Chest Issue?

[raypeatclips]

I have had a strange feeling in my lungs last few days, a sort of mild constriction, almost like some congestion but there no mucus. Sort of feels like the chest aspect of when I have a cold. Sort of a "scratchy" chest.

I first suspected it is histamine related. Pollen counts are high in my area, I have seasonal allergies and not currently taking anti histamines, although none of my other allergy symptoms such as stuffy nose, itchy eyes are there.

None sure if it is endotoxin but passing 2-3 bowel movements a day. I am not sure what the other symptoms of endotoxin are but feel okay.

Bag breathing seems to improve it temporarily. Just a general irritation feeling really, wondered if anyone had any ideas about its cause, thanks.

 

[theLaw]

4T of Activated Charcoal in 16 ounces juice.

At the very least it will tell you if it's endotoxin.

All of my histamine reactions disappeared after ac every other day for a month.

Also, lack of calcium seems to be a common issue, and Peat claims that you probably can't over-do-it even @ 5G/day.

Cheers!

 

[redred]

Using one of those mouth masks has helped me since I live in a highly industrial area. Plus it simulates bag breathing a bit I think, well I hope.

50 x Disposable Surgical Ear Loop Face Dust Mouth Cover Masks: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

 

[JoeKool]

I'll say go grab an X-ray... make sure it's not pneumonia ... something like that can fill up your lung and suddenly suffocate...

 

[yerrag]

Considering that it's summer, it would have nothing to do with the air being dry and drying up your mucosa.

But the allergy you have, could it be increasing your serotonin levels and causing irritation in your lungs? I remember Ray Peat talking about the sea breeze helping, was it about negative ions? And that the negative ions help with superoxide dismutase, an enzyme which antagonizes serotonin? Maybe an air ionizer would help, or a salt lamp. Or going to the seaside and breathing in the seabreeze?

 

[tara]

If bag-breathing or reduced breathing helps, I'd say keep doing it. Low CO2 levels reduce the ability of airway cilia to carry out their normal function of continuously carrying particles and mucous up out of the airways.
If it gets worse despite this, or you have other symptoms of unwellness along with it - eg fever - I'm in favour of you eliminating pneumonia etc.
Do you have a history of anything like asthma?

Also, lack of calcium seems to be a common issue, and Peat claims that you probably can't over-do-it even @ 5G/day.

I've seen Peat point out that there are groups that have habitually eaten that much and been been healthy, but I've not seen him say you can't over do it at 5g/day. Got a quote, or are you extrapolating?

 

[raypeatclips]

4T of Activated Charcoal in 16 ounces juice.

At the very least it will tell you if it's endotoxin.

All of my histamine reactions disappeared after ac every other day for a month.

Also, lack of calcium seems to be a common issue, and Peat claims that you probably can't over-do-it even @ 5G/day.

Cheers!

Thanks, I don't have any charcoal available to me and it would probably be at least a week until I could get some. I have increased milk and cheese in my diet I think I'm around 3400mg calcium at the moment

Using one of those mouth masks has helped me since I live in a highly industrial area. Plus it simulates bag breathing a bit I think, well I hope.

50 x Disposable Surgical Ear Loop Face Dust Mouth Cover Masks: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

Thank you, I have some of those masks but often thought they smelt weird I didn't like them, did you find that?

Considering that it's summer, it would have nothing to do with the air being dry and drying up your mucosa.

But the allergy you have, could it be increasing your serotonin levels and causing irritation in your lungs? I remember Ray Peat talking about the sea breeze helping, was it about negative ions? And that the negative ions help with superoxide dismutase, an enzyme which antagonizes serotonin? Maybe an air ionizer would help, or a salt lamp. Or going to the seaside and breathing in the seabreeze?

I didn't think it was the dry air but I have been taking cyproheptadine recently and stopped a few days ago and I can't remember noticing the chest issue before I stopped. This could mean it was serotonin as well, or histamine.

Hayfever gives me symptoms such as this chest irritation and i have had them throughout July but usually there is other symptoms alongside it such as blocked nose or itchy eyes which makes me wonder if it isn't hayfever. I otherwise generally feel not that bad. I live a few hours from the sea and don't drive it would be unfeasible for me to go to the seaside to test this haha. I'll look into air ionizers thanks.

