I needed to disable self sign-ups because I’ve been getting too many spam-type accounts. Thanks.
Viktor's log (+ lab results)
In short:
2017-2018 - abusing beef/chicken liver, then added canned cod liver. I believe sometimes I was averaging around 150 000 IU of vit A per week from all the sources combined (including dairy, eggs, fruit, and vegetables).
Symptoms after several months: extremely dry eyes and skin, flaky scalp, anxiety, mood swings, yellowish blisters on the palms after workouts.
2019 - Cut back on livers, but continued a high-beta carotene diet, along with eggs and dairy. Blood tests consistently showed low WBC.
2020-2021 Developed very noticeable carotenemia, fatigue, low body temperature and metabolism in general, gastritis, gut issues. Thyroid tests showed normal TSH, borderline low-normal free T4, low free T3. Low WBC persisted.
Mid-2021 finally ditched carrots and other high-carotene foods, continued to eat eggs daily and some cheese pastries (dropped those a couple months later). Experienced a sudden increase in energy, sex drive, mood, motivation, carotenemia gradually resolving itself. WBC is normal or almost normal in some tests. However, I'm currently having some sort of relapse, I guess. I still eat eggs on a daily basis for their health benefits and iodine.
Ingesting even small amounts of carotene gives me low metabolism/hypothyroid symptoms, such as feeling cold, slow digestion, fatigue. Vitamin A (retinol) - not so much.
Lab results related to vit A/carotene as of December 2021:
Vit A (retinol) - 0.61 mcg/mL
Retinol palmitate - 48.99 ng/mL
Beta-carotene - 527 ng/mL
Am I to continue a low-A/zero b-carotene diet until their reserves are finally diminished?