LuMonty's Journey: It's A Doozy

[LuMonty]

TL;DR at the bottom.

I've been putting off this write-up for awhile, and it's a good thing I did. Due to a very recent revelation, I believe I have made the connections in my health needed. It makes writing this log easier, as I can remove several details and sections that would bloat the main point. I'll try to include the most relevant events in my life that relate to Peat's main points.

When I was very young I had bad ear and sinus problems. Tonsils and adenoids were removed at an early age. Also, very bad nightmare started when I was 3. These problems still affect me.

I hit puberty when I was 8, maybe closer to 9 years old. Overweight, being fed nearly everything that could be labeled anti-Peat, it was incredibly stressful. This was compounded by the beginning of extensive orthodontic work, which left me in a great amount of pain until quite recently (I'm 26 now). Starting around that age, I also began ruminating excessively, which continues until the present.

Amazoniac added this RP quote and I think it's fitting:

"Low thyroid function, relative over-feeding, and the presence of unsaturated oils in the diet are known to accelerate sexual maturity."

Thereafter, my mother decided that the family was on a new diet. Salt was seen as evil, and portions were kept small. I think it was called the "weigh-down diet." The problem was, at that point, I already needed calories at a rate that those portions couldn't satiate. From recent experience I assume my rapidly worsening anger was due to sugar and salt problems. These made my sleep even worse.

Eventually, I had a breakdown as a teenager. Since then, my mental abilities, which were once acute, are nearly non-existent. I went from perfect grades to staring at tests I had studied for and completing almost no work. Though much later in relation to this event, I recall staring at my Calculus 3 exam like I had never even taken Calc 1. While it may sound pretentious, my intelligence and problem solving abilities are a core part of me, and it wears deeply upon me to be without them.

More to that time frame, I became even more sick. Staph and strep infections left me with scar tissue in my throat. Combined with my small mouth from the ortho work, doctors guess this is when my sleep apnea began, but I declined before (I have a different theory, which I explain below).

From that time, around 15-17 years of age, I don't recall much. Up until then I was a runner, usually running 3/4 a mile a day, maybe up to 1.5 as I got older, in separate chunks. I started weight lifting around 16, which helped my well-being, but in retrospect I suspect for both activities my calorie intake wasn't sufficient.

I suffered an injury to my right hamstrings/knee my last day in the weight room in high school. I've been without pain in it for 2 weeks now, the longest stretch yet.

Otherwise, I only remember struggling to be social and function much at all. College was a nightmare for several reasons, and despite eating when I could, I didn't really improve. Eventually, due to grade issues and my health being worse than ever, I dropped out.

I was put on Zoloft and my appetite increased. A silver lining, to be sure; no one close to me believed me about the zaps and weird thoughts, but this year a family member confided in me he had the same problems.

I improved some, went back to college, and dropped out again. That's when I was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I was also mentally evaluated with some BS condition, and put on Risperidone. In another thread, I related how it was the only medication I was allowed. The nurse practitioner put me on lamotrigine at one point, which was amazing (I understand now it's not good long-term, if at all). I would only learn later that she had me increase the dose too rapidly to be safe, and as it happened I was put back on risperidone. My prolactin continued to climb, and it was the last time my testosterone tested about 300, though I don't care to have it tested now. My therapist was useless and the jovial-cynical type; I stopped seeing him for several reasons.

During that period, I also saw an allergist and discovered I had several allergies. The allergist, an astute man of long practice, hadn't seen someone with my strange mix and number of allergies. Seeing as I use a similar nickname on other media, I don't mind listing them: lavender, strawberries, oregano, basil, sage, and tuna. I'm assuming the allergies are why my digestion is so compromised.

By this point I was in my 20s and had no idea why my health wouldn't improve; I was still following mainstream recommendations, which seemed full of holes. Despite my issues, I got a basic job, met a girl, and married her almost two years ago. With her help, I weaned off the risperidone (my last prolactin test before weaning was over 30, T was a bit above 200). I remain somewhat zombified as if I was still taking it. As FrankDee mentioned in a recent psychiatry thread, he compared psych meds to lobotomy, and I certainly feel lobotomized. No compound seems to affect my dopamine, but on rare occasion large amounts (1.2-2g) of caffeine works, but it's not sustainable.

In August of 2018, I was searching DuckDuckGo for silly (or maybe not) phrases about doctors and current medicine being foolish guesswork. I ended up here and spent my days off reading. Soon after, I quit my job. I couldn't eat even 2000 calories a day working a physical job due to a hiatal hernia, despite losing most of the extra weight and following other protocols (luckily I read what Haidut said about PPIs and only used one for 2 days).

