congratulations on eliminating those suckers from your body!! Parasites can really wreak havoc on our gut and also emotional state. Did you experience any emotional relief/release after passing parasites? I’ve had clients feel extremely irritated and emotional the days leading up to them passing parasites, and then a sense of relief/release – emotionally afterwards. I’d love to hear if you’ve had any emotional shifts as well.

 have you ever measured your CRP level or other inflammatory markers to know if there is general systemic inflammation? Do you have any other symptoms aside from blepharitis? Have you ever tested your omega-3 fatty acid status? Do you consume enough healthy omega-3 fatty acids?

One symptom rarely appears alone, so if you can provide additional information, we may be able to help you get to the root cause of this chronic issue.

so I think you’re confusing the term “boosting” with supporting a dysregulated immune system.

Think of the immune system along a gradient line. In the middle is a healthy and tolerant immune system. It’s healthy and responsive when it needs to be responsive.

However, the immune system can become dysregulated for various reasons, and shift towards either extreme; it can become weakened and under-reactive, or it can become overwrought/hypervigilant and over-reactive.

If it’s underactive, this will cause opportunistic species to overtake leading to dysbiosis and overgrowths, and infections that can become chronic and severe (i.e. IBS, candida, always getting sick, etc)

If it’s over-reactive, this can lead to symptoms like allergies, autoimmune diseases and cancer.

So the goal isn’t to necessarily “boost” the immune system (although boosting immune nutrients vitamins A, D, and zinc are often necessary) when it’s hypervigilant, but instead to support the dysregulation by removing what is causing it to over-react. And yes, you are correct – this is where immunosuppression can be a life saver in times where the immune system is really attacking self. These medications allow rapid relief and give the person the time they need to address the root cause of that hypervigilance.

But both extremes require modulation of the gut microbiome to strengthen the immune system. Hope that makes sense?

I encourage you to watch this video in the Gut Health Masterclass about the role of the gut microbiome and immune health.

Hi – so I have asked Dr. Roze this question before because I had my wisdom teeth pulled out as a teen and they later unknowingly became infected. So I’ll share my experience…

Thanks to my preventative approach to health I found out about 2 years ago that 3 out of the 4 extracted sites had developed cavitations. You can learn more about cavitations here and see how studies have shown how wisdom teeth extraction sites found cavitations in 88% of cases. So the chances of jawbone infection are very high!

So I asked him if it was wrong to have had my wisdom teeth removed as a teen, and his answer was “no, not necessarily”. My understanding is that it really depends on the individual circumstance but what is important is the method of the extraction/procedure. And that’s where biological dentistry has an advantage.

He ended up cleaning my 3 cavitations using a biological approach (opened up the site, cleaned out the infection, sent it for testing, did PRF (plasma rich fibrin) to help the healing process, closed it up and and did ozone).

I asked him what are the chances of these sites getting re-infected since he had to open up the sites again, and he said there is always a chance, but it’s very minimal since he uses a biological approach to prevent infections from happening in the area. He also recommended that I get a 3D cone beam scan a few years later to  ensure there’s no re-infection (the 3D cone beam scan is how I found out they were infected in the first place). (thanks for reminding me… I should pay him a visit soon for that scan! )

So, my suggestion is that it’s probably best to get a virtual consultation with Dr. Roze as the next step, and get his professional opinion about it for your son’s case. Let him know you’re a B Better member – he’ll take care of you.

Wish I could offer better advice, but all I can offer is my personal experience and refer you to the expert.

 ya, unfortunately, you cannot draw any conclusions from a 2021 test result. The body is dynamic and ever evolving. It’s very possible that your CAR is now low if you are beginning to experience joint pain only in the mornings. Please make some time to watch the videos I’ve shared and let me know if you have any questions.

your morning cortisol awakening response was very high? When was that test done? We cannot rely on values if they are more than 4-6 months old.

Cortisol can be very high for a while, and then when chronic states of stress are present, can skew to low cortisol as a protective response. I discuss this progression of HPA axis dysfunction in this video here.

I’d also like to add to Daniel’s reply. We’ve just newly released the course all about adrenal health, and this can also impact blood sugar throughout the day and night, and also affect sleep.

You can watch this video on how cortisol, our main stress hormone produced by the adrenals, affects other hormones in the body. Both high and low cortisol can affect blood sugar and sleep through different mechanisms.

-low cortisol status from chronic stress can lead to low fasting blood sugar in the mornings for example, since we need a spike of CAR (cortisol awakening response) upon rising to help put sugar into the blood and get us ready for the day

-high cortisol status at night (from stress, poor sleep hygiene as Daniel suggested above) will block melatonin production at night and disrupt sleep.

So stress can play a big role here too. Would you say that’s a factor in your case? And keep in mind that stress comes in different forms; mental/emotional, physical, and physiological (watch this video for more details).

Let us know.

Hi  – does your finger joint pain resolve during the day? I commonly see this pattern in clients with low CAR (cortisol awakening response). And no hair on the legs and arms is also a classic sign of hypothyroid function in my experience. Both are connected, as the adrenal (or cortisol status) affects/governs thyroid function.

