Loosing hair and feeling confused! Newbie of Peat diet.

[north]

I think serum Ferritin and Transferrin saturation index gives a good idea
about iron status. Excess iron is a cause many health issues. High total cholesterol is
a major indicator of hypothyroidism. Reverse T3 is very useful to interpret total T3.
Here are some test RP recommends for evaluation of total thyroid condition.

Blood tests for cholesterol, albumin, glucose, sodium, lactate, total thyroxine and total T3 are useful to know, because they help to evaluate the present thyroid status, and sometimes they can suggest ways to correct the problem.
Less common blood or urine tests (adrenaline, cortisol, ammonium, free fatty acids), if they are available, can help to understand compensatory reactions to hypothyroidism.

I went to the doc today but she said they cant do those tests there so she sent me thru to a specialist of hormones and stuff. I think she was a bit shocked when i can back with all this knowledge after 3 months of reading everything of Peat haha.

Anyway, short update of my perceived status:
I feel more alert. I feel less sad/depressed (than before Peat) and i think im a bit more stable now than even 3 weeks ago. (might be placebo tho). I am less frequently very cold, but still now and then i get cold feet/hands. Still having some insomnia too but i think thats caus of all the nutritional science im constantly thinking about haha.

What makes me wonder a lot is, i imagine that there are new hair on my head. This seems a bit far fetched since ive done this, i think about 6 weeks, but partially longer - like coconut oil and some stuff ive been on for like 2,5 months. Im not whether it is actually new or if its been there all along but when i checked during xmas (first time i noticed) i saw like 1-2 hairs below hairline. Now its a few more but im very skeptical so im not drawing conclusions.

Oh, also for the people who are training, i havent lost mucle mass and fat mass is standing still, but i guess im kinda not counting calories exactly and i tend to go about limit with coconut oil caus i feel it gives me more pro's than restricting my diet to much.

Anyway, will post my results when i get them but i guess ill have to wait a few weeks.

 

[staytuned]

Ha... doctors don't know what to think with all the internet info patients have now! Look forward to hearing about the results.

Also, I'm pretty sure RP is against any stress, even stress induced by worrying about nutrition (so don't lose sleep over it :))

How much coconut oil are you talking about taking a day? more than a tbsp?

 

[north]

Also, I'm pretty sure RP is against any stress, even stress induced by worrying about nutrition (so don't lose sleep over it :))

Haha true that :p

How much coconut oil are you talking about taking a day? more than a tbsp?

No huge amounts, about 40-80 grams spread out a day.

I'm thinking about the iodine thing. I learned that T3 and T4 is actually built up by 3 resp 4 iodine molecules. So I'm gonna try a few days of some more salt, I think I have to do what I can until I get my results. But I'm 99.9% sure I'm hypo I have all the symptoms. (And I compared and excluded hyper).

Is it better to use baking soda or something else? I saw some users talking about baking soda.

Thanks for the reply :)

 

[natedawggh]

Are you working out on an empty stomach? Peat refers to a study where men worked out with low blood sugar and experienced internal bleeding. Working out with low blood sugar makes cortisol and adrenaline rage, so have OJ or something beforehand. Also, go to raypeat.com and read as many of his papers as you have time, best way to learn! (Even the ones that don't sound like they apply to you have important biochemistry concepts that do apply to everyone)

 

[north]

Thanks. Yeah I've basically read everything and a lot of it I read several times, but I'm not sure about some of the details. :p so much to consider haha.
Yeah I usually get milk and/or OJ before training nowadays. I think the dizziness problem got a little bit better after trying higher salt intake. (But I've only been training once since high salt)

I feel better since upping salt, even got my pulse temporarily about 80 after a lot of salt and oh and coconut oil at the same time. But I don't get that same effect now (I'm on my 4th day of higher salt).

It seems I can't maintain a higher pulse
Even tho it worked at first with salt.

One question, I'm not sure if i can get T3 supplement here, usually they only give T4. What should I do if that's all I get? No know he recommends T3, T4 ratio 3:1 or 4:1

 

[north]

Man changes are defenitly happening to me!!
Ive felt like im on anti-depressing meds!!! Like im happy! Of course i can be sad (that i failed my exam) but its like, i can bounce back in matter of minutes. I used to be in a dark cloud for days when i got sad about something.
This cant be sure its not placebo yet, but actual physical changes happened too.

