Daniel
Forum Replies Created
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Hey ,
Thank you for sharing your labs! I hope this answer might help you to make the right choices.
The most common reason for elevations in iron would be hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is a genetic condition in which your body is better at storing iron which can lead to an overload. This can cause elevations in iron. Ferritin (the storage form of iron) usually won’t go up until iron levels are really high. Has your doctor checked for hemochromatosis?
What do I need to be concerned about with long-term high iron levels?
High iron levels can affect different tissues. For example the pancreas (which plays a role in blood sugar regulation), the thyroid, the liver and other organs.Many people with hemochromatosis don’t know it. Clues to watch out for are symptoms the body might present, for example:
• The feeling of tiredness or weakness,
• brain fog, mood swings, depression and anxiety
• Weight loss,
• Joint pain,
• Bronze or grey skin color,
• Abdominal pain,
• Loss of sex drive (including irregular periods or stopped/missed periods)High iron levels can also be caused by taking iron supplements/medications. Do you know if you are using any?
It’s also good to realize that high iron levels can cause some serious problems, like:
• Damage to the liver (cirrhoses)
• Heart disease
• DiabetesYou can find more information here.
Could my diet potentially be contributing to my high iron?
Normally it is hard to get an overload of iron from foods. It is regulated through a hormone called Hepcidin. The more iron you have, the more Hepcidin you will create, which will decrease iron absorption. However, in the case of hemochromatosis, you’re iron absorption is ‘better than normal’. In this case, diet does contribute to high iron levels and high iron foods are best to be avoided.Examples of high-iron foods are beef liver (and other organ meats), red meat and raw seafood like oysters, mussels, or clams. Spinach is also a potent source of iron.
Some other factors influence iron absorption. We do have a movie on the platform which addresses correcting an iron overload. you can find it right here!
With my lightheadedness, is my low glucose a factor?
High iron levels can contribute to lightheadedness, but low blood sugar as well. In fact, you might want to discuss with your doctor if having low blood sugars won’t be a problem if you decide to donate blood.In the early stages of insulin resistance, we see that blood sugars can drop low. The elevated insulin produced by the pancreas is pushing the blood sugars more aggressively into the cells. Since the cells are still sensitive enough in the beginning, blood sugars might drop. Measuring fasting insulin levels might provide insight if this is at play.
Additional pearls from your labs:
Your liver enzymes are a bit on the lower end. We need vitamin B6 to produce these enzymes. Often, when they are low, this can indicate a need for more vitamin B6. If you’re going to support the body with vitamin B6, it might be good to measure the liver enzymes again since a vitamin B6 insufficiency can mask elevations in liver enzymes.Another enzyme that in functional medicine we often like to see higher is Alkaline Phosphatase. When Alkaline Phosphatase is lower, it often indicates a need for more zinc.
Elevations in eosinophils can be caused by allergies or asthma. Do you know if you have these conditions? Eosinophils can also be elevated due to something at play in the gut. Are you experiencing bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting or any other gut-related symptoms?
You mentioned you were on an auto-immune protocol. Could your perhaps share with us for what reason?
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I zoomed in on histamine, but with allergies, we have other recommendations we can share with you as well. In fact, we have a handout summarizing them. I will attach it here below, so you don’t have to search for it!
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Hey @nikolovaart ,
I don’t think that is a bad brand. But if histamine buildup is involved, you might experience worsening of your allergy symptoms. Perhaps you could share the symptoms you are experiencing and if you feel like it… you can share lab results here as well. We could give you more personalized advice that way.
Back to your original question: SIBO can be a source of histamine-producing microorganisms. Proflora Plus has some histamine-releasing species as well. Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are examples of that.
You could try to reduce histamine-rich foods (see the handout attached below! By the way, this was the document I was linking to). Typical symptoms you could experience when histamine is elevated are:
• runny nose,
• itching,
• red, itchy, or watery eyes
• diarrhea
• headaches
• bloating
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• flushing of the head and chest
• heart palpations
• dizziness
• low blood pressureIf some of these symptoms are the ones you are experiencing, that can be clues of elevations in histamine.
