THE BEST Of TIMES, THE WORST Of TIMES

[thebigpeatowski]

I don't recall if you are supplementing vitamin D or not but it could also be a factor?

I took D drops through the winter, stopped a few weeks ago because we have had an unusual stretch of warm sunny weather. I actually have tans lines, which is RARE for this time of year!

I've had an epiphany of sorts thanks to your postings, it's hard to imagine that's even possible with my addled brain, but there it is. I'll share more soon. Thanks HDD:)

 

[thebigpeatowski]

TBP - You have a great voice and should you be so moved as to use it elsewhere (put it "out there") I think you'd find many delighted readers. You've already proven this right here, having delighted many readers both found and unfound.
Frankly, I don't think there's a need to fret about subject or money.
You be you - that's more than enough to cause a ripple.

You are so kind and sweet...and no I won't ever fret about subject or money (mostly cuz I don't give a damn). I'll spend my time observing that which interests me, human beings are fascinating....oh but guess what? You people are stuck with me until further notice because this is where I'm choosing to "invest".

Hugs all around

 

[narouz]

...This happened to me last time I tapered off T4 I go through period of feverish body temps. I don't know why. I'm sure I've already read about it somewhere.....

It feels like T4 causes some sort of rate limiting situation in me. No I don't have labs and no I'm not gonna get a thyroid panel done. I think they're useless.

I'd rather go by temp, pulse, reflexes, blood pressure, sleep, energy levels......the number of words I spell backwards...you know science-y stuff.

That's the idea. Or part of it.

Put it another way:
It's a shift in paradigm.

For about a year or more you and I have kinda been approaching our dis-eases
as Gut Centered.
We had fungal problems there.
We both lack appendixes.
We figured if we could kill the fungus, that was the central or fundamental problem.

Now I'm playing with a different paradigm:
thryoid centered or T4 centered.

I'm thinking there's something about T4 that may be at the root of my problems.
It may be that it causes me to be, in effect, hypothyroid--at least in some ways.
And we know that hypo people, untreated, usually have bowel issues.

So it may not be that if we kill all the fungus that that's the big thing.
It may be that T4 is screwing somehow with our hormonal status,
making us something-akin-to-hypothyroid,
and creating a terrain which makes us recurrently susceptible to fungi.
Sinks my libido.
Makes your brain go into hibernation. Etc.
So maybe it is, at bottom, more of a hormonal (thyroid), T4 malfunction.

Paradigm shift working hypothesis.

 

[thebigpeatowski]

So, less fat but not low fat may be worth considering because stress is so fattening? I tried the egg nog recipe (the melted ice cream analogy is what got me) with low fat milk, yummy, think I could live on this stuff and you can make it low(ish) fat. Ice cream is medicine, seriously,

The last time I recall feeling this bad is when I lived at the other house (in the woods). It was following the use of Metronidazole, which triggered anti-biotic associated diarrhea from hell. In my attempt to stop the runs I tried yogurt, kefir, kombucha, probiotics and saccharomyces boullardii.....In other words yeast, yeast and more YEAST!!!

It wasn't until I got some Nystatin that everything calmed down in my guts. But I recall thinking I might've experienced my first and only migraine, the brain inflammation was EXCRUCIATING.

I'm right back there again, only this time there's no diarrhea, just Extra Estrogen and Herpes Simplex Virus thrown in for good measure. Very stressful, but not without it's powerful lessons too (more on that later). So yeah, @SQu, I gave up on the dieting plan within mere minutes of starting it.....

Ice cream will be my medicine, dosing appropriately this very evening.

Also, I dug around in my Cabinet of Neurosis and found a brand new, un-opened, shiny amber glass jar of Pau d'Arco and popped one cap immediately....might pop a handful soon. Does Pau d'Arco cross the blood brain barrier? Anyone know?

I ordered some Alpha Lipoic Acid too, that sh*t's only $480 bucks a kilo on Amazon. I went with Powder City instead, hoping the quality is goodnuff.

 

[thebigpeatowski]

I'm thinking there's something about T4 that may be at the root of my problems.
It may be that it causes me to be, in effect, hypothyroid--at least in some ways.
And we know that hypo people, untreated, usually have bowel issues.

