Waking Up At Night, PCOS, Acanthosis Nigricans

Shesjay

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So It's been about 5 months now of eating this way, and I just started taking cynomel & cynoplus a week ago.
For the last few nights I've been having to get up to use the bathroom 3-5 times. I checked my (fasting) blood sugar level this morning, it's a little too high (6.2mmol/L, that's 111.7 for US readings). I had always suspected insulin resistance, but my blood glucose levels had been okay in the past (and I've had a lot of tests). Why could my levels be getting worse eating this way? I'm not having starch (but recently found some masa harina in hopes to bake -- maybe I shouldn't), having a good amount of carbs (~250g/day from OJ, sugar, honey, some fruit), and protein (~90/day from milk, eggs, gelatin, sometimes meat), daily aspirin, paper bag breathing, sunlight, liver, coconut oil, carrots, salt (~1-2tsp/day - I don't like salt), uhhh and probably some other thing's that I'm forgetting.
I think that my stress hormones go up at night as soon as I turn the lights off, as I go to bed sleepy but then 'wake up' and take a good couple of hours to get to sleep. My most recent cortisol test showed a level on the high end of normal, but I recently had another (am) one done and will have the results shortly.
Before I found RP I was very low calorie/almost 0 carb for about 10months. I then gained a heap of weight when I started eating Peat-ish foods. I don't know if I'm still gaining, but if I am at least it's slowed. My blood glucose levels were always fine in the time that I gained heaps of weight. Is it possible that my blood glucose is now rising to stop my body from storing it? Or is this wishful thinking, and eating this way really isn't working for me? I know if I tell my doctor, she'll just tell me to cut back on the sugar -- but should I be?
Thanks for any help. I'm just a bit worried...
 

charlie

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When I first started taking thyroid I noticed my sugar went up. Once the adjustment was over my sugar is fine. The getting up and peeing so many times for me is when I am on too much thyroid and having adrenaline overload. When my dose is in the sweet spot I sleep all night no problem, and deep. If I push over the sweet spot I know that I will be waking up at least once a night to pee until the stress hormones calm down.
 
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Shesjay

Shesjay

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Thanks Charlie, that's good to know. I didn't know that too much thyroid could cause stress hormones to rise.
For 5 days I took cynomel alone, but wasn't doing well, so the last 2 days have taken 1/10th tablet cynoplus + a crumb of cynomel 3x/day, and have been feeling better on that. I didn't think this dose would be too high, I'll try taking it down to 2x/day.
This would explain why I take ages to get to sleep if I take an aspirin just before bed; if that causes t3 release (I think I'd read somewhere that it could? But, I also thought it was meant to de-stress?).
 

charlie

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Some people notice problems sleeping when taking aspirin close to bedtime.
 
J

j.

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Shesjay said:
Thanks Charlie, that's good to know. I didn't know that too much thyroid could cause stress hormones to rise.

Or maybe it increases sensitivity to stress hormones.
 

Gabriel

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Do you exercise? Doing some moderate and fun exercise a couple times a week will improve insulin resistance. Weight training is also very helpful.
 

charlie

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j. said:
Shesjay said:
Thanks Charlie, that's good to know. I didn't know that too much thyroid could cause stress hormones to rise.

Or maybe it increases sensitivity to stress hormones.

Yes, this.
 

jaguar43

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Shesjay said:
So It's been about 5 months now of eating this way, and I just started taking cynomel & cynoplus a week ago.
For the last few nights I've been having to get up to use the bathroom 3-5 times. I checked my (fasting) blood sugar level this morning, it's a little too high (6.2mmol/L, that's 111.7 for US readings). I had always suspected insulin resistance, but my blood glucose levels had been okay in the past (and I've had a lot of tests). Why could my levels be getting worse eating this way? I'm not having starch (but recently found some masa harina in hopes to bake -- maybe I shouldn't), having a good amount of carbs (~250g/day from OJ, sugar, honey, some fruit), and protein (~90/day from milk, eggs, gelatin, sometimes meat), daily aspirin, paper bag breathing, sunlight, liver, coconut oil, carrots, salt (~1-2tsp/day - I don't like salt), uhhh and probably some other thing's that I'm forgetting.
I think that my stress hormones go up at night as soon as I turn the lights off, as I go to bed sleepy but then 'wake up' and take a good couple of hours to get to sleep. My most recent cortisol test showed a level on the high end of normal, but I recently had another (am) one done and will have the results shortly.
Before I found RP I was very low calorie/almost 0 carb for about 10months. I then gained a heap of weight when I started eating Peat-ish foods. I don't know if I'm still gaining, but if I am at least it's slowed. My blood glucose levels were always fine in the time that I gained heaps of weight. Is it possible that my blood glucose is now rising to stop my body from storing it? Or is this wishful thinking, and eating this way really isn't working for me? I know if I tell my doctor, she'll just tell me to cut back on the sugar -- but should I be?
Thanks for any help. I'm just a bit worried...

