Entry for August 14, 2006

And this:

It is now known the cause for the destruction of the myelin in the lesions is overactivation of the microglia in the region of the myelin. An enzyme that converts glutamine to glutamate called glutaminase increases tremendously, thereby greatly increasing excitotoxicity. Mercury also activates microglia, even in subtoxic doses.
 
Any dietary excitotoxin can activate the microglia, thereby greatly aggravating the injury. This includes the aspartate in aspartame. The methanol adds to this toxicity as well. Now, the secret to treatment appears to be shutting down, or at least calming down, the microglia. It has been found that the antibiotic minocycline powerfully shuts down the microglia. I tried this treatment on a friend of mine who just came down with fulmanant MS. He was confined to a wheelchair. I had him placed on minocycline and now, just a few weeks later, he is walking.
 
The good news is that other things also calm the microglia-the most potent are: silymarin, curcumin and ibuprophen. Phosphatidylcholine helps re-myelinate the nerve sheaths that are damaged, as does B12, B6, B1, vitamin D, folate, vitamin C, natural vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and L-carnitine. DHA plays a major role in repairing the myelin sheath. Vitamin D may even prevent MS, but it acts as an immune modulator, preventing further damage – the dose is 2000 IU a day. Magnesium, as magnesium malate, is needed in a dose of 500 mg 2X a day. They must avoid all excitotoxins, even natural ones in foods-such as soy, red meats, nuts, mushrooms and tomatoes. Avoid all fluoride and especially all vaccinations since these either inhibit antioxidant enzymes or triggers harmful immune reactions.

Phosphatidylcholine helps re-myelinate the nerve sheaths. What is this stuff and how can I get me some?

Phosphatidylcholine is a phospholipid that is a major constituent of cell membranes. Phosphatidylcholine is also known as 1, 2-diacyl-:ussn:ue-glycero-3-phosphocholine, PtdCho and lecithin.

So Phosphatidylcholine, is a fancy name for lecithin. Perfect! I already have some. Interestingly enough, three of the main supplements that are required for rebuilding the myelin sheath, the iridologist told me I didn’t need them:

Magnesium, Vitamin D and DHA from Omega 3.

More about Magnesium Malate:

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Magnesium malate may be one of the few compounds capable of pulling aluminum from the body over time.

And my hair analysis came up with high aluminum levels and this form of magnesium is recommened for building the myelin sheaths and removing aluminum from the body. The Naturopath didn’t mention this? She gave me a standard calcium/magnesium but I’m sure it wasn’t magnesium malate.

Entry for July 29, 2006

My eyes have been so try and itchy lately it’s driving me nuts. I’ve used my visine eyes drops five times today. Since I think it’s the Riboflavin deficiency causing it, I wonder if I can purchase eye drops with Riboflavin as an ingredient?

I Google away and discover that there is one called “Tears Again” Liposome spray. So I go to Shoppers and they have so many eye drop solutions but they don’t have Liposome spray. I check the ingredients of every eye drop solution and not one of them contains Riboflavin. Not that they need to but it’s just an observation.

Vitamins and Nutrients

There have been many large scale studies to show the effectiveness of vitamins on reducing the incidence of cataracts. A Canadian studied showed that patients over the age of 55 who consumed vitamin C and E supplements reduced their risk of developing cataracts by over 50%. A double blind study involving 30,000 patients performed at the University of Helsinki also demonstrated the beneficial effects of vitamins.

Glutathione Loss of Glutathione occurs in all forms of cataracts. Since 1912, researches have shown that reduced levels of Glutathione precedes the development of cataracts. With increasing age the levels of Glutathione content of the human lens decreases by 4 to 14 times. Glutathione supplements are available but it is questioned weather this large molecule can pass through the digestive tract. N-acetyl-cysteine, a stable amino acid, has been shown to raise the levels of Glutathione. Cysteine is found in protein rich eggs. Completely avoiding eggs may rob the body of this amino acid which may have anti cataract properties.

The lens of the human eye is bathed in a vitamin C rich aqueous solution which is 30 times more concentrated than the human blood. It appears that this vitamin C acts as an ultraviolet filter preventing the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. With age the levels of vitamin C begin to decrease and this may contribute to the formation of the senile cataract. There are several studies which have shown that high dosages of vitamin C (1000 mg/ day) will reverse the development of some cataracts.

Riboflavin helps to make a substance called flavine adenine dinuceotide which is necessary for the production of Glutathione. High levels of Glutathione have been shown to keep the human lens clear and prevent the development of cataracts. In one study, 81 percent of patients with cataracts were deficient in riboflavin.

Entry for July 25, 2006

Today I have a job interview so I’d thought I would very careful about the vitamins. I’ll go back to what made me feel the best. Vitamin C and Acidophilus.

About an hour before the interview, I notice that my hands and feet are cold so I take a magnesium pill (150 mg). My cold hands disappear within twenty minutes and I go to the interview.

By the end of the day, I don’t take anymore vitamins and I’m feeling really good.

Entry for July 11, 2006

Three days ago we went up to Wasaga beach. My wife has a friend that owns a cottage right near the waterfront. The weather was a hot 32 degrees, full sunshine and not a cloud in the sky so it was the perfect day to go to the beach. Every year this guy has a party and invites all of his friends from work and we spend the day playing Beach Bocce, volleyball and of course swimming.

We were invited up two years ago and I got a really good sunburn from being in the sun so long. My arms were red, the back of neck was sore and I was so red that everybody at work made comments because it was so bad. And I seem to recall that I was wearing sun block but I can’t say for sure.

This time with my knowledge of chemicals, I refuse to put on any sun block and I’ll just watch my exposure in the sun. We had such a great time that I ended up spending a lot of time in the sun and forgot that I wasn’t wearing any sun block. I must have spent a least three hours in direct sunlight. I’ll pay for this tomorrow….and I’ll look like a lobster again.