What are other recommendations from your Gastro to address SIBO?
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Hey @nikolovaart ,
With allergies, the immune system often reacts by releasing inflammatory chemicals like histamine. When the body deals with a histamine overload, symptoms can appear everywhere in the body – including in the gut. If you’re curious to learn more about histamine, I would recommend you to read this handout (you can find the handout under the folder icon!). With allergies, a histamine overload
Microorganisms possessing the enzyme histidine decarboxylase, which converts histidine to histamine, are responsible for the formation of histamine in foods. This is why many probiotic species are histamine-producing and fermented foods are advised to avoid.
Some strains are histamine-degrading, for example: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus plantarum. If you aren’t sensitive to yeast, Saccharomyces Boulardii could also be helpful in rebalancing the immune reaction that is often skewed.
When your body releases a lot of histamine, my first recommendation when it comes to probiotics would be the probiotics of Seeking Health called Probiota HistaminX.
Do you know if you are histamine intolerant?
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Hey ,
Good sleep does wonders for your mood, your health and your energy levels… and I wish you the same!
Tapering off sleeping medications such as Ambien is normally done in a schedule. This is made by your doctor based on the dosage. It is important not to stop just like that!
Maybe you can share with us why you have sleeping problems. The why in functional medicine is extremely important. Other helpful information is what other symptoms you might experience and what supplements and other medications you are currently taking.
There are of course protocols that can help. If falling asleep is a problem because you are solving the world’s problems (a racing mind), I often recommend L-theanine as a supplement. With my clients, I usually start with 200 mg and build up to a maximum of 400 mg. In some cases, a high dose can cause a slightly paralyzing feeling. Don’t worry, it will go away quickly and won’t hurt. You are also fully capable of doing anything.
I also regularly recommend magnesium bisglycinate (300 mg) in combination with ashwagandha KSM-66 to my clients. This often helps develop deep sleep.
Sometimes the problem is that melatonin production is not enough. In that case, 5-HTP in combination with vitamin B6 can help.
Klaire labs has a very potent product called stress support complex which can be taken an hour before sleep.
There are several things you can do.
Stress can play a big role. A test like the DUTCH test can provide insight into how your stress hormones behave during the day. High-stress hormones in the evening reduce melatonin production. The body then thinks: why fall asleep if my life is in danger? We have an entire course about stress hormones called adrenal balance. Perhaps you could start here and see if you recognize any signs and symptoms!
What is also extremely important to do is to take a critical look at your sleep hygiene. Here you will find everything about sleep hygiene.
I hope I gave you a push in the right direction!
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Hey ,
I choose my supplements based on the problem I want to address. For example: in eczema, the immune system plays an important role, so I choose supplements that support the immune system. My personal choice regularly comes down to vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, folate and vitamin B9.
With eczema, there is often something going on in the intestines. Supplements that support the intestines can therefore be useful. Vitamin D is 1 of them because vitamin D helps to keep the doors between the cells in the intestines closed so that undigested food can enter less easily and the immune system can be relieved. If you like to learn more about how to supplement vitamin D, I would recommend you to read this handout.
Supplements such as a probiotic can help break down histamine better. The enzyme that does that is called DAO and you can also use that as a supplement. Then you must of course know whether an excess of histamine in the body plays a role. In this document, you will find more information about histamine intolerance. Typical symptoms of histamine intolerance are besides eczema: headaches, joint pain, congestion, mood issues or fatigue.
When the immune system reacts strongly, inflammation occurs. Supplements that help reduce inflammation include supplements such as vitamin D, omega 3, GLA, and curcumin. I would make sure that there is at least omega 3 in your diet because special molecules are produced under the influence of vitamin D that are made from DHA and EPA (two omega 3 fatty acids). These molecules are called Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPM).
So you see that there are mainly 3 categories of supplements: Immune system support, gut related and anti-inflammatory.