Thyroid is a diuretic and increases blood glucose. I don't think there is nothing wrong with a higher than normal glucose level when taking thyroid.
 
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Shesjay

Shesjay

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I took less yesterday and was up 5 times in the night, and needed the loo again in the morning! Think I'm not going to take any for a day and then take an even smaller dose. I don't know what I'll do if it keeps happening. I don't need the bathroom nearly as often during the day... Maybe it has something to do with my salt intake being too high, as well... I have to kind of force it down - if I salt my food to taste, there'd be like 1/20th of a tsp. But my labs show that my salt was on the low end.
I also got these weird feelings all through the night where my whole body felt like it was shivering on the inside - something else that kept waking me up. Don't know what the go with that is...
So I'll cut back on salt, thyroid, and liquids... And add them back in one thing at a time.

@Gabriel, I can't exercise at the moment due to CFS. I thought exercise was a no-no, anyway? I'd happily be back on my rollerblades if I could, though.

@jag2594 I hope you're right!
 
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Shesjay

Shesjay

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Jenn said:
Waking up in the middle of the night is adrenals. Needing to pee is a kidney issue. ;)

Over-active adrenals?
If I do have a kidney issue, do you know of any foods/vitamins that could help?
 

jaguar43

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Shesjay said:
I took less yesterday and was up 5 times in the night, and needed the loo again in the morning! Think I'm not going to take any for a day and then take an even smaller dose. I don't know what I'll do if it keeps happening. I don't need the bathroom nearly as often during the day... Maybe it has something to do with my salt intake being too high, as well... I have to kind of force it down - if I salt my food to taste, there'd be like 1/20th of a tsp. But my labs show that my salt was on the low end.
I also got these weird feelings all through the night where my whole body felt like it was shivering on the inside - something else that kept waking me up. Don't know what the go with that is...
So I'll cut back on salt, thyroid, and liquids... And add them back in one thing at a time.

@Gabriel, I can't exercise at the moment due to CFS. I thought exercise was a no-no, anyway? I'd happily be back on my rollerblades if I could, though.

@jag2594 I hope you're right!

In an interview with ray peat hosted by the herb doctors a guest said she peed out 8 pounds of water. I think it was the most recent. But it could be the second to last one.
 

Mittir

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Disruption of sleep will automatically increase cortisol and fasting glucose.
Intestinal irritation can cause a lot of problems. Check if you feel better skipping
milk and gelatin for few days and instead try fresh meat and cottage cheese/farmers cheese.
( old meat and old cheese both are high in histamine). Salt can cause stomach irritation.
Try lowering salt intake and increase calcium. Calcium is safer and does compensate for lack
of salt. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium work in a group, if one mineral is lacking
you can compensate that by increasing any of the other 3.
Pectin in OJ and other fruits can be a major source of irritation.
if you can, list your food intake after sunset.
Salt bath ( baking soda, epsom salt etc) can increase your mineral intake
without gut irritation.
 
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Shesjay

Shesjay

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Oh snap. I've had sleep disruption ever since I was little... Maybe I get a solid sleep, like, once a year...
I don't think I can try cutting the milk out for a few days (I love it too much... and there's no decent fresh cheese in my area), but will try no gelatin.
Are you sure about the calcium? This would mean that milk doesn't need salt added, after all? I often have epsom salt/baking soda baths, or sometimes just chuck in a 2kg packet of salt.
Since you mentioned to avoid most protein after sunset, I've started eating dinner at breakfast - which does keep me feeling a bit better through the day. So after sunset I'd now eat, maybe: some jelly, a glass of OJ, a little condensed milk, a glass of milk and some honey just before bed... Or switch the condensed milk with some fruit (melon or black sapote or longans). Or maybe a little bit of cheese, cause I often crave it. I don't like cheese much but I guess my body wants solid food. I don't really know what other solid food to eat...
I've had much less gut discomfort since I quit eating dates!
 

