Anxiety off the scale. Please can you help?

[mostlylurking]

Thank you, this is so helpful. I have read some other posts by you elsewhere. You really do know lots about thiamine. My biggest problem is that I cannot get beyond about 80 mg per day without it generating a headache. I take magnesium, but perhaps I should take more. Please would you tell me what brand you use of both thiamine and magnesium, thank you. I long to reach your level of 2g thiamine per day. I have little doubt that I am thiamine deficient. My eyes are bad, my chest feels tight and my muscles are very scarily taut and just all the autonomic nervous system dysregulation. I am so inspired by your journey.

You're welcome. I'm happy to try to help.

I remember feeling pretty awful last year when my thiamine deficiency/functional blockage was the worst. My recovery was not instantaneous, although I did get positive responses to lower dose thiamine (250-300mg thiamine hcl) quickly that showed me I was on to something. TTFD thiamine did give me a horrible headache so I stuck with thiamine hcl. I found good information at Dr. Costantini's site, because he always used thiamine hcl for his patients. The hcl variety requires higher doses than the TTFD variety.

I use the pure powder thiamine hcl, available at bulksupplements.com and also at purebulk.com. I use magnesium glycinate, pure powder, also available at these two suppliers.

I take 1 gram of thiamine hcl around 9:00 am and another gram between 3:00 and 4:00pm. Taking it later in the day can interfere with sleep. I'm hypothyroid and I take NDT (natural desiccated thyroid, prescription via an endocrinologist). This has been a big part of my recovery too. Both thiamine and thyroid affect mitochondrial function and thiamine deficiency stopped my thyroid med from working; the t3 stacked up in my blood to alarming levels while I suffered hypothyroid symptoms. Some researchers say that too much thyroid med causes thiamine deficiency.. My endo lowered my thyroid med from 180mg/day to 135mg/day last December. I miss my higher dose but I feel better over all.

My ability to tolerate magnesium greatly improved after taking thiamine at larger doses. Elliot Overton has a good video on youtube about magnesium tolerance improving via thiamine supplementation. My gut was a mess from taking Bactrim antibiotic. Both thiamine and magnesium help heal the gut. It worked for me.

Would you mind telling me what you eat in addition to your 2 quarts of milk and 1 quart of OJ, on an average day, quite exactly! I have bad histamine reactions so I doubt OJ will even be possible and am not sure what fruit I could use as a substitute, which would not trigger too much of a glucose surge. I will try niacinamide.

morning first thing (7:00am): 12 oz orange juice, 12 oz cup of mint tea with 2 teas. sugar, rounded 1/8cup of hydrolyzed gelatin (=11grams protein), a little cream. I put this into the OJ: 90mg riboflavin, 90mg niacinamide, 600mg magnesium glycinate, about 20mg biotin, 1/2teas. pregnenolone. I take 135mg NDT thyroid med + a b-complex capsule (Pure Encapsulations) with the OJ before I add the other stuff.

around 8:00am: 10,000iu D3 sublingual, 6mg K2 sublingual, 4 drops of vitamin A transdermally.

around 9:00am: 1 gram of thiamine with 90mg niacinamide in 12 oz water

around 10:00am: 20 oz 1% milk with about 1.5 Tablespoons maple syrup and 1/8 cup hydrolyzed gelatin.

32 oz. Fiji water and 6 oz orange juice

around 12:00pm: a cucumber salad: 1 seedless cucumber, with sheep feta, kalamata olives, a hard boiled egg (Or grilled shrimp) with salad dressing made with generous tablespoon honey, garlic salt, dried mint, a little MCT oil. Or I eat liver topped with onions cooked in a little port wine. Or I have another glass of milk with gelatin and maple syrup if I'm in a hurry.

around 3:30: 1 gram of thiamine with 90mg niacinamide in 12 oz water

at least 30 minutes later, 32 oz Fiji water (I've got an aluminum problem) and 6 oz orange juice

around 6:00pm lots of clementine tangerines or I'll eat a can of smoked oysters with a mixture of a little sour cream, a little sheep feta (mash well) and some capers, stacked on top of a few saltine crackers (gluten, bad me, I cheat a little). Canapes! The goo keeps the oysters from sliding off the crackers. Or I have another glass of milk with gelatin and maple syrup late afternoon. I try to keep one meal a day on the salty side because I do a lot better with it. Salt is important.

around 8:00, dinner: 20oz milk with maple syrup and hydrolyzed gelatin, also oranges.

shower, get ready for bed. Take 40mg progesterone dissolved in vitamin E (=about 1/8 teas. Progest-E).

around 9:30: 6 oz OJ with 90mg niacinamide and 600mg magnesium, along with a gram of aspirin dissolved in boiling water, then ice cubes added.

10:15 lights out.

Please note that when taking thiamine, you need to have a supply of potassium. I rely on orange juice for my potassium. I found that extra salt in my diet was very helpful. I had electrolyte problems that were adding to my woes.

About the histamine issue: I found this article: The Best Natural Antihistamine: Unprocessed Salt and Water You might find it helpful. In the right sidebar, there's this:
"Why do some cultures put salt on melons when eating them? Such foods are rich in potassium. In order to balance the bodies needs, salt is added. Orange juice is loaded with potassium that is useless with out salt. If you do not eat enough salt when you drink the OJ< histamine is released to help expel the excess potassium.
How Much Salt 1/8th teaspoon of salt (or 3/4 gram) per 8 ounces (250 cc) of OJ for the potassium to be used in the body."

So you might consider increasing your salt and maybe adding some to your orange juice.

It was lovely to hear that you now have the strength to be out in your garden again and so you are obviously feeling so much better. I admire the dedication you have used to get this far. I long to be out in nature again, enjoying living in this body which has been gifted me. I feel I am taking up a great deal of your time. I hope you know how much it is appreciated.

I'm happy to have the opportunity to try to help other people.

I found it very therapeutic to get outside in the sun and do something mindless and physical. When I started, I could barely drag my little hand cultivator across the surface of the soil. That was last March. Now I'm attacking the ground with a turning fork and working compost into it. Huff Puff.... Steel rakes dragged through dirt build core muscles.

 

[Blossom]

do hope that Blossom will not be upset by my mistakes.

Never! I’m the queen of mistakes friend.

 

[Tilly-J]

You’re welcome. And thank you. :) The adrenaline attacks were caused by hypoglycemia from an underactive thyroid so I started taking NDT and did an elimination diet to figure out which foods were crashing my blood sugar—all animal protein except for milk—and how many carbs to get in relation to protein—at the time I needed 4 or more grams of carbs for every gram of protein.

That increase in bone density was prior to refeeding, while I was following a WAPF inspired diet. I had already discovered Ray’s work prior to refeeding. Keep in mind that I wasn’t coming from a history of calorie restriction, but if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t join health forums or refeed, at least not forcing a minimum of calories on myself, and definitely not following Youreatopia guidelines. I’ve talked about it on the forum before so I won’t litter your thread with that nightmarish stroll down memory lane.

When your thiamine level was last checked, how many carbs did your doctor say you can safely have without worsening your deficiency?

You mentioned OJ and pineapple juice—you don’t like any other juices besides those two?

Have you tried regular, non-strained yogurt and if so, did it exacerbate your symptoms more than milk?

You said you can’t have nuts or seeds but how about coconut fat, cocoa butter, dairy butter and tallow—do you tolerate any of those? I found fat to be a great way to pack in calories without the discomfort of having too much volume.

You are not insane. I’ve had similar thought’s as you, wanted to end my life, almost went through with it, felt I didn’t have a right to feel the way I did because other people suffer, even felt guilty because I wanted to get better when there are people who never get better, it’s like guilt was the only thing that held me together and it was nothing more than a distraction from facing the real issue. Even food was never the issue, it was just another distraction, a way to channel my anxiety. It gave me a sense of control when faced with things outside of my control, a way to cope, and this goes all the way back to my childhood. There are metabolic influences at play with my anxiety, for example low blood sugar, but childhood traumas such as the molestation and bullying, family dynamics/imprinting and even my highly empathic nature have been the most influential.

The farm where I get my goat’s milk from doesn’t milk the goats again until spring and my craving for fruit skyrockets during the fall and winter so I’ve been averaging at least 3 liters of juice daily, but I’ve consumed a fruit-based diet for at least 15 years—roughly 6 of them as a fruitarian averaging 3000+ calories daily—and never experienced a B1 deficiency—I actually overcame neuropathy symptoms with fruit—so I’m not sure my diet(s) will be useful or even safe for you to gain inspiration from. As it is, I wasn’t even aware that Ray says we need to supplement B1 if we consume a high carb diet. When I was in contact with him, he was aware I was fruitarian and knew my symptoms, but never suggested a B1 supplement so that one is news to me.

I really hope tomorrow is a much better day for you and you’re able to eat enough to feel satisfied. Take care!

Thank you Jennifer, again, for all the information you have shared. I do hope that you and your family enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal and time together.

I am very uncertain about Youreatopia but when one feels so desperate one/I am open to anything which might save me. I am considering your advice very deeply, but wish I had your courage to listen to my body and respond to what I hear and trust that message. I have such a long way to go and find myself eating because I have read this or that somewhere along the line. Whilst people on this Forum have been very kind to me, I do feel so confused.

It is only symptoms which bring me to say that I have a thiamine deficiency. I am quite sure that a test, if I were to have one, would show normal levels. High Dose Thiamine therapy does seem to help some people significantly - SimplyLurking, for one - but for me, I cannot tolerate more than about 50 mg daily without crushing headaches and so am hardly likely to get up to the recommended 1 - 2 g daily.

It is hard to get other juices in the UK - at least not ones which haven't got awful stuff added. And I could not afford or find ripe fruit to juice my own.

I lost my nerve a bit on fat recently, having been very gung-ho with it previously. Again, I picked up on this Forum, that I might be overwhelming my liver and giving myself non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, when eating so much sugar, so I backed right off. Now I am reconsidering and increasing my intake because perhaps this is one simple way to increase the feeling of satiety. Coconut might not be so good for me but butter, ghee and tallow are all fine. This is something I think I can really address.