Yes narouz...that's precisely WHY I have tapered off T4 twice in the last couple years. I "feel" at some level that the T4 is holding me back, suppressing something in me. I would never have gone back on if I had a steady reliable supply of T3. And while I no longer have the bowel issues, the brain issues march forward without mercy.

It vacillates between low/no brain energy to outright inflammation.....and so a new experiment begins....and I have you to thank. My Savior *bats eyelashes*

 

[narouz]

Nah, I doubt that!
But...it's something for you to consider--a different angle.:)

 

[thebigpeatowski]

Wondering if it's the serotonin thing or the catecholamine/liver thing that caused MB to give me Very High Blood Pressure??? It's never done that to me before, but I'm definitely going through some weird sh*t, so who knows?

From this site:
Delayed Hypertensive Crisis Following Low-Dose Methylene Blue Administration During Pediatric Anesthesia


In our patient, the hypertensive response to methylene blue is of interest for three reasons. The hypertensive event was: 1) delayed, 2) severe, 3) associated with low dosage.


First, hypertension is a known adverse effect of methylene blue but this reaction typically occurs immediately following large, rapidly administered doses. In one study of 12 patients who received 200 mg methylene blue intravenously (>2mg/kg), mean arterial blood pressure increased within 30 seconds. In all 12 patients, the blood pressure normalized within 3 minutes, the average being 177 seconds.[5] In our patient, the reaction occurred approximately 20 minutes after administration. This delay is curious and warrants further consideration. The possibility exists that the methylene blue remained in-line, hidden under drapes, resulting in a bolus just prior to the hypertensive crisis. The obvious coloration of this medication made this fact easily verifiable and the anesthesia provider is certain the entire infusion had been given. Moreover, IV fluids had continued to run slowly between the methylene blue infusion and the fluid bolus requested by the surgeon. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a methylene blue bolus reached the patient immediately preceding the hypertensive episode. Another possible explanation for the delay is related to the fact that methylene blue is also known to inhibit hepatic degradation of catecholamines.[12] This patient, according to surgical team observation and documentation had an enlarged liver. Her hepatomegaly is of unknown significance and no preoperative liver function tests were indicated. It is interesting, though, that in an early study of methylene blue, it was shown to inhibit hepatic breakdown of adrenaline.[12] It is possible that the patient’s hepatic function, following methylene blue administration, favored an excess of catecholamines due to delayed metabolism and lead to a vasoconstrictive crisis.

Another consideration involves the role of methylene blue and serotonin release. Schick and Yu found that methylene blue induces serotonin release from storage sites in human platelets.[13] Interestingly, they found that it often took up to 15 minutes before sizable amounts of serotonin, a known vasoconstrictor, is released. This physiologic phenomenon parallels more closely the time course of the hypertensive response in our patient.

Secondly, it is interesting that such a small dose of methylene blue produced such profound hemodynamic perturbations. Our patient received 0.58 mg/kg, a fraction of the 1-2 mg/kg recommended on the package insert and nearly 4-fold lower than the doses used in the study cited above. Furthermore, the dose of 0.58 mg/kg was diluted in 10 cc of normal saline and administered slowly. The hypertensive responses in this study are from a far higher dose. It is thus unclear whether the magnitude of vasoconstriction can be correlated with dosage.

 

[tara]

This study you quote is using quite high doses of MB.

 

[KellyP]

TBP: I'm a lurker who has read through this entire thread, and am now wondering: after realizing your glucometer wasn't calibrated correctly and that you DID NOT have a recurrence of high BS - would you call your initial Low Fat/No Starch experiment a success? Would you maybe call it a good protocol for stage 1, and you're now in stage 2 of healing: fine tuning the rest of your issues, but having healed a big bulk of them?

I'm absolutely desperate and can't find anyone who has reversed diabetes on Ray Peat (or anything else for that matter). Your story is the closest so far...