There isn't much that helps me with CO2 (which was nearly zero along with NO when I got tested for allergies). Thiamine makes me feel awful as a supplement (from OJ is great though). Famotidine helps, I take 40mg a day but more makes me super sick. Increasing NO, which isn't considered Peatish, makes me function. For the near future, because I can't be picky, I'll be continuing with citrulline and agmatine. The theobromine in dark chocolate helps enough where I don't also take arginine anymore. I can't stomach enough fat from dark chocolate, though I love it, to get the vasodilating effect from it alone. I've read threads here and what Ray says about NO, so my current goal is to stop needing the stuff. That said, NO production alone or high potassium intake alone don't get my kidneys working as well as the two together. Also, without increasing NO my digestion remains at a near standstill. It's the only think that gets my digestion moving without inducing obscene amounts of diarrhea.

I don't seem to tolerate any decent amount of salt. I love salt. But if I have much at all (more than 1g a day), I get super flushed, my nose closes up, and my breathing becomes greatly compromised. My mood darkens even before the respiratory functions change. Anger follows, then restlessness and ADHD-like symptoms. I'll eat a salty meal, to taste, and spend the evening wondering why 1-3 hours have passed every time I look at a clock.

Low potassium has landed me in the emergency room once for sure, though I suspect another time as well. A ratio of 5g:1g, potassium to sodium, is what I'm working with right now. Up until this week, it was about 4:4. With the new ratio, I dumped a bunch of extra water. I can see my jawline, and can feel the ridge at the back of my skull; this for the first time since I was 20. Sometimes throughout the day, I can do something besides remain sedentary. Pulse went from low (~40bpm) or high (~110bpm) erratically to a consistent 90bpm. The change in sodium intake is also the only thing that stopped the bloating I had for the last 6 years.

If I recline too long, I can become immobile, which happens more easily with less potassium and/or more sodium. Apparently, a condition exists where those with it who recline a certain amount can cause potassium levels to drop to almost nothing or zero, but the amount in the body stays the same; this causes loss of muscle tone and even muscle damage if it happens enough. Considering my pulmonologist can't see a reason I have OSA (he also doesn't know how I'm alive since I was waking up once a minute at night; seems to be one of the good ones), this is the theory I'm working with. I have slept without my CPAP face down, but I have to use to thing a certain amount each night or I lose it due to non-compliance. The best sleep I had in recent memory was before the machine, I was on D3 and calcium for my SAD. My doctor then told me to stop taking them and that bad things would happen if I didn't.

This reclining-potassium would make sense for me, as it would explain my growing weakness over the years, as well as my CPAP issues. If the CPAP pressure is enough that I can sleep on my back, I wake up alert but not refreshed (probably adrenaline). At that pressure, in any other position I swallow too much air and can't sleep. If the pressure is low enough for other sleep positions, and if I end up on my back, I wake up with my throat open (no sputtering like without the machine during back sleep, contrary to my diagnosis), but I feel as if I went without the CPAP at all. I can feel my throat is open, but for whatever reason I wake up with the same headache as without it. The difference in pressure between the two is large, 20ish for being able to sleep on my back, 7-9 otherwise. My insurance doesn't cover BiPAP and I can't afford one. Losing weight hasn't helped, though I'm glad I have, also put on more muscle.

My current routine is lots of rest and the following diet:
Beef liver for breakfast, with the only caffeine I have, either Red Bull of coffee.

Followed after by berries (red raspberries right now) with maple syrup.

OJ throughout the day, sometimes with dark chocolate; usually about 60oz OJ, 1-2 oz dark chocolate. Skim milk when I can stomach it, 6-18oz. Both better than when I started.

Lunch is whatever meat I have, usually beef, more OJ, and either fruit and maple, or dark chocolate according to craving.

I do better on high protein, but can't have much caffeine if I do. Always pee clear if either is high or much of either together. I miss having more coffee, but it's too harsh.

Nettle tea if I start to feel kidney pain, 4-12oz total, usually only twice a week. It does seem to be estrogenic, but my overall health improves enough for the tradeoff. If I don't filter well enough, I get worse estrogenic/serotonergic symptoms within a day. If I can maintain high enough potassium levels, I'll experiment with eliminating it for a week.

If I need more protein, I have it for dinner. Warm milk for protein is better for sleep, even skim, so I usually drink more milk at night than day but the amount is far off of what Pet recommends.

I have gelatin, but don't use it often. It makes me feel nauseous and constipated. Also can't sleep if I have it, even in the morning. I'll feel calm for an hour and then like crap for at least 24hrs after.

