Over 3 Months In

OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Issues, looking for advice

So some issues I have that I could use insight on.

Ear -ringing. Had it since I was a kid but seems a little worse or more noticeable latey.

Chronic cough (related to allergies). Worse at night. Cough drops seem to help.

Cracky/poppy joints/tendons or whatever. It's not as bad as it was, but I don't know if it's cause by all the excess vitamin E I take from Progest E or need more K (which I try to remember to take) or what. I get enough calcium and have a good calcium/phosphorus ratio.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
A little more info:

Though I said before I was going to stop with Cronometer, it does help me keep track of things. I just don't use it obsessively. I think sometime this year I will be able to abandon it as far as daily use.

I started back on Metformin about 6 weeks ago to see if would do anything for me. But I really can't tell a difference being on it or not. So I'm going back off it.

Other supps I use:

Progest E, at least 3 times per day and another larger amount before bed.

Cypro, as explained before.

Sometimes I take K&D, but not daily.

Otherwise, I think my main "supplement" would be coffee, though I think of it as food, not taking a supplement. But I drink regular through the day and sometimes decaf at night. I like half and half and sugar in it. I switched to dark roast a couple weeks ago and am enjoying my coffee even more.

I shoot for 80 g. protein min.

I've been eating protein bars everyday, sometimes twice daily, and I really need to cut that out. It has many "bad" ingredients.
 

Katty

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
396
Re: post Doctor Visit

Peata said:
Katty said:
Peata said:
I'm happy because I saw a new doctor and he seems easy to work with. He prescribed Cyproheptadine. 4 mg. I just picked up the Rx and it was very cheap thankfully.
Hey Peata, I know this was an older post. But I'm wondering how you got the Dr to prescribe cypro. Did you just tell him you have allergies and you want it? Or did you give him more specific symptoms? I'm thinking about bringing this up to my Dr, but not sure if he'll be up for it.

EDIT: And p.s., sorry for the odd placing of this question. I was searching for key words and didn't read your more recent posts before posting this. Hope you are feeling better about things-- personally, I haven't felt creative or a sense of wonder in a long time.

Hi Katty. I went to the doctor partly for allergy issues anyway, so I said something like, "I don't know if you're familiar with it, but years ago, a doctor prescribed me an antihistamine called Cyproheptadine, and I did really well with it. I'd like to take it again. I've tried other things over the counter and prescription, but I'd really like to go back to Cyproheptadine."

Kept talking it up like that.

(It's true that I did have an Rx for it many years ago but that was long before I knew that it was a great drug and I didn't keep taking it.)

Thanks Peata. Good to know if I need to try and convince my Dr. Glad you're doing better =)
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
I seem to be hungry before bed lately. almost like I need another meal. And it needs to have adequate protein with it. Last night I tried to make the before-bed meal mostly fruit. I had 1 low fat string cheese, 1 peeled very ripe pear, 1 banana, several dates. Oh, and 12 dark chocolate chips. I woke up around 5 a.m. with one of those horrible nightmares that I recognized as a blood sugar nightmare (the things that happen in them and the way they make me feel, even after I wake up...) I ate something and went back to bed. My liver just can't store enough to get me through the night if I only eat or mainly eat sweet stuff. I have to have the protein in there too. One cheese stick was not enough protein. It has to feel like a meal - filling.
 

loess

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
390
I have that too, Peata. I've been intentionally upping the protein (usually with farmers cheese), eating more frequently, and what has especially helped is eating a little beyond the feeling of satiation at each meal during the day. When I hit those marks I tend to sleep better and don't get hungry before bed nearly as often. It can be tough though, you really have to carve out a lot of moments during the day to continually snack.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
I finally went through a day without diarrhea, if it's not described as number of bowel movements but as watery, loose, bm. Because I did still have to go the same number of times but it was not watery, explosive. Kind of like my body still tried to have diarrhea and go multiple times, but there just wasn't the water tied up with it this time. Maybe this means I'm at the right dose of Cypro or maybe it's just a lucky break where I am in my cycle. I'll continue to monitor.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Over the last few days I've had bad estrogen problems. I am still taking Progest E, just less since my period is here. But I'm not going to take it while I embark on an experiment to lower estrogen, as described HERE.

My symptoms of high estrogen:

scant period for a day or two, then nothing for days, then it comes on.
sore, lumpy, swollen breasts
bloat & weight gain
some anxiety
acne, though it's really not that bad at the moment

Also I did end up getting some diarrhea the last few days but only one time per day instead of everytime I go to the bathroom. I don't know if that's estrogen promoting a shift toward constipation (which in my diarrhea-prone case just means less diarrhea) or it's the Cyproheptadine.

