Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Rachel--24]

Charlie,

I expect the results of my CD57 sometime this week.

You're correct that I'm not on antibitoics. I'm taking Cats Claw/Samento for Lyme and Noni for Babesia. I take Nyststain for yeast and as far as I know its not a problem while on antibiotics.

Nystatin is very safe...however Diflucin is hard on the liver so I'm thinking Nystatin would be a better choice...especially since antibiotics are also hard on the liver.

[Rachel--24]

I've been researching so many different things over the past couple years its hard to remember it all and to know where to focus.

I know I need to focus on everything but I think the words of my Dr.'s are finally starting to really set in. My Dr.'s dont feel I can get anywhere with Lyme, Babesia or mercury detox without first having my liver pathways functioning optimally.

Detoxification is basically where all the focus is....they are concerned about the bugs and about the metals but in order for my treatment to be effective detoxification is essential....so thats what they've been trying to stress.

I've been reading more about the liver since my Dr. says this is where ALL of my sensitivities are stemming from....a toxic liver. The symptoms of swelling, excess histamine, all of it he says is because of the heavy burden on my liver. This is why he wont use antibiotics and this is why he wont allow me to take any synthetic chelators...because I cannot detox well enough.

The chemical sensitivities and the food intolerance is evidence of impaired detoxification.

I'm pretty sure this where I'm stuck...my liver is too sluggish to really start attacking the bugs and to start pulling metals out effectively. I'll just go round and round with die-off symptoms.

I need to focus more on detox so that I can move forward with treatment. Anna had suggested castor oil awhile back so I'm gonna start doing that as well as the coffee enemas...which I know to be beneficial. This method is supossed to be the best known way to remove toxins from the liver. I suspect it will do wonders for my chemical sensitivities.

I've only done a handful of them in the past...and not daily.

This is what I read about the liver/detoxification.

Causes & Development

Impaired liver function can result from intrahepatic problems caused by exposure to food additives, solvents (cleaning materials, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, etc.), pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum), and other toxins.

Other causes include viral infections of the liver, some inherited disorders such as Gilbert's syndrome, alcohol-induced fatty deposits, the use of anabolic steroids/estrogens/oral contraceptives and hyperthyroidism. Bile flow can be restricted also by extrahepatic means such as gallstones, pregnancy, or other physical causes such as tumors.

The congested or sluggish liver is characterized by a diminished bile flow, a condition known in medical terms as cholestasis, while impaired hepatic detoxification refers to decreased phase I and/or phase II enzyme activity. Phase I detoxification rates that are in excess of phase II activity will also cause toxicity problems due to excessive accumulation of activated intermediates.

Signs & Symptoms

The presence of chronic fatigue is a frequent symptom. Among the other symptoms, people with a sluggish liver may complain of depression, general malaise, headaches, digestive disturbances, allergies and chemical sensitivities, premenstrual syndrome, and constipation.

Not surprisingly, these are the same types of symptoms people exposed to toxic chemicals often complain of. Many toxic chemicals (especially solvents) and heavy metals have an affinity for nervous tissue, giving rise to a variety of psychological and neurological symptoms such as depression, headaches, mental confusion, mental illness, tingling in extremities, abnormal nerve reflexes, and other signs of impaired nervous system function.

[AndreaB]

I am still going to the chiropractor 1- 2 times a week and feel like it is helping a bit to ease some of the discomfort that stems from my front but radiates to my back and has created alot of misalignment and tension especially on my left side. This week I ahve an appt on thursday with a women who does for Craniosacral Therapy and visceral minipulation. It is supposedly very effective I figure I ahv tried everything else why not give it a shot. Ok I think that is all for now Im sure there is more but my brain has just stopped .

It's always good to hear from you Miamia. Hope your appointment goes well on Thursday and I'm glad to hear that the chiro has helped a bit.

Keep us posted on the estrogen.

Bob's Red Mill, on the other hand, made me react every time.

We have never had a problem with Bob's Red Mill but we aren't as sensitive. Everything I buy is from them.

I am really grateful that we met before we knew it was Lyme, I feel we are much more interested in each other's wellness and not the correctness of our treatment plan.

I agree.

I bought some funy antique planters so I am going to work in the garden today (with socks, long pants and long sleeves- fear of ticks (we need a tick emoticon for this thread =*= is the best I can do.

We need a mercury one too

Love your new emoticon.

[CarlaB]

Rachel, my mom had breast cancer almost 10 years ago. After her cancer, she went on the Fit for Life diet for detox reasons. I stayed with her for a week and Adam and I felt so much better we read the Fit for Life books and started the diet.

So I spent the past almost 10 years very aware of the need to detox properly and ate right to support it. We even juiced for several years until it got to be too much with so many kids to feed ... I never got out of the kitchen!

