Feel like I'm about to collapse.

Nstocks

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I'm wiring this thread out of pain, exhaustion, severe bloating, mild constipation and breathlessness.

I adopted the Peat way of eating just over 1 year ago, but didn't see or feel many changes, so earlier this year I put more effort into the diet, mostly eating more calories as I'm interested in gaining muscle too.

In June I began THIROYD because I was always constipated, had cold feet and still have bad digestion and mild acne. I've been monitoring my temps since starting 1/4 grain and now take 1/2 a grain. I've also started taking zinc supplement (50mg per day) and I continue with nutrisorb Vit A.

I'm not sure why, but lately I've had a feeling of exhaustion to the point where I can barley sit up or walk up the stairs without being out of breath. Most of this stems from my stomach, which continues expanded, even though I've actually only put on 5LBS since last summer. - I'm 12stone 7lb and was 10st 10b pre-peat, 23 year old male 6'2".

It appears that the Thyroid is working because my temperature (basal) has increased but I don't feel any better.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ift3b6kf6x1y9 ... atures.png[

Diet is usually:
500ml fresh OJ
2-3 cups 0% greek yogurt with honey
1-1.5L raw goat milk
grapes
oysters
raw liver
beef once or twice per week
gummy bers
coffee with green can gelatin, sugar, cocoa
Approx. 2,500 calories, 100g protein, 200+ carbs, 60g fat.

I'm trying to reduce my liquid intake as this could be a cause of bloating but I feel like it's much more than that.

Any advice is appreciated.
 
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It will not leave until you are at or above 37,0 °C for a few hours. Blankets or a shower are a good way to start your day, but some full sun works best.
 
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Nstocks

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Such_Saturation said:
It will not leave until you are at or above 37,0 °C for a few hours. Blankets or a shower are a good way to start your day, but some full sun works best.

It's been quite hot here in the UK and I sit in the sun at leat 30 minutes per day. I'm always warm, actually sweating now I've done some cleaning at home, exercise doesn't reduce stomach either.

Should I increase thyroid yet or keep taking 1/2 tab?
 
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Nstocks said:
Such_Saturation said:
It will not leave until you are at or above 37,0 °C for a few hours. Blankets or a shower are a good way to start your day, but some full sun works best.

It's been quite hot here in the UK and I sit in the sun at leat 30 minutes per day. I'm always warm, actually sweating now I've done some cleaning at home, exercise doesn't reduce stomach either.

Should I increase thyroid yet or keep taking 1/2 tab?

Do you take your temperature when you are sweating? I can't help with the thyroid, I only did one month back in winter.
 

jyb

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If I'd have those symptoms I'd up my cyproheptadine, and a bit of progest-E to restore mental clarity.

I think gummy bears are a bit dangerous given the huge list of industrial ingredients.
 
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jyb said:
If I'd have those symptoms I'd up my cyproheptadine, and a bit of progest-E to restore mental clarity.

I think gummy bears are a bit dangerous given the huge list of industrial ingredients.

Too much cyproheptadine will negatively impact his mental clarity and worsen constipation. Make sure you eat liver once or twice a week only so that you can put it far away from any fruit juice or else that iron will destroy your intestine. Supplemental vitamin A might also be too much with the liver.
 

jyb

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Such_Saturation said:
Too much cyproheptadine will negatively impact his mental clarity and worsen constipation.

If anything, cypro has never reduced my transit time (including at >50mg single dose), contrary to ondansetron. It always improves my mental clarity greatly, with one caveat: it did take a few days to reduce the sleepiness effect.
 
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Nstocks said:
As much as I don't want to get blood tests done, would a liver test be worth looking into? (http://www.medichecks.com/index.cfm?s=2 ... on%20Tests) (I'd never go back to my Doctors - he's utterly useless and for any test worth getting, I can only do that by post to save money etc.) I read the DHEA is also important - male hormone test £125 (http://www.medichecks.com/index.cfm?s=2&d=21&test=ANDP-)

Where exactly is the pain in your abdomen? When the liver is enlarged it is quite easy to feel with your hand.
 

LucyL

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Consumer Labs issued a warning about some thyroid supplements being doctored with actual thyroid hormones. Many Thyroid Supplements Contain Thyroid Hormones

An excess of T4 for example, might make you feel worse. If your present worst symptoms started after the thyroid supplement, you might want to consider stopping it and trying another brand of dessicated thyroid.
 
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Nstocks

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Jenn said:
Too much vit A lowers thyroid function.

Grapes have a yeast coating, too many may cause bloating.

Too much iron can cause constipation.

Just some thoughts....

