43 year old PTSD, RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC, BLOATED, AGITATED, ENERGY CRASHES ETC Could really use some advice please.

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Thank you for the input and thanks for sharing your story. I didn’t know that alcohol depleted B1 so that’s definitely a big part of the puzzle I’d say. I think the main problematic foods for me are gluten, milk in large amounts, citric fruits and anything processed and laced with pufa obviously. Most of the easily digestible foods that Ray recommends I’m ok with. I think attacking my system with the B Vits, taurine and glycine is gonna be my plan, while obviously staying away from the foods that I know cause problems. I do have some penicillin vk that I’ve been too nervous to try just yet. I know it can clean out your gut but I wanna look into more first. I’ll definitely be doing the carrot salad & white button mushrooms. Thanks again.
No problem man - feel free to hit me up inbox if you have questions. Cheers!
 

Daft

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May 1, 2016
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hi :) there are a few things that have been game-changers for my ptsd and cortisol issues and the main one is magnesium. unlike so many here - I do mag oxide ( all the rest of them just speed me up ) and I do mag chloride spray, which really is like the BOMB for stress and ptsd and cortisol spiked. like it is so good that i feel like i want to get a water gun and holster and put my spray magnesium in it and start squirting all the stressed-out people i see in the world with it. i spray it on the soles of my feet a couple times a day. as for your supplements ... how is your Vit D ? as as far as coffee is concerned , for me ... if i am stressed and burnt like it seem you are , i need it cafe con lech style- LOTS of cream and LOTS of sugar. i feel you need more sugar in general - it just makes you straight up happy. also if you can figure out how to make some milkshakes using milk and iced cream in your blender with some fruit , that is another thing that .. with a little salt on top is a happy food. you might also want to add more salt to your whole diet and baked potatos ( at least one or 2 a day with butter / salt/ pepper ) for potassium . do you have any labs ? how is your hair ? nails ? tongue ? eyebrows ?
That's interesting about topical magnesium. Does it work on the muscle sprayed on? What do you mean speed you up?
 
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Speed me up meaning it give me some kind of anxiety speedy affect , like the opposite of the relaxing effect of other magnesium. It does work directly on muscles that you spray it on ( the spray mag ) . I think the " life-flo " brand it the best , and I have tried a lot of them .
 

Peatful

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Hi guys/gals, this is my first post and I’d like to start by thanking anyone who takes the time to read this. I think I should begin with a brief history of the things that I think have caused my issues and that might help you navigate any advice you could have.

During my Mams pregnancy her placenta stopped growing so an emergency C-Section was performed because I was obviously suffocating. I was severely underweight and was put on life support for a few weeks.

Ate a standard western diet rich in pufa pretty much from birth.

When I was 21 I suffered PTSD which resulted in 15 years of on/off alcoholism trying idiotically to self medicate the insomnia which stemmed from it.

Keto Diet/ Fasting. Did that for a good few years. I would do five day fasts a couple of times a year. Also doing extreme cardio while fasted. Like a lot of recovering addicts I got addicted to punishing myself in the gym.

The problems I have now are a major problems with digestion. Possibly Sibo. Even when I was doing all the fasting I still had a bloated stomach. I’ve tried expensive probiotic protocols that haven’t done anything. I also cough sometimes after eating, especially after breakfast. It feels like there’s food stuck in my throat. Maybe some kind of esophagus damage? Stomach acid? When my stomach goes full bloat it’s solid as a rock. My ability to handle stress is abysmal and I get extremely agitated and can lose my rag really quickly. I used to be so laid back and chilled. I’m desperate to regain that. Cortisol is probably an issue as I have the classic belly and little hump on the back of my neck look (sexy) did a cortisol test in the doctors and it came back negative, but let’s be honest who can trust that ***t these days. I also have a lot of nasal congestion. It feels high up in the nasal cavity. Mentally I have a tough time concentrating and have zero patience. I have a wonderful wife and daughter and a lot of the time I just don’t feel I’m in the present moment with them. It’s like I’m there but I’m not. Now and then there’s moments of feeling extremely happy but most of the time that feels blocked. I was also a terrible mouth breather. I didn’t even know until my wife told me. I’ve sorted that now tho and use mouth tape at night. I’m still having really bad energy crashes, I get insanely tired. I’m thinking liver damage.

The good news is that since I found the ideas of Ray and this community, so far I’ve mostly eradicated my insomnia just by eating pro-metabolically, which I’ve been doing for about a year. I very rarely have trouble dropping off so that’s effin awesome. I’ve also stopped exercise and have put on a bit of weight.

