Hi all,
I went to see a naturopath this afternoon, and she was the first person who's ever listened to all of my complaints and not tried to shove medication down my throat! And, she'd not only heard of adrenal fatigue (which I'm certain that I have based on reading Wilson's book), but she's having me tested for it. She's also having me complete an insomnia basic test - the one where they test your serotonin, melatonin, epinephrine, PEA, Glutamate, etc. levels. In addition, I'm going to start taking fish oil tablets (2/2x/day) and a multi-vitamin that's mostly focused on the B vitamins. Both are made by Vital Nutrients. Has anyone taken these? And if you have, have you found they've helped?
Thanks to your advice to stay away from dairy and soy, I've started to feel a lot better the last few days. Now, on top of feeling less crampy and having less need to bolt to the bathroom, I'm starting to think there's hope for this fatigue I've been plagued with for so many years.
I'm so grateful for this website - I would really have never known what to do without it and would be very, very sick otherwise. Thank you all so much!
Beth
Went to see a naturopath today
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Beth,
First of all, are you really as serene and relaxed as you look in your photo? Just looking at you makes me feel calm/peaceful. And you are a very pretty lady to boot!
That's great news that you have found someone thorough to listen to you. Keep us posted on your progress with the naturopath, please.
I think everyone should be eating at least 10 oz. of fish (esp. tuna/salmon) per week or taking fish oil capsules. There are so many benefits, according to the studies.
One note of caution.......be sure to call the manufacturer to make sure that your vitamins (and any other supplements that you take) do not contain any gluten, casein, soy, etc. The purest vitamins I have found are Freeda vitamins, which I order on-line.
So happy to hear that you are feeling better already after eliminating casein and soy.
Love,
Polly
First of all, are you really as serene and relaxed as you look in your photo? Just looking at you makes me feel calm/peaceful. And you are a very pretty lady to boot!
That's great news that you have found someone thorough to listen to you. Keep us posted on your progress with the naturopath, please.
I think everyone should be eating at least 10 oz. of fish (esp. tuna/salmon) per week or taking fish oil capsules. There are so many benefits, according to the studies.
One note of caution.......be sure to call the manufacturer to make sure that your vitamins (and any other supplements that you take) do not contain any gluten, casein, soy, etc. The purest vitamins I have found are Freeda vitamins, which I order on-line.
So happy to hear that you are feeling better already after eliminating casein and soy.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi Polly - serene, relaxed, who, me? Lol - sometimes I am, and often I'm not. I've been saying to my friends recently who've been listening to my tales of woe about my flare-up that I'm just trying to fake it 'til I make it. So, trying to stay serene as much as possible - and I have to say, this board helps that quite a bit since I feel empowered when I have information!
Thanks for the warnings about the vitamins. I guess I was assuming that since my naturopath knows about all of my allergies that she wouldn't have recommended them if they weren't free of my sensitivities. But you're right - still good to doublecheck. I'll be on the phone in a few minutes!
Best,
Beth
Thanks for the warnings about the vitamins. I guess I was assuming that since my naturopath knows about all of my allergies that she wouldn't have recommended them if they weren't free of my sensitivities. But you're right - still good to doublecheck. I'll be on the phone in a few minutes!
Best,
Beth
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Hi Beth,
If you happen to get nauseous from B vitamins, it's not unusual, a few of us do: Lucy, and me, off the top of my head. I read recently that it may be a sign of low stomach acid. Fish oil pills make me sick, although I don't think it's necessary the oil, rather the geletin capsule (geletin is high in sulfites, which I have problems with). I did take liquid borage oil for a while, and it agreed with me.
Good luck with your naturopath. I have seen a three in the last 12 years, and they were very understanding, listening types. They didn't help me much, but they did try. And one of them did test adrenal fatigue, which I was positive for, and had me take DHEA plus a few other things. The time it takes to recover from that is pretty significant, and I didn't stick with it because of the cost and the side effects of DHEA. And the fact that it didn't help my stomach problems.
Anyway, didn't mean to write a book, but you asked if anyone had experimented with similar things . .
Love, Marsha
If you happen to get nauseous from B vitamins, it's not unusual, a few of us do: Lucy, and me, off the top of my head. I read recently that it may be a sign of low stomach acid. Fish oil pills make me sick, although I don't think it's necessary the oil, rather the geletin capsule (geletin is high in sulfites, which I have problems with). I did take liquid borage oil for a while, and it agreed with me.
Good luck with your naturopath. I have seen a three in the last 12 years, and they were very understanding, listening types. They didn't help me much, but they did try. And one of them did test adrenal fatigue, which I was positive for, and had me take DHEA plus a few other things. The time it takes to recover from that is pretty significant, and I didn't stick with it because of the cost and the side effects of DHEA. And the fact that it didn't help my stomach problems.
