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lil chick's log
So, I have been doing way too much yard work preparing for winter and my neck is sore/stiff. An area of the mouth came down with sore gingivitis this week. Sore nasal passages too. My face/lips look really bad -- red and shrunken.
Now, I do know that when fevered with the flu my face goes pale. But this week it looks flam·bé. That's interesting data.
I mentioned on another thread that I think I crave red wine when my gingivitis is flaring. When it calmed, I went right back to wanting beer! 🙂 I've decided that when I drink it, I will swish it now, thinking... why not? Is it natural listerine?
Someone here mentioned heightened flossing for gingivitis flares, and I did twice a day in the bad area and it did help too.
I also sort of think the charcoal toothpaste I've been using might be just the ticket, although what a mess it makes! I often use it 50/50 with my normal paste. I swish this too, after brushing, for a minute or so. https://www.hello-products.com/product/charcoal-whitening-toothpaste/
How about this for a theory: The extra-hard physical labor stirred up stored VA in various tissues...which got sent to my fave detox place: The Mid-Line of the FACE. I suppose that means detoxing that zone repeatedly with Soap, Hot Water, Toothpaste, Charcoal, Floss, Q-tips for the Nose and Eyes and even Wine... might be just the ticket?
Where does your body like to detox, and how can you support it?
To the left, me (today). To the right discoid lupus stock photo.
My face is flaring this week. My cheeks used to have a much redder over-all glow than they do now at almost 6 months. The areas of inflammation stand out more. I think the over-all redness has caused me to get diagnosed "rosacea" rather than lupus (back in the day before I got frustrated with the medical profession). The "discoid" look is becoming more apparent. My "discs" aren't as sore looking as the stock photo. However, she still has eye lashes and her lips aren't as ravaged (though she might be wearing lipstick, I'm not. Both of our right nostrils look sore. There is browning on my chin, perhaps retinoids that need to work their way out.
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Hey guys, I've been "lowish vitamin A" for six months! Here is my original list of complaints (from my first post), and some quick estimates of progress or not so much. (Caveat: I've been going through the menopausal change at the same time, (I'm 56) so there is SOME muddying of what is changing what! 🙂
Reader's digest version: I haven't had a migraine or food attack for the entire time. My head pressure is gone. I'm able to travel about 3 times longer. My body skin is nicer and my hair is thicker. My facial progress is agonizingly slow. It isn't listed here, but I sleep more deeply now, including more vivid dreaming.
1.Vertigo: 30% better
2.Itching: 50% better (itchiness increased early on, and then stabilized quickly)
3.Rashes: still get heat rashes sometimes, but have not had a "can't sleep" outbreak since starting, so 20%
4. Scaly Skin: better on body (80%), face might be worse because entire face flakes. However it is different in nature than before.
5. Papular Rosacea: background face has paled, bridge of nose area still "burned" but feels "less thick". 40% less papules, maybe 20% improvement overall
6. Peeling Lips: have seen occasional good days but in general, disappointing, 10% better
7. Spider Veins: no change
8. Muscle Aches: had one stiff neck that was short in duration, on-and-off sore elbow, but sleeping good. 10% better.
9. Coarse Hair: new hair appears shiny
10. Hair Thinning: hair feels about 15% thicker but all over not just at thin places
11. Gingivitis: much of it 20% better except for one area that seems 20% worse
12. Dry Nose: different in nature, but still exists so I won't say it is fixed
13. Dry Eyes including rough patches on the white: 20% better
14. Nausea: haven't had a bad bout. 90% better.
15. Light Sensitive: 20% better
16. Mense Abnormalities: hot flashes are now 50% shorter in duration but still frequent
17. Headache: 90% better-- have only had slight pressure
18. Migraine: 100% better-- have had zero
19. White Hair: no change
20. Raynaud's Phenomenon: still have it
21 Facial Orange-ing: hard to quantify, lets say 20% better
22. Constantly Running Nose: 30% better
23. Head Pressure: 90% better
24. The Prayer Sign: no change
Quote from lil chick on November 11, 2019, 2:09 pmHey guys, I've been "lowish vitamin A" for six months! Here is my original list of complaints (from my first post), and some quick estimates of progress or not so much. (Caveat: I've been going through the menopausal change at the same time, (I'm 56) so there is SOME muddying of what is changing what!
Reader's digest version: I haven't had a migraine or food attack for the entire time. My head pressure is gone. I'm able to travel about 3 times longer. My body skin is nicer and my hair is thicker. My facial progress is agonizingly slow. It isn't listed here, but I sleep more deeply now, including more vivid dreaming.
1.Vertigo: 30% better
2.Itching: 70% better (itchiness increased early on, and then stabilized quickly)
3.Rashes: still get heat rashes sometimes, but have not had a "can't sleep" outbreak since starting, so 20%
4. Scaly Skin: better on body (80%), face might be worse because entire face flakes. However it is different in nature than before.
