The Long-Winded Digestion Thread

[Blossom]

I would tell the doctor you were not fasting as the test indicates because it could make a difference in how some of the test result are interpreted. You may need to redo the test while fasting.

 

[sunmountain]

Thanks, Blossom, I will.

In the meantime, I've been looking at FODMAPS. It's interesting. I think I can sorta composite RP and FODMAPS, with some exceptions.

I'm already trying to avoid gluten. I had begun avoiding it while LC, so not unfamiliar. My grains of choice will be rice, oatmeal (which has never given me a problem), and I will learn masa harina.

Beans and lentils are forbidden in both. I can mostly go along with that, but WILL eat chili once or twice a week until I can learn more things to do with ground beef.

Some fruits are forbidden on FODMAPS (including my beloved watermelon). I can make do with the others: grapes, oranges, cantaloupe, sometimes strawberries. The apple stew will have to wait.

Dairy: no milk for now. I will eat homemade farmer's cheese, eggs, butter, some cheddar cheese, parmesan, fresh mozzarella and part-skim string cheese (is latter Peaty?), greek yogurt. I can use lactose free milk for cooking, heavy cream, and coconut milk for making sauces. I can't give up ice-cream altogether, but can cut back.

I can eat grassfed beef, shellfish, white-fish. No other meat by choice.

Veggies: what I'm eating right now is mainly tomatoes, peppers, sometimes corn and potatoes. Can work in other RP veggies; most veggies are ok in FODMAPS.

I've been drinking apple juice, but can switch back to OJ or try grape juice. FODMAPS says no to apples.

Instead of honey (my main sweetener these days, I'll switch to table sugar.

CO is fine in both. FODMAPS says nothing about gelatin, so I'm continuing it (hydrolyzed).

So the only things I'm not obeying in both is occasional beans in chili, and ice-cream.

I think I can probably pull this off, as I'm sorta there already. Not too many changes, I think.

Anyone care to comment on the Peatiness of the above plan?

We'll see if this helps. Today for lunch I ate a mixture of rice, scrambled eggs, butter, CO, a bit of cheddar. Tasted great, and sat well in my stomach. Then a bit later I ate cherries and grapes with string cheese and started swelling. According to FODMAPS the culprit is cherries. We'll see how it goes without cherries.

Also, can anyone recommend a Peatish sauce thickener? Arrowroot? Cornstarch? Thanks

 

[Such_Saturation]

I see so many with eosinophilia on this forum, and in almost all my labs since forever. I wonder what it is.

 

[sunmountain]

Hi Such_Saturation, Thanks for catching that. Do you think it might be because of an inflamed gut?

What might it lead to if it is not lowered?

How to lower it?

Thanks

 

[Jennifer]

I just did a quick google search and this is what the mayo clinic website had to say about eosinophils:

"You can have high levels of eosinophils in your blood (blood eosinophilia). High levels of eosinophils may also occur in your body's tissues at the site of an infection or inflammation (tissue eosinophilia)."

http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/eosi ... M-20050752

Gut inflammation looks like a factor. Given that many of us have gut inflammation, I'm not surprised so many have eosinophils.

 

[Such_Saturation]

That is probably it, I go out of range periodically by percentage and/or count. Doctors never worry about those (if only they were so dismissive of other ranges as well). I also had neutropenia (endotoxin?) and kid you not basopenia (doctor had a good laugh there).

 

[thebigpeatowski]

Bacterial, fungal and other parasitic infections, as well as food allergies, toxins and endocrine disorders can cause elevated eosinophils...

@sunmountain: might be worth checking your levels again in a few months to see if the dietary changes make a difference.

 

[sunmountain]

Ray of hope here.

No, not about the stomach. Still bloated except in AM after bedtime AC.

BUT I noticed that lately my body is tolerating more thyroid.

I have mentioned in different posts that I simply can't seem to increase thyroid, no matter what, after 3 months of peating.

Well, I'm tolerating an increase in dosage just fine. No racing heartbeat, or runs, or anything.

This could be BIG. Didn't I read some post where someone got out of SIBO by increasing thyroid?

I'm thinking what might have led to my body tolerating more thyroid. I've been taking quite large doses of preg lately. As in 1/8-1/4 tsp of preg twice a day. I think the preg is suppressing the stress hormones, which might be a condition -- at least for my body -- to make room for more thyroid.

I'm also taking cypro nightly -- 8mg.

I'm not taking as much progest-e these days...once or twice a day, as opposed to several times. I still use a generous amount when I take it. Sometimes I forget to take it.

And underlying everything is that I'm eating much more than before peating.

Let's see what happens next.

 

[sunmountain]

My waking temp and pulse is now 97.2 and 77. Nice.

BUT, my oxygen saturation on the oximeter has gone down from 97 to 95. What does this mean??? Is this good or bad?? Does it indicate stress hormones still at work?

 

[visionofstrength]

My waking temp and pulse is now 97.2 and 77. Nice.