Which brings me to something else. I love the way Cypro helps my mood but I'm afraid of the weight gain it can cause. I don't seem to be eating more, but I did see more on the scale (which I'm hoping is only because I'm so bloated). But I heard it can cause a lot of weight gain without a person even trying to eat more. I don't know if this is so. It's supposed to increase appetite but as I said, I'm still eating normally. So I don't know whether to cut back on Cypro or go off.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Just for the heck of it, I tried to think back to the kinds of things I would eat in my vegetarian and vegan days, to see if I was getting proper nutrition. As a vegan, looks like I had no problem getting 80+ g. protein (though as a vegan it came from soy, legumes), got adequate calories and carbs, but looks like fat would actually be higher. Fiber was quite high, I'd say 40+g per day. Maybe that helped offset the fat. Lots of starch, relatively low in sugar as I recall. Pretty much all the other nutrition met. Outrageous PUFA.

As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I did fine, not a whole lot changed.

As a vegan, however, I focused so much on food that eventually it became like an obsession. I started eating less and less because I started getting picky about sources and whatnot. Waaay too much soy and PUFA. I ended up a broken out, no-energy, depressed, thryoidal mess.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
As much as I loved the effects from Cypro, I decided to go off it. I had my last 1 mg. Tues a.m. But yesterday I started getting withdrawal symptoms similar to when I'd go off SSRIs. At first I thought the room was shaking because of some road workers nearby. Then I realized it was my brain, twerking in my skull. I had some nausea, malaise... just "those" symptoms of withdrawal. Anyone who's gone off SSRIs will understand. They were mild enough that I didn't panic, but I did have to go take 1/2 mg. Cypro. I was pretty much OK the rest of the day.

I've been OK so far today, just very mild symptoms that go quick, I hardly notice them. I think I'm off it now, I doubt I have a need to take a bit of Cypro to stop symptoms. Whew.
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Hi Peata, you may have checked this already, but for me, wheat and/or gluten can cause diarrhea. More than a decade ago a naturopath suggested I go a fortnight without it, to see if it made a difference to my migraines. It didn't seem to help with migraines, but the chronic mild diarhea I'd had for so long I though it was normal stopped within 2 or 3 days. Nowadays I occasionally eat wheat, but not every day and not as a staple. If I eat a lot, I get the mild diarrhea back.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
tara said:
Hi Peata, you may have checked this already, but for me, wheat and/or gluten can cause diarrhea. More than a decade ago a naturopath suggested I go a fortnight without it, to see if it made a difference to my migraines. It didn't seem to help with migraines, but the chronic mild diarhea I'd had for so long I though it was normal stopped within 2 or 3 days. Nowadays I occasionally eat wheat, but not every day and not as a staple. If I eat a lot, I get the mild diarrhea back.

Thanks, Tara, I did check that. I tried that a couple times this year, and no difference. My diarrhea stays pretty much the same through it all. In fact right now I am on a wheat bran fiber experiment, so I won't be wheat-free for a while I think.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Today I started using Nasalcrom again, which was rec'd to me this summer by someone here. Maybe aqualiroja. I've had a bad chronic cough for weeks. it is the old chronic bronchitis cough I used to get, and back then I had to go on inhalers and shots. Hoping the Nasalcrom makes a difference.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
I've gone through a bad season as far as injuries and illness. I won't go into it all at this point, but at least I have stopped the chronic diarrhea. I just go normally for the most part. At the end of Nov, I was on an antibiotic that nearly sent me to the ER with awful side effects. Because of that antibiotic, my diarrhea got even WORSE with the most severe low intestinal cramps I've ever experienced, so much that I had to take meds for pain to function. I started using Pepto Bismol as needed, like a dose or two every time i felt even the urge of diarrhea. I stopped the antibiotic. After I got the diarrhea under control, I would use Pepto Bismol less and less, until I was needing a dose every other day, every few days, etc. I think i just need it once per week, it's so much better.

So, that is one good thing to report.

Otherwise, I Haven't been focused on Peat and diet so much. I still don't seek out PUFA or anything, but I've been less strict and obsessed, if i was before.
 

