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Rachel's log
I don’t know if you are in the Northern hemisphere, but I think this detox is much harder in the winter. There is a Time factor to this adventure.
Yes I am in the Northern Hemisphere and I often struggle this time of year to some extent. It feels as if something else is going on as well though. I'm wondering if I am running into a deficiency of some kind. I'm considering taking a low dose B complex to see if that helps.
Hi @rachel. I’m sorry to hear you are feeling low. These are my recent thoughts on B vitamin deficiencies incase any resonate with you.
I’m quite sure B vitamin deficiencies are an issue for many on long term vA detox. The various enzymes required to remove vA from the body need cofactors which are often derived from B vitamins (B2, B3 etc). Tim has written a post about riboflavin (B2) deficiency and I’ve written one about NAD (B3). Also, any bottlenecks in the process will lead to the build up of intermediates which can be toxic in excess and deplete Bs (aldehydes deplete B1, B6 and folate). @ourania has often written about B1 deficiency and vA toxicity. Therefore, we have increased requirement and possible increased depletion.
B vitamins come from our diet and are also made by our microbiomes. If we consider the diet aspect, the limited diet may be an issue as it may not contain all required nutrients. @tim-2 has written about how he ensues his diet is B vitamin rich. Also we need to consider ability of the body to absorb vitamins from food. Low stomach acid (requires B1, B6, zinc etc) and poor digestive enzyme production can compromise this. We could get into a vicious cycle of a deficiency then causing more deficiency due to poor absorption.
Then there is the microbiome. We get a lot of our B vitamins from our gut bacteria production. Dr Gominak does some good Youtube talks about this @orion has posted links somewhere. How important the microbiome is versus food I don’t know but I’d say pretty important. The vA detox (toxic bile) and the vA detox diet could both have a negative effect on the microbiome. I can’t imagine that the toxic bile moving through the gut is kind on the microbiome. Also, polyphenols are thought to be very important for microbiome health. Tim Spector talks about this and it’s a mainstay of nutritional therapy. The vA detox diet is low in polyphenols. It strikes me that the vA detox could reduce the quality of the microbiome and therefore reduce B vitamin production.
The precise deficiency showing in individuals would depend on microbiome, diet, genetics, rate of detox, particular bottlenecks. Therefore it’s hard to know exactly what is deficient without testing. Symptoms are the main clues. A low dose B multi could be worth a try. Or trying to eat a really B rich diet. Or doing targeted microbiome support.
@jaj Hi Jenny and thanks for your insight. I'm sure absorption and limited diet are a problem for me.
I'm in a kind of catch 22 as gut problems are a big problem for me and my diet is mostly beef and potatoes. I get inflammation and pain whenever I try to introduce other foods. I do manage to have some nuts and GF grains here and there (millet and cassava) but this is 1 - 2 a week at most since I need time inbetween for my gut to settle. Maybe I should try some low VA veggies again. It's just sourcing them organically.
I do take B1 twice a week because I quickly experience deficiency symptoms if I don't. I've been wondering about B6 but am nervous because of all the warnings about toxicity. I react badly to most supplements so take very little. I manage Mg topically and have started using the Se and Mo oils from B12oils which are transdermal. I've also been taking a little zn but have stopped that for now as I'm struggling both physically and emotionally. I only got up to about 3mg in 2 - 3 months which shows how reactive I am to it.
My main worry at the moment is my eyes. my vision is getting increasingly blurry. I'm needing stronger and stronger reading glasses (I'm long sighted) but I don't think it is just the natural (or should I say typical because I'm no longer sure if it is natural) deteriation associated with aging. It's happening too quickly. My eyes are dryer than is usual for me and feel red even though they don't look it. I feel as if they are bloodshot and strained and the skin beneath them feels delicate. I don't now how else to explain it but it feels off.
I have been reading your posts and NAD etc and I'm sure there is relevant info in there for me but I can't seem to grasp the info. I feel a bit thick. I always read your posts with interest as I suffer from POTS, CFS and am also autistic and I know that these are areas of interest to you.
I am doing some more testing soon. I'm not sure what actions I'll be able to take on the back of it but I do want to know if I'm running into major mineral deficiencies.
It is really frustrating because I know my gut health is impeding my progress but I don't seem to be able to incorporate anything to help improve it. I'm sure I'm into that vicous cycle you talk about regarding my gut but I don't know how to break it! It's a tough one. I don't suppose having regular deposits of toxic bile passing through my guts is helping it heal but the stuff has to come out. I keep hoping that in time things will improve.
Hi @rachel it does sound like you are in a catch 22 vicious cycle. It sounds very frustrating and upsetting. I will think/research a few ideas that could possibly be of help to you and post later (I’ve got my daughter bringing her new boyfriend home so need to get dressed and organised 🤣).
Yesterday I did a day long Zoom course on pyroluria (with U.K. NT Anne Pemberton) which causes a B6 and zinc deficiency. I have the genetic form so need to take B6 daily. When I stopped for 18 months as I got worried about toxicity and allowed myself to be convinced by Garrett Smith that all I needed to do was the vA detox and pyroluria wasn’t relevant (big mistake) my anxiety got worse and worse. Thankfully I’m now ignoring his advice on this and feeling MUCH better (that needed capitals) and the anxiety front. Anyway, on the zoom day there was a lot of useful information about binders and Epsom salt baths to improve detox and special water for hydration. I shall go through it later and pick out some general tips that maybe could be of interest to you.
I’ve been doing a lot of work on eyes. I’ve done a post on my red eye (Progress reports: red eye) and have learnt a lot! Later I will detail the things I’ve found that helped me. Also I posted a link there about retinoic acid and eyes that could be of interest to you. If you are a slow detoxer (eg poor liver function, slow bowel, urine, skin etc) but producing a lot of retinoic acid then maybe too much is causing eye problems. It’s something I’m thinking about. Ourania has written a lot about eyes.
Anyway must go now and get organised. I’m so sorry to hear you are having a tough time Rachel. I’m sure there are useful things you can add in to get out of the negative cycle. However, when you aren’t feeling good researching and deciding on best approach is so difficult. Also for eyes, screens are not good. It slows our blinking apparently. Need to take a break every 20 mins and focus on something 20 ft away for 20 secs 20:20:20.
All channels of elimination open
• Bowels > aim for 2 x daily
• Kidneys > Use Wayback water and Aqua
vortex to ensure good hydration.
• Breathing > pH correction
• Skin > Epsom baths / ION cleanse footbath
• May need binders the older / sicker the patient is.
Copied slide @beata-2. No it’s not deuterium depleted. It’s structured water.
The Wayback water is at Natural Dispensary apparently. Need to increase amount slowly. Going from 2oz to 4 oz wiped Anne out.