The last three weeks have been interesting. Symptomatically, it has been very up and down. Early on, there was a marked reduction in the widespread achiness that has persisted for so long, along with a clear reduction in P.E.M., After a week or so I experienced the drowsiness that I consider the good variety; the sort that seems to be accompanied by a need to sleep, as contrasted to the typical fatigue of overexertion, or wired/tired sensation. I have always considered this type of drowsiness part of an anabolic process.
Unfortunately, during the second week I was exposed to a GI virus, which has complicated my assessment of what is happening. I've also been exposed to huge amounts of sun over the last three weeks, so this may have also contributed to my recent experiences.
With that said, in the last ten days I have developed some of the worst fatigue I have had in a long time. It had me a bit concerned, until I was able to correlate this with what has happening. There is a clear correlation to the GIT, my fatigue has almost certainly been brought about by the displacement of bacteria. In the lulls between the fatigue, I was unusually active, without any discernible P.E.M. It's been an adjustment though because previously, when this would happen, I could tell exactly what was happening because every lymphatic structure would be tender, if not painful.
The fatigue has been preceeded/accompanied by huge lymphatic flow from the messenteric lymph nodes--the ones that should be engaged--to such an extent that I developed some swelling in the paraspinal lymph nodes and my back started cramping up. I've learned the patterns over the last two years, and there has been a major change in inflammation, which happened in just a number of days. Previously, the "peripheral" lymph nodes were highly engaged, and I ached all over, but now I only have some mild achiness aside from those lymph nodes that communicate with the GIT. The AG induced these changes in less than a week.
So after a couple of weeks, I was feeling very good, then the fatigue started, I also developed some gall bladder pain and I believe my liver has been processing a very substantial endotoxin load. The sense I get is that permeability improved very rapidly, and systemic inflammation is hugely improved, but this has allowed for a diversion of resources to the GIT infection. I anticipate that the fatigue is going to be transient. I witnessed both some of the best and worst days with my youngest children after the first and only 2 grams of AG, it was startling.
Personally, I consider having taken the AG a very positive step, albeit a difficult one. The immunomodulatory effects of AG seem to be less specific than PS, and I think this is in part explained by the greater diversity of organisms able to utilize arabinose and galactose.
I'm only taking 2 grams or so about 4 days a week, which is probably more than I need. After having examined some of the data about organisms capable of fermenting these carbohydrates, I think most will benefit from AG over time, but a smaller quantity of an even greater variety of resistant starches may be more suitable given the complex ecological relationships that comprise the human intestinal microbiota.
Still, I think it would be advisable to individually trial prebiotics in an attempt to gain an understanding of its effects. Also, as I previously suggested, I think there is significance to the order in which this prebiotic manipulation of microorganisms is carried out. In my opinion, had I implemented AG ahead of PS, I believe I would have realized benefits. Providing different fermentable carbohydrates to those strictly anaerobic bacteria, which principally inhabit the colonic mucosa seems to be producing the most dramatic results, but I'm not sure we have identified the ideal substrates. While this will clearly involve individual variability, I have some thoughts about some other prebiotics, and I will soon begin trialing one or more of these.
One more thing, the AG has resulted in an increased tolerance to PS, in other words, fewer "side effects" from the same quantity.
I do have Mutaflor on order. It should arrive next week.