Not that I never splurged, but if I ate a Big Mac, I knew it was junk food! I ate a good portion of my food raw (fruits and veggies, not meat and starch). I did most of my shopping in the produce dept.

I'm sure this has made the difference in my being able to tolerate so many antibiotics/anti-protozoals and in my ability to detox during the herxes. I've also not had a candida issue since before the Fit for Life diet.

I'm not suggesting we all do Fit for Life ... I've modified it significantly over the years, especially now since I have to eat a high fat meal first thing in the morning for the Mepron (yuck, all I want is fruit in the morning!), but I took those concepts of detoxification seriously.

I think detoxing is the single most important thing in treating Lyme Disease no matter what protocol you are using.

An interesting side note -- Harvey Diamond, the author of Fit for Life, was exposed to agent orange in Vietnam. He still walks on his own and is very healthy just through diet and supplementation. If we give the body what it needs, it can heal. He has a my space under his name that has all kinds of information.

[AndreaB]

Hi Charlie- I get my celiac disease 57 results wed and i can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

I'll get my Igenix results in about 3 weeks. Very curious to see!

I can't wait either!

I had BioSET today...we did food. Bad news...I had outright reactions to the stuff we did today, so I have to repeat the treatment next week, and have to avoid the foods for a long time. The biggest thing today was chocolate. I reacted to every single thing that had chocolate or cocoa. I reacted to almost all grains...brown rice was okay, but Tinkyada Pasta was not...can't figure that one out, lol. White rice was bad...most seeds were bad, even sunflower seeds which tested okay on my original testing with Anna. I've been eating those a few times in the last couple of weeks. Good news cashews, almonds and walnuts were all okay, so I have to rotate those.

Sorry about the chocolate Donna. I know that is hard to give up. That's interesting about Tinkyada Pasta. Maybe it's something in the processing of the rice?

Chloe had a soccer game. It was 86 degrees today, but little humidity, so it was nice out. She's miserable ... she has a terrible headache. Not only have all my kids been exposed to Lyme from me (except the adopted one), but they've also had ticks themselves. I'd be surprised if she doesn't have Lyme. I'm sensitive to the heat like that, too. She's had plenty of water, it's not dehydration.

I'll be curious as to what the doctor says in a week and a half.

[Rachel--24]

Heres some indicators of a sluggish liver in need of detoxification.

(History of) elevated liver enzymes

Positive results from coffee enemas

Abdominal Pain

(Severe) pain under right side of ribs

Bowel Movements

Undigested fat in stools

Greasy/shiny stools

Pale stools

Environment

(High) cigarette smoke sensitivity

(High) chemical sensitivity

Food - Beverages

No desire/inability to recover from alcoholism or being a recovering alcoholic

Sickness caused by wine

Negative reaction to coffee

Food - General

Greasy food intolerance

(Garlic/) onion intolerance or garlic intolerance

Gas-Int - General

(Frequent/regular) unexplained nausea

Anal itching at night or anal itching

General

Having a CFS diagnosis or history of CFS diagnosis

Head - Eyes/Ocular

Dark areas under eyes

Bags under eyes Some health care providers believe that dark circles under the eyes indicate toxicity and a need for detoxification.

Head - Mouth/Oral

Metallic taste in mouth

Bitter taste in mouth

Head - Nose

Allergic rhinitis ???I dont know??

Liver / Gall Bladder

Liver/gallbladder cleanses help

Dont know

Mind - General

Reduced/poor mental clarity

Muscular

Pain between shoulder blades

Reproductive - Female Cycle

Breast soreness during cycle

Skeletal

Joint pain/swelling/stiffness

Skin - General

Itchy skin

Diminished perspiration

Sleep

Bizarre/vivid/nightmarish dreams

Forgetting dreams

Urinary

Strong-smelling urine

Conditions that suggest Liver Detoxification / Support Requirement:

Circulation

Varicose Veins

Bruising Susceptibility

Digestion

Hemorrhoids

Hormones

Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance

??I dont know??

Immunity

Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome In one evaluation of 200 Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients it was found that 80% had a significant impairment of liver detoxification function.

Patients suffering from toxic burdens may experience a wide range of symptoms, among them fatigue and poor tolerance for exercise. These processes have been postulated to be a central factor in the development of CFS. Oxidative damage to mitochondria and the detoxification process itself is being considered as a fundamental mechanism in the development of CFS.

Infections

Yeast / Candida Infection

Metabolic

Migraine/Tension Headaches A 'sluggish liver' often contributes to headaches.

Susceptibility to Hangovers Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance produced in the body from alcohol and is one of the impurities found in cheap wine and 'moonshine' spirits. Some researchers believe that an acetaldehyde buildup is the cause of hangovers. If the liver's detoxification pathways are impaired, aldehydes can, instead of being converted to the next intermediate product, build up to harmful levels and cause damage since they are often more toxic than the original substances from which they are derived.

