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doc bs
Social climber
Northwest
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If they checked you for C diff, giardia and bacterial pathogens, and all negative then you could have developed lactose intolerance or wheat allergy.
Try a full month off milk and noncultured dairy (butter, whey, icecream, 1/2 and 1/2 creamer etc), if that works - try a whole year before you try going back.
If milk abstinence doesnt work, then you could have celiac disease which is allergy to wheat and wheat byproducts. Wheat byproducts are common additives to processed or packaged food, they are also used to make vitamins, prescription drugs, make up, lotions, etc. Any minor contact (even makeup or handling wheat flour on your counter top) can cause 1 month relapse of symptoms. People with celiac disease ussually have lactose intolerance too, so continue the milk abstinence while doing celiac diet.
Here are three websites that can be helpful to people with Celiac disease.
http://www.celiac.com
http://www.gluten.net
http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com
Malabsorption disease from chronic diarrhea can cause micronutrient malnutrition. Chronic B12 deficiency can lead to peripheral neuropathy and dementia. Make sure your doctor is checking you for B12 and iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency which can lead to many problems.
Oral vitamin suplements and even B12 shots or iron infusions may be neccessary to restore your good health
Other things can cause chronic diarrhea including, medications (protonix on omeprazole can cause diarrhea), tumors, endocrinopathies, inflammatory bowel disease, crohns disease, etc. If you have never seen a GI doctor, that should be next after the milk and wheat abstinence trials.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Wheat / gluten aside a possible 'cure' - and that one is worth seriously considering - is actually another round of antibiotics followed by the probiotics, helped my wife with similar symptoms.
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John M
climber
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I feel for you. Doctors aren't necessarily clueless, its just that these symptoms could be caused by so many different things and many of them don't have clear tests. The diagnosis is often based on multiple tests, on symptoms and on the doctors instincts. The human body is very complex and there are just so many things that we don't know.
You probably don't want to hear my story because its not very fun, and you probably won't want to hear what I had to do to get better because it sucked.
I went on a prolonged extensive diet.
No sugar, wheat, dairy, red meat, corn, caffeine, or alcohol for 18 months. It sucked, but I was desperate and it helped a lot. I reintroduced all of those things very slowly and now don't have near the problems that I did. This was in my late 20s to early 30s. I am 53 now, so tests may be better. I don't know.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Chronic B12 deficiency can lead to peripheral neuropathy and dementia.
Doc BS, yes and all the B vitamins are needed for a healthy brain/nervous system.
It was B1 (Thiamine) deficiency (from long-term alcohol abuse, but one can also get Korsakoff's from beri beri, centipede bites in Japan from the mukade centipede) that caused my partner Jennie's Korsakoff's Syndrome.
Andrzej, as far as you are concerned, I wish I could be of better help/information.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Dooooood, yer drooling all over the front page...
put a sock in it!
:-)
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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I get candida in my throat, esophagus and the rest of my digestive system every time I take antibiotics. As a result, every time they're prescribed, I get 10 days worth of oral nystatin which you swish around in your mouth and slowly swallow. It works within 12 hours for me. I've never had trouble getting a prescription for it when I mention that I have this problem. Nystatin is harmless and candida infections are very common.
Good clues it might be candida are white spots on your tonsils or the back of your throat, intense itching in the canals between your throat and ears, burping yeasty smells etc. If you have had parasites or bacteria and/or candida, you can develop a temporary inability to digest dairy or gluten. If you lay off of them at the same time and don't eat much sugar or carbohydrates for a few days that helps. If you reintroduce them after the Nystatin and you do ok, that's a pretty good indication it was candida.
As one who has spent a lot of time in third world countries, I can definitely sympathize with digestive problems!
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Any chance you had been in a third world country or drank out of a harmless looking stream before you had to take the antibiotics?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jan had some good things to say about candida
Gluten is worth giving up as a test for anyone with issues around the gut, weight, or digestion. When I quit wheat and gluten, I dropped 20+ pounds without exercise. (this has little to do it Candida but since it was discussed)
Candida is a fungus and so antibiotics will do nothing for it. The common medical test for it isn't very sensitive. Look for a doctor that specialized in "functional Medicine" and you'll get tested by more sensitive methods. Nystatin is a common medicine for it or you might be prescribed Diflucan if it's systemic. There are some herbal treatments as well if it's not severe and you'll be advised to keep carbs low and cut sugar.
Peace
Karl
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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no worries mr drool
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mechrist
Gym climber
South of Heaven
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+1 for no gluten. Cleared up my chronic gas problem too. Last time I ate gluten was just before (and during) the plane ride back from Greece... I'm surprised I wasn't arrested for detonating dirty bombs on the plane.
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mechrist
Gym climber
South of Heaven
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locker, it WAS a problem when I was little... as was fish, chicken, turkey, beans, etc. for me. Just that nobody knew it, despite several ER visits (chicken and fish), chronic constipation at 6 years old, and a list of other symptoms I didn't get rid of until I was enlightened in my late 20's by bvb's evil X.