Anyway, didn't mean to write a book, but you asked if anyone had experimented with similar things . .
Love, Marsha
Hi Beth,
The fatigue gets better as your gut heals off of gluten, but the results from the fatigue aren't as dramatic as are the other symptoms -- at least the others left very quickly for me.
I'm sure that Polly and others can remember how thrilled I was when I responded so quickly to gf, but how the ugly fatigue hung around for a while. Finally, I just sort of forgot about it, and one day, all of a sudden, realized it was gone. Meantime, I began to enjoy all the variety of foods out there that can be eaten without gluten, dairy casein, eggs, dietary yeast, or soy.
Just to give one example, today my sister experimented with baking some sweet potato squares using rosemary and thyme and olive oil, with, I'm sure, a little s&p. Wow, it was delicious, and not sickeningly sweet like traditional sweet potato dishes. I voted for this for Thanksgiving dinner!
Yours, Luce
The fatigue gets better as your gut heals off of gluten, but the results from the fatigue aren't as dramatic as are the other symptoms -- at least the others left very quickly for me.
I'm sure that Polly and others can remember how thrilled I was when I responded so quickly to gf, but how the ugly fatigue hung around for a while. Finally, I just sort of forgot about it, and one day, all of a sudden, realized it was gone. Meantime, I began to enjoy all the variety of foods out there that can be eaten without gluten, dairy casein, eggs, dietary yeast, or soy.
Just to give one example, today my sister experimented with baking some sweet potato squares using rosemary and thyme and olive oil, with, I'm sure, a little s&p. Wow, it was delicious, and not sickeningly sweet like traditional sweet potato dishes. I voted for this for Thanksgiving dinner!
Yours, Luce
Hi Luce,
Unfortunately, my fatigue has been around much longer than my MC. I've been dealing with a tough seven or eight years of it. I have a feeling that a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue is going to come in (I'm actually testing for it now as I write) and that I may be able to find some relief from my constant need to sleep by treating the AF. I'm hoping, anyway!
Thanks for the good wishes,
Beth
Unfortunately, my fatigue has been around much longer than my MC. I've been dealing with a tough seven or eight years of it. I have a feeling that a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue is going to come in (I'm actually testing for it now as I write) and that I may be able to find some relief from my constant need to sleep by treating the AF. I'm hoping, anyway!
Thanks for the good wishes,
Beth
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Re: .
Beth,
How many years ago did you get your DX of MC and what medications or diet choices have you done up to today?
I'm thinking that the longer we live with MC (before DX) and make no positive diet or medication choices at the onset (after DX) that work for us the longer it will take for recovery because long term it screws up other things in our bodies- like adrenal glands....
What side effects did you experience from taking DHEA? Also, what were your costs?
Luce,
It's so great to hear form you....
Love,
Joanna
How many years ago did you get your DX of MC and what medications or diet choices have you done up to today?
I'm thinking that the longer we live with MC (before DX) and make no positive diet or medication choices at the onset (after DX) that work for us the longer it will take for recovery because long term it screws up other things in our bodies- like adrenal glands....
Marsha,artteacher wrote: Good luck with your naturopath. I have seen a three in the last 12 years, and they were very understanding, listening types. They didn't help me much, but they did try. And one of them did test adrenal fatigue, which I was positive for, and had me take DHEA plus a few other things. The time it takes to recover from that is pretty significant, and I didn't stick with it because of the cost and the side effects of DHEA. And the fact that it didn't help my stomach problems.
What side effects did you experience from taking DHEA? Also, what were your costs?
Luce,
It's so great to hear form you....
Love,
Joanna
THE GLUTEN FILES
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
Beth,
Joanna is quite correct about adrenal fatigue symptoms being very common for MCers. It seems to go with the turf.
Regarding sleepiness, back when I was reacting regularly, I was almost always sleepy. I often had trouble sleeping at night, due to the pain and bloating, but I would be drowsy all day, and could, (and did), sleep at almost any time.
Also, it's not uncommon for other symptoms to show up before D, with MC patients. In fact, it's possible to have MC, and not even have D, or maybe only have it occasionally. When your other symptoms are brought under control, the odds are very high that your adrenal fatigue symptoms will also disappear.
Tex
Joanna is quite correct about adrenal fatigue symptoms being very common for MCers. It seems to go with the turf.
Regarding sleepiness, back when I was reacting regularly, I was almost always sleepy. I often had trouble sleeping at night, due to the pain and bloating, but I would be drowsy all day, and could, (and did), sleep at almost any time.
