Raven Log

[raven]

Also another thing, I've been exercising and eating healthy for around 6 months now. I used to have a great metabolism and put on muscle/lose fat easily, but I've still got a belly at the moment, and not put on too much muscle, could that be indicative of anything? Any ideas on what I could do?

 

[raven]

@mattyb I'm not really sure what my gameplan here should be. I have very high zinc, high albumin, high bilirubin, high calcium, strange progesterone/estrogen, low hbAIc and a high lymphocyte count. Should I just continue with my herb cycle as planned or should I be furthering my medical investigation? I had to see a new doctor last week due to my one not being available and she said there was nothing too odd about the results. I plan on seeing an endocrinologist soon.

HbA1c is hemoglobin right? And bilirubin is created by the breakup of the hemoglobin of red blood cells? So they are probably connected right? Also the liver creates albumin, so surely all signs pointing to a liver issue.

 

[mattyb]

HbA1c is glycated hemoglobin (a measure of blood glucose levels over a month), and a low result is pretty weird - likely indicates not an issue with glucose metabolism, but an issue with the stability of RBCs. Since it's happening alongside slightly raised albumin and billirubin, it paints a picture that there's a higher than normal level of hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells). but it's not happening at a rate that's overly concerning. Like I said, methyl-b12 might normalize these results, I doubt that they are central to your PSSD (rather they are probably secondary). The hemolysis could be osmotic, so secondary to pH, electrolyte, and fluid imbalances that come with PFS/PSSD.

Otherwise, I'm not sure which direction you should head in either. I don't see any harm in experimenting with a herb cycle and seeing how you react from there.

If you've been having problems with fat loss and muscle gain, I don't think experimenting with short fasts would be a bad idea either, but stick with an approach and try it out fully before jumping around and trying a bunch of stuff.

 

[raven]

Ok cheers, I will stick with a herb cycle and report back in a few months

 

[raven]

four months ago I was probably at my best post SSRI state sexually, was able to get aroused mentally, erections good, orgasms decent, numbness ok, and things were just in general mildly enjoyable, it was a far cry from pre SSRI state but things were looking up. In the 4 months since I haven't been able to get aroused mentally once, and I feel I've been doing a lot of things right. What gives? Is this normal? I guess I have been more stressed recently, but have been working on that a lot this last month and things still haven't got to that 4 months ago state. Anyone had a similar experience?

 

[barbaar]

I was doing pretty good some time ago, then uni stress kicked in and everything got worse again. Not as bad as it was, but still a pretty large setback.

 

[raven]

Outdoor jogging does so much more for me than jogging on a treadmill, anyone know why this might be? Just did my first one since November due to winter, going to keep them up at least once every other day from now on,

 

[raven]

@mattyb

I seem to get really fatigued when I eat sugar, could my low hba1c be a reason for that? I've heard of reactive hypoglycemia, when the body makes too much insulin after you eat glucose rich foods and as a result your blood glucose levels drop sharply. Do you know of any way that this can be combatted? I know I can manage it pretty well but I'm looking for more permanent solutions. A way of properly rebalancing.

 

[mattyb]

Low HbA1c is more often due to some degree of hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) and much less often due to hypoglycemia. It could be hypoglycemia, but your symptoms would go beyond fatigue - you would be dizzy, hypotensive, confused, sweaty, etc. Sugar is also 50% fructose too. Fructose doesn't raise insulin, and it can help prevent reactive hypoglycemia. Sucrose (sugar) rarely causes reactive hypoglycemia - that's more likely to happen from starches like potatoes.

I'm not too sure what's happening when you eat sugar. It's likely just opposing the adrenals, suppressing epinephrine/norepinephrine, and this causes you to feel less alert. This is a fairly normal response, but I think people with weak methylation are more prone to fatigue from sugar.

 

[raven]

Thanks @mattyb, I noticed it particularly when eating a food high in glucose syrup (sesame snaps)

 

[mattyb]

Yeah, it could be reactive hypo then.

I still wouldn't put my money on that though. Given PSSD, I would suspect reduced methylation, since glucose opposes the adrenergic hormones.

This is super easy to test though, can do it at home with a glucose monitor or go do an oral glucose tolerance test (easy to get through a doc).

 

[raven]

Thanks @mattyb I'll get that done

 

[raven]

@mattyb

I got a home glucose testing kit and did some tests. I took my first test 2 hours after a meal, then had a lucozade, then measured it again one and two hours after that. I realise I should have taken the first measurement fasting, and if need be I'll do the whole thing again but I was feeling a bit impatient!

The results look to me pretty normal though maybe my glucose level should have risen after taking the lucozade? (it's used in the UK as the glucose rich drink in proper OGTTs)

My results were:
2 hour post prandial: 6.3mmol/L
1 hour post lucozade (3 hour post prandial): 5.8 mmol/L
2 hour post lucozade: 5.0mmol/L

Can we rule out reactive hypoglycemia from these results?

I plan on doing one more test while I'm feeling very fatigued just to double check. I didn't feel too fatigued after the lucozade which strongly indicates that I'm not reactive hypo right?

 

[mattyb]

Yeah, probably not hypo if that's the case. Those are completely normal readings. Low HbA1c is probably due to some minor hemolysis if that's the case. Likely due to a dysregulation with osmotic balance from mineral imbalance.

You should try out the electrolyte protocol that everyone else is trying out. Try out with just the chloride salts for the first week, then if that doesn't do anything add in the HCl and aminos.

 

[raven]

@mattyb Isn't the protocol more geared up towards the guys with alkalosis, whereas I show signs of acidosis? I'm getting my hair test results soon so hopefully that sheds more light on my current imbalances. Really appreciate your help

 

[raven]

Just something I want to write down so I can refer to it later, I have issues with visualisation and a sort of pressure feeling in my head, a 'brain fog.' I'm at university studying Maths and so sometimes this can be frustrating as you'll want to visualise concepts to really grasp them. Today my brain fog wasn't bothering me at all, then midway through my second session of work I had to visualise a slightly difficult concept and bang, there was a thick pressure in my head, from then on it lasted till the end of my working sessions. It's clear to me that those two symptoms are very related.

 

[raven]

First day taking Betaine HCl, Enzymes and Amino Acids. Got to say, my brain fog is a hell of a lot better today. No real improvements to sexual functioning or emotional blunting but I'll definitely take this for a first day. Brain fog has been absolutely destroying me recently

 

[Jaxx]

I experience the same, less brainfog, higher in energy. Felt a bit the same with noradrenaline inhibitors, but without an increase in bloodpressure this time.

 

[raven]

Day 2 update: Brain Fog massively improved. No doubt at all in my mind that this is a result of the new protocol. I am however feeling a weird kind of lethargy. Either this is an episode of my usual fatigue but not as severe due to new protocol or its being caused by something I'm now taking. Will keep things steady for the next week without upping any doses to see how I feel.

 

[raven]

Ordered my KCl and MgCl so will add them to the protocol next week. So relieved to have brain fog at a minimal level. There's a tiny tiny pressure in my head instead of a massive fog, so it's still there, but greatly reduced. Did have a slight belly ache today but far too early to attribute that to the Betaine.