So I found this brilliant idea on Pinterest to keep track of taking your antibiotics. Since I have to be on antibiotics for 2-6 months I think this will help me keep track of when I take them. Even though mine will be pill bottles I can just tape a paper to the side and make a chart. This will so help my “always confused from brain fog” mind remember if I took my pills!
Tawra
P.S. I realized that I posted on Facebook about the antibiotics but not on here so here’s the run down for those of you who are wondering why in the world I’m taking so many antibiotics.
I have been so sick I can hardly get off the couch for the last several years. I kept going to the doctor trying to figure out what was wrong.
I finally went to a $2,000 cash only doc (M.D) who specializes in functional medicine. After about 15 tubes of blood were taken that thankfully my insurance paid for or it would have been another $1,0000 here’s what he found out. I have:
Gluten allergy
Major insulin problems (no sugar or substitutes)
2 major bacterial infections ( 2-6 months of 3 different antibiotics)
Major yeast overgrowth (2-6 months of yeast meds.)
Low Vit. D and C
Low iron
Other than that I’m doing good! LOL No wonder I can’t get off the couch and feel mostly dead instead of semi-alive most days!
I have to go on this horrible diet (GAPS) for 1- 2 years but after that he said I should start feeling better…if I live through it!! hehehe
Start on fermented vegetables, it will help counter the destructive effects of the antibiotics on your gut flora. I can only encourage you to read Donna Gates web site. http://bodyecology.com/, subscribe to the newsletter, borrow her books. Start fermenting cabbage and carrots and eat them everyday.
I am so sorry to hear that you are this ill. But at least now you know what is wrong and can get better. From my readings I’ve learned that food has less nutrition in it than it used to. You may want to consider eating organiic because it has more nutrients in it. Yes it’s more expensive, but we are talking about your health here.
The GOOD news is that after 21 days your tastes become accustomed to your new diet. Maybe someday you will CRAVE brussel sprouts!
Suggestion, put white bandage making type tape on the bottle and draw the chart pictured. The markings won’t rub off the white tape. Rubber band a pen to the bottle and keep it on your bedside table.
LOL, I think the day I crave brussel sprouts I will be 6 ft. under!!! Ugh…they taste like dirt to me! :-) GREAT idea on the tape!
If you stop eating gluten and all forms of sugar and add the fermented vegetables (sour crout) and Greek yogurt, kefir, etc. your yeast infection will go away by itself as well as your insulin problems and probably your bacterial infections as well. It’s amazing what sugar can do to you.
I’d be scared to take antibiotics for so long, it will KILL your immune system. Make sure you get checked again after not eating sugar/wheat products for a couple months.
You are probably getting all kinds of advice and I am not going to tell you but one thing. When I had a yeast infection, it caused my tongue to get very red and painful. If this happens, it is a result of the yeast infection. My dentist said to be sure and brush or scrape your tongue when you brush your teeth and it would improve quickly. I had never heard of this but there are tongue scrapers (not rough) like a squeegee that you can get at the drugstore.
So sorry you are ill but glad you found out what to take to aid in the healing process. My best advice is follow the doctor’s orders and don’t eat or take anything without his/her consent. I have a liver transplant and that is my soundest advice from all my docs.
I dunno, Tawra, I hope it works. I’ve been to so many doctors who think they can cure CFS, I just don’t believe any of them any more. If it works for you maybe I’ll try it. But I’m so tired of hoping and then it never works for me.
I’m like you Harriet I don’t think the CFS can be cured but if I understand Tawra right I think the CFS virus caused a lot of things to go haywire in her body and what this is suppose to do is to readjust those things to maybe help her a little bit.
Trust me, we’ve spent thousands of dollars just trying to keep me in an upright position. This doc thinks a virus is what causes us to be sick in the first place but then it makes our immune systems go nuts. Then all these other problems happen because your body can’t fight off everything it’s just fighting itself. I’m giving it a try because I was in very bad shape and basically not functioning at all so I really needed to try something. I will let you know how it turns out.
tawra .. i am so sorry ur going thru this .. i hope things get better for u soon ..
jill, i am like u and harriet.. i really dont htink there is an all out cure for CFS .. maybe with diet you can control it more ..
i will have to check out those fermented vegi’s tho .. that sounds interesting ..
its very hard to give up sugar .. bc there is sugar/corn syrup in all our foods we eat ..
i must be a bit off bc there are times that i do crave brussel sprouts! .. heheee .. i love those things .. and every time i cook them my son rolls his eyes and says mini mini cabbages! .. hehehehe .. poor kid but if i cut them up and put them in the soups .. and well he doesnt seem to mind or notice and if he does he hasnt said anything ..
