Thursday, April 7, 2016

2 Reasons That Could of Caused Your Intestinal Lining to Look Like Swiss Cheese

I know, I know it's been awhile since I've last posted.  Quite honestly, I had nothing to add to the blog informative wise as I thought I had all the bases covered, until now......

So if you've read all of my posts you're well aware of how HIT is caused.  Inflammation in the gut which causes the lining of your intestinal walls to get tiny little holes (perforations) so that nasty, undigested proteins can seep out back into your blood stream and wreak havoc on your body, basically causing an autoimmune response, hence, histamine overload.

But what if I told you more?  More as to WHY that food wasn't being digested?  What if I told you a few things that could be causing the HIT to even start?

Let's start with probable cause #1:

Zero or very little STOMACH ACID:  That's right, surprised?  I sure was especially finding out about it years after I healed myself of my HIT (using my protocol). That's why I wanted to come back and share this with you all because it's very important to realize this problem so that once healed, you don't have to ever deal with HIT again later on.  Or, perhaps you can stop someone else from even dealing with it initially. 

Stomach acid plays a very important role in breaking down our food so it can be digested and ultimately expelled from our bodies through our poop shoot.  We don't want our old food sitting in there for any longer than it should fermenting and causing gas, bloating, reflux, stomach distention, constipation, belching or over all stomach pain/discomfort in general.  So, if you suffer from these ailments every time you eat and particularly after you've consumed copious amounts of protein, such as red meat(s) then you more than likely have very little to no stomach acid.  There of course is a medical term for those of us that experience this, it's called "Achlorhydia". 

Achlorhydia is a lack of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) due to the failure of the parietal cells to produce gastric acid.  On the flip side, Hypochlorydria is the term for diminished secretion of stomach acid. Achlorhydria may also be referred to as "gastric anacidity".  Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is not the ONLY component of gastric juices so in achlorhydria, there is still gastric juice but it is absent of HCl.

Hydrochloric acid has many functions but there are 3 that are most important, and they are:

1.  It is the primary digestive juice responsible for breaking down proteins, preparing them for assimilation.  (Fun Fact #1:  That's why people lacking this acid cannot eat meat in general, especially red meat, because they have a hard time processing it/breaking it down.  Fun Fact #2:  Women, more than men are plagued with this lack of acid, which also leads me to believe why women more than men suffer from HIT to begin with).

2.  It acts as a venting mechanism for the build-up of excessive concentrations of hydrogen ions in our blood and interstitial fluids.  Basically, we consume acid forming foods and/or engage in acid forming activity, the production of stomach acid uses up considerable amounts of acid forming material (hydrogen ions) thereby assisting in the elimination of excessive tissue acidity.

3.  It acts as a protective barrier, killing many potentially harmful micro-organisms in our food. (I will get to this later as reason #2 for the cause of the perforations in the intestinal lining)


Ironically, the symptoms of producing TOO MUCH stomach acid AND LOW TO NO stomach acid are exactly the same!  Crazy, right?  Doctors are quick to hand out acid blocking medications,  because the general American public over consume unhealthy foods at an alarming rate.  Not to mention the fucking pharmaceutical companies "bank" off this!!  That's a whole other blog post, in itself!  

So before you fill that prescription for an acid blocker actually invest in a test.  The "Heidelberg Capsule Test" is available but can be expensive and is not covered by insurance and lastly, few physicians even have the equipment in their offices to provide the test.  However, there is a lower tech method of testing.  This involves using a Betaine Hydrochloride supplement that is used to challenge substance, when eating, to see if digestive function improves with its use.

Basically this is what I've done, even though I no longer suffer from HIT, I do still suffer from digestion issues which I'm worried will get so bad that I'll end up with HIT again.  So I purchased Betaine HCl caps with Pepsin, I chose the TwinLab brand as they do not contain Magnesium Stearate.  Taking these for several weeks up to several months will retrain your stomach to start making acid on it's own to where you can bring down your dosage to 1 pill per meal until you quit taking them altogether. 

For testing as well as general purpose usage (if you already know little to no stomach acid is your problem) you'll want to take 1 pill at the very start of your meal.  Following that monitor your stomach and see how if feels during and after eating.  Should any burning or heaviness happen, or if you had burning in your stomach prior to taking the supplement and the supplement has made it worse, discontinue taking this supplement.  This is an indication that your stomach is overproducing acid, or your stomach lining is jacked up already.