As far as I’m concerned, the lifestyle elements are the most important to get in order. The supplements support that. For example, you can get vitamin D from the sun. You need less support for inflammation if you eliminate stress, reduce food intolerances and avoid any histamine-rich products for a while. The need for some supplements is therefore less.
I hope this helps you make better choices. It’s always difficult to say exactly what to take because I don’t know your situation. If you suffer from multiple symptoms, they can always provide more direction in our advice. Feel free to share those!
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Hey ,
Resveratrol has been researched and is related to many health benefits. It can help reduce inflammation in the body and it is a potent anti-oxidant. Some small studies show a reduction in inflammation caused by H. Pylori, although these studies are animal studies. That doesn’t mean it won’t help, but the current literature doesn’t specifically looked into resveratrol and gastritis in humans.
Since you have been addressing H. Pylori successfully, it wouldn’t suppress inflammation caused by it. But resveratrol does reduce inflammation in general. It wouldn’t be my go-to recommendation personally, but it’s worth trying!
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Hey ,
I will need a little more time to analyse your complete OAT, but I think congratulations are in order when you compare this OAT to the one in February!
Below I attached the front page of your OAT so you can compare yourself as well… (although I’m quite sure you already did!)
The Carboxycitric marker (Number 8), a marker of yeast/fungi and a general indicator of gastrointestinal dysbiosis has normalised.
The same goes for marker 12 (4-Hydroxybenzoic acid). An elevation of this marker is indicative of intestinal dysbiosis.
Marker 13 (4-Hydroxyhippuric acid) came down as well.
This OAT test looks definitely more balanced than the one from February.
Fungal/Yeast markers
On the first page of the OAT test, you will find markers that paint a picture of if there is an intestinal microbial overgrowth present. These markers do look pretty good. Carboxycitric is in the third quartile of the reference range, which could indicate an overgrowth of yeast, but other than that, the test doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary.SIBO
With SIBO the organic acid test can reveal clues. For example, elevations in the HPHPA, arabinose and 4-creasol can be a clue. However, I personally would rely more on a SIBO breath test… or rather the interpretation done by a doctor interpretation the breath test. Slow motility can skew the results.Mold
I know from previous conversations that mold could be at play. The organic acid test is a good test, but mold doesn’t always show up convincingly on an OAT.The OAT test is one way (and a good way!) of looking at your microbiome. But compare it to taking a picture. If you’re taking a picture from the front, you still don’t know what your back looks like. This is why evaluating symptoms is so important. If you’re still experiencing gut-related symptoms, you might need a different view. If you are considering different tests, a mycotoxin test from Mosaicedge might provide you with a different view since it measures toxins produced by different mold species.
Perhaps you could share with us how your symptoms have changed compared to February so we could give you more personalized advice.
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Hey ,
The best thing I can recommend you do is to start taking probiotics during and after the antibiotics. Antibiotics can wipe out bacterial competition for yeast and fungi or bacterial strains that are more resistant to antibiotics. Taking probiotics can help prevent a yeast/fungal overgrowth.
I often prefer Food-based probiotics since they provide a wider range of strains. In the library, you can find some good recipes. For example kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha or beet kvass. You can find the recipes here in the Beverages & Fermented Foods tab under the recipe section!
If you are looking for brands I like to use brands containing multiple strains like for example Ther-Biotic Complete from Klaire Labs.
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Hey ,
I can’t for sure know why her doctors recommended a plant-based diet. They could have their own thought process which I can’t speak to. In my opinion, meat can fit. The most important factor is to keep the diet free from additives, toxins, gluten & dairy, and food sensitivities and full of nutrients. If this person is on a vegan diet for example this diet should still meet those requirements.
I do believe going dairy free would be important.
The labs you have attached are helpful. Here are some things about her unique case that stand out:
Important Nutrients
She is low on folate and her labs show clues for a low vitamin B6 as well. I don’t know if she is or has been using oral contraceptives, but the need for B vitamins goes up with the use of oral contraceptives, especially vitamin B6. I would also recommend getting her serum vitamin B12 above 600.After supplementing for a while with B6, I would retest her liver enzymes as well. They are low, which is common with a B6 deficiency. This could mask a struggling liver.