I was about 20% more flexible today at workout than ive been for like 2 years!! And i didnt even strech for about 2 months, at all! Its crazy! I used to be a dancer and was able to do split 100%, last couple of years ive just been able to do about 80% of split, even tho ive been streching now and then, and today, without explanation i did 100% split!!

Also,
i noticed i was warmer during exercise and sweat more than i usually do.

Still pulse is kinda low and temp too but im starting to get a feel for salt supplement. When i feel like im tired or "off", i usually go for coffee with milk, sugar, and salt, usually gets me up again. I hope i can get a higher, steadier pulse.

Anyway, so hyped i had to share!

 

[charlie]

Man changes are defenitly happening to me!!
Ive felt like im on anti-depressing meds!!! Like im happy! Of course i can be sad (that i failed my exam) but its like, i can bounce back in matter of minutes.

Fantastic! Cellular respiration is improving.

I was about 20% more flexible today at workout than ive been for like 2 years!!

Without proper energy, the muscles cannot relax fully. As cellular respiration improves muscles start to relax properly which also affects flexibility.

 

[north]

Thanks for the reply!
A less emotional status update today (haha):
I have noticed new hairs popping up in the hairline. I havent really been sure if its actually new hairs, or that i just didnt notice them before. But now im seeing more mini-hairs than before, we'll see if they get stronger and longer.
I have also noticed that my hair is grown more "up" than before. I get the feeling that the hair is stronger which makes the hairshaft thicker, which makes them not fall flat as easily. Its like i have more volume. Interesting.

Also, i dont know if its negative, but ive noticed that i get some dandruff, like its not very bad but i used to have zero, and now i can see small mini mini white dust-looking things in my hair.

I am wondering, is this caus of too much vitamin A? I eat 100-130g beefliver about every 4-6 day, maybe im overdoing it. Im also eating about 1-2 eggs per day.
Or, can it be that the skin is regenerating and dropping some dead skincells? I noticed the same thing a little bit in my eyebrow. I have also gotten a few pimples, which i havent had for about 3-5 years. (Increased testo?)

Also noticing dark circles are a bit less.
Oh also, i think im lower in stresshormones caus i feel sleepy at night now! I even managed to fall asleep in the plane yeasterday Man my life is upside down (for the better!) and i have a hard time believing change of food can play such a big role!

I eat a lot of coconut oil and salt now, plus all other Peat recommendations. I follow Peat to 100% unless i have to eat something else due to social reasons which is not that often, like once every second week since i try to stear others to go for seafood or something Peat-like hahahaha

Ok once again i write too much, but i figured someone who might go thru the same thing could benefit from maybe knowing what symptoms to look out for or the stuff i get answers to both me and others might learn from :)

 

[north]

So I got new lab results, I don't know if it's better or worse.

Feb 2014:
TSH 4.8
T3 free 5.6
T4 free 17
Sodium 141
Potassium 3,9
Cortisol 720
Hemoglobin 155

Taken today after breakfast
Blood pressure 150/79
Pulse 59 (which is usual for me during the mornings)

November 2013:
TSH 2
T3 free 4.5
T4 free 11
Hemoglobin 147

Unfortunately I don't have other tests caus of doctors telling me it's not necessary.

So I don't know if it's possible to say anything with only these tests. I'm wildly guessing TSH
Is higher caus of pituitary is telling thyroid to continue to produce more t3/4, and hence slightly higher t3/4 (even tho only free form measured, is that valuable anyway?)
But it's kinda worrying caus I'm guessing high TSH caus have bad downstream effects... (?)

I did get synthetic t4 25mg but that's the only thing I did get, we don't have cynoplus etc here.
Should I try this and if so anything I should be aware of?

I guess I need to find a private lab and pay for proper tests

If anyone have any clues to what's up with my lab test I would be grateful.
Labs were both taking fasted state in the morning.

 

[Mittir]

There is a big jump in TSH, from 2 to 4.8. It is a good idea to measure
TSH at around same time to compare the results.
RP recommends measuring Total cholesterol before starting thyroid
supplement. TSH increases secretion of T3 and T4 and this can result in
increased conversion of T4 to T3.
But high TSH has many hypothyroid like symptoms. You want high
T3 and relatively low T4 without raising TSH.
Cortisol lowers T4 to T3 conversion and increases estrogen.
RP mentioned that high prolactin and cortisol are common
in people with hair loss. High TSH indicates high prolactin.
Thyroid, Vitamin D and Calcium lower prolactin.
Good level of prolactin for male is 4-7 and for female 2-12.
If you can not get T3+T4 med, chicken neck or fish head
soup can supply good amount of T3 and T4.
RP recommends large serving of liver to slow down
thyroid function for hyperthyroid people.
It is possible that excess liver is inhibiting your thyroid function.
Excess iodine can inhibit thyroid function, which leads to increased TSH.