The next day, I check out my arms and to my surprise there is no sign of sunburn. No redness whatsoever and I can’t believe it. The back of my neck is fine and my arms and legs show no sign that I was in the sun at all. How is this possible? Doctor Google…

Guarding against Sun Singe

Of course, we all know that a milligram of prevention is worth many pounds of cure when it comes to sunburn. The best way to prevent sunburn is to simply use common sense by avoiding excess exposure and using sunscreen. You can also help your skin by taking some supplements when you know you’re going to be exposed to the sun.

Vitamin C has qualities that can help protect skin from sunlight, and it’s also well-known for its antioxidant properties, says Leon Hecht, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the North Coast Family Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

For people who spend a lot of time in the sun, Dr. Hecht suggests up to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C three or four times a day. “Vitamin C stimulates repair of sun-damaged skin,” he says.

In a controlled study, 10 people took either 2,000 milligrams of vita min C with 1,000 IU of vitamin E a day or an inactive substance (placebo). The sunburn reaction after eight days of treatment revealed that the skin of people in the treatment group showed less damage than that of those in the placebo group.

Dr. Hecht also states that vitamins C and E used in topical sunscreens prove effective as well. “Early studies show that it is prudent to add vitamins C and E to your sunscreen to protect against ultraviolet phototoxic injury to your skin,” he says. Sunscreens with these vitamins already added can be found in drugstores.

Well as it turns out, vitamins C and E have been part of my daily vitamins for months now. I’ve also read that vitamin D can have a positive effect as sunblock and I’ve just added that.

Doctor Google found this:

Sunblock and skin cancer: Not the relationship you thought there was.

1. You need vitamin D. Sunlight on the skin (up to an hour a day) is the most important source of vitamin D. The other source of vitamin D is the food you eat.

2. Vitamin D may have a role in preventing skin cancer and certain other cancers as well (breast and prostate).

3. Using sunblock prevents production of vitamin D by your body. Therefore, using sunblock could actually increase your risk of getting cancer.

The biggest issue with vitamin D is that, at the levels thought to provide protection from cancer, it depletes the level of calcium in the body. This can lead to problems with osteoporosis, but you can take supplements to deal with this.

1. Build up your sun exposure in spring and summer so you can get an hour of sunlight on your body every day, without sunblock. Start slow and AVOID GETTING SUNBURNED. It doesn’t have to be an hour straight – several periods of exposure adding up to an hour is enough. In other places, I have read that (for caucasians, anyway), all that needs to be exposed in summer is the arms and the face, not the whole body. One source says that for caucasians twenty minutes is enough to provide all the vitamin D you need for the day. I wish these guys could come to an agreement, but it looks like 20 to 60 minutes total would be a good idea, more than that is probably asking for trouble with sunburn and increased cancer risk.

2. If you are staying out of the sun, and for everyone in winter, take fish oil as a supplement. African-Americans and others with dark skin living in temperate latitudes should probably take fish oil routinely rather than increase sun exposure, because the melanin in your skin cuts down on the amount of vitamin D produced. (Read this in other places, not in the article – some scientists think that caucasians are humans that lost pigmentation as an adaptation to allow their bodies to produce enough vitamin D in relatively sunless northern latitudes. The jury is still out on that one.) Anyway, Mercola recommends cod liver oil for everybody, both for the vitamin D in it and for the Omega-3 fatty acids. I also read that in the winter, at the latitiude of Boston, a fair-skinned person could stand outside naked all day and not get enough sun to produce any vitamin D. That person would also probably have a severe case of frostbite and an arrest record by the end of the day. Take your cod-liver oil.

3. Reduce your consumption of foods containing Omega-6 fatty acids. If your favorite snack is sunflower seeds, you might want to reconsider that, or reduce your consumption of them/balance your consumption of sunflower seeds by eating more fish containing Omega-3 fatty acids. Remember that corn oil, safflower oil, etc. (he lists them in the article) are almost pure Omega-6 fatty acids and also need to be reduced so that you get as close as possible to a 1:1 ratio of consumption. This is coming out more and more as being important to prevention of certain cancers.

Dr. Mercola points out the irony in our (appropriate) concern about cancer and exessive sun exposure, while at the same time it appears that moderate exposure to sun may actually help to prevent skin cancer and sunblock use could be a problem.

Entry for July 05, 2006

Today I tried a little experiment. I didn’t take any vitamins all day and I have no symptoms whatsoever. No acidophilus, no vitamin C, no B vitamins and NO SYMPTOMS.

What does this mean? There is something else going on and I still think it’s magnesium. The order of my symptoms was the internal vibration, then the plantar fasciitis then all other symptoms. So when you look at it in that order, it was the nervous system, muscle weakness and or poor circulation then the lack of hydrochloric acid. I think the magnesium deficiency caused a number of  B deficiencies complicating the symptoms and diagnosis.

And the two foods that will stop the vibrations (Pears and Tuna) both contain magnesium. Why does the vitamin C work? Apparently it helps make magnesium more biologically available to your body.

This morning as I was getting my daily newspaper I notice that they are sold out. So I grab a free health magazine called “Your Health Source” and on page 14 is an article called “Magnesium, Are you getting enough?”. It was a very interesting article and I really didn’t find anything paticular that applied to me but I google away to find out more information.

Magnesium Deficiency

Blood tests for magnesium deficiency are irrelevant and unusable. These levels do not reflect total body magnesium (TBM). Magnesium levels of bone and intracellular levels of magnesium are what tell the true status of TBM.

Recommended Dietary Allowance

To compensate for deficiencies and/or losses the new RDA is expected to be 500 mg. per day. My RDA is a total of 500-700 mg magnesium daily.

