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Probiotics - consult with the doctor first

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Old 11-21-2013, 03:32 AM
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Probiotics - consult with the doctor first

A long read but worth it.

I don't know if this is the right place to put this and if it isn't can you please move it? I'm just trying to get the word out about what happened to me.

I have had psoriasis since I was 12. I've been in remission for many years so sometimes I forget that I have it. I did have a little flare when I first quit drinking. Psoriasis is considered to be an autoimmune disease. It can be put into remission but there is no cure.

Over the past month and a half I have added some new things on my quest for health in sobriety. One is taking vitamins and the other was picking up an over the counter probiotic. I also had a flu shot for the first time in my life, optional for the volunteer work that I'll be doing but if I didn't get it I'd have to wear a mask and with the kind of work I'm doing it would make me less effective.

About 2 weeks after getting the flu shot I started to feel not quite right. I would wake up in the morning and my eyes were getting red. Not the normal bloodshot red but like someone put a film of red over them. I thought that maybe I just didn't get enough sleep or maybe it was a delayed side effect from the flu shot. This began to get a bit worse. I hate doctors so I gave it the two week rule. If I didn't feel better and my eyes weren't better I would make an appointment. I know, bad.

I started training for volunteer work. I was highly embarrassed because I would use eye drops to take the red out in the morning but by two hours later they were no longer working. We had speakers from our local police and fire department, the medical examiners office, etc and there I am with eyes that looked like I had just come off a week long bender, and I'm not kidding. I don't think my eyes were that bad even when I smoked the weed that I did back in my college days. It was HIGHLY embarrassing. Not to mention I am almost 6 months sober and I LOVED and MISSED the nice clear eyes I had in the morning up through that point.

Last week was the final week of training. On Thursday and Friday I had to go right there from work. For this reason I missed the daily regimen I was taking of the vitamin and probiotic. On Saturday I realized that I had not taken them but just didn't do it. On Sunday morning I woke up and my brain wasn't fogged and my eyes weren't 1/10th as bad as they had been. That's when it hit me. I thought that maybe I was having a delayed reaction to the flu shot. This is not what it was.

I called my doctor and told her what had happened and she, of course, yelled at me as doctors do and told me to never take something without consulting with her first. When you take probiotics you are taking good bacteria into your body to kill off bad bacteria, this is called a "die off". However, for someone with an autoimmune disorder your body can't rid itself of the toxins and the dead, bad bacteria quickly enough and there is a buildup. There is even a name for this situation called the Herx Syndrome. I WAS TOXIC! For people without autoimmune disorders this die off effect will eventually right itself. You just feel and look like crap for a week or so. For those with, you can get very sick and I was headed down that path. My red eyes were a sign of the buildup of toxins.

This got me thinking that if you're already detoxing from drugs or alcohol it's advisable to consult with your doctor before taking anything. What you think can't possibly be harmful might be just that.

Over the past few days I have woken up clear headed and with nice, bright eyes. I'm mending but that was so scary and embarrassing!

On the plus side I thought maybe my eyes were strained from all the reading that we had to do for the training. I did go to the eye doctor and finally got the glasses that I've been needing for the past 5 years! It's so nice to see

Always consult with your doctor first before taking anything!

I hope this helps someone.
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Old 11-21-2013, 03:51 AM
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Wow, thanks for this - I would never have imagined it could do that.
Glad you're on the mend Xx
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Old 11-21-2013, 03:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Skye2 View Post
Wow, thanks for this - I would never have imagined it could do that.
Glad you're on the mend Xx
Thanks Skye

On another note, I could have probably elected to get a different probiotic or take less of what I was taking. Having to deal with what I did was pretty scary, I had never seen myself look that sick in a long time (well, since I quit drinking and got rid of hangovers). There are also different strains of bacteria in probiotics too that you have to be mindful of. I thought that this was all so simple, just pop one pill a day and you're on the road to feeling better. On the contrary!