I'm only taking one drop Vit A and don't take it on days I eat meat or liver. I always wash grapes with salt and rinse well which I understand it the best way to remove as much coatings as possible. Iron comes mostly from meat which I eat 2-3 times per week.

I'm really not sure what the causes are, but if I don't start feeling better soon, I'll wind up under eating again which is not what I want.
 

aguilaroja

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WADR, if you are feeling breathless periodically, feel like you are about to collapse,and/or feeling breathless with moving to sitting or a little stair climbing, see a physician VERY promptly. There are various possibilities, so very concerning. It is expected that the physician evaluation would include checking serum testing for minerals and electrolytes, which could help assess both the lack of vitality and the bloating.

If your report is understood, these symptoms may have started since staring the Thiroyd, so it might be best to taper down until things are evaluated.
 
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Nstocks

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aguilaroja said:
WADR, if you are feeling breathless periodically, feel like you are about to collapse,and/or feeling breathless with moving to sitting or a little stair climbing, see a physician VERY promptly. There are various possibilities, so very concerning. It is expected that the physician evaluation would include checking serum testing for minerals and electrolytes, which could help assess both the lack of vitality and the bloating.

If your report is understood, these symptoms may have started since staring the Thiroyd, so it might be best to taper down until things are evaluated.

That does sound like a good idea in practice, but if I go to my Doctor with these issues (with or without mentioning thyroid), he'll probably refer me to a mental health professional! Seriously, the last time I went to him, he basically told me that it's all in my head because the inconclusive tests I eventually received stated that everything is "normal".

I think I will take 1/4 tab again and see how things go.
 
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Do you have other symptoms of gastritis or gastric reflux?
 
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Nstocks

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I don't have any symptoms associated with gastritis. I just feel like my digestion is slow, but to be honest it was on Paleo. I use to take like 5 HCI capsules but even that didn't help digestion. I've felt calm after 2pm today which is when my feet use to get very cold. I've not eaten that much today either and limited liquids to 100ml OJ, 200ml milk and coffee. I'm eating cooked apples with homemade custard which seems to be going down fairly well and my bloating seems to go down somewhat later in the day. I'm thinking that yogurt has to go for a while - I usually eat 1-2 cups with honey after my OJ 1hour after waking.
 
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I cannot recommend even one glass of yogurt from personal experience, not with commercial strains at least.
 

tara

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Hi, sorry you're not feeling well. Wish I knew what would help. I am also curious about the nature and location of the pain, and what you think it might be.

To pick up on the fuel supply aspect, it looks like either you or I are miscalculating.
I've been working off the assumption that a gram of carbohydrates has approx. 4 calories, a gram of protein has approx. 4 calories, and a gram of fat has approx. 9 calories. Is this how other people calculate it?
Your calorie estimate doesn't seem to match this.
100g protein ~=100x4=400kcal,
200+ carbs ~=200x4=800kcal
60g fat ~=60x9=540kcal
total ~=1740kcal is quite a bit less than 2500kcal
How did you get your calculations?
This may be a typo in your email above, or a miscalculation on my part, or it may be a red herring in the current key issues for your health at the moment. But if you've been systematically overestimating how many calories you are getting, and this is a big increase on previous consumption, could you have been even lower than you thought in your more restrictive phases? If you are actually only eating about 1700 kcal (about half what you would probably need if your metabolism was working well), then supplementing thyroid might not make things better. I think this kind of energy deficit would be expected to cause gastroparesis, fatigue, etc for many people. From a health POV, my guess is getting your digestion going may be higher priority than avoiding bloating, though if you are lucky the former may help with the latter.

Can't remember if you've tried carrot salad or bamboo shoots? Or cascara?
I wouldn't reduce liquids below what you are thirsty for. Dehydration is no more fun than overhydration.
Are you salting your food/drink?
Apparently for some people, excess zinc can cause asthma-like symptoms, dizziness, constipation, stomach cramps, anorexia amongst other symptoms, as well as affecting copper metabolism. You could try backing off your zinc supplement for a while and see if it makes a difference?

Breathing-wise, for me, along with breathing retraining and more sugar, I think supplementing calcium and/or magnesium and/or progesterone may have helped. How do you respond to bag-breathing/breath-holding/etc? It can sometimes really help with constipation. Pain can often set off stress responses, which can contribute to hyperventilation and reduced blood flow to digestion. It may be possible to consciously override this for long enough to make a difference.

I agree with aguilaroja about getting to a doctor in case there is something acutely dangerous going on, if you are seriously breathless, in danger of collapse etc.
 

iLoveSugar

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I have the same exact issues except I feel faint and wobbly, extremely slow digestion, and feel like any trapped gas makes it considerably worse.
 
