Also need help with mino problems I am having

[Anonymous]

Hi.  My problems all started with stomach problems.  Gas/bloating/reflux.  Over the years I have gotten this under great control through probiotics, the antibiotic rifaximin, cutting out sugar, and nexium.  I would say my stomach was 85% better.  My joints on the other hand started having problems and got worse and worse.  GI says I have minor Crohns disease.  Went to rheumy who says I have seronegative spondylaropothy as a result of minor Crohns.  He put me on Humira and methotrexate.  I did this for 6 months with little relief.  Saw this site and went to Dr. T in Boston.  He prescribed mobic and minocyclene 200mg daily.  This made me nauseous so I started at a lower dose and have built up to MWF 200mg.  I must admit all my tendinitis is feeling better.  I am actually playing tennis again.  Problem is I am having stomach problems again.  I have been on this for about 6 months.  I have foul smelling gas that is driving me(and probably others) nuts.  I also am bloated and a touch nauseous.  I just increased my probiotic(VSL #3).  On top of that not sure what to do.  I was thinking of starting rifaximin again but am afraid of taking so many antibiotics.  I do know that gas is caused by bacteria so I assume mino is changing my gut bacterial makeup for the worse.  I should also mention that I am taking the antifungal Lamisil as the humira gave me fungus in my toenails.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,
Pete

[Anonymous]

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

[A Friend]

Pete,

Recently, I've seen several references to patients being prescribed Nexium and similar products as not being a good thing, because the problem is usually that the patient does not have enough HCl (hydrochloric acid), rather than too much acid, and that taking the antacids can cause more problems. 

Further, the articles said that we need the HCl to address viruses, bacteria, etc. coming into the mouth with food, the HCl being our first line of defense.  It also helps break down our food so nutrients can be absorbed.  Without adequate amounts of HCl, and if our food (especially meat protein) is not broken down and if we have a leaky gut, particles of food can get through the permeable lining of our guts and into the bloodstream (these particles are not supposed to be able to get through that lining).  Our immune system recognizes these particles to be “foreign” and attacks them.  All of this creates inflammation and other symptoms, i.e. pain.  When the food we have eaten does not have enough HCl for digestion, not only can you not absorb needed nutrients, but I'm guessing the gas you are experiencing is closely linked to this condition. 

A bit of caution that I'm remembering in what I read is that NSAIDs should not be taken when we are taking HCl and Pepsin supplements.  There is a topic posted on HCl on the Board under General Discussion, that I believe may be worth your while.  In fact, I found it rather profound (long but worth the read).  There are digestive enzymes that can be taken with meals… one after the first several bites of food, and then another during the meal if it is a high protein meal.  If one has only salad, I read it is not necessary to take an enzyme.  I've taken digestive enzymes for some time, but recently began using Solaray HCl with Pepsin, after reading a recommendation that impressed me about these. 

My best guess is that you need to find a healthcare professional that truly understands the HCl problem and knows that decreased acid when you are eating (and decreasing acid in the digestive tract)  may be a large part of your problem.  It might be that an ND or DO, or a Certified Clinical Nutritionist could help you solve these problems.  Idea here:  You can go to http://www.needs.com and call the 800 number listed.  They have free health counseling by a clinical nutritionist.  I discussed something several months ago, and she was quite helpful and sent me additional research on my question.  At the least, this would be a respected and economical place to gather information to consider. 

Hope this and the article on HCl will be helpful.

AF 

[Edit:  It is now early am on March 7. Just read the posts below by Maz, JeffN, and one other, and together I believe we have covered some of the important bases that most likely are part of your health puzzle going on right now. Hope you will take steps to try to figure this out.  Good luck, AF]

[Edit:  It is now March 9, and want to comment on Rosemary Australia's post on Diflucan.  It took 4 months of Diflucan daily for me to get over some big hurdles.  It became obvious each day that on this, I finally was making much more rapid improvement.  Also, a video by Doug Kaufman (yeast/fungal very knowledgeable)  with an Italian physician/oncologist has information so dramatic, to me it is the mother of all “ahaa” moments.  Turns out, according to the oncologist that fungal issues are at the basis of all cancer.  He said that the antifungals had been of help to some, but told about in the presence of cancer, he uses a certain effective and inexpensive product to treat/inject into cancers. 

Both of these men were writing books on fungal issues, and neither of them knew about the other I understand, at the time they were both writing on this issue.  I've heard of Doug Kaufman for years, and understand he has a TV program (I've never seen it, but hope I find it on my TV menu).  After being sent the video by one of my most valued/trusted AP counselors/mentors, I am very anxious to learn even more.  I was able to bring up Doug Kaufman's books on this big problem.  I have believed for a long time that yeast/fungal issues were well the beginning of my own serious health issues and resulting rheumatic diagnosis.  Now, after seeing the video, and the fact that this oncologist is actually treating cancer, i.e. breast tumors, with injections of Bicarbonate of Soda and getting quick results, to me is amazing and encouraging for all who suffer all these illnesses and endure such as chemo and radiation therapies. 

