[Alyssa]

Hello!

Thanks for your reply! My doctor did not give many specifics on the root cause, only that constipation is the root.

I agree with your assessment and am hesitant to take the antibiotic which could as you described, become an endless cycle. I will check out the resources you recommend!

My doctor also recommended adding more fiber to my diet, and this question may be answered in the program you suggested, but in general, what are your thoughts on that?

Thank you so much!

[Alyssa]

Thank you so much!

I will go with your recommendation to switch the time of day I take the probiotic and see if that helps.

I appreciate your input and am really trying to look at my whole body to see how best to support it.

Thank you for sharing so much and I will keep you updated as I go!

[Alyssa]

Hello! I apologize for the delay in responding! 

Stress – I feel that might be a huge part of my issues. I tend to internalize stress and realize that is a contributing factor. While I love my job (I am a professional ballet dancer & teacher), it does require a lot not just physically but also mentally. Sometimes a stressor. Also,  the past 2 years I have been walking through traumatic grief with the passing of my mom from cancer. 

Open to any tools you can suggest for managing and helping me give my body the ’safe’ feelings etc 

Thank you for the tips and feedback on Zinc and B vitamins. I struggle with fatigue (could be more adrenal related) , hair loss on and off and combined with the digestion issues (constipation /diarrhea back and forth). Your testing suggestions are helpful to figure out the exact ranges. I don’t have any blood work with that already. 

I have been working to incorporate more protein in my meals and your VPF+C principals / videos have been helpful! I think in general I don’t get enough protein and am trying to up that. I also think that I might need to be eating more frequently to make sure my blood sugar does not dip too low. 

I have started taking LactoBif 100 1x a day, in the morning before I eat breakfast 

As well as GastroMend-HP as directed on the bottle 4 per day, split and between meals( 2 /2)  So far I don’t know that I feel any significant changes, except possibly more bloated? It has been less than 1 week of taking both.  I just realized that I need to also have the broccoli sprouts supplement to go with it, so I have not started that one yet.

Appreciate your feedback about the HCL supplementation. I will stay on the GastroMend-HP for 1 month and hope that it addresses the H.Pyloi well and I can then move on from that. 

Thank you again, I really appreciate your feedback and insight. Very helpful!  

[Alyssa]

Hi! 

I have watched your video on the cause of Hypochlorhydia several times, but still don’t have clarity on what the exact cause of H.Pylori would be for me! My best guesses are sympathetic dominance and possibly deficiency in zinc and B vitamins, excess sugar / carbs.   I am not on any medications and don’t drink alcohol. I have not been on any antibiotics for as long as I can remember, (possibly in my childhood / under 18, but I don’t recall)  I have taken a fair amount of Ibuprofen through my teen and early twenties as a way to manage period cramps, before I understood more about alternative ways to address those issues. Could that be part of the issue? 

Thank you for the additional resources for eliminating foods and reintroducing etc.

I found bloodwork for Vit D from Sep of 2023 and my number was 62. I realize that was a while back now, but at least a small reference point. The handout was helpful! 

I am ordering the Gastromend- HP and LactoBif Probiotics 100Bllion CFU. The Matula tea sounds amazing but I think I will try these other supplements and hope that they work! 

As you suggested,  after 3 weeks of Gastromend -HP then I will try to introduce the  Betaine after that and hope that will help jumpstart my body to produce enough  HCL on its own.  I realize it is a tempoary solution and wondered how long you recommend I take it? (I realize I am a ways off from that point yet but through I’d check)

Very grateful for your insight and help! 

[Alyssa]

Hi! Thank you so much for the feedback!! So helpful!

I’ll try to keep things in order as I answer your questions.

Elastase 1- 

I do not know my blood sugar status. 

I did the baking soda test for stomach acid and it was a terrible, nothing at all as far as burping within the 5 min window! yikes. I do have bloating a lot, although I don’t usually have stomach pain. Gas can be on and off, I am not always sure why / if it’s a particular food that causes a period of time that I have a lot of gas and then some periods of time when I don’t but that seems to be a cycle. 

I tend to eat a lot of rice, chicken, veggies and eggs. 

I am not sure about the H.Pylori. Since the number is on the higher side would that point to HPylori or do you think it is more indicating the low stomach acid? What do you suggest for helping with stomach acid and the H.Pylori?

Anti – Gliadin 

I eat 80% gluten free, but will do as you suggested and go for 100%. I eat rice and corn and occasionally dairy. (no oats, millet or minimal yeast) Do you suggest I cut these as well? 

Zonulin 

Vit D – I have not had that tested recently, however I do live in a very cloudy city and in the winter getting sun exposure is a challenge! I have a supplement that I take that is to help with that.(might need more!) 

Commensal Bacteria 

Very interesting! I am adding in fermented foods. Is there a prebiotic supplement that you recommend? 

I was wondering about the Staphylococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, as their numbers were also high. Would that be in part because of the low amount of good bacteria and if that is supported then the others would be brought down?

I have been going through your Gut health masterclass, which is also helpful, trying to understand the best way to support and heal my gut!

Thank you so much for your help! 

[Alyssa]

Thank you so much!!

