☼ Faithgrl: Bipolar II checking in...has anyone tried Prozac bridge or kambo

[Faithgrl]

Karen and Fresh

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Crap its really the meds withdrawal. I restarted again this Monday at 0.1 and will stay there until this job situation works itself out. I missed the dose this morning and the incessant head noise came back...which sent me running home for the dose.

 

I have been talking to my boss for my old job back and got an offer today which was good. I was there for 2.5 years and while it had its challenges, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as this one. This place is Japanese in its operations - very precise, everyone wears a grey/white or blue shirt (even the women!) and nobody seems to have any fun. On that basis I think I am out. This ain't my kinda crazy....it would appear.

 

I would LOVE to come out of this in a mall. Or a chocolate cafe....

[Faithgrl]

So, I went back to my old job and came off completely two weeks ago. The depression and trauma does come up but I joined the group Adult children of Alcoholics and dysfunctional families which is helping to deal with these issues as they come up. Skin issues are currently a massive issue but the bleach baths is helping alot.

 

Contrary to the board, I started taking fish oil and tumeric. Both turns out to be very bad ideas. Fish oil cause insomnia and tumeric cause HIVES (its still trying to go down urghhhh). So much for trying a magic (natural) cure .

 

Sigh......

 

On the other hand I might be getting too ambitious and looking to take up cross-fit. But looking at the exercise board that could totally f**k me up. So am looking into 2:1 lessons just to get a taste and try something else.

 

Thanks for all being there and the advice and suggestions. Even if I don't follow it at least its my own goddam fault..

[Faithgrl]

So, a couple of weeks off 0.015 and today is my first fairly sleepless night. I took a few days off work last week and back to work yesterday, but felt really jittery after a few cups of tea in the afternoon. So no more cups of tea, just my usual 3 coffees and hope I don't fall asleep at my desk.

 

My eczema is awful and flarely at the moment. Maybe I should also lay off the ice cream and fairly floss, even if it's once a week. It all adds up!

 

I am also aware that if the sleeplessness continues I might need to reinstate. ThAts fine too. I feel humbled by my biological process and how I ever thought I would thrawt it with drugs.

[Faithgrl]

Well, so much for jumping off. 3 sleepless nights out of 7 means I think it's better that I sleep with meds reinstated than none. Plus my skin hurts and I haven't stopped flaring with everything triggering histamines reactions.

The measuring tubes (??) and syringe I ordered off eBay lucky arrived 2 weeks ago so I feel like a kid with their chemistry set. Measured out my dose this morning and back to 0.05 and might try and jump off at 0.005? God these decimals are hard.

[Faithgrl]

feel like myself again. I jumped off at 0.015 about a month ago and got progressively worse symtoms, starting off with really bad histamine flares on my skin (I ended up looking like a spotty zebra with red blobs all over) and graduating to not sleeping in the last week. So based on various suggestion on SA I have decided to reinstate at 0.05. I have now slept 3 nights and feel actually ok, but the skin flares remain. Part of me has the shame of not being able to jump off, but I am starting to read up on Will Hall's harm reduction approach to pschy drugs and realised its not all or nothing.

 

Just because I am on "something" doesn't mean I am deficient as a human being (actually I do believe that but I am working to surrender that belief).

 

Just because I am on "nothing" doesn't mean my life will automatically be better.

Edited November 18, 2016 by ChessieCat
Removed last sentence - inappropriate comment

[ChessieCat]

There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.  The drug has changed your brain and it needs time to adapt back to homeostatis.

[Faithgrl]

Thanks Cat - so, can't admit that I am a huge fan of Will Hall?

 

Noted

[scallywag]

Faithgrl, it's perfectly fine to express your appreciation for Will Hall and his work.

[Faithgrl]

Ok. This is what I have figured out so far.

 

Yoga helps with reducing histamines in my body. ThAT is good. When I don't do it,that's bad.

 

My memory is shot. The boyfriend told me that I owe him $500. We both laughed. I can choose to feel paranoid about this, or, not responsible cause I cant remember anything. At the moment I am doing both.

 

My skin is completely stuffed. I have crusty bits from strep infection and red bits from histamines. And scarring. So off to functional doctor. And any exercise that produces heat is out cause that produces way too much histamine.

 

My personality changes day to day. When I dont sleep I am introverted. Some other days I want in on everyones business. That's also a crap shot.I can choose to worry about it, or enjoy the variety??

