Gout!

I haven't had a gout attack before. .. that I recognised as one ..  3 oysters, a few handfuls of soy nuts at camp. then on the way home I had a slice of carrot cake .. just wanted to be normal.  Have been suffering from gout .. very bad yesterday, getting better today but still sharp pains and hobbling around.  Apparently gout is not very common in women .. can be the result of hormonal changes, purine rich foods (legumes, shellfish etc) and dehydration.  So lots of water, no more oysters, soy nuts or bad carbs/sugar.  Rice, fruit, chicken, lettuce and celery seems to have helped.

I am wondering if there is a relationship between worms, hormonal changes and gout? I need to get my thyroid rechecked and then there is the menopause looming somewhere in the future.

I had 3 peaches yesterday (salicylates  .. and with minimal side effects so far).  A bit more facial flushing (rosacea) .. today, feeling hot, bowels a bit quick but ok. .. three peaches was really overdoing it but they were new seasons local straight from the orchard, juicy and tasty.

The soles of my feet are throbbing as well.  This went away for a while and has been back for the last few days.  Could be related to hashimotos, suspected autoimmune disease (lupus) or a smorgasboard of other undesirables.

Post camping blues

I haven't blogged for a while .. waiting for significant improvements .. but it is slow and obscure.

I am sure I have had improvements.  I can manage more foods than before, although need to be careful. I have tried some things like banana and wheat bread, tomato, soy nuts, oysters but all on the same day so the next day's stomach upset and bowel problems are related to??  Fatigue has reduced significantly but this could be attributed to an increase in thyroxin 4 months ago.  I feel quite good. 


I am able to walk further with better energy.  I seem to be able to tolerate more foods.  I still suffer from dyspepsia .. nausea, etc and take 40 mg of PPIs daily to keep a lid on this.  I don't get as severe reactions as before.  Hoping that further improvements will follow.  The last weeks I have been camping and trying a few things .. due to stomach and bowel discomfort I am eating the usual diet again .. and perhaps try a banana in a few days when things have settled again.  The trick is to not eat anything else to be able to get a clear idea of reactions, or not.

A few cashews on plain rice cereal seem ok, but not today.

Some other observations - I haven't had the usual mouth sore with the food experimentation, or other skin infections that seem to come and go with problem foods and hormones.

Bowels are better, just need to watch problem foods which create bowel pain and constipation, or the opposite.

Energy levels are much better.

Rosacea - don't seem to get as intense flushing .. although camping for a week meant no hot showers.  Shall wait and see with this one.  I have an appointment with a dermatologist in 3 weeks to see what they offer.  In the meantime I am trying some skin products. 

Still waiting before I sing hallelujah!

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.  

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. 

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 ..

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.

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.