Right off the bat, my new functional medicine doctor told me that everything I am experiencing is linked to my gut health. 6 years ago I experienced some kind of event that triggered a gut bacterial imbalance, and it has wreaked havoc on my ability to absorb nutrition and regulate hormones.
Initial treatment:
She did not want to wait before starting a round of antibiotics and probiotics.
For sleep-
Melatonin-1 mg
2 weeks-
Xifaxan, 1 pill 3x/day
2 months-
Candibactin AR, 2 pills 2x/day
Candibactin BR, 2 pills 2x/day
2 hour gap between next two
GI Revive, 7 pills 2x/day
Ultra Flora IB, 1 pill 2x/day
This sounds like a lot, but if it helps I am all for it! I would do FMT if it was available for people without C. Diff.
Initial test:
Stool Sample- Genova Diagnostics
This was pretty weird, and I am still, waiting for the results. I look forward to the results.
Cortisol Saliva Sample- Quest Diagnostics
Quest only shows upper normal limits for this test, so it is hard to assess adrenal fatigue. I looked up lower bounds and discovered that my levels were extremely low. This occurs when your body is bombarded by stress and it becomes unresponsive to it. That's what 6 years of stomache pain will do!
40 blood tests- Quest Diagnostics
We checked for metal poisoning as well as auto-antibodies, metabolic markers and markers of PCOS. I have only gotten 1 of 4 tests back, but I have found this so far:
- TSH: 1.4, down from 3.5 last year and 2.6 3 months ago, progress!
- T3 total: 91, low normal and much lower than the optimal/functional values
- blood cortisol: 7, low normal is 4. Again, much lower than ideal
- DHEAS: 343, in high normal.
Thyroid Ultrasound- TBD
My doctor felt a nodule during my physical exam, and I have yet to follow up on this test
Lactulose Breath Test- Brigham and Women's Hospital-
My kind technician let me take a copy of my results. My hydrogen levels had a HUGE peak at 60 min indicating SIBO.
My next visit is in 2 weeks, and I can't wait to discuss these results and come up with a plan.
*If you need Xifaxan, don't let your insurance bully you into taking an alternative, less effective, antibiotic. Use their copay card: https://www.xifaxan.com/Copay-Card?gclid=CPbxsIv0xNACFYWVfgodMHoD0g
