Sunday, December 26, 2010

Post Christmas hangover

I managed to eat a range of foods over Christmas including my father's famous cheesecake and baked custard with icecream.  Way outside the zone! (first time I have tasted it).

Today I am feeling the effects. .. was still feeling a bit brave and had some banana on my plain rice bubbles this morning...   not a good idea but it tasted so good!

Feel some discomfort in upper central abdomen, some nausea and fatigue but not as severe as in the past . .. I think I need a few days of strict diet to bring symptoms back under control.  Head is foggy and eyes want to close.  Rosacea rash seems constant even though I have beetroot dip, dairy, ham, homemade biscuits etc etc. I am curious to see what affect, if any, the hookworm therapy has on this horrible facial rash.

I have reduced PPI medication to two 10 mg tablets a day instead of the two 20mg a day to see how I manage this.  

Friday, December 17, 2010

Restless leg and low iron

When I reached 10 weeks of innoculation I developed restless leg syndrome which I thought was related to low magnesium .. after foot baths with epson salts and no noticeable improvement .. blood results revealed low iron levels due to hookworm activity.  I am now taking 105mg of elemental iron a day, sometimes double this depending on where I am in my cycle.  The restless leg has subsided, but my legs are still aching and feet throbbing.

I read gutbuddies blog on restless leg and it seems that for John? the worms improved his restless leg syndrome. .. . various reasons for restless leg.

I really don't want to start again with the hookworm therapy especially as I am nearly at the three month mark and from this point I am hoping to see some benefits.  If I do need to start again I will do so at a lower dose (10) after bolstering iron reserves more aggressively... so I am really hoping that the supplements do the trick. 

Thursday, December 16, 2010

17 December 2010

The iron suppliments seem to be working, the restless leg is gone although my legs are aching a bit and feet throbbing  a little.  My energy has also been better, two days ago I was feeling amazingly well .. a great sense of wellbeing!  So well infact, that I ate well outside my dietary limitations.  Some gelato (only vanilla), some carob coated honeycomb, then the next day I felt really cocky and had some almonds and cashews.  Day 3 .. No good!  I was wiped out and had to lie down for a few hours, couldn't move or keep my eyes open .. it was like shooting up (I imagine), an overdose.  The rest of the day spent in a daze.  Today I am not so good but a little better .. abstinence is the only solution unless I want to spend days in recovery mode, my energy levels low, digestive system working overtime with dyspepsia, stomach and bowel pain.

The three month mark is just before Christmas day .. although I am not expecting a miraculous turn around at that marker .. I think I will be very conservative at Christmas, definitely no pudd, I will stick to what I know works for me as much as possible ... I have learnt my lesson (I keep forgetting it).

My immunologist noted the evidence of hookworm activity in my  body.  "Your immune system knows they are there" she said ... also said if my iron levels don't improve I will need to abort my experiment...

so still waiting for hard evidence of improvements ..

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

7 December 2010

It is only 2 weeks or so before the 3 month period.  My blood results came back today and my iron levels have gone down again.  I have started supplements .. "ferro-gradumet" .. which according to Dr Google are well tolerated by sensitive stomachs.  I need to see an improvement in my iron levels within about 3 weeks otherwise I will need to terminate the therapy, build my iron reserves and try again on a lower dose.

The worms may not like the iron and I may be battling worm symptoms as well as intolerance symptoms from the iron tablets. .. somehow they need to be absorbed as I really don't want to start again.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

5 December 2010 (75 days)

I write today because I have been feeling particularly awful the last 2 days.  Bad indigestion .. even with PPI's .. debilitating energy loss.  Can't pin point a dietary misdemeanour although I did have some baked potato cut up small so they were nice and crunchy with perhaps a tad too much oil two days ago.  I am hoping it is the worms.  It will be only a few more weeks before things start to turn around according to the literature, and Garin (www.wormtherapy.com).

Will worms really be forever is my question!

I have had blood tests that indicate my iron levels are down and eosinophilia activity is up .. evidence of worm activity most likely.  I am trying to increase the iron in my diet.