If you felt no problems, then on the start of your next meal take 2 pills and monitor yourself.  If you feel a burning in your stomach take it back to using just 1 pill at the start of your meals, if no burning is felt in your stomach and you feel fine then up it to 3 pills (by this point you'll know that obviously you aren't making stomach acid) monitor again.  You should, at this point have burning in your stomach if you're still fine, it is recommended to still stay at this dosage as MOST individuals will not require 4 pills.  However because I'm always that 1% of dickheads that nothing applies to I am currently up to 4 with no problems......figures.  I will up it 5 my next meal and see how it goes.  I have recently read of some people taking up to 11 and that is their cut off before feeling any burning.  I've got to say if I am able to get up to 11 I will NOT be a happy camper.  I hate swallowing pills in the first place!

So again, if you have any of the symptoms please try this and see how it works for you.  Please be advised that ironically all H2 inhibitors will fuck with your stomach acid and can actually CAUSE Achlorhydia. So it's a catch 22 really if you're using my protocol for HIT.  I want to add, however, that I have ALWAYS had digestive issues, bloating, gas and stomach problems before my HIT kicked in.  So, I don't think for a moment that me using the H2 blockers for my HIT did anything to me.  I also didn't take them enough or long enough to have an issue.  But I just wanted you guys to be aware of it.  I would also think that most all of you would fall into the same category as me (already having digestive issues previously).

Moving on now to probable cause #2 for the perforations in your intestinal walls that caused HIT to rear its ugly face.  PARASITES!!  As disgusting as this may sound or have your skin crawling right now this is a REAL thing and DOES happen.  We all have to be completely ignorant or living under a rock (crawling with parasites) to not know that humans being hosts to these life sucking, nutrient grabbing suck us dry pieces of shit don't exist.  We are living beings and living beings have parasites, bacteria etc. in us and on us.  Some are microscopic and some you can see in with the naked eye doing the back float in the toilet looking up at you giving you the finger. 

So lets talk about worms.  Hookworms specifically, a large majority of humans have worms, it's a known fact.  However, most people never have problems because their immune systems are kick ass and keep these disgusting soul sappers at bay.  BUT, there are some of us with low immune systems because we have other issues going on like celiac disease for instance that makes our immune systems work over time and if we get a cold or a virus on top of that, well we are asking for a worm takeover. 

These critters set up house in your intestines and take all the nutrients from the foods we eat instead of us receiving them.  The hookworm literally has fangs (look this shit up on google, you will never be the same, I promise) they literally hook their fangs into our intestinal walls and suck our blood causing at some point for our organs to look like Swiss cheese!  Yes worms definitely migrate to other places in your body other than the intestines, including the brain, which ultimately will kill you.  There's also pin worms and round worms as well as flukes.  Flukes get into your liver.  But I'm not here to give you a break down on all parasites just the ones that cause the holes in our intestinal walls. I may sound like I'm on repeat but if you suffer from digestive issues (and the stomach acid wasn't the answer) then you are more than likely the Holiday Inn for a group of uninvited wormy thugs.  These holes they've put into your intestinal lining again, allow for protein particles of undigested foods to seep back into our bloodstreams and you know the rest of the story! 

So what to do?  Take a parasite cleanse pronto!  I use Hulda Clark's Parasite Cleanse.  It pertains of three herbs.  Cloves, Wormwood and Black Walnut.  The Black Walnut is a liquid and the other two herbs are capsules.  It's an 18 day cleanse but after that it is HIGHLY suggested to stay on the maintenance program indefinitely!  Once a week you take a handful of pills and that's it.  It can be a pain in the ass to stay on the maintenance program but after 18 days of getting rid of those suckers, who wants them back??  Additionally, if you have owned or do own dogs, cats, animals in general you DO have parasites no question about it.  The other pain in the ass is when you take the parasite cleanse your entire family needs to be on it too as well as any pets.  Otherwise you are just taking the cleanse in vain.  Pin worms are highly contagious and get picked up from bedding, clothing, furniture, carpets etc.  Please also don't go barefoot or allow your children to be barefoot outside as this is one way to get worms.  Please also wash your fruit and veggies extremely well and wash your hands and scrub your nails with a nail brush anytime you deal with animal feces. 

I know some of you may be saying what the hell?  I'm currently dealing with HIT so this is all a moot point now.  No, not really because if you can "fix" your stomach acid and "kill" those little bastards in your intestines you will be repairing your intestinal lining!  These are just a few more options to my protocol that you can do to help you heal yourself from this awful condition.  It could also help save a loved one from ever having to go through it in the first place!

Hope I've helped someone out there.  Be good and I wish you all much health!

Peace out.

