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Forum Replies Created
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Good morning Daniel,
Thank you so much for the reassurance and for clarifying how your suggestions fit into the bigger picture, that really helps me understand the sequence better.
I’ll definitely keep Bernadette’s plan as my anchor and start with the bitters first, very slowly and with meals as you both recommended. Once I see how my system responds, I can then move on to adding the enzymes, and later consider zinc-carnosine and DGL if needed as well as thyroid support once I get a confirmation from Bernadette on my Selenium results, would love to know what you think as well.
I really appreciate you emphasizing simplicity and pacing, it takes some pressure off and helps me feel more grounded in the process, really excited to get my treatment plan going soon, it has been great to get all this support and love being part of this community. Slowly and smoothly will get there eventually.
Thank you both for the guidance and support through this.
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Good morning,
My Selenium results are back- although they look clinically sufficient- I am wondering if these are suitable from a functional perspective and if I should go ahead with supplementing Selenium for thyroid support?
Thank you!
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Good morning Daniel
Nice to virtually meet you 😃
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply, I really appreciate the time and detail you put into this. I am still navigating things step by step after some time of calming my system down, mentally and physically so I am being extra cautious with adding anything new.
At the moment, I am looking at adding Aloe Vera as a gut healing therapy after stopping Slippery Elm, and as I mentioned also considering adding digestive bitters and digestive enzymes.
From your message, I understood I should also add Zinc carnosine and DGL as well (will add them to the order- Seeking health for Zinc and Nature’s Way chewables?- hope these are okay). In terms of additions, I will definitely add one at a time gradually to track what really helps. I am following the food hygiene protocol and I don’t do any of the rest besides my Duloxetine, I have also ruled out H. pylori as well. My selenium result is back at 79.4 ug/L reference limit, 50-120, wondering is this sufficient to add Selenium for thyroid support. None of the items are available so I will be ordering all, so I haven’t started anything yet before confirming that I am taking the correct steps towards a proper healing plan.
Regarding histamine, I don’t really experience the classic histamine symptoms, though I know the overlap with gut issues can be tricky. I am also overly sensitive to smells and have generally never tolerated antihistamines. I will get Dr Mercola to test and also ginger is what I have been using at home- but could also get ginger root tincture as a safe option? I will get Enzymedica Digest Gold with AtPro. Your explanation about enzymes helping with SIBO and gastritis by lowering the substrate load makes sense to me, and I will keep the sandwich method in mind with cautious dosing.
From what you shared, it sounds like Aloe, Iberogast, Zinc carnosine, DGL and enzymes should come before bitters, which confuses me as per my discussion with Bernadette I am meant to start with bitters first.
I will order all of the above once I get confirmation regarding Selenium and would like to know which is the safest starting point from all these supplements to begin with first, second and so forth please.
I also appreciate the week by week outline you gave as it helps me see a clear structure, and I will pace things carefully. I will also continue with gentle walks and calming practices around meals as you suggested.
Thank you
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Thank you for the clear explanation.
Based on my results of low FT3 that means my body is not converting enough T4 to T3.
Antibodies: 18.80 IU/ml, FT3: 2.61 pmol/L, FT4: 17.11 pmol/L, TSH: 1 mIU/L
It seems the right next step would be supplementing with Selenium, but only after testing first.
I will do the test and update with results to get further clarification that it is still the right choice.
Thank you so much
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Following my previous message, I have just received the results from biopsy and seemingly there is mild chronic gastritis and non specific inflammation (according to the report) doctor said it was not visible in endoscopy as everything looked clear, however now again not sure how to go on about this- obviously the doctor wants to prescribe an antibiotic which I am against- he said to take Rifaximin- now I am a little confused again, do I still continue with Betaine HCL or change the course of action?
Thank you!
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Hi Bernadette, hope you are well!
I wanted to follow up on the above for some guidance please, I am feeling a little stuck about the next step to take given the above results. I had a follow up with the gastroenterologist and he mentioned that an antibiotic is not necessary (unless I want to) since the gastritis was not visible in the endoscopy at all and that the biopsy shows mild inflammation?
I would really appreciate your advice on what you recommend doing next.
Thank you
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I have been reading and it seems the majority of research has shown that taking thyroid medication does have a high tendency to increase anxiety so I would rather avoid going down that route given my circumstances- I am currently looking at ordering and following this plan and would love your feedback if this is the safest (low and slow approach) to follow:
1. Starting with NOW Betaine HCL for a few days to test that and it’s affect.
2. Gentian root as a bitter- I found Frontier Co-op have it in cut and sifted form so do I make it into a tea? Consume as a bitter prior to meals? I have been reading that it is safe regarding histamine and FODMAP- please let me know if you recommend any others and if my research is wrong regarding bitters and if I should pause the bitters as a starting point, not sure which one would be the gentlest.
3. Following the above plan for a few days then introducing Thorne Selenium- could that be the safest starting point for thyroid supplementation with least possible side effects?
Thank you for your continued guidance.
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Thank you so much, I am trying to connect all the dots. I’ve been following your advice and focusing on nervous system regulation alongside gentle dietary support.
