Month: November 2014

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Testing Outside of the Medical Realm

This is part 3 in a series following my health saga. If you haven’t read Part 1 (Antibiotics & Anxiety) and Part 2 (To Candida Diet or Not to Candida Diet), please do, as it will fill you in on details not covered here.

You know by now that I’ve done lots of things to help with my health trials, including seeing my chiropractor and Naturopath. I had already been to my MD and had blood tests ordered, which all came back normal. This is extremely frustrating since I KNEW something was wrong. I’d asked to be tested for candida and he said, “It wasn’t indicated.” So, I went to a Naturopath and he suggested I get an Organic Acids Test. I’m all for testing. I’m all for functional medicine and knowing my levels and doing what I can to improve them. This can shed a whole new light on an exhausting situation!

Unfortunately, many tests are not covered by insurance (though many are!). In my case, the organic acids test was not covered by my insurance (though he called to find out, which I appreciated). Desperate for answers, I shelled out the $300 and proceeded with the test, which was a urine test from Great Plains Lab. I had hoped to have results before my trip to CA, but the results took a lot longer than expected.

Despite the delay, I appreciated the results. The Naturopath had been certain that the results would show a bacteria causing all of my issues and that we would treat that and be done, but that was not the case. Instead, the numbers only showed Candida in the yeast, fungal and bacteria markers. The numbers weren’t even that high (probably because I’d already been on herbs and tinctures to help kill it).

The next section that was off for me was the Krebs Cycle. The Krebs Cycle is pretty complicated, but you can read about it here. I had very low fumaric, which could simply be because I was dehydrated, having had an aversion to water and food in general, while at my worst.

The next thing I saw was low serotonin (by measuring neurotransmitter metabolites) in the form of 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic (5-HIAA). My Naturopath said, “We can fix that, easy!” I was relieved. I had a marker that also could be responsible for neural excitotoxicity. Everything inside me was “excited” to say the least, so this made sense too. This elevated marker can also be caused by low serotonin, which I had. The test showed markers of fasting, which was also the case at the time since I couldn’t bring myself to eat. All in all the test showed proof of what was going on with me and seemed to be things we could fix. The shocking results were my zero levels of B and C vitamins!!! How could I have NO vitamins in my body? Again, I decided this was all due to the lack of eating and drinking…

I won’t bore you with all the specifics, but I will say that if you are looking to dig deeper into your health issues, you may have to test outside of the medical system. My MD has specifically told me he doesn’t practice functional medicine, which was disturbing to me. How could you NOT want to see where things are so you can fix them? I proceeded to try everything recommended to me by my Naturopath and found I struggled with the B vitamins and the 5-HTP. I had no problems with the Candaclear Four or the probiotics (both mentioned in my previous post), so this is all I could handle. I also added in Young Living orange oil topically and chewable vitamin C throughout the day. As digestive issues subsided, I was left with the high adrenaline, high anxiety and nervous stomach. Compared to where I was before, this was a big step in the right direction, but I wasn’t satisfied.

I have since signed up with Great Plains Lab so I can repeat the Organic Acids Test again in a few months, to see where I am. I have also signed up with another lab called Labrix. I decided I needed to test my neurotransmitters and my cortisol to rule out adrenal fatigue. These results were no less shocking than before. My neurotransmitter levels were all wrong. A call with their clinician on staff had me reeling and trying to decide what to do next. More testing is definitely in order. My neurotransmitter levels show a pattern equivalent to MTHFR (Methyl Tetra Hydro Folate Reductase), which is associated with the inability to process B vitamins. So testing for this gene, to see if it is lower functioning, is necessary before I take my next step.

I don’t have all the answers yet. I hope to, soon. And I’ll keep you updated. I can say that I’m so happy to have all the information I do have about my body and my health! It puts things into perspective. Had I gone a traditional route with my health, I’m sure I’d be on an anti-anxiety medication right now and that wouldn’t fix anything or help me figure out what went wrong.