I am sorry to hear that you have been that close to giving in and giving up also. I agree so strongly, my difficulties are not really about food at all. More about owning my own self. I feel that I have never had a self. I have always wanted to be sort of spirit-like - does that sound mad? Sometimes/always I feel overwhelmed with a sense of love and compassion. I feel I know how other people are feeling without them telling me and I feel responsible for their own discomforts. Which must sound very grand when all I mean is that I hate to see and feel other people hurting. I would prefer to hurt on their behalf, than to think they are struggling. Of course, I know other people's business is none of my business but there is so much distress in this world and sometimes I feel weighed down by it. You certainly are so very empathic, but it seems as if you have learned how to be with that and make it work for you and others?

It seems strange to me that in the colder months you prefer to eat fruit, rather than warm milk, but I realise it must be difficult if the goats are resting. I have no idea how you manage to do a frutarian diet successfully. You obviously do it very well and I am glad that it works for you. I think I have much too 'gross' a nature for that, I need more solid foods. But no, that is not true. What I really feel is that I could do very well on 4 litres of milk per day, some cheese and mango and some fats and raw honey. That would be a heavenly diet for me. But I dare not try it. Maybe I should? Right now I am eating to follow rules and regulations which I have read about. It is soul destroying and anxiety provoking. I will no doubt read and re-read your posts here to me and maybe one day soon, try to be me, in all ways me. Oh dear, that is the story of my life - I have never dared to be me and I am now quite seriously sick as a result of trying to follow someone else's path.

I have to go get dinner now. I am full of confusion and little idea what I shall choose, but am very sure that I shall leave the table feeling unsatisfied and worried that, once again, I have undernourished my body. I must not end on such a bad note. I know that I have the strength to keep on searching for my answers, at the same time being so grateful to those here who have reached out to me. Thank you for doing so in such a personal way.

 

[Tilly-J]

You're welcome. I'm happy to try to help.

I remember feeling pretty awful last year when my thiamine deficiency/functional blockage was the worst. My recovery was not instantaneous, although I did get positive responses to lower dose thiamine (250-300mg thiamine hcl) quickly that showed me I was on to something. TTFD thiamine did give me a horrible headache so I stuck with thiamine hcl. I found good information at Dr. Costantini's site, because he always used thiamine hcl for his patients. The hcl variety requires higher doses than the TTFD variety.

I use the pure powder thiamine hcl, available at bulksupplements.com and also at purebulk.com. I use magnesium glycinate, pure powder, also available at these two suppliers.

I take 1 gram of thiamine hcl around 9:00 am and another gram between 3:00 and 4:00pm. Taking it later in the day can interfere with sleep. I'm hypothyroid and I take NDT (natural desiccated thyroid, prescription via an endocrinologist). This has been a big part of my recovery too. Both thiamine and thyroid affect mitochondrial function and thiamine deficiency stopped my thyroid med from working; the t3 stacked up in my blood to alarming levels while I suffered hypothyroid symptoms. Some researchers say that too much thyroid med causes thiamine deficiency.. My endo lowered my thyroid med from 180mg/day to 135mg/day last December. I miss my higher dose but I feel better over all.

My ability to tolerate magnesium greatly improved after taking thiamine at larger doses. Elliot Overton has a good video on youtube about magnesium tolerance improving via thiamine supplementation. My gut was a mess from taking Bactrim antibiotic. Both thiamine and magnesium help heal the gut. It worked for me.

morning first thing (7:00am): 12 oz orange juice, 12 oz cup of mint tea with 2 teas. sugar, rounded 1/8cup of hydrolyzed gelatin (=11grams protein), a little cream. I put this into the OJ: 90mg riboflavin, 90mg niacinamide, 600mg magnesium glycinate, about 20mg biotin, 1/2teas. pregnenolone. I take 135mg NDT thyroid med + a b-complex capsule (Pure Encapsulations) with the OJ before I add the other stuff.

around 8:00am: 10,000iu D3 sublingual, 6mg K2 sublingual, 4 drops of vitamin A transdermally.

around 9:00am: 1 gram of thiamine with 90mg niacinamide in 12 oz water

around 10:00am: 20 oz 1% milk with about 1.5 Tablespoons maple syrup and 1/8 cup hydrolyzed gelatin.

32 oz. Fiji water and 6 oz orange juice

around 12:00pm: a cucumber salad: 1 seedless cucumber, with sheep feta, kalamata olives, a hard boiled egg (Or grilled shrimp) with salad dressing made with generous tablespoon honey, garlic salt, dried mint, a little MCT oil. Or I eat liver topped with onions cooked in a little port wine. Or I have another glass of milk with gelatin and maple syrup if I'm in a hurry.

around 3:30: 1 gram of thiamine with 90mg niacinamide in 12 oz water

at least 30 minutes later, 32 oz Fiji water (I've got an aluminum problem) and 6 oz orange juice

around 6:00pm lots of clementine tangerines or I'll eat a can of smoked oysters with a mixture of a little sour cream, a little sheep feta (mash well) and some capers, stacked on top of a few saltine crackers (gluten, bad me, I cheat a little). Canapes! The goo keeps the oysters from sliding off the crackers. Or I have another glass of milk with gelatin and maple syrup late afternoon. I try to keep one meal a day on the salty side because I do a lot better with it. Salt is important.

around 8:00, dinner: 20oz milk with maple syrup and hydrolyzed gelatin, also oranges.

shower, get ready for bed. Take 40mg progesterone dissolved in vitamin E (=about 1/8 teas. Progest-E).

around 9:30: 6 oz OJ with 90mg niacinamide and 600mg magnesium, along with a gram of aspirin dissolved in boiling water, then ice cubes added.

10:15 lights out.

Please note that when taking thiamine, you need to have a supply of potassium. I rely on orange juice for my potassium. I found that extra salt in my diet was very helpful. I had electrolyte problems that were adding to my woes.

About the histamine issue: I found this article: The Best Natural Antihistamine: Unprocessed Salt and Water You might find it helpful. In the right sidebar, there's this:
"Why do some cultures put salt on melons when eating them? Such foods are rich in potassium. In order to balance the bodies needs, salt is added. Orange juice is loaded with potassium that is useless with out salt. If you do not eat enough salt when you drink the OJ< histamine is released to help expel the excess potassium.
How Much Salt 1/8th teaspoon of salt (or 3/4 gram) per 8 ounces (250 cc) of OJ for the potassium to be used in the body."

So you might consider increasing your salt and maybe adding some to your orange juice.


I'm happy to have the opportunity to try to help other people.

I found it very therapeutic to get outside in the sun and do something mindless and physical. When I started, I could barely drag my little hand cultivator across the surface of the soil. That was last March. Now I'm attacking the ground with a turning fork and working compost into it. Huff Puff.... Steel rakes dragged through dirt build core muscles.

Thank you for writing in such detail. The more I read, and consider my symptoms, the more I believe that thiamine deficiency might be a cause of many of them. The tightness in my muscles and the pain in my knee joints is getting considerably worse and even the muscles in my eyes hurt, not to mention the tightness in my chest and the horrendously rubbish digestive system. That seems to be the thing with thiamine deficiency, isn't it, it affects so many different body systems?

As I think I have mentioned, I am having such problems getting above even 40 mg per day. The headaches kick in very quickly. After just 200 g, on one day I experienced a very bad headache for 36 hours and it made it almost impossible to function. I hesitate to push up to that level again, but I so much want to. Perhaps there are some fillers in mine although it doesn't say so. I am in the UK, but I shall do some research to see if I can get some powders such as the ones you use. I had no idea that potassium is crucial to the metabolism of thiamine. I have some capsules which are 200 mg of potassium. I shall try these alongside thiamine, with more magnesium. I use Epsom Salt footbaths every day but it is difficult to know quite how much one absorbs via this method, although I know it can be more affective than an oral dose.

Thank you so much for sharing your daily food and supplement routine. It is incredibly precise, but that is actually how I like to be also. I have only been taking 9 mg daily of Progest-E! I think I will need quite a few more calories than you are taking in, but it is very helpful to me to see how you do it, particularly the specific amounts of OJ and milk. It must be reassuring to have an understanding endocrinologist. I don't know whether I have low thyroid function per se, or whether I just need to eaet more to raise my metabolic rate. Was it just trial and error on your part that you have arrived at these specific supplement doses?

It is very helpful to understand exactly why salt can be good for lowering the histamine response. Jennifer was just telling me about salt and histamine also, so I shall definitely be putting this information into practice. I long for OJ - so refreshing, It just feels full of goodness, doesn't it? Although I could only get shop-bought. I have found the so-called 'freshly-squeezed' bottled juices are very unsweet so I am thinking to try OJ from concentrate. I think Dr Peat has had recourse to this at times. The UK is not a great place for oranges!

You have given me much to think about. I should just like to end by saying that I know how important it is to be able to get back to physical work in the garden. I long to do some physical work, and the loss of this ability is very distressing. But you inspire me - if you, then perhaps me also! May you and your garden enjoy each other's company and your rose bushes bloom to rejoice in your returning good health. Happy Huffing and Puffing!

 

[ndn]

I am so very desperate. I feel uncomfortable asking for help like this but I am now paralysed by fear and indecision. I have spent hours each day over the past six months reading threads on this forum, reading some of Dr. Peat's articles, reading Functional Performance Systems. I am so overwhelmed and wonder if I am beyond help. If there is anyone who might be able to guide or reassure me, I should be so grateful, so very grateful.

This is my story. I hope you will not be put off if I admit that I have had anorexia since I was 16. I am now 59, but I still feel young, even though I feel very sick. I have not started to live yet and I long to begin. I am ready to do anything, eat anything, in order to be the best I can be, to give something back to the world. I have allowed anorexia to destroy every area of my life. There has been no let-up, ever. The stress of trying to recover has almost destroyed me. But not quite, which is why I am here now.

In my early 20s, I reached 4 stones on two occasions. Since then I have battled every day to help myself. On an anxiety scale of 1 to 10, I have lived every minute of every day at 8 or more for 30+ years. I am pretty tough and resilient but am not almost without hope and the legacy of physical and emotional distress is almost too much for me to bear. But I have read of stories of recovery on this site, of support given and advice offered, not to mention the amazing wealth of shared knowledge and I wonder if I might tap into this.

