[Bernadette]

@Szilvia Bartalos ok, so having to be on iron supplements is a symptom unless you follow a vegan diet?

If not, please watch THIS VIDEO in our Mineral Balance course discussing the risk factors for low iron, and let’s start helping you rule out why that might be!

Connecting your symptoms of bad breath and possible silent reflux, low stomach acid can also lead to malabsorption of iron (and other minerals/vitamin B12) so I’m really suspecting this to be at play. Have you ever tried the at-home baking soda challenge? You can find it HERE from the Gut Health Masterclass course at the 3-minute mark.

But there are many other possible causes for low iron. Have you ever tested zinc and copper levels? RBC B12? Do you have heavy periods?

From your point of view after watching the video on the different causes, what do you suspect might be a probable culprit?

And if you try the baking soda test, please report back and let us know the results.

[Bernadette]

@Szilvia Bartalos most insurances don’t cover these tests, but it really depends on the insurer and your policy. Clients of mine with BUPA or Cigna International seem to be able to claim everything and anything.

So an acidic/metallic smelling breath could be diet related as well. Do you restrict carbs and get into ketosis a lot (when the body breaks down fat for energy instead of carbs)? That can give off an acetone-like breath which could be perceived as metallic smelling.

Do you consume a lot of foods high in sulfur compounds, such as garlic and onions? That can also contribute to acidic breath odor in some people.

Iron supplementation or copper intake can also lead to acidic type of breath.

But if it’s been longstanding however, I would still point the finger at the gut and really want to know what’s at play there. A comprehensive stool test can hopefully shed more insight – especially with quantifying H Pylori and microbiome balance.

And Gilbert syndrome won’t have an effect on the stool test – so no worries there.

[Bernadette]

@Szilvia Bartalos I think your gut instinct may be correct in that it’s gut/acidity related. This was my initial thought as well since the pain goes away when you elevate yourself which can point to the possibility of silent reflux.

And bad breath is also very often related to low stomach acid or an abnormal gut microbiome. Do you have an idea of what your breath smells like? This could give us a clue. I explain the different smells and common risk factors for bad breath in the Symptom Dictionary handout HERE.

As a next step if you’re looking to do functional testing, a comprehensive stool test like the GI Map for example could provide insights into microbiome balance, any overgrowths, possible parasites, digestive markers, inflammatory markers, and zonulin which is associated with “leaky gut”. If budget is a concern, you can get an H Pylori only stool test, as that’s very often related to bad breath and low stomach acid.

You can find more information about the GI map HERE and another comprehensive functional stool test HERE from the Gut Health Masterclass course.

This test is not something a gastroenterologist will order or know how to interpret unless they have additional functional medicine training, so if you’d like to pursue this test, please send an email to support@bbettermembership.com and they can give you access to it directly with the lab for ordering.

If you’ve already been to the gastro and done scoping but they are unable to help you, I would suggest going the FM route now to look at microbiome/digestive health.

But first, please read through the Symptom Dictionary handout and let us know about the smell and whether or not any of those non-gut related risk factors may be at play in your case. Those would require different testing.

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye I’ll first reply to your request for stress support while breastfeeding, and then ask a few questions to help you get to the bottom of your involuntary muscle movement and phosphene.

There are many herbs with calming/anxiolytic effects that you can brew as a tea, however research on the safety of herbs in pregnancy and breastfeeding is always limited due to ethical reasons.

Generally what is safe during pregnancy, is safe while breastfeeding (but not the other way around). We’ve put together a guide with a list of safe herbs and herbs to avoid HERE.

And here are other herbs with anxiolytic effects that are generally considered safe while breastfeeding:

Chamomile

Gotu Kola

Lavender

Lemon Balm

Milky Oats

Motherwort

Passionflower

Rose Petals

Skullcap

These herbs can be prepared like any other hot cup of tea, and feel free to mix and match to your taste preference. Steep for 3-5 minutes, sip and relax! 1-2 C per day may help ease your nerves, especially in the early evening when it’s time to wind down. Sourcing is important. Make sure they’re organic. In the US, I like to source my herbs from Moutain Rose Herbs.

