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Post by Karen on Aug 5, 2013 19:50:04 GMT -5
Jen - I get most of my supplements from my doctor, though I believe you could also find them online. They're quite pricey so I wouldn't recommend you spend the money on them unless you completely clean up your diet, as the best supplements in the world won't undo continual damage due to food. Taking that into account, here's what I'm on:
- Designs for Heath brand: GI Revive, LV-GB Complex, and GastroMend-HP - these are all tailored for the gut - Ortho Molecular Probiotic 225 - this is a high potency probiotic - Prescript Assist - a soil-based probiotic - Gelatin - dissolve some in a whole-fruit juice drink every day
I find that if I miss this cocktail for a day or two, I get really backed up. When taken regularly, I'm regular, too.
I also take D, B complex, and digestive enzymes/HCL.
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jen74
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Post by jen74 on Aug 6, 2013 10:58:13 GMT -5
Hi Karen,
Thanks for all the information, I appreciate it. I have been eating a pretty healthy diet already for a long time pretty much. There are so many different diets out there, and I have tried so many of them ( SCD diet, grain free, carb free etc..). I have been Gluten Free now for years and I know this does help me a lot with my upper gut issues. I still am having all kinds of lower gut stuff going on though. I have also seen quite a few naturopathic doctors in the past and also took a lot of different supplements. I have not taken the ones you mentioned though. I try and be careful with how many I take( it can get very expensive very quickly as I learned from past experiences.) Also I do not want to overload my body too much since I tend to be sensitive to everything. I am going to look into the supplements you mentioned, thanks for sharing and I am glad you are doing way better...
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Post by Karen on Aug 6, 2013 17:29:12 GMT -5
If you haven't recently, I'd really encourage you to get tested for food sensitivities. My integrative doc did that test a few years ago and again recently, and that proved the most helpful in cleaning up my diet. There were so many foods on there that were 'healthy', but my body hated them. So I thought I was doing the right thing by eating them, but they did my body NO good. We're talking beets, green beans, almonds, pineapple, etc. Things that lots of health nuts eat!
If you can't do that, I'd strongly recommend an elimination diet such as the Whole30 for a month, then reintroduce foods one by one so you know exactly how they make your body react. Seriously, after not eating them for a period of time, your body will hit you over the head with the reintroduction. Then you know what's healthy for YOU and what isn't - not based on some specific diet.
I've tried several diets, too, and completely eliminating every irritant was the tipping point for me and so many others that are on the Whole30 forums.
As for the supplements, I did a thorough review of the ingredients in my doctor's office as I react to many different things. These are about as clean as they come, though I had to discontinue one due to the use of cranberries (on my no-no list due to a sensitivity). I'm spending a fortune, but I'm hopeful they'll help me actually HEAL so I don't have to take them (or be miserable) for the rest of my life. It cuts into my budget, but in a toss-up between my finances and quality of life, I'll take quality of life any day!
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jen74
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Post by jen74 on Aug 11, 2013 12:49:17 GMT -5
I actually did get tested a few years ago for food allergies. It was a huge blood test where they test you for everything under the sun. Ironically everything I was allergic too I did not eat anyhow. I started questioning the reliability of the test after awhile though because every 6 months I would have it done and it would change. Like I would be allergic to lemon the one time, then 6 months later I am not allergic to it, but I am allergic to tomatoes. I even went to an allergist and asked him about it and he said those blood tests testing for allergies and food sensitivities are Not reliable at all. He said the only true way to see if you have a sensitivity or allergy is to ingest it and see how you react to that certain thing. Those blood tests are very expensive too.
I also am very sensitive to chemicals so I have a hard time taking supplements too. Too many inactive ingredients in a lot of them. I know Pure Encapsulations are one the best, they have the least amount of inactive ingredients in their products I found.
I notice for me, I can eat the same exact thing for weeks and be ok and then I can go into a flare and be in so much gut pain out of nowhere even when I have been eating the same things. So I am not sure if my diet plays a role in my gut issues or not. I mean I figure I would not have had those few good weeks where I was feeling good, no issues really and then go into a huge flare out of nowhere for no reason. It is odd. I mean definitely I know there are certain things I cannot eat or it will mess me up( i.e. Gluten). So I stay away from a lot of stuff. It sure can get frustrating though because I like I said, I can eat one thing, like lets say steamed organic carrots. I will be fine with them for weeks, but then I can eat them one day and react to them. I mean there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.
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Post by Karen on Sept 6, 2013 18:52:11 GMT -5
I've had blood tests several times and yes, they change, but that's because my food sensitivities change. But every time, with the exception of one or two foods, they are spot on - at that specific time. With leaky gut, food particles leak out of the intestinal wall and end up in your blood stream. Your immune system reacts to it as it's not supposed to be there. If it happens enough with the same food particles, the reaction can get to be pretty strong. That's why some foods may not cause a reaction right away. If you back off and don't eat a food for a while, the reaction can lesson over time, and as the gut heals.
I went to an allergist as well, but the scratch test I did was absolutely useless. That test only looks for a histamine response, not other kinds of responses.
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jen74
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Post by jen74 on Sept 9, 2013 10:34:58 GMT -5
Hey Karen,
Yeah, those scratch tests are not to reliable, I agree. I know my one dermatologist wanted me to do the patch test. I decided against it for just that reason. I mean they are only able to check for a few different things. Also, I think you can put a chemical on your skin and not have a reaction, but if you were to ingest it, that could set off a reaction through your body trying to process it.