i am bad .. tho .. i have to admit .. this week’s soup i added a bunch of cabbage to it and well my son asked me if i had put anything else but vegis in it (i used to put potatoes and or rice or noodles in the soups with some vegi’s and meat .. but lately i have only been putting lots and lots of vegi’s and a bit of meat) .. i told him they were the “creepy” potatoes i had bought at walmart .. hehehehee .. poor kid .. hehehee .. i am so bad .. those cabbages i cut up cooked way down and got super mushy .. and well .. when i told him that he was like “ok” with that look of “i dont believe u and i have never heard of creepy potatoes” in his eyes .. and my hubby was laughing .. “yes son to save money ur mother had to buy those new creepy potatoes that the store were practically giving away for free bc they were very ugly and no one bought them” .. now my son, who is almost 22, never goes shopping and he never goes in the produce dept unless to get bananas or tomatoes… heheee.. so .. not sure if he believed me or what ..
he is sorta like my son in law.. his fav vegi’s are and were always corn, mashed potatoes, broccolli and spinach .. other than that he didnt like .. (altho my son in law, when he and my daughter were first together, the only vegi’s he ate was corn and french fries.. now he cant tell the difference when she purees stuff to cook in the meatloaf or stirfry) .. hehehe .. :D ..
hopefully tawra, u will be feeling better soon .. its terrible to feel so sick that u cant move off the coach but u look fine .. (i am remembering that spoons article u posted) ..
hopefully wiht the right meds and diet, this will definitely come under control for u ..
I have been very ill for the past 10 years. It started out being ITP, I had my spleen removed, but was addicted to some of the meds I had been on. I have had a yeast infection and have no immune system. It is awful to be chronically ill. I have recently been diagnosed with COPD and a shole slew of minor problems.
Your website has been a blessing to us. We have gotten out of debt and have taken control of many aspects of our life. My mother always said, “Wash you hands and cover your mouth when you sneeze!” I wish more people would follow that advice. Don’t you?
Tawra, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 10 years ago, and I have found that as long as I rest a lot I am okay. Lots of activity just does me in. This week I am sitting with my 18 year old niece. She was diagnosed about three years ago with schizophrenia. My sister took her to two psychiatrists in Tampa on recommendation of the psychiatrist here in town. They both feel that Jade does not have schizophrenia, but some type of infection in the brain. They are treating her with large doses of prednisone this week, then more blood tests. It may take 2-3 months of antibiotics if they can ever isolate the virus they are dealing with.
I really hope this doctor can help you. I know what it’s like to feel that bad, and for it to be every day is more than I can imagine. I will pray for you!
I looked at a list of the foods not included in your new diet…. It should have been entitled “My favorite foods.” You have LOTS of sympathy from me but, fortunately for me at least for now, no empathy.
Now you have the makings of another project as you learn to follow this new way of eating: A thrifty cookbook (or at least a booklet) that only includes ingredients in your new diet. Maybe it can focus on soups.
Hoping you’ll soon find yourself feeling much better,
Holly
texmex .. i told my hubby about this and he said as soon as we can move he will get a few of those fermented vegi’s to try .. it might help with some of his conditions ..
i hope ur feeling better tawra ..
and i want to apologize to u and everyone .. yesterday i submitted a post and i cant remember where .. and it sounded so down in the dumps .. i do apologize .. i dont even remember if i clicked submit (isnt this terrible? .. hehehehe.. my daughter thinks i might have been having one of my “nap” moments.. it happens bc i told her of this and she said when john (her brother) came in it looked like i was typing but i was sitting up and my eyes were open but it sounded like i was snoring.. cant explain it but i was really sleepy and out of it yesterday) .. heheee .. sorry have to laugh at myself ..
and well .. i am sorry if my post (if you got it) sounded really odd and dismal .. but i am glad it wasnt posted on the website .. thank u for that ..
i havent slept very well this winter and thats why we are moving .. one of the main reasons (plus its much cheaper where we will be living) …
so .. again .. i do apologize .. and well.. i havent had one of those “nap” moments in a long time .. i was just glad my son called his sister and she called me .. and he told her my screen on the computer was dark (like it was turned off, which the monitor does that if it sits idle for too long, but he knew it was on bc of the power buttons on the monitor and the tower was lit up ..
and again .. thank u for not posting it (if u got it) …
hopefully u will be feeling better soon .. ;D
ps how is bj doing with the homeschooling? .. just curious .. :D
I can’t believe the list of ailments!! That’s got to be a lot to deal with, even emotionally, and I can’t imagine being told that I need to stick with something for 1-2 years to start feeling better.
One thing I can say, is that I have had to deal with food related issues at various times over the past 8 years. Each time, I have learned more, and it has helped me to be healthier, a better mom, and has put me in a position to be able to help others. I hope that you, too, will find some blessings from the situation. (You’re attitude towards it all sounds wonderful by the way… I think I’d be more pouty :)
One of my best “discoveries,” is a radio program out of Pittsburgh called “Ask the Pharmacists,” A.K.A. “The Len and Joe Show.” Len and Joe are both Pharmacists, Nutritionists, and Natreopathic doctors. They are two of the most knowledgeable people I have ever encountered. I have called their show multiple times, met with Joe in person and spoken with Joe over the phone. You should be able to listen to the show online and you can find info on their site. I would highly suggest calling them and discussing the diagnosis that you have gotten (specifically the amount of time they are saying it will take to see results) and the combination of antibiotics with all of the other diagnosis (I took antibiotics off and on for a year and it caused many of the other symptoms you are describing… so it’s hard for me to reconcile all of those treatments- I am not a doctor or expert in any way, but Len and Joe are, which is why I recommend them.)
http://lenandjoe.com/lj/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=5
I wish you luck and will say a prayer that you start to see some improvement in your situation.
