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Beneficial Gut Bacteria & ADHD

Beneficial Gut Bacteria & ADHD2010-11-16T23:16:52+00:00

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  • #96339

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 14413

    @scattybird: I have several coworkers who are diabetic, and one of whom is both ADD and diabetic. When their blood sugar is “off”, they are cranky and scatterbrained, to put it mildly. My coworker who has both ADD and diabetes does not manage either condition, and has basically been given an ultimatum: find a means of dealing with your condition, or be written up for being argumentative and inappropriate with coworkers, and missing deadlines.

    @ipsofacto: I wholeheartedly agree re: anything which isn’t likely to net big pharma any money. “pseudogout” caught my eye. Can you provide resources?

    Thanks,

    MissMuffins

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    #96340

    ipsofacto
    Member
    Post count: 162

    Miss Muffins, this only a small part of my story, but this part began about five years ago with my doctor prescribing Lisinopril for high blood pressure. Though I didn’t really understand what was happening at the time this was the start of my ADHD symptoms becoming much worse.

    Sometime latter, I started to get pain in my finger joints. As an electrician, my fingers have taken more abuse than most peoples, so I assumed it just an age thing. One joint in particular started to swell and become very painful. After about two years, my BP was up again, and HCTZ (a diuretic) was added to the Lisinopril. Also at this time, I was prescribed a PPI for acid reflux. The arthritis in the knuckle became much worse, and I saw the doctor about it. Looking at an X-ray, he was absolutely sure it was gout. I was drinking about 1/2 to 3/4 of a bottle wine daily, so I thought it sounded reasonable. The doc gave me some Ibuprofen ointment and sent me on my way. A while later I had him do a uric acid test, which came back negative. Must just be arthritis he said.

    Over the next year or so, and quite by chance, I became very partial to balsamic vinegar. I noticed that the more Balsamic vinegar I ate, the better my knuckle was, eventually even reducing quite a bit. Turns out that acids help the digestion of minerals.

    I was diagnosed with ADHD about eight months ago. For various reasons I started supplementing Mg about three months ago. I also started taking a multivitamin with high B6, zinc, and Vit D. It was obvious verly quickly that something had changed in that finger joint. The remaining swelling was disappearing, and it was becoming almost painless when bumped. In researching the balance between electrolytes, I came across pseudogout, Should have seen the look on my doctor’s face when I told him why the uric acid test came back negative. He believes I made a good “catch” when I figured out the Mg deficiency.

    The harder deposits of calcium crystals in the joint won’t dissipate like those in the soft tissues. Not sure if I’ll get surgery to remove those yet.

    I would have to say again that this really is only part of the story and there were many other factors including drinking RO water, antacid tablets without magnesium, and diet.

    Oh and btw, mineral deficiencies can affect the parathyroid glands and insulin levels. I really believe that one day some researcher will tie all this stuff together. At the moment the medical field can’t seem to see the forest for the trees.

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    #96341

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 14413

    @ipsofacto: thanks for the reply.

    We’re pretty new to the idea of putting a name to everything and calling it ADD. Although we’re new to the idea of putting a name on it, we’re not new to dealing with and working around the symptoms.

    I purchased “Driven to Distraction” and “You Mean I’m not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!” a couple of weeks ago. My Significant Other and I have been together for 3 1/2 years, and combined households a year ago. After living with him for a few months and seeing “ADD and Loving It” during the PBS pledge drive last spring, I recognized a lot of the symptoms in him.

    When I was reading the books last weekend, he asked if his picture was underneath the the definition for ADD. He became much more open to the subject when I explained that I am not out to convince him that something is “wrong” with him and pump him full of meds–we’ve both talked about certain things and indicated that we want some coping techniques and lifestyle changes that make our home life manageable, and I thought these books would help.

    We’re also going to counseling due to some issues that came up in our relationship as a result of his online dating compulsion. I believe his behavior was, in part, the result of extraordinarily poor impulse control which he sometimes experiences. It’s something he needs to find a different way to deal with, because this isn’t the first time it’s happened. If it happens again, I will end the relationship.