I was Paleo for about 20 years (I survived, but hardly thrived), with a brief interlude of Keto (disastrous), but had been eating a high starch diet (oats, rice and starchy vegetables) prior to coming here about six months ago, feeling quite unwell, with horrendous SIBO and many other issues. I had not eaten sugar for 40 years. Now I do, but I have read of Haidut and VisionofStrength and others cautioning those who jump into a 'Peat-like' way of eating without regard to their unique metabolic states. Mine is shot at and I do not know what to do to support it. I am very worried that I am only making a bad situation even worse. What if I am now just overwhelming my liver and building up a non-alcoholic fatty liver and other metabolic disasters? I know so little and, as yet, I feel too unwell to Perceive, Think, Act for myself, but this is my goal.

My morning oral temperature is 36.4/36.5
Later in the morning = 36.7 - this is the highest all day

Blood pressure = 103/63 (I feel very dizzy)
Pulse = 63

Six months ago, having been eating sugar and dairy for only six weeks:
TSH = 1.32 mu/L

Serum cholesterol = 5.5 mmol/L
Serum TG = 2.92 mmol/L

Serum ferritin = 259 ug/L (ref: 14 - 186). I was eating about 300 g ground beef daily.

HbA1c = 44 mmol/L (ref: 20-41). I have never been under 40 for the last 10 years, even when I ate NO starch and only a small amount of dark chocolate.
Blood glucose = 5.5 (early morning)

I am underweight at 43.5 kg (96 lbs), 5'4", BMI about 17. It is uncomfortable to sit and lie down. My ribs are prominent. I have muscle wastage.

I experience CONSTANT anxiety/adrenaline flow on a massive scale (because I do not know how to heal myself and fear the dreadful consequences of living in this wired and undernourished state). I feel short of breath and dizzy, my heart is pounding and my nerves are alive.

I have peripheral neuropathy which began in my feet and is now in my arms and hands. Has my body catabolised my myelin sheath as a result of undernourishment over so many years or is this another manifestation of extreme anxiety/adrenaline flux. Am I short on some B vitamins? Are my electrolytes very out of balance?

I experience constant MASSIVE HUNGER - should I listen to this message and just eat more, but more of what? I have learned here about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. I have read posts by Kelj (Abdominal Fat is A Phase Following Calorie Restriction) and her brave journey from under-eating to good health. I want to do the same, but where to start?
Or is excessive hunger just uncontrolled hypoglycaemia? Am I about to tip over into full-blown diabetes driven by cortisol and adrenaline? Can I eat myself out of metabolic disorder into metabolic order?

I have SIBO badly with furred tongue, sticky saliva (starches dreadful) and chronic constipation (all my life). Cascara Sagrada only makes worse (but perhaps I did not take enough. How much?). I rely on magnesium oxide as a laxative (it doesn't always work). Stools mustard in colour and unformed, or nothing at all.

My voice is husky and I have to clear my throat very often. My throat is irritated by refluxed acid - but I think I must surely have low stomach acid?

My liver? I cannot go more than one or two hours without food (in fact I am hungry before I finish eating, almost), but is this just an indulgent craving for sugar? Am I now eating to promote a non-alcoholic fatty liver?

My heart feels to be under enormous stress from anxiety and I fear a stroke. I also fear vascular calcification - how to test?

My muscles feel in a state of rigidity and this is getting worse. I experience spasms daily in my calves. I used to dance and swim and hike and do yoga. I am becoming more and more inflexible, with much muscle wasting (going upstairs takes effort now). This is all causing me HUGE distress. Now I do only a short walk each day, but I do not allow myself to sit for very long at a time. I keep as active as possible around the house.

Ligaments and tendons feel dried out, taut and are prone to frequent injuries which never fully heal and repeat themselves.

I experience histamine flares (severe headaches and flushing and eye pain) which makes food choices (especially proteins, bone-broth and fruit juices very limited - probably mast cell dysregulation.

Severe osteoporosis (diagnosed mid-20s). T score minus 4.5. I am very fearful of spontaneous fracture. (Jennifer, I have read your amazing logs from beginning to your last post. You inspire me greatly. The simplicity and nourishment of your current diet of mostly goat's milk and cheese, I think, attracts me very much, but I think I might be consuming already too much calcium).
No mediation for bones. No menstrual cycle from ages 18-35. About 10 cycles from 35-50. Regular monthly cycles from ages 56-58 when my weight was above 45kg. This is the magic figure for me. I may even have enough stored eggs to cycle more if I can get my weight up to 45kg again and then more. My major goal.

Organic Acid Test, ten months ago, showed high oxalates. I have unwittingly eaten a high oxalate diet all my life, so now very wary of many green vegetables, glycine, collagen and dark chocolate, etc.

Sleep - poor. I crash out from mental exhaustion at 10.45 p.m. but wake always at 2.00 a.m. After that sleep is very fitful as anxiety rules with rapid heartbeat and early-morning sweats. I do not eat through the night.

I am ashamed to be able to list all the above. I cannot believe that this is where I have ended up, having tried so hard to achieve recovery over so many years.

My overriding concerns are:
What and how much to eat to gain weight and strength and metabolic vitality
How to decrease adrenaline and cortisol surges - do I eat my way out of these states and with what foods?
How to respond to cravings for sweet, energy-laden foods, without promoting diabetes and damaging my liver?
How to manage peripheral neuropathy?
How to improve digestion and assimilation?

I do not think the label anorexic applies to me any longer, but orthorexic certainly does. I do believe, however, that I can find my way out of this, even this late on.

If there is someone here who could help me to save my life, I feel that I could breathe again and my anxiety levels would begin to reduce already. What a wonderful thing it would be to have confidence in what I am eating. Such a relief.

What I eat:

7.30 a.m.
120 g frozen mango (warmed)
360 mls hot goat's milk, semi-skimmed, pasteurised, with 1/2 tsp sugar and few grains salt, 1 tsp instant coffee
1 raw egg yolk (egg whites set off headaches)
15-20 g raw, honey

10.30 a.m.
Repeat as above

1.00 p.m.
200 g very sweet stewed apple
100 g ground beef - most of the fat skimmed off
360 mils hot goat's milk with 1/2 tsp sugar, few grains salt, 1 tsp coffee
15-20 g raw honey
25 g white chocolate

4.00 p.m.
25 g white chocolate
360 mls hot goat's milk with 1/2 tsp sugar, few grains salt (no more coffee for rest of day)

6.30 p.m.
1 large sweet pear (warmed)
Carrot salad with tsp olive oil and tsp apple cider vinegar, salt
40 g Feta cheese
15-20 g raw honey
360 mls hot goat's milk
25 g white chocolate

10.00 p.m.
25 g white chocolate
360 mls hot goat's milk with 1/2 tsp sugar and few grains salt

1 oz ox liver every other day

Cannot eat fish or oysters re bad histamine reactions - headache etc
Cannot drink OJ ditto

Surely I am eating too much sweet food i.e. chocolate and honey but I cannot resist and would eat more if I did not restrain myself sharply. I am driven to eat these foods and this upsets me because it must be a bad thing to do.
Whatever I eat, I feel dizzy and hungry and anxious. It is so very hard to live whilst all this is going on continuously.

I am hardly comfortable physically after eating so much food but I do not imagine that the process of refeeding can ever be a comfortable experience.

But if someone here tells me to change, I will do so.

Cronometer:
2,400 calories
115 g protein
280 g carbs
89 g fat

Calcium 2,900 mg

But am I consuming too much calcium? In his article, 'Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs respiratory energy', Dr. Peat says:

'When cells are stressed or dying, they take up calcium, which tends to excite the cells at the same time that it inhibits their energy production, intensifying their stress. A cramp or a seizure is an example of uncontrolled cellular excitation. Prolonged excitation and stress contribute to tissue inflammation and fibrosis.'

I fear this is me and perhaps this explains the tightness and cramping in my body. It is fibrosis and I am putting myself at risk of a stroke.

But I also understand that excessive cortisol is associated with vascular calcification. So perhaps milk is okay but my high levels of cortisol are definitely not okay. Am I allowed to continue to drink milk for the ready completeness of nutrients and calories which it gives me? How to do I lower cortisol?

Supplements:
Energin - only 20 drops per day - topically
Magnoil - only 20 drops per day - topically
Kuinone - 1 drop every other day - topically
Progest-E - 3 drops before bed on my gums

If you have followed me this far, I thank you so much. My mind is tortured night and day by all that I have written and I long to find peace. I have every intention of getting my life back on track. I will not become a wizened, old, osteoporotic woman. That is not the real me! And so much of what I read on this forum is so very motivating. Thank all of you who keep the forum working so smoothly.

Kindest regards

 

[mostlylurking]

Thank you for writing in such detail. The more I read, and consider my symptoms, the more I believe that thiamine deficiency might be a cause of many of them. The tightness in my muscles and the pain in my knee joints is getting considerably worse and even the muscles in my eyes hurt, not to mention the tightness in my chest and the horrendously rubbish digestive system. That seems to be the thing with thiamine deficiency, isn't it, it affects so many different body systems?

Yes, thiamine affects pretty much everything. The tightness in your chest is worrisome. I think it is very important to try to read as much as you can about thiamine and the different forms of beriberi. Here's an article on beriberi: Beriberi, the Great Imitator- Hormones Matter
another one:

Thiamine Repletion, Calcium Management, and the Heart - Hormones Matter

For some, thiamine supplementation is a simple process with noticeable improvements almost immediately. For others, the process is grueling.

www.hormonesmatter.com

Beriberi is a very serious disease. Do you have access to a physician? You may need to get some injections of thiamine hcl to help you respond more quickly. Dr. Costantini said on his site that 2 grams of thiamine hcl per day for 7 days equals to one weekly 100mg injection of thiamine hcl. He didn't believe in high doses of magnesium, just something like 75mg of magnesium/week. I take more because it makes me feel better and I have no negative response to it.

Are you familiar with Elliot Overton? Here's a link to articles on his site: Articles | Stafford | EONutrition He does consulting and is in the UK. He has done some excellent videos about thiamine; link is on his site in the header.

As I think I have mentioned, I am having such problems getting above even 40 mg per day. The headaches kick in very quickly. After just 200 g, on one day I experienced a very bad headache for 36 hours and it made it almost impossible to function. I hesitate to push up to that level again, but I so much want to. Perhaps there are some fillers in mine although it doesn't say so. I am in the UK, but I shall do some research to see if I can get some powders such as the ones you use. I had no idea that potassium is crucial to the metabolism of thiamine. I have some capsules which are 200 mg of potassium. I shall try these alongside thiamine, with more magnesium. I use Epsom Salt footbaths every day but it is difficult to know quite how much one absorbs via this method, although I know it can be more affective than an oral dose.