I wanted to give you an update: I’ve recently completed further testing, including a CT scan and the labs I shared (blood sugar, lipids, liver enzymes, insulin, thyroid, etc.)- along with the previous results I have shared in other chat threads.
The current confusion is are these results enough? As momentarily this is honestly all I am able to do or access in testing.
I am a bit confused with the low fasting insulin result as well- HOMA score wasn’t able to be calculated due to it- not sure how to address this. I am following up with the internist today to get further information on her perspective, however, yours is my priority 😁
Regarding going south to start treatment – should I focus first on supporting stomach acid first then enzymes and bile, or is there another approach you recommend? I am overwhelmed with where and what and how to begin.
Not sure if I should follow the Betaine HCL or ACV for example? I would appreciate some guidance on how to safely start treatment without triggering further dysregulation.
I want to make sure I am taking the right actions and addressing the root cause effectively and also start consuming food beyond chicken/beef-carrots and zucchini 😂
Thank you so much for your continued support.
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Small update, I just finished my appointment with the internist- unfortunately the radiologist had informed the doctor that there seems to be an infection in the ileum- so I will be moving forward with the endoscopy and colonoscopy to further investigate and check what’s going on- I was told that it is a bacterial infection possibly? Will update after this but would love your feedback on the above results please as I’m sure that all are connected definitely.
Thank you so much
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Great so I will order Thorne Selenium 200mcg. Love the explanation, that’s amazing information to understand, will definitely keep that in mind for minerals.
Thank you so much 🙏
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I really appreciate that!
From the supplements recommended in the video, the following are the ones I have access to:
Maine Coast Sea Seasonings Organic Kelp Granules – iodine
Thorne Selenomethionine – Selenium
Designs for Health Thyroid Synergy
Allergy Research Group Thyroid Glandular
Metagenics UltraFlora Intensive Care
Thank you!
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Ooo I get it now- okay will just do ginger for now, and later add Dr Mercola once it’s back in stock for further support as I don’t have access to the other two you mentioned either.
Regarding the thyroid, I did watch the supplement recommendations video, however as some are either inaccessible or unsuitable- the blends and formulas I do have access to, may have ashwaghanda, or ginseng and forkolin which may overstimulate, that’s why I also got further confused on how to choose the safest one- so I ended up choosing just one thing such as Selenium but now I understand all are needed.
I guess best to test Selenium and Vitamin A and then get back to you for a recommendation?
Thank you
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The various bitter blends seem a bit risky for me, and unfortunately the Dr Mercola is currently out of stock for another few weeks as that’s what I had access to, would it be safe to start with for example, chewing some ginger prior to meals as a digestive stimulant- as I went through the handout ginger and gentian root stood out as low histamine, IBS and gastritis friendly?
I did find other brands with lots of blends such as Swedish bitters, Nature’s answer- Bitters & Ginger, WishGarden Badass bitters, also found a blend by Nature’s Answer- Liver support herbal blend, I have no access to gentian root as a tincture, or anything but bitter melon or ginger root tincture, I just want to be safe in what I take so I don’t aggravate my stomach lining further given everything, low histamine, IBS, mild gastritis and what not- so the whole bitter situation has been confusing in choosing one and with limited options.
Regarding the Selenium, absolutely no reason but random selection, again for the same reasons as above, wasn’t sure how to choose a thyroid combo formula given everything.
Do you think it’s still worth testing selenium and vitamin A, or can I proceed with supplementation if you could please guide me towards a formula that is suitable for me?
My results:
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Iron, serum: 73 µg/dL (normal 33–102)
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Zinc, serum: 100.8 µg/dL (normal 70–120)
Thank you
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I wanted to update you that I’ve completed the endoscopy and colonoscopy today. Thankfully, everything is clear, and H. pylori, ulcers, celiac, and gastritis have been ruled out. There was a minor upper GI polyp that has been removed and sent for testing.
I’ve watched the Thyroid Balance videos, very informative, however I’m still unsure which supplementation to begin or choose given my digestive sensitivities and how to choose what would suit me personally. Ideally, I would love to support this through food, but as my digestion isn’t in its best state, I’d really appreciate your guidance on safely personalizing supplementation for both thyroid support and digestion.
On my current ordering list, I have Dr. Mercola digestive bitters and Betaine HCL and would love feedback on thyroid supplement to order. Is it safe to start both digestive and thyroid work simultaneously, and since the ideal advice from you is to start one thing at a time- which should come first? Also, if you think medication would be better to begin with, how does one decide that? Is it personal preference or best for a starting point?
And final question regarding the digestive bitters, given my low FODMAP and histamine diet, is it more suitable to choose a single bitter instead?
Really looking forward to hopefully seeing some improvement in digestion soon and make sure I’m taking the right steps to do so.
Thank you so much!
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With that being said, I’ve decided to pause the challenge for now at three days, if that’s okay, just to see if it’s causing my discomfort, as I haven’t introduced anything new besides it. Could this level of discomfort itself provide insight into what’s going on inside?
Thank you
