Adventures in HBOT

If you may recall I met a lady who had lots of brain damage from her HVAC system. Slow Carbon Monoxide poisioning. Once she realized this, she was completely healed through the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.  By the time I met her she was diving in French Polynesia!

I really think my health issues are with the brain, and this was a way to get more oxygen into the brain. Luckily I had an HBOT center about a mile from my home. That was so crazy I figured it was destiny ;).  Luckily I also had the funds to pay for it.  But I don’t think I took the right path.

Type of Chambers

My sister had cancer that had spread to the brain, I had asked my brother-in-law if he would consider getting her to HBOT sessions.  No doctor had mentioned this as an option and as it turned out it was near the end, and I think we didn’t have much hope.  For her I was hoping for a big chamber where she could be wheeled in like this

.

For me we went ahead and used single person chamber like this

This particular type of chamber was set up to have good audio and you could select DVDs to watch as you went through the therapy.  It’s also lots of visibility to keep you from feeling claustrophobic.

Timing

Convention is that one does HBOT 5 days a week for 8 weeks. I started 3 days a week for 4 weeks.  During this time, I noticed better posture, easier recovery after (mild) exertion.  This was great. But I wasn’t really completely better.  So I went ahead and committed to 4 weeks at 5 days a week.  This also had said improvements.  But when I stopped all those improvements went away.  

This makes me wonder would I have made permanent progress if I had done the traditional 8 weeks 5/week?  I didn’t have the funds at the time so I split them up, maybe it made some improvements that will be seen later, but for now it seems my timing was not good.

I called my local HBOT center and they have since shut down HBOT :(.  There are facilities much further away, but that is impractical for 8 weeks.

So I will continue my search for better health.

Oh the pain of antivirals

The Cause

I have bloodwork done quarterly to keep an eye on things.  Yes my cholesterol is going up, yes my A1C is going up, but in addition, it looks like my lymphs are also going up.   Slowly but surely. We have also tested markers for other bugs like EBV and CMV and those all appear to be past infections, and not current ones.  Nonetheless since I do actually have fatigue and other symptoms, it might be good to address possible viruses not yet uncovered.

I know there are people who say that some viruses in the past might be present, causing damage, it’s just that they have buried themselves within organs and so are not reflected in blood tests.

The Treatment

We could have gone the prescription way, where valtrex-like drugs are used to address the viruses.  However those are hard on the liver, and I was looking at other options. Enter Monolaurin or Lauricidin.  This item comes from coconuts and has antiviral effects. Perfect!  I was at the store picking up a prescription and also picked up

At the counter there was a 300mg version and a 600mg version.  Things never work on me so I thought I would go with the 600mg version above.

The Result

Took one pill that evening and woke up the next day with my body feeling both bad and good at the same time.  Anyone had that before? Like more energy but also more pain.  I went ahead and took the normal dose that morning, and the rest of the day was spent bawling in the car.  Crying and thinking no one loves me.  Yes I did take the next pill that evening, not putting 2 and 2 together.  The next day still felt bad emotionally, but now I was physically dragging, not hungry, low energy, dark circles etc.  I did have a bowel movement that only helped a little.  At that point I texted my doctor wondering if it was related.  She appropriately said stop using it and see what happens.

Within 24 hours I was back to my normal fatigued self :).   What’s really funny is that I had taken a different Monolaurin product that was only 500mg and it did not have any of this behavior.

Looking around I found this slide deck:  Can Lauricidin Monolaurin Supplements Cause a Jarisch Herxheimer Response.  That does sound like exactly what happened.  Since I was doing many of the things listed in slide 7 (Milk Thistle, protease enzymes, methylation support), I might try next time with a teeny tiny dose, and some activated charcoal at the ready.

But not till I get back from vacation!

Liver Flush. Massive changes

Worry

I finally did my first liver flush.  It wasn’t too bad, but I was worried about hunger, worried about damage if I stopped too early, worried I wasn’t doing it right etc.  So yeah I might have some anxiety in general, but definitely had anxiety about this  My response to this was to be prepared prepared prepared.  I made sure I had 1-2 days after the flush in case I needed time to recover, over a 3 day weekend and willing to take leave if needed.  I made sure to buy the lemons recently and had good quality Olive Oil and Magnesium Sulfate pre-measured.

