Almost back to bottom rung

[GracieJ]

Due to a change in finances, I had to live without two items when I ran out of my iodine combination and a good basic amino acid blend. I did okay for about five weeks, then just gradually started going downhill in bad ways. That good ol' Mac truck keeps showing up every day, and I am wiped out just in time for the holidays. Those items are nice to have, but I did not think they were that vital on a constant basis.

As I am still using all the same supplements I used to use that had me feeling moderately normal, I have been very puzzled and dismayed. Was I on a new piece of the journey, a new setback?

Today as I measured out the herbs I use, the thought hit me that it had been quite some time since I had taken a week break from the items I need to rotate. The next thought was that perhaps this was why I feel worse - then a huge piece was staring me in the face. For whatever reason, brain fog, forgetfulness, out of it, you name it - I have been out of and off licorice root for probably three months.

Since all else was the same even keel (relatively speaking) I have been on for three years, I can see how vital the licorice root is in my functioning overall. This has been a huge scare the past few weeks, watching my strength and energy drain away again.

I went straight out today and bought it and reviewed other supplements. It is the only missing piece of my basic regimen. How I forgot about it I do not know.

In a few weeks, I will report back here how I am doing with licorice root back in my system.

Since I cannot replace the other items quite yet, I think this will be a good trial for what it is and is not doing.

 

[drob31]

What items are you lacking right now? If iodine, you can get a decent amount of it from seaweed or eggs.

Iodine seems to help allot of people who have thyroid issues, but it can also make you hyperthyroid if taken in large doses or paradoxically hypothyroid. Sometimes hyperthyroid people can burn through cortisol faster than they can produce it. This is evidenced by low free cortisol, but high metabolized cortisol.

Sorry to hear about your down fall. I sort of had the same thing happen the other day by attempting to taper down on thyroid meds. After a few days it was too uncomfortable, and literally the hour after I added some cytomel back in, it cleared the worst of the feeling away.

The thyroid and adrenals are intrinsically linked and extremely complicated when they don't work properly, evidenced by clueless doctors.

Licorice root increases the length that cortisol stays activated, and in the kidneys cortisol can masquerade as aldosterone, causing your body to retain sodium and lose potassium.

 

[GracieJ]

I have a feeling the iodine blend was making up for the licorice as I did not even miss it for so long.

Time to read up on all this again.

I am trying to remember what was going on when my feet and legs swelled up often. That didn't happen much when I was using iodine.

Aldosterone is what is lacking in many cases of deafness. It is all such a delicate balance.

 

[drob31]

There is a type of edema that occurs with hypothyroidism that can occur in the legs called myxedema.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxedema

Have you had any blood work done recently for hypothyroid or adrenal measures (or saliva or urine)?

 

[jerrymcfadyen]

n a few weeks, I will report back here how I am doing with licorice root back in my system.

Looking forward to hearing back from you. I hope it gets you back on track.

 

[GracieJ]

@drob31 I have not had any blood tests done for quite sometime. I know I have Hashimoto's from tests years ago, and cortisol was at near-death lows when tested in 2004. Resources for doctor visits, medicine, and testing are not there right now, at least not for anything new. I do have credit with a NAET practitioner 30-40 miles away, so a little difficult to get there, but he is working with me on this. I muscle test for thyroid antibodies still. NAET balances it back but it does not hold, so something else is wacky. I will be continuing that after the holidays.

My overall financial and functional picture tanked at one time to no job, no home, no car, no medical care. No desire to go anywhere but up now! I was able to piece things back together and get on a regimen that restored enough function and vitality to be on my own two feet, sort of. More is needed, of course, but at least I have a roof, a sweet little old car, and food. Keeping the medical side of this together is of course high priority, but must be done carefully.

I do not use conventional medicine right now for both political and practical reasons. I could not maintain the visit schedule or the meds financially. As I also react badly to most synthetic meds, it is not a good way to go for me. I no longer believe in the promise of modern medicine. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but just try to navigate between what is real science and what is hype to make a dollar. I would still want to do a full panel of blood tests, brain scans, etc. because the diagnostic end still kicks butt for the most part. Then... I would head for the health food store with labs in hand.

