thismthfrlife-blog

[thismthfrlife-blog]

The Last Two Years

The deeper I get into my health journey and the more people I talk to, the more I realize how much my story has helped others and can continue to help others.  Autoimmune issues are not going away.  They are only increasing over time.  Even medical doctors support this line of thinking.  

A lot has happened since I first discovered that my MTHFR variations could be related to my problems.  That was December of 2017.  I was able to schedule an appointment with a top naturopathic practice in RVA for March.  I only had to make it a little over two months before potentially getting medical support.  Luckily, stopping all of my prescriptions, including the folic acid, and no longer eating foods enriched with synthetic folic acid really helped me feel better during this time.  But, things still weren’t perfect.  I was still getting:

* migraines

* anxiety/panic attacks

*nerve-like inflammation mostly in my right shoulder

* feelings of dehydration

* fatigue, especially after eating

* moodiness, feelings of being emotional, easily frustrated, and violently angry for no real reason

* itchy skin, especially on my head, stomach, and toes

* heart racing, vertigo

Yet, the problems were milder and more controlled by just my trusty over the counter Equate brand migraine medication- and I was able to take half the dose.  This was good!  

Luckily, when I went to the naturopathic doctor, she listened to me for two hours asking questions and connecting dots.  She prescribed some supplements that helped (many I still take), gave me some behavioral/environmental ideas, and ordered some tests.  

The biggest game changer she would provide me was a food sensitivity test.  She explained that foods my body is intolerant to aren’t allergies and they don’t necessarily cause gastrointestinal distress.  They are foods that my body views as toxins and struggles to get through my liver.  For me, my main sensitivities are dairy and sugar with grains.  Secondarily, I also have issues with potatoes and rice.  Once I stopped eating these foods (or severely limited.... for a while I still cheated with sour cream, mozzarella, and baked goods here and there), I felt even better.  

Another huge game changer was learning that I have a histamine intolerance.  More on this later- but basically it meant that my body even struggled to process a lot of the HEALTHY foods I was eating.  Yup, I was overdosing on the kale and spinach.  Oops.  

The final game changer I discovered on my own.  We all know that exercise is good for us.  During this time, I was walking and doing yoga but nothing too highly intense.  In case you are wondering, it is hard to really feel motivated to run a few miles when you feel like utter crap.  So, I have really gotten out of shape.  Well, I learned that while exercise is good, the real key for me is sweating.  And I don’t mean a gentle glisten.  I mean, serious, all out sweating.  I found this out one summer day in 2018 when I was at a playground with my kids on a super humid day in RVA.  I was barely moving in the shade and still profusely sweating.  I had felt kind of yucky before this.  A little migraine and inflammation and irritation... but after ten minutes of hard sweating, I felt like a million bucks.  This was the first time I had felt LIKE A MILLION BUCKS in years.  YEARS!  So, after that experience, I have made a point to sweat more-either through moving, being out in hot weather, spending time in my attic during warmer months (ha ha, you laugh but I’m serious), going to a local infared sauna, or taking hot Epsom salt baths.  

Oh yeah, I was moving along nicely getting better and better.  Sure, I still had migraines hormonally each month, but they became fewer in between and they were manageable.  The other issues were continuing to improve, even as I got back to working part time and bringing more stress into my life.  EVEN as I started to cheat every so often with foods that were truly worth it- that NJ slice of pizza, ice cream from my favorite places, that really high quality chocolate icing from Pearls.... My “tank” had room and wasn’t overflowing. I was even helping a lot of friends and acquaintances as I shared my successes. Yay!   I found my new jam..... so I thought.  

[thismthfrlife-blog]

January 23, 2018

I started to have stomach issues in college.  I now understand the connection to all of the beer and processed foods I ate, but didn’t realize at the time.  As the stress of life and teaching grew in 2010, they started to get worse.  I had an endoscopy and nothing was found wrong.  I did not have Celiac’s or Crohn’s Disease. I remember the doctor being kind of stumped.  I also saw an allergist who tested me for 100 things.  I was found to be allergic to nothing.  NOTHING.  She, too, was stumped.  But, she was really nice and down to earth and was determined to figure it out.  She suggested abdominal migraines.  The neurologist didn’t think so and my MRI came back fine.  

With those kind of medical results, why would I have thought something I was eating was causing the problem?  

Y’all, my whole world has exploded in the past month as I have learned more about the MTHFR genetic variations I have and the metabolic conditions they create.  Yes, I was being poisoned by my folic acid prescription, but for years I was struggling likely because of the synthetic folic acid added to most processed foods.

You see, in 1998 (when I was first in college), the FDA required processed foods to contain a whole bunch of synthetic nutrients to help pregnant women get the nutrients they needed and keep newborns healthy.  Some now say this was the worst move the FDA could have made because these synthetic nutrients have actually made more people ill than those who have been helped.  

You might see all of those fortified vitamins and minerals in cereals, breads, and crackers as excellent.  But, to me, they are toxic.  I feel SO MUCH BETTER now that I don’t eat them anymore.  

And, here is the thing- I’m not alone.  All of the info is only a hop, skip, and jump away when Google searching.  And, it isn’t fake news.  Somewhere from 40-60% of the population have these MTHFR genetic variations.  They are not expressed in everyone, though.  Some people feel perfectly healthy.  It can take a very stressful situation, serious illness, or something like black mold poisoning, lead poisoning, copper toxicity, or Lymes Disease to bring the problems to the forefront.  

But, if you get migraines that are “hormonal” or not attributed to other illnesses, you could have these MTHFR genetic variations.  If you don’t feel well after you eat a lot of the time- like hung over, headaches, stomach aches, muscle aches, you could have these MTHFR genetic variations.  If you have issues with anxiety/depression, especially if they run in your family, you could have these MTHFR genetic variations.  If you have an autoimmune disease, thyroid problems, or fibromyalgia, you could have these MTHFR genetic variations.