Formula to Calculate Magnesium Daily Requirement

5 to 10 milligrams per day per kilo of ideal body weight or 2.5 to 4.5 milligrams per day per pound of ideal body weight.  

The medical community repletes magnesium by giving 400 mg of oxide, sulphate or gluconate 4-6 times a day. At this level diarrhea becomes a problem and a loose stool depletes magnesium and other electrolytes quickly. Albion Labs chelated magnesium is designed to delivery magnesium without diarrhea. Even when using the Albion chelate a loose stool can still be a problem under special circumstances. You should discontinue magnesium if your stool becomes soft or un-formed. 

If your stool becomes loose it does not mean you have adequate magnesium. You may need to do a series of experiments with different types, timing (with and without food; 2,3 or 4 times a day) and/or amounts (100-200 mg. per dose, try the higher first and the lower if you encounter a problem). You may need more than the daily requirement initially to get expected results.

Try to keep all doses at not more than 300-400 mg. each. 100-200 mg at a time work more efficiently. Some clients have experienced sleep difficulties when taking magnesium late in the day as magnesium can contribute to energy. If this happens to you confine your supplementation to earlier hours.

Be patient as many systems, muscles, bone, immune system, nerve system and brain, will begin to change with magnesium supplementation. Depending on your current condition it may take six months for you to see all of the positive changes.

My weight from yesterday was 186 lbs.

186 * 2.5 = 465
186 * 4.5 = 837

So my daily dosage should be between 465 mg and 837 mg.

Entry for June 27, 2006

The mystery pears…

I forgot to take my acidophilus today and all day I’ve had a lot of gas after eating meals. After dinner, I take one my enzyme suppliments and that seems to work very well.

I did some research on the sigmoid tonight. Didn’t really find anything that mentioned my symptoms but I decided to go through the blog history and refresh my discoveries. One of the things that will stop the vibration is pears. Pears are mostly water and they are not really high in any vitamin or mineral but there is one thing they are high in: Dietary Fibre.

I know for a fact that I don’t eat enough fibre and I’m wondering now if the sigmoid is effected by low fibre intake.

How Much Fibre?

According to current guidelines, healthy adults should consume at least 26 grams of fibre – ideally 26 to 35 grams daily. The present Canadian fibre intake only averages 4.5 to 11 grams a day. Health Canada suggests increasing this amount by eating more grains and unpeeled (but well-washed) fruit and vegetables. Be sure to include both insoluble fibre and soluble types.

Another plus of a fibre-rich diet is that it provides plenty of vitamins and minerals, but it may be wise to consult a physician before greatly increasing dietary fibre intake and to ensure good nutritional status before making drastic alterations. Initially, eating large quantities of fibre may cause bloating, but this should subside in a few weeks. It is best to increase amounts gradually. Eating 26 grams of fibre daily may seem like a lot but can be obtained by having two fruits at breakfast-time (say a banana and raisins) with whole grain cereal, fruit as between-meal snacks, three to five servings of vegetables daily, and several bread and grain servings.

26 to 35 grams of dietary fibre daily? Even with my new lifestyle changes, there’s no way I’m having that much fibre. Could this be why I still have the vibration? So as a night time snack, I have a bowel of Fibre 1 cereal.

But if fibre is my problem, why does vitamin C make it stop? Why does a high dose of B complex make it stop? Why does tuna make it stop? Tuna doesn’t have any fibre…

Entry for June 24, 2006

Woke up this morning and I still have the vibration. No other symptoms, just the vibration. I take three capsules of the Benfotiamine but nothing else. No vitamin C, no acidophilus. I take another three around lunch and I still feel good. This time I decide to add the B complex at the same time. But for no other reason than to take all of the B vitamins together.

Went to our local library and signed out the book called “Beyond Basic Health” by Bernard Jensen. I open to a random page (p. 99) in the book and it reads:

“I haven’t seen a strong, naturally healthy person in a long, long time. Every person who comes in to see me has at least ten things wrong with them. Most of my patients have spent years going to doctors who gave them drugs, and after short periods of symptom relief, they had recurrences of their problems, some worse than before.”

-Bernard Jensen

I’ve managed to find one thing wrong with me, so what about the other nine? Maybe I should really think about getting a professional reading. As luck would have it our local health food store has two of them. I’ve never seen any mention of Iridology when I’ve been in the store.

By the end of the day I’ve taken 12 capsules of Benfotiamine for a total of 960 mg. I’ll start at this high dosage and see if it has any effect. I felt good all day with no symptoms.

Let’s see if it has any effect yet on the vibrations…

Entry for June 21, 2006

I start the day with my vitamins and some fruit. I’ve got an apple, pear and a plum. After about 15 minutes, I start feeling that mild sick feeling when my stomach is alkaline. I take a vitamin C and it’s improved. I have an increase of weird feelings in my head and a weird kind of feeling all day. My smaller doses of vitamins is clearly not working. I can only last a few hours before I start getting the symptoms start up again. I take my second multivitamin and I’m better for a little while. By the afternoon, I’ve run out of the multivitamins so luckily I have the B complex with me and it’s a higher dosage and works for a little longer.

Still no sign of the blood test results and after today it was not fun. Back to my regular vitamins for now…

I was talking to a friend the other day. He’s a amateur boxer and he has a blender at work to make his vegetable smoothies. I’m sure he knows a thing or two about vitamins so I ask him. He says taking B complex and Omega 3 are the most important and we have a brief conversation about nutrition.

I’m already taking the B complex so I’ll add the Omega 3 next time I’m in the health food store.

Entry for June 09, 2006

Woke up this morning and I didn’t feel as plugged up so maybe the new toothbrush is working?

Today I thought I’d try something new. I’ll start the day with 300 mg of Niacin instead of splitting it up at the end of the day. I take the rest of my vitamins: B Complex, Zinc, Calcium/Magnesium, Acidophilus and Vitamin C.

