Really strugglin..some input needed.

repeat

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I'm struggling with severe depression, and I don't know what to do.
The problem right now is, as I suspect I have an estrogen dominance problem, I'm trying out calcium-d-glucarate, I know it's nothing that's been recomended here, but I wanted to try it. And yes, it's effective! I'm less swollen and I'm peeing more, my feeling is it's good for my body. But here's the thing, I'm getting even more depressed and it feels like I'm going crazy.

This is confusing. I've been thinking that it's really like RP says, estrogen has brain-stimulating properties, and also mao-i activity, and if I stick with this as a withdrawal, things will normalize.... I'm taking cynoplus (been for a while), I'm trying to get as much protein as possible, eggs, milk/cheese and gelatin mostly, so I'm trying to help my body to produce more progesterone.

Maybe this is also a question of where the estrogen is, loaded in tissue, but low in blood (maybe my situation), and that the situation should be the opposite....

Anyways, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing here. I try to drink coffe with sugar, and I'm feeling better doing that, though not enough, + the confused feeling of where this is taking me.

Any thoughts?

And here's the article where Peat mentions the connection between inflammation and beta glucuronidase activity, and how estrogens that are supposed to be excreted recirculate instead.

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/ti ... ogen.shtml

There are two kinds of enzyme that produce estrogen. Aromatase converts male hormones into estrogen. Beta-glucuronidase converts the inactive estrogen-glucuronides into active estrogen. The healthy liver inactivates practically all the estrogen that reaches it, mostly by combining it with the “sugar acid,” glucuronic acid. This makes the estrogen water soluble, and it is quickly eliminated in the urine. But when it passes through inflamed tissue, these tissues contain large amounts of beta-glucuronidase, which will remove the glucuronic acid, leaving the pure estrogen to accumulate in the tissue.

If my post is confusing, please excuse, I feel like crap right now!
 
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repeat

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And btw, I've been taking calcium-d-glucarate for a couple of days only, about 1000-1500 mg per day. I could take less maybe, and over time get the benefits. But I'm still confused about the overall effect on me. If I'm on the right track.
 

Jenn

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I know nothing about the calcium you are taking. I do know about depression. Make sure you are getting enough SUGAR and potassium/minerals....as in OJ.

Gelatin is good.
Pregnenelone also helped me.
 

Mittir

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It is easier to see where the problem is if you list your typical food intake.
Are you eating daily raw carrot salad or cooked bamboo shoot?
These are very effective in lowering estrogen.
Are you taking any supplement other than calcium-d-glucarate?
This is what RP said about it
I think calcium glucarate can be protective in some circumstances, but manufactured organic compounds (glucaric acid) often contain allergenic impurities. I practically stopped eating all cruciferous vegetables, largely because of that sort of compound---Indoles as a class are very risky. Thyroid and sugars, and saturated fats such as coconut oil, usually help to increase testosterone.
 
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repeat

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Jenn,
the supplement is not really for the calcium, but the glucarate-part, it's supposed to inhibit beta glucuronidase and enhance the natural inactivation and removal of estrogens.

I don't feel pregnenolone is doing very much.
I think I will go for more OJ, my sense is that my body use it better now. (not sure)
The sugar part.... I don't feel it's doing very much alone. With some coffee, yes, otherwise not.
Gelatin makes me feel empty, I take it, but I used to feel relaxed on it before, now I don't.

What really made a difference for me, was when I took a lot of salt, I really felt the thyroid working in that salty environment. But then I started to throw up when I had salt. Even thou I'm sure I need it, I don't crave it. I use it on food, and with gelatin I feel my stomach can handle it better.
 
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repeat

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Mittir said:
It is easier to see where the problem is if you list your typical food intake.
Are you eating daily raw carrot salad or cooked bamboo shoot?
These are very effective in lowering estrogen.
Are you taking any supplement other than calcium-d-glucarate?
This is what RP said about it
I think calcium glucarate can be protective in some circumstances, but manufactured organic compounds (glucaric acid) often contain allergenic impurities. I practically stopped eating all cruciferous vegetables, largely because of that sort of compound---Indoles as a class are very risky. Thyroid and sugars, and saturated fats such as coconut oil, usually help to increase testosterone.

I have grated carrot every day, but it's not as effective as cacium-d-glucarate has been for me now.
I'm taking v D and K, sometimes v A and v E. I think I need more enegy to give a good picture of my foods and supplements. Lot of lowfat milk, coffee, sugar and gelatin a lot, OJ, potatoes, eggs...bananas, icecream...

My sense is though, from my salt-experience, that this estrogen dominance is a real break on everything, and this status quo has to be broken, to really feel a difference and a better flow in energy.