Starch doesn't agree with me. Potatoes can in small amounts deep-fried, but it's not worth the trouble to do it myself. Well cooked noodles or potatoes result in day/night long heartburn and digestive slowdown. I know Ray says starches should be avoided, but the extra calories can be tempting, as well as the potassium and protein from potatoes. Also, fruit is poor quality and generally expensive.

I'm also concerned because the right side of my throat feels numb around my thyroid. Need to find out if it's a nodule. My mom and her mom had thyroid problems. I'm not sure if I want to mess with anything, T3 doesn't seem to have an effect and I'm not clear on what to try that will be benign if it's not a nodule.

TL;DR
Current goals:
*Get enough vasodilation so I don't have to mess with NO.
*Get potassium up enough so I can function properly
*Get sleep figured out
*Consume enough macros at the least, try to get calories above 2000 without starch
*Current diet is red meat, liver, dark chocolate, OJ, skim milk, lots of fruits, maple syrup
*In general, break lifelong stress cycle
*26 year old guy, 5'7" about 160 but feel 50+ and much heavier
*Find out if throat problem is scar tissue or thyroid nodule
*Figure out why salt wrecks me, even according to cravings
*No recent tests due to several problems with insurance; local doctors also typically refuse to test me

 

[tankasnowgod]

That is quite a story. Recently, I have been really trying to up CO2 as well. I've been taking high dose thiamine (which I know you said you can't take), but have also been doing some bag breathing and wearing surgical masks quite a bit throughout the day. Probably wore the mask about 4-5 hours a day on average this week. I created a thread a while ago about the surgical masks- Surgical Masks Increase Pulse, Lower Oxygen Saturation From Rebreathing CO2

 

[LuMonty]

That is quite a story. Recently, I have been really trying to up CO2 as well. I've been taking high dose thiamine (which I know you said you can't take), but have also been doing some bag breathing and wearing surgical masks quite a bit throughout the day. Probably wore the mask about 4-5 hours a day on average this week. I created a thread a while ago about the surgical masks- Surgical Masks Increase Pulse, Lower Oxygen Saturation From Rebreathing CO2

I think I read that thread while I was still lurking. I have a dust mask that helps. I have to use it less than a surgical mask because of how it's designed, it's easier to adjust because it has flexible metal pieces. The trick is having enough calories where it isn't so stressful. I did have a good week with it back in September but haven't been able to replicate the experience. More recently, using it or bag breathing causes a stress response. White sugar and T3 have the same negative effect and also had Eureka type moments in the past where they'd have a positive effect, but I haven't been able to repeat them either.

 

[LuMonty]

I didn't intend to update until I had at least a few days to see if anything changes. Please excuse any poor grammar or formatting, as I'm feeling quite exhausted. I'd also like to note that what has recently occurred wasn't adrenaline, as I'm intimately familiar with it due to my allergies. Though, it would be simpler if that was the case.

I'm glad I kept my dust mask handy because it helped get me back to normal. A prescient boon from Tanka, to be sure.

For future reference, this is the only page with much information on the potassium-condition I'm looking at Periodic Paralyses (Hyperkalemic, Hypokalemic, Andersen-Tawil Syndrome) | Muscular Dystrophy Association
On an "ask the doctors" type site, the woman who mentioned the condition said it's related to hyperthyroidism, but I can't confirm that. In fact, except for it being chronic and maybe degenerative I can't confirm anything else about it. If she's right, the connections I'll list here make sense for current events, but also my whole life. I'm going to assume that's the case until I find a better explanation, because proper thyroid function and potassium levels need to be dealt with anyways.

Today I managed to have a large meal with all three macros and a decent amount of salt, I think 2g or 2.5g. I immediately felt much better, so I think 5g:2.5g potassium to salt is what I should aim for over a week or so to collect data. I'm not sure what changed from the last few days, except perhaps I've stabilized the ratio in some fashion. If I had to guess, the nettle tea spares androsterone so I would eventually need to replenish salt to counter that. It seems that I can process a meal better when I can get myself to eat a large macro-rounded meal, but not when I force it. Otherwise, high sodium or fat in particular don't agree with me and what high means varies day to day.

This evening, I hadn't eaten in awhile and wanted to get more fruit in, so I decided to have my berries and syrup. I got a few bites in and felt like I got hit by a truck. It's been almost an hour now and my pulse is still elevated. I also felt my heart pound and a rushing feeling through my extremities. Previously, I thought getting my potassium up from "not much," usually 1g or less in a day, was why I felt the rush I did. Now, I'm not so sure. It feels exactly like when I accidentally dosed a large amount of T3.