Just after I get into work, I start having stomach cramps and a bit later I have diarrhea. I’ve read about the high doses of Niacin and it’s supposed to be safe. It’s the only thing that I’ve done differently. I had an apple for breakfast and I do that every morning.

After some reading, an upset stomach and diarrhea are both symptoms of a high dose of Niacin so I won’t try that again. 300 mg is what the naturopath prescribed so I didn’t really do anything wrong. I just took it all at once. It also recommended taking Niacin with a meal. Maybe an apple wasn’t enough?

Entry for June 05, 2006

Woke up late this morning, grabed my vitamins and an apple on the way out the door. On the train, I start taking them and I always save the chewable vitamin C for last. Just before the vitamin C, I start having the sick feeling I get when my stomach is too alkaline. This is weird… I haven’t had this feeling since I started taking niacin. I take the vitamin C and I feel better almost instantly.

Do I still have low stomach acid? I still have the internal vibration so could it be the niacin deficiency or something more? Great…just when I thought I was getting to the bottom of this I get thrown a curve ball.

I look up the different causes of low stomach acid:

Conditions Associated with Low Acidity Certain health conditions may cause or be the result of low acidity. These include Addison’s disease, anemia, chronic autoimmune disorders, depression, asthma, eczema, gallstones, hepatitis, chronic hives, osteoporosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, vitiligo, dermatitis herpetiformis, and thyroid disease.

 

Many vitamins and minerals require proper stomach acid in order to be properly absorbed, including iron, calcium, zinc, B Complex, and folic acid. Low stomach acid, known as hypochlorhydria, interferes with the absorption of B12 from food but not from supplements.

I am taking three of the above vitamins and minerals (Calcium, zinc and B Complex). Looks like I need to take my 1000 mg of vitamin C first, then the rest. But why do I still have low stomach acid?

While the train is stopped at Union, I have about 15 minutes to jump off and get my weekly dose of wheatgrass.

Entry for May 13, 2006

This is what the Niacin flush looks like. It feels like a suntan and there is a itching/burning sensation all over my body. A quick Google search:

Niacin has the property of causing the small blood vessels to increase in size.   These are the capillaries.  Now, capillaries are often so small that the blood cells pass through them in single file.  It is the capillaries that take care of the vast majority of all the cells in the body.  You have large arteries near the heart, and they get smaller and smaller as they extend from the heart.  But, at the end of every well-sized artery is a very large network of capillaries.

There are many miles of the small capillaries in your body — a vast network which gets within a small fraction of an inch of EVERY cell in the body.  It is the capillaries which nourish the cells and which carry away the toxins.

Add into this equation the fact that most of the toxins in the body are stored in fat cells.  These fat cells can hold on to toxins for years, never letting it go until some “event” (like sweating or exercise).  Then, the fat cells give up their toxins and they start leaking out into the surrounding tissues.  You can have a slow-leak batch of fat cells that are poisoning you constantly.  Much of the disease that plagues mankind certainly comes from the constant slow leak of toxins from these fat cells.

These fat cells, like the millions of others, are all within a fraction of an inch of some capillary, but IF that capillary is clogged (as most often they are), and if the blood cells move through them only one cell at a time (single file), then you can see that there is not much chance for those toxins to be cleaned up by the flow of blood.

If you could find something that would increase the size of these capillaries, and not cause any harmful or adverse reaction, you can see how beneficial this would be. In fact, niacin does this — it causes these miles of tiny capillaries to increase in size. It is the INCREASE in size, partly, which causes your skin to get red.

While there are miles of these capillaries all through your body, it is near the surface of your body where the arteries are NOT!  So, as all the large surface of your body, your skin, is nourished by these small capillaries, and as the capillaries get larger, you can naturally see how the skin would show that increase in blood by getting red!

By the end of the day I’ve returned back to my regular vitamin C intake with the acidophilus. I’m not convinced that I don’t need it but I’ll keep with my regular routine until I feel completely healed. I’m happy with the one day success but I don’t want to push it further.

Entry for May 12, 2006

For the past couple of mornings I’ve had the Niacin flush. It basically feels like a sunburn and it goes away after 30 minutes. It’s a little uncomfortable but it’s a reminder that it’s actually working. The internal vibrations are getting better although they are still around. Some days I go to bed and I don’t feel anything and then the next morning I wake to a strong vibration. It’s not perfect but I guess by taking the small dose of 200 mg a day, it’s slowing getting back to normal. I will say that my stomach symptoms seem to have gone and my plantar fasciitis has improved.

Today is the one year anniversary since I went to the first walk-in clinic and it’s been an amazing journey understanding my body and learning about how to stay healthy. It’s a road I probably wouldn’t have taken if I wasn’t sick.

Time for some testing: Today I decide not to take my vitamin C or my acidophilus. These are two things that I’ve needed everyday and without them I get my weird symptoms. Let’s see if the niacin has any effect. Because my plantar fasciitis has improved recently, I’m going to remove my sole inserts for the first time since June 15th, 2005.

Let’s see what happens!

Entry for May 05, 2006

Followed up with the naturopath today and I presented my case with seventeen pages of research since my last visit on January 14th.  And I also have the new updated version of diet diary from last summer.

She listens carefully to all of my research and is very impressed at the amount of time spent on it. She occasionally takes a note as I review my history with her. I ask her what my triglycerides were on the blood test that was taken by my regular doctor back in June. The reading was above normal at 3.6. So even back then the flag was there if someone was looking for it. I do a quick google search and come across this statement:

Pharmacologic doses of niacin (1.5 to 6 grams/day in divided doses) typically reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 10 to 25 percent and triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent.

