral supplementation will not only ease the acid burden from diet and/or metabolism but also give the body the tools it needs to function optimally [1]. The four main alkaline minerals are sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium (clean, not refined table salt). These are abundant in fresh green fruit and vegetables. I recommend ingesting at least 12 servings each day based upon a body weighing 70 kg or 154 pounds! [1] 

I also suggest two alkalizing mineral supplements - pH Miracle pH our Salts and pH Miracle pH lavor salts (www.phmiracle.com) for preventing and reversing joint, tissue and organ inflammation, including Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoporosis, CVC, and more. In the short-medium term these two alkalizing mineral supplements will help undo any previous acidic damage and assist in detoxifying the body of dietary, metabolic, respiratory and environmental acids. In the long-term will help to maintain the alkaline design of the bodily fluids, giving you a daily safety net to protect the body joints, tissues, and organs from the acidic waste products of diet and metabolism that cause ALL sickness and disease, including arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis [1,2]. 

References

Young RO, Young SR (2012) The pH Miracle Revised and Updated. Grand Central Life & Style, Hachett Book Group.

Young RO, Young SR (2001) Sick and Tired. Woodland Publishing Inc, Salt Lake City, United States.

Roman MJ, Moeller E, Davis A, Paget SA, Crow MK, et al. (2006) Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Intern Med 144(4): 249-256.

Pasceri V, Yeh ET (1999) A tale of two diseases: atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Circulation 100(21): 2124-2126.

Södergren A, Karp K, Boman K, Eriksson C, Lundström E, et al. (2010) Atherosclerosis in early rheumatoid arthritis: very early endothelial activation and rapid progression of intima media thickness. Arthritis Res Ther 12(4): R158.

Holmqvist ME, Wedrén S, Jacobsson LT, Klareskog L, Nyberg F, et al. (2010) Rapid increase in myocardial infarction risk following diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis amongst patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2006. J Intern Med 268(6): 578-585.

Aydemir M, Yazisiz V, Basarici I, Avci AB, Erbasan F, Belgi A, et al. (2010) Cardiac autonomic profile in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 19(3): 255-261.

Dekkers JC, Geenen R, Godaert GL, Bijlsma JW, van Doornen LJ (2004) Elevated sympathetic nervous system activity in patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis with active disease. Clin Exp Rheumatol 22(1): 63-70.

Carlos ETB Monteiro (2008) Acidic environment evoked by chronic stress: A novel mechanism to explain atherogenesis. Acidity Theory of Atherosclerosis.

Carlos Monteiro (2010) Sympathetic predominance: a primary factor in the cascade of events leading to the atherogenic spiraling. New Evidences: Acidity Theory of Atherosclerosis.

Gobelet C and Gerster JC (1984) Synovial fluid lactate levels in septic and non-septic arthritides. Ann Rheum Dis 43(5): 742-745.

G Jackson, Lynne Atkinson, M Clark, B Crook, P Armstrong, et al. (1978) Diagnosis of coronary artery disease by estimation of coronary sinus lactate. Br Heart J 40: 979-983.

Gertz EW, Wisneski JA, Neese R, Bristow JD, Searle GL, et al. (1981) Myocardial lactate metabolism: evidence of lactate release during net chemical extraction in man. Circulation 63(6): 1273-1279.

FA Cajori, CY Crouter, MS Ralph Pemberton (1924) The alleged role of lactic acid in arthritis and rheumatoid conditions. Arch Intern Med 34(4): 566-572.

Carlos Monteiro (2010) Old experiments with rabbits and dogs provide powerful evidence for the Acidity Theory of Atherosclerosis (1). New Evidences: Acidity Theory of Atherosclerosis.

Dawson Hughes, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Castaneda Sceppa C, Rasmussen HM, et al. (2009) Treatment with potassium bicarbonate lowers calcium excretion and bone resorption in older men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94(1): 96-102.

Joseph D, Campbell (1995) Minerals and Disease. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 10(3&4).

Regina Maria Cseuz, Istvan Barna, Tamas Bender, Jurgen Vormann (2008) Alkaline Mineral Supplementation Decreases Pain in Rheumatoid Arthri-tis Patients: A Pilot Study 2: 100-105. 

©2016 Young. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.

 

[trents]

From Jackie Garret's post immediately above: "The main purpose of white blood cells is to maintain cleanliness of the blood and tissues as the primary janitors of the body fluids in the support of the body’s alkaline design."

I believe this is misinformation. The main purpose of white blood cells is to defend against intruders and fight infection.

"White blood cells (WBCs) are a part of the immune system. They help fight infection and defend the body against other foreign materials.

Different types of white blood cells have different jobs. Some are involved in recognizing intruders. Some kill harmful bacteria. Others make antibodies to protect your body against exposure to bacteria and viruses." https://www.verywellhealth.com/understanding-white-blood-cells-and-counts-2249217

[Jackie Garrett]

9 hours ago, trents said:

From Jackie Garret's post immediately above: "The main purpose of white blood cells is to maintain cleanliness of the blood and tissues as the primary janitors of the body fluids in the support of the body’s alkaline design."

I believe this is misinformation. The main purpose of white blood cells is to defend against intruders and fight infection.

"White blood cells (WBCs) are a part of the immune system. They help fight infection and defend the body against other foreign materials.

Different types of white blood cells have different jobs. Some are involved in recognizing intruders. Some kill harmful bacteria. Others make antibodies to protect your body against exposure to bacteria and viruses." https://www.verywellhealth.com/understanding-white-blood-cells-and-counts-2249217

Hi Trents

By the cells attacking foreign invaders they are trying to keep the blood clean, it’s how you look at it really. I absolutely can relate to this article with what happened to me and I believe  too much acid in our bodies through diet has become/is becoming  a MAJOR problem with many of our health issues today. Less acids more Alkaline = healthier body, less disease.