 

Why do a Liver Flush

I’ve had chronic conditions for a long time, since my son was born.  Almost as if I never recovered from the pregnancy state.  During the pregnancy, I would feel movements on the top right side, and assumed it was my son moving his feet in that corner, but in retrospect it might have been something else the liver was dealing with. Since the pregnancy I continue to notice a slight pain the shape and location of the liver.

The more I look at the symptoms I have the more I see they could be liver related. Not enough energy?  The liver converts the storage form of thyroid to the active form.  Feel like you are not detoxing correctly?  That’s one of the liver’s main jobs.  I just found out that diabetes (Type II) is quite likely a problem of the liver rather than just the pancreas. Too much estrogen?  The liver filters this out from the blood.  Lowered immune system? Yeah the liver helps with that too.

There is a concept that debris can get stuck in the gall bladder and possibly also in teh bile ducts of the liver.  If these can be removed, it might make the whole process function better

Modified Flush

I really don’t know what the standard flush is. I’ve been reading about it for 20 years and there definitely are something things in common but also variations.  I decided to do a Daniels Modified Flush, it’s not a thing to capitalize, but I think it should be.  In this flush you drink lots of water. Lots of water because when you take the magnesium sulfate you will go to the bathroom a lot and you don’t want a lot of headaches.  So don’t skip the water as long as you are allowed to drink.  In addition, I used lemons instead of grapefruit, not sure that makes a big difference.  Finally the addition of a tiny amount of turpentine to the oil might be the key.  As the flush then not only removes physical blockages, it might also get rid of parasites lodged there.

Results

If you look up these flushes everyone talks about the “stones”.  Some people think the stones are just versions of the oil you drink during the flush.  Other’s think they are not stones per se but a coagulation of debris. But let’s use that terminology for now.  The stones can be different colors, but are often blue-green and float.  Some people have large stones, or a large amount of stones.  I only had tiny stones and then maybe 30 total.  When I saw this I thought, well here’s another thing I was hoping would solve my problems, but maybe it’s not it.

Body Tone

But boy was I wrong.  After the flush I did not feel any cleaner, happier, energetic so wasn’t really paying attention to for other changes.  But they were happening and they got better over time.  For example  I’ve been using a rowing machine for years.  Lately any kind of rowing even gently for 10 minutes resulted in me having to take a nap.  I went rowing a few days after the flush and not only did I not need to nap, the next day my posture improved!!!

Another day I went swimming as I have done previously, and my posture improved immediately afterwards, not the next day.  I also started feeling my muscles around the chest with that “no pain no gain” muscle ache.  The one where you know you are breaking down and building muscle.  Now in both these cases, my posture improved for a short time, and I would have to go back and exercise again to maintain it.

Lately I have been waking up with good posture. I mean I haven’t exercised for weeks, why do I have better posture?  Well it might have something to do with my HBOT sessions.  But the posture improvements started before then

Come back dear reader for Adventures in HBOT.

I Lost Weight!

I Went Down a Pant Size!

I know this sounds like spam, and I didn’t lose weight according to the scale. Grrr.  On the other hand I would really prefer to go down a pant size if I had to choose between a number or actual changes in my body.  That goes for measurements pictures above too. I would like to think that I lost fat and gained muscle.

I first realized something was up when I got new pants that finally fit great!  Then as I walked around they started to get longer and fall down around my hips.  And I thought:  “Wow, I didn’t know Macy’s sells crap clothes!”.  How disappointing; I paid full price for these, which I almost never do.  But I bought another pair of those pants and never wore them.  When I tried them on they were loose too.  So it’s not the pants.  I want to be clear, I am so used to NEVER LOSING WEIGHT, that it did not occur to me that this was what was going on.

So I started backtracking on what I did and luckily I was not trying 5 things at a time.  I was taking Milk Thistle; not just in pill form, but making a tea at home.  Just took a serving every night, and slowly I started to lose weight.  Not to be ungrateful, I was just startled to realize I was losing weight below my belly button, but not above.  So in a weird way it looked worse, but you know that some great metabolic improvements were happening and I’ll definitely take those, and be patient about looking better.

I am now writing to you wearing a pair of pants I put in the back of the closet, thinking (but not believing) I would wear them someday.  Someday is here! 🙂

 

Turpentine for Pain

Historical

I was listening to the Dangerous History Podcast about the American revolution. And they mentioned that turpentine was one of the major exports. Not clear what it was used for then. I have this vague idea of what turpentine is. Isn’t it a toxic chemical? Well not exactly, originally it was the essential oil of the pine tree.