Now to help you figure out what’s going on, have you first been to see a neurologist and an eye doctor? That would be my first recommendation to rule out pathology. Then if all looks good, we can put our functional medicine detective hats on and start asking the right questions. If you have any recent bloodwork you can share, that would help as well.

And if you can share your top 5 symptoms, that would help us connect the dots as well. For example, headaches, bloating, loose or constipated stool, painful periods – things people assume are just part of “normal” life.

Waiting to hear from you.

References:

Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Mao JJ, Shults J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009;29(4):378-382.

Bradwejn J, Zhou Y, Koszycki D, Shlik J. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000;20(6):680-684.

Lillehei AS, Halcon LL. A systematic review of the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep. J Altern Complement Med. 2014;20(6):441-451.

Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosom Med. 2004;66(4):607-613.

Miyasaka LS, Atallah ÁN, Soares BG. Passiflora for anxiety disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(1):CD004518.

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye glad to hear about the progress he’s made so far. I’m sure that him sleeping better is playing a big role in that – even though it’s with sleep aids for now.

If he’s snoring when he’s on his back, you may want to try adding a slight incline to his bed. Prop the head of the mattress up with bed risers or pillows/cushions as a temporary DIY solution. Do you know if he’s a mouth breather during the day as well?

You may also want to invest in an earthing mat for his bed BUT, I only recommend doing this once the bedroom has been assessed for EMF. The mat connects to a wall outlet that is grounded, and essentially grounds you while you sleep, so it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory. My husband and I have started using one recently and WOW – our sleep has become SO deep!! That’s just one of the many benefits. Grounding outdoors is obviously the best solution, but it’s not always feasible in our modern ways of living. I can’t recommend it enough: https://www.earthing.com/collections/sleep-kits

I’m also glad to hear that he’s in a better mental space and things at home seem to have calmed down a bit for you all. That’s a huge win!

I’ll be waiting to hear about the other basic foundational priorities (bowels, food, water, etc).

By the way, has he and your mom moved out of the moldy home that’s being renovated yet?

[Bernadette]

Hi @Szilvia Bartalos – unfortunately I do not know of any. If you need access to any functional tests however, we can help with that along with the interpretation.

Please let us know.

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell I edited my reply – not sure if you saw it. I shared Dr Manjari’s details. There are also many naturopaths offering virtual support if none are available locally. Where do you live again? I may be able to make some recommendations

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell I would love for you to connect with a homeopath and naturopath. You need a strong team of holistic minded practitioners in your corner helping you through this. Do you have any friends who could provide you with a referral to someone local to you? If you don’t know any homeopaths, I would recommend you reach out to Dr. Manjari (she was a guest in B Better) for virtual support. She’s based in Dubai, but offers telehealth service worldwide. She’s excellent to have in your corner, and homeopathy is great when someone can’t tolerate supplements.

Email: homeopathy@drmanjari.in

Website: https://thehundred.ae/homeopathy/

WhatsApp number: +971-58-591-0412 for appointments

Are you taking anything to help you stay asleep? Did you have a chance to go through our Sleep Optimization program before surgery? If not, please read through THIS section of the program where I share different sleep aid solutions as a temporary band-aid while addressing the cause. Helping you sleep soundly is a priority in your healing journey – even if it’s with natural sleep aids.

I would also encourage you to get outside as much as possible and ground (take off your shoes and connect with a natural surface) for a MINIMUM of 30 minutes! Is it cold where you live or can you do that at this time of year? Earthing is a natural anti-inflammatory so will help ease pain in the body.

[Bernadette]

@Sara Almansoori I would prefer to use something that is stainless steel; not plastic or aluminum.

