Toxic, but i still found it interesting

I was poisoned again this week. I'm getting to the point where i have about ZERO tolerance for sulfites, it seems.

We took Duane's parents to Souplantation for dinner (Mothers' Day celebration) Tuesday night. I was very careful in my choices of foods: no pre-mixed salads, no salad dressing, strictly raw veggies from the salad bar. The only exception to this was i did take some raisins, some pickled beets, and a couple of sweet pickles.

About 20 to 30 minutes into the meal, i developed a raging headache.

Now, i know that all non-organic dried fruits are high in sulfites. Just two weeks ago i picked out all the dried cranberries in a salad someone made. But i've had raisins before! I've had raisins at Souplantation before! So they were not on my “radar” as something to be careful of. Turns out that pickled anything also tends to be high on sulfites. I respond fine to either Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar or to organic pickle relish, so this also was not on my radar. Since doing more research, i've also found that i've probably given myself small doses of sulfites (thus a mild headache afterward) in thinking that hash browns at restaurants are safe.

Regardless, i was one sick puppy for a while. This time i had new symptoms. I first noticed a very, very raw sore throat. Then my sinuses began to fill. I had asked about sulfur reactions recently at Hawkes' Health so i knew that Vitamin B12 and something called molybdenum were both useful in helping the body process sulfites. I had B12 on hand, and know it is water soluble so that it is safe to take a large dose of it (as long as it is not cyanocobalamin, which is actually related to cyanide and can be toxic, what i have is the safer methylcobalamin). I think that is why the headache didn't get any worse than it did. But i'd never heard of molybdenum before. In researching it, i found that it is an element, a metal.

This is what Wikipedia says about it in the body: The human body contains about 0.07 mg of molybdenum per kilogram of weight. It occurs in higher concentrations in the liver and kidneys and in lower concentrations in the vertebrae. Molybdenum is also present within human tooth enamel and may help prevent its decay. Pork, lamb and beef liver each have approximately 1.5 parts per million of molybdenum. Other significant dietary sources include green beans, eggs, sunflower seeds, wheat flour, lentils, cucumbers and cereal grain.

But, of course, if some of these things are grown in insufficient soil, they may not have the amounts a body needs of this element.

Wednesday i was still fairly sick. I stayed home for the morning, but went in for the afternoon. I had the doctor give me an adjustment, and he recommended something called Lactase (by Standard Process) which he said would help my body to clear nasty stuff. I did half an hour of work. I didn't feel safe driving, tho, and dear friend Cindy gave me a ride to my Ils.

I had several cups of “throat coat” tea by Traditional Medicinals, with Manuka honey and lemon. That helped the sore throat, but my sinuses were still clogged, i began a cough (my lungs being my weak point) and i ached all over as if i had the flu. Every joint ached, and i literally felt poisoned. I still don't know if this was all caused by a reaction to the sulfites or if an opportunistic infection set in as well. I had Duane get me some Benadryl.

Thursday i was better, tho my sinuses were still raging. I slept nearly to 8 AM which is unusual for me, and Duane drove me to work to get my car. I went to the health food store to stock up on more B12 and to get molybdenum. (And to eat, i'd not eaten since this happened. I trust what the restaurant at the health food store serves.)

The girls at the health food store didn't recognize molybdenum either, but they found a chelated form on the shelves. Because it is only needed by the body in trace amounts, it would be easy to overdose with this. The dosage on the package was 1 tablet. I chose to take two, and will probably take one a day for 3 or 4 days, and after that take it twice a week.

I spoke to dear friend Dawn while trying to figure all of this out. She recommended (and i think i need to do so) to carry Benadryl and some hydrocortosone cream all the time. I think i will also add some B12 and molybdenum and lactase to this emergency pack.

In doing more research on the sulfite issue i learned that a number of medicines are sulfur-based as well. If this moves to the next step and i have a serious allergic reaction (anaphalictic shock), it will be a problem not just for the seriousness, but also because the Epipen contains sulfites as a preservative. And, from what i've seen thru online research, this might not be taken seriously by ER staff. I already have a problem with them when i present a list of meds i can't take. Most sulfite info i've found indicates that it is not wide-spread (and possibly not well accepted) as an allergy. Also i've read in several places that a sulfite allergy does not indicate a problem with other sulfur compounds. I saw this stated over and over that sulfite sensitivity does not translate to sulfur sensitivity and vice versa.  So it could be over looked, and i've definitely shown that i'm sensitive, possibly allergic, to all kinds of sulfur compounds.  

In fact, i would hazard a bet that the stuff that was given me in an ER visit last fall was sulfur based. It seems to have been since that time that all these things have cropped up. I can't take sulfa drugs (antibiotics), and i'm reacting to even mild sulfates in shampoos. (The most common sulfate, sodium laurel sulfate, used in shampoo as a detergent and to create foaming, is very harsh. I've not used it for many years, but i'm finding that even milder sulfates like Olefin sulfonate and sodium coco sulfate – a less harsh version of sodium laurel sulfate, still cause problems.)