In a world without mass produced/processed/subsidized food, we would listen to our bodies and figure out how they respond to the food we put in them. As it stands, we scarf down whatever the lobbyists succeed in getting subsidized (wheat, soy, corn, dairy, etc)... most of it genetically modified and/or processed beyond recognition.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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one view of the body is that it is an ecosystem which supports a vast microorganism population, which lives more or less in symbiosis with the host (that's you and me)
antibiotics kill off that community in your gut and I believe there are findings that unless the community is restored intentionally, it may not reestablish itself
but I'd assume that your doctors know that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Sounds like all ur orifices are failing u
Sorry to hear it
Best of luck
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Baggins
Boulder climber
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Colonoscopy. could be colitis
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Everyone has a balance of candida and probiotics. Your symptoms sound like candida overgrowth.
To keep candida in check, the best, but not necessarily easiest way is to cut out ALL sugar for at least 2 weeks or so. You can also take a herbal supplements to nuke the candida. Also take broad-spectrum, high quality probiotics.
You will detox and get headaches, but you will feel AWESOME in two weeks! FWIW, my hardest sends were coming off a sugar cleanse.
Refined wheat is jsut one thing that conversts easily to sugar, but there are many others including healthy sounding things like fruit juice, but fruit is ok cuz the fiber slows absorbtion.
I have been keeping canidida in check for many years. Do a google, and PM me with questions.
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monolith
climber
SF bay area
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So which works better, prebiotics (fiber from fruits,vegies,greens) or probiotics (cultured dairy products)?
Here's a vid of an experiment to compare the two (set to start at 38 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mue6z0igQIU#t=2273s
Over a week's time, prebiotics works considerably better. Probiotics had little effect.
So eat your fiber from whole plant sources. Good gut bacteria thrive on soluble and insoluble fiber.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Good point. I get 50-70% of my calories from raw food smoothies via Vitamix.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Also, gluten and COW dairy free. Sheep and goat don't give a problem.
I am, however, drinking half a hoppy IPA per day to build reisistence to beer and trace amounts of wheat. It is going well and I haven't had the inflamation issues I have had in the past.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Garlic kills bacteria and fungus. Anything fermented helps restore the right bacteria. If you're off of dairy try dill pickles, sour kraut, kimchee, miso and other fermented soy products. Refrigerated supplements in capsules work well too.
The amount of fish oil seems to make a difference. My big breakthrough was reading that large amounts of fish oil cured inflammatory bowel disease when nothing else did. I started taking 5 big capsules (2.5 mg) twice a day and got instant relief. Like you all my tests were negative and the doctors then tried to tell me it was psychological. If I had told them it went away with fish oil, they would have concluded that for sure.
Another very important aid is folic acid, especially if you've had giardia or any other malabsorption problem. Try 5 mg for a few days and see if that helps. There's something called tropical sprue which is poorly understood that affects the small intestine and is cured by folic acid (you don't have to be in the tropics to get it).
Another thing they check for is cryptospiridium. It's a parasite like amoebas that is hard to get rid of. The problem is, the diagnosis is only as good as the lab tech. I've never had a western lab tech find any of this yet in Nepal and India they do. It depends on what they're used to looking at. If they don't find anything, the western doctors won't treat you. State Dept. and Peace Corps doctors do three tests and if they're all negative and you're still sick, they treat you anyway.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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HealyJ said: "fecal transplant"
Whoh. I'm be into supporting a "don't ask don't tell" policy on this one. I suspect that there are many supporters with web sites and photos for the devotes, NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.... I'm sure.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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If he had Giardia he wouldn't be typing away on the computer, he'd be doubled up in a ball cramping away on an ER table, or at least I was - it certainly isn't a subtle infection.
Sounds like you had it really bad. I had it for several months before Dx...uncomfortable symptoms...but nothing like you had....ick...
Susan
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Didn't know you could have it and not be basically dying. Happened when I lived in Francestown, NH where the town's water supply was not what you'd call sophisticated in a place where we were surrounded by beaver ponds on all sides.
Everyone I knew who got it (like 5% chunk of the town) had more or less immediate and dire symptoms which required an ER visit. Grim.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Couch: Whoh. I'm be into supporting a "don't ask don't tell" policy on this one.
Yeah, I suspect it would be easier asking a spouse or sibling for a kidney.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Didn't know you could have it and not be basically dying
I noticed you said you had it in NH...my Dad, who lives in Pa, got it a few years ago and suffered as you describe. It became very rampant around the area he lives, near Lake Erie. Others there suffered as you described. I was here in Ca when Dx. Probably got it from one of the dogs I foster. I wonder if the strain here on the west coast is more mild...who knows...I was pretty uncomfortable but nothing like what you went through.
Susan
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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sounds' like to much gym climbing
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Moose....try drinking a half gallon of maple syrup and smoke a pack of cigs and you'll be good to go...
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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did I hear u say your working?
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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then u will truly be a woodfords local
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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You can learn a lot in these threads, I thought Candida Infection was the bass player for L7...
More on topic, lactose is one thing, but my wife is allergic to casein, one of the proteins, so there is no free pass for sheep or goat dairy. Wheat, soy, and eggs too, but all the dietary shenanigans are worth it to feel better. She'd just always assumed everyone felt awful after they ate.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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I will try fecal transplant, just need to convince the wife to be the donor. She is not enthusiastic to the idea and neither am I. Needs to be done, though.
There's some kind of irreverent humor I'm thinking here. Can't believe your wife wouldn't want to give that particular gift that she could forever remind you of~!
;-)
Karl
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| Messages 1 - 35 of total 35 in this topic |
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