I just had a 3.5 hour consult with a Dr. LaValley from Texas. He also practices here in Canada. He is a medical doctor 1st and foremost, but then he also practices holistic medicine. He looked at my medical journal that I've been keeping since jr. high (just a few years ago...hee hee) and couldn't believe the number of antibiotics I've been on! He believes that I have leaky gut. He got very technical and it generally takes a lot to lose me in the science...but he did. He seems very knowledgeable! We went online together and he let me tap into his computer and he explained everything with pics, resources, diagrams, etc. He basically said that to date, doctors have been treating my issues individually. He said that I need something more systemic if I ever want to have durable and lasting benefit. He is not sure if I have an autoimmune disease or not, but regardless, he wants to reduce the inflammation. He said we'll get the most improvement from treating the gut. My family doc would agree that needs to be treated. Dr. LaValley said that while most docs agree with him that yeast can attack gender organs, the rest of his argument is not accepted by everyone. He says that yeast can also impact the skin, bowel, organs, etc. Most docs say that if yeast was that bad, you'd be in the ER. He feels that is not true, that I have a 'variable mist' instead of a cytokine storm. He said that all of the antibacterials I've used over the years has caused an increase in yeast in the intestinal tract. When microbes (antibiotics, food, environment, etc.) stimulate the yeast it becomes "unfriendly". Instead of budding, they extend to muceal. As the fungal hyphae go into the intestinal wall, cells are compromised causing hyper-permeability (leaky gut). This loss of barrier in intestine can then send toxins into the lymphatic system.
His recommendation: said to go on an anti-inflammatory/fermentation diet (no sugars except those in milk) so no fruit. Said the diet takes about 4-6 months and then foods can be reintroduced. Also have to use very specific pharmaceuticals and supplements. He is very thorough!! He's ordered a lot of blood work and is checking my liver function throughout the treatment. I'm going to give it a go!! I've got nothing to lose at this point except further quality of life.
He said it will take a long time to change my intestinal lining, but that people with this condition who stick with it have great results. We'll see. (sorry for all of the spelling mistakes, not sure how to spell some of the terms he used)
interesting interview with Dr. LaValley: http://www.tachyon-aanbieding.eu/Documentation/Electro-dermal%20screening.pdf
I should add that Dr. LaValley is not saying I DON'T have an AI, he just says it is not the whole picture. He said at least if we can reduce the inflammation he can see what symptoms are left.
It's amazing the impact that diet can have on inflammation. Every body seems to be a little different in responses to specific foods. I hope you see inflammation go way down. Good luck to you.
sounds like a GREAT consult!
I have been doing a pile of research myself and in conjunction with a naturopath leading to many similar conclusions in my own health. All my current symptoms began after a very long stretch of "IBS". I don't think it ever truly resolved itself- I just thought it had as I didn't have diarrhea anymore.
please keep us up to date with what you are doing!
Whether or not you have Celiac Disease, you should know that some of the most foremost Celiac experts think that leaky gut may be a factor in triggering a number of autoimmune diseases. It's well documented that due to dryness, we are prone to yeast infections. This makes a lot of sense! Will you please keep us updated on how your treatment is going gardenlover? Thanks for this topic, it's very interesting! :)