I've elected to just eat foods that support doing the same thing. Sauerkraut is one and I plan on buying yogurt with active cultures.

I really can't express how scary that was.
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Old 11-21-2013, 03:57 AM
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I also suffer from psorasis and rather incredibly the same thing happened to me Lady - which is one of the reasons I'm always banging on with the 'always see your Doctor before taking any supplements' announcements.

Glad you're feeling better

D
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Old 11-21-2013, 04:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Dee74 View Post
I also suffer from psorasis and rather incredibly the same thing happened to me Lady - which is one of the reasons I'm always banging on with the 'always see your Doctor before taking any supplements' announcements.

Glad you're feeling better

D
Thanks Dee, wow, I am always saddened to hear about anyone who has to put up with this. I want to say though that it makes me feel less alone because you know and understand what this fight is. I can't take the shots that they have now either, like Enbrel or Humira, because of the liver complications that could arise from my tipping that beer bottle for years. Topical prescription steroids and tanning booths have been my life.


Final note for all: We think that "over the counter" means "safe for me to buy and take without advice of a doctor". Heed the warning, in some cases, this is not true at all.
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Old 11-21-2013, 04:18 AM
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Yeah I do have a tube of steroid cream but I don't take anything else these days - I'm on enough other meds

when I get an outbreak I have a range of medicated and coal tar soaps I use - a little aloe vera gel and oatmeal scrub helps too....try and keep away from oily fatty foods and stimulants....

just things I've found work for me.

D
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Old 11-21-2013, 04:41 AM
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Thanks for the info! I love trying different things. The most frustrating thing about this is you can try one thing and it works then all of a sudden it doesn't anymore for some strange and unknown reason. Then begins the quest for what will work next and the pattern repeats. I've had summers where 10 mins of sun exposure here and there worked. The next year, didn't work at all.
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Old 11-21-2013, 05:10 AM
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fellow psoriasis sufferer checking in! well, psoriatic eczema. as far as they can tell.

i had UV therapy for a while some years ago. i now only use steroid ointments and my skin is doing ok. it's just anmoying that it's the palm of my hand that's affected.

thanks for the heads up re probiotics.
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Old 11-21-2013, 07:41 AM
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Hello my beloved LB !

I had a HERX when I electively removed all of my mercury amalgam fillings. A few days after that uber toxic crap was out of my system, I flew to Vegas and I thought I was literally going to die. I stayed in my room for 4 days and ate nothing but raw vegetables and fruit. I also hit the sauna ALOT to try to expedite the extrusion process of my body expelling the die off. Sea Salt baths frequently helped hurry along the process as well.

I don't know much about psoriasis itself, but I looked it up in a go to book of mine "You Can Heal your Life" by Louise Hay. Basic premise is that our bodies manifest what is going on in our minds and spirits. For what its worth, I will share with you what it specifically states about psoriasis:

Psoriasis: Fear of being hurt. Deadening the senses of the self. Refusing to accept responsibility for our own feelings. Anxiety, fear, and old buried gunk. I am being threatened.

New thought pattern: I am alive to the joys of living. I deserve and accept the very best in life. I love and approve myself. I feel safe to be me. Completely.

Be well dear one.

XO AO
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Old 11-21-2013, 08:02 AM
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Originally Posted by alphaomega View Post
Hello my beloved LB !

I had a HERX when I electively removed all of my mercury amalgam fillings. A few days after that uber toxic crap was out of my system, I flew to Vegas and I thought I was literally going to die. I stayed in my room for 4 days and ate nothing but raw vegetables and fruit. I also hit the sauna ALOT to try to expedite the extrusion process of my body expelling the die off. Sea Salt baths frequently helped hurry along the process as well.

I don't know much about psoriasis itself, but I looked it up in a go to book of mine "You Can Heal your Life" by Louise Hay. Basic premise is that our bodies manifest what is going on in our minds and spirits. For what its worth, I will share with you what it specifically states about psoriasis:

Psoriasis: Fear of being hurt. Deadening the senses of the self. Refusing to accept responsibility for our own feelings. Anxiety, fear, and old buried gunk. I am being threatened.