I did some more searching on the forum to see if there was anything I missed. I'm not sure what to make of the information I have, even after reading what Ray has to say. To sum up, my guess is that the potassium is increasing my thyroid (in connection with the thyroid-reclining-potassium deal I noted above), which is what's messing with my sugar and breathing and metabolism in general. In an old topic, Joeyd said that NO decreases thyroid. The NO cocktail I have, and previously sauerkraut (a noted Peat solution, or cabbage more specifically, for hyperthyroid), both made me function better. I stopped the kraut last summer because it wasn't consistent and was hard on my teeth. It seems the citrulline etc isn't hit-and-miss because I added it after getting my potassium back up and it's regulated by my body.

Before the surge earlier, my nails were firm with a bit of give. On my old diet, they were very bendy. Before I added dark chocolate, no amount of minerals would make them not bendy. My hair stopped falling out as well. I was happy with the progress. During the surge, my ring finger nail bumped my middle finger nail and broke off the entire white part of the middle one. All my nails are still very bendy and the beds are quite pale, almost white.

I also forgot to mention in my OP that over the few days that I've done the high potassium diet and NO cocktail (not just one or the other), my jaw came into alignment after shifting the opposite way over the course of the month. I'm not sure if it's meaningful aside from the timing. Aside from that and the nails, my hair almost completely stopped falling out.

I'm fairly certain that the increase in potassium is causing the thyroid surges. It explains why my tests have been normal over my life, or only slightly elevated. It also explains why my potassium showed normal-high, except when I had my blood taken while reclining. That test came back that I had virtually none. I also can't give blood while reclining, but it's very easy if I'm sitting up. My mom and her mom had thyroid problems. so it wouldn't surprise me if I had issues as well. Also wouldn't surprise me if doctors would want to nuke it and remove it. I'll need to be sure of a plan of action to keep it under control, and then find out what to do from there.

I've spent so long composing this that I seem to be very tired but otherwise normal now.

New, more immediate goals:
*Find out how to get enough potassium so salt can be a normal part of my routine; without a balance normal function becomes difficult
*Find out how to deal with the surges; they make me wiped out, and I'm fairly certain with my family history that doctors would remove my thyroid as a solution
*Find out if the potassium is a matter of body tolerance so I don't wipe out at the wrong time; if not, try to find out why only potassium rich meals cause it for another reason
*Find out a consistent, strong way to replenish so my sleep stops suffering; after an episode I can spend up to a week to function well again
*Consider getting a cane so when I have an episode I can still be mobile if absolutely needed
*If another surge happens, try the NO cocktail and see if the reaction is curbed (this is easier to measure than cabbage for me)

 

[Lilac]

I don't have a lot to add but encouragement. Be proud of yourself for clawing back your health. You mention signs of improvement, so the arc looks good from my outside view.

You don't mention sunlight. Where are you located, and what is your situation? Somewhere, Ray suggests for a problem (depression? hypothyroidism?) a summer spent in Alaska. That always sticks in my head as a reminder of the healing power of sun and the largeness of the dose that may be needed. Personally, I remember coming back to work from a sunny, beachy week in Florida and bounding up the two-story staircase in my office building. It was a striking difference in strength and energy.

Good luck.

BTW, LuMonty as in Lou Monte?

 

[LuMonty]

I don't have a lot to add but encouragement. Be proud of yourself for clawing back your health. You mention signs of improvement, so the arc looks good from my outside view.

You don't mention sunlight. Where are you located, and what is your situation? Somewhere, Ray suggests for a problem (depression? hypothyroidism?) a summer spent in Alaska. That always sticks in my head as a reminder of the healing power of sun and the largeness of the dose that may be needed. Personally, I remember coming back to work from a sunny, beachy week in Florida and bounding up the two-story staircase in my office building. It was a striking difference in strength and energy.

Good luck.

BTW, LuMonty as in Lou Monte?

Thank you so much!

I'm in the Midwest, so the sun is just getting strong enough to make a difference when I'm outside. The hard part now is overcoming the initial weakness so I can make it out for a decent length of time. A nice time in strong sunlight usually leaves me tired but in a good way. If I can be out in Spring or Summer while relaxing I always sleep the best, even taking naps in the middle of the day. It's a bonus that I can go out and enjoy now, instead of doing the work I was previously.

Today is nice and clear with blue skies, but says it's around freezing out. Last night took a lot out of me, but I'm going to try to go for a walk in the afternoon, once it warms up.

