Still pretty sick. Metabolic problems.

[messtafarian]

So the last month or two things have gone from bad to worse. I still have my cervical spinal issues which are bad enough, but my metabolic and stomach issues have been bad enough that I've been nearly bedridden since March.

I've been to see a lot of doctors who as usual assure me that I am perfectly healthy. I've become a professional hypochondriac and mostly sit up in my bedroom and google things that could be wrong with me.

Ruled out:
Mercury poisoning
ALS
Gallbladder
Parkinson's

Etc.

A neurologist checked me out and made me tap my fingers together and so on, and referred me to an endocrinologist, for whom I will wait six weeks to see. Since I am now "euthryoid" I sincerely doubt much will happen at that appointment.

Usually I will wake up feeling okay. I am not really even sore in the neck area although my neck and back spasm all night long. However by no later than two PM I will feel horrible. I will have endless and relentless adrenergic symptoms ranging across tremors, flushing, double vision, heavy pouring sweat, fine shaking and trembling ( including lips and eyelids) and utter exhaustion. My back and neck will hurt and my jaw will feel tight. Sometimes stomach issues, too, vagal symptoms and diarrhea. Sometimes, not always.

Pulse will range between 90-100, even when I am lying down.

I've been having to chug liquid potassium and switch over to sports drinks just to stay out of the range of hypokalemia.

I will eat something and lay down, eat some more things and THEN -- around seven PM or so...suddenly I don't feel as bad as I did before. I will still feel slightly shaky and headachey and like I ran a marathon in the desert, but actually nearly functional again.

So today I was pondering this and my next theory is that this has something to do with hypoglycemia. I mean it just has to be part of it. Spent some time googling reactive hypoglycemia and came to something called "dumping syndrome" and fast gastric motility. My pancreas for some reason might be working overtime and driving my blood sugar way down which might be why I feel okay after an overnight fast but start to go quickly downhill about four hours after waking and my first meal.

I've been reading about how a drug called Acarbose can help this by blocking the digestion of starches; the class of drugs is called "alpha-glucosidase inhibitors" and they are used to lower blood sugar load in diabetics. There are some natural analogs that apparently do the same thing and I'm thinking about ordering a couple of them to see if they might help with this.

The standard advice for hypoglycemics is to eat less carbs and more protein and fat -- "slow carbs" that create a slower insulin response. Sugar of any kind is discouraged because the pancreas is overactive -- this is a different situation than in Type 2 diabetes where the beta cells are not producing an adequate supply of insulin. I have no problem eating fat but the problem is that if I eat *too much* it makes my gallbladder hurt and I am trying to hang onto it. I am actually not even sure if that would help. I seem to be experiencing this every day no matter what macronutrients I eat. I've tried different things; even went back to eating peanut butter for a couple days; starch/no starch, fruit/no fruit...etc.

Is there any Peat on this topic? Peat would not go for the "starch and no sugar" advice. Does he say anything anywhere about overreactive beta cells or overreactive gastric motiity...?

 

[chris]

Have you looked into cyproheptadine at all?

 

[messtafarian]

I've tried researching it a couple times but it seems like it causes weight gain. Other adverse effects look pretty steep also. However, now that you mention it -- check this out!

Abstract

Send to:
Acta Diabetol Lat. 1981 Apr-Jun;18(2):107-14.
The effects of cyproheptadine on glucose tolerance and pancreatic islets in rats.
Kikkawa R, Duvillard D, Stauffacher W.
Abstract

The effects of cyprohepatadine (CPH) on plasma levels, of glucose, insulin and glucagon were studied in rats in order to clarify the diabetogenicity of this compound. CPH was given to the rats at a daily dose of 45 mg per kg body weight via gastric intubation for up to 20 days. Glucose intolerance appeared after 5 days of CPH treatment without significant increase in fasting glucose level. Plasma insulin response to glucose loading was depressed in the early phase of the glucose tolerance test in groups treated for 10 and 20 days. In these groups the insulinogenic index was significantly lowered. Pancreatic insulin content decreased rapidly after single dose of CPH. Plasma level and pancreatic content of glucagon were not changed by this compound. These results suggested that chronic treatment with CPH caused glucose intolerance in rats through its direct influence on pancreatic B-cell function.

PMID:
7018145
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Looks like this stuff directly downregulates pancreatic b cell function. I wonder if there's a rebound effect if you stop it...

 

[haidut]

Have you looked into cyproheptadine at all?

In addition to the recommendation for asking your doctor about cypro, I'd suggests you get the following blood tests.

1. Cortisol, both AM and PM
2. ACTH
3. CRH
4. Serotonin
5. Prolactin
6. Insulin
7. IGF-1
8. ESR
9. CO2, lactate

Google these if the names don't mean much, but your doctor will know how to order them. Your symptoms contain elements of high cortisol and/or serotonin. The loose stools further suggest high serotonin. High cortisol and serotonin can cause hyperinsulinemia, which can lead to all kinds of weird neuro symptoms. The cortisol and serotonin alone can cause all of your listed symptoms. Estrogen is probbaly very high as well but it is pointless to test in blood as it is mostly in tissue. Hence the suggestion for prolactin, which will show how high estrogen is as both correlate perfectly.
Just my 2c.

 

[messtafarian]

:). Thanks Haidut. I was hoping you'd stop by. Most of these have not been tested but my sed rate was very low at 2, and my CO2 is normal. I'll mention the rest to my endocrinologist...six weeks from now...lol...

 

[haidut]

:). Thanks Haidut. I was hoping you'd stop by. Most of these have not been tested but my sed rate was very low at 2, and my CO2 is normal. I'll mention the rest to my endocrinologist...six weeks from now...lol...

Lol, good news first - low ESR means you basically have no inflammation anywhere in the body. But it has been shown to be in people with "chronic fatigue syndrome" - aka hypothyroid. Let's see what results you get from the next visit and take it from there. I strongly suspect cortisol and serotonin, so my other thread on pregnenolone should come in handy.
Keep me posted.

 

[messtafarian]

Thanks. They checked my CRP too - also low normal. When I woke up this morning my heart rate was 114 and my whole body was shaking as usual. I'll check out your pregnenolone thread and I ordered cyproheptadine last night.

In the meantime this whole complex makes me useless for mostly everything. :) I'll post updates.

 

[oxidation_is_normal]

I'd go to more people with hands-on experience. It doesn't sound like you've been very successful in what you've described as, "becom[ing] a professional hypochondriac." Look for reviews for good TCM doctors. Have you been to chiropractors for your spin issues. Is the spinal damage on the same latitude as the organs which are having issues (stomach, etc)? If so, then the nerves are either damages or not functioning properly due to the spinal issue. Do you have auto-immune problems?

 

[messtafarian]

I don't have any autoimmune problems that I know of.

Spinal damage is all over the place. Nerve damage could be coming from there I suppose but also potentially from other hormonal imbalances I've been having for a couple years.

For a couple years I though I was experiencing hot flashes due to menopause. This may or may not have been true but this is now a seriously debilitating problem. I've gone from being a pretty active and proactive alive person to a person with a severely compromised life experience in the space of about six months.

Now I'm considering things like pancreatic or pituitary tumors, or insulin secreting carcinoids..who knows what the heck it is but it sure is taking a long time to figure it out.