Still Have Issues. Thinking Blood Testing?

[Ellie18]

Progesterone Or Thyroid?

Which should be supplemented first?
(I had saliva tests done and my progesterone was very low, I know the tests aren't super reliable but I'm 99% sure I'm low progesterone anyway.) But I also match most symptoms of being hypothyroid too. I'm avoiding pufa's as much as possible and I've been drinking coffee everyday for about 3 weeks, and having way more sugar and dairy than I normally do. Also bone broth, and canned oysters once a week. My biggest problems are acne (maybe acne rosacea as well) and depression. Thank you. :)

 

[Blossom]

Hi Ellie,

If you could include some additional information about your typical diet and perhaps your temperature and pulse measurements it might help you get some replies.

 

[Ellie18]

Hello all, I've been eating a (as peat as possible) diet for about 2 months now, I can't say I feel/see much of an improvement, but I'm not getting worse either and I know it can sometimes take a while before improvements are seen. I still have chronic acne/skin problems (not just unsightly but also itchy and painful. Also depression, memory fog, anxiety, and other things but the skin problems are the worst.) and at this point (I've been dealing with it for 8 years now, since I was 12) I'm thinking of getting blood tests because that is one thing I haven't done. I'm thinking that I'm not properly absorbing some vitamin or mineral. I have a saliva hormone test that showed my estradiol to be slightly low, and my progesterone to be extremely low, so I do have estrogen dominance. Although saliva testing isn't super accurate it still gave me some insight..
I was thinking of going with Spectracell Laboratories, and getting their Micronutrient test (MNT), Female hormone panel, and Thyroid comprehensive plus adrenals. Has anyone has any luck with this place? Or should I be getting different tests? Like just thyroid, not adrenals, or MTHFR? SpectraCell Laboratories | Order Test Kits
(Thats the link with the different testing options)

If more info is needed about my diet, I generally eat 2 eggs in the morning, I get free range eggs from a friend when I can, or I buy organic cage free eggs from the store. dates, mangoes, occasionally bananas, papayas, sometimes watermelon or cantaloupes, potatoes, zucchini/squash, mushrooms, broccoli, occasionally polenta, oatmeal, sometimes rice cereal with honey, white rice, I try not to eat a lot of wheat, but with buying food without PUFA's, my options have become quite limited, so I eat small amounts of wheat a few times a week. Corn tortillas, cheese (mostly pastured), orange juice, pineapple juice, Mexican coke, coffee in the morning with collagen and gelatin, sugar, and grass fed milk. Larabars (at work because they're quick and non messy) and a couple nights a week I'll eat organic chicken or grass-fed beef. I've eaten canned oysters a couple times since peating, don't know how good of quality they are though. I also have dehydrated liver powder which I use occasionally, because I haven't been able to find any liver near me yet. I eat cheat meals with some pufa maybe once a week but doing my best to eliminate them. I just moved to New Hampshire from San Diego so my food options have drastically lowered, being that San Diego was very health conscious it was a lot easier to find organic/healthy food. I don't plan on living here forever though. I also but a generous amount of salt on everything.

Also random side note, my mom did have a stroke before I was born, that was quite severe and she is permanently disabled from it. I don't know if that could have somehow affected me, being that it happened before I was born and strokes can mess up all kinds of things.

Thank you in advanced to anyone who has any suggestions!!

 

[Ellie18]

I also take aspirin powder every few days (animal aspirin) for my back problems.. I'm trying to use it instead of prescribed opiods.
I've also started taking Progest-E about 2-3 weeks ago, I've stopped it a few days ago for my Time of the month though but will resume when its done.. (haven't noticed any difference taking it)

 

[EIRE24]

Have you tried vitamin A?

 

[Ellie18]

Have you tried vitamin A?

No, I kind of assumed I was getting it from the liver powder. Like a supplement?

 

[EIRE24]

Yes. That would be the most common advice given here is to try vitamin A. I've tried it and it hasn't done much for me to be honest. I still suffer from bad skin and acne I haven't really figured out why yet. It all started when I began playing around with a peat reccomended diet.

 

[Koveras]

Hello all, I've been eating a (as peat as possible) diet for about 2 months now, I can't say I feel/see much of an improvement, but I'm not getting worse either and I know it can sometimes take a while before improvements are seen. I still have chronic acne/skin problems (not just unsightly but also itchy and painful. Also depression, memory fog, anxiety, and other things but the skin problems are the worst.) and at this point (I've been dealing with it for 8 years now, since I was 12) I'm thinking of getting blood tests because that is one thing I haven't done. I'm thinking that I'm not properly absorbing some vitamin or mineral. I have a saliva hormone test that showed my estradiol to be slightly low, and my progesterone to be extremely low, so I do have estrogen dominance. Although saliva testing isn't super accurate it still gave me some insight..