During fall and winter, I use 5 very bright bulbs in a lamp, I think I have it over 10.000 lux now. A gloomy day without it on isn't much of a day at all. I've been known to fall asleep when visiting friends or family if their lighting isn't bright during fall and winter.

I never heard of Lou Monte until now. My nickname comes from my dad and I constituting what elements of a regular name are used to make a "rapper" name. I remember we were in the kitchen giggling about this profusely with my mother finding us that way and being worried because she didn't understand the humor.

 

[LuMonty]

Might as well update the log while the details are fresh.

Last night, only my legs and feet got cold after the surge ended. This is an improvement. Before, hands, ears, then arms and head would usually be cold.

I woke up feeling exhausted. I also woke up in the middle of the night but slept again quickly after kicking off the covers. I'm still trying to find a better solution for sleep. Not eating after a surge means long but very poor sleep. If I do, I wake up in 1-3 hours really hot and at the worst times it takes me awhile to sleep again. Sometimes an hour in front of a fan, other times the duration doesn't matter as much as trying to top-up again without setting off another blaze.

This morning I had my usual breakfast, which is pretty foolish of me. I don't know why I continue to have liver and Red Bull for breakfast, let alone after a bad surge the night before. I followed up with the syrup and berries I didn't have last night. Definite pulse and temperature increase, but without the other effects of last night.

So far, my experiments seem to show the following:
Just sugar after breakfast makes me feel fussy or have a minute surge. Not bad, but not useful. Also not very fulfilling for recovery.
Starch usually results in digestive malfunction, but when salty and fatty seems to be decent for recovery when considering trade-offs.
Sugar and potassium, typically fruits and maple syrup, can nearly cause another surge. When it doesn't set off a surge, I feel much better and only get some metabolism increase. It seems to be a chicken/egg problem, but has less chance of going wrong after my breakfast, which is why I hesitate to change it to something more pro-blood sugar.

What's confounding me is how to parse out the following:
Sugar plus potassium, when not causing a surge, is more helpful than either alone. Plus, if I don't get potassium it's impossible to have sodium so winging it is still necessary.
It's not clear if sugar->thyroid is the problem or if potassium->thyroid is. Or both together. When I woke up, my eyes were no longer bulging (which I didn't realize previously) so I know thyroid is at play. I also know that even if I wanted to be stubborn and anti-Peat, methods like keto don't work. Going without sugar quickly makes me cold as a corpse regardless of nutrition.
When having potassium from dark chocolate, the problems don't usually crop up. The issue is that it seems to be a break-point, because sometimes OJ is fine, and others it helps start a surge. The fat really helps me thermally and for digestion, so I try to be consistent with it, but high fat makes me nauseous.
Last night, I only had 3 bites of berries and syrup when my heart started revving up. In fact, it happened so quickly after swallowing a bite that it was almost as stressful as the entire event itself. This makes me lean toward it being both a cumulative event, and according to the amount consumed at once. What makes this difficult to suss out is that a non-surge-berries-and-syrup makes my sleep nearly perfect. Having them in the morning instead still trips the meter if I've had enough potassium lately, so it's a decent gamble at night.

While I'm thinking of it, I should mention a few things, some obvious:
*When I don't have enough potassium, I may feel normal, but my strength is still feeble. Also, my mind races and my tolerance for any metabolism increase is virtually zero.
*My sweat, especially around lymph nodes, smelled like pus. Luckily I reversed that quickly by increasing potassium intake, but we'll see at what cost.
*There doesn't seem to be a good solution for recovery. What does seem to work is soda like Dr Pepper that has a bit of caffeine so any sugar not quickly used is burned up. I've tried juices but they pose several problems. Apple juice is a favorite, but all the brands I can get seem to have mold problems from the reactions I get. OJ is great but I don't dare use it more than I do. Also, any liquid is subpar for long term recovery due to quick absorption, but I need some amount of blood sugar before I can support with protein.
*If I don't get my metabolism quick enough, I slowly shut down and endotoxin in particular becomes an issue; vitamin C from OJ is the only thing that helps, as the carrot salad is too hard on my digestion (that or any moderate amount of fiber feels like blades passing through; I suspect if a scope were ever put through there wouldn't be much villi left)
*Without supplementing NO production, I can't get a solid erection. For now, I'm assuming it's being burned off to keep the thyroid even. More experimentation is needed. Yesterday seems to show a possible rebound effect from quick use, but that could certainly be wrong. I don't want to use it if possible due to the possibility of free radicals, but it seems the best option at present.