My usual diet is

Breakfast: 3 eggs with Parmesan, glass of apple juice and coffee with a little milk and sugar.

Snack: carrot salad
Snack: 4 dates stuffed with parmesan

Lunch: Minced beef with potatoes, coffee.

Snack: applesauce with parmesan

Dinner: Steak with well cooked potatoes.
Pre-bed:Chamomile tea with sugar.

Supplements. T3, D3, Aspirin, K2 and Progest-e, eggshell calcium, magnesium bicarbonate.


Any thoughts/advice on anything that can speed up my healing process will be greatly appreciated. I’ve been reading a lot of your posts and discussions over the last year, picking up tips along the way. So thank you for that.

Happy trails,

Andrew.
Temps?
Waking and 20-30 minutes after breakfast
Plus midday.



The most important part of your hx is the on off keto and fasting regime- with extreme cardio exercise.
Important- meaning damaging.

The most important part of your “recovery” is your diet.
Your diet is that of an elderly woman- not a robust 43 year old man.
You can not underestimate the amount of metabolic damage you did during those years of keto, fasting and exercise.

You are still a stressed organism.
Diet is key, not supplementation.

Lastly, lots of liquids are difficult on a weak digestion. But that’s tertiary.

Your body is amazing and is looking to heal. You are not broken. It just needs more to break the stressed metabolic cycle.
 
OP
D
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Mar 25, 2021
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Temps?
Waking and 20-30 minutes after breakfast
Plus midday.



The most important part of your hx is the on off keto and fasting regime- with extreme cardio exercise.
Important- meaning damaging.

The most important part of your “recovery” is your diet.
Your diet is that of an elderly woman- not a robust 43 year old man.
You can not underestimate the amount of metabolic damage you did during those years of keto, fasting and exercise.

You are still a stressed organism.
Diet is key, not supplementation.

Lastly, lots of liquids are difficult on a weak digestion. But that’s tertiary.

Your body is amazing and is looking to heal. You are not broken. It just needs more to break the stressed metabolic cycle.
I’ll have to check my temps again. When I found Rays work initially I did and it was really low upon waking 35.5. Started the T3 and it got up to 36.3 but not more. We have a temp gun in work and I check that every now and then but it’s never gone past 36.6. I’ll have to start again. I definitely think I struggle diet wise cos of the limitations because of the bloating attacks that occur so if you could do an example of a day of eating that you think would benefit my situation, I’d appreciate it. I struggle with milk, citric fruits and gluten. Thanks Peatful.
 

Peatful

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Artificially driving your temps up with T3 is not healing. If anything- it adds more stress to an already weak metabolism.
Food can heal you- and then if needed - supplement with it judiciously.

Only you know the best diet for you.
Your temps can guide you as to what meal supports your healing the best.
It’s laborious- but worth it.

General guidelines:
1- don’t be restrictive during this healing time. It gets you nowhere.
2- small balanced mini meals 6-8 times a day. Start slow and work your way up.
3- balanced c/p/f. 40/30/30 is a good guideline. This keeps your blood sugar steady to help calm your adrenals down- and in turn support your thyroid.
4- easy on the liquids
5- stop supplements. You have time after you get a solid foundation with your diet- to add them in mindfully prn

Great foods?
Liverwurst. Shrimp. Eggs. Cheescake. Ice cream. Rich stews. Custards. Root vegetables. Cooked fruits. Sourdough bread (grilled cheese). Marmalade. Etc etc etc
 
Last edited:
OP
D
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Mar 25, 2021
Messages
121
Artificially driving your temps up with T3 is not healing. If anything- it adds more stress to an already weak metabolism.
Food can heal you- and then if needed - supplement with it judiciously.

Only you know the best diet for you.
Your temps can guide you as to what meal supports your healing the best.
It’s laborious- but worth it.

General guidelines:
1- don’t be restrictive during this healing time. It gets you nowhere.
2- small balanced mini meals 6-8 times a day. Start slow and work your way up.
3- balanced c/p/f. 40/30/30 is a good guideline. This keeps your blood sugar steady to help calm your adrenals down- and in turn support your thyroid.
4- easy on the liquids
5- stop supplements. You have time after you get a solid foundation with your diet- to add them in mindfully prn

Great foods?
Liverwurst. Shrimp. Eggs. Cheescake. Ice cream. Rich stews. Custards. Root vegetables. Cooked fruits. Sourdough bread (grilled cheese). Marmalade. Etc etc etc
Thanks very much. I’ve struggled with what to drink because of milk and oj being unpleasant for me so I’ve been sipping herbal teas, apple juice and some water with salt & maple syrup. I had no idea that liquids were hard on digestion. Thanks for the info pal, really appreciate it.
 