[Bernadette]

@Sara Almansoori correct, you want to make sure the materials used inside are not plastic (which most are). Another member asked about air fryers and we had a great thread about it. You can find my in-depth reply about air fryers in THIS POST (once you click, click on the title “Air Fryer” or “leave a comment” to take you to the post’s thread of comments).

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye I echo Daniel’s sentiment about following a specific protocol with such high dosages. Also the forms of Bs they are recommending are not in a form that can be easily utilized by the body.

For example, folic acid and folate are VERY different. Folate is what we want. Vitamin B6 in the pyridoxine form and Pyridoxal 5-Phosphate (P5P) form are also very different. P5P is want we want when we don’t know someone’s ability to convert Pyridoxine to the active P5P form or folic acid into folate.

In general, I agree that a B complex is likely needed, but as Daniel mentioned, B’s need to be added in very slowly as it can ramp up methylation and detoxification processes in an individual. And unless we know exactly where he’s deficient through testing (which you mentioned he’s opposed to doing unless it’s the OAT in urine), I prefer to stick to a B complex like Thorne’s Basic B Complex for example. The OAT test does measure some vitamin markers like B12, B6, B2, B5, and Vitamin C. It doesn’t measure folate metabolites unfortunately. You can see a sample report HERE (scroll to p. 3 for the vitamin markers).

I know it may feel easier to follow a given protocol, but each person’s root cause can be so different even though they may have the same diagnosis. Therefore, the protocol should match their unique needs and not the label. This is the main difference between functional medicine and conventional medicine. We ask “why”, not “what”.

If you’re not sure where to start, I would focus on the foundational priorities. Is he constipated or does he have a well-formed bowel movement (type 3-4) at least once per day?

Sleep! How’s the l-theanine and melatonin going?

Blood sugar and mineral balance. You said you would create a post to discuss his diet. Let’s do that next, because it plays a major role.

Hydration. Does he drink enough water? From what source? Plastic bottles or tap or filtered?

Please let us know.

[Bernadette]

@Sara you may be able to find S Boulardii at a local pharmacy. And I know a supplier for Microbiome Labs (and other biohacking supplements) – they’re called B. Health (although it’s my brand name B., I’m not involved )

[Bernadette]

@Sara Unfortunately not. That’s why I keep a small supply of these supplements as part of my medicine cabinet “just in case”, but I order them through Fullscript which takes about 2 weeks to arrive using a mail forwarding address. You can find my Medicine Cabinet Must-Haves guide HERE, and I share links as well.

[Bernadette]

@Rhondine sorrell to add to Daniel’s reply, may I ask how your sleep is going post-surgery? This should be a priority at the moment. If you’re not sleeping well, please let us know if it’s falling asleep or staying asleep that you’re struggling with.

Supporting overall immunity as Daniel mentioned is a wise strategy regardless of what the infection may be. If doctors suspect I or my family may have a bacterial infection, I usually take or give Biocidin (5 drops, 3 x per day for adults) along with my immune boosting protocol (10K IU vitamin D, 10K IU vitamin A, 45mg zinc, 1 tsp IAG powder 3 x per day for adults). Biocidin is a broad spectrum herbal formula with antimicrobial and antifungal properties (minus the negative effect on beneficial microbes). If my throat is hurting, I’ll gargle and swallow with this Silver Hydrosol, spray Propolis, and suck on ADP (emulsified oregano tablets).

You can find all of these and more in my medicine cabinet must-haves guide HERE.

I’m so relieved to hear your explant surgery went well. I have high hope for a full recovery and turnaround in your health now that these toxic bags were removed. Also glad to hear the S Boulardii was helping as well. Antibiotics create an opportunity for yeast/fungus to overgrow, so bringing on board this beneficial type of yeast can help bring a better balance to the gut microbiome.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Sara – glad you’re doing ok after your procedure. We actually have an antibiotic support protocol in Protocols which you can find HERE.

Hope that helps answer all your questions.