 

[LuMonty]

Not enough time for much development. Will be away until Sunday on a trip. Most relevant since last post is I need 3000-5000 calories to sleep well, more the better. Currently trying to retrain myself to sleep on my stomach, waking up in the middle of the night on my back in a half-aware, immobile state isn't fun.

 

[LuMonty]

Started using lisuride about two weeks ago. It's the only thing to keep my eyes from bulging, get my gyno down, and get bloating down. The list goes on, but I'm fairly certain that the adenoma found on my pituitary years ago in an MRI is causing more trouble again. The challenge right now is to eat enough with the appetite suppression. I seem a lot more thirsty too, but large volumes of liquid don't treat me kindly.

I may have found the cause of my sleep apnea. If not, I still want to fix it anyways. The salivary gland under my back right teeth seems blocked up. I used my toothbrush last night the other night to feel around. Ended up spitting out a large amount of very thick saliva, some yellowish and some with a bit of blood. The other glands seem fine.

For now, I'm using warm salt water at nights and during the day I'll use a sour candy to try to get the gland to produce naturally. So far it's much better, but my mouth is sore. Haven't had anything really sour in a very long time, so we'll see how long I can keep this up. Anyhow, it's clear enough where I napped undisturbed without my CPAP.

My future goal is to get it examined, but I'm still waiting on my insurance information. Four months of money coming out of a paycheck for absolutely nothing.

The good news is my sense of smell is returning and I didn't even realize it was so faded. Also, while working on the bad gland some of my sinuses seemed to open up, which is always welcome.

 

[LuMonty]

Update:
Shifted my diet more towards fat and protein and left my sugar coming from drinks. Have slimmed down since doing so and it's no longer difficult to get enough protein and calcium. Despite advice, I'm eating more cheese and drinking milk. Still have OJ but not as much. That might change.

The most interesting development is from a podcast I listened to. Can't remember if it came from this forum or internet searching. Anyhow, the guy being interviewed was talking about POTS and upper airway resistance. He didn't get CPAP for awhile because his sleep studies were coming back normal. Being a doctor in that field he knew it was wrong. For a minute or two he talked about compression clothes and getting enough salt. This reminded me off when I was younger and I would never pass up salt, before I was put on the diet I mentioned in my OP. In retrospect, the main tenet was having small enough portions over the course of a meal so you could realize when you're full. No idea where restriction of salt comes from *shrug*

So I wandered off to the store where my wife works and saw her on break; I was acting in terms of having the same problems as the guy in the podcast, not much more than a hunch. Got some compression socks and pickling salt (IIRC Ray prefers it).

For whatever reason, I vastly prefer the pickling salt. I'm still getting the amount down but between that and the socks I have a bit of life. Long ago I got a long sleeve running shirt that's mostly spandex and that helps a bunch. Got it for less than $10 at Goodwill, haven't seen one since.

Unfortunately those are expensive (long, short, or no sleeve) and it would be just as costly to try several lesser quality/cheaper brands as the Big Name ones. The one I have needs washed so I'm wearing an old hoodie that's a bit small and it's okay as a substitute. I ordered some stronger compression socks and some arm sleeves, we'll see how that goes next week. The socks I can buy locally don't have enough compression and the types aren't good. The ones I have are nice for the lowish price, but they're dress-style so they don't hold up well.

I did get some Diamox and lost even more edema from that, but it messed with my salt too much so I'm taking a break after only 3 capsules. Didn't see tablets and needed it in the order as something else, which is unfortunate. Also got an anti-viral cream and that problem is finally going away.The two areas from the original breakout have sharp, deep pains and it makes it hard to get to sleep. On the other hand, if that means the problem is that severe, it's worth eradicating quickly. The overall improvement in sleep has been worth it, and has helped me focus on tracking everything.

Trying not to cycle back onto lisuride or other stronger compounds so I can track the effects of compression and salt more easily.

Between appropriate salt intake and the diamox, in less than a week, I went from a 35" waist to 34". For the first time in years I was able to focus enough to play a video game and enjoy it. Reading at my fastest speed is still a bit difficult. My mobility is better and I can stand longer. Once I get moving it helps a lot. Also, I don't get angry or even agitated (except from heat-related stuff) when salt and compression are good. The breathing problems go away as well, even the sinus problems. The nose bleeds have stopped and the offending points have started healing.

I should have the socks early next week and the sleeves by the end of next week. They'll give me a better clue on how to proceed.

 

[CLASH]

@LuMonty
Sounds like you have some endotoxin issues. All of your symptoms, atleast to me, point to some type of gut infection. Have you ever tried to get a stool test?