As I am reading I notice that my hands are really cold. Perfect lead in to my next discovery “Cold Hands” and I ask her to feel them and she notices the tips of my fingers are very cold.

We talk about the most common causes of indigestion and she says I can’t rule them all out as I thought I could. I tell her about the deficiency of hydrochloric acid and she asks me if the exessive amount of vitamin C had caused any diarrhea. Nope none at all.

Then I explain about the Niacin deficiency and how that can cause a lack of hydrochloric acid.

By the end she was impressed and I told her that I had already started taking a 50 mg low dose of Niacin a day since Monday. She wants me to take 100 mg of pure Niacin from a health food store and slowly increase it to 200 mg. She said not to worry about the flush sensation as it is a temporary side effect and that I should follow up with her in a couple of weeks. The stuff I bought from the drug store is actually Inositol Hexanicotinate an “equivalant” to Niacin.

Before I left, she told me about a simple test I could do to measure my acid level in the stomach:

First thing in the morning, before eating, mix 1/4 teaspoon of fresh baking soda into eight ounces of water and drink it. Time how long it takes you to belch. As the baking soda reacts with the stomach acid, carbon dioxide gas is formed and belched. It is normal to belch within two to three minutes. Not belching within five minutes is a crude indication of hypochlorhydria – insufficient stomach acid.

Great! I’ll try that tomorrow morning.

Entry for May 05, 2006

My new research includes the original diet diary I kept from July 4th to Aug 9th except this time, I added a new column indicating whether the food was acidic or alkaline. Once I added the new information I was amazed at how it looked and now it made total sense. I was feeling slightly bloated when I was eating alkaline foods and when I ate something acidic, I felt fine. This is why I could never pin down exactly the type of food or food group that made me feel sick.

The diary doesn’t seem to be 100% accurate because it’s not talking into account my vitamin C intake.  I could’ve thought I was fine eating alkaline foods but if I had 1000 mg of vitamin C or more, the acid would be enough to neutralize it.

Entry for May 02, 2006

Armed with four pages of my printed research, I head to my eighth acupuncture appointment. I go into her office and she welcomes me in and asks me if I did any research on the Parasympathetic Nervous system. I show her the four pages and we sit down and carefully go through it. I explain each page and we talk about Niacin deficiency. She said this was extremely rare to get from a normal western diet and somehow the EMF had something to do with it.

We both agree that the EMF had an effect on the normal function of my stomach and created an environment where the Niacin conversion process was blocked by EMF intereference. This fits in with the fact that the internal vibration came first with no other symptoms. From that, the hydrochloric acid production was reduced causing the Alkaline base in my stomach and the onset of the other symptoms.

This explains why I needed high amounts of vitamin C. I needed the acid to neutralize the stomach and the chest pain? Probably heartburn. She takes my blood pressure and it’s 138/95 pulse: 76. She tells me that the high blood pressure is probably related to the overactive Parasympathetic Nervous system and not any direct problem with my heart. She suggested taking Apple Cider Vinegar.

She starts the acupuncture with a different approach. She focuses on the normal functions of the stomach and places a few needles in new places. She places something hot in both of my hands and tells me to rest. After 15 minutes she starts the cupping on my back.

She takes my blood pressure again and it’s lowered to 129/76 pulse: 66

She’s very happy about my research and asks me if she can share the information with the other doctor. Of course! I walked out very proud and excited that she agrees with the diagnosis.

Entry for April 28, 2006

Sympathetic Nervous System Dominance

The sympathetic division of the nervous system is the “accelerator” portion of the body, or it makes it the body function faster. The parasympathetic nervous system functions like the brakes for the body. Normally the body balances the sympathetic division of the nervous system with the parasympathetic division. The parasympathetic division could be thought of as the “brakes” for the body. Now, when these are in balance there’s no problem, but if you have one working and the other not working, you are in trouble. If your brakes work but your accelerator doesn’t you don’t go anywhere. If you accelerator works but your bakes don’t you can’t stop. When the sympathetic nervous system is overactive the following symptoms can develop: stomach upset and irritation, frequent cold sweats, stomach inflammation, a feeling like the body is always “racing”, diarrhea, excessive sweating, loose stools, a racing heart, irregular heartbeat, and incomplete digestion resulting in gas.

Parasympathetic Nervous System Dominance

The parasympathetic nervous system functions like the brakes for the body. When it is overactive you may feel very sluggish, and the digestive tract may malfunction due to a lack of hydrochloric acid. With a lack of hydrochloric acid your body will not adequately digest food and you may suffer from food allergies /sensitivities. It is important that this be corrected as the inability to digest your food can result in almost any health problem.

This is all very interesting and I feel like I’m on the verge of a major breakthrough. Is my health problems related to the lack of hydrochloric acid? Luckily, there is an easy way to find out.

CHECK YOUR STOMACH FOR SUFFICIENT HYDROCHLORIC ACID

To test for sufficient hydrochloric acid:

You need betaine hydrochloride tablets plus enzymes – they are available from health food shops. Take half a tablet before the last mouthful of a main meal. Burning or indigestion means you have plenty of hydrochloric acid. Don’t take any more tablets. Use antacid or teaspoonful of bicarbonate to relieve discomfort. If no burning or indigestion, next day take 1 tablet in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, next day take 2 tablets in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, then you need more acid.

Here are the most common causes of indigestion:

1. Candidiasis
2. Food Allergy
3. Gallbladder Disease
4. H. Pylori
5. Heartburn
6. Hiatal Hernia and Esophagitis
7. Lactose Intolerance
8. Ulcers

Most people who suffer from chronic indigestion have been to doctors and have been tested for various conditions. If this describes you, and if you have read about the above ailments and still can’t find the cause of your indigestion, there are two other possible causes that are not widely known:

• Deficiency of hydrochloric acid
• Deficiency of pancreatic enzymes

If you suffer from deficiency of hydrochloric acid or lack of gastric acid secretion, you may experience:

• Bloating, belching, burning, and flatulence right after eating, diarrhea or constipation, a feeling of overfullness after eating, food allergies and nausea caused by nutritional supplements.