BUT, my oxygen saturation on the oximeter has gone down from 97 to 95. What does this mean??? Is this good or bad?? Does it indicate stress hormones still at work?

Yes, 95 is not good, unless you live high in the mountains, or your pulse oximeter is not accurate.

Whatever you're doing with prescription medications, remember these are regulated because they have many known and likely unknown side effects.

I think I've seen you mention prescriptions such as t4, t3 and cyproheptadine. Peat advises that these are a last resort, or else (in the case of thyroid) only to be used when your liver is producing adequate cholesterol, and even then in carefully controlled doses. He believes your first remedy lies in simple, safe diet changes.

Please remember that any apparent advice you see from members on this forum should not be trusted or relied on, especially to the extent it differs from Peat's research.

 

[sunmountain]

Thanks for the reply, VoS!

I was prescribed levothyroxine by my doctor over a year ago. As a matter of fact, she prescribed Thyrolar, which has both T3 and T4, but when I went to fill the script, I found out that Forrest had stopped making or selling it for no apparent reason. So I was put on levothyroxine, or T4 only, which only partially resolved symptoms. At that time, I was also LC.

Subsequently I discovered Peat, and stopped LC and began to eat a minimum of 2000 calories. I also got T3 from MExico, and was able to take it in minute quantities in addition to my T4.

The only prescription med I've added on is cypro, which I take for insomnia, and which my doc wrote a script for, so I got it from here.

I am continuing to work on diet, but I don't believe the process is linear, and there are many unexpected twists and turns along the way. I try to remain open to possibilities while continuing to work on Peat's basic principles.

I will change the battery in my oxi, just in case.

Regarding thyroid, my understanding of Peat is that one should gradually increase it until waking temps and pulse are within a normal range. For the past three months, while working on diet, I could tolerate only 25mcg of T4, and nearly next to nothing of T3.

I am wondering if increasing thyroid can have a negative effect on oxygen saturation, or whether the decrease might be linked to something else. Assuming that the oxy is working fine, and that today's dip is not a one-time fluke, which will be known in the coming days.

Any thoughts on that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Blossom]

On the oxygen saturation reading I would just keep an eye on it for now. This is of course NOT medical advice. 90-92% (90% being most common in my experience) is the customary number at which if you were in the emergency room (for example) the reading would start to be of concern and you might be administered a small amount of oxygen. Fluctuations of a couple points are very common. Your body is going through a lot of changes so your numbers may fluctuate some. I have seen people with two different readings at the exact same moment in time as measured by a different oximeter on different fingers. I think looking at the trend in the numbers is sensible. There are multiple variables that can result in a small change in the reading that may make it not exactly correct such as the equipment function, temperature of the fingers and your circulation being the most common. That's just my opinion.

 

[Such_Saturation]

On the oxygen saturation reading I would just keep an eye on it for now. This is of course NOT medical advice. 90-92% (90% being most common in my experience) is the customary number at which if you were in the emergency room (for example) the reading would start to be of concern and you might be administered a small amount of oxygen. Fluctuations of a couple points are very common. Your body is going through a lot of changes so your numbers may fluctuate some. I have seen people with two different readings at the exact same moment in time as measured by a different oximeter on different fingers. I think looking at the trend in the numbers is sensible. There are multiple variables that can result in a small change in the reading that may make it not exactly correct such as the equipment function, temperature of the fingers and your circulation being the most common. That's just my opinion.

Once I did Buteyko between readings and it went from 98 to 100.

 

[sunmountain]

Thanks so much, Blossom and Such!

It helps to know the bottom numbers on it. I very much hope it's just a fluke, and will of course continue to monitor.

Interesting and understandable that buteyko would have that effect. For the moment, I'll not make any additional changes except change the battery, to see what happens next. I'll continue the slightly increased dose of thyroid.

Thanks

 

[visionofstrength]

Regarding thyroid, my understanding of Peat is that one should gradually increase it until waking temps and pulse are within a normal range. For the past three months, while working on diet, I could tolerate only 25mcg of T4, and nearly next to nothing of T3.

I am wondering if increasing thyroid can have a negative effect on oxygen saturation, or whether the decrease might be linked to something else. Assuming that the oxy is working fine, and that today's dip is not a one-time fluke, which will be known in the coming days.

Any thoughts on that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Peat's view is that you should not take any t4/t3 unless or until your liver is producing adequate cholesterol. T4/t3 is known to be dangerous, to your heart in particular. Peat recounts how he developed an irregular heartbeat when he overdosed on T3.

The concerns with cyproheptadine are just as great. Peat may have suggested it, in email, for cancer:

Cyproheptadine, 2 to 4 mg at bedtime, would help with his sleep as well as the cancer.

My concern is that you may be asking for these prescriptions based on advice you may think you're seeing in this forum. Please understand that no one in this forum is giving you any such advice. Each person's experience in this forum is completely unique, and no generalized advice, especially about prescription medication, should be trusted or relied on.