About the headaches, I found this article:

Migraine, Diet, and Thiamine - Hormones Matter

Attack frequency of migraine in children was associated with higher intake of high fat or sugar. The processing of both is dependent on thiamine.

www.hormonesmatter.com

200 g is a typo, right? you mean 200mg?

I've never taken potassium supplements; I use orange juice because it's safer. I think supplementing potassium might be tricky. Try putting a 1/8teaspoon of salt in the orange juice to avoid a histamine reaction.

Do you have access to a bath tub? If yes, put a couple of cups of epsom salts in the tub along with a cup of baking soda and soak in it for a good long time. Read a book while you soak. Plan on being a wet noodle after the bath and just go to bed.

Thank you so much for sharing your daily food and supplement routine. It is incredibly precise, but that is actually how I like to be also. I have only been taking 9 mg daily of Progest-E! I think I will need quite a few more calories than you are taking in, but it is very helpful to me to see how you do it, particularly the specific amounts of OJ and milk. It must be reassuring to have an understanding endocrinologist. I don't know whether I have low thyroid function per se, or whether I just need to eaet more to raise my metabolic rate. Was it just trial and error on your part that you have arrived at these specific supplement doses?

You're welcome. I do better if I make my routine consistent.

My endo is 84, he's great! I told him about my taking high dose thiamine. He was very interested in Dr. Costantini's protocol because he had lost two long time patients to Parkinson's and had wished that he had had more to offer them. He's been helping me balance my thyroid med in relationship to my thiamine hcl. I remember he nodded wisely and told me that thiamine is considered a safe supplement and to let him know how I respond to it, and also to send him the link to Dr. Costantini's website.

I think you should probably assume you have thyroid issues because the thyroid is a sensitive organ and goes off kilter easily. Have you kept a diary of your temperature and pulse? This is extremely helpful to learn your thyroid status on your own. However, I've learned that thiamine deficiency/functional blockage also causes low body temperature and erratic pulse so if you have both issues it can be very confusing.

A good (and old/experienced) endo can be very helpful. My TSH was .02 when I started with my 84 year old endo. He listened to my symptoms and told me he was just going to ignore my TSH number and treat my symptoms because he had seen hypothyroid patients before whose TSH was very low. And then he chewed me out for experimenting with a tiny bit of T3 on my own. So I trust him and rely on his wisdom and I don't dabble in T3 on my own anymore. Heart palpitations aren't much fun.

If you are underweight, many doctors will assume you are hyperthyroid and couldn't possibly be hypo. But Ray Peat says otherwise; some people can't gain weight because they are hypo.

Have you read Ray's thyroid articles? They are very good. Here's a link to a search engine; just type in "thyroid" into the search cell on the left: PeatSearch: a Ray Peat-specific search engine - Toxinless

It is very helpful to understand exactly why salt can be good for lowering the histamine response. Jennifer was just telling me about salt and histamine also, so I shall definitely be putting this information into practice. I long for OJ - so refreshing, It just feels full of goodness, doesn't it? Although I could only get shop-bought. I have found the so-called 'freshly-squeezed' bottled juices are very unsweet so I am thinking to try OJ from concentrate. I think Dr Peat has had recourse to this at times. The UK is not a great place for oranges!

I love the OJ! I tried it today with 1/8teaspoon of salt; then I went outside and dug in the dirt and did very well! Ray has said the concentrate works fine if that's what you can get.

You have given me much to think about. I should just like to end by saying that I know how important it is to be able to get back to physical work in the garden. I long to do some physical work, and the loss of this ability is very distressing. But you inspire me - if you, then perhaps me also! May you and your garden enjoy each other's company and your rose bushes bloom to rejoice in your returning good health. Happy Huffing and Puffing!

Thank you! Such kind words!

 

[ndn]

If it were me going through that Id say yea on dwith k and mag , & Snorting nad+ helps get some niagen from the store and take it nasally. Also spectro chrome 531.5 magenta on the midsection with 531.5 green on the head . Far infrared from jade and pemf theapy for starters . I feel like for me NAD was immediate and strong..

 

[Gustav3Y]

on one day I experienced a very bad headache for 36 hours and it made it almost impossible to function.

I think if someone has not experience that, they cannot understand it at all, having had it I know first hand and many times.

 

[Tilly-J]

Yes, thiamine affects pretty much everything. The tightness in your chest is worrisome. I think it is very important to try to read as much as you can about thiamine and the different forms of beriberi. Here's an article on beriberi: Beriberi, the Great Imitator- Hormones Matter
another one:

Thiamine Repletion, Calcium Management, and the Heart - Hormones Matter

For some, thiamine supplementation is a simple process with noticeable improvements almost immediately. For others, the process is grueling.

www.hormonesmatter.com

Beriberi is a very serious disease. Do you have access to a physician? You may need to get some injections of thiamine hcl to help you respond more quickly. Dr. Costantini said on his site that 2 grams of thiamine hcl per day for 7 days equals to one weekly 100mg injection of thiamine hcl. He didn't believe in high doses of magnesium, just something like 75mg of magnesium/week. I take more because it makes me feel better and I have no negative response to it.

Are you familiar with Elliot Overton? Here's a link to articles on his site: Articles | Stafford | EONutrition He does consulting and is in the UK. He has done some excellent videos about thiamine; link is on his site in the header.

About the headaches, I found this article:

Migraine, Diet, and Thiamine - Hormones Matter

Attack frequency of migraine in children was associated with higher intake of high fat or sugar. The processing of both is dependent on thiamine.

www.hormonesmatter.com

200 g is a typo, right? you mean 200mg?

I've never taken potassium supplements; I use orange juice because it's safer. I think supplementing potassium might be tricky. Try putting a 1/8teaspoon of salt in the orange juice to avoid a histamine reaction.

Do you have access to a bath tub? If yes, put a couple of cups of epsom salts in the tub along with a cup of baking soda and soak in it for a good long time. Read a book while you soak. Plan on being a wet noodle after the bath and just go to bed.


You're welcome. I do better if I make my routine consistent.

My endo is 84, he's great! I told him about my taking high dose thiamine. He was very interested in Dr. Costantini's protocol because he had lost two long time patients to Parkinson's and had wished that he had had more to offer them. He's been helping me balance my thyroid med in relationship to my thiamine hcl. I remember he nodded wisely and told me that thiamine is considered a safe supplement and to let him know how I respond to it, and also to send him the link to Dr. Costantini's website.

I think you should probably assume you have thyroid issues because the thyroid is a sensitive organ and goes off kilter easily. Have you kept a diary of your temperature and pulse? This is extremely helpful to learn your thyroid status on your own. However, I've learned that thiamine deficiency/functional blockage also causes low body temperature and erratic pulse so if you have both issues it can be very confusing.

A good (and old/experienced) endo can be very helpful. My TSH was .02 when I started with my 84 year old endo. He listened to my symptoms and told me he was just going to ignore my TSH number and treat my symptoms because he had seen hypothyroid patients before whose TSH was very low. And then he chewed me out for experimenting with a tiny bit of T3 on my own. So I trust him and rely on his wisdom and I don't dabble in T3 on my own anymore. Heart palpitations aren't much fun.

If you are underweight, many doctors will assume you are hyperthyroid and couldn't possibly be hypo. But Ray Peat says otherwise; some people can't gain weight because they are hypo.

Have you read Ray's thyroid articles? They are very good. Here's a link to a search engine; just type in "thyroid" into the search cell on the left: PeatSearch: a Ray Peat-specific search engine - Toxinless

I love the OJ! I tried it today with 1/8teaspoon of salt; then I went outside and dug in the dirt and did very well! Ray has said the concentrate works fine if that's what you can get.

Thank you! Such kind words!

I feel as if I am going from bad to worse.

The links you have attached here say it all. thank you for sending them. I am so pleased that you have alerted me to the seriousness of my situation but, of course, I now feel so scared. I do believe that I have Beriberi - I have every symptom which is discussed. I am very embarrassed to be here again but I have so many new questions.

If all sugars and starches lower thiamine status even more, and bring no thiamine with them, however do I know what to eat?

Is it the case that the minerals in fruit and juice outweigh the downsides of fructose and glucose? I wonder if pineapple juice (which is slightly less 'histaminc') is a reasonable substitute for OJ (if I am still struggling with histamine - but thank you for all the tips you have given me in this regard).

I have heard Chandler Marrs say that sugar should never pass our lips, but at that point she made no discrimination between sugar and sugar. I assume she means sugar and starch - so what to eat, I think to myself, if I do not want to follow a keto diet or a paleo diet. And then I begin doubting what Dr. Peat says and doubting Dr. Marrs and just doubting everything and everyone, which feels so bad.

How do you reconcile having dairy foods with the fact that so many of the cardiovascular abnormalities associated with thiamine deficiency (TD) are linked to the flux of calcium in and out of the mitochondria?

I have eaten very little today because I am scared of everything and not eating brings huge anxiety

I don't want to eat starch anyway but I was eating some white rice and oats, simply to up my calorie intake. But just think of white rice - no minerals to be found at all. I have eaten very little today because I am scared of everything and not eating brings huge anxiety for, of course, to be always hungry is a huge stress on my body and will be promoting cortisol release and all the tissue degradation which goes with that.

I feel absolutely helpless to get this right. TD symptoms are even worse when driven by anxiety. Why can I not get a grip on myself and put together a plan which feels just a little bit safe?

And to know that I am not even taking any significant steps to rectify a TD is almost unbearable. I have managed about 10mg of thiamine today but I have not really followed your advice to accompany this with potassium and other minerals (because I am afraid to drink juice). What good is 10 mg going to do when I need 2 g? I have read some of what Dr. Constantine recommends. I wonder if an injection would by-pass the headache issue, but surely it could put huge strain on the heart? And anyway, I do not have an open-minded Endo as you do, so I have my doubts that my GP will even hear what I am saying about TD.