Have you seen the adrenal balance course yet? If not, these videos can help you understand this concept better:
• signs & symptoms of HPA dysfunction (high and low cortisol)
• what is cortisol awakening response
• how cortisol affects thyroid function
• reasons for overall low cortisol and solutions
• reasons for low CAR + solutions
• healing modalities

Hi – astaxanthin is an antioxidant found in various seafoods and is what gives them that red/pink color (ex. salmon).

There’s a ton of research on its benefits and it’s rather safe for anyone to take. The general dosage recommendation is between 6 to 8mg and doses of up to 20-50mg astaxanthin have been tolerated, although the exact toxicity and upper limit is not known. If you’re interested in the studies, you can read more about it here.

The seafood source is always key – I like the one from Dr. Mercola for that reason. It’s lab controlled so no contamination. It’s available in the B Better Fullscript dispensary here.

As with any supplement, I do recommend cycling on and off of them every few months. The same goes for astaxanthin. It’s a powerful antioxidant which can help act as a natural sunblock, so I always time my “on astaxanthin” months during the summer to help prevent sun damage.

Hi – I’m glad you’re sharing your feelings. We’re here for you and don’t want you to feel alone. This is one of the reasons why I created B Better – creating a community and a sense of belonging is key to health and longevity, so I’m glad you came to us with your questions and concerns.❤️

I know we’ve discussed HPV in a previous post, and I encouraged you to check immune nutrients vitamin D, vitamin A and RBC zinc. Were these measured?

I’m glad you started AHCC. You mentioned that the turkey tail used to cause you nausea and you’re feeling it again. I would discontinue the turkey tail and see if the nausea goes away so that you can hopefully increase your AHCC to the dosage that was shown to be effective in the study I shared (3g/day on an empty stomach).

A dull ache is not “probably nothing” and I would encourage you to find another doctor who is willing to dig a little deeper for another opinion. Symptoms is the language our body uses to speak to us, so BRAVO for not accepting this answer and wanting to dig deeper. Seek a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinion if you have to. Consider working with a naturopath if conventional doctors keep giving you the same answers.

Frequent urination could be caused by a number of things; high histamine irritating the tissues of the bladder, insulin resistance, adrenal imbalances (hypoadrenal state where cortisol and aldosterone are lower and cause increased urination).

From our previous conversations, you seemed to have a balanced diet so if blood sugar dysregulation has been ruled out with testing (watch this video on what markers to get), I would encourage you to check your cortisol status. And given the hormonal imbalances you’re beginning to experience despite your young age, I would point the finger at cortisol and adrenal health. How is your stress level? Does this resonate with you? Remember – stress is not only mental/emotional, but also physical and physiological.

I just released the adrenal balance course, and would encourage you to watch it if you have the time. Otherwise, start with these videos:
• The types of stress
• Testing Adrenal Function: At Home / In Blood / In Saliva/Urine
• How cortisol affects other hormones

Do let me know if any of this rings true for you and let’s keep the conversation going.

 yes, frozen works too. You can also buy a whole head of cauliflower, wash it, cut it into smaller florets, dry them on a dry kitchen towel, and pulse them in a blender to make your own cauli rice, and then freeze it as well.

 folkloric medicine traditionally uses hibiscus for painful menstrution / cystitis / feverish illnesses and coughs / promote hair growth.

The flowers are typically used and its properties are known to stop secretions/bleeding, soothe irritated tissues and relax spasms. It is also used as a digestive aid.

The taste is sweet, astringent and cooling. You’ll find it as a tea and encapsulated as a supplement as well.

Hope this helps.

 also keep in mind the other immune nutrients vitamin A and zinc in addition to vitamin D. Make sure those are optimal as well. Zinc is best measured in red blood cells so ask for RBC zinc.

The OAT test is not something your conventional doctor will order. It’s a functional urine test with 75 markers that can provide an overview of cellular metabolism, systemic fungal/bacterial overgrowths, detoxification abilities, and status of some nutrients like Vitamin C, B vitamins, etc.

Here’s a sample report if you’d like to check it out. The cost is $349 plus shipping (~$40) and you pay the lab directly. We can help with the requisition if you need it. Just email support@bernadetteabraham.com with your daughter’s full name, date of birth, your email, shipping/billing address if different, phone number, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

 it works differently than Histamine Block but they are complementary. HistaminX helps modulate histamine levels through different mechanisms of action, while Histamine Block (the DAO enzyme) directly degrades histamine.

Quercetin for example in HistaminX is a natural anti-histamine that calms the immune system to reduce or prevent histamine release.

Stinging nettle also has ‘antihistamine’ action because it makes histamine receptors less sensitive. Because of this mode of action, I tend to use stinging nettle as a synergistic, additive pairing with an antihistamine like quercetin (vs. an agent on its own). 

HistaminX has both of these in the formula, among others.

 yes, correct go ahead. They can run the MSQ PCR and more it seems.