Also, it's not uncommon for other symptoms to show up before D, with MC patients. In fact, it's possible to have MC, and not even have D, or maybe only have it occasionally. When your other symptoms are brought under control, the odds are very high that your adrenal fatigue symptoms will also disappear.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Joanna,
The fatigue has been around a lot longer than the MC, about 7 years+. I was Dxed with colitis 3 years ago right when the symptoms started (but the doctor didn't tell me what kind of colitis, and I didn't know enough then to understand how many different varieties there are). When I was first Dxed, the symptoms lasted six weeks, and then I suddenly got better. Then, about 8 months later, I got sick again, and I went to another GI who told me that I had LC and that my options were either pepto bismal or steroids. It was all I could do not to curse him out right there. I went straight home and found the predecessor to this website, and it was there that you all told me to try a GF diet. Within three days I was completely better. Gradually, I began to add some wheat back into my diet, and I seemed to be generally okay, so long as I didn't really push it. But sometimes I pushed it too far, to the point that I was taking a lot of antacids to counteract the cramps. Except last Christmas (which was also the first day of Hanukkah and my husband's whole family was coming over), I had horrible, horrible cramps and kept taking the antacids until I actually overdosed (accidentally). I had to go the emergency room that day. I was fine, but it was a reality check. I stopped taking the antacids and tried to reel in my gluten intake, but I got lazy about it. And so, about a month ago, the whole thing came roaring back at me. I'm now on a strict gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free diet, which is helping. I think that rice may bother me, but I can't quite tell yet. Anyway, that's a long answer to your short questions. And I've never done medication because it's never been so incapacitating that I've needed it. So, it's just a strict diet for me. Who knows, maybe the fatigue led the way to a predilection for MC. But I also injured my back about four or five years ago to the point that I couldn't sit in any of my classes for an entire semester. I was taking a ton of ibuprofen at that point, and I have a feeling that that's what tipped my body over the edge.
Here's to healing!
Beth
The fatigue has been around a lot longer than the MC, about 7 years+. I was Dxed with colitis 3 years ago right when the symptoms started (but the doctor didn't tell me what kind of colitis, and I didn't know enough then to understand how many different varieties there are). When I was first Dxed, the symptoms lasted six weeks, and then I suddenly got better. Then, about 8 months later, I got sick again, and I went to another GI who told me that I had LC and that my options were either pepto bismal or steroids. It was all I could do not to curse him out right there. I went straight home and found the predecessor to this website, and it was there that you all told me to try a GF diet. Within three days I was completely better. Gradually, I began to add some wheat back into my diet, and I seemed to be generally okay, so long as I didn't really push it. But sometimes I pushed it too far, to the point that I was taking a lot of antacids to counteract the cramps. Except last Christmas (which was also the first day of Hanukkah and my husband's whole family was coming over), I had horrible, horrible cramps and kept taking the antacids until I actually overdosed (accidentally). I had to go the emergency room that day. I was fine, but it was a reality check. I stopped taking the antacids and tried to reel in my gluten intake, but I got lazy about it. And so, about a month ago, the whole thing came roaring back at me. I'm now on a strict gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free diet, which is helping. I think that rice may bother me, but I can't quite tell yet. Anyway, that's a long answer to your short questions. And I've never done medication because it's never been so incapacitating that I've needed it. So, it's just a strict diet for me. Who knows, maybe the fatigue led the way to a predilection for MC. But I also injured my back about four or five years ago to the point that I couldn't sit in any of my classes for an entire semester. I was taking a ton of ibuprofen at that point, and I have a feeling that that's what tipped my body over the edge.
Here's to healing!
Beth
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Hi Joanna,
It causes acne. I don't think it was too expensive, though, maybe $25? for a months worth. But other things that the doctor wanted me to do as well started adding up, and weren't helpful, like slippery elm, and a couple other things that I can't remember now. And then the evaluation fee, and monthly visits.
Love, Marsha
It causes acne. I don't think it was too expensive, though, maybe $25? for a months worth. But other things that the doctor wanted me to do as well started adding up, and weren't helpful, like slippery elm, and a couple other things that I can't remember now. And then the evaluation fee, and monthly visits.
Love, Marsha
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Beth.
Thanks for sharing your story. I also feel very blessed to have found Sally's board right after my DX. I can't imagine where I'd be today without the support and wise advice I received early on. Years later, still learning something new every day through the interaction here. It's awesome.
Marsha, So taking DHEA causes acne huh? That's no fun. I can see how the combined $$ spent on taking a number of supplements at a time can add up and certainly not worth in if they aren't helping. Hopefully Cristi will have better luck than you.
Love,
Joanna
Thanks for sharing your story. I also feel very blessed to have found Sally's board right after my DX. I can't imagine where I'd be today without the support and wise advice I received early on. Years later, still learning something new every day through the interaction here. It's awesome.