I do sit with my feet in Epsom Salt foot baths twice a day. Previously I have found magnesium bisglycinate to be constipating. I do not know if glycinate and bisglycinate are very different in their formulation, or just a bit different. I have magnesium carbonate powder (which I also find constipating). I have read of someone here mixing this with a small amount of apple cider vinegar, I assume, to reduce its reducing affects on stomach HCL, so that might help.

I note that you take niacinamide at 90 mg four times daily and riboflavin at 90 mg three times daily. Did you just jump into that level or work up slowly, or even very slowly? I can get Pure Encapsulations quite easily here. Please would you tell me which one you use, so that I can try it? Thank you.

I take one drop of Haidut's vitamin K2 (Kuinone) daily. That is only 2mg. Perhaps I should increase. Did you increase slowly. Have you experienced any problems here?

And that is quite a lot of vitamin D. Can you believe that I have not been taking any? Why? Just fear that it might make things even worse. What brand is your vitamin D please and your vitamin A? Please forgive me for asking so many questions.

And then hormones. Again, did you titrate upwards. And it is okay to take Progest-E and pregnenalone together?

I cannot take gelatin, which is such a bother. Is it okay to just drink juice on its own with no source of protein. I note that you do at times.

I remember you saying that your TSH has never been high and your Endo looked beyond a low TSH to symptoms and recognised hypothyroidism. Did you notice significant gains when you went on NDT? My doctor would never think out of the box like your Endo. As far as he is concerned my TSH is just fine so everything else must be fine too. I shall do as you say and now regularly clock my temperature and pulse

I see that you eat lots of clementines tangerines. How many is lots? And you say oranges. How many at one sitting? I am so sorry to sound like an inquisitor. But it is the detail which counts for me. I really am quite OCD. And when you say feta cheese, how much is a portion?

Please know how much you are helping me. I feel so foolish for being a complete wreck at the moment. My chest and dizziness is quite bad today and the optic neuritis also, not to mention my legs and knees. I don't know if I can bear this much longer. I do not mind discomfort or pain as long as I know that I am doing something to help myself. At the moment I feel embarrassingly helpless and a nuisance.

What would I like most: to follow your eating plan for a day. Obviously I cannot do all the supplements yet, but I long so much for milk, cheese, OJ, tangerines and oranges. Actually, it hurts to long this much and it brings tears to my eyes to find myself in this situation.

I have far too many questions here. Please do not feel pressed in any way to answer them or even some of them. It has been therapeutic for me simply to ask them.

I wish you well.

Howe

 

[Peatful]

Oh dear.
I’m sorry Howe.

New recommendation:
1- stay off this forum.

Objectively - it appears it is tripping you up.
Not your fault.
Completely understandable.

Go eat food.
Any food.
Then be proud of yourself.

No supplements needed.
No new diagnosis.
No orthorexia.
No more being stuck.
No more fear.
No more data.


Enjoy your meal.

You don’t have to get (anything) “right”.

Love from us all.

 

[mostlylurking]

If all sugars and starches lower thiamine status even more, and bring no thiamine with them, however do I know what to eat?

When I was so very sick from thiamine functional blockage I cut out all sugar except for the orange juice. The orange juice has too many positive health benefits to stop; other juices do not have the benefits, except that guava is also good. Milk sugar (lactose) is fine; per Ray Peat. And I tolerate milk well so I rely on it for a lot of my protein. If you can drink milk without great stomach upset, then it's a good safe food.

I believe that Dr. Costantini had great wisdom that he shared via his website. I think it would be very good for you to read the information at these two links:

HDT Therapy

HDT Therapy Protocol High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) therapy, administered at the right custom-corrected dose, improves fatigue and other symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease, as well as fatigue and diso…

highdosethiamine.org

and

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) Therapy Responses by Dr. Antonio Costantini and Marco Colangeli, his Research Assistant since 2011 Use the Download FAQ button below to get…

highdosethiamine.org

Dr. Costantini advised to separate the thiamine dose from all things sugar and also coffee and tea with a little time; maybe 30-60 minutes. That is a reasonable thing to do. He also recommended eating a healthy diet, but he didn't go into detail. He was treating Italians in Italy, so I think it is reasonable to consider what a healthy diet means in Italy. Leave out the pasta and dessert, focus on what's left, assuming you can eat tomatoes and eggplant without upset - I can't because I'm allergic to nightshade vegetables.

Ray Peat gives excellent suggestions regarding diet; but I think you will find many misinterpretations on this website so it is better to rely on Ray Peat, not the forum. Dairy is good. Orange juice is good. Eggs are good. Super cooked vegetables are pretty safe. Grains, nuts, polyunsaturated fats are not safe so avoid them. Stop eating white sugar, including sweetened chocolate. Avoid other fruit juices. If you can tolerate gelatin it is a very good food. The hydrolyzed gelatin is very easy on the digestion and has great benefit.

here are helpful links:
search Ray Peat's written articles: PeatSearch: a Ray Peat-specific search engine - Toxinless
search Ray Peat's interviews: Bioenergetic Search

Is it the case that the minerals in fruit and juice outweigh the downsides of fructose and glucose? I wonder if pineapple juice (which is slightly less 'histaminc') is a reasonable substitute for OJ (if I am still struggling with histamine - but thank you for all the tips you have given me in this regard).

Orange juice has great benefit besides the potassium. It contains anti-estrogenic things, narengin and narengenin. If you can find sweet oranges/tangerines, they are very good. Guava juice is also good. If all you can find are apples and pears, these are OK if you cook them first, at least that's what Ray Peat has said, and I trust him.

But I do think that you need to watch your intake of sweet things. Ray Peat has said that a desirable amount of sugar for a day is the amount found in a quart of orange juice and two quarts of milk (no extra added). Simply remember to separate them from taking thiamine by a little time (30-60min).

I have heard Chandler Marrs say that sugar should never pass our lips, but at that point she made no discrimination between sugar and sugar. I assume she means sugar and starch - so what to eat, I think to myself, if I do not want to follow a keto diet or a paleo diet. And then I begin doubting what Dr. Peat says and doubting Dr. Marrs and just doubting everything and everyone, which feels so bad.

Dr. Marrs gets a little rabid about sugar. But she has helped a lot of damaged people and I'm sure that has affected her outlook. I think that Dr. Costantini had a healthier position on food. Dr. Marrs is a follower of Dr. Lonsdale. I've read where Dr. Lonsdale warns against drinking fruit juices but eating the fruit is just fine. I think that's a more reasonable position. Sugar helps lower adrenaline and cortisol, assuming you have the thiamine to actually utilize it.

How do you reconcile having dairy foods with the fact that so many of the cardiovascular abnormalities associated with thiamine deficiency (TD) are linked to the flux of calcium in and out of the mitochondria?

Avoiding dietary calcium does not eradicate the calcium in your blood/tissues. The body needs calcium and if you don't consume it, the body will leach it out of your bones for a supply. If you are suffering from lactic acidosis (happens when you have a thiamine deficiency/functional blockage) then your body will pull calcium out of your bones to buffer the acidity. Correcting the lactic acidosis with thiamine supplementation will quickly improve the situation. Thiamine is used in healthy oxidative metabolism. Instead of winding up with lactic acid as the end product, carbon dioxide is the end product. Carbon dioxide then pulls the calcium out of the cells when it exits (per Ray Peat).
read this: Altitude and Mortality
and this: Protective CO2 and aging

I adhere to Ray Peat's teachings about dairy and calcium. Here's an article:

Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

also:

Osteoporosis, harmful calcification, and nerve/muscle malfunctions

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

I have eaten very little today because I am scared of everything and not eating brings huge anxiety

You have to eat. Not eating is counter-productive. Make a list of healthy food to get in the house. If you don't eat, your stress hormones get triggered and your anxiety goes up. Read up. Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

I don't want to eat starch anyway but I was eating some white rice and oats, simply to up my calorie intake. But just think of white rice - no minerals to be found at all. I have eaten very little today because I am scared of everything and not eating brings huge anxiety for, of course, to be always hungry is a huge stress on my body and will be promoting cortisol release and all the tissue degradation which goes with that.

Yes. For now, cut out all the sugar and starch. Do you have anything else available to eat? Any milk or cheese? Cottage cheese is great stuff.

Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

I feel absolutely helpless to get this right. TD symptoms are even worse when driven by anxiety. Why can I not get a grip on myself and put together a plan which feels just a little bit safe?

Can you eat dairy? Do you have any available?

And to know that I am not even taking any significant steps to rectify a TD is almost unbearable. I have managed about 10mg of thiamine today but I have not really followed your advice to accompany this with potassium and other minerals (because I am afraid to drink juice). What good is 10 mg going to do when I need 2 g? I have read some of what Dr. Constantine recommends. I wonder if an injection would by-pass the headache issue, but surely it could put huge strain on the heart? And anyway, I do not have an open-minded Endo as you do, so I have my doubts that my GP will even hear what I am saying about TD.

I really do think you need to talk with your GP. Beriberi is not a trivial thing. Although you do not need your GP's permission to take some vitamin B1 (thiamine), I do think that you would find it helpful to go in and talk with them. There are tests that can be done to ascertain if you are in need of thiamine by IV or injection. These are reasonable things. People do sometimes get in trouble with serious vitamin deficiencies. The GP will not look at you like you've grown horns out of your head. They will order some bloodwork to see what's going on. Use the word "beriberi" and voice your concern that you have it and request to be tested.
here's an article about tests for thiamine: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

I do sit with my feet in Epsom Salt foot baths twice a day. Previously I have found magnesium bisglycinate to be constipating. I do not know if glycinate and bisglycinate are very different in their formulation, or just a bit different. I have magnesium carbonate powder (which I also find constipating). I have read of someone here mixing this with a small amount of apple cider vinegar, I assume, to reduce its reducing affects on stomach HCL, so that might help.

The apple cider vinegar can really irritate the gut. Ray Peat has said it's OK to use maybe 1/2 a teaspoon. Magnesium carbonate is fine (I think). It's not supposed to be constipating; this is something to tell the GP I think. Magnesium and calcium are very important.

I note that you take niacinamide at 90 mg four times daily and riboflavin at 90 mg three times daily. Did you just jump into that level or work up slowly, or even very slowly? I can get Pure Encapsulations quite easily here. Please would you tell me which one you use, so that I can try it? Thank you.