With all of the diagnostic testing and experiments in my diet the past year, I can easily rule out the eight common causes of indigestion so I’m left with the two other possible causes that are not widely known. Deficiency of hydrochloric acid or Deficiency of pancreatic enzymes. It goes on to say that if you lack pancreatic enzymes, there are supplements that can help. Preparations of pancreatic enzymes isolated from animal sources are used with other enzymes including bromelain, which comes from pineapple, to aid digestion. Is this why I felt better after my three day pineapple diet back in August? Nausea caused by nutritional supplements? Is this why the vitamin supplements from the Naturalpath made me feel worse? 

Things are starting to make a lot of sense so I take this research to my wife. She mentions how I feel better when I take vitamin C and how it’s an ascorbic acid. I google the effects of vitamin C and come across this article:

One common complaint regarding vitamin C is that it can cause gastrointestinal distress, including cramps, diarrhea and nausea. These symptoms, which are caused by the acidity rather than the ascorbate itself, seem to disappear when a buffered form of vitamin C is taken.

So now I’m wondering if I have both the deficiency of hydrochloric acid and the deficiency of pancreatic enzymes? Interesting thought: The Acidophilus works because it’s a mixture of bacteria that helps digestion. This explains why it helps but doesn’t fix the problem. Another site talks about Alkaline and Acidic Imbalance.

What if I’m Overly-Alkaline?

Alkalinity is relatively rare, but if your urine and/or saliva consistently test above 7.0 pH, start with steps 1, 2 and 3 below and continue adding steps until the desired results are achieved. Be sure to monitor your progress with easy-to-use pH test strips. You will notice that some of these steps are the same as those recommended above for an overly acidic condition. This is because these steps have a buffering effect, or in other words they are balancing, tending to bring the pH back toward normal no matter which direction it has gone:

Enzymes are essential: Take 1-2 capsules of Food Enzymes or Proactazyme Plus with every meal. Also take 1-2 capsules of High Potency Protease and Nature’s Noni between meals on an empty stomach.

• Support urinary and lymphatic systems’ ability to excrete toxins: Take Kidney Drainage and Lymphatic Drainage in water according to directions. Then use Lymphomax and Urinary Maintenance to maintain.
• Correct calcium is needed: Use NSP’s Liquid Calcium.
• Vitamin C: Use Timed-Release Vitamin C. Use 3,000 mg or more, to maximum bowel tolerance. (If diarrhea occurs, reduce intake.)
• Flax Seed Oil: Use 1 capsules of Flax Seed Oil 3 times a day or 2 tablespoons of Liquid Flax Seed Oil daily.
• Cleanse as needed: Take a psyllium hulls supplement such as Psyllium Hulls Combination at bedtime to maintain regular bowel movements. Use CleanStart twice a year for liver, bowel and kidney detoxification.

Number four: Take 3000 mg or more of Vitamin C to change the alkalinity of the stomach. That is exactly what I have been doing for months and now I find it’s recommended!! Not one doctor picked up on this. Not one doctor could figure out why I need to take so much vitamin C.

More research and experimentation is required…but this is most definately progress.

Entry for April 25, 2006

I washed my hair this morning using Jason organic shampoo and WOW! I can feel the difference right away. My hair is so much softer and my forehead feels soft too. Here’s what it says on their web site:

Vitamin E with A & C Shampoo (Body Enhancing)

No Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
Super Enriched with 5 Vitamins, 22 Amino Acids and 5 Botanicals. Revitalizes Dry, Tired Hair

Using only the purest Natural Vitamins, Amino Acids and Botanicals, this nourishing shampoo is specially formulated to gently cleanse dry or damaged hair without stripping away necessary moisture. It is super-enriched to build body while it adds a healthy shine, and concentrated to save you money. A small amount is all you need.

Acupuncture appointment number seven. Another uneventful week and I still have the mystery internal vibration. I did switch back to her vitamin C tablets but found that I would get the weird head pinching sensation everytime I did. If I took one of my vitamin C tablets, it would disappear. This leads me to believe that my problem is with the gastrointestinal tract and not actually needing vitamin C in my system.

When I told the doctor I was still vibrating and that her new direction had no effect, she was quite confused. She said I was her toughest patient and it was good because she liked the challenge. She wanted to regroup and she asked for my opinion on what I thought the problem was. We reviewed my discoveries and what worked for my symptoms.

1) Acidophilus settles my stomach.

2) Eating pears will stop the vibrations.

3) Vitamin C will also stop the vibrations and get rid of the weird head symptoms.

I tell her about my suspicion of Serotonin because it is a neurotransmitter effecting the central nervous system and it’s created in the gastrointestinal tract. I can’t say for certain but it’s my guess. I have looked up the symptoms of Serotonin deficency and it doesn’t really match.

She tells me how the Parasympathetic Nerve is connected to the stomach but she’ll need to do more research for my symptoms. I’ve never heard of the Parasympathetic Nervous System so I agree to do some research as well.

She takes my blood pressure and it’s high again: 137/90

She wants to change the treatment to focus on the stomach. She starts by cupping my back and this time she says my circulation hasn’t improved. She places new needles in my back for 15 minutes and then the front. She looks at my wart and it’s almost completely gone. She uses Moxa on the wart and then on an acupoint just below the knee on both of my legs. This is new and she explains that this is done for my stomach. How interesting. As I’m still lying on the table, she takes my blood pressure again: 135/79.