If you are struggling in areas of your life with “normal” blood tests and roadblocks along the way, please consider testing outside of the medical realm. I am signed up with many labs, but especially recommend the labs above. I can get a test kit to you quickly and discretely. You don’t have to live in confusion and disarray. We all deserve to know what’s happening with our health and sometimes we need someone on that path with us who’s willing to be a detective. I’m here and I’m willing and I’m grateful for those who’ve been alongside me during my journey. It’s harder to look at myself clearly and I’m grateful the professionals I’ve spoken with. Please contact me if you think you would like to test yourself. There are SO many options, but the results are well worth it!

Read more about the Organic Acids Test.
Read more about Neurotransmitter Testing.
Read more about DNA Testing for Weight Control.
Read more about Hormone Balance Testing.
Read more about IgG Food Allergy Testing with Candida.
Read more about Stool Analysis.
Read more about Metals Hair Test.

The truth is, there are SO many tests available, and it is completely up to you where your health issues are and what needs to be tested. Look through the links above and let me know if I can help in any way. It’s important to know that the power of our health is in our hands. No one will advocate more for you than YOU.

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To Candida Diet or Not to Candida Diet

If you haven’t read the first part of this series, Antibiotics & Anxiety, please do, as it will provide some needed back story…

So, there I was bursting with adrenaline and no way to handle it. I was torn between staying in bed and sleeping as much as possible or making myself move, move, move to try not to think about it. I was so shaken up by the initial attack I had while driving, that I was fervently searching for an answer. Since my chiropractor had muscle tested me and was sure all of this was happening in my gut, I landed at my self-diagnosis: Candida.

There are a lot of symptoms associated with Candida and I had a lot of them, though none outwardly noticeable (thrush or yeast). Some symptoms associated with candida are:

– acne
– allergies (food & air)
– anxiety
– chronic fatigue
– confusion
– depression
– ear or eye irritation
– feeling “drunk” or lightheaded after minimal amounts of alcohol
– GI problems (bloating, chronic diarrhea, constipation, cramps, gas, heartburn)
– headaches
– heart palpitations
– hives
– hyperactivity
– irritability
– loss of memory
– migraines
– rashes
– recurrent fungal infections
– respiratory problems (asthma, nasal & lung congestion)
– severe PMS
– sexual dysfunction
– sinus pressure
– sleep disturbance
(*Source: Goldberg, B. (Ed.). (2002). Alternative medicine: The definitive guide. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.)

These symptoms could be associated with so many issues and often get mistreated or misdiagnosed. I was sure that my two rounds of antibiotics in six months had contributed to some form of Candidiasis and I was going to treat it, kill it, and be done with it.

I threw myself into the Candida Diet. If you’re not familiar, it’s basically sugar-free, as in free of all sugar. No wine (sigh), no grains, no starches, no, no, no… It’s everything I’m against. But I was scared. I was desperate, and I actually felt a little better on it. My worst attack happened after a cup of decaf coffee and a gluten-free cookie bar, so in my mind, sugar had played a huge role. I had a huge aversion to sugar anyway, so it wasn’t that hard to connect the dots.

I learned a lot of new recipes. I even made a Pinterest board for Candida recipes. I made my own salad dressings and even made my own mayonnaise (I didn’t like it). I ate a lot of eggs, meat, chicken, fish, and a ton of salads. I was starving all the time, but I was functioning. That was an improvement!

A visit to my holistic dentist’s office only confirmed Candida. The woman who was working on my gums sympathetically listened to my story. She checked my mouth and said I had candida in my mouth! Gross. So, I took her prescription for Nystatin to a pharmacist and immediately started taking it. It was powdered. I swished it in my mouth four times a day and it was disgusting. Remember, though, I was desperate.

After a couple of weeks on the diet, 10 days on a CandidaGone supplement and several days on Nystatin, I found myself regressing. My body was wasting away. I felt weak, anxious all the time, and so hungry, but with no desire to eat. I lost a lot of weight (read: The Weight I Never Wanted to Lose) and I wasn’t making progress anymore. The week of my birthday I started calling a local Naturopath, begging for an immediate appointment, no matter the cost. I needed a detective, someone who would listen to everything I had been through and hopefully see a pattern and a path back to wellness.