I started with 90mg 2Xday, then recently increased to 4Xday. I use the pure powder magnesium glycinate from bulksupplements.com because I avoid the excipients in the capsules. If Pure Encapsulations left out the excipients, then it would be fine.

I take one drop of Haidut's vitamin K2 (Kuinone) daily. That is only 2mg. Perhaps I should increase. Did you increase slowly. Have you experienced any problems here?

I take more K2 mainly because I take aspirin.

And that is quite a lot of vitamin D. Can you believe that I have not been taking any? Why? Just fear that it might make things even worse. What brand is your vitamin D please and your vitamin A? Please forgive me for asking so many questions.

Vitamin D: Products - Vitamins - Vitamin D3 in MCT oil - healthnatura.com
Vitamin A: https://healthnatura.com/simply-a-15-000-i-u-1oz/; I put 4 drops on my calf and rub it in.

And then hormones. Again, did you titrate upwards. And it is okay to take Progest-E and pregnenalone together?

I've been taking progesterone plus pregnenolone for years together. Pregnenolone orally in the morning; progesterone orally in the evening.

Dr Peats Progest E Usage Instructions

Discover Kenogen Dr. Peat's Progest-E Oil, a natural progesterone oil complex for hormone balance and women's health. Better than progest cream, discover why.

www.longnaturalhealth.com

Progesterone Pregnenolone & DHEA - Three Youth-Associated Hormones

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

Some of Ray Peat's articles have lost their formatting. I usually copy/paste the body of the article into a Word document and print it out so that I can more easily read it and write notes on it.

I cannot take gelatin, which is such a bother. Is it okay to just drink juice on its own with no source of protein. I note that you do at times.

If it's orange juice. Why can't you take gelatin? Have you tried the hydrolyzed kind?

I remember you saying that your TSH has never been high and your Endo looked beyond a low TSH to symptoms and recognised hypothyroidism. Did you notice significant gains when you went on NDT? My doctor would never think out of the box like your Endo. As far as he is concerned my TSH is just fine so everything else must be fine too. I shall do as you say and now regularly clock my temperature and pulse

Significant gains via NDT: In spring of 2014, my thyroid NDT med manufacturer, Armour, sold to another entity. They changed the formula. It stopped working but I didn't know it. By the fall I was falling apart. I developed rheumatoid arthritis and was told that I would never recover. I was told by my dental hygienist that the ligaments in my mouth that held my teeth had changed and that I would lose all my teeth if I couldn't turn things around. I could no longer do simple things like brush my teeth or my hair or pull up my own pants. I found Ray Peat's website, read his work, changed my diet, and found a new endo who changed the brand of my NDT from Armour to Acella. The incapacitating inflammation from the rheumatoid arthritis disappeared within a week of that brand change. The endo worked with me and over a 9 month period slowly increased my dosage from 90mg up to 180mg. I recovered and no longer have symptoms of RA and my teeth didn't fall out. I didn't have to move into assisted living after all. Ray Peat's wisdom and natural desiccated thyroid saved my life.

Charting your temp and pulse will show you if there's a problem. It is good evidence to share with your doctor. You might find the Broda Barnes' book helpful: Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness downloads (free download).

I see that you eat lots of clementines tangerines. How many is lots? And you say oranges. How many at one sitting? I am so sorry to sound like an inquisitor. But it is the detail which counts for me. I really am quite OCD. And when you say feta cheese, how much is a portion?

I eat as many as I want, maybe 6 small ones. Feta cheese portion, maybe 1/3-1/2 cup. Cottage cheese, around a cup. Be sure they didn't put additives like carrageenan or mayonnaise in it.

Please know how much you are helping me. I feel so foolish for being a complete wreck at the moment. My chest and dizziness is quite bad today and the optic neuritis also, not to mention my legs and knees. I don't know if I can bear this much longer. I do not mind discomfort or pain as long as I know that I am doing something to help myself. At the moment I feel embarrassingly helpless and a nuisance.

Make a written list of these symptoms. Make the appointment with your GP. Hand them the list and tell them you fear you have beriberi. Get the blood test.

What would I like most: to follow your eating plan for a day. Obviously I cannot do all the supplements yet, but I long so much for milk, cheese, OJ, tangerines and oranges. Actually, it hurts to long this much and it brings tears to my eyes to find myself in this situation.

If you can tolerate milk by all means, have some. Have all you want! Start with that. Get some cottage cheese and some orange juice for yourself. If you have the Progest-e, try an English pea size dose an hour or so before bedtime. Rub it into your gums, then just swallow any that remains in your mouth. Then sit and relax and note how it makes you feel. If you don't feel a sense of calmness, then the next evening, try a larger dose, maybe 2 English peas.

I have far too many questions here. Please do not feel pressed in any way to answer them or even some of them. It has been therapeutic for me simply to ask them.

It's fine. I am glad to try to help you.

 

[Jennifer]

Thank you Jennifer, again, for all the information you have shared. I do hope that you and your family enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal and time together.

I am very uncertain about Youreatopia but when one feels so desperate one/I am open to anything which might save me. I am considering your advice very deeply, but wish I had your courage to listen to my body and respond to what I hear and trust that message. I have such a long way to go and find myself eating because I have read this or that somewhere along the line. Whilst people on this Forum have been very kind to me, I do feel so confused.

My pleasure. We had a really nice Thanksgiving, thank you. :)

It is only symptoms which bring me to say that I have a thiamine deficiency. I am quite sure that a test, if I were to have one, would show normal levels. High Dose Thiamine therapy does seem to help some people significantly - SimplyLurking, for one - but for me, I cannot tolerate more than about 50 mg daily without crushing headaches and so am hardly likely to get up to the recommended 1 - 2 g daily.

Oh, okay. Apologies for my confusion. May I ask, does your therapist specialize in ED recovery and are they in communication with your doctor? I don’t want to add to your fear and confusion or say anything that goes against the treatment plan you, your therapist and doctor may have developed for you. All the symptoms you’ve listed can be explained from a biological viewpoint as much as an emotional one, but I’m cautious not to say much because I feel that will only make things worse, especially if you’re not able to get testing to verify our recommendations fit your particular context—symptoms overlap greatly among diseases/disorders. Plus, you’re coming from a state of calorie deprivation and analysis paralysis and that in itself can be the cause of your symptoms. Have you ever seen a dietician that specializes in ED recovery? If not, given your current anxiety over food and nutrient deficiencies, as well as your sensitivity to supplements, a dietitian can work with you to come up with a nutrition plan that meets all of your nutrient needs.

I am sorry to hear that you have been that close to giving in and giving up also. I agree so strongly, my difficulties are not really about food at all. More about owning my own self. I feel that I have never had a self. I have always wanted to be sort of spirit-like - does that sound mad? Sometimes/always I feel overwhelmed with a sense of love and compassion. I feel I know how other people are feeling without them telling me and I feel responsible for their own discomforts. Which must sound very grand when all I mean is that I hate to see and feel other people hurting. I would prefer to hurt on their behalf, than to think they are struggling. Of course, I know other people's business is none of my business but there is so much distress in this world and sometimes I feel weighed down by it. You certainly are so very empathic, but it seems as if you have learned how to be with that and make it work for you and others?

Thank you for that. I’m not sorry about it, though. So much good came from it. It’s part of what helped me see my strength, something that had alluded me up until that point, and I like to think I can better help the suffering because I lived it myself. It doesn’t sound mad to want to be spirit-like, no. I can very much relate to what you wrote. I’m far from having mastered my empathic nature (I’d argue we all have one), but I’m at least finally aware of my sensitivity to the energies of those around me—their anxiety, fear etc.—that I was mistaking for my own, and have learned that my need to be alone periodically, is not because there is something wrong with me, but because I need space to feel my own energy, to feel like myself again, and recharge.

It seems strange to me that in the colder months you prefer to eat fruit, rather than warm milk, but I realise it must be difficult if the goats are resting. I have no idea how you manage to do a frutarian diet successfully. You obviously do it very well and I am glad that it works for you.

The cold months are a stressor for my body and fruit helps keep my stress hormones low, however, I’ve continued to have animal protein (eggs and scallops) so definitely not fruitarian. :) With that said, I located a source for milk and cheese today so it looks like I’ll be able to feed my dairy addiction year round. I got home and within 30 minutes I had polished off a kilo of goat Gouda, a liter of raw milk and a liter of honeydew melon juice. So good!

What I really feel is that I could do very well on 4 litres of milk per day, some cheese and mango and some fats and raw honey. That would be a heavenly diet for me. But I dare not try it. Maybe I should? Right now I am eating to follow rules and regulations which I have read about. It is soul destroying and anxiety provoking. I will no doubt read and re-read your posts here to me and maybe one day soon, try to be me, in all ways me. Oh dear, that is the story of my life - I have never dared to be me and I am now quite seriously sick as a result of trying to follow someone else's path.

I think you’ve answered your own question—“I have never dared to be me and I am now quite seriously sick as a result of trying to follow someone else's path.”

 

[Jennifer]

Whoops. Forgot to address this and can’t edit my other post:

I am very uncertain about Youreatopia but when one feels so desperate one/I am open to anything which might save me. I am considering your advice very deeply, but wish I had your courage to listen to my body and respond to what I hear and trust that message. I have such a long way to go and find myself eating because I have read this or that somewhere along the line. Whilst people on this Forum have been very kind to me, I do feel so confused.

There are people I know of who have a positive view of Youreatopia, it just wasn’t a good fit for me. I wasn’t coming from a history of calorie restriction where I needed to refeed, but fear surrounding food that I had developed after falling ill and that had only intensified after fracturing—I was fearful the other half of my spine would collapse. I was a member of the forum the first year of its inception and getting help with something so personal and specific via the untrained and unrecovered, landed me in the hospital.

 

[Tilly-J]

Oh dear.
I’m sorry Howe.

New recommendation:
1- stay off this forum.

Objectively - it appears it is tripping you up.
Not your fault.
Completely understandable.

Go eat food.
Any food.
Then be proud of yourself.

No supplements needed.
No new diagnosis.
No orthorexia.
No more being stuck.
No more fear.
No more data.


Enjoy your meal.

You don’t have to get (anything) “right”.

Love from us all.