[Alyssa]

 
Thank you so much for your feedback! I am preparing questions for the doctor when I have the follow up and appreciate your insight! 

One more question, you had mentioned that the MCV level is not optimal. What are ways that I can optimize the red blood cell size? 

Thank you! 

[Alyssa]

Thank you so much for your thorough response! I am looking at the suggested resources and grateful for them!

My doctor has said that Lupus is a likely diagnosis in the autoimmune department and I was wondering if you have any specific test that you recommend I ask for when I have a follow up appointment in order to get the best understanding of it?

I am looking into the GI map tests etc but wonder if it you had any advice specific to Lupus.

Thank you so much!

[Alyssa]

Hi! 
Oh, yes, I’m sorry for not adding that in originally!

It is partly a routine check up but also I have been experiencing fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues (constipation / diarrhea) [(have been taking magnesium at Bernadette’s recommendation from several months ago and that has helped some) ], hair loss, stomach bloating / distention and the general feeling that something is not right.

M doctor decided to run some tests for the adrenals, thyroid and autoimmune / celiac panel, etc.  

I hope that helps in reading the labs. Thank you so much for your time and input on this! 

[Alyssa]

Amazing, thank you for reading the labs, much more informative than I realized! 

1. Working on hydration!
2. Will update you on how my body handles the magnesium
3. I am taking notes for my next doctors appointment and the tests that I will ask for. I am not taking any supplement with methylated forms of B in it. 
4. Taking notes and watching the videos you suggested! 
5. I have done an elimination challenge before, although I would like to try it again and see what happens. I think that with address the hydration part, and I purchased MotilPro & Magnesium, that might have an impact on how well things get reintroduced.
6. The DUTCH test sounds intriguing  and I would like to get it done at some point, although I am not prepared to do that at the moment. 

Another factor that I wanted to mention is that since my mom’s cancer, there is now a family history of my maternal grandmother and my mom both having pancreatic cancer. My mom had hodgkin’s lymphoma twice, candida overgrowth as well as the pancreatic cancer. I am wanting to be wise to do what I can to take care of my body well and be proactive to not let this come any further in my family line. 
Appreciate your help and I will keep you updated! 

[Alyssa]

Thanks for your informative reply!
1. Will check it out!
2. I agree, not enough magnesium. I typically have Bristol stool chart type 1 or 2, and usually at least once a day. Sometimes more than once a day. Then I can swing to 5 or 6. The link to the handout was helpful.
3. I do experience bloating regularly and gas, though not as regular.  I have gone through time periods with floating stool, but currently have not had that issue.  I will upload my latest blood work, so you can see, but I don’t know if I have ever had those specific liver markers. I will try the baking soda test and let you know the results
4. I am including my latest blood work, but I don’t think they include the best thyroid markers. 
5. The only name I can see is “Candida spit test” Interesting, I did not realize that candida could be just in the oral cavity.  I do feel that my digestion is  ‘off’ with bloating, gas, although  I don’t usually have abdominal pain / nausea. With the bloating, it does not seem to matter too much what I eat, just that my intestine area will blow up like a balloon, I can ‘pull in my stomach’ for the most part, but my overall sense is that something is not right with digesting. I try to chew my food well, but realize that could be a factor of eating too fast for some meals? Also,  I feel that if I eat a lot of gluten I tend to then have looser stool. 
6. I had not previously heard about the at home adrenal testing you shared and I am excited to get into the full adrenal course! I was curious what the DUTCH test involves and an approximate cost? I have been experiencing fatigue and struggle to wake up in the morning even after getting 8-9 hrs of sleep consistently. So, not sure if it’s my adrenals or thyroid, or both! 

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement to keep going on this journey! 

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[Alyssa]

Hi!

Thanks so much for your detailed response! 

1. I know this is something I struggle to do, drink enough each day, but I am conscious off it! I generally get at least 50oz of water per day (which would be about 1/2 my body weight in oz)
2. I don’t have a dedicated magnesium supplement but magnesium citrate is included in some supplements I am currently taking, adding up to about 285mg. I also try to eat leafy green veggies regularly. I will look into the kind of magnesium you recommended. 
3. I do consume healthy fats, however probably not enough! I have had difficulty in the past with digesting them so it can be a bit of a balancing act for me to eat healthy fats. 
4. I have not had anything come up flagged on blood work for my thyroid, however, I realize that just because it was not flagged by my conventional doctor does not mean it may not be struggling.
5. While I have not had a stool test for candida, I have done the less official spit test and found it to be consistently giving results for it. What are your thoughts on the accuracy of the spit test? 
6. As far as I have noticed, I don’t get dizzy when I stand up quickly. Stress, however could very well be a huge factor. I have had adrenal issues for several years and have been working to manage stress and feed my adrenals well, but as you can see I am still working on it! 

Also, to give you a bit of background info, I am 35, a professional ballet dancer and my job places high demand on my body physically and mentally.  In addition, the past year has been traumatic, with the passing of my mom due to cancer. The past 6 years I have been on a health journey to holistically take care of my body and eat well – gluten, refined sugar and mostly dairy free (not 100% of the time, but fairly close). 

Thank you for the resources you shared and taking time to answer questions as well as look into things more. I appreciate your feedback! 

Alyssa