Chronic skin issues with itchiness and pain may point towards some issues with histamine and serotonin.

Dietary histamine looks low overall, but don't take my word on it and maybe look into low histamine diets and the histamine and sulphite contents of the foods you're eating.

Diamine Oxidase is an enzyme that metabolizes histamine in the body and is low in some individuals. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin C, and Copper are needed for this enzyme.

Histamine can increase estrogen and estrogen can increase histamine. Vitamins B1 (Thiamine) and B2 (Riboflavin) are needed to metabolize/detoxify estrogen.

Deficiency or malabsorption of B1/thiamin can lead to brain fog. Some individuals lack a transporter for thiamine and either require large doses of thiamine HCl (1500mg at once) or a fat-soluble thiamine like allithiamine to overcome this.

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) can help restrain some free fatty acids that would otherwise aggravate histamine, estrogen, serotonin, and anxiety.

I would suggest looking into

-B1, B2, B3, B6
-Vitamin C from food - although be wary that sometimes citrus can aggravate histamine issues - pay attention for stuffy nose after eating

Idealabs energin with some extra thiamine and maybe niacinamide may be a good place to start, with a well tolerated vitamin C food source

Progesterone may help with all of the above

 

[squanch]

Can you really not get any fresh liver? You probably won't find it in most supermarkets but every proper butcher shop should have at least some beef/calf liver. You can buy in bulk and freeze it. Same with fresh oysters, or buy the frozen ones from asian supermarkets (the canned ones taste like ***t imo)

Anyway, what worked for me and a few people I know for acne/ skin issues:
1. Focus on vit a (preferably fresh liver), zinc (preferably oysters), magnesium (magnesium bicarbonate or chloride) and b6 (p5p supplement)
2. Find out what foods are problematic for you. Definitely cut out all grains and dairy for a while and see if that's enough. Lots of people also have issues with chocolate, alcohol and citrus fruit. I think something based on potatoes, rice, cooked vegetables, ripe and easy to digest fruit, seafood, liver, beef, eggs, coconut oil is a pretty good start.
3. Only wash your face with water and apply a topical niacinamide solution afterwards (just mix niacinamide with water to a 4% solution and put it in a spray bottle.
4. Once your skin is clear you can start and introduce some more foods one at a time and see what works for you. A lot of people do fine with goat and sheep cheese for example.

 

[EIRE24]

Can you really not get any fresh liver? You probably won't find it in most supermarkets but every proper butcher shop should have at least some beef/calf liver. You can buy in bulk and freeze it. Same with fresh oysters, or buy the frozen ones from asian supermarkets (the canned ones taste like ***t imo)

Anyway, what worked for me and a few people I know for acne/ skin issues:
1. Focus on vit a (preferably fresh liver), zinc (preferably oysters), magnesium (magnesium bicarbonate or chloride) and b6 (p5p supplement)
2. Find out what foods are problematic for you. Definitely cut out all grains and dairy for a while and see if that's enough. Lots of people also have issues with chocolate, alcohol and citrus fruit. I think something based on potatoes, rice, cooked vegetables, ripe and easy to digest fruit, seafood, liver, beef, eggs, coconut oil is a pretty good start.
3. Only wash your face with water and apply a topical niacinamide solution afterwards (just mix niacinamide with water to a 4% solution and put it in a spray bottle.
4. Once your skin is clear you can start and introduce some more foods one at a time and see what works for you. A lot of people do fine with goat and sheep cheese for example.

This is brilliant advice.

Did you supplement vitamin A or just eat liver?

Also, is your acne clear now all the time?

 

[squanch]

This is brilliant advice.

Did you supplement vitamin A or just eat liver?

Also, is your acne clear now all the time?

I just eat liver (turkey, lamb, calf, duck are my favorites), 200g-300g per week spread out in little portions
My skin was 100% clear for several months doing what I described above. I started drinking milk again though because I want to gain weight and started getting very mild acne issues again. Without the milk my skin is perfect, I already tried that for a few weeks, but I just don't have the appetite to gain any weight without it. Once I reach my goal weight I will drop the milk again and stick with goat cheese as my only dairy product.