I think my depression has changed over the years, before I had more energy in general, more ups and downs. Nowadays it's all stagnated, not even short glimpses of wellbeing, so again I feel that could be the estrogen that totally took over my system.... :?
 

Mittir

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A low thyroid person will definitely have estrogen issue. Liver needs support of thyroid
,protein and B vitamins to detoxify 100 percent of estrogen passing through it.
Excess estrogen can also block thyroid and create a vicious cycle.
Endotoxin, Serotonin, PUFA, Insulin, Cortisol cause estrogen to increase.
It seems Endotoxin and protein play a bigger role.
Banana is a problem fruit for its starch, allergen, serotonin and fiber content.
Egg white can cause gut irritation. You have to find food that does not cause gut
irritation. Fiber and acid in OJ cause lots of problem for me.
I limit OJ to 2 glass and strained it well. I add calcium hydroxide to reduce acidity.
You can also use baking soda for that.
Weekly 3-6 oz of liver helped me a lot with improving metabolism.
Most supplement are allergenic. You can try getting off those supplements for a week
and see if it make any difference.
Most people will have problem with extra salt. It can irritate stomach lining.
I feel great with lot of salt but it upsets my stomach. I stick to
moderate amount of salt. It is easier to get salt when i add it to
fruits or other foods and spread the intake through out the day.
I have problem with gelatin and i have stopped it for sometime and
increased calcium to compensate for tryptophan induced problem
80 grams of quality protein, sugar source that does not feeds bacteria,
some saturated fat, Liver, Seafood, 500 watts of Incandescent light and
8 hours sleep. You can try other brand of milk or skip milk for few days to
fig out if milk is causing any problem.
 

messtafarian

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You have to look at your cycle, too. If you're inside your menstruating years you're going to be making estrogen at a much higher level during certain times of the month; and I'm sorry I can never ever remember when those times are. Is it in the middle? The end? I don't know.

So maybe first off watch your cycle and add progesterone at that time of the month. Calcium is good but magnesium is double good. I never got enough during those years and I probably would have had an easier life if I had.

I'm thinking about what RP said about serotonin and Torpor -- the way hibernating animals use energy. Seratonin is like the "hibernating chemical" ( according to RP) and it is linked to estrogen but also depression; and a low light environment. I'm thinking you should try to get outside and into some real sunshine for at least an hour a day while it's still warm out. That might help too.
 

charlie

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Yes, sunlight is crucial. When you can't get sunlight, supplementing it is totally necessary for optimal health.
 
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repeat

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Thank you all for anwears.

I'm wondering about the light.
To help myself get a good dose of light I have looked into light therapy lamps, they say you get about 10 000 lux from one, and the light is bright/white. Is that a good option, or is it just a waste? I'm thinking it could help in an effortless way.
I'm a bit confused about the type of light, isn't it the red or infrared light that is supposed to be better? Where can I get that?
 
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j.

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The red is supposed to be good.

White light can be good or bad. If it's high in reds and low in blues is good. The opposite is bad.

lightsourcesfigure3.jpg


So incandescents are good. White LED light has a lot of blue and little red, so they're bad.

Is the thing you're talking about white led? If the theory above is correct, it would be harmful.
 

kiran

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repeat said:
Thank you all for anwears.

I'm wondering about the light.
To help myself get a good dose of light I have looked into light therapy lamps, they say you get about 10 000 lux from one, and the light is bright/white. Is that a good option, or is it just a waste? I'm thinking it could help in an effortless way.
I'm a bit confused about the type of light, isn't it the red or infrared light that is supposed to be better? Where can I get that?

Light therapy lights usually have too much blue. Ray recommends a heat lamp (the one with transparent glass) to get your Red/IR from.
 
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repeat

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Hm, there seems to be some differences in light quality .... it says

Arabica model has 2 24W daylight spectrum bulbs

Desklamp model has 96 blue enriched white LEDs

Brazil model has 3 36W broad spectrum bulbs
 

Mittir

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The link you gave is full of wrong lights. You can use regular incandescent bulb, 250 watt each.
The color of light should be yellowish, not white. There is another type of incandescent,which are
used by farmers to keep chicken warm. That has yellowish light but provides more heat than
regular incandescent. There should not be any coating or color on the encasing glass, just clear bulb.
Here is a link
http://www.amazon.com/Bulbrite-250BR40H ... B0030B7UU4
If you cant find incandescent bulb.You can use red LED. RP does not have any specific
recommendation for what type of LED.
 

charlie

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Ray Peat said:
I think the slightly shorter wavelengths are the most beneficial, from about 600 nm to about 850 nm.
 

Peata

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Repeat, how are you doing now?

I feel like this week especially, I'm having to stay right on top of the estrogen. It's causing me to use my supplements every 2 - 3 hours. I hope there will come a time I don't have to "work" so hard like this to keep estrogen at bay.
 

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