Blossom

Moderator
Forum Supporter
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
11,033
Location
Indiana USA
Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I've been wondering how you were doing! I'm glad the diarrhea is better. I've been more relaxed in my approach lately too. When I first consulted with Benedicte she thought I should be less strict but it took me a while to get to the point where I was comfortable with that idea. I'm glad you updated Peata!
 

narouz

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
4,429
Peata said:
I've gone through a bad season as far as injuries and illness. I won't go into it all at this point, but at least I have stopped the chronic diarrhea. I just go normally for the most part. At the end of Nov, I was on an antibiotic that nearly sent me to the ER with awful side effects. Because of that antibiotic, my diarrhea got even WORSE with the most severe low intestinal cramps I've ever experienced, so much that I had to take meds for pain to function. I started using Pepto Bismol as needed, like a dose or two every time i felt even the urge of diarrhea. I stopped the antibiotic. After I got the diarrhea under control, I would use Pepto Bismol less and less, until I was needing a dose every other day, every few days, etc. I think i just need it once per week, it's so much better.

So, that is one good thing to report.

Otherwise, I Haven't been focused on Peat and diet so much. I still don't seek out PUFA or anything, but I've been less strict and obsessed, if i was before.

Peata-
Forgive me if I've missed some things in your very interesting chronicle here,
so I hope this is not a clumsy thought:
I see you've used antibiotics.
Me too.

I've recently wondered if I may be suffering from an imbalance of microflora.
Possibly a yeast/fungus/Candida infestation.
You might check out threads I started recently exploring this rather un-Peatian avenue of thinking.
http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5507
http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5476
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Blossom said:
Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I've been wondering how you were doing! I'm glad the diarrhea is better. I've been more relaxed in my approach lately too. When I first consulted with Benedicte she thought I should be less strict but it took me a while to get to the point where I was comfortable with that idea. I'm glad you updated Peata!

Thanks, Blossom, I've thought about you guys too.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
narouz said:
Peata said:
I've gone through a bad season as far as injuries and illness. I won't go into it all at this point, but at least I have stopped the chronic diarrhea. I just go normally for the most part. At the end of Nov, I was on an antibiotic that nearly sent me to the ER with awful side effects. Because of that antibiotic, my diarrhea got even WORSE with the most severe low intestinal cramps I've ever experienced, so much that I had to take meds for pain to function. I started using Pepto Bismol as needed, like a dose or two every time i felt even the urge of diarrhea. I stopped the antibiotic. After I got the diarrhea under control, I would use Pepto Bismol less and less, until I was needing a dose every other day, every few days, etc. I think i just need it once per week, it's so much better.

So, that is one good thing to report.

Otherwise, I Haven't been focused on Peat and diet so much. I still don't seek out PUFA or anything, but I've been less strict and obsessed, if i was before.

Peata-
Forgive me if I've missed some things in your very interesting chronicle here,
so I hope this is not a clumsy thought:
I see you've used antibiotics.
Me too.

I've recently wondered if I may be suffering from an imbalance of microflora.
Possibly a yeast/fungus/Candida infestation.
You might check out threads I started recently exploring this rather un-Peatian avenue of thinking.
http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5507
http://www.raypeatforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5476

Hi Narouz,

The weird thing about the antibiotic usage was that I fully expected to get a yeast infection. I kept waiting for it, but never got one. Never had any side effect for over a week. So I was floored after over a week into the treatment when I got that massive intestinal cramping and diarrhea. What a disaster. The pain was unreal. Later, when I could see my doctor, he thought I might have colitis and that is what made the reaction to the antibiotic so much worse (because the pharmacist did take me aside and said it could cause diarrhea but I had no idea it would cause my lower bowl to spasm horribly nonstop). Anyway, I never did have any yeast symptoms. I also didn't take probiotics or eat much yogurt though I did eat some. Although it would only supply one kind of bacteria anyway, I think.

I really don't know if my bowel repopulated anything, but I have had less bowel trouble since I stopped the antbiotic and used Pepto Bismol. After I went off the antibiotic, my "normal" diarrhea started coming back, but I kept up with the Pepto Bismol as needed. Now I hardly have to take it.

I'm not sure why it was such an effective treatment. Immodium did nothing for me. And Pepto never helped the time I had gastritis, but somehow it saved my bowel from diarrhea.
 

narouz

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
4,429
Peata said:
Hi Narouz,

The weird thing about the antibiotic usage was that I fully expected to get a yeast infection. I kept waiting for it, but never got one. Never had any side effect for over a week. So I was floored after over a week into the treatment when I got that massive intestinal cramping and diarrhea. What a disaster. The pain was unreal. Later, when I could see my doctor, he thought I might have colitis and that is what made the reaction to the antibiotic so much worse (because the pharmacist did take me aside and said it could cause diarrhea but I had no idea it would cause my lower bowl to spasm horribly nonstop). Anyway, I never did have any yeast symptoms. I also didn't take probiotics or eat much yogurt though I did eat some. Although it would only supply one kind of bacteria anyway, I think.