Prolactin and TSH tend to increase together, so when you didn't need the prolactin to be high, the TSH--which might have been keeping your thyroid active despite high estrogen--could have decreased, letting the gland be suppressed by estrogen (and maybe PUFA, from the nuts and any non-ruminant meats). Optimally, the TSH should be very low, but the thyroid gland should keep functioning without needing much stimulation.

http://www.dannyroddy.com/main/2011/12/ ... tandi.html

 

[north]

Could it be that i increased iodized salt intake?
I read from Brownstein that iodine raises tsh at first. So maybe my prolactin is higher too. I dont do any super high iodine amounts, just using more salt now than before. I think the whole iodine issue is very confusing. It seems very benefical accourding to others and also according to some research, but Peat is not a big fan of iodine. Any thoughts on that?

Maybe i ate too much liver recently. About 200grams servings every 5-6 day, ill cut back i bit on it and track changes.
Also, up vit-D to about 8000iU per day.
Im also thinking upping vit K2, thore has a good Vit-D+K2 supp im considering.
Peat says 1mg k2 per 325mg aspirin right?
The k2 is mg as in milli right? not micrograms? Caus usually vit-k supps comes in mcg (as far as ive seen here in EU. Thorne's is 1 milligram/serving tho).
Also, im thinking if my magnesium intake is low. i dont drink much espresso, only normal coffee. And from nutritional databases i found normal coffee has only a tiny bit of magnesium compared to espresso. (5mg/100g vs 80mg/100g).
Woild magnesium oil be worth using (until i can afford a new espresso machine haha, man do i regret throwing away my old one now)

I have noticed my gut is a bit more irritated nowadays, and also my sebum production in my scalp has increased a bit. I guessing thats somewhat related. Im not sure why caus im eating better now than december.

Interesting fact, i happened to cut my finger a few days ago which gave me a huge stress response during night, i woke up with, what i think would be, a cortisol/adrenaline rush. I lierally was very hyped and anxiety' like mood and couldnt lie still or relax for 15 or so minutes. In the morning i felt hot and slight feverish until i ate breakfast. I also noticed a very big increase in scalp sebum that morning so i think its related to cortisol/stress in some form.

 

[staytuned]

Espresso of course has higher mag per ounce... but drinking 12 oz of espresso is a little insane. Coffee has other benefits for the brain when brewed w/french press (oils get removed by paper filters).

I can relate to the evening stress response and scalp sebum. A REALLY good product for any scalp flakiness or eczema/seb derm is MooGoo's shampoo. They are based in Australia or NZ but ship internationally for a reasonable price. I've tried nearly everything on my scalp (including sitting for an hour w/coconut oil rubbed into my scalp a few times per week for a month) and their products seem to be the only ***t that works. Their secret is using real milk protein/cream in their products (very ray peat inspired).

 

[Mittir]

There is a RP interview on iodine
http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2011/1 ... -ray-peat/
There are several studies that found increased rate of
thyroiditis in countries after introduction of iodized salt.
RP recommends seafood for supply of iodine and selenium.
RP mentioned that iodine is a very powerful antioxidant/chain breaker
but the problem is excess iodine can cause thyroid inhibition.
I used to add a lot of instant coffee to milk . It makes the milk really bitter
and hard to drink. Now i add 1-2 tbs of coffee to few tbs of water and
just drink it like bitter tonic. It is easy and feels good.
This way, i have a good idea about the amount of magnesium i am getting.
1 oz of instant coffee has about 100 mg of magnesium.
Milk, fruit juices and potato/potato juice are rich source of magnesium.
I am thinking about cucumber juice or broth for potassium and magnesium.
RP mentioned that the amount of vitamin K to counter aspirin varies
from person to person. But higher dose of vitamin K is beneficial for other reasons.