Her globulins are on the lower side as well. Globulins are a group of molecules which can have different roles in the body. For example, Globulins can bind to hormones. Examples are Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (or SHBG), Thyroxine Binding globulin (TBG) and Cortisol Binding Globulin (CBG).
Globulins also contain Immunoglobulins, which are antibodies produced by the immune system. She might either be using them a lot or struggling to make them. Getting enough serum vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, zinc and vitamin A is important to produce white blood cells. Make sure these nutrients are in her diet.
Her vitamin D levels aren’t really low, but with auto-immune diseases, we see often that a little higher levels can temporarily bring relief to flares. Here is a handout about vitamin D supplementation if you’re interested.
Keep in mind that for the final conversion of vitamin D, magnesium is required. Serum magnesium is reflective of the amount of magnesium that has been in her diet for the last couple of days. This is why we usually recommend RBC Magnesium as a test since it is reflective of the amount of magnesium that has been in her diet for the last couple of months. We like to see magnesium levels in the upper third of the reference range. If she was consuming her regular diet before the measurement, she might need more magnesium.
Gut Healing
I know I mentioned this in my previous reply, but I can’t stress this enough. She would probably benefit from getting more insight into gut health. There is a good chance a leaky gut is at play. This can be caused by stress, elevations in zonulin (which occur when we eat products that contain gluten) or some form of dysbiosis. If she had ever removed her gallbladder, this is something important to know as wellJoint Pain?
There are definitely some auto immune issues going on. Does she also complain about joint pain? In this case, proteolytic enzymes like Intenzyme Forte from Biotic Research can help to bring some relief. Let me know if you want to know how to use the enzymes if she needs them. There is a protocol she could use. This handout might be helpful as well. -
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There are electrolytes in tea, although the amount is low. I wouldn’t rely on it as a source for electrolytes. Unfortunately, because it would be an easy add indeed!
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Hey ,
Electrolytes
If you suspect that electrolytes are the problem I would recommend you measure potassium and sodium.CBC and MCV
A CBC would be helpful to determine if anemia might be at play. In a CBC markers like the red blood cell count, MCV, MCH, MCHC, hemoglobin and hematocrit (The fraction of the blood composed of red blood cells) are included.Low Vitamin B12 can cause the size of the red blood cells to increase, while low iron can cause the size of the red blood cells to decrease. The MCV (The average size of the red blood cells) could be looking normal when the body deals with a decrease in vitamin B12 and iron at the same time. Therefore I recommend my clients measure B12, iron and ferritin as well.
Thyroid Lab Values
Your doctor might want to rule out imbalances in thyroid hormones. TSH, T4 and T3 are often measured for this reason. If you want to examine your thyroid health, you might want to watch this video well. It explains what in functional medicine is considered a full thyroid panel. If you are experiencing symptoms related to hypothyroidism, a full thyroid panel might be worth doing. Hypothyroidism can also cause you to feel dizzy when you’re standing up. This video explains what other symptoms may present in the case of a slow thyroid.Stress
Usually, cortisol is measured as a single blood test. However, cortisol follows a diurnal pattern. It is supposed to be high in the morning after waking up and decrease during the day. A single measurement, which is the standard in regular medical care, won’t tell you how cortisol behaves during the day. The DUTCH test would be a better test to asses cortisol levels since it follows cortisol production during the day.When electrolyte imbalances are at play and you’re doubting that drinking too much water was the cause of the mineral imbalance or if you are recognizing other symptoms of adrenal disbalance, this test could reveal if an adrenal imbalance is at play.
… and I’m glad you’re enjoying the content here!
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Hey ,
You’re asking a good question! There can be different reasons for getting lightheaded when standing up. The term for this is ‘orthostatic hypotension’.
Salt and other soluble molecules attract water. When the body loses a lot of electrolytes, loses the ability to hold water. This can happen when you’re drinking a lot of water. There can be other reasons too that you might want to consider when drinking electrolytes doesn’t solve the problem. I will give you some tips on how to replenish your electrolytes below.
