I mean, is it really that surprising that I’m hitting you with yet more diagnoses?
The #slayingSIBO saga began when, after two years of total digestive frustration, I want to a gastroenterologist and they made me blow into balloons and tested my breath and told me I have SIBO (you can check out all my posts om that, here).
Then I was told I may not have it because the pipes weren’t workin’ (if ya know what I mean) when I took the test, and told me to just take Miralax every day the rest of my life. I shot my best mean mug at the doc, and she said, well fine, you can take the antiobiotics anyway. (I apparently have an effective mean mug).
If you’ve been keeping up, you know I moved to working with a functional doctor after being completed unimpressed with this gastro, and I’ve been going through MORE tests, some that insurance won’t cover (Annoying. Hey BlueCross – I’m not getting my poop tested for vanity, just sayin’.)
The Update:
So after more and more tests, here’s what we know:
Finding #1: I have active EBV and some other mono-causing virus antibodies, and my body is having a hard time detoxing.
I had a “mono-like” illness in 2011, my sophomore year in college. It was awful. From that point until I got my tonsils out at the end of 2014, I had recurring strep infections every 3 months like clock-work. Once you have a virus like this, you always have it. It can go dormant and undetectable, but it can always flare up. So who knows how long I’ve been dealing with flare-ups from this… BUT we have to get it under control. When your immune system is compromised, everything goes to hell in a hand basket! And I’ve been hit with a double whammy – I have an autoimmune condition (Sjogren’s), so I have to take extra care here.
My liver enzymes are also elevated and my kidney function is less than ideal (which again I knew). This is probably due to the immune response and my toxin load from these nasty viruses, so basically I need to help my body with detoxing.
Solution:
Obviously there is no quick solution to this, but focusing on building and supporting my immune system is key right now. Some of the supplements I am taking are:
- Colostrum (it’s gross)
- Omega 3’s
- Vitamin D
- NAC
- Milk Thistle
- Zinc
- A multi-vitamin
- Selenium
- L-Lysine
Results:
Well, I started the immune supplements only a month ago, so not much to report. Supplements take longer to react in your body, but I have noticed that I’m not dealing with as much swelling in my ankles (a weird symptom I had been noticing as of late), so I think that’s a positive sign! Will keep you posted.
Finding #2: My gut bacteria is all outta whack (duh).
No but really, the results from my stool test were very informative. Basically, I don’t have enough good bacteria, and I have some bad bacteria plus some candida.
The great thing about the test was that they tested different antimicrobials against the bad bacteria strains to see which ones would be the most effective in killing them. Not all antimicrobials kill all bad bacteria, so this was awesome the test went the extra mile so we are just shooting blindly! Made tat $500 just a little more worth it… just a little though.
THE GOOD NEWS: NO PARASITES!! AMAZING! That’s one thing I DON’T have. Praise.
So where are we at with the gut then?
Solution:
Again, this will be slow, and frustrating, but at least we have somewhat of a better pathway to go down with the new information. In addition to the immune support protocol, I’ll be starting a gut protocol with the following supplements:
- L-Glutamine
- OrthoBiotic (crazy strong probiotic)
- GI Detox
- Grapefruit Seed Extract
- Butyrate
- Biocidin
Results:
I’m waiting for my shipment to come, but I will keep you posted on how I am feeling. With the SIBO, i was a little concerned with taking a probiotic, so the plan is to start the antimicrobials (grapefruit seed extract and biocidin) and get to full strength before introducing the probiotic.
However, I do know that I can expect die-off symptoms, which will not be enjoyable. Basically, everything will get worse before it gets better. JOY.
With all this said:
I’ll be retiring the #slayingSIBO posts for now, since my health is encompassing more than just that. I’ll have to think of another catchy phrase for my journey – suggestions welcome in the comments!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I did not include the brands or dosages of my supplements because everyone is different. If you are going through health issues similar to mine, I am happy to chat with you and provide my experiences, but please never take my protocol as something you can directly follow! Chat with your doctor 🙂
That’s all for now, folks!!
xx
happily Haleigh