The oncologist commented that the injections of Bicarbonate of Soda continues to be effective against fungal organisms in the cancer tumors, and they do not become resistant to it.  [Do any of you remember the test my AP physician (now retired) had me do in late 2006 when I had the lengthy fascia and bone pain?  He had me take 1 teaspoon of BS in a cup of water every waking hour for two days.  He said if my chronic pain was due to acidosis, the pain would be gone in two days.  It was; however, I continued on it the third day because my bone pain had continued.  At the end of the 3rd day, my bone pain was virtually gone.  That's why I started educating myself continually on pH, HCl, alkaline foods, and anything else related to this.  CAUTION:  It would be foolhardy for us to launch into a program of taking B. Soda continually.  When we eat, we need the acid from HCL to digest our food.  Also, if you read the cautions on the soda box it gives cautions about using it as a drug.  And, keep in mind the reference that this oncologist “injected” BS into the tumors; he did not have them drinking it! (Although a couple of years ago, I did find a site about gout that showed they had “cured” their gout by taking BS.)  

The oncologist said the fungus can be seen and it is always white.  He also stated information relating to this concerning diseases such as ALS and others.   I do believe that we all need to get very serious about cleaning up any candida/fungus producing foods, environmental hazards, and also become diligent about learning about how to determine the extent that we have such problems.  Ironically, before I watched the video, I began taking a Solaray product I got for another family member, Yeast Cleanse.  I am impressed with several ingredients that I learned some time ago that have been shown to be effective individually.  By changing any of our habits that increase the likelihood that our immune system becomes more depressed, this I believe can help the candida/fungus problems.  However, as I read posts and replies, there is a segment patients who seem to want a “magic bullet”, and don't seem willing to take a close look, learn, or make changes.  The choice is ours. Let's not over-react to this new information.  I hesitated to post it yet.  But, I do believe the premise of these two men that candida fungus and others are very much a part of many persons serious illnesses, and we will not get well until these are addressed.   AF]

[Maz]

[user=168]Pete[/user] wrote:

Went to rheumy who says I have seronegative spondylaropothy as a result of minor Crohns.  He put me on Humira and methotrexate.  I did this for 6 months with little relief….

…I was thinking of starting rifaximin again but am afraid of taking so many antibiotics.  I do know that gas is caused by bacteria so I assume mino is changing my gut bacterial makeup for the worse.  I should also mention that I am taking the antifungal Lamisil as the humira gave me fungus in my toenails.

Hi Pete,

In addition to AF's great insights, what struck me as I read your description of what has been going on is that, if I were to fathom a guess, it sounds like a pretty good possibility that you a systemic candida issue going on. If I'm reading this right, you took humira and methotrexate, both immuno-suppressives, after being on an abx. If you already had a bit of a gut flora/fauna imbalance going on from the abx, suppressing your immune system on the tail end of that might have exacerbated things and set the scene for a more deep-seated fungal problem….the toenail fungus being just the tip of the iceberg. Bloating and gas can also be candida-related and make joint pain and intestinal discomfort worse.

AF's suggestion to seek out a naturopathic or holistic MD is a very wise one, as it may not be remiss to also ask if you should try a systemic candida buster, like Diflucan….at the very least to rule this out. You don't hear Lamisil being mentioned much on this BB – mostly Nystatin, a GI wash through or Diflucan, a big gun systemic that tends to penetrate all the tissues better. If you go this route, I'd check in advance with the doctor to make sure they're into candida 'prescription' treatments. Some prefer natural cleanses, which is fine if you just want to improve your overall health, but for those of us who have chronic diseases and take long term abx, we sometimes need the bigger guns, first, and then we can maintain with OTC candida cleanses and probiotics.

Do hope you feel better soon and perhaps others can offer suggestions that may help.

Peace, Maz

 

[JeffN]

Pete – I had some stomach issues before and after I first went on AP. In my case it turns out they were caused by NSAIDs, while on them my stomach was generating a lot of pain. Afew months into AP I found out I had watermelon stomach and was bleeding, I gave up the NSAIDs and the bleeding has stopped and now my stomach is much closer to normal even with the Mino. I guess my point is don't overlook the NSAIDs as a possible cause, or at least some of the cause of your distress.

[Robin K]

While I use OTC probiotics I've found that probiotic foods are actually a lot more effective for my gas problems, especially a kefir and berry smoothie daily.

[Rosemary Perth Aust.]

I agree with Maz  The Diflucan seems to be a super addition to the treatment. I have just started taking 100mg. twice a day and I am now starting to get somewhere with the bloating. With another infection like fungus you are pushing it uphill for recovery, especially with crohns. Do not know much about the one you are using   I was a really bad case and had to use a pancreatic enzymes for 10 yrs for absorption problems,and now I am off them altogether.   I cannot believe it is all happening Might be worth asking your Dr. to try.  You may have to work up gradually commencing at two a week and increasing as you can manage it. Push it as much as you can. because fungus makes you feel terrible.

[Author]

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