[bernadette]

so although your fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR are within the “normal” reference ranges, there is in fact a degree of insulin resistance as seen with the suboptimal high fasting insulin and higher-end HOMA-IR. You can watch this video which shares the optimal ranges to be aiming for inside the Blood Sugar Regulation course.

Next step is to determine where these higher levels are coming from. Diet? Stress? I have personally seen people developing pre-diabetes from stress alone. If this resonates with you, have you ever measured your cortisol levels? Here’s a video I encourage you to watch on testing adrenal status and cortisol production/rhythm in urine.

Also, just because your mold symptom questionnaire came back as unlikely to be mold illness, I wouldn’t rule it out just yet either. I encourage you to also watch the videos in the section of “How to test for mold” in our Mold & Mycotoxin Illness course. Please watch them and let me know your thoughts.

[bernadette]

@Vidyaa Vijayaraghavan it’s probably best to take her to see a dermatologist to get a professional look to know what’s at play.

Psoriasis, scabies, lice, dermatitis, ringworm, hives, allergic reactions are all possibilities and can all lead to an itchy scalp, and each will have a different treatment.

Since you’ve already changed her shampoo and ruled out a reaction to her hair care products, seeing a dermatologist is probably the best next step since it’s persisted for 2 weeks now.

Please do keep us posted!

[bernadette]

 Is the itchiness only on her scalp or whole body?

[bernadette]

 I don’t understand your question. Are you asking about a brand of blackstrap molasses or pomegranate molasses? These are 2 very different types of molasses.

Meridian has a brand of organic blackstrap molasses.

Blackstrap molasses helps with enema retention time, but decreasing the amount of coffee to 1/2 Tbsp and gradually increasing over time can also be helpful.

Retention time is more important than quantity of coffee being inserted. Over time, you can slowly increase the amount of coffee being brewed.

[bernadette]

 this is reassuring, but yes, it’s still a good idea to test him in 4-6 weeks because these tests don’t check every single type of co-infection. How is he feeling now? Any new symptom development?

[bernadette]

 does she also have dandruff or only itchy scalp?

[bernadette]

 if Ora doesn’t ship to Canada (which I think they do), you can also take a look at Vital Proteins which has Canadian presence.

As for microneedling, I do it myself. I bought the ZGTS derma roller. I can’t remember the size of the microneedles, but they’re short. Maybe 0.5mm. I roll the different areas of my face 5 x in the same spot (front and back or up and down – always in the same direction in the same spot). Then I spray my face with Active Skin Repair to soothe the skin (BERN10 for 10% off), and do red light therapy (you can find my favorite brand and discount codes here). I don’t think the order matters, but it’s what I’ve been doing. Hope this helps!

[bernadette]

 you can visit Dr. Erzebet Makk at Zia Medical. She’ll request all the tests you want, and also be able to guide you as she’s a functional medicine doctor with homeopathy training as well. It’s all pay and claim back, so if you do have insurance, some might be covered. She doesn’t fight patients if they request blood tests.

We can also help with functional tests if you’d like to pursue any in the future.

Let me know if you need further guidance. And please do report back on my questions above so I can further help.

[bernadette]

 yes, it wouldn’t hurt since higher blood sugar is a form of oxidative stress. If you’re looking to do some additional functional testing, I would look at doing the Organic Acids Test. Reason being, I’m suspicious of environmental toxin exposure and certain markers on the OAT can help pick up on that. It won’t tell us WHAT those toxins are, but it will confirm and/or rule them out and let us know his detoxification & antioxidant capability (i.e. glutathione status). It also has a section on vitamins including Vitamin C. It’s not a cheap test ($349 USD + shipping), and does take about 3 weeks for results, but it’s not invasive (urine) and it’s my preference for children with “weird” symptoms as it gives a broad picture of overall health, including bacterial and fungal markers.

On the other hand, if you implement all of the suggestions I discussed above and cast a broad net with your approach, you may not need testing. But give it at least 3 months of consistent effort. 

And if you decide to pursue the OAT, just email support@bernadetteabraham.com with your son’s name, date of birth, specify gender, your phone number, shipping and billing address, and we’ll help give you access to this test.

[bernadette]

 since pathology has been ruled out, here are 3 possible reasons for eye floaters: 1- increased oxidative stress, 2- inflammation of the lining of the retina/breakdown of collagen, 3- lack of blood flow.

Let’s dissect each one…

The part of the eye where floaters happen is composed of water, enzymes, and collagen. Anytime there is a higher amount of ROS (reactive oxygen species) or free radicals, these can damage the collagen and form small clusters/lumps. Floaters can also happen if there’s inflammation to the lining of the retina, or if there’s lack of blood flow/oxygen.

So from a root cause perspective, his body is telling you that there’s  likely increased oxidative stress. Giving him antioxidant rich foods & spices should help counter this. Take a look at this post where I share different foods/spices and their ORAC scores. A variety of green leafy vegetables and fruits should be increased if he’s not already eating these foods. Selenium (like Brazil nuts (1-2 per day) and sardines) will help with the production of glutathione, our body’s most potent antioxidant. Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant; nuts, seeds, salmon, etc.

Since that part of the eye is composed of water, making sure he’s well hydrated is essential. Does he drink enough water and electrolytes? 