The plan right now is to continue to maintain on natural medicine as best I possibly can. I would love to consult an herbalist or naturopath, but either they do not understand what ME really is, or they have their own pet cure-all. I found some Ayurvedic info online today, for example - and thinking through each herb mentioned, realized the regimen was geared for (yeah, old news) depression and anxiety, not the CNS cascade we know here to be an all too real neuro-immune disease.

So... thanks for the comments, I am learning more and more.

It helps to know the term myxedema. I am sure that is a true descriptor. My RN sister was alarmed at the condition of my legs, swearing up and down it had to be my heart. Related, of course, but my heart was fine.

 

[drob31]

There are some protocol's with Hashimoto's I'm about to employ that involve supplements. A doc I'm working with has a Hashimoto's protocol he uses with his patients whom he see's allot of. His approach isn't to use medication but to quite inflammation and the immune response down. I'm seronegative hashimoto's (maybe). I don't test positive for the antibodies so i'll treat it empirically. I'll share the protocol when I get it.

I'm glad to hear you have motivation now. Often that is a sign that hormones and things are becoming more balanced.

I have fluid retention as well, but my cortisol is high. High cortisol can often masquerade in the kidneys as aldosterone, and this causes big time water retention. Licorice root does seem to be the best natural supplement I have seen for "extending" the life of cortisol.

 

[GracieJ]

Motivation never left!

But a little hard to pull it all together when you cannot. It was rough for a few years between 2008 and 2012.

So three weeks out on licorice root, I am happy to report life and function are leveling back out. It was a rough crash right on top of the holidays, the time change, and seasonal changes. I think it is a key piece for sure, working in synergy with other herbs.

I do look forward to getting back on the rest of my regimen. Half the needed funds are in the bank. Maybe in two weeks. It was a scary but good lesson for me to see how bad I could get without the full management plan in place.

@drob31 I am interested in hearing more about your protocol. There is more being done in mainstream medicine with cutting inflammation instead of going straight to meds. My daughter has Graves, and is using a similar approach with her regular MD. The earlier time of killing the thyroid and being permanently on Synthroid is no more. She uses NAET as well, then may use beta blockers and one other med to balance, then can go off. She has her thyroid, whole and healthy, and is successfully having her babies during the balanced periods. Pre-eclampsia is still a risk, but it is amazing to me how the entire picture differs from even ten years ago.

My cortisol levels are still pretty low as far as I know. I am going by clinical symptoms and muscle testing to pursue management.

 

[drob31]

Motivation never left!

But a little hard to pull it all together when you cannot. It was rough for a few years between 2008 and 2012.

So three weeks out on licorice root, I am happy to report life and function are leveling back out. It was a rough crash right on top of the holidays, the time change, and seasonal changes. I think it is a key piece for sure, working in synergy with other herbs.

I do look forward to getting back on the rest of my regimen. Half the needed funds are in the bank. Maybe in two weeks. It was a scary but good lesson for me to see how bad I could get without the full management plan in place.

@drob31 I am interested in hearing more about your protocol. There is more being done in mainstream medicine with cutting inflammation instead of going straight to meds. My daughter has Graves, and is using a similar approach with her regular MD. The earlier time of killing the thyroid and being permanently on Synthroid is no more. She uses NAET as well, then may use beta blockers and one other med to balance, then can go off. She has her thyroid, whole and healthy, and is successfully having her babies during the balanced periods. Pre-eclampsia is still a risk, but it is amazing to me how the entire picture differs from even ten years ago.

My cortisol levels are still pretty low as far as I know. I am going by clinical symptoms and muscle testing to pursue management.

Here's the autoimmune protocol:

500 mg of liquid resveratrol (trans form may be better): 2 times a day
1000 mg of liquid tumeric: 2 times a day
4000 IU's liquid vitamin D: 1 time a day
1500 mg of EPA from fish oils a day
Nitric Balance: 2 teaspoons before 15 minutes of physical activity
http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/nitric-balance-K62-16oz-p-apex-energetics.html


The one thing I noticed from this protocol is that it is designed to significantly reduce inflammation. I believe it has a strong affect on lowering inflammatory cytokines like TNF-a, IL6, and IL1 b. Those cytokines are seen in high levels in autoimmune conditions.

If your cortisol is indeed low, then it's possible your inflammation could be high. Also, this may help greatly with hashimoto's. This is the protocol that is used with those patients.