It is probably the metabolism of methanol to formaldehyde and formic acid that caused the symptoms of the hangover. Quick methanol metabolizers suffer more. This is reinforced by the fact that the types of drinks associated with more severe hangovers contain higher levels of methanol.

All types of alcoholic drinks contain some methanol, a substance blamed for the worst hangovers. Whiskey, cheap red wine, fruit brandy and other dark spirits contain the most methanol, sometimes as much as 2% by volume. Vodka and other clear drinks contain the least. In the liver, methanol takes 10 times longer than ethanol to break down.

Jaundice (very slightly....after drinking alcohol)

Intoxication Susceptibility

Edema (Water Retention)

Bulimic Tendency

Nutrients

Magnesium Requirement

Magnesium deficiency has been found to be more common in patients with diabetes, liver disease or malabsorption problems.

Organ Health

Gallbladder Disease

Night Blindness Reduced night vision can be linked to a variety of conditions caused by impaired liver function which in turn reduces vitamin A metabolism.

Skin-Hair-Nails

Psoriasis Correcting abnormal liver function is of great benefit in the treatment of psoriasis. The connection between the liver and psoriasis relates to one of the liver's basic tasks (filtering and detoxifying the blood). Psoriasis has been linked to the presence of several microbial byproducts in the blood. If the liver is overwhelmed by excessive levels of these toxins in the bowel, or if there is a decrease in the liver's detoxification ability, the toxin level in the blood will increase and the psoriasis will get worse.

Body Odor

Dandruff

Night Sweats

Muscular

History of/having a fibromyalgia diagnosis

Tumors, Benign

Ovarian Cysts

Uro-Genital

Fibrocystic Breast Disease Impaired liver function can result in excess circulating estrogens and a worsening of breast tenderness.

Risk fasctors:

Addictions

Cigarette Smoke Damage

Diet

Excess Protein Consumption High protein intakes may cause extra metabolic stress to be placed on the liver and kidneys.

Supplements and Medications

Pain medication use

Broad-spectrum antibiotic use

Tetracycline use

Environment

(High) solvent exposure Long-term exposure to environmental pollutants and continued assaults on the detoxifying systems may lead to oxidative stress, high levels of phase 1 activity in the liver, and reduced phase 2 detoxification.

Severe/mild/significant diesel exhaust exposure

Food - Beverages

Moderate/low/high alcohol consumption

Food - General

Not avoiding aspartame or partial aspartame avoidance

Gas-Int - Conditions

History of hemorrhoids

Liver / Gall Bladder

History of gallbladder attacks

Reproductive - General

History of ovarian cysts

Uro-Genital

Consequences of Vasectomy

Everything in blue pertains to me.

[rinne]

if I'm not mistaken, those taking antibiotics for lyme are mia, laura, and carla and then rinne and rachel also have lyme but aren't taking antibiotics, right?

That's right, I have done salt/c, samento and noni for the Lyme in addition to the complete change in my diet and supplementing with Vitamin D and B, detox such as epsom salt baths and farinfrared saunas, most recently chlorella, probiotics and candida stop which is not working because I am eating chocolate. It is interesting to me though that my craving for sweets really started with my taking the chlorella and I am wondering if I am creating more yeast to protect myself, maybe if I cut back on the chlorella...

Rinne, you are right ... I can't stand the bickering on LN about treatment. I KNOW that this time around I NEED antibiotics, but my first THREE times dealing with this the alternative stuff worked. ALL of us can relapse ... so it wasn't because of the alternative stuff that I relapsed ... when I get off the antibiotics, I plan on doing alternative stuff permanently!

I completely agree with you Carla, I think at different points different treatments work, I don't want to get stuck in any view that limits my ability to regain my health and the way I see it is that any view that includes hostility and defensiveness will not lead to well being.

I really think detoxing is key to recovering and that the problem with simply using ABX without detoxing means mercury gets dumped into our systems, not good.

I am slowly regaining my health, I feel like I have come through this crisis and that I have a long way to go but that I will be okay, we'll see. For now though I think it is helpful to remember that ALL treatment for Lyme is experimental, there is no one simple answer.

I had BioSET today...we did food. Bad news...I had outright reactions to the stuff we did today, so I have to repeat the treatment next week, and have to avoid the foods for a long time. The biggest thing today was chocolate. I reacted to every single thing that had chocolate or cocoa. I reacted to almost all grains...brown rice was okay, but Tinkyada Pasta was not...can't figure that one out, lol. White rice was bad...most seeds were bad, even sunflower seeds which tested okay on my original testing with Anna. I've been eating those a few times in the last couple of weeks. Good news cashews, almonds and walnuts were all okay, so I have to rotate those. And, as usual all these bad foods were affecting nearly every organ...fibroids/uterus came up again, as did the usual stuff. Insects/bug bite didn't come up today though. So, bummer of all bummers...I can't have chocolate. I am sad. This morning when I went grocery shopping (before my apppointment) I found truffled walnuts. OMG...they actually looked like I could have them, so I bought them and oh are they good. I ate like 8 of them (and they're pretty big). No wonder chocolate and cocoa came up today.