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Nstocks

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tara said:
Hi, sorry you're not feeling well. Wish I knew what would help. I am also curious about the nature and location of the pain, and what you think it might be.

Hey Tara, thanks for your input.

The pain is situated around my stomach, so a few inches below m ribcage and an inch above my waistline. The pain is what you might expect from extreme trapped gas where I feel like I'm about to explode. I also have lower back pain but I've had that for the past 10 years so it's probably nothing to do with my current situation.

tara said:
To pick up on the fuel supply aspect, it looks like either you or I are miscalculating.
I've been working off the assumption that a gram of carbohydrates has approx. 4 calories, a gram of protein has approx. 4 calories, and a gram of fat has approx. 9 calories. Is this how other people calculate it?
Your calorie estimate doesn't seem to match this.
100g protein ~=100x4=400kcal,
200+ carbs ~=200x4=800kcal
60g fat ~=60x9=540kcal
total ~=1740kcal is quite a bit less than 2500kcal
How did you get your calculations?
This may be a typo in your email above, or a miscalculation on my part, or it may be a red herring in the current key issues for your health at the moment. But if you've been systematically overestimating how many calories you are getting, and this is a big increase on previous consumption, could you have been even lower than you thought in your more restrictive phases? If you are actually only eating about 1700 kcal (about half what you would probably need if your metabolism was working well), then supplementing thyroid might not make things better. I think this kind of energy deficit would be expected to cause gastroparesis, fatigue, etc for many people. From a health POV, my guess is getting your digestion going may be higher priority than avoiding bloating, though if you are lucky the former may help with the latter.

It was infact a typo! I've periodically been using myfitnesspal, but it because a pain to log everything so now I don't use it. My last entry was:
83g fat
304g carbohydrates
111g protein
Calories: 2513

I'll admit that I do rely on candy for around 500 calories - they give me quick energy and seem to digest fast which is strange given the ingredients aren't exactly clean. I've read that "if you don't use it, you lose it" with digestion, for example vegans who suddenly eat meat have a very hard time digesting the meat because their body isn't use to breaking down those kinds of proteins, fats etc. I think I eat a fairly well rounded diet, mostly omitting grains and starches. I still need to eat more but it's got the point, and this may sound ridiculous, that I don't know what to eat anymore! I think yogurt has to go because this may be causing the bloating, but in doing so I lose a lot of protein and a few hundred calories that need replacing with something other than liquids.

tara said:
Can't remember if you've tried carrot salad or bamboo shoots? Or cascara?
I wouldn't reduce liquids below what you are thirsty for. Dehydration is no more fun than overhydration.
Are you salting your food/drink?
Apparently for some people, excess zinc can cause asthma-like symptoms, dizziness, constipation, stomach cramps, anorexia amongst other symptoms, as well as affecting copper metabolism. You could try backing off your zinc supplement for a while and see if it makes a difference?

I tried the carrot salad for a few weeks but I didn't feel any difference and I actually though that it was contributing to acne. I take cascara perhaps once a week and the results vary - sometimes I have a large BM, other it's just a small watery mess. Perhaps bamboo shoots are worth a try - are these OK?http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Dragon-Vegetables-Bamboo-Shoots/dp/B00A76IAPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406637541&sr=8-1&keywords=bamboo+shoots

I don't salt much of my food or drink, just meat, coffee and yogurt occasionally.

Zinc supplement began last week to try and control my mild jawline acne and it might be working. I'll reduce the dosage to every other day starting next week. (someone on here wrote about zinc everyday for two weeks to boost levels)

tara said:
Breathing-wise, for me, along with breathing retraining and more sugar, I think supplementing calcium and/or magnesium and/or progesterone may have helped. How do you respond to bag-breathing/breath-holding/etc? It can sometimes really help with constipation. Pain can often set off stress responses, which can contribute to hyperventilation and reduced blood flow to digestion. It may be possible to consciously override this for long enough to make a difference.

I agree with aguilaroja about getting to a doctor in case there is something acutely dangerous going on, if you are seriously breathless, in danger of collapse etc.

Progesterone is probably the 'last' supplement I have to try, but the reason for not doing so yet is partly because I don't want another supplement and also because of anecdotal reports of it causing acne (which is why I got into health in the first place). I've been breathing with a bag a few times - it calms my mind somewhat but it doesn't help with my feeling of rush, stress or bloating.

The feeling of collapse has passed and yesterday was the only time I felt so bad. It all stems from my digestion though and how uncomfortable my stomach feels. Even if my stomach is flat, I feel huge... Maybe candida but I don't think so.

Thanks for your help!
 

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