O

oldfriend

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Hey Oldfriend. That’s very interesting but damn I love coffee. I never drink it on an empty stomach although I did when I was Keto. Looks like I’ll have to find a good decaf and experiment without it. I like your advice about exercise too, it’s been on my mind for a while. I always feel really good after a workout. I think I should restart but not so intense and make sure I feed my body pre and post workout. Thank you.
I think a lot of the dietary advice you get here as adjunct or secondary to managing PTSD symptoms. So while taking caffeine on a full stomach or with lots of calories is good practice, there is always the tendency to induce stress states which we are inherently less capable of managing than the average person. Ruminating, catastrophizing, hypervigilance etc. have a way of increasing our nutritional needs and leaving an energy deficit just on their own. Personally, I find the general advice here doesn't apply to me more often than not. E.g. taking supplemental doses of some B vitamins ends up crashing my blood sugar and stressing me out, but of course everyone is different. I just think that some of the best advice is to take things slow and listen to your body.

Also, in terms of medication for PTSD, LDN is the safest and most helpful I've used. Highly recommend it.
 
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OP
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I think a lot of the dietary advice you get here as adjunct or secondary to managing PTSD symptoms. So while taking caffeine on a full stomach or with lots of calories is good practice, there is always the tendency to induce stress states which we are inherently less capable of managing than the average person. Ruminating, catastrophizing, hypervigilance etc. have a way of increasing our nutritional needs and leaving an energy deficit just on their own. Personally, I find the general advice here doesn't apply to me more often than not. E.g. taking supplemental doses of some B vitamins ends up crashing my blood sugar and stressing me out, but of course everyone is different. I just think that some of the best advice is to take things slow and listen to your body.
Yeah 100 %. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been stuck for the last couple of months. I know eating more nutritious food is the gold standard here and completely makes sense, but doing that with a wrecked digestive system is tricky. The more food = more bloating = more agitation = more energy crashes etc etc. I’ve got some awesome info from starting this thread so I’m gonna devour it all and make a plan that I stick with for a good few months and see how I feel.
 
O

oldfriend

Guest
Yeah 100 %. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been stuck for the last couple of months. I know eating more nutritious food is the gold standard here and completely makes sense, but doing that with a wrecked digestive system is tricky. The more food = more bloating = more agitation = more energy crashes etc etc. I’ve got some awesome info from starting this thread so I’m gonna devour it all and make a plan that I stick with for a good few months and see how I feel.
Edited the last comment to recommend LDN. Also, if the liver cleansing benefits are an appealing aspect of caffeine, Taurine is a good non-stimulant substitute. TUDCA is even better but will stimulate bile production like crazy IME.
 
OP
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Edited the last comment to recommend LDN. Also, if the liver cleansing benefits are an appealing aspect of caffeine, Taurine is a good non-stimulant substitute. TUDCA is even better but will stimulate bile production like crazy IME.
Yeah I’ve already ordered taurine, a few people recommended it. I’ve definitely trashed my liver. Never heard of LDN so I’ll definitely look into it. I think I’ve got low dopamine too, I feel very mentally lethargic. Very low motivation kind of thing.
 
O

oldfriend

Guest
Yeah I’ve already ordered taurine, a few people recommended it. I’ve definitely trashed my liver. Never heard of LDN so I’ll definitely look into it. I think I’ve got low dopamine too, I feel very mentally lethargic. Very low motivation kind of thing.
You and me both. I don't know if this will be the case for you, but the times I've felt best since my relapse in 2017 were when I wasn't obsessing over diet regimens, and focusing on meeting my daily caloric needs while loosely following Peat's advice. So avoiding PUFAs, eatings lots of carbs, minimal processed food where possible but also lots of starch, eating out as often as I'd like, and just generally worrying less about the whole thing. I struggle with caffeine and nicotine which are both habits I picked up after joining this community, and feel my symptoms are better when I abstain. It's difficult to explain why I still do them, like the bit of instability and chaos they bring to my life is more comfortable in a way. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that it always feels like a work in progress, don't expect big changes to happen fast or at least be prepared for some backsteps along the way. Good luck
 
