chrismturner89
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2017
- Messages
- 112
I’ve been lurking on this site for a long time now and have a great respect for Peat and his ideas. I have been battling some health issues for the last five years or so. I have a 28 year old male.
Background
I got very sick five years ago during my Masters degree at University. It was a time of tremendous stress, I picked up smoking, was drinking a bit too much to combat stress and I also allowed the uni nurses to talk me into having the MMR vaccine when beginning my course as they recommended it as a “preventative” measure as the university has a diverse international mix of students—my mother never allowed me to be vaccinated growing up unless absolutely necessary.
My diet at this time was fairly standard eat everything (I was completely oblivious to its impact on health) but my appetite always strong and I was addicted to chilli pepper. Staples were pasta, cheese, cereal with milk, sweets, sandwiches etc.
I had been taking ibuprofen for headaches when it happened. It seemed like I gave myself a stomach ulcer. I had constant burning in my stomach that would not go. I developed cystic acne around my temples and forehead which was persistent and did not go. This lasted a long time until I read online that a way to beat ulcers was cayenne pepper and lemon. I tried this and the constant gnawing went away and so did the acne but I suspect I never fully healed as I was left with a constant dull full-type pain by my right ribcage that still persists to this day. It is very bad in the mornings. I have seen doctors and they do not care.
The real trouble started near the end of the degree – again mega stress, I woke up one morning after a night of drinking feeling incredibly nauseous, fatigued and dizzy. At first I thought it was a bad hangover but the fatigue and brain fog did not leave for two years. It was as if my life was taken from me over night and I was left in a kind of limbo. What I also failed to notice is during this time the right hand side of my thyroid was swollen.
Turning point
I tried everything – I tried cutting out all sorts of foods, various diets (I never went keto though thank god), I took all the supplements I could. And then one day I stopped eating chilli sauce and all other nightshades and started eating 100% wholemeal rye bread with butter. Clarity returned and the brain fog left. My thyroid swelling went down. I felt reborn. Since then I haven’t relapsed fully back into the fog and I have control over the thyroid swelling but I still suffer with slight fatigue issues and what I put down to high serotonin and leaky gut issues. I do feel good in comparison to what I was but I am not my old self.
I am a rock climber and it is now my main passion in life. It has taught me so much and it has also given me huge insight into how my diet affects my body’s levels of inflammation. If I eat any animal protein before going climbing (expect pork) I get excruciating tendon pain. Cheese is very bad. I can no longer eat beef of any kind as it causes me joint pain in my wrists, knee pain and general pain. Eating after training is fine. I believe my digestion is so damaged that I cannot digest my food properly. Also, with cheese in my diet I get a lot of pain in the morning and after eating, as if it is affecting my entire nervous system. I took Betaine HCL for a couple of years and it gave me much more energy. But it didn’t help the pain or protein digestion. I put it’s benefits down to the actual betaine. Beet juice has the same effect on me and is now a staple in my diet.
When I eat rye bread too close to training, I get mega anxiety and worry. Yet, if I have Manuka honey with the bread, I get the opposite I have great confidence. Also, the pure rye bread makes me incredibly lean if it is my main starch (I eat plenty of sugar too). I believe it not only chelates iron but also dramatically lowers estrogen, working in a similar way to raw carrot. My stools on rye are insanely huge and fluffy. When white wheat is my primary starch, I have no anxiety climbing (I feel great mentally in this respect) but I do notice a lot less energy and my stools and gas smell really really foul. I live in the uk and white flour is fortified with iron here so I suspect it’s that interacting with gut bacteria.
I believe my digestion is very damaged and I cannot digest protein well, which is really inconveniencing my life. I also believe I have some kind of gut bacteria issue. For as long as I can remember I have had dandruff, itchy ears (which resolves after fungal drops). Some foods cause my thyroid to swell. Pufa foods, some sweets, some nightshades, random foods at random times. Spice is a no go. Interestingly copper foods (rye is high in copper and selenium) and water left in a copper cup brings my thyroid down. At uni I also started eating a lot more meat than usual. Whenever I eat red meat for a couple of days in a row, I start feeling awful. I have tried copper supplements but they wire me up in an aggressive way that I do not like. I still believe that I have copper deficiency though among many other deficiencies.