 

[visionofstrength]

On the oxygen saturation reading I would just keep an eye on it for now. This is of course NOT medical advice. 90-92% (90% being most common in my experience) is the customary number at which if you were in the emergency room (for example) the reading would start to be of concern and you might be administered a small amount of oxygen. Fluctuations of a couple points are very common. Your body is going through a lot of changes so your numbers may fluctuate some. I have seen people with two different readings at the exact same moment in time as measured by a different oximeter on different fingers. I think looking at the trend in the numbers is sensible. There are multiple variables that can result in a small change in the reading that may make it not exactly correct such as the equipment function, temperature of the fingers and your circulation being the most common. That's just my opinion.

Once I did Buteyko between readings and it went from 98 to 100.

Hi Blossom, The reason that 90-92 is treated in an emergency room is that it is often a precursor to a life-threatening condition. Below 90% there is what's call a "slippery slope" and oxygenation can crash very quickly, causing fainting or worse.
[Edit: B, correct me if I'm wrong, you may have more experience in ER's.]

Oxygen saturation can also vary considerably during exercise, or bag breathing.

However, routinely low oxygen saturation -- when at rest -- is an indication of chronic (not yet emergency) cardiovascular disease. In particular, 95% is below the 2% margin of error for even most $30 oximeters. When Peat talks about the importance of oxygen reaching the tissue, he is indirectly talking about oxygen saturation. Lower is not good.*

*Unless you are at high altitude, when the blood may have a correspondingly higher percentage of carbon dioxide (in which case, oxygen delivery is, paradoxically, better).

 

[Blossom]

On the oxygen saturation reading I would just keep an eye on it for now. This is of course NOT medical advice. 90-92% (90% being most common in my experience) is the customary number at which if you were in the emergency room (for example) the reading would start to be of concern and you might be administered a small amount of oxygen. Fluctuations of a couple points are very common. Your body is going through a lot of changes so your numbers may fluctuate some. I have seen people with two different readings at the exact same moment in time as measured by a different oximeter on different fingers. I think looking at the trend in the numbers is sensible. There are multiple variables that can result in a small change in the reading that may make it not exactly correct such as the equipment function, temperature of the fingers and your circulation being the most common. That's just my opinion.

Once I did Buteyko between readings and it went from 98 to 100.

Hi Blossom, The reason that 90-92 is treated in an emergency room is that it is often a precursor to a life-threatening condition. Below 90% there is what's call a "slippery slope" and oxygenation can crash very quickly, causing fainting or worse.

Oxygen saturation can also vary considerably during exercise, or bag breathing.

However, routinely low oxygen saturation -- when at rest -- is an indication of chronic (not yet emergency) cardiovascular disease. In particular, 95% is below the 2% margin of error for even most $30 oximeters. When Peat talks about the importance of oxygen reaching the tissue, he is indirectly talking about oxygen saturation. Lower is not good.*

*Unless you are at high altitude, when the blood may have a correspondingly higher percentage of carbon dioxide (in which case, oxygen delivery is, paradoxically, better).

Yeah, I understand what you are saying about the P50/oxygen dissociation curve. I was just using the ER as an example but you have to be careful with examples being misunderstood or taken out of context. I just didn't want sunmountain to panic needlessly. My spo2 was 99-100% on diamox btw.

 

[visionofstrength]

Yeah, I understand what you are saying about the P50/oxygen dissociation curve. I was just using the ER as an example but you have to be careful with examples being misunderstood or taken out of context. ...My spo2 was 99-100% on diamox btw.

[offtopic]Is is true that beer tastes awful on diamox? It seems inhibition of carbonic anhydrase by diamox in the tongue prevents the conversion of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid (in fizzy drinks like beer), and the acid-sensing taste buds are not activated.[/offtopic]

 

[Jennifer]

Does anyone know Ray's opinion about gelatin and also coconut water when a person has an inflamed gut?

I imagine it's all highly individual, but I've read where people mention possible endotoxin issues with gelatin and I'm a bit confused by that. I thought gelatin was protective to the gut lining or am I mistaken?

Also, I think I read where Ray says coconut water is fine and that it's the proteins in mature coconuts/unrefined oil/milk that can be allergenic. Does anyone remember if he said this?

 

[Blossom]

Yeah, I understand what you are saying about the P50/oxygen dissociation curve. I was just using the ER as an example but you have to be careful with examples being misunderstood or taken out of context. ...My spo2 was 99-100% on diamox btw.

[offtopic]Is is true that beer tastes awful on diamox? It seems inhibition of carbonic anhydrase by diamox in the tongue prevents the conversion of carbon dioxide to carbonic acid (in fizzy drinks like beer), and the acid-sensing taste buds are not activated.[/offtopic]

I don't drink beer because it might be estrogenic and I'm gluten free. Carbonated beverages did taste a bit different though.