Yep, you musta pushed the gluten button too far. I think if one is gluten sensitive we just have to abstain totally. Forever, period.Beth wrote: Gradually, I began to add some wheat back into my diet, and I seemed to be generally okay, so long as I didn't really push it. But sometimes I pushed it too far..... And so, about a month ago, the whole thing came roaring back at me
Marsha, So taking DHEA causes acne huh? That's no fun. I can see how the combined $$ spent on taking a number of supplements at a time can add up and certainly not worth in if they aren't helping. Hopefully Cristi will have better luck than you.
Love,
Joanna
THE GLUTEN FILES
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
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Dear Beth,
If you suspect that rice bothers you, maybe you could try a grain free diet as well as the other "frees". I only say that because although it's really unusual, some people here are very grain intolerant (me for instance) and rice is one of the worse things I can eat. An experimental 3 day diet of meat (for protein), & potatoes (for carbs) might tell you a lot.
Love, Marsha
If you suspect that rice bothers you, maybe you could try a grain free diet as well as the other "frees". I only say that because although it's really unusual, some people here are very grain intolerant (me for instance) and rice is one of the worse things I can eat. An experimental 3 day diet of meat (for protein), & potatoes (for carbs) might tell you a lot.
Love, Marsha
Hi Everyone,
I have been taking DHEA for about 6 months now. I am not having any problems with acne at all. I am on a Paleo diet and am also taking Entocort. Just started pancreatic enzymes. Everything seems to make me feel somewhat better and my D symptoms are slowly getting better. As bad as the MC symptoms were...the adrenal fatigue was very hard for me to deal with and the area where I have seen the most improvement. I attribute the improvement to the diet and to the DHEA. It takes many months to feel a difference...but for me the DHEA was a great help. Hope you find what works for you as well.
Love,
Cristi
I have been taking DHEA for about 6 months now. I am not having any problems with acne at all. I am on a Paleo diet and am also taking Entocort. Just started pancreatic enzymes. Everything seems to make me feel somewhat better and my D symptoms are slowly getting better. As bad as the MC symptoms were...the adrenal fatigue was very hard for me to deal with and the area where I have seen the most improvement. I attribute the improvement to the diet and to the DHEA. It takes many months to feel a difference...but for me the DHEA was a great help. Hope you find what works for you as well.
Love,
Cristi
Can someone explain to me what exactly is DHEA? What does it do? How does it benefit us? Why are we lacking it the way others don't seem to be?
Thanks,
Beth
P.S. Marsha, you're probably right that I should try the paleo diet, but I really don't like meat, so it's very tough for me. I'll give it a whirl and see if that makes a difference. I suppose lots of soups will help - I can sneak my protein in there without noticing it so much!
Thanks,
Beth
P.S. Marsha, you're probably right that I should try the paleo diet, but I really don't like meat, so it's very tough for me. I'll give it a whirl and see if that makes a difference. I suppose lots of soups will help - I can sneak my protein in there without noticing it so much!
Hi Beth,
I am not an expert but I think DHEA is created in the adrenal glands along with cortisol and both are steroids. For some people stress causes us to use up too much of the steroid. I don't know why some people handle stress better than others. In my case, I had a hysterectomy and my whole endocrine system got messed up as they are all rather dependent on each other to keep the right balance. My thyroid is also messed up after my surgery and it is part of the endocrine system. I have been working with a naturopath to try to get all of it in balance and I have to say that I am feeling better but it is a slow process.
I wasn't a big meat eater either and practically forced it down at times. I guess I felt so awful that I was willing to do anything. I have to say that I am now enjoying the diet more and more. It wouldn't have ever been my first choice but it gets easier the longer I am on it.
Good luck finding the things that will work for you. You are discovering what I found earlier this year...these people are very helpful and supportive.
Love,
Cristi
I am not an expert but I think DHEA is created in the adrenal glands along with cortisol and both are steroids. For some people stress causes us to use up too much of the steroid. I don't know why some people handle stress better than others. In my case, I had a hysterectomy and my whole endocrine system got messed up as they are all rather dependent on each other to keep the right balance. My thyroid is also messed up after my surgery and it is part of the endocrine system. I have been working with a naturopath to try to get all of it in balance and I have to say that I am feeling better but it is a slow process.
I wasn't a big meat eater either and practically forced it down at times. I guess I felt so awful that I was willing to do anything. I have to say that I am now enjoying the diet more and more. It wouldn't have ever been my first choice but it gets easier the longer I am on it.
Good luck finding the things that will work for you. You are discovering what I found earlier this year...these people are very helpful and supportive.
Love,
Cristi