 

There are two ways of tapering. SA recommends 10% down of the current dose every month. Will hall says 10% of the current dose until 1/2, then 10% of that. I cant figure.out which way I want to go because I just reinstated but I dont need to be concerened about that right now.

 

Always make a note as to where I parked the car.

[Faithgrl]

Huh. The functional medicine doctor said I should try sam-e. To increase serotonin and reduce the histamine reactions. Anyone has luck with this? Fish oil and tumeric was a terrible idea last time! And so was NAC

[scallywag]

Sam-e is an amino acid that has effects on the CNS.  It may be appropriate to use when a person hasn't been on a psychiatric medication; it could be risky for someone who is taking medication or dealing with symptoms of withdrawal. Ask your functional doctor about his/her experience working with people with destablized CNSs.

 

Here's a link to our discussion topic on SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine).

[Faithgrl]

Good point. After looking at the rest of us and my set back with tumeric and fish oil I think I might not go down that path.

 

Looks like its back to yoga to control the histamines.....boooooooooo

[Faithgrl]

Huh. So I had a look around and some of us are using quercitin, the low histamine chef, and herbs. Thanks to GiaK thread.

 

I found some quercitin and tried it. Turns out it could react to the antibiotics I have been prescribed for my infected eczema from strep. So no quercitin until the antibiotics is done.

 

So, 2 weeks into reinstating at 0.05 I have the following issues took manage

 

1. Strep caused infected eczema

2. Histamine caused red lumpy eczema, and burning skin

 

And my boyfriend said that I am not much fun anymore because all I do is go to work, sleep, do yoga, sleep. And b**** about my symptoms. Really boring apparently.

 

Part of me feels like just falling into the withdrawal blackhole and cutting everyone off.

 

Part of me wonder if I can do better. I remember seeing a thread here where a lady ask is to accept our symptoms and get on with life as usual. But how do I do that when my skin hurts and all I want to do is be in a dark room and a lie down and the idea of talking makes me want to itch?

 

Looks like I have abit more research to do

[KarenB]

Hey, not so easy times for you faithgirl.  I was interested to see that you have symptoms involving painful and itchy skin.  My husband (SA member, Mister KarenB) has this in a major way.  I'm going to mention to him your idea to use yoga to combat the histamine.  Here's what we've found useful in dealing with it: 

 

3/4 fill then freeze a hot water bottle.  Place in bed at night to keep skin cooler.

Also use a fan at night.

Sleep on a camp-stretcher so cool air flows underneath you.

Keep skin dry.  Use ice-packs to cool off painful areas during the day.

Do something physical when the urge to itch arises, till you get distracted from it. 

[Faithgrl]

Hi Karen: Thanks! The heat doesn't help and I do keep cool with a MASSIVE fan in my bedroom.

 

Exciting news - I just joined the gym across the road from work that runs 45 mins yoga classes. I suspect since I come home itching, I could empty my histamine bucket (and anxiety) at lunchtime. Not bad at $30 unlimited per week, no joining fee.

 

Ok. So.I have done my research and the consensus/best practice seems to be to NOT focus on the symtoms but on the recovery. On this basis I have unfollowed a number of facebook groups (not the SA one) that has people posting up pictures of their histamine rashes. Focusing  on what is WRONG with my skin is making me super anxious and depressed. Focusing on what I can do about it is making me feel hopeful. So this is what I have done/am doing:

 

- yoga at lunchtime. (yikes means I gotta prep my own lunch)

 

-ordered black seed oil, activated charcoal, tulsi tea and pine bark extract. And YES I will try one supp at a time at half strenght, THIS TIME. I have learnt my lesson

 

-negotiated with the boyfriend my availability. I am no longer really avail to him Monday to Friday as all I can do at the moment is go to work, come home, do yoga, eat, have a bleach bath (to control my infected eczma) and go to bed. Watching TV by myself calms me and the itching down. Talking to him doesn't. We will do something fun on the weekend but Monday to Friday he is gonna find his own way. And I dealt with my abandonment issues in ACA, by myself, away from him.

 

- follow hopeful people who are on the same path, focusing on the solution, the impermance of our symptoms (or lack therefore), cultivating acceptance and gratitude. Much thanks to Alto and her thread on getting on with it rather than navel gazing and all GiaK's threads on her acceptance of her histamine symptoms and her journey. Gia K I have subscribed to your wonderful blog.