18 comments:

  1. A very BIG thank you! I'm actually giving you a one-woman standing ovation right now. I used to suffer from migraines and cluster headaches for some time due to a histamine intolerance. Thank you for sharing your very thorough journey on the whole process. Question: Are you taking a daily probiotic? I've found in my own personal experience that this was mandatory to heal and prevent a relapse. Your story has helped me add a few more pieces to a very large puzzle. Peace and gratitude, Judy

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    1. Hi Judy! Thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for visiting my blog. To answer your question, no I didn't stay on probiotics because the one brand I was initially taking during my protocol quit making that particular "blend". I would try on and off since healing to take probiotics but they all made my digestive issues worse! Bad gas and bloating ....strange since they're supposed to alleviate such symptoms. After implementing the Betaine HCL very recently I decided to try again with the probiotics using only a 5 million bacteria strain it's actually a children's chewable tablet which so far doesn't bloat me but does give me gas 😩. But I will stick to taking the rest of the bottle and see if the gas improves. I currently found 8 pills of the Betaine HCL to be my threshold so I took it down to 7 pills. These pills have been a God send I no longer feel like shit after I eat (anything). My acne is clearing up as well which I used to attribute to just hormones being they were on my chin however bad digestion can wreak havoc on your skin AND hormones so they are all interrelated. I just wish I would of found out about Betaine HCL a long long time ago as I have been fighting breakouts for over 20 years ! Better late than never I suppose lol. Glad this has helped you please keep me updated on your results!

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  2. Just found your blog tonight. Great stuff:)
    Was thinking of doing hulda's parasite cleanse, do you recommend it? What results did you get? Really interested:)

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    1. I actually do a parasite cleanse once a year usually around August. I was haphazardly taking Berberine for another reason recently and I started to bloat and gain weight out of nowhere. I thought the berberine was causing it so I stopped for three days well on the third day I had a bowel movement with fucking worms I freaked the hell out I did extensive research on berberine (more than I had initially) and found that it was an anti parasitic! Soooo that's what caused me to see these worms! I immediately went on the Hulda Clark parasite cleanse as I use this yearly, I just finished up and now I'm fine. So it does work however this time I definitely will stay on her maintenance plan! I'm not getting this shit again!' I also take diatomaceous earth which kills the worms physically and not chemically but that you'd have to take for 60 days to get all the worms and the cycling of the eggs whereas the parasite cleanse with cloves kills the eggs within 18 days. I still recommend taking DE anyways because it helps In so many ways regarding health and our immunity. I've lost 2.5 lbs of the 6 I gained overnight. I feel better especially taking the Betaine for my shitty digestion. Please research DE as there's so much info on it that it would take me forever to type lol. But start out on a very small dose like 1 tsp and work your way up to a heaping tablespoon daily. If you take too much you'll get really sick from die off especially if you have flukes in your lungs. I am very petite and never get over 106 lbs. so when I gained weight overnight and was bloated and gassy I knew something was up!! Luckily I caught it in time before potentially getting HIT again!! Lol good luck and I promise it works! It is recommended to get colonics weekly for about 3 weeks after you finish the cleanse to get all the dead worms out but I haven't done this. I'm just leaving it up to my body to finish expelling them and I think the DE is also helping me do that. No more running around barefoot for me!! And I will scrub my veggies extra extra good now !!! Thanks for reading my blog! I wish you much health!!

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  3. Hi, here a post from the Netherlands. After 22 years (I'm 44 years now) I've had all the usual researches possible. No, it is not an official celiac desease, it is not crohns disease, it is not colitis, it's not a lack of enzyme production (pancreas research), it is not an unusual allergic response, but what it is is still unexplained. Anyway, I bumped upon your blog and it looked like I was reading my own story. Not only I've noticed a lot of direct reaction to histamine rich foods, but I can't eat grains/wheat (bread, cookies, etc.) without finding blood in my stool and feeling very, very fatigue, but I also get sick from eating potatoes, milk products, coffee, red wine, certain fruits, etc.. When I don't eat grains/wheat and only eat what's on the histamine-free list I'm feeling much better. The only thing is that medics in the Netherlands are just starting to see histamine-intolerance as a reason why people can get sick. Up till now you must look for alternative healers that only know just a bit of it. I'm especially interested in supplements (like you mentioned in one of your blogs). Can you share with me the list of supplements and treatments (like the parasite cleans) you use in order to heal the leaking gut?
    Keep up the good work :-)

    Cheers from the Netherlands (land of the histamine rich cheese...)