The first thing he said? “Get off that Candida Diet!” I was crushed. I thought I was helping myself, healing myself. I have all the books, education and research I needed to support what I was doing. He gently explained that the diet doesn’t kill candida and our bodies will get sugar from anything they can, even if we remove all of it. The body will find sugar in broccoli or lettuce if it has to. He said my tongue didn’t show signs of candida, but signs of a cold digestive system. This made sense. Everything was cold and tight and all balled up inside of me. As I sat in his office, I was curled up into myself, rocking, shivering and trying desperately to keep it together. I was scared to eat real food again, but also relieved to be told I needed to.

He gave me some herbs, a powdered probiotic MindLinx (which is a great option if you struggle with swallowing pills) and the charcoal pills I mentioned in my last blog. He also asked me to take an Organic Acids test. None of this was in our budget, but health is more important than money, so I did it. The results of the test took longer than I liked to receive, but while eating a normal diet again and taking charcoal at least four times a day and the herbs as well, I was actually improving.

I have a lot to say about testing, like the Organic Acids test I’ve done and others, that aren’t available in regular medical offices. I just don’t have the space for it here, so I’ll stick to the topic at hand: Candida Diets.

As a holistic nutritionist, I would have prescribed this diet to anyone suffering. I would have done so knowing that this was the right form of treatment. And then I experienced it, and it wasn’t right for me. It may not be right for you either. If you are struggling with similar symptoms and feel like you may have Candidiasis, please consider a powerful 30-day supplement program that will help destroy it, while also taking a healthy probiotic and charcoal. This, I know, will do better things for you than trying to starve the sugar beast from your body. I will post affiliate links below for the products I recommend.

About Candaclear Four: What I like about Candaclear Four is that it doesn’t contain a lot of things that might upset your stomach. On the contrary, it’s very simple. You take one white tablet after breakfast that contains garlic. After lunch, you take two capsules that are garlic and cinnamon. After dinner, you take the 4th capsule, which is filled with probiotics, L-glutamine, N-acetyl glucosamine, and Beta-carotene. None of these upset my stomach or were difficult to take. I also took the MindLinx after dinner to go along with the 4th capsule of Candaclear Four. I’m on Day 29 of my 30 days and am 95% better. I haven’t had a panic attack in a month and each day I feel stronger.

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Antibiotics & Anxiety

Remember when I had strep throat? It was a humbling experience. I mean, I live such a healthy life and then I come down with something so debilitating that I’m at urgent care filling a prescription antibiotic? Sigh. I took my antibiotic. I got better. I took probiotics over the next few months and I felt like it was something I had put behind me. Sure, there were some subtle signs that maybe the antibiotic had altered my gut health, but I couldn’t see those until they were hindsight.

In August, there was a bug bite. It was the bug bite to end all bug bites, as it doubled in size within hours, then doubled again and again, until it was exponentially increasing in size and 30 hours later, I was crying from the pain. A visit to my integrative physician landed me on an antihistamine and an antibiotic AGAIN. It felt necessary because the poultices and oils I was using wasn’t stopping it’s increase in size. Also, I was leaving on a plane for Texas with my children; my husband and I were both nervous about what could happen if I didn’t get it resolved.

The bite decreased in size. The pain dissipated. Then I was standing in the security line at the airport and the worst feeling came over me. I was having a panic attack, the likes of which I hadn’t experienced in 15 years. I thought those days were behind me?! I ran to the bathroom while my husband stayed with the kids. I waited to throw up. It didn’t happen. I washed my face. I did deep breathing. I told myself, “You have to get through this line. You’re fine!” I made it, as you can read in my blog about flying with toddlers. But I never really felt fine… ever again….