If bag-breathing or reduced breathing helps, I'd say keep doing it. Low CO2 levels reduce the ability of airway cilia to carry out their normal function of continuously carrying particles and mucous up out of the airways.
If it gets worse despite this, or you have other symptoms of unwellness along with it - eg fever - I'm in favour of you eliminating pneumonia etc.
Do you have a history of anything like asthma?


I've seen Peat point out that there are groups that have habitually eaten that much and been been healthy, but I've not seen him say you can't over do it at 5g/day. Got a quote, or are you extrapolating?

Yeah had asthma all through my childhood but stopped taking the inhalers daily about 6 years ago and used when needed now. I can't remember the last time I had to use them.

The chest issue is intermittent, I can go hours throughout the day without noticing it (it isn't there) No chest pain just a mild irritation. Anxiety is my main problem at the moment not sure if this is a symptom of that

The chest issue sometimes wheezes slightly when I have it which I have read is more likely to be asthma/allergy related than pneumonia

Waking temp and pulse were 97.2f and 88.

 

[tara]

The chest issue sometimes wheezes slightly when I have it which I have read is more likely to be asthma/allergy related than pneumonia

Does this current issue feel like the asthma you've had before?
If so, it might respond well to some variation on Buteyko method - McKeown or Rakhimov or other describe approaches.

Personally, I've never had anything like asthma, but I don't respond well to large amounts of cheese, especially aged cheeses. In the case of aged cheeses, I wonder if it's the histamine. I think it's quite common for people to find lots of cheese to slow bowel transit, too. I'm not against cheese in general, and I'm not suggesting you avoid it if it works for you, but if it's something you've changed recently, you could try backing of a little and see if you get any change? Or maybe bump up you Mg?

 

[raypeatclips]

Does this current issue feel like the asthma you've had before?
If so, it might respond well to some variation on Buteyko method - McKeown or Rakhimov or other describe approaches.

Personally, I've never had anything like asthma, but I don't respond well to large amounts of cheese, especially aged cheeses. In the case of aged cheeses, I wonder if it's the histamine. I think it's quite common for people to find lots of cheese to slow bowel transit, too. I'm not against cheese in general, and I'm not suggesting you avoid it if it works for you, but if it's something you've changed recently, you could try backing of a little and see if you get any change? Or maybe bump up you Mg?

My asthma in the past was sudden and couldn't catch my breath at all. Usually exercise induced. This is more like an irritation in comparison.

I woke up in the night needing the toilet and noticed the chest issue. Started to bag breath but couldn't do it for very long without feeling uncomfortable but wasn't getting the beneficial effects I usually get from bag breathing, warm hands and feet, calmness. I sat and did some buteyko reduced breathing and could fall asleep a short while after with warm hands.

I have wondered about the cheese yeah. I eat around 100-200g mozzarella a day at the moment and noticed nothing negative with bowel movements I don't think, going 1-3 times a day. I have eaten this amount of mozzarella daily for around 3-4 months and only noticed the chest issue the past 3 days or so. The previous 3-4 months I had been taking cypro regularly though which could have been masking the issue. I'll keep an eye on the cheese though.

I wonder if orange juice has anything to do with it. I reintroduced a few days ago and started to notice it giving me acid reflux which didn't happen the first few days.

 

[theLaw]

If bag-breathing or reduced breathing helps, I'd say keep doing it. Low CO2 levels reduce the ability of airway cilia to carry out their normal function of continuously carrying particles and mucous up out of the airways.
If it gets worse despite this, or you have other symptoms of unwellness along with it - eg fever - I'm in favour of you eliminating pneumonia etc.
Do you have a history of anything like asthma?


I've seen Peat point out that there are groups that have habitually eaten that much and been been healthy, but I've not seen him say you can't over do it at 5g/day. Got a quote, or are you extrapolating?

I think it was one of Danny's podcasts with Ray where he was asked about the upper limit of calcium, and Ray said that even at 4-5G per day, you probably won't get too much ( in know it was an interview, just not sure who Ray was talking to)

Keep in mind that a gallon of skim milk is near 4800mg by itself, so not hard to believe.

I don't have time to read them all right now, but the first thing I saw was that all of these studies used relatively low doses of calcium. The highest supplemental amount I saw was 1,400mg per day and to see metabolic effects and lower PTH you need at least 2,000mg extra calcium daily. Ray advises even higher amounts - 4,000mg - 5,000mg range and those are the ranges consumed by the Masai tribe. I have never seen an obese Masai, and they also never get heart problems or any other calcification issues.