 

- this is going to sound CRAZY but for those in Sydney, going to a healing room in a church in Bondi has been a lifesaver for me. I went there itching away on a Saturday morning and SOMETHING there calm me down and my eczma calm down. And I don't really believe in Jeebus. This has given me SUCH a respect for the existence of the spritual aspect of our recovery and how much of my symptoms could be a manifestation of my own spiritual lack. As other people has said, we once placed our trust in doctors and western medicine who told us it was all chemicals and physical and that has gone....very poorly for us. And so whatever else I put my trust in can't be that much worse (well, except for truhope. that made me sooo constipated I broke a toilet )

 

- Take the attitude when I get a symptom consider what I can do about it, rather than panick . And avoid the "secondary" fear and judgement of what I could have done wrong and/or what i could have done differently.

Edited November 28, 2016 by scallywag
modified expletive deleted

[Faithgrl]

So I had a conversation with another friend who again asked me why I am coming off anti-depressants.

 

I summarised - extreme tiredness, increase (!) depression because it stopped working, painful intercourse, and no access to my underlying issues and trauma so no chance of processing it.

 

On the other hand - my skin is f**ked with eczma (thanks histamine deregulation!). But I am now sleeping ok (thanks magnesium), and my skin is VERY slowly improving (hemp seed oil and hydrogen peroxide seems to work..) I am also working through my trauma issues very quickly and things that were there before is gone! 

 

I just need to remind myself why I am doing this sometimes.

 

Anyway, she thinks I can find a doctor who can support me in coming off, that is better than SA. I call B******.

 

If anyone has any "doctors" who can help with drawal i'd be happy to go see them.

[Faithgrl]

So this week has been a lesson in what DOESN'T work for me. Specifically, black seed oil and Tulsi tea.

 

They were suppose to reduce my (bloody) histamines. But all they did was make me sleepy, cranky and itchy. So much for that. I reckon it set my healing back about 1/2 week, maybe more.

 

What is working at the moment is lots of peppermint teat, and peppermint infused water, lemon balm, no sugar or chocolate/cocoa, minimal starch, and of course, no grain, dairy, ferments, sugars, processed foods etc.

 

My head, funnily enough, feels fine. I am not depressed even though my skin hurts quite abit of the time. I really like the "best of SA" threads whcih has encouraged me to stay in the moment. Church healing prayers also helps. As i suspected, this disease is physical, emotional and spritual and needs to be worked on all fronts.

[Hopefull]

Hi Faithgirl,

I wonder if unscented Billy Goat soap will help to clear your eczma.

When my kids had ezcma, I used uncented Billy Goats soap and it worked.

You can buy it from your local Chemist.

I think Chemist Warehouse has it. They also have a website. All the best, Hopefull.

[Hopefull]

The website is: www.billiegoatsaop.com.au.

[Faithgrl]

Thanks Hopeful! I am going to get some and try.

 

This week has been a VERY bad week for my skin. My head, incidentally feels fine.

 

On Tuesday, after flaring constantly on Monday (in particular after every meal) I decided to fast it out. I remember when I had food poisoning, there was no eczema.

 

So since Tuesday, I have been eating very little to minimise my flares. Pretty much liquids and supplements during the day, and maybe chicken or fish for dinner at night with a salad, if I am hungry. No starch or sugar. Its abit scary but funnily enough, I feel fine. I am still going to work which is good. It distracts me from the itchiness sometimes. 

 

The one thing that has helped my head to keep going seems to be a teaspoon of hemp seed oil. Anything more, I get itchy.

 

I am otherwise starting to keep a journal of everything I do and the frequency of the flares and looking into alternatives. Somebody else has tried LDN and I am going to look into that. 

 

I hope you are all well in this holiday season.

[AliG]

Faith. You are on your own path and don't get " pulled back " by uneducated friends. This is your journey but we all have to remind ourselves why we are doing this.

 

I have found " fasting " helpful at times. That's just me but it's helped.

 

A journal is a great idea. Let us know how it goes.

[Faithgrl]

Thanks AliG. I do appreciate the "permission" to fast, if it helps.

 

I have had an eating disorder in the past and part of the "cure" is to never skip meals, no matter what.

 

Now that that's gone, replaced by this, fasting (even though I am not even hungry) is doing my head in a little.

 

I do appreciate the permission to practice my own path.

[Faithgrl]

So I went to my doctor about my eczema, mainly just to make sure it is JUST eczema and nothing more (ie shingles, psoriasis etc).

 

The conversation went like this:

 

Me: My flare up happened when I reinstated cipramil at 0.05

Him: How did you get it that small?

Me: I titrate it!

Him: Well, it is non therapeutic at less than 5mg.

