This is Not Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Wow, what a busy month, so busy I forgot to post, so I’m sorry this is late. Work has been busy and life in general has been busy. It is all good stuff, but when your energy doesn’t meet the output requirements it can be a struggle to keep up with life. I am sure this resonates with many of you. Fortunately I have gotten to the point where I’m able to make adjustments so that I don’t end up too terribly depleted. I will continually try to improve on this particular piece of my health over the span of my life. I think that is the case for most folks.

I completed my gut healing protocol last month and that meant adding dairy, nightshades and grains back into my diet. As with any foods that are removed from your diet for a prolonged length of time you should add the food back into your diet gradually in 3 day increments and always paying attention to any symptoms or flare-ups… so I added dairy, then grains, then nightshades [tomato, potato (not sweet potato), eggplant, peppers (not black pepper)]. The same day I added nightshades I had one of the worst Chostochondritis flare-ups I have ever experienced, fortunately it was also one of the shortest flare-ups I’ve ever had. I’m sure you realize what all of this means… I have to remove nightshades from my diet, a tough thing to do if you are one of those individuals that enjoys foods from a multitude of cultures. That said, nightshades were not something I ate frequently, but makes it difficult to eat out. The choices are limited, but not impossible.

Nightshade 101 - There are many wives tales about the reason nightshades got their name, but the truth is that these plants are in growth mode during the shade of the night. These plants actually have toxic qualities, certain alkaloids, if eaten in large quantities can be toxic especially in individuals that are sensitive. One nightshade plant that is easy to identify by most as toxic is the nicotine plant. Always be sure to cook your nightshade plants as this will cut the alkaloids by 50% and make sure to store potatoes in a dark dry place and not in the sun as the sun will increase the alkaloids in potatoes and make sure not to eat any nightshade plant if it is green unless it is supposed to be green (ie. heirloom tomatoes or green bell peppers, jalapenos...). Also, do not forget to cut all eyes and sprouts out of potatoes before preparing them to eat. Nightshade plants are a problem for 1 in 3 people with arthritis and perhaps with any "itis" type of condition. Costochondritis is considered a form of arthritis.

Nightshade )-:

In addition I had several Herxheimer (herx) reactions to the Cat’s Claw. Some were minor skin reactions that lasted less than 24 hours and then I hit the mother load of herx. I had large patches of what I think were hives that felt like razor burn on my inner thighs. This lasted about a week before it started to calm down and made the Epsom salts baths difficult without adding baking soda. This reaction was followed by a herx of head to toe musculoskeletal pain and got so bad that it felt like rigor mortis was setting in. This reaction also lasted about another 7-10 days and I still have lingering fatigue from that episode that seems to wax and wane. I’m not at a full dose of Cat’s Claw yet. The ultimate goal is 45 drops 3xs/day. I’m at 35 drops 3xs/day. With each herx I have to stay at the dose I’m at when the herx happens and then increase once symptoms begin to subside. I feel fortunate because herx reactions can last up to 3 weeks and I’m so glad that it did not last that long. It took every effort I had in my body to make it to work during this time and to make it through the day. I even kept up with my workouts, which in retrospect I should have slept in. That was what my body really needed, but I didn’t realize what was happening until half way in. I’ll definitely know to stay in bed if there is a next time, but I’m hoping there is not a next time.

For now, I’m waiting on some lab work to come back. We’re looking for parasites an Candida overgrowth once again… lucky me. These are things I am much more susceptible to with chronic Lyme in the picture.

We are also taking a look at food intolerances measured by an IgG immune response. As much as adjusting to new dietary restrictions sucks, I’m pretty used to it at this point and willing to remove foods from my diet for a length of time to give my immune system a break so that it can focus on healing Lyme and co-infections.

I’ve come across some helpful websites and research along this new adventure in my health. One in particular offers an opportunity to participate in webinars and you can submit your own questions about chronic Lyme while the doctor (Marty Ross, MD) answers questions live via webcam on given dates/times. I haven’t participated yet, but plan to do so. The webinars are recorded, so you can replay them any time after they are recorded. Take a look at the blog and webinar recordings if you have an interest: Lyme Webinar/blog

I also found that Dietrich Klinghardt PhD/MD seems to have wonderful alternative protocol suggestions for chronic Lyme and its co-infection and multitude of other issues it brings. I don’t know if my protocol will be similar, but his is one that makes sense to me. Take a look: Lyme protocol

I also want to say something to all my Hashimoto’s readers. Hashimoto’s can often be an underlying symptom of chronic Lyme. I’m not suggesting that everyone with Hashimoto’s has Lyme disease, but if you are struggling with treatment, it may be something to consider.  In my case I believe that the Lyme disease was actually one of the causes of my Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune disease and that is the case for many folks with chronic Lyme and autoimmune conditions. Often the Lyme shows up first, but is diagnosed last. Here is a quote from Dr. Klinghardt, “Chronic Lyme disease is a fast-spreading problem in the USA and worldwide. Classical Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. Conventional belief attributes Lyme Disease conveyance through tick bites. Interestingly to the physician, more recent literature has shown that also certain stinging flies, spiders and even some mosquitoes can infect humans with this spirochete. This means that the disease vector can be more widespread than previously anticipated.”

Another quote, The Lyme-Thyroid Connection
by Dr. Nikolas R. Hedberg of The Lyme-Thyroid Connection says this, “Lyme disease can have devastating effects on the body and can trigger autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. The bacteria borrelia burgdorferi has been found to cross-react with thyroid tissue which triggers the autoimmunity by what is known as molecular mimicry. This basically means that your immune system tags an infectious agent but also attacks self-tissue that has a similar protein structure.”

None of this information intended to cause alarm. I want to encourage patients to become educated about any chronic disease(s) you may have. Autoimmune diseases are complicated and doctors do not know everything. No one knows what it feels like to live in your body, so as the patient you need to be in the driver seat and learn all that you can about your chronic disease(s). The good doctors will admit that they don't know everything. The good doctors are constantly learning from new research and new findings and are not complacent in their practice. I am constantly reminded how thankful I am for the wonderful practitioners who support and encourage me and who work hard on my behalf and who pick me up when things get difficult and who are non-complacent in their practice. Thank you, just never seems to really say how grateful I am.