So, i now fall into definite “multiple chemical sensitivity” status – something i did NOT want! As most doctors seem to be entirely clueless about fluoride-based meds, possibly about sulfur-based meds, too, and unaware of alternative treatments (even the new alternative med doc only told me Benadryl when i called the office, but i've found so much more info), and clueless about safe foods, i want to be sure i don't get sick enough to require hospitalization.

Anyway, i'm improving. I still have sinus issues. That has moved into a cough, so i'm taking the Manuka honey regularly. I still feel very weak as though i had just finished fighting the flu. But i'd already planned to be home next week, so for once my timing is good. (Duane and i often laugh at how our “timing sucks.”) And there may be some good come out of this. At times i've thought that Duane's family thinks i'm a bit crazy. Now that Duane's mama and dad have seen first hand how sick i get if i eat food that contains chemicals, maybe it will be easier for us all. I'm hoping that they can accept a bit better when i say, “No, thank you. I can't have that.”

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Icicles!

 We've had quite a bit of snow recently.  What i'm amazed at, however, are the icicles that this has produced.  

Image by Mlewallpapers.com

We live in Southern California.  So, even tho we get a good bit of snow and cold weather, it is not the extreme that is seen in the more northern climes.  Meaning, that often, even when the lows are in the teens, twenties, or even colder, the days are often in the 40s or even the low 50s.  So usually our weather is not cold enough to create icicles.  These remind me of my childhood in Montana.  I had forgotten how spectacular icicles can be.


The past few days have had highs just at freezing (32F) or just above.  With the windchill it has been pretty nippy.  So the melting snow has created incredible icicles.  They are so beautiful.  I don't have pics currently, but if i get some i will post them.  


Lisa asked about olive leaf extract in the comments of my last post.  I chose to use it for this last illness based on this article:  Echinacea No Cure for the Common Cold, Study Finds.  You'll have to scroll down a few comments to find it. (BTW, the study of the title has a lot of holes in it.)

I purchased Olive Leaf Liquid Herbal Extract from my local health food store.  (The link is to the same thing at Vitacost; when i Googled olive leaf, i found lots of different ones already in capsule form.)  I have put it, as well as coltsfoot, oregano spirits, and astragalus in water, but frankly it tastes nasty.  I can get it down for one or two doses, but then start gagging on it.  So, at Duane's request, i also bought a bag of empty gelatin capsules.  I put the dose in that and we take them with water.  


Holy Basil (thank you for the recommendation, Amrita), quercetin and CoQ10 are all good for immune function, too.  And, as always, Manuka honey is my #1 choice for health issues.  Oh, and i use ginger in a number of forms for nausea.


I also use colloidal silver, tho it is a controversial product.  There are a few people who have "turned blue" by using a silver product.  What is rarely reported, however, is that these folks are often using:  1.  a home made product  2. taking huge doses daily and 3. taking these huge doses for months or years.  In other words, folks who have taken silver until they turn blue have used it in a very irresponsible manner.  I consider it quite safe for short-term use.  If you are interested in a further discussion of this, Hawkes' Health has it at this article:  The Silver Hoax.    


I've written on this twice before.  If you are interested, you can click the link at the bottom of this post, "cold/flu remedies."  I wrote of this for the first time 18 months ago.  What i find really strange is that that particular post pulls more spam comments than all my other posts put together.  Apropos of nothing, but i find it interesting.


We had N's kids yesterday.  We took them to church, to breakfast, and to the Discovery Center for a while.  They are really good kids, and we enjoyed it, but i was pretty tired when we got home.

Then i developed a migraine.  This is the third Sunday in a row that i've had a migraine, and they have been progressively worse.  Yesterday's was the worst i've had since i had Splenda poisoning the summer of 2009.  It was bad enough that i just wanted someone to take the top of my head off, or kill me please.  

So i started wondering what it is about Sundays that i keep getting these migraines.  After thinking about it and different theories, i decided that it must be the communion wine.  

It is hard for me to believe that a tablespoon of anything could do this, but i do have extreme sensitivity to sulfites.  An on-line search assures me that sulfites do not cause headaches - it is just the red wine.  The same site tells me that white wine has more sulfites than does red wine and white wine does not cause headaches.  Hah!  It does for me.

The headache was bad enough i considered having Duane take me to ER, but i was pretty sure that if i could wait out the pain, it would go away in 8-12 hours.  Well, when you are in extreme pain, that amount of time is hard to manage.  Especially as i was light and sound-sensitive and extremely nauseous.  I couldn't read.  I could manage the computer for about 5 minutes.     


I was mostly right.  There still is some residual headache today, but it is nothing like yesterday.  I'm able to function today.  


I'm not complaining.  I know that folks with migraines usually have the kind of pain i had yesterday.  I'm thankful i don't have it more often.  The migraines i usually have are much less severe.  I'm also thankful that i was able to discover the cause (i'm 99% sure). 