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    1. My blog entry on my protocol is http://thehistamineintolerantchick.blogspot.com/2013/08/supplements-to-start-taking-now-to-help.html?m=1. I use Hulda Clark's parasite cleanse. You may have to take the parasite cleanse more than once with a week break in between. It's an 18 day cleanse so you'd take it for that many days then break for a week then take another 18 day cleanse because those little bastards can latch onto your insides pretty hard and may need a huge ass kicking. You'll want to stay on the maintenance plan indefinitely and deworm at least every 6 months because we get reinfected very easily. It's recommended to get a few colonics after to get all the dead worms completely out of you opt not to it could take several months to shit them all out (they'll be dead). I tend to go overboard with my cleanses because I want them OUT! So I also take diatomaceous earth as well daily for 60 days at 1 TBSP twice a day (you must work up to that amount though at first otherwise you will get super sick from the massive die off). This will scrape the colon with the sharp edges of the fossils and get the stubborn ones out. If you have pets you must give them the cleanse too, although I'd personally get rid of any animals if it's a continuous problem for you to get infected, harsh I know but then again I'm not much of an animal lover. I'd also suggest L-Glutamine to repair the lining of your intestines get the plain no flavor one it smells bad and tastes like shit but it's worth it. Keep me updated and if you need anything else let me know I'm here to help 😊. P.s. Also hyssop liquid extract is a strong antiparasitic

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  4. Hi Dani

    Thank you so much for your blog and for taking the time to document your journey in the effort to help and inspire others! It is greatly appreciated! I found out about Histamine Intolerance for the first time 10 days ago and wish that I had known about it 10 years ago as I am 99% certain that it is the cause for most of my health issues in addition to Candida Albicans and Leaky gut (which I have known about for a long time now). I have been struggling for a very long time so I cannot tell you how excited I am to have discovered this and know that there is hope in finding healing! I do have some questions and am hoping that you can provide some insight on them:

    1) L-Glutamine: I have read quite a bit about the benefits of using L-Glutamine powder to heal the gut wall. Have you got any insight on how this fits in with the Low Histamine diet and treatment plan? I have just started to take Custom Probiotics D-Lactate Free probiotic powder which has the good probiotic strains for HI sufferers. Not sure if that and diet alone are sufficient in healing the gut wall or if I should use L-Glutamine to speed things up.

    2) Stomach Acid – you recently had a post about the importance of producing sufficient stomach acid and taking supplements for this if necessary. Do you think that it’s worth taking this in addition to the digestive enzymes (I have recently started taking Digest Gold and have just received my order for Histamine Blocker by Seeking Health). I don’t want to be overloading my system unnecessarily.

    3) In addition to the above supplements that I have listed, I am taking Vitamin C (Camu Camu), Marine Algae-3 (Vegan Omega 3) and a good multi-vitamin (Source of Life Garden Women’s Once daily) which includes Zinc, Vitamin E (to stabilize mast cells), Vitamin B6 to name just a few that assist with HI. Is there anything further that you recommend at this point? I’ve been taking antihistamines for years have been off of them for over a week now and will try to stay off them as long as I can tolerate it!

    4) Breakfast: Any suggestions on what to eat for breakfast? I am going grains free to try to help with the gut wall repair, but am completely stumped for breakfast now that eggs are out of the picture too! In desperation (and laziness) I’ve been eating gluten free oats and blueberries until I can get the breakfast thing figured out as freshly cooked veggies for breakfast just doesn’t do it for me! I will however do it if that’s the only option! Geeezzz…This diet makes GAPS seem like a walk in the park which I did a few years ago and did not respond well to (I now know why!!!) Eureka!!!


    Anyway, that’s it for now! Once again, I really appreciate your assistance and time!

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    1. Hi, thank you for visiting my blog! I'm going to answer your questions in the order that you have posted them :)

      1. I honestly could not stomach taking the L-Glutamine myself the taste/smell was so disgusting and likened that of stale cheetos mixed with the smell of someone's sweaty ass. (sorry, had to be graphic) So I myself never did fully incorporate that into my protocol however if you can stomach the taste/smell it would be good to add to your diet.

      2. Most definitely! Betaine HCL with Pepsin I highly recommend, leaving all that undigested food in your gut will only inflame it more and cause more havoc and put you at risk for parasite overload!