Me: Yes but I am hypersensitive.

Him: Have you had any suicidal thoughts since coming off?

Me: No I feel fine. Great actually. Just my skin hates me

Him: Hmmmm ok. You usually use cortisone for your skin?

Me: Yes. But they stopped working 2 years ago.

Him: Ok. You ever had oral steroids

Me: No (!!!)

Him: Here is a scrip for Prednisone. Take that for a week and come back and see me, if its still there, we will get you an emergency appointment with a dermatologist.

Me: What would they do other than cortisone? The last one covered me in (free sample) cortisone and sent me on my way.

Him: They might have other ointments and emulsions.

Me: ok.

 

So I have a scrip for Prednisone in my hot little hands. In my head, if my body already doesn't like topical steriods, it aint' gonna like the oral ones. And this on top of withdrawals. 

 

Another search of the boards indicate that Prednisone is a VERY bad idea in withdrawal. I think I'll just suck up my eczema and do abit more fasting/intermittent fasting to stop the itching. I don't have any malnutrition or am underweight so I can afford to do that for a while.

 

One thing that I have figured out is that my body LOVES bone/meat or any kinda of broth. Even in the Australian summer. It stops the itch and calms me down. I think I'll do that for a while.

[Faithgrl]

All, thanks to the email from Alto, I have done the survey and here is my update. I am officially off everything from 22 May 2017. The good news - no insomnia and no dizziness (which was what made me reinstate last time). The eczema is actually fairly under control with a minor flare every other week, and abit of flakiness (but nothing unmanageable). The bad news is that the mood swings are back and not so easy to manage. I am trying to remind myself its just neuro emotions and my body trying to find healing but its been hard. I have finally taken on advice an not changed jobs, even though I know I can get more $ elsewhere I know I probably can't handle a new job, for a little while. Today I felt depressed for no reason at all and had to sit down in a shopping centre until it passed...that was weird. Oh well....I am finding having faith in God and healing hopeful and helpful. Its better for me to believe that God will heal me if I keep going, and even if it doesn't happen, I am spending time in WD at least feeling hopeful and happier rather than not. If religion is the opiate of the masses, then so be it, at least it should have less side effects? My food has had to change significantly again - no more red meat and fat (I have found it inflammatory for the eczema) and white meat only, and minimal vegetables and fruit. Histamine tolerance seems to be abit better as I can now tolerate bacon (every day!) but not much cheese.

 

Since christmas, I have been seeing a functional medicine doctor to assist with managing the symtoms of WD (eczema) and also a kinesiologist and they have helped enormously. Like most of you, I also have a cupboard full of supplements that has been helpful but no longer in WD.

 

Sorry this is abit sporadic and "train of thought" but I haven't been very clear in my thinking (unless I have to shape up for work). But an update is an update....and for now I feel ok and I have to stay hopeful by the grace of God.

[Hopefull]

On 8/20/2017 at 3:50 PM, Faithgrl said:

All, thanks to the email from Alto, I have done the survey and here is my update. I am officially off everything from 22 May 2017. The good news - no insomnia and no dizziness (which was what made me reinstate last time). The eczema is actually fairly under control with a minor flare every other week, and abit of flakiness (but nothing unmanageable). The bad news is that the mood swings are back and not so easy to manage. I am trying to remind myself its just neuro emotions and my body trying to find healing but its been hard. I have finally taken on advice an not changed jobs, even though I know I can get more $ elsewhere I know I probably can't handle a new job, for a little while. Today I felt depressed for no reason at all and had to sit down in a shopping centre until it passed...that was weird. Oh well....I am finding having faith in God and healing hopeful and helpful. Its better for me to believe that God will heal me if I keep going, and even if it doesn't happen, I am spending time in WD at least feeling hopeful and happier rather than not. If religion is the opiate of the masses, then so be it, at least it should have less side effects? My food has had to change significantly again - no more red meat and fat (I have found it inflammatory for the eczema) and white meat only, and minimal vegetables and fruit. Histamine tolerance seems to be abit better as I can now tolerate bacon (every day!) but not much cheese.

 

Since christmas, I have been seeing a functional medicine doctor to assist with managing the symtoms of WD (eczema) and also a kinesiologist and they have helped enormously. Like most of you, I also have a cupboard full of supplements that has been helpful but no longer in WD.

 

Sorry this is abit sporadic and "train of thought" but I haven't been very clear in my thinking (unless I have to shape up for work). But an update is an update....and for now I feel ok and I have to stay hopeful by the grace of God.