Yup. But so sorry for your chocolate loss,

[CarlaB]

Interesting list ... it's very similar to the Lyme symptom list.

[Rachel--24]

I think detoxing is the single most important thing in treating Lyme Disease no matter what protocol you are using.

I totally agree!!! 100%!!

Not only Lyme but any chronic illness.....the coffee enemas are even used to treat cancer!!

My mom said if only I'd known about this stuff prior to getting sick from being overly toxic...I could have helped myself all through the years by doing some things to improve detoxification on a daily basis. I would never be where I'm at now and if my detoxification wasnt impaired Lyme wouldnt even be an issue.

If you're sick from Lyme you have to be somewhat toxic....no way around it...its the toxins produced by Lyme that make you sick. If you could rapidly detox them...you would not ever be sick.

[Rachel--24]

Interesting list ... it's very similar to the Lyme symptom list.

Carla...thats because Lyme syptoms are caused by the affect Lyme toxins have on the body...because they are not getting detoxed.

Its all the same....mercury, mold, food additives, chemicals, lyme, etc...they ALL produce the same symptoms because they're all basically poisoning the body. Every single one of them will have an affect on the liver.

You dont get sick from the bacteria itself....you get sick from the toxins and from your bodies inability to cope with them.

[Rachel--24]

Be back later...I have much catching up to do.

[jerseyangel]

You dont get sick from the bacteria itself....you get sick from the toxins and from your bodies inability to cope with them.

Yes--from everything I understand, I agree wholeheartedly!

[CarlaB]

Carla...thats because Lyme syptoms are caused by the affect Lyme toxins have on the body...because they are not getting detoxed.

Its all the same....mercury, mold, food additives, chemicals, lyme, etc...they ALL produce the same symptoms because they're all basically poisoning the body. Every single one of them will have an affect on the liver.

You dont get sick from the bacteria itself....you get sick from the toxins and from your bodies inability to cope with them.

Yeah, duh, that makes sense, why didn't I think of that?

I got sick with an acute bacterial infection in 2003 and went on 21 days of doxy ... that coupled with stress is what pushed me over the edge into becoming sick from the Lyme.

And, I'm leaving for a while to take my sauna ... then it will be bedtime, so I'll see all of you tomorrow afternoon.

[CarlaB]

If you're sick from Lyme you have to be somewhat toxic....no way around it...its the toxins produced by Lyme that make you sick. If you could rapidly detox them...you would not ever be sick.

Unless possibly something let the bacteria take over more and your bacterial load got too high ... then you wouldn't be able to detox quickly enough no matter how fast you were detoxing!

Makes you wonder how many toxins stress causes and why.

[CarlaB]

duplicate post

[dlp252]

Oh, I forgot one other interesting thing from BioSET. My energy (brain) is consistently low every week, but my energy during the actual testing is generally pretty good. Susan finally made the connection today and said, your energy is good during testing but something is blocking the energy from (or to?) your brain. So she is going to try to figure out why or what could be causing that.

Eons ago...gosh, maybe at least 15 or more years ago I bought one of the Fit for Life books and tried it for a while. I don't remember much about it now, but I think at that time I wasn't sick so it wasn't important (in my mind) for health reasons, and I just fell away from it.

I absolutely think I am not detoxing properly and that is a large part of my problems. I've done a detox diet twice--both times got very sick...most likely because I was detoxing too quickly, which really just means I had a lot to detox probably, lol.

I'm sure Dr. S will discuss this all with me on Tuesday once we know exactly what all I'm dealing with.

[CarlaB]

I've done a detox diet twice--both times got very sick...most likely because I was detoxing too quickly, which really just means I had a lot to detox probably, lol.

This is probably true. In the Fit for Life plan, instead of fasting you eat nothing but "live food" for a day. Live food is anything that hasn't been cooked. So you start off with fresh fruit and fresh juices in the morning, then move on to veggies the rest of the day and fresh veggie juice.

In the beginning I couldn't do a live food day without becoming very sick ... by early evening I would have to have some rice and steamed vegetables. Shortly before I got ill with the bug that triggered the Lyme symptoms, I went a whole week on nothing but live food. I felt GREAT!

I've been thinking about what Rachel said about not detoxing causing the problem. If that were the only issue, then restoring the ability to detox would be enough to get well. You can't get well without being able to detox, that's for sure.

However, you might be detoxing and just have to high a bacterial load, which is what I think happened to me. I DO think that I have to focus on detoxing now more than ever but the bacteria itself needs to be addressed. That's why I don't think an herbal protocol would be adequate for me this go around. I think something let the bacterial load grow too large for my immune system to keep under control.