    At counseling, with regard to the possibility of ADD, he said, “I am 63 years old. This is who I am. If you think I’m going to go to therapy once a week and take medication to fix that, you’re crazy.” I don’t want to change who he is–MOST of his quirks are quite dear to me.

    However, we are agreed that the online behavior is unacceptable. If ADD is one of the cards he’s been dealt, I want him to be aware of that. There are techniques proven to work for folks who have ADD, and he can use them to help him be the relationship partner that he wants to be. Without that knowledge, it’s kind of like being sent out to do small engine repair with a framing hammer.

    While he is not open to the idea of medication, he is very open to the idea of nutritional supplements. He just can’t remember to take them.

    In addition to the ADD symptoms, he has a dairy intolerance and chronic yeast infection (indicative of a lack of probiotics in the intestinal tract) and periodic flare ups of gout that aren’t triggered by all the usual gout triggers and don’t respond to most of the usual gout medications. The next time his knee swells for no reason and they have to draw fluid off of it, I’m going to ask them to analyze it for pseudo-gout.

    Meanwhile, my own self-diagnosis of ADD was confirmed last week.

    MissMuffins

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    #96342

    Scattybird
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    Post count: 1096

    MissMuffins – thanks for your comments about your diabetic coworker.

    Diabetes is horrible – at least those I know with it struggle sometimes.

    My point re myself is that I am NOT diabetic. I am prone to low blood sugar on a morning but mostly my silly ADD behaviours make that worse. Any healthy person who doesn’t have a good pattern of eating regularly will be affected and as you say that affects mood.

    I do believe we should treat everything holistically. Nutrition and gut health are fundamental to so much….as is exercise when we are able.

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    #96343

    ipsofacto
    Member
    Post count: 162

    Occasionally I get a little hypoglycemic, even without eating something with a lot of sugar beforehand. As I mentioned before, the parathyroids seem to be part of the big picture.

    I’m certainly leaning that the holistic approach is so important. I’ll never view view an ailment in isolation again.

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    #96344

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 14413

    I have low blood sugar too. Only mine is a reaction to excess carbohydrate consumption, as opposed to the usual reaction to not eating. So while, like Scattybird, need to ensure some protein and fat (yes fat, our brains are made of fat people) get into all my meals, I also need to ensure I don’t overdo the carbs. I like to try and stick with vegetables mostly, as fruit and grains more often set me off (have been procrastinating on investigating a food intolorence).

    One thing I’ve found helped lately was high dose omega 3. I started taking 4grams a day (+ 3 tsp olive oil), as a reaction to some facila nerve pain and tension headaches. It seemed to help slightly, but I didn’t know how much until I ran out, and the headaches came back. After a day and a half back on it they’re gone again. A bonus, I haven’t passed out mid afternoon since either.

    Ipsofacto, I’m interested in your pseudo-gout. My father in law has had some gout (as well as other health concerns). I’m going to mention the nutritional deficiencies.

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    #96345

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    If I am not on a schedule, I forget to eat.

    If I forget to eat, I go until I’m so hungry that I will eat almost anything that’s ready NOW. Subsisting on stuff from the vending machine, potato chip aisle, deli case or drive through window doesn’t make for a healthy me.

    A few years ago, before I even thought about ADD, I became interested in the glycemic index. I found that with regard to carbohydrates, my body responds very differently to a diet which includes a variety of whole grains (complex carbohydrates) rather than a diet in which the carbohydrates come primarily from refined wheat (simple carbohydrates). I also do better when I avoid high fructose corn syrup. I didn’t avoid sugar, but I made a point to eat much less of it.

    Although I became interested in glycemic index due to fasting blood sugar, I noticed that my racing thoughts, ringing ears, insomnia, fatigue, headaches and migraines decreased.

    Then I became involved in a relationship with a guy who does most of the cooking, so I got away from that…and gained 40 pounds. Now I feel “gunky” am trying to get him into glycemic index.

    It’s not that carbs and fat are bad; it’s that our proportions are off–too many simple carbs, too much fat. Distractomom is right: we need to consume a diet that includes all types of food–carbs, proteins and fat.

    MissMuffins

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