Collagen formation requires nutrients like vitamin C. Does he get in enough vitamin C rich foods daily? Amla is a very potent food source (it’s very sour), but so are these foods: red pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, strawberries, pineapple, orange, kiwi, green pepper.

Collagen’s strength is given from the amino acids lysine and proline. Does he consume enough animal proteins in his diet? Copper is also another essential nutrient for collagen strength to prevent breakdown. Today, so many people’s copper levels are low because of an over-supplementation of zinc, which competes and depletes copper. Are you giving him any zinc supplements by any chance? 

If it’s inflammation that’s contributing to the floaters, consider increasing his Omega-3 fatty acid intake. Supplementation will help replenish levels quicker. I would aim for 2-3g per day. 

To increase blood flow (if that’s the issue), nitric oxide (NO) is really important. Vitamin C helps produce NO. Foods high in l-arginine and citrulline can also help boost NO. The white part of the watermelon rind for example, is really rich in citrulline. Arginine and citrulline can also be taken in supplement form if he’s a picky eater. Is he a mouth breather? Breathing from the nose is really important (especially during sleep) to increase the production of NO in the body. All of these will help increase blood flow.

Hope this helps give you some other areas to explore and hopefully take action.

[bernadette]

have you tried decreasing the amount of coffee, starting with 1/2 Tbsp? And if only hydrating with water, make sure you’re adding electrolytes.

How long do you hold the enema?

[bernadette]

please send an email to support@bernadetteabraham.com with your son’s full name, date of birth, your phone number, shipping & billing address. Let Ariana know which tests you’d like to order and we’ll help you out.

[bernadette]

Hi – thanks for sharing your results and symptoms.

I can guide you here in the forum in terms of additional tests to consider, and next steps to take, but it seems you’re preferring to work with a doctor, correct? If so, I can recommend Dr. Heather Eade at Novomed.

If you’d like to take matters into your own hands, allow me to share additional steps to start taking based on the blood chemistry results. I took at look at the bioresonnance test, but to be honest, I didn’t gain much from it as it’s not a tool that I utilize in my practice.

Based off the symptoms alone, I would be curious to know your blood sugar status and whether you are exposed to mold.

For blood sugar testing, ask your doctor for:
->Fasting glucose, fasting insulin or c-peptide, HbA1c (They only measured HbA1c, which doesn’t help determine the level of insulin resistance if it’s present.)

For mold, please fill out these 2 mold questionnaires and report back your scores to see if mold is probable in your case. You can also watch this video to see if you recognize other symptoms of mold illness.

Now a few markers jumped out at me in your lab test:
• Clinically low vitamin D: I would boost magnesium glycinate for at least 2 weeks (200-400mg) and then supplement with vitamin D3/K2 combo, and re-test vitamin D after 3 months. I like the liquid ones by Seeking Health and Biotics Research. Please read this handout about  supplementation dosages for vitamin D.
• Vitamin B12: is suboptimally low. And your bioresonnance test showed many amino acids being low. Do you eat animal proteins? If so, do you have any digestive symptoms that would indicate low stomach acid? Please watch this video and let me know if any of these fit your picture so I can guide you on the next step.
• TSH: is clinically high. This means that your brain is sensing there isn’t enough thyroid hormone. Again, to make thyroid hormone, we need protein, specifically tyrosine. We also need iodine. Are these included in your diet? Do you consume seafood to get in enough iodine?

And given that your triglycerides are suboptimally low, I am curious to see a full thyroid panel including the antibodies to see if there’s an autoimmune dynamic forming. Here’s a video with the thyroid markers to request from your doctor. Make sure they include the anti-TPO and anti-TG markers in there too.
• Skewed CBC differentials & Eosinophils: when neutrophils and lymphocytes become close in number to each other, this often indicates that there’s a low grade simmering infection of some sort. It could be dysbiosis or a microbial overgrowth for example. I also like to see eosinophils < 1%. When it’s higher, this can often indicate a parasite infection and/or environmental allergies/sensitivities or asthma. The bioresonnance test showed parasitic and microbial overgrowths. If you’re not constipated, a parasite cleanse would help but only if the 3 major players of digestion are well supported: bile, stomach acid and enzymes. Again, I can help you figure this out if you’re interested in pursuing a parasite cleanse.

In terms of additional tests for investigation, I would also run a food sensitivity test with KBMO. There could be many reasons for headaches, but the most common are magnesium deficiency, and food sensitivities.

[bernadette]

 I’ve had clients use the S.A Wilson’s gold roast enema coffee without any issues.

1. What are the measurements you’re using to make the enema coffee and how much do you end up inserting?

2. How long are you able to retain the enema?

3. What time of day do you do the enema?

4. Do you do a water enema first?

5. What’s your rehydration protocol? What do you do to rehydrate after the enema?

Another brand that I also tend to recommend is the one by PureLife.

[bernadette]

 it’s similar to the steps I shared for adults in the Mold & Mycotoxin Illness course. Making sure he’s no longer exposed to mold, opening up his drainage pathways (is he constipated for example?), and with kids really encouraging lots of sweaty play and fiber to help bind mycotoxins through bile and stool.

Have you ever run a mycotoxin test or organic acids test on him?

Also, Dr. Jill Crista has a great course for helping kids with mold. It’s only $47 and B Better members get a 10% discount using code BBETTER) if you’re interested.