Allergic Reaction

posted December 1, 2009

Today I discovered why my sinuses have been "acting up" for the last 40 days. One of my supplement DGL contains MILK! This is a supplement that is supposed to aid digestion and was suggested to me several years ago. It comes in a couple of forms...raw, and flavored. The RAW contains no dairy. The "chocolate mint" contains flavoring derived from MILK. The containers are almost identical.

Almost two years ago I eliminated dairy, milk casein, whey etc. from my diet after reading that "dairy" is a primary cause of sinus problems. 3 days after QUITTING dairy I could smell odors.

I've had nasal polyps removed 3 times, nasal surgery, countless other medications and trips to the Doctor. I've taking reams of anti-biotics. NOTHING gave me long term relief until I QUIT dairy.

Will see how quitting DGL does to improve my sinus issues!

Update: December 6, 2009

Day 5 and I'm feeling great...unbelievable. The Doctor wanted to put me on anti-biotics and medral pak (steroids). Did neither! Just stopped the DGL which I think I'll never take again even if they guarantee me that there's no dairy in the non-flavored one!

I called the company and asked why would they put dairy in a supplement for digestive health??!! They said because people didn't like the taste. Fact is both products taste like crap..... They put me through hell and it makes me angry to think about it, but I'm also very happy to be feeling normal again....can smell and taste again....SWEET!

Update: 1/4/2009: Had new test and discovered sensitivity to SOY and EGG....UGH! Soy is especially negative so I'm quitting immediately. The good news is that my lower intestines have healed completely! That means I'm absorbing nutrients "normally." The elimination of soy creates many issues...several of my supplements contained soy. A real surprise was that a supplement prescribed by Doctor contains milk, wheat.... Dairy is the single biggest problem. I've carefully reviewed my diet and removed all soy containing foods and supplements.

Egg is another story. I've cut out 75% of eggs from my diet. The only ones left are from "egg protein" and a small amount in my quinoa muffins.

Results so far indicate improvements in sinus issues. My sinus passages are much better than usual.

sinus-movie

Less of the Gut from Hell...

posted summer 2008

12 Days have passed since starting the supplement regimen and the difference is apparent.

My sinus situation suffered a slight set-back on day 6 with what appeared to be polyps returning. I felt worried that some serious swelling was taking place. Didn't affect my sleep pattern as Data A was above 20.

I changed the timing of the supplements. The Candida killers and Caprio (acid to raise acid levels in gut to kill bad bacteria) are taken with breakfast and afternoon snack. The probiotics taken with my post workout shake and dinner. The reason is that the breakfast group is to kill off the bad stuff and the next group is to reintroduce the good bacteria. Seems counter productive to have them at the same time.

The results are really encouraging. My ............... are looking normal for the first time in forever...with the same diet. Inflammation is MOSTLY down except below. Sinuses are great...only slight amounts of mucus!

I'm sore today from sleeping oddly and from a hard workout two days ago. My body probably needs a little more rest. The issue is my right neck and the pain to the right shoulder blade. Yesterday was worse with some spasms in the right back neck area. Was able to play 9 holes of golf with some restriction of movement. NO Motrin...

Health Update

posted November 2008

Sleep apnea is a serious condition. Risks of heart attacks and strokes at elevated in people with this problem.

2 years ago my Sleep doctor described my Apnea as Moderate. I couldn't use a mask because of chronic sinus problems. Recent tests show my apnea to be "mild." I monitor my sleep weekly with a watch called "sleep tracker" which my Doctor endorses.

The improvement from moderate to mild occurred after I've discovered that I am sensitive to dairy. Earlier this year I was found to be intolerant of gluten protein....and have celiac disease. Eliminating dairy resulted in improved sinuses which improved my breathing at night. My sleep Doc gave me a device to prevent me from sleeping on my back...(the worst position when suffering from Apnea).

I'm very much a believer of exercise and healthy eating as a way to overcome my issues. I'm seeing a pHD who runs a "Metabolic Clinic." She is helping me understand and holistically treat a "leaky gut."

GI tract issues, food sensitivities, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise all contribute to issues such as sleep apnea. I'm still working on getting my "system" balanced, but I can say that I feel better WITHOUT MEDS than I have in many years.

The Gut from HELL!

posted Fall 2008

Wow, my gut has been messed up for so long! But I'm getting it back under control....

After years of taking anti-biotics and eating way too much sugar my gut has been severely damaged. I have Celiac disease which means that my body cannot tolerate gluten protein. Gluten and dairy intolerance led to lower intestinal damage which reduces the bodies ability to absorb nutrients. This explains why I eat so much and gain no weight.

The anti-biotics and sugar diet created a GI environment that resulted in High levels of candida fungus near Pathogen and Pathogen levels of bacteria in the GI tract. Pathogen levels are common in people with disease! These bugs are eating many of the nutrients coming from the food I eat! They are depriving me of valuable nutrition. It's no wonder that massive amounts of vitamins helped me feel better!

The bad bacteria such as citrobacter freundii and enterobacter cloacae are overwhelming the good bacteria required for good GI health. The result is nasty bloating and gas not to mention the malnutrition. Calf muscle cramps indicate a shortage of magnesium.

The candida overgrowth causes even more harm because of chronic inflammation. It is a major cause of chronic sinus problems and other inflammation diseases. Rashes, hives, psoriasis, and other skin disorders are often caused by candida overgrowth. Achy joints, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, lack of energy are other causes.

In addition, my body doesn't absorb protein because of the lack of acid in my stomach. Certain acids are required for proper absorption of protein. Protein is the building blocks of muscle. This might explain why I have so much trouble building muscle!

I'm lucky that my cardiovascular system has not been affected. My CRP (c-reactive protein a measure of vascular inflammation) is at the bottom of the scale, which is very good. Many Celiacs with Candida have cardiovascular disease.

All of my blood tests indicate outstanding results because of my healthy habits of exercise and eating right. Without these good habits there's no way of knowing how bad I would feel.

A metabolic specialist who is treating me recommended two approaches...medicine (strong antibiotics...which I now hate) or herbal to treat the bugs and excess fungus in my gut. I chose to go herbal for the moment. I'm feeling great, except for the foul odor! (My wife has to sleep down the hall at times). After about 3 months we should see results.

Here's what I'm taking:

For Candida Overgrowth: Metagenics Candibactin AR and Candibactin BR

For Bad Bacteria: Metagenics Celapro

For Digestion: Metagenics Spectrazyme (enzyme)

Good Bacteria: Metagenics LactoViden and Bifoviden

Supplements to help with nutrient malabsorption: Fish oil, B Complex, Mulitmineral, Glucosamine /Chondroitin, Vit E, Multi-Vitamin, Bromolein, Licorice, Sam-e, and MSM.

The combination of bad bacteria and candida cause elevated levels of toxins in the body. Exercise helps remove toxins. Therefore, exercise is an important part of my treatment.

Things are turning for the better after years of suffering with vertigo, chronic sinus disease, loss of sense of taste and smell, rashes, itchy skin, bloating, gas, joint and muscle aches, and slow healing.