My diet is primarily based around things I can digest that do not cause my thyroid to swell. Pizza, Rye bread, jelly sweets, beetroot juice, white rice used to be fine but I linked finger tendon pain (bad for climbing) and lower libido to it, carrots, onions, occasional mushrooms, occasional asparagus, occasional ground lamb or beef (I can digest lamb mince very well), prawns, lamb’s kidneys, gelatin, ice cream. Coke brings my thyroid down. I suspected that I could be a parathyroid issue and I have high calcium—maybe why my stomach is damaged? Coke seems to lower calcium quite well. I have had a few instances of low sodium (one very dangerous)and always crave salt. But I am not sure. My mother and grandmother had Graves’ Disease. So thyroid conditions run in my genes. Before I got sick I used to feel quite hyperthyroid, always wired and didn’t sleep much but ever since I got sick I’ve felt as if I lean towards hypothyroid more. Interestingly enough, when I have copper it makes me feel closer to hyperthyroid/how I used to feel. Is it possible I have Graves and a high bone turnover so there is more calcium in my system? Or perhaps my stomach is so damaged I no longer absorb the nutrients needed to run my thyroid? I also feel like my gut bacteria is influencing the swelling/autoimmune response.
I’d really like an opinion. I’d love to be able to climb without any pain afterwards and anxiety free. I’d also like to get out of the bed in the morning with enthusiasm and energy. I used to have quite high dopamine—steady, passionate interest in things and drive. When I smoke cigarettes this disappears. I feel like I cannot achieve that state of mind anymore, I am more sceptical, lethargic and worn out. I suspect I have low dopamine and my libido isn’t that great. I take transdermal b12 as it helps with my recovery and endurance. I’ve tried hadiut’s K2 and it makes me feel really dry and dehydrated like it’s lowered my electrolytes a lot but it did make me very horny. I’m cautious about taking antibiotics. I have been tested for H Pyruli multiple times and it has always come back negative but I definitely think some kind of SIBO/Dysbiosis is at play.
Others symptoms
History of anxiety and worry (Mum, Sister and grandmother the same)
Slightly thinning on top
Coke makes my leg hair thin drastically
Sweets have made my body a lot more hairy
History of easy bone fractures and breaks
Dryness – my mum is the same, perhaps I have low estrogen?
I don’t have acne per se but my complexion isn’t great and I get regular small pimples, especially on my forehead and cheeks with certain foods. Gelatin and beet juice clear my skin dramatically.
I can look almost anaemic sometimes and I have a tanned man (half greek, half English). Again, makes me think of low copper.
For the last few years I have had constant piles and bleeding
When I eat foods that do not agree with me it’s like colours aren’t vivid anymore
I also get really intense eye pressure, when I press them they feel very bruised. This comes and comes but is somehow related to gut/gut acid. When I took too much betaine HCL I got this, apple cider vinegar causes it as does most vinegar and wine. I don’t think I’ve ever had a migraine but this is how I imagine it to feel.
Sorry for the long intro post. This forum has been highly informative and transformative for me, I come on here most days, and I thought it’d be great to share this and maybe get some opinions.
Thanks
Chris
Background
I got very sick five years ago during my Masters degree at University. It was a time of tremendous stress, I picked up smoking, was drinking a bit too much to combat stress and I also allowed the uni nurses to talk me into having the MMR vaccine when beginning my course as they recommended it as a “preventative” measure as the university has a diverse international mix of students—my mother never allowed me to be vaccinated growing up unless absolutely necessary.
My diet at this time was fairly standard eat everything (I was completely oblivious to its impact on health) but my appetite always strong and I was addicted to chilli pepper. Staples were pasta, cheese, cereal with milk, sweets, sandwiches etc.
I had been taking ibuprofen for headaches when it happened. It seemed like I gave myself a stomach ulcer. I had constant burning in my stomach that would not go. I developed cystic acne around my temples and forehead which was persistent and did not go. This lasted a long time until I read online that a way to beat ulcers was cayenne pepper and lemon. I tried this and the constant gnawing went away and so did the acne but I suspect I never fully healed as I was left with a constant dull full-type pain by my right ribcage that still persists to this day. It is very bad in the mornings. I have seen doctors and they do not care.
The real trouble started near the end of the degree – again mega stress, I woke up one morning after a night of drinking feeling incredibly nauseous, fatigued and dizzy. At first I thought it was a bad hangover but the fatigue and brain fog did not leave for two years. It was as if my life was taken from me over night and I was left in a kind of limbo. What I also failed to notice is during this time the right hand side of my thyroid was swollen.
Turning point
I tried everything – I tried cutting out all sorts of foods, various diets (I never went keto though thank god), I took all the supplements I could. And then one day I stopped eating chilli sauce and all other nightshades and started eating 100% wholemeal rye bread with butter. Clarity returned and the brain fog left. My thyroid swelling went down. I felt reborn. Since then I haven’t relapsed fully back into the fog and I have control over the thyroid swelling but I still suffer with slight fatigue issues and what I put down to high serotonin and leaky gut issues. I do feel good in comparison to what I was but I am not my old self.
