2nd update - what I am doing now for skin issues
Hi everyone,
well my EC is still in remission but I continue to suffer from my other long term skin issues.
I am in the 3rd week of an 8week program which is designed to eliminate a bacterial infection I have of citrobacter freundii. This was picked up on a stool analysis I had which identified it. The prescriptive agents to treat this are :
ciprofloxacin
tetracycline
trimethoprim/sulfa
and the natural agents are:
berberine
oregano
plant tannins
uva-ursi
I have done enough research to know to avoid the
Antibiotic options and so the routine I am following is prescribed by my nutritionist as follows:
week 1-4
tanalbit
nutri b complex
mineral drops
cat's claw
magnesium
week 5-8
uva ursi
nutri b complex
mineral drops
cat's claw
magnesium
The primary herb of elimination is the tanalbit and uva ursi which are switched over to avoid the bacteria developing resistance.
My stool anaylsis showed that I have low levels of good bacteria. It showed fecal secretory IgA (this is gut inflammation) and low lactobacillicus spp.
My nutritionist believes the citrobacter freundii is responsible for a lot of the abdominal bloating and loose stools, and it causes the crowding out/low levels of good bacteria to occur. This may or may not lead to immunocompromised state where candida/fungal type infections can more easily spread. It is interesting that illnesses like AIDS (where there is immunosuppression) have noticeably higher incidents of thrush/fungal infections.
I'm just going to list some of the symptoms I have:
EC (in remission)
Lichen sclerosus (perianal and foreskin area)
perioral dermatitis/thrush (around the folds of the nose, eyebrows)
itching and oily skin inside the middle ear and on the back of the ear
dandruff and bumps on head of scalp
general itching (loose flaking skin in places) - skin is weak and flaky
intermittent diarrhea (from hard to loose sometimes in the same day)
chronic fatigue
dark circles under the eyes and general mood malaise)
unstable energy levels
Three weeks into treatment my digestive issues have improved tremendously. I do not crave sugary/sweet foods and seem satiatied on smaller portions. The flares of thrush and itching have reduced thus far but have not cleared completely. Energy levels improve (may be the b vitamins??).
The plan is to finish this protocol and then introduce immune building supplements. This is primarily an elimination protocol. I had a nutrition test which showed low levels of magnesium, borderline B2, B12 and very low levels of B9 hence why some of these supplements are listed with the tanalbit and uva ursi.
Where am I with my Lyme disease diagnosis? I have discontinued my herbal treatments for Lyme to focus on the citrobacter freundii elimination because I believe that despite having a Lyme positive result the skin symptoms may have all along been caused by the citrobacter freundii. Nobody is able to answer this question for me. I also renewed my faith in my nutritionist and believe she is doing the right thing based on a comprehensive stool analysis and nutrition (urine) test. Citrobacter freundii is a potential pathogen, especially in higher numbers. I expect her to add in various lyme supplements into the next phase of treatment.
Am I focusing on candida elimination at this time? No. And there may be no reason to focus on candida elimination if my skin problems are caused from the citrobacter freundii. I believe the right approach is to firstly eliminate and then help re-balance the gut microbiome and this may improve if not cure some of my life long skin issues, but it's going to take work.
Am I still gluten free? Yes. Although I had a coeliac test which confirmed I am NOT allergic and wheat-gluten sensitive and due to the nature of wheat-gluten (how it is digested by the body) and the fact it is pro-inflammatory, I don't think it is any surprise when people eliminate it from their diet and see improvements. As mentioned before though I don't believe it is the culprit in my case.
Will I attempt to treat any of my skin issues topically? Perhaps yes. Lichen sclerosus has been called an auto-immune disease (where your body attacks itself), but there's not a lot of evidence for this. Why would an intelligent machine attack itself by accident? Makes no sense to me. I see anecdotal cases online where peoples LC has cleared by treating their gut dysbiosis, I hope to be one of them. I think treating EC/LS topically is a complete waste of time if your immune system is out of wack. The problem comes from inside.
My nutritionist wants a viral panel to be carried out. This is to check the viral load (if there is anything else in my system which is causing a problem). I am shying away from this suggestion at the moment due to cost.
My suggestions:
1) get a comprehensive stool tests done. It MUST have a section on parasitology - most good ones will. In the UK the company I used is called GenovaDiagnostics.
2) get a nutrition test done. It may be interesting to see how many EC/skin disorder sufferers are low in B vitamins. How you got low in B vitamins is a good question. In my case it's difficult to say but it may be likely the citrobacter freundii potentially causing gut dysbiosis which can lead to malabsorption of these vitamins.
3) target your health regime on diagnostic tests and stop wasting time researching and taking shots in the dark like I did for years.
4) don't get caught up on eliminating foods. A strong immune system is capable of processing the most toxic of foods like macdonalds without flare ups. It is because your system is not functioning properly that you develop issues. I don't want to downplay those with chronic allergies, but I do think unless you have been specifically tested and it is proven, you cannot know for certain whether the food group is the source of your problems. It may be the gut dysbiosis causing the inability to process it which is the problem.
In conclusion: don't give up.
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