 

[LuMonty]

@LuMonty
Sounds like you have some endotoxin issues. All of your symptoms, atleast to me, point to some type of gut infection. Have you ever tried to get a stool test?

During my ER visit the doctor wanted to do that but I couldn't pass any. The problem right now is I don't have any insurance cards/info even after months of paying out of the paycheck for it. So I'm stuck for now.

 

[CLASH]

@LuMonty
You can pay out of pocket without a script if you have the $$. I doubt a Dr. would give a script for it anyway.

 

[LuMonty]

@LuMonty
You can pay out of pocket without a script if you have the $$. I doubt a Dr. would give a script for it anyway.

That's a good point, apologies that I forgot to respond. Getting some OJ, B2 (I use Energin), aspirin, and caffeine seem to be enough now that I'm using T4/T3.

To avoid double posting I'll add that I intend to supplement thyroid at 42mcg:21Mcg 4:3 until the 30th. Then I'll see how I'm doing. I arrived at that amount mainly by measuring stress response, digestive ability, and pulse.

 

[LuMonty]

Over the past week and a half, I increased the dose to 60mcg/30mcg of T4/T3. Had a few bad days that required much more. I no longer have days of severe lethargy, inability to move, and lack of muscle rigidity when appropriate. If I didn't know better, as this state has appeared for the last 6 years or so, it sounds an awful lot like myxedema. It seems silly to type that but I can't fathom why thyroid would prevent the state when all tests came back clear when the episodes first started. I had every neurological test as well as a couple brain scans. The episodes were thought to be due to my allergies, but that only helped reduce the severity.

I won't be arguing the point in this Log and this also goes for getting tested for much of anything. I've changed my mind. I was tested before and barely able to function. That tells me the tests are useless due to the broad ranges and the extreme outliers being what treatment is based off of. This also applies to my diet and methods in general. I'm seeing far too many slap-fights over starch and dairy lately and I don't want any of that in this Log.

Currently, I take the thyroid in the morning with magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins, and consume them with some Pepsi. Then I wait an hour to eat. My diet is mainly rice, butter, and beef. I can get cheap chicken so I air fry that and remove the skin. Plenty of salt. I'll have ripe fruit if I can get it, but produce is still garbage here. The strawberries look pretty good, and then I remember I'm allergic. I still have Milk and OJ but only 12-24 ounces of each in a day. Throwback Pepsi is my drink of choice when I can get it.

It occurs to me that members on this forum might not see results from T4 due to keeping cortisol and iron too low, but that's just a general guess.

Before I started the thyroid, I shifted to eating many small meals of rice to improve digestion. It's paying off handsomely, as I'm more regular in all facets.

Within 4 days of taking the thyroid, the lines on my hands and fingers came back. My muscles become hard when flexed. Hair is a bit thicker and shinier. I don't pee nearly as much. No more breathing problems. I can sleep about 3 hours at a time without my CPAP. Tolerance of heat and cold is drastically improved. I can go much longer without my compression gear; showering can last 10 minutes instead of 5 and no longer is so stressful. Bloating is down about half and it's no longer painful.

The only negative is that I've been having pains in the outer sides of my hands and feet and lower legs. More minor pain in upper legs and arms. It almost feels like growing pains used to feel, but that seems silly seeing as how I'm 26. I've been the same height for over 7 years now. The back of my skull has gotten thicker too. I have been using K2 for several months, but these changes only happened after starting thyroid.

I didn't expect to see results so soon and didn't foresee making this entry. It'll be interesting to see the changes at the 4 week mark.

 

[LuMonty]

Small update for the day. Made some "cowboy coffee" and got carried away, to the bathroom that is. Ended up using a couple of grams of activated charcoal. Several bad #2 trips to the bathroom, but the charcoal calmed things down. What's interesting is that a zit behind my ear is leaking fluid that smells nearly exactly like the bad #2's earlier. I'd imagine it's connected to all the yellow and brown crap that came out of my salivary glands last night.

Should probably just order some antibiotics and screw everything else at least for now. Getting too close to the point where I can't slow-walk this anymore. Then re-evaluate if it doesn't clear up.

The issue is finding the cause. The longer I have my CPAP, the sooner bad smells come from it even with sterilized or new parts. Even if it's not the cause, it's certainly not helping. Every week or two I have at least a day or two of sneezing out yellow and brown crap for the morning. I can't seem to replicate the few times I've been able to sleep without it and my emotions are leaning towards great anger and frustration.

Luckily my wife refuses to give up. I can't stand feeling useless like this. I'm still improving on thyroid but I know the progress would be quicker (and dosage probably lower) if I wasn't always fighting off crap.

