Sunmountain's Log

[Blossom]

You sound like a wonderful cook sunmountain. I'm not sure if you got an answer about your prolactin that you mention earlier in your log but if I remember correctly up 11 is a good level for women. I'm glad you're doing good.

 

[sunmountain]

Thanks, Blossom! My prolactin was 10.8, so I'm good I guess. I hope you're continuing to do great!

I've been thinking about why I'm able to tolerate more thyroid now, as I couldn't all this time. I wonder if the extra weight I gained helps in that. I do think that even though I'm getting fewer calories, they are better calories: I'm getting a lot of carbs (300 the other day if I remember) with fresh, strained OJ, fresh fodmap/peaty fruit (honeydew, cantaloupe, raspberries), still 1-2 T sugar. Though I'm not getting enough protein, I'm much more mindful of it and getting much more than pre-Peat: eggs, cheese, shrimp, occasional chicken. I try to stay near 20g fat but can't always.

The preg is critical in lowering stress hormones, so thyroid has a chance to work.

Because protein is a challenge for me, given that gelatin doesn't work and I had problems on a high protein diet, I decided to supplement simple aminos a la Haidut in his post for protein for those with compromised digestion (or some such). I've ordered BCAA and the three other aminos he mentions (phenylalaine, lysine, threonine, I think).

 

[tara]

Glad yopu are having some good results. :

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/96930/ Because protein is a challenge for me, given that gelatin doesn't work and I had problems on a high protein diet, I decided to supplement simple aminos a la Haidut in his post for protein for those with compromised digestion (or some such). I've ordered BCAA and the three other aminos he mentions (phenylalaine, lysine, threonine, I think).

I'll be curious about how this works for you.

 

[charlie]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/96931/ I'll be curious about how this works for you.

:1

 

[gummybear]

Seems like charlie has cut off the ability for me to send private message so I send it here, the cascara is 160€ sunmountain. Spagetti was on holiday so it took longer to get a reply.

 

[charlie]

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/posts/97075/ Seems like charlie has cut off the ability for me to send private message so I send it here, the cascara is 160€ sunmountain. Spagetti was on holiday so it took longer to get a reply.

You are not going to be allowed to come here and treat people the way you do. You are on mod que indefinitely.

 

[sunmountain]

Oh, dear, I am so sorry gummy is in trouble. He's been incredibly kind and helpful about the cascara. I don't know what he did to get into trouble, but I do hope it sorts out soon and he can come back on here!

Gummy, thanks for checking it out and letting me know. So it turns out that I don't need cascara after all because I've been able to increase thyroid and that is doing the job that cascara was doing. I am thrilled and happy that thyroid is finally working for me at dosages that my body seems to crave! Thank you again for your kindness and help.

Now for my update...

I'm still experimeting with thyroid dosage. Shifting my quarter cyno to the morning made no difference to falling asleep. This week has been tough due to difficulties falling asleep and not enough sleep.

Taking it in the morning also meant I was not taking t3 during the day as I was when I was taking the quarter at night. This backed up my BM again. Last night I took a cascara which worked fine. This afternoon I nibbled t3 when I came home from work, and pooped in short order, which made me realize that t3 is a MOTILITY AGENT for me!! So now I'm going back to the quarter cyno at night and t3 during the day. I have no idea how to fall asleep, though, as drinking fresh oj before bed still doesn't cut it.

And unless I find some chicken necks with glands intact, I won't have ANY t3 after a while.

Does anyone know if they're selling chicken necks with glands online? I have a meat shop here checking but he says they get it from a local butcher plant that removes the glands.

Oh, what am I going to do when my t3 runs out???!!!!

Ok, the other thing is, I want to have a T or two of Red Boat fish sauce every day. It is made of fermented whole anchovies and salt, that's it. Now I know RP doesn't think fermented things are good for us hypos, but I need the protein and maybe it has some thyroid from the anchovy heads?? So I plan to eat it at least for now because of the difficulty of low fodmap that is also peaty. So I made a very simple rice noodle dish again with the pad thai sauce which is addictive.

Are fresh green beans and bean sprouts peaty?

Also a Korean friend once gave me potato noodles, which I have yet to make. Between rice and potato noodles, at least I'm getting the best kind of starch out there.

I've been taking the Haidut simple aminos once or twice a day so far, and they seem to be working fine.

 

[sunmountain]

I've been trying to reconstruct history a bit.