A lot of these Monday holidays don't mean anything to me (except the banks are closed and there is no mail) because we are home Mondays, anyway.  But our weather is glorious with lots of white snow in the trees and on the ground, blue skies and sunshine.  Enough to enjoy any day.  :)


Have you done anything special for this 3 day weekend?  Does it effect you?  Do you use any natural cures?  What has worked for you?


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I love sugar!!!

I'm lonely.  Duane is down the hill & no one seems to be "out there" in blogger/internet land.  But, tomorrow is the knitting group & i may go to the cooking demo with Elke (a friend from former church).  

I have lots i should be doing & i probably will, eventually.  


I'm trying to do a few days of simple meals, mostly raw food veggies.  But you know what?  I still am hungry doing that.  AND I WANT SUGAR!  I compromised yesterday by having a little fruit & a small amount of very dark chocolate (88%).  I did not touch the ice cream or the chocolate chip cookies.  I did not eat junk.  Today i'll have my favorite "egg nog" - raw milk with raw eggs, almond flavoring, & a small amount of stevia.  Yum.  :)


Yesterday i woke up with a severe UTI (tho i could feel it coming on the night before).  It was very, very painful & i cried.  Involuntarily.  The tears simply forced themselves out with the pain.  


However, i remembered what dear friend Dawn had told me a while ago:  Baking soda in water takes care of the pain quickly.  (She recommended, if i remember, 1 tsp in 8 oz of water.)   It did help.  I'm amazed at how quickly it worked & worked well.  As there are essentially no antibiotics i can use safely, i'm dosing with a number of herbs & other things.  I've done this before & it is quite effective.  Here is what i'm doing:

• I mix 2 tsp of baking soda (Bob's Redmill) in 14 oz of water & drink 2-3 oz every couple of hours
• I'm taking about 2 Tb of Colloidal Silver 3 x per day (probably for 3 days)
• I'm taking Uristatin (supplement from the chiropractor) 2 caps 3 x per day
• I'm taking D-Mannose 2 caps 3 x per day
• I'm drinking appx 3 oz of cranberry juice with 3 oz of tart cherry juice & 2 oz of water (3 x per day with the supplements)

Baking soda is supposedly not contaminated by aluminum, but i'm not sure i trust that report.  I buy huge bags of Arm & Hammer for household cleaning, but i buy Bob's Redmill for baking & consumption.  I have found that i eventually get used to the taste of baking soda in water & i think if i drank a small amount every day, i probably wouldn't even get the infections, but i'm not always good at following thru on this. 


I know that using colloidal silver is considered controversial these days.  In part that is because of the man who turned blue (purple/blue?) by using a silver preparation.  What is rarely said about this, however, was the reality behind what happened.  There are a number of different ways of getting silver into solution.  The blue man made his own concoction.  He also was drinking a huge amount every day.  Taking a small amount of a commercially prepared silver solution for a few days while ill will not turn you blue.  I know the FDA does not support using colloidal silver, but the FDA backs the pharmaceutical companies in all things.   Silver was used in medicine prior to the introduction of antibiotics.  In all cases that i've read about argyria (the turning the skin grey or blue) the person was taking large doses of the solution for a long period of time.  I will need to start using probiotics when i'm done with the silver because it can kill the good gut bacteria just as other antibiotics do.  


Uristatin is a dietary supplement made by Thorne Research & contains bearberry, short buchu, goldenseal, & echinacea (all herbs).  The D-Mannose i buy is by Solaray & contains "CranActin."  If i would take a couple of caps of D-Mannose daily that would probably be a good preventative, also.  



I buy pure cranberry juice, not a "cocktail" which has little juice & much sweetener.  It is tart!  Even tho what i buy is not concentrated, i still put a little bit of water in it.  It also keeps in the fridge for a long, long time.  (I'm talking months, here.)  The tart cherry i buy (organic) is not nearly as tart as the cranberry.  I like it a lot.  However, i've come to believe that juices are not the best choice of drink.  So i use these juices mostly for treatment.  I'd heard before that cherries, or even specifically tart cherries, are good for inflammation & pain.  When i first heard that cherries were not in season, so my choices were limited.  I don't remember it being particularly helpful for my pain issues, so the cherry juice i had sat on the shelf for quite a while.  About 3 weeks ago i was in quite a lot of pain & thought i'd give it a try again, & to my surprise, it was very effective.  


But, i'd encourage you to figure these things out for yourself.  However, even if you choose to use conventional modern medicine & drugs, taking the baking soda in water will help with the pain issue from UTI quite quickly.  

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I called Lori today to hear the rest of the duck story.  Up & down is that they kept the babies safe over night.  The next AM mama showed up & got them & took them off somewhere.  The lady at the wildlife refuge also told them what Lori & i strongly felt:  You don't take the babies away from mama.   She said that as long as the mama was living - the ducklings were not orphaned or abandoned, that they will not interfere.  So, we think this had a happy ending.  Mama & babies reunited & off somewhere happily.  (At least, not squashed in the street, as far as we can tell.)



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