Dear Peatful,
Thank you for your so-wise words. I am going to message just a couple more people right now who have shown me such kindness and given me so much of their time and then I shall leave - well for a little while.
What a wonderful thing if I could pop up again in a few weeks and tell you how much better I feel and that I am finally on my own path to freedom. And then I would indeed feel proud of myself and so pleased to share my news.
Thank you for sending me your love. That touches me deeply and mine returned
Tilly-J
P.S. the 'Howe' was a typo which I forgot to delete!

 

[Tilly-J]

My pleasure. We had a really nice Thanksgiving, thank you. :)



Oh, okay. Apologies for my confusion. May I ask, does your therapist specialize in ED recovery and are they in communication with your doctor? I don’t want to add to your fear and confusion or say anything that goes against the treatment plan you, your therapist and doctor may have developed for you. All the symptoms you’ve listed can be explained from a biological viewpoint as much as an emotional one, but I’m cautious not to say much because I feel that will only make things worse, especially if you’re not able to get testing to verify our recommendations fit your particular context—symptoms overlap greatly among diseases/disorders. Plus, you’re coming from a state of calorie deprivation and analysis paralysis and that in itself can be the cause of your symptoms. Have you ever seen a dietician that specializes in ED recovery? If not, given your current anxiety over food and nutrient deficiencies, as well as your sensitivity to supplements, a dietitian can work with you to come up with a nutrition plan that meets all of your nutrient needs.



Thank you for that. I’m not sorry about it, though. So much good came from it. It’s part of what helped me see my strength, something that had alluded me up until that point, and I like to think I can better help the suffering because I lived it myself. It doesn’t sound mad to want to be spirit-like, no. I can very much relate to what you wrote. I’m far from having mastered my empathic nature (I’d argue we all have one), but I’m at least finally aware of my sensitivity to the energies of those around me—their anxiety, fear etc.—that I was mistaking for my own, and have learned that my need to be alone periodically, is not because there is something wrong with me, but because I need space to feel my own energy, to feel like myself again, and recharge.



The cold months are a stressor for my body and fruit helps keep my stress hormones low, however, I’ve continued to have animal protein (eggs and scallops) so definitely not fruitarian. :) With that said, I located a source for milk and cheese today so it looks like I’ll be able to feed my dairy addiction year round. I got home and within 30 minutes I had polished off a kilo of goat Gouda, a liter of raw milk and a liter of honeydew melon juice. So good!



I think you’ve answered your own question—“I have never dared to be me and I am now quite seriously sick as a result of trying to follow someone else's path.”

Jennifer,

I think you are right, I am indeed coming from a place of calorie deficit and analysis paralysis. You may have read my post above to Peatful, where I say that I am going to leave for a while and do my best to listen to my own needs, nutritional and emotional. Please know that I shall carry your messages with me. I remain so pleased to have corresponded with you as we have done over the last few days.

I smiled to think of your enjoying your newly-sourced goat milk and Gouda. I shall aim for a similar experience, whereby I can eat whatever, just whatever, and say to myself - so good! Just as you did.

Go well my friend and thank you so much.

returned most sincerely

 

[Tilly-J]

When I was so very sick from thiamine functional blockage I cut out all sugar except for the orange juice. The orange juice has too many positive health benefits to stop; other juices do not have the benefits, except that guava is also good. Milk sugar (lactose) is fine; per Ray Peat. And I tolerate milk well so I rely on it for a lot of my protein. If you can drink milk without great stomach upset, then it's a good safe food.

I believe that Dr. Costantini had great wisdom that he shared via his website. I think it would be very good for you to read the information at these two links:

HDT Therapy

HDT Therapy Protocol High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) therapy, administered at the right custom-corrected dose, improves fatigue and other symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease, as well as fatigue and diso…

highdosethiamine.org

and

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) Therapy Responses by Dr. Antonio Costantini and Marco Colangeli, his Research Assistant since 2011 Use the Download FAQ button below to get…

highdosethiamine.org

Dr. Costantini advised to separate the thiamine dose from all things sugar and also coffee and tea with a little time; maybe 30-60 minutes. That is a reasonable thing to do. He also recommended eating a healthy diet, but he didn't go into detail. He was treating Italians in Italy, so I think it is reasonable to consider what a healthy diet means in Italy. Leave out the pasta and dessert, focus on what's left, assuming you can eat tomatoes and eggplant without upset - I can't because I'm allergic to nightshade vegetables.

Ray Peat gives excellent suggestions regarding diet; but I think you will find many misinterpretations on this website so it is better to rely on Ray Peat, not the forum. Dairy is good. Orange juice is good. Eggs are good. Super cooked vegetables are pretty safe. Grains, nuts, polyunsaturated fats are not safe so avoid them. Stop eating white sugar, including sweetened chocolate. Avoid other fruit juices. If you can tolerate gelatin it is a very good food. The hydrolyzed gelatin is very easy on the digestion and has great benefit.

here are helpful links:
search Ray Peat's written articles: PeatSearch: a Ray Peat-specific search engine - Toxinless
search Ray Peat's interviews: Bioenergetic Search


Orange juice has great benefit besides the potassium. It contains anti-estrogenic things, narengin and narengenin. If you can find sweet oranges/tangerines, they are very good. Guava juice is also good. If all you can find are apples and pears, these are OK if you cook them first, at least that's what Ray Peat has said, and I trust him.

But I do think that you need to watch your intake of sweet things. Ray Peat has said that a desirable amount of sugar for a day is the amount found in a quart of orange juice and two quarts of milk (no extra added). Simply remember to separate them from taking thiamine by a little time (30-60min).

Dr. Marrs gets a little rabid about sugar. But she has helped a lot of damaged people and I'm sure that has affected her outlook. I think that Dr. Costantini had a healthier position on food. Dr. Marrs is a follower of Dr. Lonsdale. I've read where Dr. Lonsdale warns against drinking fruit juices but eating the fruit is just fine. I think that's a more reasonable position. Sugar helps lower adrenaline and cortisol, assuming you have the thiamine to actually utilize it.

Avoiding dietary calcium does not eradicate the calcium in your blood/tissues. The body needs calcium and if you don't consume it, the body will leach it out of your bones for a supply. If you are suffering from lactic acidosis (happens when you have a thiamine deficiency/functional blockage) then your body will pull calcium out of your bones to buffer the acidity. Correcting the lactic acidosis with thiamine supplementation will quickly improve the situation. Thiamine is used in healthy oxidative metabolism. Instead of winding up with lactic acid as the end product, carbon dioxide is the end product. Carbon dioxide then pulls the calcium out of the cells when it exits (per Ray Peat).
read this: Altitude and Mortality
and this: Protective CO2 and aging

I adhere to Ray Peat's teachings about dairy and calcium. Here's an article:

Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

also:

Osteoporosis, harmful calcification, and nerve/muscle malfunctions

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

You have to eat. Not eating is counter-productive. Make a list of healthy food to get in the house. If you don't eat, your stress hormones get triggered and your anxiety goes up. Read up. Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

Yes. For now, cut out all the sugar and starch. Do you have anything else available to eat? Any milk or cheese? Cottage cheese is great stuff.

Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

Can you eat dairy? Do you have any available?

I really do think you need to talk with your GP. Beriberi is not a trivial thing. Although you do not need your GP's permission to take some vitamin B1 (thiamine), I do think that you would find it helpful to go in and talk with them. There are tests that can be done to ascertain if you are in need of thiamine by IV or injection. These are reasonable things. People do sometimes get in trouble with serious vitamin deficiencies. The GP will not look at you like you've grown horns out of your head. They will order some bloodwork to see what's going on. Use the word "beriberi" and voice your concern that you have it and request to be tested.
here's an article about tests for thiamine: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

The apple cider vinegar can really irritate the gut. Ray Peat has said it's OK to use maybe 1/2 a teaspoon. Magnesium carbonate is fine (I think). It's not supposed to be constipating; this is something to tell the GP I think. Magnesium and calcium are very important.

I started with 90mg 2Xday, then recently increased to 4Xday. I use the pure powder magnesium glycinate from bulksupplements.com because I avoid the excipients in the capsules. If Pure Encapsulations left out the excipients, then it would be fine.

I take more K2 mainly because I take aspirin.

Vitamin D: Products - Vitamins - Vitamin D3 in MCT oil - healthnatura.com
Vitamin A: https://healthnatura.com/simply-a-15-000-i-u-1oz/; I put 4 drops on my calf and rub it in.

I've been taking progesterone plus pregnenolone for years together. Pregnenolone orally in the morning; progesterone orally in the evening.

Dr Peats Progest E Usage Instructions

Discover Kenogen Dr. Peat's Progest-E Oil, a natural progesterone oil complex for hormone balance and women's health. Better than progest cream, discover why.

www.longnaturalhealth.com

Progesterone Pregnenolone & DHEA - Three Youth-Associated Hormones

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

Some of Ray Peat's articles have lost their formatting. I usually copy/paste the body of the article into a Word document and print it out so that I can more easily read it and write notes on it.

If it's orange juice. Why can't you take gelatin? Have you tried the hydrolyzed kind?

Significant gains via NDT: In spring of 2014, my thyroid NDT med manufacturer, Armour, sold to another entity. They changed the formula. It stopped working but I didn't know it. By the fall I was falling apart. I developed rheumatoid arthritis and was told that I would never recover. I was told by my dental hygienist that the ligaments in my mouth that held my teeth had changed and that I would lose all my teeth if I couldn't turn things around. I could no longer do simple things like brush my teeth or my hair or pull up my own pants. I found Ray Peat's website, read his work, changed my diet, and found a new endo who changed the brand of my NDT from Armour to Acella. The incapacitating inflammation from the rheumatoid arthritis disappeared within a week of that brand change. The endo worked with me and over a 9 month period slowly increased my dosage from 90mg up to 180mg. I recovered and no longer have symptoms of RA and my teeth didn't fall out. I didn't have to move into assisted living after all. Ray Peat's wisdom and natural desiccated thyroid saved my life.

Charting your temp and pulse will show you if there's a problem. It is good evidence to share with your doctor. You might find the Broda Barnes' book helpful: Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness downloads (free download).

I eat as many as I want, maybe 6 small ones. Feta cheese portion, maybe 1/3-1/2 cup. Cottage cheese, around a cup. Be sure they didn't put additives like carrageenan or mayonnaise in it.