Last winter, I was up to a quarter cynoplus. Then in the spring or early summer I stopped preg, and after a while couldn't tolerate much thyroid. Plus I started feeling stressed all the time. I connected all this to the stopping of the preg and went back on it (but not on thyroid).

After about a week on preg, I felt even more fatigued and achy than I was already feeling due to lack of thyroid. It was unbelievable how tired I felt all the time. That's when I realized that the preg was actually doing its job and had pushed down the stress hormones. But my body didn't have an alternate source of energy. So then I realized I needed to get back on thyroid and did, and doing great with it!

Also maybe around the same time I stopped preg or earlier, I had stopped pge. Stopping it caused edema which I suffered for several weeks until a chance encounter with a post that connected high estrogen, water retention, and pge. I went back on pge, and the edema went away.

So I never should have stopped the holy trinity -- pge, preg, thyroid -- but now I know why I need them.

 

[sunmountain]

Chugging along nicely on thyroid. Quarter cynoplus at night; t3 during day. I think I need to increase, but will wait another week.

Stomach still bloated. Hair falling stopped!!

Still trying to figure out why I can take higher dose of thyroid now and not before. Two things come to mind:
1. "Down with endotoxin" -- lots of AC past weeks (now once/week) and daily carrot salad. Proof: no more joint pain.
2. Addition of fresh, strained OJ: It just felt so right when I had this in Mexico that I knew I needed it regularly. I have 3-4 glasses a day, and maybe it gives to thyroid the fuel it needs.

The second night after I went back on thyroid, I was up all night peeing every hour or two. I think that explains the 3 lbs weight loss -- water weight.

Started sleeping on floor (carpet) again last night to help spine etc. due to bloat which is kept in check with fodmaps but still there.

 

[sunmountain]

Upper endoscopy done today. To my surprise, he found inflamed stomach lining and "about a half dozen small ulcers." He said small intestine looked fine from what he could see as the test wasn't really designed for that. He took biopsies, which will be tested for H. Pylori among other things.

I did have H.Py show up in my stool test about a month or two ago before he put me on the Rifaximin. At the time, my mother told me to take it up with him. She has been treated for H. Pyl before. I need to check her story with her.

GI suggested taking Carafate and gave me a prescription for it. I read up on Carafate, and it has aluminum. Also read up on gastritis, if that's what it is. Remember Haidut posting on Pepcid being a good thing.

I'm a bit confused about a number of things.

1. Should I take Pepcid instead of Carafate? But how do I know I don't have low stomach acid to start with?

2. If I take Pepcid or whatever, will it make it harder to digest food due to little acid?

3. What about diet and supps?
- Aspirin (I just started aspirin/k2 a couple of weeks ago. Lay off until gastritis is healed?)
- carrot salad
- AC (but need something to keep endotoxins at bay)
- fresh strained OJ (website says to avoid citrus inflaming stomach more)
- coffee (same website as above; I just restarted coffee, a cup/day)

Would be super grateful if some knowledgeable folks weigh in.

Thanks!

Adding:
Just read over some of the posts on famotidine. The question about too low stomach acid being a problem for protein digestion especially while on famotidine was raised earlier, though not answered. Someone speculated that the benefit of greater glycogen storage due to famotidine might offset the low-acid digestive issues.

I'm taking Haidut's simple amino formula, so I wonder if that is less of a problem on the too little acid front if I take famotidine.

Also, I'm continuing to struggle with insomnia since starting back on thyroid. Nowadays the version is falling asleep by 10 or 11, then waking around 1am, then sleeping an exhausted sleep around 5am, then waking around 8-something feeling like hell. Maybe Pepcid can help with that?

Would still appreciate some feedback on the diet etc. (Hoping Haidut might say something...)

thanks

 

[Giraffe]

post 97318 Oh, what am I going to do when my t3 runs out???!!!!

post 41845 I saw a study long time ago comparing various forms of selenium and only sodium selenite had big effects on conversion of T4 into T3.

Sunmountain, do you get adequate selenium?

 

[sunmountain]

I do eat shrimp at least once a week. And lately I've taken to splashing fish sauce into soups and broths.

How are you doing, Giraffe?

 

[Giraffe]

My GI tract is a bit upset, kidneys and bladder are hurting, tired, a little nauseous (very unusual for me), sore throat. Some ailments that had vanished thanks to Peat are re-emerging now and then.