 

[Lilac]

It almost feels like growing pains used to feel, but that seems silly seeing as how I'm 26. I've been the same height for over 7 years now.

I think Ray grew an inch at some point in his adulthood. I can't remember if it was from thyroid supplementation. Maybe somebody remembers the exact details.

Nice progress!

 

[LuMonty]

I think Ray grew an inch at some point in his adulthood. I can't remember if it was from thyroid supplementation. Maybe somebody remembers the exact details.

Nice progress!

Thanks! I actually read about that recently, Ray was taking DHEA.

 

[LuMonty]

Lots to update here:

I'm down to only taking 12-24mcg T4 and 6-12 mcg T3 a day.

I'm not sure what I did in particular, but my bloating is only about 10% of what it was at the beginning of the month.

I've started using cyproheptadine. I got some from ADC but don't plan to use much since it has titanium dioxide. Was probably still worth using 1mg earlier, could not get a stress reaction from yesterday to stop without it. I've also started 100mg of doxycycline. Not sure if I'll up the dose.

Both should help what I'm dealing with. Only an hour after the first doxy, had some yellow mucus come out. Luckily it's agreeing with me, I typically don't tolerate anything except amoxicillin especially for digestion. My hope is both medicines can help take care of whatever has been plaguing me all these years, mainly the sleep apnea. If the adenoma is part of the problem, I'm hoping the fact that doxy can cross the BBB is helpful.

Aldi has ice cream without the thickeners so I've been having that. Once I started having ice cream for breakfast my days become much more productive. Right now I eat about 3000 calories and drink about 1000. My other two meals are simple: I make some meat and noodles, make a cheese sauce, and combine everything. Salt to taste, and garlic on occasion. I'm a bit tired of it already, but for whatever reason I don't get the heartburn I had from having a similar dish but with rice instead of noodles.

Aldi also has an instant coffee that tastes like actual coffee. It's great added to milk with sugar especially with summer coming.

Despite the fact that I have so much dairy, I continue to slim down and my gyno has been reduced by about half. Muscles are much harder, especially with supplemental vitamin A. I should be getting my IdeaLabs A in a few hours and am quite excited. I've been underestimating A's use; despite the allergenic ingredients of the gels I already have, they drastically increased my muscle hardness and wound healing even with a bit of Benadryl to reduce the histamine (replaced now by cypro, .5mg-1mg; I'm amazed at the stuff itself and the lack of side effects for the amount I need).

While I have lost water and fat, I seem to have grown in some regard. Had what felt like growing pains and sure enough my feet barely fit in my boots despite not being waterlogged. I also had to give most of my nice shirts to my wife; they simply don't fit across the shoulders anymore. I couldn't button or zip things before and thought it was the bloating, but it's still not even close. Some Large sizes fit me depending on brand. Still have weight around my hips that I don't want and can't find a consistent measure that fits me. Can almost fit into some 32, most 34 waist fit but some brands only 36 does. Felt very fussy about a week ago in terms of compression gear and can't stand to wear any since. Very weird.

The viral crap seems to be gone (caffeine far outdid lysine in efficacy) but the buttock area has still been difficult to take care of. The worst previous areas now are like craters, with layers of skin missing. Aside from A and the doxy, Borax baths have reduced 95% of the pain as well as the wound discharge. I thought only boric acid could do that. The issue of course is baths are tedious and the water temperature isn't good for my junk. I'm also not sure about using the Borax long-term but seeing as it also cleared up the last of my jock itch, it's almost certainly worth the trade-off for a short treatment routine. Luckily only a few spots bleed now and nowhere near as easily.

Last note, for whatever reason soda has lost all appeal to me except Mexican Coke. Not even my beloved Dr Pepper can entice me. This started before the Borax, doxy or cypro treatment. I haven't the faintest clue why.

 

[LuMonty]

My amoxicillin should arrive today. Unfortunately, as with all anti-serotonin substances, I'm hitting the usual freak-out stage. Nothing in my current life seems familiar as if the veil has lifted. Even my wife seems to be a stranger. I look at my parking spot and for a second wonder why I don't see a particular car there.

I'm only taking thyroid, cypro, and vitamin A with doxy and late amoxicillin for those who might ask. I only know now that it's due to lower serotonin but I've had this reaction before without any medicine or supplements. As far as I can see, I'll have to get through this adjustment period.

My first thought is to travel and be alone. If I had the means I surely would have. I actually have some basics packed up and want to go far far away. It's an unshakable feeling even though I tend to hate travelling long distances. My wife hasn't been taking this well.