Here are some other reasons that could cause you to get lightheaded when you’re getting up:
Chronic stress
The body regulates potassium and sodium through a hormone called ‘aldosterone’. Aldosterone, just like the stress hormone cortisol, is made in the adrenals. In fact, the two hormones are regulated by the same hormone produced in the brain called ACTH. In stressful periods initially, the brain produces more ACTH leading to elevations in cortisol, however…when stress continues, the brain reduces ACTH. The body knows that prolonged elevated stress hormones take a toll on the body. For example, elevations in stress hormones can cause suppression of the immune system. Since ACTH is also needed to produce Aldosterone, chronic stress can cause loss of electrolytes as well, which causes blood pressure to drop.
You might associate elevations of cortisol and stress hormones with emotional stress. This is true, but besides emotional stress, there can be physical forms of stress. Examples are pain, infections and sleep deprivation. Bernadette explains it well in this video.
With stress, other symptoms could also appear, like exhaustion, depression and getting sick more easily. When you’re in your reproductive years, it could also influence your cycle. Chronic stress can also cause lower production of progesterone. For a complete list of symptoms, I would recommend you watch this video.
In this case, drinking electrolytes can help, but it won’t fix the root cause.
Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugars can also cause low blood pressure. Blood sugars can be low because of beginning insulin resistance or simply not eating enough. This post I wrote a few weeks ago explains in more detail how this works.Anemia
To maintain healthy blood pressure, we need blood volume. When we are unable to produce enough red blood cells or when we lose a lot of blood (for example after blood donation, blood loss during heavy cycles or blood loss from wounds after an accident), blood volume will lower and can cause low blood pressure. Did your doctor check your red blood cells? If so, sharing your labs could provide us with more insight and it will help us to give you more personalized advice.Nutrients we need to produce a healthy amount of red blood cells are vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, folate and vitamin B12. Vitamin D, folate and vitamin B12 can be checked by your doctor. Iron is also needed to give volume to red blood cells.
Iron deficiency can also cause low blood pressure. Iron is needed to produce hemoglobin which is a molecule that gives size to red blood cells. Without hemoglobin you could therefore lose blood volume which could cause orthostatic hypotension as well.
Medications
When you’re using medications like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics… If you’re using other medications, I would also read this post about low blood pressure which provides causes and tips about low blood pressure in general.How to raise electrolytes
There are different ways to raise electrolytes. Sole is a salt solution which is easy to make.1. Add 1 tsp of Himalayan salt or (Celtic) sea salt to clear water into a glass water bottle which is about 750ml.
2. Keep the jar on the counter and put a piece of wax or parchment paper between the metal lid and the jar. Salt corrodes metal so it will rust with time.
3. Drink during the day to replenish your electrolytes.
If your like to use supplements, this is also an option. In this video, you can find several good options.
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Hey ,
It also depends on what brands she prefers and what type of supplements. If you could share what specific brands/products she prefers, I might be able to help better. If she is just searching for some general advice. I think did some really good recommendations. I use some of these websites as well.
Welldium sells brands like Designs for Health, Pure Encapsulations, Seeking Health, Thorne and more. Although I’m from Europe and there are some great products, I stick a lot to these brands myself.
iHerb is often a good online shop in Europe. It has a wide range of supplements and is easily accessible to a lot of people. Although brands can change from country to country often you can find brands like now foods, Jarrow, Life Extension, and Garden of Life, but it sells also some products of Thorne.
A lot of these brands are sold internationally. If she prefers popular European brands, this can be difficult. Even when I’m travelling to Germany or Belgium (right next to The Netherlands – where I live) the brands will differ a lot. Since I am based in The Netherlands and Portugal is on the other side of Europe, it is hard for me to estimate what is accessible there unfortunately.
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I don’t have personal experience with this product from Pure Therapro called Elite IgG, but these immunoglobulins look good. Perhaps you could give this one a try.