 

[aquaman]

This is what got me thinking about hypochlorhydia low stomach acid and hair loss. http://jeffreydach.com/2013/03/10/hair- ... -grey.aspx
I used the hcl tolerance test and went up to 4 pills before I got a warm sensation. I'm hoping the ridges on my nails will smooth out (classic sign) they are certainly growing in much stronger because the Hcl is helping me absorb the vits&mins in my food & supps. Also I now have NO hair on my brush -before I would have noticeable shedding and hair on the shower floor has lessened a lot. I've only been taking the hcl pepsin for 1.5 weeks!

Thanks for this - i'm up to 4 pills per meal and still don't feel a burn/tingle !

I'll let you know how many I get to before it kicks in!

 

[Lin]

I am confused here. So many people in this forum are taking baking soda. Doesn't that have the opposite effect of Hcl?

 

[north]

Thanks again Mittr!
Ok so i got some more tests, bloodfats, these are written in my native language (copy paste) but its basically just spelling which is different from english, i think everyone can read it easy anyway (?).
So does anyone know what to make of this? I dont know what is recommended and if the ranges are valid accoarding to peat. My immune system looks a bit better than before. Glucos is 5.5, so could that be that my body is not optimally using glucose as fuel? Cholesterol is 4.3. Does that mean my conversion of t4 is soso?

I've increased OJ and gelatin last couple of days, also using niacinamide 100mg 2x day. D3+K2 as usual, aspirin 500-1500mg day, Vit-E 400IU every other day, magnesium oil (100mg day according to bottle).
I ate a lot of gelatin and bone broth yesterday, felt good in my stomage today when i woke up.
Considering supplementing zinc but not sure yet. Want to get that from oysters but its kinda expensive

P-Kolesterol 4.3 2.9-6.1
P-Triglycerider 0.70 0.45-2.6
P-HDL-kolesterol 1.25 0.80-2.1
P-LDL-Kolesterol 2.53 1.2-4.3
P-Glukos 5.5 4.0-6.0
B-Leukocyter 3.8 3.5-8.8
B-Erytrocyter 4.8 4.2-5.7
B-Hb 149 134-170
Erc(B)-MCV 89 82-98
B-Trombocyter 206 145-348

Im gonna try out HCL as well later when i feel like i can spend the money for it :P

 

[north]

Oh also, is it possible to know if i should try the t4 supp i got. i still feel a bit scared to take it since it is recommended to take t4/3 combo, but mine is only t4. And if i take it, what should i be on the lookout for? :)

 

[Mittir]

Your total cholesterol is 159, which is by some standard considered as
hypocholesterolemia. RP recommends at least 160, preferably total 200
cholesterol level before starting thyroid supplement. A good thyroid function
can lower your total cholesterol to an unhealthy level.
In one or two places RP mentioned that a male can get away with
T4 only. He often cites a study, which is the basis of recommending T4 only,
where T4 were tested in healthy young males who can easily convert T4 to T3.
I have seen studies which found that people who have good level of T3 on
T4 only had a higher ratio of T4 to T3 compared to healthy population.
RP thinks the ratio of T4 to T3 matters, especially in brain function.
Your February result shows both free T4 and T3 are in the middle of
reference range. If you can increase T4 to T3 conversion in some way
( carrot, sugar, B vitamins and especially selenium) you may not need
thyroid supplement. Adding extra T4 will lower TSH, which will eliminate
many of the symptoms associated with hypothyroid condition, can change
the balance of T4 to T3 if liver does not convert T4 properly.
Since estrogen is the most common cause of hypothyroidism
focus should be on lowering estrogen or supplementing with
progesterone or pregnenolone if thyroid is not available.

 

[north]

Thanks Mittr. Will update when i have some reaction/effect.

My plan for upcomin week(s):
- Will hold of T4 a bit.
- Double amount of oysters. About 15/week split into 2 days. Expensive but i cant find good zinc or selenium supp here.
- Clams 1d / week to complement oysters, caus they have selenium and are cheaper than oysters.
- Will look for and start a good B-complex supplement.
- Keep doing sugar, carrot & Aspirin

This goes well with some very interesting things haidut wrote about increasing testosterone/libido (zinc, b6, vitamin-e, bcaa). Since oysters have zinc as well as selenium. B6 will be in my b-complex, allready doing vit-e, and will get new bcaa once i got new funds.

 

[north]

Starting to feel tired of my symptoms, i need to do something to fix this, my mood is very up and down and my motivation is very low most of the time, and im tired of having dark circles under eyes and i easily get pale skin.
If i can get T3, would that be ok to take even if my cholesterol is still low?
Since then cholesterol isnt necessary for the conversion, is that correct?