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Post by Karen on Oct 12, 2013 11:21:53 GMT -5
Well, ladies, October 4 was a milestone for me. It was the 5 year anniversary that my pain and health problems really started. Every year on October 4, I get really frustrated that yet another year has passed, still feeling like sh*t, and another year has been pretty much a waste. It's always a grim reminder that things might never get better. Until this year. This year, I celebrated! I invited my closest friends to join me for a night out of celebration. We went to an awesome restaurant that has wonderful food that I can eat, and we went to the comedy club to laugh our asses off. It was so great to be surrounded by those that stuck by me through it all, asked me how I was doing, offered me encouragement and advice, and celebrated my successes. Really, I couldn't have asked for more. There are many of you on here that have been with me on this journey, too, and I felt you all in spirit. I went back and re-read the first page or two of this thread, when I was still going from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what was wrong with me and find a doctor that would help. I had some clues as to what was going on, but didn't have the whole picture yet. I felt frustrated, alone, and discarded. Fast forward to now, I feel like a totally different person. I feel good, I happy, I feel good in my own skin, and I feel alive. Really, I feel like my life is looking up. I've drained my bank account, going from doctor to doctor, but I feel it's all been worth it to get to where I am NOW rather than sometime in the distant future. I've tried a few nasty drugs and a gazillions supplements. I have an awesome doctor that I can trust for all the alternative therapies, and continue to be on gut-healing supplements, thyroid hormone (T3), and bio-identical progesterone the last half of my cycle (I'm down to a low dose). That's it. None of the scary drugs that doctors told me I had to be on if I didn't want to be in pain. Psha! A bad period these days may mean some cramps that require 1 ibuprofin during my entire period, but that's about. Not ibuprofin 6 times a day, tramadol, and/or vicodin that I used to have to rely on. I also continue to eat super-clean. I used to think I did, but really, I'd cheat often enough to sabotage it. So, since May, I told myself I owed it to myself to allow my body to heal. I haven't even had the slightest inclination to cheat since that point. Once I cut out the cheats, my health skyrocketed. Things really fell into place in June/July. I eat grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chickens. I eat veggies and fruit (organic when I can). I eat lots of natural fats. I don't eat anything labeled as "gluten-free", "healthy", "low-fat", or "low-calorie" like the old me would have bought into. If it has more than 2 ingredients in it, I don't eat it. And honestly, I think that was the missing piece of the puzzle. My body seems to agree, as I'm effortlessly down to a wardrobe that I haven't been able to fit into since 2006 and have lost 35 pounds over the last year without even working out regularly. My weight loss has plateaued the past few months, but my body continues to shift and lean out enough for friends to notice. It's pretty awesome! For those of you still on your journey, please know that there's hope. You might have to blaze your own trail, but it can be done. For those of you that have been with me all the way, thank you. I couldn't have done it without you! Lots of love!!
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Post by hellsbells on Oct 12, 2013 15:33:50 GMT -5
Lotsa love back hon! Awesome!
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Emily
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Post by Emily on Oct 12, 2013 16:50:54 GMT -5
So happy for you, Karen!
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Post by omaklackey on Oct 12, 2013 20:46:34 GMT -5
Cheers Karen! Its wonderful to know that instead of that day being a milestone, it was a celebration! Yeah!!
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Post by Karen on Jun 1, 2015 22:24:31 GMT -5
Whew,it's been a long time since I updated! I met the love of my life a year and a half ago. We got engaged, I moved to be closer to him, we bought a fixer upper, and his 4 kids stay with us half time. The last 9 months since I moved here has been a whirlwind.
It's also been more tricky to take care of myself when I no longer live alone. I was letting some treats into my diet - mostly fried foods - and it started affecting my waistline and my period pain. So, this month I'm cracking down again and doing another Whole 30. If you haven't tried it, I'd highly recommend it. It's the best thing I've done for my pain,and a week and a half in, my period started with a whimper instead of a bang. It was a breeze compared to recent months. Food can affect our inflammation, hormones, and our body's ability to heal and I just need to continue to make it a priority for me because it's so effective.
Finding new doctors has been tricky. I put it off for a while and had a few bad experiences. After asking around, I found a new acupuncturist that I really like. I also found a really good functional doctor. He tested my hormones again - they are all still low, but I'm still estrogen dominant. I'll be starting a low dose of progesterone again, see if I can get a longer luteal phase. I'm at 11-12 days, and I want to do what I can so we can start trying for a baby after our wedding this fall! When I met him, I was very clear - we try until I'm 40, I don't do any fertility treatments, and no adoption. He is on board, so that's cool.
That's about it in a nutshell!
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Post by omaklackey on Jun 4, 2015 16:43:31 GMT -5
WOW Karen, sounds like a lot has changed. I'm so excited for you! It is MUCH harder to eat healthy in a family situation unless your family can join you in the healthy eating which is hard, especially as some restrictions aren't healthy for kids. (Like me eating NO citrus for my bladder).
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Post by Karen on Jun 4, 2015 19:36:27 GMT -5
Thanks, Karla!
When we first moved in together I was making up to 3 meals for every meal time, trying to appease all of them (from what I understand, their mom caters to them). Eventually, my fiance and I agreed that I'll only make meals I can eat, and if they don't like it, tough. It's helped our budget and my time! Not to worry, though, I'm not restricting food - we eat all whole foods, lots of veg, lots of fruit, and grass-fed meat. They only thing they're missing is the processed crap with tons of extra sugar and chemicals. My fiance is now 100% on board - he gave up all fast food, candy, and junk food when he saw how much better I looked and felt after making the changes again. This is my life and my health, so it's great to get his support.
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Post by nibletz on Jun 5, 2015 6:30:00 GMT -5
Hi Karen
Wow to say the least and I agree with omack
Congrats Hun on your new life and family I pray all goes well for you all and you get a peanut too Lord knows you deserve it Hun!!!
Keep us updated and again congrats I hope your wedding and marriage is truly blessed
Xxxxx
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