Make a written list of these symptoms. Make the appointment with your GP. Hand them the list and tell them you fear you have beriberi. Get the blood test.

If you can tolerate milk by all means, have some. Have all you want! Start with that. Get some cottage cheese and some orange juice for yourself. If you have the Progest-e, try an English pea size dose an hour or so before bedtime. Rub it into your gums, then just swallow any that remains in your mouth. Then sit and relax and note how it makes you feel. If you don't feel a sense of calmness, then the next evening, try a larger dose, maybe 2 English peas.

It's fine. I am glad to try to help you.

 

[Tilly-J]

When I was so very sick from thiamine functional blockage I cut out all sugar except for the orange juice. The orange juice has too many positive health benefits to stop; other juices do not have the benefits, except that guava is also good. Milk sugar (lactose) is fine; per Ray Peat. And I tolerate milk well so I rely on it for a lot of my protein. If you can drink milk without great stomach upset, then it's a good safe food.

I believe that Dr. Costantini had great wisdom that he shared via his website. I think it would be very good for you to read the information at these two links:

HDT Therapy

HDT Therapy Protocol High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) therapy, administered at the right custom-corrected dose, improves fatigue and other symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease, as well as fatigue and diso…

highdosethiamine.org

and

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about High-Dose Thiamine (HDT) Therapy Responses by Dr. Antonio Costantini and Marco Colangeli, his Research Assistant since 2011 Use the Download FAQ button below to get…

highdosethiamine.org

Dr. Costantini advised to separate the thiamine dose from all things sugar and also coffee and tea with a little time; maybe 30-60 minutes. That is a reasonable thing to do. He also recommended eating a healthy diet, but he didn't go into detail. He was treating Italians in Italy, so I think it is reasonable to consider what a healthy diet means in Italy. Leave out the pasta and dessert, focus on what's left, assuming you can eat tomatoes and eggplant without upset - I can't because I'm allergic to nightshade vegetables.

Ray Peat gives excellent suggestions regarding diet; but I think you will find many misinterpretations on this website so it is better to rely on Ray Peat, not the forum. Dairy is good. Orange juice is good. Eggs are good. Super cooked vegetables are pretty safe. Grains, nuts, polyunsaturated fats are not safe so avoid them. Stop eating white sugar, including sweetened chocolate. Avoid other fruit juices. If you can tolerate gelatin it is a very good food. The hydrolyzed gelatin is very easy on the digestion and has great benefit.

here are helpful links:
search Ray Peat's written articles: PeatSearch: a Ray Peat-specific search engine - Toxinless
search Ray Peat's interviews: Bioenergetic Search


Orange juice has great benefit besides the potassium. It contains anti-estrogenic things, narengin and narengenin. If you can find sweet oranges/tangerines, they are very good. Guava juice is also good. If all you can find are apples and pears, these are OK if you cook them first, at least that's what Ray Peat has said, and I trust him.

But I do think that you need to watch your intake of sweet things. Ray Peat has said that a desirable amount of sugar for a day is the amount found in a quart of orange juice and two quarts of milk (no extra added). Simply remember to separate them from taking thiamine by a little time (30-60min).

Dr. Marrs gets a little rabid about sugar. But she has helped a lot of damaged people and I'm sure that has affected her outlook. I think that Dr. Costantini had a healthier position on food. Dr. Marrs is a follower of Dr. Lonsdale. I've read where Dr. Lonsdale warns against drinking fruit juices but eating the fruit is just fine. I think that's a more reasonable position. Sugar helps lower adrenaline and cortisol, assuming you have the thiamine to actually utilize it.

Avoiding dietary calcium does not eradicate the calcium in your blood/tissues. The body needs calcium and if you don't consume it, the body will leach it out of your bones for a supply. If you are suffering from lactic acidosis (happens when you have a thiamine deficiency/functional blockage) then your body will pull calcium out of your bones to buffer the acidity. Correcting the lactic acidosis with thiamine supplementation will quickly improve the situation. Thiamine is used in healthy oxidative metabolism. Instead of winding up with lactic acid as the end product, carbon dioxide is the end product. Carbon dioxide then pulls the calcium out of the cells when it exits (per Ray Peat).
read this: Altitude and Mortality
and this: Protective CO2 and aging

I adhere to Ray Peat's teachings about dairy and calcium. Here's an article:

Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

also:

Osteoporosis, harmful calcification, and nerve/muscle malfunctions

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

You have to eat. Not eating is counter-productive. Make a list of healthy food to get in the house. If you don't eat, your stress hormones get triggered and your anxiety goes up. Read up. Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

Yes. For now, cut out all the sugar and starch. Do you have anything else available to eat? Any milk or cheese? Cottage cheese is great stuff.

Make a plan. Write it down. Work your plan.

Can you eat dairy? Do you have any available?

I really do think you need to talk with your GP. Beriberi is not a trivial thing. Although you do not need your GP's permission to take some vitamin B1 (thiamine), I do think that you would find it helpful to go in and talk with them. There are tests that can be done to ascertain if you are in need of thiamine by IV or injection. These are reasonable things. People do sometimes get in trouble with serious vitamin deficiencies. The GP will not look at you like you've grown horns out of your head. They will order some bloodwork to see what's going on. Use the word "beriberi" and voice your concern that you have it and request to be tested.
here's an article about tests for thiamine: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

The apple cider vinegar can really irritate the gut. Ray Peat has said it's OK to use maybe 1/2 a teaspoon. Magnesium carbonate is fine (I think). It's not supposed to be constipating; this is something to tell the GP I think. Magnesium and calcium are very important.

I started with 90mg 2Xday, then recently increased to 4Xday. I use the pure powder magnesium glycinate from bulksupplements.com because I avoid the excipients in the capsules. If Pure Encapsulations left out the excipients, then it would be fine.

I take more K2 mainly because I take aspirin.

Vitamin D: Products - Vitamins - Vitamin D3 in MCT oil - healthnatura.com
Vitamin A: https://healthnatura.com/simply-a-15-000-i-u-1oz/; I put 4 drops on my calf and rub it in.

I've been taking progesterone plus pregnenolone for years together. Pregnenolone orally in the morning; progesterone orally in the evening.

Dr Peats Progest E Usage Instructions

Discover Kenogen Dr. Peat's Progest-E Oil, a natural progesterone oil complex for hormone balance and women's health. Better than progest cream, discover why.

www.longnaturalhealth.com

Progesterone Pregnenolone & DHEA - Three Youth-Associated Hormones

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

Some of Ray Peat's articles have lost their formatting. I usually copy/paste the body of the article into a Word document and print it out so that I can more easily read it and write notes on it.

If it's orange juice. Why can't you take gelatin? Have you tried the hydrolyzed kind?

Significant gains via NDT: In spring of 2014, my thyroid NDT med manufacturer, Armour, sold to another entity. They changed the formula. It stopped working but I didn't know it. By the fall I was falling apart. I developed rheumatoid arthritis and was told that I would never recover. I was told by my dental hygienist that the ligaments in my mouth that held my teeth had changed and that I would lose all my teeth if I couldn't turn things around. I could no longer do simple things like brush my teeth or my hair or pull up my own pants. I found Ray Peat's website, read his work, changed my diet, and found a new endo who changed the brand of my NDT from Armour to Acella. The incapacitating inflammation from the rheumatoid arthritis disappeared within a week of that brand change. The endo worked with me and over a 9 month period slowly increased my dosage from 90mg up to 180mg. I recovered and no longer have symptoms of RA and my teeth didn't fall out. I didn't have to move into assisted living after all. Ray Peat's wisdom and natural desiccated thyroid saved my life.

Charting your temp and pulse will show you if there's a problem. It is good evidence to share with your doctor. You might find the Broda Barnes' book helpful: Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness downloads (free download).

I eat as many as I want, maybe 6 small ones. Feta cheese portion, maybe 1/3-1/2 cup. Cottage cheese, around a cup. Be sure they didn't put additives like carrageenan or mayonnaise in it.

Make a written list of these symptoms. Make the appointment with your GP. Hand them the list and tell them you fear you have beriberi. Get the blood test.

If you can tolerate milk by all means, have some. Have all you want! Start with that. Get some cottage cheese and some orange juice for yourself. If you have the Progest-e, try an English pea size dose an hour or so before bedtime. Rub it into your gums, then just swallow any that remains in your mouth. Then sit and relax and note how it makes you feel. If you don't feel a sense of calmness, then the next evening, try a larger dose, maybe 2 English peas.

It's fine. I am glad to try to help you.

You have given me so much of your time and I do thank you.

You may have read Peatful's advice to me above: that I should leave this forum and go and eat.

My intention is to do that but armed with all the information you have given me here. It worries me greatly though that you might be offended by my intention and regret spending so much time with me. Everything which you have shared I have stored away in my mind and will be here on this thread for reference. I hope you will understand that coming from a place of so many years of anorexia and orthorexia, the experience of simply eating is a nightmare (which is why I posted this thread in the first place).

I am most certainly going to try OJ again and I am back on milk and feta cheese already. But I realise that to overcome orthorexia, I need to learn how to experience eating widely, care-freely, even voraciously. All of which terrifies me.

Having said all that, I cannot ignore the possibility of Beriberi and will make an appointment to see my GP and take information with me.

I am sorry , it is too hard for me to say more here because I feel you might be annoyed with me. It has meant so much to me to have corresponded with you. I need you to know that.

And to know that I wish you well and hope that, as the months go by, and as NDT and HDT continue to do their work, you will experience even greater good health.

I so much hope that when I find my own courage to heal and pop up here again, we will somehow be able to correspond once more, just so that you will know your work with me has not been wasted

My warmest best wishes,

 

[Tilly-J]

Never! I’m the queen of mistakes friend.

I am not sure about that, but thank you Blossom for putting me at ease.

I am going to take some time out now. It has been a wonderful thing to find members reaching out to me. I am truly touched. Thank you for allowing me to join this amazing place.

To you all, thank you so much and I wish you well as you continue to Perceive, Think and Act.

Best wishes.

 

[Jennifer]

Yay, Tilly!!! Good for you. Such a brave woman. Wishing you all the best and happy eating!

 

[Peatful]

Yay, Tilly!!! Good for you. Such a brave woman. Wishing you all the best and happy eating!

Yes. +1
So brave.