Siagirl-Yes I too had many of the stressors going on in my life at one time or another. It has been a process of elimination over the past 5 years. It does take time or at least it did for me. However I never named the AF until 16 months ago.
the sores in the nose and the gum infection sound like some type of infection. Sometimes things do flare up while doing NB and go away on there own and other times they need some extra help. The Cat's claw is a great herb but won't take care of all infections. You could try stopping it and see if things clear up. I have read often that it is good to rotate herbs or take a break for awhile so resistance doesn't build.