 

[thebigpeatowski]

OMG...you poor girl! Really the WHOLE thread? Sheesh, my sincere apologies

Well, lucky for you I just posted what I did over on that Biggest Loser thread, but I can repost it here since I will be logging my progress here. It's precisely what I did to become UnDiabetic and lose fat in 2014.

 

[KellyP]

OMG...you poor girl! Really the WHOLE thread? Sheesh, my sincere apologies

Well, lucky for you I just posted what I did over on that Biggest Loser thread, but I can repost it here since I will be logging my progress here. It's precisely what I did to become UnDiabetic and lose fat in 2014.

THANK YOU!

 

[thebigpeatowski]

I'm re-posting this here for KellyP (or anyone else who might be pondering Peatish Fat Loss).....Listed below is I what I did in 2014 to lose the body fat and IMPROVE my metabolism AND become UnDiabetic....

At the time I had issues with too much liquid, so I swapped low fat cheese, 100% fat free yogurt and no fat cottage cheese for most of the milk. I also made some of the OJ into jello and added in dried fruits like dates, raisins and dried mangoes. Weekly oysters, liver and other seafoods were also on the menu.

A daily diet that includes two quarts of milk and a quart of orange juice provides enough fructose and other sugars for general resistance to stress, but larger amounts of fruit juice, honey, or other sugars can protect against increased stress, and can reverse some of the established degenerative conditions.--RP

• ZERO starch...nope, none.
• Very Low Fat, 20 grams or less
• Strict PUFA avoidance, keep it under 4 gm per day
• High protein, for me that's at least 100 grams, often more.
• Carb emphasis on Fructose, I used honey, OJ and non-GMO fructose powder
• NO constipation, keep guts clean and moving. Raw Carrots
• Lots of Calcium, keep cal/phos ratio in check
• Lots of caffeine, use theanine when pushed too far
• B vits if you need them
• Progesterone
• Thyroid meds
• Sunshine & Walking daily
• Vitamin E
• Good Sleep
• No Stress

CHANGES FOR THIS GO-ROUND:

1. I'm just drinking 1% milk, no yogurt/no cheese/no cottage cheese.
2. No longer eating the fructose powder, just honey and organic sugar.
3. Mostly whole fresh fruits, less dried fruit than last time and drinking the OJ in liquid form.
4. I'm also no longer taking Cynoplus, stopped nearly a month ago, it'll be T3 only from here out.
5. My caloric deficit is far more forgiving this time, but the challenge is greater.
6. I'm taking milk thistle for my liver
7. I'm taking extra glycine powder in OJ

How long will it take to lose 10-15 pounds? Who knows? Any guesses??? This is uncharted territory for me.

Will I, as procrastinating peri-menopausal old woman, even be able to get the Dreaded Last Ten off ma bod? Dunno.

Will I be able to keep the Dreaded Ten off? Not sure......Wanna place bets???


I've decided to log my weekly check-ins over on my gargantuan thread in order to keep the clutter here to a minimum. Clutter is our Foe. (says the excessively wordy girl who sells clutter for a living) But mostly because I'm too lazy to start a new thread AND I have a grotesque inability to follow proper forum decorum...ha ha, funny rhyme....let's say it again: Forum Decorum.

I've taken my measurements and am considering posting before and after photos. (clickbaitable, no?) I know you're all teetering on the very edge of your seats.

 

[thebigpeatowski]

THANK YOU!

You're welcome...YOU will need B vitamins and LOTS of potassium & magnesium too. Sunshine and keep stress to an absolute minimum.

And yeah properly calibrate the damn glucometer.

 

[Gigs]

Yes, antibiotics all my life. Chronic nose infections, pneumonia many many times, etc etc.

are you buying Tetracycline online? can you point me to where & how to dose? (sluggish digestion, bloating towards end of day, hypo..)

 

[thebigpeatowski]

Time for an update:

Early Spring I was having what I perceived to be symptoms of getting too much thyroid medication. (Also had clear indications of eating waaaaay too many potatoes, but that's another story for another time).

I tapered off the sliver of Cynoplus I'd been taking and went with Cynomel (T3 only). By early June it was clear that was still too much (continuing insomnia and insane hunger) and so I tapered off that along with most supplements as well.