But in Rachel's case, and maybe Donna's and Rinne's, too, perhaps restoring the body's ability to detox will be enough ... along with the herbs to get the Lyme under control. That's the point I'm working towards.

Where Rachel's primary problem is not detoxing, my primary issue is too much bacteria releasing toxins.

[diamondheart]

I do have a hiatal hernia and something called Schatzki's rings (she mentioned doing a dilation to stretch my esophagus).

I have to go back for the small intestine X ray for Crohn's but I don't think it's Crohn's.

Yay! No refractory.

Yay for getting diagnosed!

I had BioSET today...we did food. Bad news...I had outright reactions to the stuff we did today, so I have to repeat the treatment next week, and have to avoid the foods for a long time. The biggest thing today was chocolate. I reacted to every single thing that had chocolate or cocoa.

I had an appointment with Dr. F earlier in the week and I'm STILL reacting to dairy. I was eating chocolate in the last two weeks, and we know that has dairy, so I'm off the chocolate too . I was eating a lot of it too, so it's just as well that I'm off it.

I had more testing for other stuff. I had a procedure called HSG, and the results of it were good - my tubes are clear and no fibroids on the inside of my uterus! My doctor who did my surgery did the procedure, and he was sooooo nice! I'm glad I found that guy.

I also had some hormone testing. My testosterone is high . I'm not sure what it means. Sometimes, it's associated with PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, but I've never shown any signs of having that. Actually, I'm not surprised my testosterone is high because I have a low voice and I get the unibrow if I don't pluck and a bit of a mustache. Well, I'll be having more testing to figure that out.

I also met with an astrologer to figure out when would be the best time to do my IVF. I've never had my chart read, but I figure I can use all the help I can get. It was really interesting. I don't have time to write about all the interesting things the astrologer said, but she did say July and September were looking good for my IVF. I'll be away in August, so I can't do it then. A friend of mine is doing IVF in July too, so it would be really great to do it with her. She is using my doctor as well!

My astrologer also said that I'm a healer in this lifetime . She said it doesn't matter what I do, that I could be bagging groceries, but it could be as simple as accepting people for who they are. I suppose being on these boards discussing health shows that what she's saying makes sense. I also told her that in my job, I heal the land. I guess I'm kinda like a land doctor - I restore natural places in my job.

Well, that's all for my update. Forgive me if I don't have too many personals, but I do try to catch up on this board when I can cuz I like all you crazy kids! It's spring, and I'm spending more time outside. I'm soooooo happy that I have half of my garden in and I actually feel well enough to garden! I was too sick last summer and had no energy to do any of that. Plus I had my surgery last spring about this time. So, even though I still can't eat gluten or dairy, I'm doing much better than this time last year!

I kinda missed all the CD57 testing discussion. Can someone give me a synopsis of what it tests for and why it's the latest crazy?

Oh yeah, the astrologer said that starting tomorrow, I'm going to have a mid-life crisis until August 5th ! Her take on it was pretty interesting. She said that in pyschology, a mid-life crisis is traumatic, but in astrology, it's kind of a neutral place leading into a change. She said that at this time in my life, I'm laying down a change that will affect the next 29 years of my life. DH said, well at least 18 years, if you know what I mean! I'll take that as a positive sign .

Thanks, Claire

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Donna,

Yep, it was nice to have a good day. Except, I did get sick from beans. I am going to have to do a rotation diet to figure out the trouble. I have a bad feeling I have other food intolerances besides gluten and dairy. Meanwhile, I am excited that Mother's Day is tomorrow! My mom will love her gift! Pizza lust! I know the feeling. I am so sorry that you tested badly for chocolate! That is terrible!

Dear Patti and Mia,

I have not gotten to have my pizza yet! I am hoping to go shopping for groceries Monday. I cannot wait to have some pizza! Patti, I would love the recipe for the pizza crust. I have been needing one! I am glad you remembered the yeast is a no-no for me!

Dear Rinne,

Well, the site is still up. They are probably using it to show what they create to other prospective customers. Little do these poor people know that Digiworld Technologies is crooked! I know they have a bad BBB record on top of the lawsuit. I do have legal grounds. They cost me around $550 altogether due to overdraft charges from them taking out money more often than they should and taking it out when they should not.

Dear Bev,

If you want to order, just say the word! I have an admin code I use. I was a member of SMC before I got the Web site. I can add and subtract items when I want. I do not have that account anymore, so payment is going to have to be reworked. I lost my bank account due to Digiworld Technologies screwing me. I do not know if I can maybe open an account by my parents' name or something. I joined SMC a while back. They are a wonderful company. Your membership entitles you access to all of their products, which you are given a catalog every so often, plus you can use product images for your own Web site as well. It is really great.