I really don't know if my bowel repopulated anything, but I have had less bowel trouble since I stopped the antbiotic and used Pepto Bismol. After I went off the antibiotic, my "normal" diarrhea started coming back, but I kept up with the Pepto Bismol as needed. Now I hardly have to take it.

I'm not sure why it was such an effective treatment. Immodium did nothing for me. And Pepto never helped the time I had gastritis, but somehow it saved my bowel from diarrhea.

Peata-
I don't know if we have our wires maybe crossed...
I wasn't focusing on a vaginal yeast infection...rather an intestinal one.
Not sure what kind you're referring to.
Did you say an antibiotic you took was Ciprofloxacin?
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
Just random notes on diet/supplements...

I stopped gelatin. I noticed I didn't feel good after using it, like I'd get a little bloated and just not feel that well, especially in my intestines. So I haven't been doing the "gelatin to offset meat" thing for a long time.

I just salt things normally like I always used to do. I never skimped on the salt anyway, so I think at times I was overdoing since starting the Peat things.

Also, I don't eat a lot of added sugar, just in coffee with half and half is pretty much all the added sugar. I do eat fruit.

I had to stop the wheat (mini wheats and wheat bran) experiment because I got so sick of it. I can say I followed it at least 2 weeks and it did not help my bowels or hurt them. I may have noticed a little "fullness" or heaviness at times from it, but that's all I can happened. And it may have happened because I didn't go gradually into the added fiber, but started it all at once.

I still use wheat products but no more than I did before.

There have been many issues as I said with illness and injury, but I don't want to get back into analyzing every little thing I eat. I don't track excessively in cronometer, but I know that about half the time I'm only getting half the protein. It sucks but I just don't feel like force feeding what I don't want to eat. I try to aim for 80 g and some days I get it or more, others I do fall short.

As far as supps and Rx I am on some things. My big thing with supplements right now is I just started upping my Vitamin K. I also use a packet of EmergenC everyday for over a month and I started back using an energy drink mix that is similar in profile to Red Bull.

I stopped using aspirin recently.

I quit Benadryl for a couple months but have been taking small amounts here and there lately.

OK, that's all for now. I really don't want to get back into all this stuff so deep. I have things I'm dealing with in many areas of life and feel like health stuff will get straightened out soon. I don't mind if anyone wants to ask questions though, I'll answer as I can.
 
OP
Peata

Peata

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
3,402
narouz said:
Peata said:
Hi Narouz,

The weird thing about the antibiotic usage was that I fully expected to get a yeast infection. I kept waiting for it, but never got one. Never had any side effect for over a week. So I was floored after over a week into the treatment when I got that massive intestinal cramping and diarrhea. What a disaster. The pain was unreal. Later, when I could see my doctor, he thought I might have colitis and that is what made the reaction to the antibiotic so much worse (because the pharmacist did take me aside and said it could cause diarrhea but I had no idea it would cause my lower bowl to spasm horribly nonstop). Anyway, I never did have any yeast symptoms. I also didn't take probiotics or eat much yogurt though I did eat some. Although it would only supply one kind of bacteria anyway, I think.

I really don't know if my bowel repopulated anything, but I have had less bowel trouble since I stopped the antbiotic and used Pepto Bismol. After I went off the antibiotic, my "normal" diarrhea started coming back, but I kept up with the Pepto Bismol as needed. Now I hardly have to take it.

I'm not sure why it was such an effective treatment. Immodium did nothing for me. And Pepto never helped the time I had gastritis, but somehow it saved my bowel from diarrhea.

Peata-
I don't know if we have our wires maybe crossed...
I wasn't focusing on a vaginal yeast infection...rather an intestinal one.
Not sure what kind you're referring to.
Did you say an antibiotic you took was Ciprofloxacin?

I guess I assumed vaginal yeast infection would be the sign that yeast was out of balance while on antibiotics. Otherwise I would not know I had a yeast problem. I've never had thrush that I know of. I don't know any other kind of yeast issue other than those two.

I forget what I was on, I think it was Amoxycillin. Supposed to be a 10 day course, having to take a pill around the clock.
 
Back
Top Bottom