Monday, September 27, 2010

What Cold??

When my husband asked me tonight, "How's your cold?", I replied "WHAT cold??" I had no sinus or throat pain today and only slightly runny nose, which felt more like allergy than respiratory infection. I also felt a LOT more energetic (and WARM) than I have in a long time. As I mentioned in my previous post, 2 weeks of Levoxyl (thyroid supplement) could also have influenced my feeling warmer, more energetic and 'regular'.

Unfortunately I also experienced some abdominal pain, which could mean another intestinal infection. However the pain moves from one side to the other (ascending to descending colon), which seems more related to my other symptoms of fecal urgency and softer stools, the kind of symptoms I get before having diarrhea. Improved regularity is definitely a (desired) side effect of thyroid supplement. Nevertheless, I could do without the gut cramps. Maybe that's just a passing symptom, like my intial slight headache and nausea while I adjusted to Levoxyl. I read that I would begin to notice improvements after 2-3 weeks of taking Levoxyl. I hope all these new symptoms mean that I'm heading toward normal thyroid function.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Respiratory Infection Update

This cold certainly tried my patience. I've endured sore throat, sinus congestion and then sinus infection, which slowly healed over the past 10 days or so. While trying to eat more iron rich foods to treat anemia and increase my energy, I also took extra folate and Vitamin B12 to treat anemia linked to low white blood cells. I also significantly increased my consumption of Vitamin D (from 2,000 to 6,000 IU daily, as my ND had originally suggested) after reading exactly how Vitamin D fights infections. I haven't experienced any vitamin D 'toxicity' symptoms, while taking that 'therapeutic dose'.

I can't really tell whether the Levoxyl has improved my low thyroid symptoms (fatigue, cold extremities, dry skin, etc.) because my cold symptoms are similar to low thyroid symptoms. However, I haven't had any constipation no matter how little fiber or fluids I consume. That's a welcome switch, which I attribute to improved thyroid function. I won't really know whether the Levoxyl changed all my low thyroid symptoms until after my cold disappears. Nevertheless, after 2 more days I will have taken Levoxyl for 2 weeks. I've read improvement signs become more obvious after 2-3 weeks. So I hope I'll feel more energetic and just plain healthy during the upcoming week.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

While Waiting to Feel Better ...

I developed yet another upper respiratory infection (cold?) after several days of extreme fatigue. Now I have very sore throat, runny eyes and nose as well as extreme fatigue. I've taken Levoxyl for 3 days and haven't really seen any obvious signs of improvement.

Meanwhile I've rearranged my morning juice, breakfast and supplement schedule to accomodate the thyroid meds. I can't eat breakfast for at least an hour after taking the morning Levoxyl. Then I can't take my regular vitamins and mineral supplements until 4 hours after I take Levoxyl. I previously took Vitamins C, Bs and Magnesium (and also zinc when I struggled with colds). Then I changed to only taking supplements at lunch and dinner (which reduced the supplement daily totals).

Shortly thereafter I got severe constipation (impacted stool severity) and a really bad sore throat. I don't know which I hate worse ... the cold or the constipation!!! Of course, I'm taking thyroid to reduce my vulnerabilty to infections and improve regularity. However, most patients don't see obvious improvements in energy, regularity and/or infection resistance until 1-2 weeks after beginning thyroid. I want to see those improvements YESTERDAY, if not before!! LOL

Monday, September 13, 2010

My Super Sleuth Naturopath

My HMO primary care doc didn't even want to discuss my blood test results. She considered all my results within normal limits. However, she had not received the CBC results which showed low WBC (white blood cells) and low MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration). Nevertheless, my naturopath wanted me to discuss those results in person, rather than exchange more emails. My blood test results gave my naturopath many more clues about why I experienced 8 gastrointestinal infections in the past 4 years, as well as why I feel so tired now.