Dear Charlie,

As far as I know, it is a smart move to take antifungals like Nystatin with antibiotics. This helps prevent the possibility of Candida. Like Rachel and Carla said, Lyme tends to be part of a nasty trifecta that also includes Candida and Mercury poisoning. Probiotics are a great thing to add for a lot of reasons. Killing yeast is one helpful thing they do. I heard somewhere that 1 Billion microorganisms is what to shoot for.

Dear Claire,

You are back! We have been missing you! It is wonderful news that your uterus and tubes are alright! That is great! We are pulling for your IVF to go well whenever you get it done! It would be cool if you and your friend got pregnant together!

What the astrologer told you is interesting. I am fascinated by astrology as well. It is part of my religion. I am still learning about it. There is much to study!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[AndreaB]

Oh, I forgot one other interesting thing from BioSET. My energy (brain) is consistently low every week, but my energy during the actual testing is generally pretty good. Susan finally made the connection today and said, your energy is good during testing but something is blocking the energy from (or to?) your brain. So she is going to try to figure out why or what could be causing that.

I'll be curious to see what she figures out. Can't wait until your appointment on Tuesday.....it's almost here!

Yay for getting diagnosed!

I had an appointment with Dr. F earlier in the week and I'm STILL reacting to dairy. I was eating chocolate in the last two weeks, and we know that has dairy, so I'm off the chocolate too . I was eating a lot of it too, so it's just as well that I'm off it.

I had more testing for other stuff. I had a procedure called HSG, and the results of it were good - my tubes are clear and no fibroids on the inside of my uterus! My doctor who did my surgery did the procedure, and he was sooooo nice! I'm glad I found that guy.

Sorry about you still reacting to dairy.

Yay and the fibroid report! Hope all goes well with the IVF this summer.

CD57 is another newer test, to use along with the others I believe, for lyme.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Rinne,

You asked earlier what Rangoon is. This is a Chinese snack or appetizer. You take a rice skin, and fill it with a mixture made of cream cheese, crabmeat (or shrimp), scallions, and a little garlic. It is folded somewhat like a wonton. They are normally fried, but you could steam them, too. They are really good! I always enjoyed dipping them in my hot-sour soup! The combination of the flavor of the soup and the rangoon was uncommonly delicious!

Dear Everyone,

I am excited to report I may have enough for my cookware! My mother's best friend called again tonight. She said I made almost $26. It won't buy a whole lot, but it will help tremendously! It was great news!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

P.S. Andrea, I see you!

P.S.S. Bev, yes it is Jin!

[Rachel--24]

I've been thinking about what Rachel said about not detoxing causing the problem. If that were the only issue, then restoring the ability to detox would be enough to get well. You can't get well without being able to detox, that's for sure.

Carla...I'm not saying all you need to get better is detox....restoring detoxification isnt enough to get well...not for me...or anyone else here. I'm saying you *must* be able to detox in order to become well. Simply killing bacteria isnt gonna do anything but cause toxins to circulate through your body and make you sick (not to mention the dumping of metals)....if your liver pathways are impaired and you cant detox effectively. I've always said there are many issues involved....not just lyme...not just mercury...not just candida...and not just detoxification.

If you're going to prioritize things I would say the priority would be detoxification...because you need that in order to deal with the other issues and to be successful.

You definately have to address the bacteria, the mercury, the yeast, the parasites....and whatever else is going on. You cant do one without the other. If you cant detox you cant get well...if you dont do anything about the bugs...you cant get well.

However, you might be detoxing and just have to high a bacterial load, which is what I think happened to me.

There really is no way to know if one person has a higher bacteria load than another...again, how sick you get depends on how much of these toxins your body can handle.

Some people might get sick from a small load of bacteria....depending on how many other things are burdening their system....another person may not have alot of other burdens and get sick from the Lyme toxins fairly quickly...because they are very susceptible to the toxins...genetically slow detoxers.

Or, as you said...over a long period of time the bacteria load may become very high....but from all that I understand...in this scenario there is inevitably other things that have piled up along with the Lyme to add to the total burden....environmental toxins, pesticides, metals, etc.

Its my understanding that this is what the picture of "chronic lyme disease" truely is....alot of factors which pile up onto each other to eventually tip the scales so that there is chronic illness.

Herxing is actually the body struggling to deal with the release of toxins. If detoxification were not impaired herxes would not be a big deal....we would barely notice them. People herx on all different dosages of all different types of treatment...the herx isnt an indication of how much is getting killed but more to do with how much toxins a person can handle at one time.

I DO think that I have to focus on detoxing now more than ever but the bacteria itself needs to be addressed. That's why I don't think an herbal protocol would be adequate for me this go around. I think something let the bacterial load grow too large for my immune system to keep under control.

But in Rachel's case, and maybe Donna's and Rinne's, too, perhaps restoring the body's ability to detox will be enough ... along with the herbs to get the Lyme under control. That's the point I'm working towards.