Hi Faith,

How are you doing these days? 

[Faithgrl]

Hey Hopefull, thanks for checking in on me. I am actually mostly well. I am still in the same job and they have promoted me a few times, so not moving was not a bad move after all. Its been almost 2 years since I completely come off and symptoms has come and gone...I am still pretty allergic to lots of things and am still seeing the kinesiologist who is still helping enormously with the allergies that is coming up. My boyfriend and I are now both 40 and we are hoping to have a baby. The sex thing however remains problematic long after the meds that caused it has gone (sigh) so we are looking for some assistance, preferably without me getting doped up on hormones (and triggering more mood swings). Otherwise things are ok and I am excited about the next chapter. I usually hang out at the SA facebook group which is good. And I am going to search around this site for advice/recommendations for having a kid post WD. I am feeling hopeful! 

[Hopefull]

Hi Faithgirl,

How are you doing these days?

[Faithgrl]

Hello Hopeful! Thanks for checking in on me. I am actually great these days and I am feeling the best I have ever felt. I am not very active in these forums but pretty active over at the FB group. 

 

I feel like I have turned a corner since late last year when I found a church that I am comfortable in, and joined their worship team. Life is SO much smoother and I feel like I am surrounded by positive people and have people to turn to for counselling, support and prayers. Its kinda like I have found my home, after running around in 12 step recovery and various other places (with no disrespect to any other mode of recovery or any other groups). 

 

My sleep is great and I have no dizziness. The eczema isn't the best but it is relatively under control with the assistance of the kinesiologist, clean(ish) food and supplements and anti-histamines for emergencies.

 

Work is going great and I continue to be promoted etc...

 

The next thing remains the baby thing. I have decided to go the IVF route and that comes with alot of challenges emotionally and physically. Luckily the clinic I signed up with comes with all-you-can-eat-counselling so I am taking advantage of it. Its actually abit odd because I feel pretty stable and now I am deliberately distablising myself with trying to have a baby. But this is what I really want at the moment and I am going to go for it. I feel really sad about how much time the AD robbed me of this opportunity to have them younger, but I can only grief over the lost time and there is nothing I can do about it. I made certain choices which I actually regret now (like starting AD), but they are my choices and now I am stuck with the consequences of them. For this I feel grief. 

 

I am so grateful that I am having what is pretty much a full life post AD. I know that is pretty special and I am grateful. And I am grateful to you all for pointing me in the right direction and spurring me on this journey. 

[Faithgrl]

Hi all here is a major update. 

 

I had a baby in October 2020. The pregnancy was easy. The birth was uneventful (they said I was going to have a c section due to the size of the baby's head and they were right). The first 2 weeks was ok. Then my husband went back to work and it all went to crap when I had to get up at night to feed the baby and settle him.

 

As it turns out, the lack of sleep and the (new!) constant baby noises was not good for my brain. I think as a musician (I used to study piano) I was already abit sensitive to noise, and the AD and WDL definately made me more sensitive, even 3 years after complete WDL. 

I ended up not sleeping, I lost my appetite and I couldn't stop crying. This was a HUGE shock to me cause I have almost never lost my appetite. I tried to eat and food tasted liked cardboard. That was something I have never experience. Some part of it was probably due to hormones re breastfeeding and not being pregnant anymore. So obviously went to the doctor to see what they can do about it and of course...the first thing they offered was anti-depressants. 

 

I was like...GOD have I heard this before. The only thing I heard different was that...its only temporary until you are back to normal...you'll find a way and we'll taper you off. 

 

I don't f**king think so. I KNEW I was sensitised from my last 10 year + run in with ADs and I was NOT about to do it again. So I said a polite - thank you very much and went away to figure what I was gonna do next. I was willing to pay $300 per night for someone else to do night shift with the baby for me. 

 

I cried to my Mom asking her for money to do this and she said - look, let me have a go and see how we go. I was like nooooo (her and I wasn't on great terms at the time) but she insisted and so did the husband. She has been looking after the baby at night since for 5 nights out of 7 and it has been a GODSEND. She herself is in the business of looking after babies and toddlers and is very good and very patient with the baby. It took me about 2 weeks to recover back to my old self and sleeping like normal again, with the help of the kinsiologist. 