 

[Ellie18]

@Koveras Good advice, I was thinking it could be histamine but wasn't sure where to start on that. I did notice I had a really stuffy nose and got irritable after eating chocolate and beef jerky hmm... The jerky did have lactic acid in it too so maybe it was that.. I'll start paying attention to the way food makes me feel. I forgot to mention, I have been taking Niacin every night for about 4 months and I do feel like its helping my circulation some. Also pregnenolone for about a month and a half but I haven't felt anything from it. I have P5P that I was taking for a couple weeks but didn't feel like it did anything, but I probably should have been taking a combination of those B vitamins together. I will look into Idealabs! :)


@squanch I've seen fresh chicken liver (non organic) and once frozen calf liver (organic) that was past expiration date so didn't want to risk it. I'm a bit apprehensive to get non organic liver since its the filter organ.. But I will go to the local butcher and ask, I bet they'll have it. Yeah, the canned ones are terrible, I have to down them like a shot. How do you cook frozen ones?
Also, I have a topical magnesium spray, it quite burns when I use it though so I don't use it as often as I should... Have you heard of Magnesium Calm? I was thinking about getting it from work.
and I actually made that niacin solution for my face a while ago, and I liked the way it worked, plus I totally forgot about it. Thank you!
P.s. Sweet username.

 

[squanch]

@squanch How do you cook frozen ones?
Also, I have a topical magnesium spray, it quite burns when I use it though so I don't use it as often as I should... Have you heard of Magnesium Calm? I was thinking about getting it from work.

I usually make some kind of soup for dinner with mushrooms, vegetables, onion, gelatin etc. and some type of meat in it (seafood, liver or red meat) and potatoes or rice on the side.

Yeah the magnesium chloride spray does burn and itch quite a bit when applied topically, but you can just take it orally after a meal (if you have a 30% solution, 10 sprays will give you ~ 100mg elemental magnesium)
No idea what magnesium calm is, but i think magnesium chloride and magnesium bicarbonate are the most absorbable forms. A lot of the other forms (citrate, carbonate etc.) will give you diarrhea in high dosages.

P.s. Sweet username.

thanks

 

[EIRE24]

I just eat liver (turkey, lamb, calf, duck are my favorites), 200g-300g per week spread out in little portions
My skin was 100% clear for several months doing what I described above. I started drinking milk again though because I want to gain weight and started getting very mild acne issues again. Without the milk my skin is perfect, I already tried that for a few weeks, but I just don't have the appetite to gain any weight without it. Once I reach my goal weight I will drop the milk again and stick with goat cheese as my only dairy product.

Ah, I had tried eating that much liver and it doesn't seem to make much difference for me.

Yes dairy seems to be a problem for a lot of people. I used to tolerate dairy just fine before I adopted a peat diet like I said. Even now that I have switched back I still get acne. I am going to try a higher dose of vitamin A but I am afraid it may be bad for my liver or other organs?

 

[Ellie18]

@squanch I like the idea of the soup... Do you just add dry gelatin to it? Or use like, bone broth?
I'll start looking for a magnesium supp.

 

[squanch]

Ah, I had tried eating that much liver and it doesn't seem to make much difference for me.

Yes dairy seems to be a problem for a lot of people. I used to tolerate dairy just fine before I adopted a peat diet like I said. Even now that I have switched back I still get acne. I am going to try a higher dose of vitamin A but I am afraid it may be bad for my liver or other organs?

There are a few threads on high dose vit a on here, iirc the take home message was to take some vit e at the same time to prevent oxidation.
Have you tried the b6 (p5p) and magnesium combo though? It was a huge game changer for me personally. Peat has talked quite bit about b6 deficiency causing skin issues in "PUFA depleted" animals.

 

[squanch]

@squanch I like the idea of the soup... Do you just add dry gelatin to it? Or use like, bone broth?
I'll start looking for a magnesium supp.

I used to make chicken stock 1x per week and freeze it into little cubes, but it's a huge pain in the **** to be honest. I just use normal dry gelatin nowadays

 

[Koveras]

@Koveras Good advice, I was thinking it could be histamine but wasn't sure where to start on that. I did notice I had a really stuffy nose and got irritable after eating chocolate and beef jerky hmm... The jerky did have lactic acid in it too so maybe it was that.. I'll start paying attention to the way food makes me feel. I forgot to mention, I have been taking Niacin every night for about 4 months and I do feel like its helping my circulation some. Also pregnenolone for about a month and a half but I haven't felt anything from it. I have P5P that I was taking for a couple weeks but didn't feel like it did anything, but I probably should have been taking a combination of those B vitamins together. I will look into Idealabs! :)

To clarify - niacin or niacinamide? The regular form of niacin that causes the flush reaction does that by stimulating histamine release. The delayed release forms of niacin does this as well just to a lesser degree.

Niacinamide does not have that effect.