As I’m leaving she gives me a new suppliment to try. This one is for my stomach and it’s called BaoHe Wan. Here is what it does:

Bao He Pian (Bao He Wan) promotes digestion, removes stagnated food and regulates the stomach†. The herbal formula is used for the retention of food, distension of fullness in the abdomen, eructating foul odor and acid regurgitation, loss of appetite†. It is also used for incoordination between the spleen and stomach, stomachache due to damp stagnation lying hidden, indigestion, oppression and depression over the chest and diarrhea due to hypofunction of the spleen.

Entry for April 18, 2006

Acupuncture appointment number six. Another uneventful week with my symtoms and I’m guessing this is a good thing however the allergies do seem to be better.

She starts by taking my blood pressure and it’s the lowest reading yet. 132/86. I tell her about my reduction in vitamin C and she is very pleased. Today she starts with the cupping on my back and then the needles. Now that my blood pressure is more down to normal and the lungs are getting better she tells me she is taking a different approach. She wants me to up the dosage of the suppliment to three times a day and a few new acupoints are added in around my arms. After 15 minutes she flips me over and adds the needles into my abdomen. She does some head massage for my sinuses and needles the wart again. She mentions that my scalp is very congested. Normally there is a little bit of blood when the needles are removed but with me, there is nothing.

After six treatments my sinuses are the best they have felt in a very long time and my wart is going away like magic. She takes my blood pressure again and it’s lowered to 137/79. It’s the first time that she was happy with the reading. Was it the suppliments? Was it my increased fruit intake? Was it the acupuncture? Who knows…

Still have the myterious internal vibrations but she seems to think this new direction will help.

We’ll wait and see…

I take the usual picture of my back to view the progress of the cupping and it’s the best yet. I do feel that my breathing is better so it looks like this cupping is working. I still can’t believe I took the allergy shots for two years. Allowing them to put those toxins in my blood system for so long when a few needles for six weeks has given me more results then the two years of allergy shots.

Entry for April 14, 2006

I’ve cut back on my vitamin C to 500 mg a day. I’m really nervous about cutting back so I always carry extra with me. No ill effects yet so I’ll keep it going.

I was having a conversation recently with my dad about Kevin Trudeau’s book. We were talking about how the precription drugs are killing poeple and he mentions a story about a CBC investigative reporter named Wendy Mesley who was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. A quick google search and I find an article in the Globe and Mail.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL
January 8, 2005
By GAYLE MacDONALD

When Wendy Mesley discovered the lump in her left breast, her first impulse was to ignore it.

Not because the CBC news anchor and host has, in any way, a laissez-faire attitude toward her health. But because, for years, Mesley had found the odd, unusual growth, dutifully had them tested and all came back negative.

Until last October.

Wrapped up in shooting CBC’s much-publicized series, The Greatest Canadian, Mesley figured this breast lump, like the others, was a false alarm. But Liam, her husband of seven years, got on her case, and hounded her to see her physician, who sent her for a mammogram, an ultrasound and then a biopsy.

Two days later, the 47-year-old Mesley got a call that she was half-expecting (“I’m a journalist, and a nosy-parker person generally, so I’d asked the technicians a slew of probably inappropriate questions and I’d picked up some vibes”) — but still was not remotely ready for.

“It was just like in the movies,” remembers Mesley, who was at work when she received the news that the lump was malignant and would have to be removed. She had a lumpectomy midway through shooting The Greatest Canadian and is now undergoing aggressive chemotherapy.

“All of us were clinging to the idea that, well, you’ve had a few scares . . . it’ll be nothing. But somehow I knew [this time would be different]. When I got the call, it was like, ‘Wow. Wow. Wow,’ ” she recounts quietly.

“I can’t believe it. I was quite stunned by it. I immediately went home.

“I just never thought this would happen to me,” says Mesley, who has no family history of breast cancer.

“I do all these somewhat dangerous sports. I windsurf. I downhill ski. I knew I could hurt myself any number of ways.

“I just never dreamed of cancer,” says the CBC veteran.

She co-hosted Disclosure, now co-hosts Marketplace and often sits in for Peter Mansbridge as anchor of The National.

Still, in her characteristically frank and inquisitive way, Mesley’s been trying to figure out why cancer, and why her? “One thing that has struck me is how prevalent it is. You become part of this club once you have cancer . . . and I’ve been stunned by how big the sisterhood is,” adds Mesley, who has been told her chances of a full recovery are extremely good.

Ten or 20 years ago, she adds, nearly all the cases of breast cancer were genetically linked. Now, she says, doctors tell her they’re not. “One of the oncologists told me she suspects steroids in milk. Another thinks it’s all the chemicals and pesticides in our food. Some say it’s stress. Other than some misguided habits of my youth, I’ve always been something of a health freak, exercising and trying to eat right. So I want to know, what did I do? What did I eat?

“All I know is it’s a pestilence that is estimated to affect one in seven women. It’s way too common. But, thankfully, the cure rate is good. I’m one of the lucky ones. I got an early diagnosis. I am expected to live.”

So she’s optimistic — 90 per cent of the time — but also sometimes scared, sick and tired. She’s now getting hefty doses of the chemo treatment AC — which stands for Adriamycin and Cytoxin. The next round is Taxol, followed up with radiation.

Mesley has also discovered a small, malignant lump in her right breast that will have to be operated on.

“They found my cancer early, so they’re blasting it,” says Mesley. “And I’m one of the lucky ones. I get a lot of nausea and fatigue — and it is a roller coaster.

“But at the bottom of it, there are two classes of this disease: the one where you’re expected to live, and the one where you’re not.

“I can’t imagine being in the second camp. I know this is all temporary. If I thought I was going to die, I don’t know how I’d inspire myself. But this has been entirely bearable. My motto has been I can handle anything but imminent death. And that’s not on the table.