 

During that crying phase I ended up calling a couple of helplines, one of which put me into a Mum's group for Mums with post natal depression and anxiety. God that has been PAINFUL. The majority of them are on anti-depressants and they are like...yeah its the best thing ever and at a particular point, its the only way. I see them with the lens of my (rather extensive) experience with AD and I am just like...God I hope and wish you guys will be one of the 60-70% who jumps off with no issues. I don't say anything because I know there is no point in saying anything to such people at "that" phase of meds (I know, I was one of those people!). I am just so grateful that my Mom stepped in to help otherwise I am just absolutely stuffed. 

 

They were also talking about a facility for mother and babies in a hospital for post natal dep and anx. It actually sounded quite good (apparently the nurses there  tries to figure out how to make the baby start sleeping overnight in week 1 (and you sleep through the night), then hand the baby back to you! (in week 2)) except for the whole...yeah gotta be on drugs and seeing a shrink bit. Its something I would like to be doing if the baby gets hard down the track but then I'd need to be really strong to not do the drugs bit. Ugh.

 

On  self-reflection, I feel really judgy of the Mums in the group who are on ADs...BUT I KNOW that is sourced from my very deep fear of going back on ADs and what that would look like for me. And the only way to get over it is to accept that..if it comes to the point where I do need ADs...then so be it and I will need to do it with acceptance and grace, which is what I am not really doing with the other Mums in the group. Anyway it is something I am working on.   

 

I feel like I am now fully recovered from (at least) the emotional crap of the ADs and now the only thing that remains is the histamine disregulation. I am VERY sensitive at the moment and now came off all supplements (I was taking a few during pregnancy. Post pregnancy....one by one they fell away as I reacted with scalpe eczema). I don't feel unwell without them and my body doesn't miss them...so that's good and I am saving money I suppose! The eczema is only partially under control and my food is the cleanest it has ever been. I have flares in my hand couple of times a week and it is abit painful. But I feel like that is the LAST thing and in any case, it was a pre-existing condition potentially exacerbated by ADs. 

 

I am working hard on healing myself. I see a NAET practicioner for allergies (which seems to have some impact...NAET is used by some people in the MCS circles), a kinesiologist and a chiro. I also get healing prayers for myself at a local church. I also recently started doing healing meditations on youtube , like this one that goes overnight! The baby is otherwise great and is starting to assert himself as his own person! The relationship with my Mum as a result of her looking after him is healed! It has been an absolute miracle and I attribute the success of my journey to the tapering protocol provided, as well as praying for healing (or getting others to pray for me) constantly (even though I was agnostic about God through pretty much all of it). 

 

 The only (completely mad!) thing now is that I would like a 2nd baby. But Mum said she isn't going to help with the second and given what happened with the first, I'd need a HEAP of money for night nannies if I ever do a 2nd to ensure I don't end up doing AD in a mother/baby hospital ward I say this as a half joke as this is not the time to think about it at all but that is the mad stuff that my mind now turns to ...which is AWESOME as opposed to the old stuff of dep and anx and just trying to figure out how to get through the day and pretend to be normal to be survive. 

 

Life is better than it ever was without AD but I had to put in the work and I felt like I got VERY VERY lucky with various alternative practitioners and SA helping me to recover. For me it was never about going back to myself pre-meds (cause that was sh*t and I was depressed). I needed to get to a place where I don't need meds and I think I am there. I am so grateful to SA for starting me on the journey.  

 

I would love to post a mother baby photo but since its all anonymous...you'd just have to imagine a picture of a glowing Mom with her baby here......   

[Faithgrl]

PS. I am now the moderator of the SA facebook group. Its a secret group so you can't find it! But if you want to be admitted, send me a PM here and we'll let you in! We are a friendly bunch...!

[Sicksagittarius]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:57 AM, Faithgrl said:

I am working hard on healing myself. I see a NAET practicioner for allergies (which seems to have some impact...NAET is used by some people in the MCS circles), a kinesiologist and a chiro. I also get healing prayers for myself at a local church. I also recently started doing healing meditations on youtube , like this one that goes overnight! The baby is otherwise great and is starting to assert himself as his own person! The relationship with my Mum as a result of her looking after him is healed! It has been an absolute miracle and I attribute the success of my journey to the tapering protocol provided, as well as praying for healing (or getting others to pray for me) constantly (even though I was agnostic about God through pretty much all of it). 

@FaithgrlHi! Has NAET worked for your food intolerances caused by withdrawal? I struggle with finding foods I can eat besides like 7 items. I have a histamine intolerance, follow low fodmap, anti candida, antiinflammatory diet etc. However since I dont have enough foods I cheat and eat peanut butter a lot which is bad for histamine and due to a high stress situation and trying new supplements my nervous system has been rattled for a few months. I cannot focus on objects when Im outside thy are blurry and unfocused and slightly moving. Would NAET be too stimulating to my nervous system? When did you do it in your withdrawal journey? I need to do something to allow me to eat more foods. 