      3. My protocol included a NON CITRUS vitamin C, it's expensive and hard to get but a must because citrus is a histamine liberator. I personally would be leery of anything containing Algae I would definitely do more research into that regarding it raising histamine levels. I would drop a multi vitamin because of unnecessary fillers. Make sure to go through each ingredient to ensure there's no histamine liberators. I'm not sure if you've read my blog entry on my actual protocol that I used to heal myself or not but I can only suggest what I used as it works. The additional items you are taking I cannot with solid confidence say will work or not. At this time I only can recommend what I used. If anyone knows of any other protocol I'd love to add that info to my blog. :)

      4. My breakfast was always strange back when I had HI. For me, (not all people) I was able to eat chocolate. So my breakfast was either a chocolate brownie Quest Bar or a green apple with some almond butter and an organic low fat mozzarella cheese stick. Soft cheeses are on the safe list for HI sufferers because it has not been aged. I'd like to remind you however that every "body" is different so what one suffering from HI can tolerate another may not. I am an avid strength trainer so I always tried to get enough protein. I would avoid the oats if I were you until you've healed completely. Blueberries were always a hit and miss for me sometimes they would affect me badly and sometimes not.

      I hope I've answered all of your questions please keep me updated on your status. I wish you much health!

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  5. Dani...I really love your humor. You crack me up girl lol. Have you heard of Dr. De'Adamo's Eat Right for your Blood Type? It's old school but according to blood type some produce less stomach acids. A's are low and O's Usually make sufficient amounts. I've done Betaine HCI before. Need to get back on it. I'm an A blood type and sho nuff my stomach acid is low. Glad for the reminder before I place my HIT protocol Vitacost order.

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  7. Can you see the worms in the poo? Or do you need to have a test??

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    1. Yes you can if that is the type of parasite you are infested with (worms) other parasites can be microscopic and you won't see. Flukes appear as small rolled up pieces of tomato skin. Hope that helps.

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  8. Just starting on this journey - elimination diet hell - after 8 years of suffering with an undiagnosed condition. Wondering, can I make soups using chicken broth fro the low histamine diet?

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  9. I have just stumbled upon your blog today as I am presenting with signs of (self-diagnosed) HIT. Such a wonderful resource of information, and a great jumping off point for additional research and study.

    I have a history of food allergies/intolerances that have developed over a period of about 20 years. Doctors didn't/wouldn't test - just said, "if it makes you sick, then avoid it - hence the self-diagnosis. Figured since I couldn't get medical advice/treatment - and because there are also a litany of drugs I am allergic to, and do not want to take anyway - I would research it myself.

    I have learned over the decades that one of the first signs of a food sensitivity, intolerance or allergy is that I develop a chronic cough as well as other nasal and sinus related issues. I also have a restrictive lung disorder, which conveniently is caused by allergens in the air and can result in allergy-induced asthma attacks, chronic upper respiratory infections and bronchitis.

    After suffering a bout with the flu that morphed into an ear infection last March, I initially thought that the lingering cough I'd developed was just bronchitis hanging round to make me more miserable than I'd already been. But then I started having stomach symptoms. And just today, saw a news segment about Histamine Intolerance that sounded a lot like what I was going through.

    As it happens, today I also started with simple elimination of trigger foods and beverages (beer - am allergic to wine and spirits already) to see if the cough subsides. I suspect there are other culprits, but figure it's best to do this one thing at a time.

    Not sure if you are maintaining this blog or answering questions, but at the end of the news segment, there was mention of this product: https://umbrelluxdao.com/pages/histamine-info. I read some of your other posts about DAO, and wondered if you'd heard of this product, have tried it, or if you are still sticking with the vitamins B and C, Digest Gold, Vira Stop etc. protocol (some of which I already take, and now will introduce more).

    At any rate, thanks for sharing your learnings. They have been eye-opening for me to read.

    I wish you good health!

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    1. Thank you for visiting my blog! Yes I totally still maintain and answer questions on this blog :). I have not heard of the product on your link. I no longer use DAO as I no longer have HI I healed myself approx 6 years ago following my own supplement regime which I have lined out here throughout my blog. Today I just incorporate immune boosting supplements and antioxidants mostly for general over all health. Glad to hear you have been doing your research and you’re on your way to recovery! :)

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  10. Hi,

    looks like "parasites" could finally be the last piece of my (amazingly complicated) puzzle (HI, GI issues, pain ... you name it). So, just to clarify - you take (or: took) DE in parallel to the 2x18-day-with-break-inbetween-Clark-anti-parasite-program? Or did you add 60 days of DE _after_ finishing the former?

    Great blog and great writing style btw!

    Cheers from Germany
    -Dan

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    1. Thank you for reading my blog! I actually take a parasite cleanse twice a year as maintenance because you’re constantly being exposed to them. I take the pills or sometimes I’ll take a liquid tincture. I don’t do the DE at the same time though. I usually give the DE to my kids because it’s essier for them to ingest. You don’t necessarily have to use Hulda Clarke’s brand as there are many out there that are just as good for less money :). I wish you well ! Thank you for your question.

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