“This week I’m feeling great. Next week I’m sure I’ll be in the dumps again. My hair has fallen out, and that was quite emotional. But I’ve come to terms with that. I wear a wig, but not at home — much to my daughter’s chagrin. It’s my only way of extorting good behaviour,” she adds with a laugh. “I say to her, ‘Behave or I’ll take my wig off.’ ”

Mesley says telling her mom, Joan, and her six-year-old daughter (Mesley asked not to have her child’s name mentioned) were the hardest things. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have some news but I should probably tell you in person, why don’t you come down for supper?’ I didn’t want my daughter to see my mother react,” says Mesley, who is an only child.

“So I headed her off at the path as she hit the front porch. She was obviously devastated, which sounds like such a cliche, profoundly shocked and upset. But we instantly decided to just go into denial. We just promised each other I was going to be fine. That we were going to beat it. And why not?”

Her husband, an advertising executive, has also been “a rock.” He had a bad day the first time he accompanied Mesley to the chemo waiting room. “I think it suddenly struck him, ‘Oh God, my wife has this disease that people are dying of.’ ”

But like Mesley, he’s got a dry sense of humour that continually lifts them all up. “He’s been good at keeping me laughing,” she says. “When I first got the diagnosis, there was discussion of a mastectomy, which I didn’t have. But we were in the hospital and Liam sees this sign on the door that says, Breast Imaging.

“He says, ‘Oh, that’s the husbands’ room. That’s where we pick the new ones.’ I said, ‘No honey. It’s not about you.’ Then he more seriously offered to shave his head when he learned my hair would definitely fall out. I said, ‘Thank you very much but I don’t need an ugly husband,’ ” cracks Mesley. “So he still has his hair. Thank God.”

That same head-on approach to accepting the realities of the disease was passed along — in a gentle manner — to their daughter. “She’s very sensitive and very aware, and we’re very close,” says Mesley, who had her first child in her early 40s. “I just didn’t want one of those houses full of whispers, where the kids get a sense something is wrong but they’re not told what it is. My husband and I decided to tell her that I have breast cancer, that the doctors are going to fix it. That they’re going to give me medicine. I might be a little tired, but I’m going to be fine. I’m not going to die.

“Every once in a while she expresses worry, but as long as she’s talking to us about it, we’re fine. She makes jokes at school,” adds Mesley. “About me being bald. All the kids in her Grade 1 class want to see my head. But I’m not showing it. She’s such a great spirit. It’s hard to keep her down.”

On air, Mesley has always exemplified that hard-to-match blend of toughness and vulnerability. Those same qualities are in full force now. One moment she seems fragile. The next, invincible. The latter is the mental place she prefers to keep her energy focused.

“I expect to have gone through everything by Halloween,” she says cheerfully.

So she works when she feels well. She stays home when she feels nauseous, tired or low. Her colleagues are rooting for her. “She is beloved within the CBC,” says network spokesperson Ruth Ellen Soles. “She’s so straightforward, hard-working, simple, sweet, committed and funny,” adds Soles, who also battled breast cancer in 2000. “We all support her.”

Mesley keeps working, she says, because she needs the mental stimulation and the distraction it brings. “I’m not contributing near what I normally do at Marketplace,” she says ruefully. “But having cancer is like a full-time job, all the treatments, the sleep, the throwing up and the research to figure out the kind of care you’re going to have. If you’re a control freak — which I am — you make yourself an instant mini-expert.

“I’m not afraid of the chemo — well, maybe I am a little bit — I’m afraid of what anybody would be afraid of in this situation: That some day it will come back and kill me.

“But I’m not afraid of dying right now. I feel very loved and grateful for all the support I’ve been given, from the CBC, my family and my friends.

“It’s just a rough and scary thing to go through, but I’m determined to come out of it.”

Entry for April 11, 2006

Fifth appointment with the Acupuncture and I show my blood test results to the doctor. She asks me how I was feeling during the past week and it was uneventful. Nothing really different and the supplement didn’t appear to have any effect. I mention that I now have a stye in my right eye. It’s only just started but my eyes have been really itchy lately. It’s my own fault because I keep rubbing them and it feels like there is some grit on my eyeball. She tells me she will give me a new supplement that will help. We also talk about my vitamin C intake. She wants me to cut back to 1000 mg and I’m really hesitant. It’s the only thing that works but I agree to cut back.

She takes my blood pressure and it’s the lowest reading yet. (140/89)

She asks me if I know what Triglycerides are? Nope! No idea. She tells me that there are only two ways to have high triglycerides. One is to eat a lot of fat red meat (which I don’t) and the other way is to not eat any fruits or vegetables. Ah ha! Okay, that’s making some sense.  She says that a high level of Triglycerides can lead to atherosclerosis.

Here’s what it says on Wikipedia:

Role in disease

In the human body, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosis, and, by extension, the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, the negative impact of raised levels of triglycerides is lower than that of LDL:HDL ratios. The risk can be partly accounted for a strong inverse relationship between triglyceride level and HDL-cholesterol level.

How interesting. You’d think with all of the blood tests I’ve had this past year, one doctor would’ve mentioned this by now? Here again Kevin Trudeau is right on the money. Doctors are not interested in prevention. They don’t find anything wrong if it can’t be treated with drugs.

“That’s the reason why there’s been virtually no movement in the field of prevention. The more drugs are bought, the higher the profit. The more disease there is, the greater the profit.”

She starts with the cupping again and says she wants to add some new accupoints today on my back. I show her my wart and it’s really cleared up from the past week and she’s happy with the progress. One more treatment next week and it will be gone.

She finishes with the back and does the front in the same points as last week. She takes my blood pressure again and it’s lowered to 135/87. After the acupuncture she give me the supplement for my stye. It’s called “Ming Mu” and it will help moisten my eyes. I get home and take a picture of my back again. I notice the red marks are a lot lighter than previous treatments. Progress? Great!