Why is this a BIG deal?!!  Because the solution can be so simple!!  You stop eating the food that is bad for you, add the food that is good for you, take vitamin/mineral supplements you specifically need, and work on detoxing your body.  

I got my life back, and you can too!  Yes, I might be turning into one of those crunchy moms who goes natural, organic, and folic acid free while avoiding western medicine as much as possible. But, I have my reasons.  And, I’m really lucky that I actually like kale.  :)  

[thismthfrlife-blog]

December 20, 2017

I found out in 2012 that I have a blood disorder called Factor V Leiden and a gene mutation referred to as MTHFR.  The first became an issue during pregnancy because of the risk of blood clots and miscarriage.  So, I was put on a few prescriptions, including an immense amount of folic acid.  This seemed good because pregnant women are supposed to have folic acid due to the risk of neural tube defects in newborns.  MTHFR was never mentioned to me in any way that indicated a problem by any of my doctors before, during, or after pregnancy.  I actually sort of forgot about it. But, on August 9th my history of migraine troubles exploded into something I had never known before.  I went to the hospital with one so severe that I wasn't sure I would make it.  I was given oxygen, fluids, and a fancy drug cocktail that helped "enough."  I had an expensive CT scan and an EKG test.  The bill from the hospital visit was pretty darn large.   After that, I continued to struggle and sought help from two primary care doctors, a neurologist, my OBGYN, and even an eye doctor to make sure that wasn't the problem.  I was told by all of them that they would give me birth control if they could, but Factor V prohibits that.  They all hoped I could find a medication to help me until menopause comes.  In August I had 13 days where I need migraine drugs, in September it was 18, in October it was 12, and in November it was 7.  The steroids I took in October seemed to be helping, but none of the preventative medications were working.  I also felt completely stoned and ill while taking them. We tried a few kinds and some vitamin supplements.   A migraine by itself is indescribably awful.  But, that is not all it is.  There is nausea, sometimes more horrible than the head pain.  There are other body aches- for me it was my neck and shoulders.  There is stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of impatience, agitation, and hopelessness.  I had anxiety attacks and a racing heart for hours at a time.  I was dizzy and felt dehydrated no matter how much water I drank.  And nothing I ate made me feel good.  Oh, and I was in charge of my children all day through this.   After I had blood work in early December (that came back normal) and another major migraine attack on the 12th, I had reached a breaking point.  I had had enough.  I was no longer going to leave things to my doctors.  I did not feel they were looking at the big picture.  One primary care doctor prescribed me an anxiety medication just because I mentioned anxiety.  No one. Was. Listening.   When I felt well enough, I got on the computer and did more research.  For a reason unknown to me, I went through some past medical records and a light bulb flashed that maybe I should look into the MTHFR.   To make a long story short, it is VERY common knowledge in the world that folic acid is poisonous to people with MTHFR.  Not the healthy folate in vegetables, but the synthetic kind that was in my prescription (PRESCRIPTION) and the kind added to processed foods.  I immediately stopped taking that prescription and felt instantly better the next morning.   I'm not even joking.  I still have a long way to go to figure out which foods are best for me and plan to see a naturopathic doctor in Richmond who specializes in MTHFR.  But, I feel good.  I feel better than I have since at least 2015.   You guys, do you understand what I am saying?  A doctor prescribed this medication to me.  NONE of the many doctors I have been seeing ONCE thought that maybe it was the folic acid interacting badly with my MTHFR.  Not one.  Why?  My very helpful friend Amy Powroznik said it is because western medicine does not recognize the problems associated with MTHFR.  That is, of course, true.  But, also..... I don't feel like any of my doctors cared.  Because literally Google MTHFR and you will see in the FIRST article that folic acid is bad.   Part of me is furious.  FURIOUS.  But, I will choose to focus on the fact I feel good.  I have my life back.  I can actually enjoy my family and my life at home.  I can better handle stress.  And, I don't even care about giving up processed foods.  I have "enjoyed" my first Kale smoothies this week and there will be many more to come.  So, please tell me if I have any in my teeth when you see me next!  ;) Friends, almost half of the population has MTHFR.  It can cause a lot of health issues other than migraines- exhaustion, anxiety/depression, heart conditions, altzhiemers, strokes, and chronic illnesses.  But, there are easy fixes to help ward off these things.  Read this article for more info and don't rely on your doctors alone!!   https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/energy/the-mthfr-test-detects-a-genetic-defect-that-may-be-causing-your-fatigue-headaches-depression-and-more/ Sent from my iPhone

[thismthfrlife-blog]

September 18, 2017

Up until August I'd only had maybe 5 super terrible migraines in my whole life. As awful as they were, they didn't last more than a day and a half. And all of the mild ones I've had were managed with over the counter meds, lots of water, Diet Coke, and sleep. But, that was the old migraine me. Something changed in August that I fear is the new normal. In the past 30 days, I have had 7 migraine free days. The thing about a migraine is you can look at me and not even know I'm suffering- just like with anxiety, depression, diabetes, and a gazillion other illnesses. I can choose whether or not to tell you when I see you. If you notice a difference, you might just think I'm stressed or grumpy. But, let me assure you that even if my pain is being managed by a prescription that I am still nauseous, physically exhausted, distracted, short tempered, sad, zoned out, sore, achy, and feeling defeated. Yet, I will not be defeated. I still wake up everyday happy to be home with my children and grateful for my otherwise amazing life. I am taking baby steps through each day to do what is most important for my family. My to-do list grows daily and I'm behind with lots of things, but I will get to it slowly. If I've been out of touch or don't see you as much as I used to, this is why. I know there is much, much worse out there.