I am a rock climber and it is now my main passion in life. It has taught me so much and it has also given me huge insight into how my diet affects my body’s levels of inflammation. If I eat any animal protein before going climbing (expect pork) I get excruciating tendon pain. Cheese is very bad. I can no longer eat beef of any kind as it causes me joint pain in my wrists, knee pain and general pain. Eating after training is fine. I believe my digestion is so damaged that I cannot digest my food properly. Also, with cheese in my diet I get a lot of pain in the morning and after eating, as if it is affecting my entire nervous system. I took Betaine HCL for a couple of years and it gave me much more energy. But it didn’t help the pain or protein digestion. I put it’s benefits down to the actual betaine. Beet juice has the same effect on me and is now a staple in my diet.
When I eat rye bread too close to training, I get mega anxiety and worry. Yet, if I have Manuka honey with the bread, I get the opposite I have great confidence. Also, the pure rye bread makes me incredibly lean if it is my main starch (I eat plenty of sugar too). I believe it not only chelates iron but also dramatically lowers estrogen, working in a similar way to raw carrot. My stools on rye are insanely huge and fluffy. When white wheat is my primary starch, I have no anxiety climbing (I feel great mentally in this respect) but I do notice a lot less energy and my stools and gas smell really really foul. I live in the uk and white flour is fortified with iron here so I suspect it’s that interacting with gut bacteria.
I believe my digestion is very damaged and I cannot digest protein well, which is really inconveniencing my life. I also believe I have some kind of gut bacteria issue. For as long as I can remember I have had dandruff, itchy ears (which resolves after fungal drops). Some foods cause my thyroid to swell. Pufa foods, some sweets, some nightshades, random foods at random times. Spice is a no go. Interestingly copper foods (rye is high in copper and selenium) and water left in a copper cup brings my thyroid down. At uni I also started eating a lot more meat than usual. Whenever I eat red meat for a couple of days in a row, I start feeling awful. I have tried copper supplements but they wire me up in an aggressive way that I do not like. I still believe that I have copper deficiency though among many other deficiencies.
My diet is primarily based around things I can digest that do not cause my thyroid to swell. Pizza, Rye bread, jelly sweets, beetroot juice, white rice used to be fine but I linked finger tendon pain (bad for climbing) and lower libido to it, carrots, onions, occasional mushrooms, occasional asparagus, occasional ground lamb or beef (I can digest lamb mince very well), prawns, lamb’s kidneys, gelatin, ice cream. Coke brings my thyroid down. I suspected that I could be a parathyroid issue and I have high calcium—maybe why my stomach is damaged? Coke seems to lower calcium quite well. I have had a few instances of low sodium (one very dangerous)and always crave salt. But I am not sure. My mother and grandmother had Graves’ Disease. So thyroid conditions run in my genes. Before I got sick I used to feel quite hyperthyroid, always wired and didn’t sleep much but ever since I got sick I’ve felt as if I lean towards hypothyroid more. Interestingly enough, when I have copper it makes me feel closer to hyperthyroid/how I used to feel. Is it possible I have Graves and a high bone turnover so there is more calcium in my system? Or perhaps my stomach is so damaged I no longer absorb the nutrients needed to run my thyroid? I also feel like my gut bacteria is influencing the swelling/autoimmune response.
I’d really like an opinion. I’d love to be able to climb without any pain afterwards and anxiety free. I’d also like to get out of the bed in the morning with enthusiasm and energy. I used to have quite high dopamine—steady, passionate interest in things and drive. When I smoke cigarettes this disappears. I feel like I cannot achieve that state of mind anymore, I am more sceptical, lethargic and worn out. I suspect I have low dopamine and my libido isn’t that great. I take transdermal b12 as it helps with my recovery and endurance. I’ve tried hadiut’s K2 and it makes me feel really dry and dehydrated like it’s lowered my electrolytes a lot but it did make me very horny. I’m cautious about taking antibiotics. I have been tested for H Pyruli multiple times and it has always come back negative but I definitely think some kind of SIBO/Dysbiosis is at play.
Others symptoms
History of anxiety and worry (Mum, Sister and grandmother the same)
Slightly thinning on top
Coke makes my leg hair thin drastically
Sweets have made my body a lot more hairy
History of easy bone fractures and breaks
Dryness – my mum is the same, perhaps I have low estrogen?
I don’t have acne per se but my complexion isn’t great and I get regular small pimples, especially on my forehead and cheeks with certain foods. Gelatin and beet juice clear my skin dramatically.
I can look almost anaemic sometimes and I have a tanned man (half greek, half English). Again, makes me think of low copper.
For the last few years I have had constant piles and bleeding
When I eat foods that do not agree with me it’s like colours aren’t vivid anymore
I also get really intense eye pressure, when I press them they feel very bruised. This comes and comes but is somehow related to gut/gut acid. When I took too much betaine HCL I got this, apple cider vinegar causes it as does most vinegar and wine. I don’t think I’ve ever had a migraine but this is how I imagine it to feel.
Sorry for the long intro post. This forum has been highly informative and transformative for me, I come on here most days, and I thought it’d be great to share this and maybe get some opinions.
Thanks
Chris