Above all my ND recommended that I begin a low dose thyroid medication. Over the past 12 years my TSH levels have been rather high. In 2002 the normal TSH range was changed from .5 to5.0 to .3 to 3.0. However, my HMO didn't revise its normal range. So they continued to ignore my TSH levels which have slowly risen from 3 to 3.71 over the past 12 years. That's not dramatic, but I've had so many symptoms of hypothyroidism most of my life. Also my Free Thyroxine (T4) level was on the low side of normal. Over the past 12 years I've noticed more sensitivity to cold, have low basal temps, cold hamds and feet which become numb, chronic constipation, above normal cholesterol (over 200) for the past 10 years), chronic respiratory, bladder and gastrointestinal infections, loss of the outer 1/3 of my eyebrowns, ever increasing fatigue, and this year my LDL result was at the high end of 'normal'. Above all I had an autoimmune disease (celiac) which is highly correlated with autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis. So those years of undiagnosed celiac disease could have also caused autoimmune thyroid damage. Even though I stopped eating gluten 6 years ago, the damage was done.

So I took my first Levoxyl (.05 mg levothyroxine) tablet this morning. I didn't experience any obvious side effects. I had a bit of a headache, but that could have been lack of sleep (I get headaches if I don't get 9 hours of sleep). I did feel a bit more energetic. However that perception of energy could be the 'placebo effect' because I anticipate getting more energy, warmth and regularity while taking Levoxyl.

In order to resolve the low MCHC problem, possibly due to iron deficiency or folate or B12 related anemia, my ND gave me a list of iron rich foods. I told her iron supplements make me constipated. So she recommended I try to eat at least 15 mg of iron daily. Surprisingly, I enjoy most of the foods on that list. Also I added a B12 supplement to my daily arsenal of vitamins and minerals.

Above all I did another microbial stool test yesterday and sent the 'specimums' (for bacteria, parasities and fungus tests) to the lab this morning. My low WBC result could come from 4 years of fighting gut bugs or from continuing to fight the parasite I began treating in June. I hope this test is negative for new (and old) bugs. I no longer have any gut pain which suggests infection. However, I'm also digesting food better because I resumed taking HCl supplements and high dose probiotics yesterday after doing the test. (I had to abstain from HCl and probiotics for 2 days before the test. I REALLY missed my HCl capsules. I felt soooo full after meals and bloated all the time. It's so nice to have my flat tummy again. LOL

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Naturopath Appointment

My naturopath (who requested all the blood tests) asked me to make an appointment to see her in person. We've exchanged too many (over 20) emails during the past 3 months. I had planned to see her after she moved to the new office in a 'sattelite clinic', located closer to my house. However, she recently told me she couldn't move until sometime in November. So I made an appointment to see her on Thursday at the original clinic.

Unfortunately I don't plan to do the stool test (for parasites, bacteria and funguses) until the following Monday morning. I should have abstained from probiotics and HCl supplements over the Labor Day weekend so that I could do that test this morning. However, I didn't experience any dientamoeba fragilis symptoms (lower left quadrant pain) until yesterday (Monday) morning. I can only mail that test Mondays through Thursdays. So I might just as well wait until this coming Friday to start the required 3 day 'fast' from digestive supplements before I do the test.

Nevertheless, I really don't know what is causing my current lower right quadrant pain. I could still have the d-frag parasite. I could have a new gut bug. Or I could have just accidentally consumed an allergen. I'll have to wait a month after doing the stool test to receive the results. I wish that were a speedier process. SIGH

Friday, September 3, 2010

Blood Test Results

I received the last of my blood test results today (by email reminder from my HMO to check their website where my lab results were posted). All those test results were within normal range EXCEPT the CBC. I had low results for WBC (white blood count) and MCHC (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration).

After much online research I learned that low white blood count can be caused by (among other things) parasitic infections, amoebiasis and specifically Dientamoeba Fragilis infections. I don't know whether I developed a low WBC, because I battled that D-frag parasite for 4 months or whether I STILL have d-frag critters in my gut. I plan to take another stool test after 10 more days.