5. Papular Rosacea: background face has paled, bridge of nose area still "burned" but feels "less thick". 40% less papules, maybe 20% improvement overall
6. Peeling Lips: have seen occasional good days but in general, disappointing, 10% better
7. Spider Veins: no change
8. Muscle Aches: had one stiff neck that was short in duration, on-and-off sore elbow, but sleeping good. 10% better.
9. Coarse Hair: new hair appears shiny
10. Hair Thinning: hair feels about 15% thicker but all over not just at thin places
11. Gingivitis: much of it 20% better except for one area that seems 20% worse
12. Dry Nose: different in nature, but still exists so I won't say it is fixed
13. Dry Eyes including rough patches on the white: 20% better
14. Nausea: haven't had a bad bout. 90% better.
15. Light Sensitive: 20% better
16. Mense Abnormalities: hot flashes are now 50% shorter in duration but still frequent
17. Headache: 90% better-- have only had slight pressure
18. Migraine: 100% better-- have had zero
19. White Hair: no change
20. Raynaud's Phenomenon: won't know till winter
21 Facial Orange-ing: hard to quantify, lets say 20% better
22. Constantly Running Nose: 30% better
23. Head Pressure: 90% better
24. The Prayer Sign: no change
"Slow and steady wins the race", they say! Glad to hear that your progress continues, lil chick.
I appreciate your input on this forum. Your encouragement has helped me stay on track with my diet. The low Vitamin A diet continues to heal me. I'm no spring chick; my health has declined over several decades; I've spent thousands of dollars following the advice of numerous "healing" protocols, low Vitamin A is finally giving results. The price is right too!! Thanks to low Vitamin A, I can now attend social gatherings with ease. Because I finally feel relatively well, I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd (extended family). I plan on posting progress after my next eye check-up.
Thanks for sharing, lil chick.
All the best!!
@dswl: thanks so much for the lovely message! I hope you have good luck hosting and it turns into a wonderful new tradition!
I'm glad to hear that you are progressing!
One of the bullets on my 6 month update was for Raynaud's Phenomenon, and low and behold the very next day: there is is. Sigh. The first Raynauds of the year always turns my mind to retirement in a warm climate. !
One of the tricky things about this is: just because something doesn't instantly get well, doesn't mean it wasn't caused by vitamin A.
I do believe there can be healing, of almost any condition, but it may not be as fast as we like. But as long as we are alive there is hope for healing I think. This is a good photo of what Raynauds looks like on me (not my foot though). Patches of the feet, toes and fingers just go bloodless when it's chilly. It's disconcerting.
Editing this post to pity the reader: I ended up blaming WEIGHT LOSS for a high surge of VA in my system!!!! Burn a fat cell--release some stored VA. You can skip to the next post if you don't want to see my entire "logic" process.
So, I'm having some issues that seem to be new or different or etc from my norm and I thought I'd note them here. Perhaps they are "post 6 month blues"? and perhaps they show deficiencies or needed changes?
I did a lot of cleaning with bare hands and destroyed my hands and they are not resolving, they are getting worse. They are SO DRY, rough, sore. The pads are wrinkled with vertical lines and also splits. At about the same time, serious cold has descended--the indoor dryness season has begun. The cold seems to impair my circulation (post above), which is the opposite of what the tissues need I'm sure.
Issues with dry and cracking hands in winter have been a part of my usual, and I suppose I got off to a horrible start. This dryness feels a bit different. I've tried putting on a bit of coconut oil or olive oil and don't feel the relief I'd expect (just like how chap stick doesn't fix peeling lips). The fix may not be about adding emollients.
It's dark out, but I doubt it is D deficiency, I'd expect that in March, not now.
Lists online seem to also say that dry hands can be the B vitamins or C. I also be a collagen thing. It could even be a dehydration thing.
Sometimes it helps to look at the OTHER symptoms you are experiencing to try to figure out issues.
I'm still having nerve trouble with my right arm (it has gotten worse and worse each time I tried to get off of raw milk and I have found I must keep it in my diet). (B vities?)
I still have peeling lips. (similar issue to the hands?)
I have occasional slight head pressure (detox?)
as well as gas (collagen needed for repair of the gut?)
an small area of gum recession (C?)
Others here have mentioned this newish thing: Hot water can now bring on itchiness around my abdomen and middle back. Before, I used to think it was SWEATING that brought this on. But I see now it is also HEAT. It's a flush. It brings to mind the feeling that my face gets when alcohol hits my gut... This makes me think, as does the Raynauds, that circulation problems are at hand. Circulation problems ... I'm sure they take TIME to resolve. (C?)
Low tolerance to temperature stresses is something I arrived with, and I always blamed weak adrenal. From what I've learned adrenal helps are C, Salt, Fats, REST, avoiding sugar and caffeine. Hmmm... I have been working very hard... I could do with more rest... And more heat. I've started trying to keep my hands WARMER.
It is said that b-vities are used up by eating sugar and drinking alcohol. I could cut back a bit.
For no particular reason I have been eating less mushrooms and cider vinegar, and I could see if those help somehow.
I added a thread about cold weather and VA and explorer diets
https://ggenereux.blog/discussion/topic/va-and-cold-weather/#postid-6007
My new problems definitely could be from weight loss (mentioned in the study about polar explorers)!
In other words, I was working very hard for two weeks or so, (with the cleaning and other activities) and husband did say that I looked like I lost weight!
Could some detox cycles be simply about the release of stored VA in FAT when you burn it off?
During these last two weeks, I was so hungry all the time with my high activity. One does burn more calories when it is cold as well.
@ggenereux2014 Could this be the holy grail of "What is causing these darn detox cycles?"
Weight loss releasing stored VA.
A question to Grant and to all: did your detox cycles get less fierce when your weight stabilized?
I'm going to post this comment here and in the thread about detox: I wonder if weight loss is actually PART of detox. Inseparable from it.
The body has perhaps been waiting a long time to "unpack" this extra weight, handle the VA, and get on with a lighter life!
Then it comes down to making sure the VA gets OUT.