I have taken up carrot again, this helps a bit with gasses. I took some AC a week ago when I got suspicious of the mussels I had eaten, but I don't want to take AC too often. Now I need to make my kidneys happy again. I remembered a chi gong exercise I am trying now...Shoaaaaa!... Luckily my neighbour's dog is not at home... Whooo-whooo!...

 

[sunmountain]

That doesn't sound so peachy, Giraffe! I'm curious why you don't want to take AC often? And what caused the GI distress?

I take AC in the middle of the night whenever I wake up, which is often these days.

I also felt the daily carrot salad helping, though I have stopped it since yesterday due to the gastritis discovered during the endoscopy. In the report, it said "areas of erosion" were found.

Now I did sleep through last night. I took a Pepcid at bedtime. Coincidence? We'll find out.

And, I took a Pepcid this morning and went over four hours without food or drink WITHOUT LOW SUGAR SYMPTOMS cuz I was taking train to visit family. Coincidence? We'll find out.

Since the endoscopy yesterday, I'm more aware of my what's happening inside my stomach. Because I've never had acid problems in my life, I could not recognize acid symptoms. But this morning when I woke up, I did feel acidy in my stomach, and it felt a bit like low sugar and was not pleasant. So I slept through the night but needed to eat upon waking -- but no complaints as long as I can sleep through!

 

[Giraffe]

I insulted my GI tract three times in the last two weeks: thiamin-experiment - mussels - eating out (bread and aioli as starters). The kidney pains started with the thiamin-experiment. When I tried charcoal the poop hurt (like sand), the transit time was longer, but no benefits. I will gladly use charcoal again when I suspect food poising or when I have diarrhea, but it doesn't feel right to use it without these indicators. It's more a gut decision than rational cognition... Sorry for the pun.

Your experiences so far with famotidin sound promissing. :)

 

[sunmountain]

Does famotidine cause constipation????? I have not had a BM today! And here I am, visiting family 2 hours away, with no cascara with me!!!

Even T3 could not make me go today.

Even a 45 minute walk did not make me go.

On the plus side, I went for a 45 minute walk!!!!

Giraffe, I always take cascara with the AC. By itself, AC IS constipating. Do you have access to cascara? Since you are in Europe, you could even get the real stuff, right? Farmalabor.

My hunch is that these gut sanitizers like carrot salad and AC and bamboo shoots work best when taken regularly, in quantities that don't cause distress.

I've been peating over a year, and still figuring out a diet that I can eat without distress. Part of it is that it's a moving target, as new symptoms come up and rotate.

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[sunmountain]

So constipation IS a mentioned side effect of famotidine.

Anyone know if cascara and famotidine are ok together?

 

[sunmountain]

So it is established -- famotidine is helping me sleep through the night!

Because of the constipation, I did not take the morning dose today. I did have two BMs today, but feel they were incomplete.

I've also started putting baking soda in my OJ to reduce acidity.

Does anyone know if famotidine slows transit? I couldn't find any connection between the two.

Also, what is the connection between stomach acid and blook glucose? What is the mechanism by which famotidine regulates blood sugar?

 

[Giraffe]

post 98650 So it is established -- famotidine is helping me sleep through the night!

See Haidut's post here: post 67324 about famotidine and blood glucose.

 

[Peata]

Sorry you're having the GI issues, SM. I have/had them as well. Irritation, burning, etc. I got over a recent bad spell with gatstritis by taking the Carafate and Omeprezole. I went into it deciding I would take them short term (2 weeks, then see how I felt and if needed a couple more weeks). My stomach seems a lot better and I haven't needed them.

My thing lately has been some nausea. Not sure if that is more related to hormones or not. I started taking some Dramamine as needed. I found that 1/2 tablet helped my stomach without making me sleepy, so I'd take that during the day if needed. And If I wanted to sleep, I'd take 1 - 1/2 tablets at least an hour before bed. I experimented with the doses when I didn't have to work because I wasn't sure how much would make me feel what.

I was taking famotidine for a long time. I still have a bottle around and may take it again at some point. I found that what helped me sleep better at night was to not eat too close to bed. I've had to work on the timing a little. Too far between food and bed and I might not be able to sleep well, but too close and I don't either. But my overnight glycogen problems have virtually disappeared since I stopped eating close to bed. Keep us updated whether famotidine helps your blood sugar.

Do you drink coffee? That usually gets me going to the bathroom in the morning.