[Faithgrl]

Hey @Sicksagittarius

 

So, the NAET worked for a while, between June 2020 to Jan 2021. It might also be because I was preggers and I ended up eating more. Like you I restricted my diet enormously (Paleo, low sal which means all I was eating was meat, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, fruit) since the huge flare up post meds in 2017.

 

The NAET stopped working about Christmas and so did the kinesiology. From  a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity FB Group they introduce me to Nicole @ Abundant Life (google her) who is a clinical nutritionist and she specialises in people who are down to like 2 foods (like lamb and sweet potato). She put me on a low oxalate diet (which was a huge change in my diet) got me eating vegetables and change my supps around. IT HAS BEEN WORKING and I have been seeing her since May of this year. Its not perfect, the eczema is still not awesome and I am taking anti-histamines every few days...but its been much better than constantly restricting my food and not getting better. I also started phototherapy and maybe that helped?

 

Long story short, the NAET worked but just for a bit, and is worth a try (if you can get someone to introduce you to somebody good). Kinesiology (I recommend David Revitt and he can do it remotely, he is something very special) is good and also worth a try (I did it between 2017 to 2021 and it was SO helpful post WDL and it saved my life, particularly with the insomnia). I highly recommend Nicole to try if you want to increase your foods (she takes on international clients, and isn't cheap, but not expensive either). If you want to try her I recommend jumping in the queue...she isn't starting work again until end of October cause she is moving house. Like with all recommendations, I have no idea if it will help or make you worse, but what I usually do is attend 3 sessions to see if I am better or worse and do everything I am told (ugh. like low sugar ugh) and see what happens.

 

Its not a perfectly smooth ride but its getting better. Every time I add a new supp or more veg I flare or get anxious but Nicole reckons its all part of the process, and I stick with it and it abates. That has been abit different because my expectation is like...if I do what I am told I should immediately get better. But it does seem to be worse in an adjustment period, then better.  Which is (oddly enough) not usually how I roll. But it seems to be the case with her.

 

Good luck, please let me know how you get on or if you want any more ideas. I also went and saw a function doc post WDL and got put on multibiotic, mutaflor, some homeopathic drops, digestive enzymes, and a few other things such as glycine and Vit K that was suppose to absorb salicylates (that I can't remember). It helped for a while..until I reacted to them. My body seems to like some stuff ..but not long term. Nicole has been good cause we are constantly reviewing the supps.

 

I did ALOT of stuff since 2017. PM me to discuss lol. There is a list. Talk to me and we can compare the list (haha).

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by ChessieCat
Unbolded

[Altostrata]

Thanks so much for helping Sicksagittarious, @Faithgrl

[Faithgrl]

@Altostrata OMG Hello! Didn't expect a personal hi from our founder! Huge fangirl!!   I have listened to your interviews and this site was the start of me opening up my eyes to (what is possibly a minority, but a large one) of AD WDL. Thank you so much for being there, if it wasn't for the info on this site I wouldn't know how I was gonna get off the damn things (when they stopped working). I crawled through this site in my early days being constantly talked down from taking more meds and doing something stupid for which I am so grateful to the admins.

 

And more than happy to share and help and essentially provide a list of what I have tried and what worked, what didn't and for how long. Obviously without pushing it onto anyone and saying its the 2nd coming of Jeebus or whatever lol.

 

So I am prompted to do another major update. TL;DR - all is well, life is good, kinesiology and NAET are out and clinical nutritionist is in!

 

As above, the kinesiolgy and NAET sorted wasn't doing an enormous amount (and certainty not worth the $110 -$140 per session I was paying, and it was once or twice a week) at the beginning of this year. i was hanging out at the multiple sensitivity FB groups and they put me on the Nicole Hargreaves at Abundant Life. I figured since the MCS peeps are down to almost nothing, she could help and I contacted her and got an appointment 4 weeks later.