Just getting my body to detox isnt gonna be all it takes to get me better. I dont know that antibiotics are necessarily more effective than herbs. For some people the opposite is true....it really depends on the individual...the bacteria strain, tolerance, etc.

I've read of people who had no luck with antibiotics after years of trying...and then got completely well on herbals like Samento....so it really is individual. The bacteria load really doesnt have alot to do with treatment options...or what will work or not. As Rinne said every treatment is still experimental...antibiotics are not proven to be more effective than herbs and vice versa. There are always going to be success stories from both methods of treatment.....a combo is even better.

Things change within the body very frequently throughout treatment....I think its highly unlikely someone can stay on one type of treatment without making changes...and get better. This is why I'm gonna stick with ART so that if my body no longer responds well to what I'm taking we can then make the necessary changes to stay on top of the infections.

Theres no way to know how high my bacteria load is....heck it could have been high several years before I even got sick. Scott told me he suspects I'm not that susceptible to the Lyme toxins but the yeast/mold and mercury are another story completely. I seem to be very susceptible to these toxins and not so much the Lyme toxins...but I'm not sure if thats any indication of bacteria load or not.

Everyones different and everyones got different issues alongside the Lyme. Treatment will vary because we are individuals and we are not all going to respond to the same treatments.

If I can get the mercury and candida dealt with and my immune system, digestive system and all else is in strong working order...I would have no problem with taking antibiotics to help knock out the Lyme.

Right now I dont think I would get any positive results from them. If I took antibiotics or anything which made me herx...I would not think of it as killing off alot of bugs...I would consider it to be a sign that my body cant handle the treatment. Theres no way to know how much is getting killed off....at this point killing a small amount of bugs might spill enough mercury into my system to make me really sick for days or weeks.

The load of bacteria wont influence my choice of treatment....right now its more to do with antibiotics adding to my liver problems, worsening candida (which is already very bad), causing a greater release of mercury, weakening my immune system and having synthetic ingredients. This is why I'm not taking antibiotics...and if I never have to I'm perfectly fine with that...if I do have to...It'll happen when I no longer have to worry about those other things quite as much.

Lyme will thrive in a toxic body so if I try to aggressively kill off the Lyme first...I dont really see myself getting anywhere...I think I would have to be ridding myself of mercury before I can expect to be getting somewhere with the Lyme. Its my understanding that there is an order as to how things should be addressed and the order is different in each case.

I'm not saying your treatment wont be effective...I'm speaking about my own treatment....and I'm just saying that detoxification is necessary for everyone to become well.

If you only have to worry about Lyme and nothing else then I think you are very lucky.....I think it would be the exception and not the rule. My posts are based on what I've learned to be true in most cases...and in my own case....so thats why I'm posting it for others to possibly learn from.

If I write about mercury commonly being an issue with Lyme...I'm not saying that YOU have mercury issues....I'm saying what is usually the case. Each person can get their answers from their Dr.'s, from the appropriate testing or take what they learn and apply it to their own situation much like Rinne has done.

P.S.

I think the CD57 might be the best insight as to how much Lyme is affecting my immune system. I'm excited about getting these results in the next few days.

I'm excited for everyone whos getting their results back!!!

Oh...did Charlie ever post what his CD57 results are?? Did he get them back yet??

We will have to have another group list of CD57's for comparison.

Andrea....you interested??

[Guest lizajane]

Well I've been struggling for quite some time now. It doesnt matter what I eliminate I'm still sick. Its like it HAS to be something that is constantly in my system because I havent had a single symtom-free day for over 3 years now. Even when I limit myself to 2 safe foods I'm still having symptoms so basically nothing has worked. All meds or supplements have worsened my symptoms. All gluten-free packaged foods bother me. I toatlly eliminated casein and still have problems. It was only one supplement I was taking that had milk in it so I stopped taking it...felt better...started eating more foods and totally symptomatic again.

I was eating Enjoy Life chocolate chips with no problems..also did some baking...no problems. I had one cake mix with all safe ingredients and reacted. The mix only had like 4 ingredients and I tolerate all of them...the only questionable ingredient is Xanthan gum. Its also in every gluten-free product I've reacted to and also rice milks and almond milks and a ton of other stuff I cant have. I found out its from CORN. I never thought about corn...but its in everything. Even when I'm only eating meat and veggies (no corn) I'm still having corn everyday in my thyroid meds and any supplements or vitamins I've ever taken most likely have corn.

Pre gluten-free I never ate much candy or sweets....my favorite snacks were popcorn and Tostitos. These were also the first foods I started avoiding long before I ever heard of gluten because the next day I always had a swollen face and a migraine. I had thought it was from the salt or something. I thought everything was thyroid related since I had Graves so I started avoiding all salt.