Medicinal

I have heard that applying it to an aching knee might help with the aches, and I have one such aching knee. But before then I took some Diamond G brand turpentine and applied it to my mom’s ribs which were broken since she had fallen over a year ago. She was going to chiropracters, getting cortisone shots etc. One application and her pain was gone and it has not come back. Yay!

So when a friend of mine was complaining about continuing knee problems I found a little glass bottle with a metal top and gave it her to apply externally. I think not more than a teaspoon applied topically daily to start, so you know how you react to it. Well she did come back and ask where she can get her own supply as her knee is much better!

Now I don’t know if it helps all pains, but I am really glad it’s in my medicine cabinet.

Duh! Exercise helps with circulation

OK you already know exercise is good for you.  It’s good for you even if you don’t have a great bod.

As  I mentioned in my previous article, I have circulation problems.  During these cold months even though my torso often stays warm, my feet remain cold.  I’ve looked into Black Pepper Essential Oils and tried L-arginine to increase circulation.  I apply B12 on the feet, to help any nerve damage caused by reduced circulation. I soak my feet in Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 5 Lbs to try and detox the feet directly if circulation is not getting rid of toxins.  But all those things don’t make my feet any warmer.

Yesteray after a long time I went to the gym.  Look I have chronic fatigue, I did not break a sweat!  But I did get on the rowing machine for 10 minutes and then a recumbent bike for 10 minutes.  While my feet were cold to the touch before I went, and they are cold to the touch now.  They were nice and warm for several hours after the slightest bit of exercise.

So don’t beat yourself up about not being svelte, or generating sweat, or needing a nap afterwards.  Just to the basic of basics.  Give yourself whatever little advantage you can get and turn that oceanliner to a whole new direction just by making small incremental changes.

My Body is a Wonderland

Well that’s a better title than “My Body is an Organism”. This little post is about trusting your body because it is smart. Not just in an anatomical sense, where one can be rightly awestruck by all the complexity. But it really knows what it is doing instantaneously, it’s a system.

Ok first let me give the example. I had a drag on a cigarette a few months ago. No please don’t tell anyone, I’m not a smoker really! However as soon as I inhaled I felt my feet begin neuropathic symptoms. So what the body didn’t like coming in through my lungs went immediately to my feet. Why? I believe the body decided, how can I get rid of this quickly? I know! I’ll put it in a place that is the least critical to survival, and get it away from the lungs and heart etc. I believe it didn’t even try to detox through the liver, but just shunted it away.

I believe the body is doing this all the time, getting rid of toxins, but usually uses the liver. The fact that the liver was bypassed, because it happened instantaneously, I’ve interpreted means the liver is already burdened/weak or just not strong enough for this toxin. And I learned my body has sort of given up on my feet. I’ve been fighting neuropathy and thought it was blood sugar related, and while that may be true, I’m now thinking it has more to do with circulation. I’m now thinking the feet are a dumping ground because of poor circulation. What a terrible combination. Poor circulation and elevated blood sugar destruction. Honestly though my morning blood sugar is 109-115 it’s not that bad.

I have chronic fatigue and so don’t exercise much that most certainly is contributing to the lack of circulation. I have recently tried to swim as that takes away the POTS dynamic and helps me to build up stamina. And surprise surprise, my stamina has been incrementally improving. I’ve got get back on the wagon by joining a pool if I’m to save my feet.

 

Dietary Supplements May Prevent Cognitive Decline

Say What?

I thought nutrition was for suckers.  Supplements were expensive urine?

Is Medscape actually disagreeing?    A study was published online May 20  2016 in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis is entitled “A multi‐ingredient dietary supplement abolishes large‐scale brain cell loss, improves sensory function, and prevents neuronal atrophy in aging mice”

The  multi‐ingredient dietary supplements (MDS) were combined to address 5 mechanism of aging. Well it didn’t actually go and tell us what those mechanism were, and the article is behind a paywall, registering does not give you access.  It appears many titles and abstracts are using terms like MDS to avoid actually spelling out what were the components in question.

