carolynmay

Last one - also get yourself tested for adrenal function.  If it is poor, you should definitely add quite a bit of salt to food as there is a risk of the sodium - potassium balance becoming out of kilter with eating a lot of fruit and veg.  That was another mistake I made for quite a while.  Feel much better with adding quite a lot of (sea) salt to food now

Sorry - I should also have said that I did the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for 1.5 years as well - after the ileo cecal valve treatment.  I didn't use any probiotics or fermented foods though as I just couldn't tolerate them, so essentially it became a diet of meat, fish, eggs, all veg except potatoes and sweet potatoes (or corn of course), nuts and low sugar fruits.

A friend of mine with  a similar background health-wise has found though that she cannot do this diet successfully as she has an issue with fructose, which might be another one to consider.

You may also want to buy the book by Mark Pimentel which discusses a further possible approach to treating bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel. 

Good luck!

Hi there - I am also really sorry to hear of your situation.  I was similar myself though a few years ago - although I am a diagnosed coeliac and hyper sensitive with it, so getting rid of gluten did help somewhat.

Four things have made a significant difference with me I think:

i. Acupuncture by a gut specialist who also manipulates the ileo-cecal and other valves.  He says the valves can become "blown open" after stress or antibiotics in particular and describes this as like the door between the kitchen and the sewer being constantly open such that waste products drain backwards and literally poison the whole system.  I cannot say if any of this is accurate functionally, but what he did made a big difference to my gut issues. A fermenting gut will cause hosts of issues such as brain fog etc of course.

ii. Olive leaf extract.  Whenever I get a bad stomach I used olive leaf extract regularly and I genuinely do believe it helps (usually along with fresh ginger in large amounts.

iii. MINERALS - and I think this might tie into your brain fog issues.  I had a blood test showing very high levels of accumulated mercury (probably from mother's mouth being loaded with amalgam and dental treatment whilst pregnant with me, plus eating a lot of fish during my teens plus a lot of vaccinations plus "adrenal fatigue" so poor detoxification).  I tried using DMSA tablets through a specialist practitioner but felt really quite grim so abandoned this. Instead I did a hair mineral analysis test (and yes, I know they are controversial, but everything it showed made sense), showing super low levels of magnesium and zinc.  Since supplementing these I have got my mind back and very rarely have those awful brain fog times. 

iv. Avoiding fluorescent lighting - look it up.  Having the bulbs removed at work has made a monumental difference - which again ties in with mercury toxicity.

Please do email me if I can be of any help at all.

Best wishes, Carolyn

I'm also really sorry to hear that.  Hope you are feeling ok.

I thought I would tell you a story which might hopefully make you laugh.  I went out for lunch to a pub with my sister and a couple of friends last Summer, and I cooked all my own food to take in my lovely plastic box and lid.  So while the others all tucked into their gorgeous looking roast lunches, yorkshire puddings and gravy, I had some boring cold thing which was purely functional!

So then we sat at the outside table at the pub for a little while after lunch and I tried not to watch as they followed up with sticky tofffee puddings and apple pies and cream. I don't think I'd had time to think about bringing dessert as well.  But then, at least I knew I wouldn't be glutened and could relax.

Then there was a whip of wind and before I knew it, a plastic bag flew across to our table from the road outside and wrapped itself around my mouth before I had a chance to do anything.  Imagine my joy when I realised it was full of breadcrumbs!

Sometimes if you didn't laugh you'd really cry :-)

Thank you very much all for your replies.  I don't use the microwave myself so it's not that.  Perhaps it is just an almighty coincidence and it is indeed a stomach virus - hope so.  I am going to look into air filters - that was a good thought - thank you again.

Best wishes, Carolyn