Sorry, couldn't find the original, but here's a reference from Haidut about the same claim.

 

[yerrag]

I came across this : Sarcoidosis - Wikipedia

Not sure if it would be of any help, since it comes with the typical "cause unknown" clause.

 

[HDD]

Since you think it could be allergy related, I remembered the following about blood sugar:

"The simplest illustration of how inflammation relates to the organism's resources was an experiment in which blood glucose was varied, while an animal was exposed to chemicals that varied from mildly irritating to potentially deadly. When the animal had very low blood sugar, the mildest irritant could be deadly, but when its blood glucose was kept very high, even the deadly antigens were only mildly irritating. Varying the blood sodium concentration had similar, but weaker, effects.

There is a tendency to see inflammation not only as a normal part of immunity, but to see it as being proportional to the nature of the antigen, except when the immune system has been primed for it by previous contact, in which case the organism will either not react at all (because it has become immune), or it will react much more violently than it did on the first exposure, because it has become allergic. But, in reality, the mere concentration of glucose and sodium in the blood (and of thyroid, and many other substances that aren't considered to be part of the immune system) can make a tremendous difference in the degree of "immunological" reaction."

Multiple sclerosis, protein, fats, and progesterone

 

[tara]

I wonder if orange juice has anything to do with it. I reintroduced a few days ago and started to notice it giving me acid reflux which didn't happen the first few days.

Could the reflux be leading to just enough aspiration to trigger irritation? Seems like it could be worth giving it a break for a few days and seeing if it stops. Or maybe just having it in the mornings, if the problem is arising at night?

 

[raypeatclips]

Could the reflux be leading to just enough aspiration to trigger irritation? Seems like it could be worth giving it a break for a few days and seeing if it stops. Or maybe just having it in the mornings, if the problem is arising at night?

This chest issue has resolved now, I've increased starches and lowered cheese. Now I just have insomnia that has suddenly developed

 

[yerrag]

Great job, Tara! Glad you're feeling better raypeatclips. Now you'll have take a glass of milk, with sugar, salt, and gelatin.

 

[raypeatclips]

Great job, Tara! Glad you're feeling better raypeatclips. Now you'll have take a glass of milk, with sugar, salt, and gelatin.

I actually feel worse than before with the insomnia

 

[tara]

I actually feel worse than before with the insomnia

Insomnia's no fun. Bad luck.

 

[yerrag]

I've been sleeping too well lately, so much that I now oversleep. I just don't know if it's the higher gelatin intake with the milk blend I take in place of meals. Or if it's the two glasses of fresh fruit juice I take in between meals during the day, or the carrot salad I take daily now. The milk blend has milk, raw egg, gelatin, whey (just a little or none, certainly not a lot), virgin coconut oil, coco nectar, eggshell powder, magnesium citrate, niacinamide, and GABA (only for dinner). When I actually eat, I take white rice, cooked leaves, and pork with a helping of pig ear jelly (for gelatin). I'm also putting a drop each of tyromix (2:1 T4/T3), StressNon (pregnenolone), and Progestene (Progesterone), a very small maintenance mode. But I don't think I really needed the hormones, but I was just curious what effect they would have. I think that on 1 drop of Progestene alone, my mind is more focused and it takes a longer time to get my mind exhausted and call it a day.

Since you've been on Ray Peat for a while as well, perhaps it's just a thing missing that's giving you an issue. You mentioned increasing your starch intake. Do you think the glucose you're getting isn't being taken in well by the body? If you omit the starch and in its place had fruit juice with your meal, would it help? This way, you have more fructose instead of pure glucose going with your meals. If that doesn't work, you could try changing the amino acid profile of your protein to lessen tryptophan, cysteine, and methionine, and increase the glycine, serine, and proline amino acids, with more gelatin intake. Ray Peat says glycine can even go as high as 50% of your total amino acid composition. If you're going to use gelatin, be sure the source isn't from GMO-fed livestock, which could very well have glyphosate contamination that would displace glycine, or else it would introduce a new source of problems. For example, the fish-based gelatin from Bulksupplements comes from tilapia scales, and I would avoid that as the feed for tilapia likely would be GMO-based.

Maybe you could just make jello with fruit cocktail and make that your dessert. It tastes good and it's easy to make, and one make lasts a long while and doesn't spoil in the fridge. Or you could just go with a milk blend like mine and see if that helps.