OP
D
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You and me both. I don't know if this will be the case for you, but the times I've felt best since my relapse in 2017 were when I wasn't obsessing over diet regimens, and focusing on meeting my daily caloric needs while loosely following Peat's advice. So avoiding PUFAs, eatings lots of carbs, minimal processed food where possible but also lots of starch, eating out as often as I'd like, and just generally worrying less about the whole thing. I struggle with caffeine and nicotine which are both habits I picked up after joining this community, and feel my symptoms are better when I abstain. It's difficult to explain why I still do them, like the bit of instability and chaos they bring to my life is more comfortable in a way. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that it always feels like a work in progress, don't expect big changes to happen fast or at least be prepared for some backsteps along the
You and me both. I don't know if this will be the case for you, but the times I've felt best since my relapse in 2017 were when I wasn't obsessing over diet regimens, and focusing on meeting my daily caloric needs while loosely following Peat's advice. So avoiding PUFAs, eatings lots of carbs, minimal processed food where possible but also lots of starch, eating out as often as I'd like, and just generally worrying less about the whole thing. I struggle with caffeine and nicotine which are both habits I picked up after joining this community, and feel my symptoms are better when I abstain. It's difficult to explain why I still do them, like the bit of instability and chaos they bring to my life is more comfortable in a way. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that it always feels like a work in progress, don't expect big changes to happen fast or at least be prepared for some backsteps along the way. Good luck
Yeah completely makes sense. It’s kinda the same thing with insomnia. The harder you try to fall asleep, the harder it is to fall asleep. I think most of us have some forms of self destructive behaviour and if you’re like me you have to make the same mistakes over and over ridiculous amounts of times before you finally learn. Good luck to you to Oldfriend. Thanks again for helping me out.
 

area51puy

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Yeah 100 %. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been stuck for the last couple of months. I know eating more nutritious food is the gold standard here and completely makes sense, but doing that with a wrecked digestive system is tricky. The more food = more bloating = more agitation = more energy crashes etc etc. I’ve got some awesome info from starting this thread so I’m gonna devour it all and make a plan that I stick with for a good few months and see how I feel.


View: https://youtu.be/0o4ENCLnDTk



Hans posted this a couple of months ago. Maybe you have excess serotonin in your gut
 
OP
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View: https://youtu.be/0o4ENCLnDTk


Hans posted this a couple of months ago. Maybe you have excess serotonin in your gut

Yeah I’ve suspected this for awhile. Definitely lots of brain fog and lack of motivation. For sure I’m gonna look into Chokeberry. I did a very expensive probiotic protocol about a year ago that didn’t do anything, so Han’s video definitely makes sense about adding the Chokeberry in. Awesome. Thanks pal.
 

Kris

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As I posted in another thread, I had the issue with getting white tongue after drinking. And surprisingly, this stoped after I took a couple of supplements, like Niacinamide, Rutin and B1. And some more. i am not sure which one of them helped, but something helped.
 

frannybananny

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I’ve got glycine here and I’ve already ordered taurine & thiamine. Any dosages I should use for both? That’s very interesting about the T3 and makes sense a bit cos the energy crashes got worse when I eliminated milk from my diet. I was drinking about a litre & half per day which obviously boosted my calories. I’m sure I’m hypothyroid from my temps etc and have been experimenting with cynomel / cynoplus. Felt off with the cynoplus so stuck with the t3 and my temps definitely got better. You think I should stop the t3 until I’ve solved these other issues? Thanks for the tips DrJ.
In my Fenbendazole group on facebook the number one supplement that is recommended to support and heal the liver is Tudca. You might want to research that. Also Burdock Root is good and Milk Thistle of course is the best if you don't have any hormone driven cancer.
 
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LiveLaughLove

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I didn’t read all to see if this was covered, but probably the biggest quick improvement you can get is getting 30% of your protein as gelatin. Extremely anti cortisol, extremely anti inflammatory. Helpful for gut and arthritic conditions, improves sleep in some
 

FrostedShores

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I didn’t read all to see if this was covered, but probably the biggest quick improvement you can get is getting 30% of your protein as gelatin. Extremely anti cortisol, extremely anti inflammatory. Helpful for gut and arthritic conditions, improves sleep in some
I agree. Increasing my gelatin/collagen intake has greatly reduced my anxiety, along with reducing inflammation. I had tried plain glycine before and it did nothing for me, even at high doses. I've heard the glycine in gelatin/collagen is easier to absorb than just straight glycine. I've been aiming to get about 30-40% of my protein from gelatin/collagen with good results.

B1 as allithiamine has been helpful, as well.
 

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