I did experience some minor (yet noticeable) pressure in my throat for a few weeks (rising TSH?) and some weird spotting in July which I have never experienced before, but overall I felt really good. Long sunny warm days lay ahead, so I figured it was a fairly safe time to run this NO Meds Experiment a la Mungo Jerry:




"We're not bad people
We're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody, but we do as we please
When the weather's fine
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin' yeah, that's our philosophy"---Ray Dorset

Aaaah, another Ray of Sunshine celebrating the carefree days of Summer.....breath it while we still can.

I was (and still am) feeling superb on the goat milk/OJ/eggs/coffee/carrot "therapy diet" and I had lost 7 pounds by mid August.


Well, intense curiosity eventually overrode my ridiculous fear of needles and I decided it was time to finally get some labs done. I'd been meaning to go in since January, but Our Lady of Perpetual Procrastination can always find better things to do with her time.


Taking a deep breath, I went online and sorted through 4,000 Plan Approved M.D.s who were accepting new patients. I printed off a list of qualifying female Primary Care Providers that were sortuv located in my area, taped said list to the wall and threw a dart (hoping for the best)....


My new doc is sweet....and cute and VERY young. She looks like a 15 year old Ukrainian Fashion model with huge blue eyes, a Barbie Doll really. I was her last appointment for the day and she spent nearly an hour with me. I think I overwhelmed her.


My previous doc was a super stunning tall raven haired Russian who seriously reminded of Natasha Fatale.....What's happening to our "health care" system? Where are all the American docs?


At any rate, I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in....







AND according to lab work, I no longer have a thyroid "condition". My PCP Doc (that stands for Pretty Child Physician, btw) told me she would NOT be prescribing any thyroid medication for me.

I pressed her for an answer on the possibility of CURING an "incurable disease" that I've had for over two decades (complete with old labs showing blood work many past years). She admitted that she had never heard of such a thing and sent me to see an endocrinologist.

The Endo Doc appointment did NOT go well.

.......Someone painted "April Fool" in big black letters on a "Dead End" sign.....

WHY oh WHY am I such a Fool?

(to be continued)

 

[Simonsays]

Was that a Green Line bus @2:38 on The Mungo Jerry video? (For older London members)

 

[whodathunkit]

My PCP Doc

LOOOL We're getting to that age where we can add "PC" to the acronym of a lot of professionals.

I no longer have a thyroid "condition".

Woot!!

The Endo Doc appointment did NOT go well.

Not surprised to hear this. Endos are douchebags, by and large. One time an endo from Pakistan actually told me to shut up and quit arguing with him. Literally, he told me to sit down and shut up. The nurses in his office ALL smiled at me and gave me clandestine thumbs up as I was leaving. Guess why. Not sure he was used to a woman talking like that to him. I may have even enhanced his English vocabulary a little.

Looking forward to you next update. :) Mine's coming. But oh, so much to do...and so, so little time. Forum posts that require more than passing thought are getting the short shrift lately.

 

[Simonsays]

You are an inspiration to all may i add.

 

[thebigpeatowski]

Was that a Green Line bus @2:38 on The Mungo Jerry video? (For older London members)

Ha! You caught that!!!

There's a few cool red double-deckers in the background...I think those are nifty too and I would LOVE to convert one to an office space, but I that ol' vintage one....well, let's just say I have a serious case of Bus Lust.

Endos are douchebags, by and large

OMG, it sounds like you've been given very similar "treatment", so professional....Douchebag doesn't even come close. I'm still in shock from his behavior, it was unreal....like is this really happening to me?

I'll write more when I recover, plus I'm waiting for some more test results, yay.

Meanwhile, I'm plotting my revenge (careful now, she's off her meds).

"The ability to do something with a defensive meaning prevents the excessive production of serotonin and its consequences, such as increased production of cortisol and other stress hormones, and disturbance of circulation and energy production."---RP

I know, I know....Slightly out of context AND not very Mungo Jerry of me. Who cares?



Btw, How goes the Probies? @whodathunkit

 

[Simonsays]

Feeding your lust;

London Double-Deckers With A Difference