 

She completely changed my diet to lowish oxalate (no potatoes, sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, spices), no pork, no shellfish, and re-introduced grains (rice, sorghum, millet, tapioca) back into my diet. She demanded I start eating a wide variety of veg (up to 600g? 750g?) per day. She put me on a few supps. I flared ALOT in doing different foods and increasing supps but almost 5 months later, I am seeing real results in a reduction of eczema flares, and the tip of my fingers are almost healed enough for me not to avoid them when I am doing baby stuff (such as clicking him into the car seat). It hasn't been a perfect ride and I managed to fail on a couple of supps suggestions (partially hydrogentated guar gum, some laxatives that had lactose in it etc...) and I am not at the full recommended strength of the supps. But its better and I am glad to report that my food is not being further restricted and I am eating different and more foods. I am in particular REALLY enjoying having rice back in my diet, particularly glutinous rice (as a Chinese person)  

 

She is also pointing out and trying to get me to pull the symptoms out from how I feel about the day. Like, if I have symptoms, my day can still be good if I don't build my entire life on it. Which is what I want to do. Like if I have a bad day with flares/fatigue/anxiety...I am like...I feel so bad, my life is over...I can never have a 2nd baby. She is like...well you can pull your symptoms apart from your hopes and dreams and just let the symptoms be what they are....its an interesting one and I have to work hard at it.

 

So September 2021, I have been off meds since 2017, and now working full time, with a baby (in care full time) and really enjoying life fully and wokefully. The main symptoms now are abit of anx, eczema and fatigue, but nothing debilitating. Like today is a Sunday, and is all day with bubs and hubs. I was initially anxious about what to do, then end up planning the day (church in morning, long walk and picnic in arfo, and tv and home at night) and it was just a beautiful day. Its been a loonggg journey but I think I can call myself a success story (particularly after avoiding the idiots who wants me to go into post-natal dep category and start drugging me...again!). I have to admit God has been a BIG part of it and being Christian has made me much more positive outlook wise then any CBT has done, for me, and this has contributed I think alot to my emotional and spiritual healing. It is MUCH easier for me to say....God can you please fix this, then me trying to fix it. One example is like the fatigue that comes up...its like, God I am so tired. What am I gonna do? and He's like you don't need to do ****, you just turn up, I'll do the rest. And the day comes up good for me.

 

So today has been a good day and I am grateful to be here and getting to the other side.

[Altostrata]

Because you're feeling better, I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering.

 

Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually!

 

I developed histamine intolerance myself (from aspirin injury and food poisoning) and had to go on a restricted diet. Fortunately, I was not sensitive to salicylates (but I still have problems with spinach, an oxalate).

 

When people have food sensitivities, all they can do is to systematically exclude certain food groups and see if that helps their symptoms. But I am no expert, and there are groups (mostly on Facebook) specifically about this. 

 

Thanks for sharing what you've learned about this for Sicksagittarius and other members.

[Faithgrl]

Happy to share what I have done! For me I have had eczema since I was 3months old (a baby) and there are photos with my face all messed up.

 

I didn't have any dietary restrictions when I was little ...since it wasn't a thing back then. So I ate all the gluten, dairy, sugar etc...that I wanted and that plus hanging out with Mum who doesn't have the most healthy relationship with food didn't help.

 

I went gluten free after seeing a kinesiologist, all the way back in 2004ish. I think. It helped with the eczema but not enough.

 

The cipramil definitely did something to my histamine levels...I think it helped with the eczema and the shrink recommended it to me because it was known to have an anti-histamine effect. It didn't resolve everything - during that entire time I was trying natropaths etc etc to make the eczema go away. 

 

Once I stopped with the cipramil in 2017 the worst flare of my life happened and I was covered in dry, painful scales. I went paleo, then AIP, then low salicyaltes and food got more and more restricted. In this I found out that for some people, eliminating makes them better, then they are to re-introduce. But for some others, the more restrict, the more one can react to what one is eating to the point where you are down to like, 2 foods, which is quite a few in the MCS/Paleo AIP groups. I was one of them and restricting just made me react to stuff that I didn't react to before. I also looked into keto for a bit and it was...ok? I am wary of all the fake sugars in a keto diet and didn't go down that path.

 

I am still gluten free (95%), diary free (80-90%), lowish oxalate (which means nut free, seed free, no spinach, no star-fruit etc...). I also had a scan done with a lady name Pauline Rose who said I was reacting badly to additives...so no xanathan gum and I check the labels of all I eat etc etc etc. This was helpful given that another natropath thought I might have candida (I didn't). I am no longer paleo AIP and I eat gluten free grains.

 

I am so glad that after all these years the food is opening back up to me. My thing now is that now my skin has been good (its only been 4 days!) I am tempted to eat everything...I pray for the surrender not to do it, which is also a big shift for me also.