Hi Tawra…So sorry to hear of the health crisis you’ve dealing with….I am on antibiotics regularly for chronic cellulitis infections of the legs. I have stage 3 lymphedema from a botched c-section almost 18 yrs ago… My ankles are aprox 36″ in circumference (legs look like tree trunks)….
I’d like to offer my 2 cents worth of help to you… Antibiotics can wreck havoc (I take 4,000 mg of Augmentin daily during infections, like now) with your intestines. You may experience diarrhea. Do NOT take anti-diarrhea pills to stop it, as the body is clearing out the ‘bug’ the meds are killing…. If the diarrhea becomes severe and/or bloody contact the Doctor ASAP, as it could be something called “c-diff” (a fungal infection in the intestinal tract caused by excessive antibiotic use. It is treated with an anti-fungal drug called “flagyl”…Try to get “acidophilus” (aka: lactobacillus)capsules from a health food store. They are the same GOOD bacteria found in your intestines. They are also found in yogurt, but you would need to eat a 5 gal pail of the stuff to get enough to help with the amount of antibiotics you’re going to take…..Trust me with this, I worked in a lab for several years, and have dealt with systemic infections for nearly 18 years-I joke with my infectious disease doctor that I’m going to bottle and sell my urine as an antibacterial cleaner! lol…Run it by your doctor to confirm….
To help me remember if I took my antibiotics, I use an old pill bottle with the word “DAILY” ‘sharpied’ on top…Each morning I put the day’s dose in that bottle. By checking the amount of pills in the bottle (I take 2-1,000 mgs caplets twice a day (total 4 caplets a day), and if there are 4 in the bottle at night, I KNOW that I missed the A.M. dose…My regular meds for thyroid and diabetes, etc go in one of those daily pill reminder strips that I load every week…I remember seeing one that is very large that you can load for dosing throughout the day (check Walmart)…
I wish you GOD’S (and mine!) very best as you begin your healing journey…Try reading healing scriptures daily to reinforce what the meds are doing….I also pray the 91st Psalm (the Psalm of PROTECTION…..Feel better!! GOD Bless!!!….Paula
Paula,
I have had C-diff myself and had forgotten all about “flagyl” until you mentioned it. To anyone who has to take this and never did before, it will make your mouth feel like you are chewing alum foil. The only way to counteract that taste is “Big Red” gum. I chewed packs of it. But as soon as I finished the antibiotic, the taste went away.
Also, I take a monstrous amount of meds due to my liver transplant and beginning kidney disease. I also take coumadin. I must eat no potatoes or foods with high potassium or Vitamin K since these interact negatively with the meds and my kidneys. I use a Medicine container with 7 plastic strips that hold meds for 4 times a day. I bought it through the Walter Drake catalog for about $7. It comes with a very nice tapestry case that holds all 7 strips. I do take a variety of meds 4 x daily so I know immediately if I have missed a dosage. I even got one for my husband.
Tawra & Jill, I can sympathize with your chronic journey and send God’s Blessing to both of you and your families. Chronic illness is a family illness as we know.
HiMaggie,
I am a pharmacist and wanted to let you know that you don’t have to avoid high Vitamin K foods when on Coumadin (warfarin). You just have to eat the same amount consistantly to avoid spikes in INR (measure of blood clotting ability. I cringe every time one of my patients tells me that their doctor told them that when they’re on warfarin they can’t eat salads or any green vegetables!
Hope this helps, Mary
Thanks Paula, Yes, I’m on mega doses of probiotics. I’m just hoping that this can be killed in the 2 months and not 6 months!! :-)
Mary, Thank you for this information. My problem is that this is a new drug for me and they are having trouble getting my dosage correct. I don’t know what is an equal amount/same amount of greens to eat every day. I don’t eat salads every day so not sure how to determine what is a consistent amount. Because of a shoulder injury (the tendons and muscle have detached themselves from my bone), I have had a bleed in the joint, so the ortho doc wants the coumadin to be between 2.0 & 2.5. So far, we are only at 1.3. Hence, the lesser dark green veggies. At least, this is my understanding. If you have more information, I would be glad to know more about this. I have a coumadin pharmacist who tracks my blood work every week and updates my coumadin dosage each week.
Thank you for your response.
The med charts are also good for children, as the baby is unlikely to tell me weather or not Dad gave him his medicine this morning.
I am sorry you are having so many health problems. Yeast infections are really hard to kill. I started making my own yogurt a few weeks ago to save money. We eat a lot of yogurt. Anyway, it is really easy to make your own. You will save money, get the probiotics you need, and have a product that you know is good. We add honey and cinnamon – it is suppose to help with joint pain. The cinnamon will lower blood sugar. Add frozen blueberries or cherries and you have a wonderful treat.
For those of you who have it and are interested in it, we do have a recipe for homemade yogurt in Dining on a Dime.