I did some research on corn and its in pretty much everything...seems more difficult to avoid then both gluten and dairy. Today at work (I work in a grocery store) I started reading all the labels of the foods I used to eat before I got sick. They ALL have corn. Its in bread, soups, microwave dinners, yogurts, cheese (why is corn in cheese?). Anyways, I've never been corn-free because of my thyroid meds and lots of other things I've tried over the last year. I had posted about getting "glutened" by all the gluten-free cereals. Well they are all corn based....DUH. I dont know why I never thought of this since everything I've had problems with have some form of corn in them.

I really need to eliminate the corn to see if I get better but dont know how I can do this when I need to take thyroid pills everyday. What do people do in a situation like this? What if I'm intolerant to corn all this time and its in the medication I need to take?

The other big question is am I really intolerant to gluten and dairy? If I get better off corn I dont know what to think about that. All the foods that have gluten also have corn so I would likely have to stay off gluten anyways....hmmm...does pizza have corn in it?

Also yogurt and ice cream really mess me up but they also have corn. There ARE some brands and flavors that dont have corn so I would LOVE to not have a problem with dairy!!

I would rather be intolerant to corn and gluten both than have to give up dairy for good.

Does anyone have a corn intolerance? Could I have just developed this out of nowhere and NOT have gluten intolerance...or is it more likely that gluten caused this to happen in the first place? I'm actually hoping I'm corn intolerant cuz as hard as it seems I've been struggling a long time now. The symptoms I've gotten from the stuff I've eaten with xanthan gum are severe....also I had powdered sugar yesterday and had another severe reaction. I have no reaction to cane sugar but when I looked at the ingred. of the powdered stuff its cane suger AND corn starch! Right now I feel exactly like I felt before I ever went gluten-free...everything hurts. This would explain why I dont do well with anything processed or with any supplements or vitamins or medications.

I dont see too many people here with corn problems but hopefully someone has some advice about the thyroid meds??

Yes, I have developed an intolerance to lactose about 4 years ago after having celiac for 20 years. Now this year is corn and soy!! They say, and I'm not sure if where I read this is right, that with gluten intolerance comes lactose. I use a lot of rice products-rice pizza crust, rice bread, etc.

[rinne]

My astrologer also said that I'm a healer in this lifetime . She said it doesn't matter what I do, that I could be bagging groceries, but it could be as simple as accepting people for who they are. I suppose being on these boards discussing health shows that what she's saying makes sense. I also told her that in my job, I heal the land. I guess I'm kinda like a land doctor - I restore natural places in my job.

..... So, even though I still can't eat gluten or dairy, I'm doing much better than this time last year!

....I kinda missed all the CD57 testing discussion. Can someone give me a synopsis of what it tests for and why it's the latest crazy?

I do think there are people who we just feel better around, it is certainly wonderful having you here and I credit Rachelville with helping me to heal.

Glad to know you are better this year.

I missed the CD57 discussion too but I am thinking it is a blood test that shows.... can't remember.

Dear Rinne,

You asked earlier what Rangoon is. This is a Chinese snack or appetizer. You take a rice skin, and fill it with a mixture made of cream cheese, crabmeat (or shrimp), scallions, and a little garlic. It is folded somewhat like a wonton. They are normally fried, but you could steam them, too. They are really good! I always enjoyed dipping them in my hot-sour soup! The combination of the flavor of the soup and the rangoon was uncommonly delicious!

Jin, that sounds yummy but what is a rice skin, do you mean the round rice paper that you soak in water for Thai spring rolls?

Welcome Lizajane.

For me the slide from not being able to eat gluten to not being able to eat anything was all at once with complete gastric distress. I still do not tolerate dairy, grains, nightshades, peanuts, soy, corn... in addition to the gluten. I find that the diet that really works best for me is meat/fish and vegetables but I've included fruit, nuts and chocolate. I know I need to pass on them for a while but the nuts really helped me put some weight back on and after a year of being too sick to eat treats I really need

chocolate. It just occured to me though that my magnesium levels might be low also.

I see recovery as a process of pushing back bit by bit all the ways in which my health has been overwhelmed, I am addressing the mercury, I have addressed the bacteria and will again, I need to work on the candida.

This place has given me so much laughter and I feel that that it is one of the most important healing tools we can exercise. And. I know I like to tease about "Lyme Clan" but in a very serious way I mean it as the way in which we are connected and trusting the connection we are nourished by eachother's intentions and wishes for our wellness. Simply, we are heartened by eachother.

[AndreaB]

We will have to have another group list of CD57's for comparison.

Andrea....you interested??

I'm willing if Charlie will repost his. I think he was at the bottom end of range.

Charlie?

This place has given me so much laughter and I feel that that it is one of the most important healing tools we can exercise. And. I know I like to tease about "Lyme Clan" but in a very serious way I mean it as the way in which we are connected and trusting the connection we are nourished by eachother's intentions and wishes for our wellness. Simply, we are heartened by eachother.

I agree.