Dutchie

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Interesting why the no protein after sunset? Is it bc of tryptophan and sleep disruption?

And by no protein do you mean animal protein from meat? Bc it seems that eating some fries around midnigth doesnt affect my sleep. Even though they were the bad kinds with mayonaisse af5er my current destructive dumpsterdive patternkick.:(
 

aquaman

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Shesjay said:
Oh snap. I've had sleep disruption ever since I was little... Maybe I get a solid sleep, like, once a year...
I don't think I can try cutting the milk out for a few days (I love it too much... and there's no decent fresh cheese in my area), but will try no gelatin.
Are you sure about the calcium? This would mean that milk doesn't need salt added, after all? I often have epsom salt/baking soda baths, or sometimes just chuck in a 2kg packet of salt.
Since you mentioned to avoid most protein after sunset, I've started eating dinner at breakfast - which does keep me feeling a bit better through the day. So after sunset I'd now eat, maybe: some jelly, a glass of OJ, a little condensed milk, a glass of milk and some honey just before bed... Or switch the condensed milk with some fruit (melon or black sapote or longans). Or maybe a little bit of cheese, cause I often crave it. I don't like cheese much but I guess my body wants solid food. I don't really know what other solid food to eat...
I've had much less gut discomfort since I quit eating dates!

What time is sunset where you are?

It seems quite liquid heavy , what about some fish or shellfish for dinner?
 

Mittir

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@Shesjay-
I believe there is a minimum requirement for each of those 4 minerals. But what RP said was that
they compensate for each other to a great degree. Idea is to ingest as much sodium as a can without
causing gut problem. If you think you are getting less sodium than you need then you can use calcium
and other minerals to compensate for that.

There is a thread on dates . Someone posted a study that showed some compound in dates blocks
digestion of carbohydrate. OJ, Jelly and some fruits are rich in pectin and that is a major gut irritant.
RP suggests simple foods before bed so that by the time you go to bed your stomach has less irritant and
endotoxin. I am assuming your have digestion issues. If i were you i would experiment with
cottage cheese/farmers cheese and honey or sugar after sunset and see how it affects my sleep.
Just adding lemon juice to boil milk gives you farmer's cheese.
There is a video on that somewhere in the forum.

@dutchie Yes tryptophan serotonin conversion is one of the reason. A small amount of protein after sunset is fine.
You also want to avoid hard to digest foods after sunset as they have higher chance of causing endotoxin as digestive system slows down after sunset.
 
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Shesjay

Shesjay

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Okay thanks, Mittir. I'll go out and buy a cheesecloth!
Interesting about the dates.
 

Jenn

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There was a time if I had milk too late in the day, it would keep me up at night because of the tryptophan. Gelatin or potato is best at night if that is an issue, but if some people need to only eat gelatin in gelled form, not liquid. Sometimes, if we are eating more protein than we used to, our kidneys take a bit of time to adjust.

Baking soda can also be used orally, therapeutically, to aid the kidneys, as they use sodium bicarbonate as part of their process, but you HAVE to pay attention to your pH. If your pH is unknown, it's better to stick to baths.
 
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Shesjay

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@aquaman, Last light is around 6:30. All year round. I can't wait to get back to my study town where last light is 8 in the summer. I have fish for breakfast or lunch on the days that I have it... I feel better than when I have it at night. :/

@Jenn, thanks. In that case, I can't wait to try cottage cheese. Yeah, I think I'm one of those people who need to eat gelatin in gelled form. Good to know that's somewhat normal, I'll stop attempting to eat it when it hasn't been heated! I've never had my ph tested... Baths it is.

@Mittir, I think you're right about the digestive issues - something is giving some sort of histamine reaction. Right now I have many itchy bumps, but especially on my neck. I notice on nights that I wake up more often, my necks itchier. Hmm.. I haven't had any gelatin today, so I guess it's probably not that? My biggest suspect so far is a good quality grape juice. Does that have a lot of pectin, or something?
 

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