Low MCHC can be a sign of anemia, blood loss or low vitamin B6. Because I've taken B6 regularly for years and haven't given blood, I suspect anemia. I've felt more tired than usual for the past few years. I thought fighting all those intestinal infections made me more tired, but now I realize inadequate iron levels constributed to my fatigue. I know that in the recent past, when I wasn't taking HCl supplements, I have eaten less heme foods (meats) and probably not efficiently digested what I did eat. Without adequate stomach acid, the stomach can't effectively digest protein and/or absorb iron from foods. I haven't weighed enough to give blood since I was in my freshman year of college.

However, I gave what seemed like a lot of blood for all those blood tests. I also have a constant reminder of that blood draw. The lab tech punctured at least one and maybe 2 of my veins. So I have a huge, painful bruise on my left arm. Also I have a small bruise on my left upper arm, where the tech placed a rubber band device to plump the vein. My husband told me that blood banks use blood pressure cuffs, which doesn't bruise the area. Because I couldn't find a comfortable position for that bruised arm, I haven't slept well for the past 2 nights. Needless to say, I won't let that lab tech draw my blood ever again.

Although the other blood test results were within normal limits, I was surprised by 4 other results. In the lipoprotein panel, my total chloesterol was back up (from 195 3 years ago to 210 in 2010) and my LDL was near the top of the 'normal range. I never saw any previous results for LDL, because my HMO never previously did fasting tests for Lipoprotein. Also my fasting glucose was higher than I expected, although still normal.

Best of all my Vitamin D levels were normal. My naturopath insists that anyone who lives in Seattle must be vitamin D deficient. However, I walk in sunshine without sunscreen on my arms and legs on every sunny day. I also eat foods which are high in Vitamin D. After my naturopath's suggestion, I began to take vitamin D supplements. However, I only took those on cloudy, gray days.

My HMO doc wasn't concerned about any of those 'normal' results. I don't know what my naturopath, who requested the fasting tests (esp. the lipoprotein panel) will say about those results.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Blood, Eye and Stool Tests

After a 14 hour fast this morning I did a blood draw at my local HMO clinic for tests, which my naturopath requested. Those included lipid panel with triglycerides, CBC with ferritin, comprehensive metabolic panel, 2 liver functioin tests (ALT and AST), a Vitamin D test and 2 thyroid function tests. I was told that they would send the results to my naturopath. My HMO primary care doc should have most of the results (except Vitamin D test), when I see her tomorrow for my physical (primarily pap and pelvic exam plus any of my concerns). I plan to update that doc on my gut bug treatment history. She's rather clueless about how I could even get parasites, candida and pathogenic bacteria.

I also scheduled an eye exam with an opthalmologist at the GHC See Center on September 20, because I had burning eye pain while taking Iodoquinol. I sure hope that drug didn't affect my vision, because I don't think that could be reversed.

Today my husband will purchase a Metametrix (DNA) Microbial Ecology Profile stool test at the lab affiliated with my naturopath's clinic. I plan to do that test sometime within the next 2 weeks. I currently don't have any obvious gut bug symptoms. However, I'd like to know for certain that I eliminated the d-frag parasite and H. Pylori bacteria. Nevertheless, I won't receive the stool test results until a month after I do the test. Fortunately I feel really well. I have no intestinal pain. So I don't think I have any new nasty intestinal critters. However, with my history, I hesitate to consider myself totally recovered without seeing a stool test which is negative for pathogenic gut bugs.

I'm still taking the high dose (50 billion cells per capsule) probiotics twice daily. Those seem to have greatly improved my regularity. I'm also continuing to take the HCl capsules (one with smaller meals and 2 with larger meals) without discomfort. I know I will need to abstain from both the HCl and probiotics before I do the stool test. So I plan continue taking those for another 7-10 days, before I do the test.

Nevertheless, I'm not planning to vacation outside Seattle (like Maui) this year. Feeling well, i.e. free of painful intestinal symptoms, seems more exciting and satisfying that any vacation experience. Of course, if I receive a bad stool test results, I won't have already booked a plane flight and lodging. So I will be home for treatment, if necessary. Obviously, I still hesitate to believe I'm truly 'well'.