But a little bird told me the supplements are

1.  
2. Minerals
3. Beta Carotene
4. Bioflavinoids
5. Cod Liver Oil
6. Flax Seed
7. Garlic
8. Green Tea extract

But how much to take. One could take all of these as supplements, Garlic Pills, Cod Liver Softgels etc.  But you could also just prioritize these supplements as part of your diet.

Minerals Minerals

Our primary source of minerals are vegetables.  That’s their job, pull the minerals from the earth into something we can eat.  Cook your vegetables from scratch, drink the broth from soups etc. But if you are having trouble with Trace Minerals you could try Shilajit from the Himalayas.

Beta Carotene

Sounds like carrots?  I mean carrots are a superfood. A carrot a day keeps cognitive decline away.

Bioflavinoids

Bell Peppers, Strawberries, Citrus Fruits.  These are examples of good sources.  I know I used to eat bell peppers and cut out the white parts along with the seeds.  now I’m thinking really each as much of the plant as you can.

Cold Liver Oil

Well I’m not going to the store to buy Cod, or Cod liver.  So it’s supplements for me and I do prefer softgels over spoons.

Flax Seeds

Although flax seeds are often added to breads and other products, I have heard it is better to soak overnight and take a swig in the mornings.  Whole food and all that.

Garlic

My cousin puts garlic in every meal and that still didn’t help her cholesterol.  So she took some garlic supplements and that brought down her numbers.  Nonetheless this is something I can do daily, eat a clove a day.  I prefer it carmelized, because I’m a baby

Green Tea

Can take the extract in pill form, presumably it is a concentrated source.  But again I think I prefer to drink tea daily.  Though on second thought I always need massive amounts of anything for it to make a difference.

All Together Now

I believe that each of these items has multifaceted effects.  So taking them for one purpose probably also helps in other respects.  And I don’t believe you have to take them all together at the same time.

If you are not already using these supplements, I would recommend incorporating one item into your daily routine and once that is painless add another.  Good luck.

Benfotiamine for Neuropathy

Benfotiamine

Well my neuropathy WAS killing me.  I hadn’t realized that I had run out of Benfotiamine for several weeks.  So just as I was thinking maybe I now need to put my will together, I found a box of deliveries where I found the bottle.  Last night I took two of these pills as opposed to 1, and this morning the pain on the tops and bottoms of my feet are gone.

There is still numbness, and I’m not sure whether that is permanent damage.  I’m still taking all the other things for neuropathy, because I’m getting the feeling I need all of them to continue functioning.

 

Higher Doses

Althought I haven’t looked to find out if higher doses can cause any problems (what do doctors say:  You just pee out all the B vitamins?),  I decided to lookup whether higher doses were better. I have a system where I always need extreme doses to notice anything so I saw the article “Effectiveness of different benfotiamine dosage regimens in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.”  When testing the following usages of Benfotiamine

1. Vitamin B combo of which Benfo was 320mg/day
2. Vitamin B combo of which Benfo was160mg/day
3. Straight Benfo of 150mg/day

Noting that significant improvements in symptoms occurred 3 weeks into a 6 week study, the authors noted that the higher dose had a larger effect.  They concluded that whether it’s Benfotaimine alone or in combination with other B vitamins it is effective.

I already take activated forms of a B Complex, so I think I’ll be upping my dose of Benfo to see how it plays out.

Avoiding Eye Lift Plastic Surgery

I’m getting old, my eyelids are starting to droop and one side more than another.  This is known as Ptosis.  Of the several types listed in this article, I believe I have the mechanical type.  I naturally also have a lot of outer eye flesh so when that starts to droop I think there is a bigger impact.

So of course I was looking up different plastic surgery options to address it.  I think insurance often covers this type of procedure if it is affecting your vision.  But then I remembered someone had used Grapefruit essential oil to reduce fat on her abdomen.  (I tried that and it didn’t work for me).  But then an abdomen is a large surface area and above the eye is very small.

Not only was one eye droopier than the other both were drooping such that the natural fold/crease above the eye was no longer visible.   Feeling a bit mongoloidy, I thought why not try it?

One why not is because essential oils should not get into the eyes and no one will tell you to apply them to the eye.  So I did apply a little bit of oil onto the fatty/fleshy part of the eyelid, and over a period of two short weeks, my crease is now visible.  I’m hoping over time the flesh will disappear slowly.

Not sure this is a long term solution, but I’m happy not to go down the surgery direction just yet.