As the days passed on my vacation in Texas, I begged my husband to talk to the doctor, to let me get off the antibiotic because I had constant butterflies in my stomach and I didn’t know if I could get on a plane again (this from a girl who LOVES to fly!). The doctor didn’t think the anxiety and antibiotic were related, but I knew better. I took several probiotics a day, thanks to my friend’s stash, and I quit the antibiotic just a few days in. The butterflies diminished, but never really left.

In fact, as time went on, I would continue to have random, devastating, debilitating panic attacks. There was no trigger. I knew it wasn’t psychological. Something was terribly wrong. And just because it needs to be said, I don’t say “panic attack” lightly. Many people will say they have panic attacks and perhaps, that is true. But I’m talking about being pulled over on the side of the road, sweating while shivering, hand over my mouth, waiting to vomit (which never actually happens), vertigo spinning me around in the car, and terrified that I won’t be able to get my children home safely. I’m talking about not being able to drive my daughter to preschool because everything is so tense inside of my body that I know I can’t get behind the wheel or it will happen again. I’m talking about leaving one of my best friend’s houses trembling, trying to get home before anyone sees this happening. My panic attacks as a child and teen were horrible and usually, I would pass out. Panic attacks as a mother though? They are a million times worse.

Despite the doctor’s opinion on antibiotics and anxiety, I have discovered something: they are definitely linked. It’s not just one antibiotic that can cause anxiety, it’s any of them.

You see, the health of your gut is responsible for the health of your mind. An antibiotic can disrupt your gut’s health and therefore your mind’s. According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), “Although relatively infrequent, psychiatric symptoms have been reported as a side effect of most antibiotics.” See where it says “most antibiotics”? So it’s not like one antibiotic is better or worse than another. They all have the capability of causing psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety. ABC news reported on a 2010 study by McMaster University in Canada in which “scientists found a link between intestinal microbiota and anxiety-like behavior”. The report goes on to explain that probiotics may help some people but are not a “magic bullet” to prevent damage from occurring in the gut while taking antibiotics.

When I went to my amazing chiropractor (who is so much more than a chiropractor), Dr. Andrew Dodge D.C., D.A.C.N.B. at Valley Family Wellness, he listened to my complaints and definitely agreed. As we went through the history of antibiotic use and the symptoms I had been experiencing, he was 100% it was my gut causing the problems. On one hand, I was relieved that this wasn’t in my head and I wouldn’t become an agoraphobic. On the other hand, I was disappointed that my healthy lifestyle and nutrition hadn’t saved me from the ill effects of antibiotic use.

I will begin to share what I’ve done and this will be an ongoing discussion here, because not everything works all the time for every person. Not everything worked for me at any given time. But I can tell you what did. And what didn’t. Let’s start with two things that I highly recommend for every household and every person.

A probiotic is probably the most important. It definitely helped me in Texas when I couldn’t get the nervousness out of my body. Probiotics with large numbers are your main priority when purchasing one. This is a great one by Designs for Health; a practitioner can order them for you (including me, so contact me if you’re interested). It’s called Probiotic Synergy and it is designed to survive manufacturing, shelf life and stomach acid in order to get where it’s needed: the colon. The affiliate link to purchase it on Amazon is below.

The next item I recommend is activated charcoal. This should be in every household. Whether you ate something that made you feel sick or you’re fighting a stomach bug, activated charcoal grabs hold of toxins, gases, heavy metals and liquid wastes and soaks them up like a sponge. They exit your body never to be heard from again. I recommend Integrative Therapeutics Activated Charcoal Tablets (affiliate link below). Take these on an empty stomach in order to avoid the charcoal from grabbing any beneficial nutrients from food or supplements. I take it either in the middle of the night of mid-afternoon when I’m unlikely to be eating.

Like I said, this will be an ongoing discussion, as just broaching the subject has me reliving some very difficult months of my life. I’ve learned a LOT during this journey and I hope that just writing about it means I’m a lot better than I was. I also hope that this can help other people in some way because there were moments when I thought I was crazy; there were moments I thought I’d be better off sedated or worse. May no one ever feel that way, feel that alone, or desperate.

Let me know if you have any experiences or questions! I’d love to hear from you!