New thought pattern: I am alive to the joys of living. I deserve and accept the very best in life. I love and approve myself. I feel safe to be me. Completely.

Be well dear one.

XO AO
Wow alphaomega, thanks for that! What I find incredible is prior to sobriety the definition is me on the money. The new thought pattern is on point. We'll see what happens!

Interesting that you went through the die off too. I don't think that it helped that I was sitting all day at work doing then leaving work and sitting until I got home which was sometimes after 10 at night. Wasn't drinking a lot of water either. Those pesky toxins were just happy to keep hanging there.
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Old 11-21-2013, 08:04 AM
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Thanks for the heads up on probiotics. I never would have known.
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Old 11-21-2013, 08:10 AM
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I watched a YouTube video from Dr. Michael Holick - The D-Lightful Viamin D for good health. It's a 1hour 15 minute video. He mentions Psoriasis around the 51 minute mark in the video.
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Old 11-21-2013, 08:24 AM
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Not a big fan of allopathic medicine myself. I think something will ALWAYS be found and alas, there will ALWAYS be a pill available to "cure" it. Now, the side effects from those pills ? Move along folks....nothing to see here...

However, it is sometimes a necessary evil in the world and time we are incarnated in. So I am always trying to balance, balance, balance. Massage will help. As will meditation, Epsom salt baths. Sauna. Steam. Organics. Scalp massage and foot massage will help as well if you aren't into the full body thing. And move. Just walking alone can do wonders.

XO AO
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Old 11-21-2013, 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by gr9813 View Post
I watched a YouTube video from Dr. Michael Holick - The D-Lightful Viamin D for good health. It's a 1hour 15 minute video. He mentions Psoriasis around the 51 minute mark in the video.
Thank you gr9813, I will check it out and then CALL the doctor to discuss. I learned a lesson the hard way!
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Old 11-21-2013, 06:13 PM
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Originally Posted by gr9813 View Post
I watched a YouTube video from Dr. Michael Holick - The D-Lightful Viamin D for good health. It's a 1hour 15 minute video. He mentions Psoriasis around the 51 minute mark in the video.
Ok, you can all slap me now but I can't resist. There is a piece of me that will aways find a way to try to bring humor into things.

gr9813, the doctor doesn't have a brother named Al K. does he?
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Old 11-21-2013, 07:24 PM
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Wow I have psorasis too and have toyed with the idea if probiotics. Thanks fir the warning!
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Old 11-21-2013, 09:03 PM
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I have psoriasis as well and this happened to me when I started taking probiotics as well! It also flared my psoriasis up very badly and I was breaking out all over my body. It was a nightmare. I finally narrowed it down to the probiotics. As soon as I stopped taking it everything started clearing up. Amazing how our bodies work.
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Old 11-21-2013, 10:07 PM
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I also suffer from Autoimmune disease but it's Ulcerative Colitis not Psoriasis. I have been taking probiotics for over ten years now and never to my knowledge has it caused any symptoms. Maybe it's somehow related to the Psoriasis itself and not Autoimmune as a whole?

Just trying to offer a different opinion on them as I believe without them I would be in horrible shape being in a UC flare. My Dr. recommends them to all his UC surgical patients.

If you can believe it I have UC and am an alcoholic, it's almost like I welcome pain.

Just my opinion.
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Old 11-21-2013, 10:14 PM
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welcome EADGBE

glad to have you join us.

I don't there's there's a one size fits all scenario here - there rarely is - but it's great we can all share our different experiences.

As it happens my psoriasis flared up again today so it's not been a great day, but I'm glad Lady BC started the thread cos it was timely for me.

D
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Old 11-21-2013, 10:18 PM
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Ladyblue , what an intelligent post ;-) this is going to be so helpful to so many people xx thanks for posting , was well worth the read xx
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