mstevens

13 hours ago, Hummin said:

Mold you should be able to smell, and many resorts I have visited smells moldy, especially after lock down and covid.

Long-term exposure to mould can have really horrible effects on your health. If you've exhausted all avenues and think your ongoing health issues could be due to mould, do a podcast search or YouTube search for Dr Jill Crista. She has a lot of information online about mould exposure and related illness. And if you really do think mould is the issue, her book "Break The Mold" is an excellent resource for those with mould illness and provides a road map on how to heal.

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Clickbait! 

I was expecting a picture of at least one hot girl.

 

Plenty of hot ladies featured in that magazine.

I chose a Daikin air purifier because I have Daikin air-conditioner units and they work brilliantly. The Daikin air purifier has also worked brilliantly. It's not as cheap as these Xaomi models everyone seems to recommend but I don't mind paying more for something that concerns health. It's silent when in quiet mode.

For toenail infections or toenail fungus, tea tree oil is really effective. A drop or two once or twice a day really helps clears things up. For infections, a week is all you need. For fungus, it can take a month or two. It's a completely natural and very effective, low-cost solution.

I used this exact product when I had toenail issues and it cleaned things up really well!

https://www.nowfoods.com/products/essential-oils/tea-tree-oil

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

I'm very confused about all this. The Australia Heart Foundation recommends not eating red meat at all. I\

 

Regularly eating red meat increases significantly risk of death from heart disease and cancer, according to a study of more than 120,000 people carried out over 28 years.

The findings show that each extra daily serving of processed red meat – equivalent to one hot dog or two rashers of bacon – raised mortality rate by a fifth.

Conversely, replacing red meat with fish, poultry, or plant-based protein foods contributed to a longer life.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/12/red-meat-death-heart-cancer

I have read up on pretty much all diets and I am convinced that no matter which diet you choose, there are potentially issues with it. Vegans and vegetarians to a lesser extent potentially may suffer from various vitamin and mineral deficiencies. There's also a risk of oxalate toxicity if you go heavy on some types of vegetables. Carnivores who eat processed meat face an increased risk of cancer. One could go on and on - all diets have their pros and cons. Personally, I eat everything - but I make sure to eat as much variety as I can and go for organic, where possible. I know some think it's not worth it but the difference between organic and non-organic might be glyphosate - and I'd rather not put extra pressure on my liver to deal with that poison.

As far as red meat goes, there is a HUGE difference between eating grass-fed red meat and processed meat. I eat processed meat occasionally and consider it a treat. Grass-fed beef I enjoy frequently and to be frank, I feel good when I eat it. Not just the enjoyment of a steak, I feel more energetic when I eat beef. I know some prefer to avoid red meat but I really do believe that grass-fed red meat is hugely beneficial to good health.

19 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

It seems useful for people who really struggle to lose weight, otherwise no need for an extreme diet

Fasting like that has all sorts of benefits including greatly reducing toxicity, giving the gut a much needed break and can be a cure for some bacterial conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

One thing I don't get from this thread is that most people seem to be just quoting their straight cholesterol numbers. I thought that was the old way of doing it and today it is generally considered a better measure to look at the ratio of cholesterol to HDL. You divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL cholesterol number and it should ideally be below 5. Below 3.5 is really where you want to be.

On 12/17/2022 at 1:15 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Often vegans don't eat enough carbs

The big problem with vegan diets other than the obvious deficiencies of such a diet like B12, zinc and iron is oxalate toxicity. It can take a long time - not years, but decades - before oxalate toxicity becomes an issue. If you consume lots of spinach / rhubarb / nuts / dark chocolate and other high oxalate foods - and especially if your gut is not on top of its game - you might one day face oxalate toxicity. And if you do, it can take years to reverse.

The diner at Foodland is good for a quick bite on the run if you happen to be passing by. I wouldn't go out of my way for it. That said, the Sukhumvit soi 5 branch is awful, cramped and a bit of a freak show which is amusing the first time but grows old fast. Any other branch is better. Sukhumvit soi 16 branch much bigger / more spacious and better overall, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

The obvious answer is to consume more fluids. That said, sometimes when we're thirsty, it might not necessarily be an issue of not enough fluids, but a lack of electrolytes. Coconut water is great for replacing electrolytes and worth consuming each day. You can also get sachets of electrolytes at pharmacies to dissolve in water. They're cheap as chips.

24 minutes ago, ThaiPauly said:

This is a lot to take in

 

I don't think hospitals up here look into these kind of things

I have never heard of disposis!!

 

Things have improved a bit since I started this thread.  I have only been once since Wednesday night, and although the stool is not that firm, it is not dioreah. 

Similarly, I have not had stomach pains for the same length of time.

Regarding you next post, I have not been eating any green vegetables 

My diet is white bread  eggs potatoes tuna fish, chicken and I drink camomile tea.

Thank you for putting so much into your reply, it is appreciated, even if it's a bit scary.

Your diet is quite limited, but if that is what works for you, then stick with it while you figure out what is going on with your stomach. Don't stick with a limited diet forever because we need a variety of foods. Is the diet this limited because you have reactions / intolerances to various foods? If that is the case, I'd Google dysbiosis and also SIBO. You *might* have one of them. That said, you're eating bread which contains gluten and many people with stomach issues react to gluten, even if they are not Celiac. Ditto with eggs.

I note another poster suggested a low FODMAP diet. I agree with them and think that could be something to try. Again, Google is your friend - there are a lot of low FODMAP lists out there.

One other hint. While your diet is limited, it would certainly be worth taking a quality multivitamin.

On 12/1/2022 at 2:56 AM, In the jungle said:

Try eating things that are green.

 

 

I'll go against the grain here and suggest the complete opposite. I would actually avoid consuming much fibre at all. If the issue is dysbiosis or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) then you will have real trouble with fibre - and in some cases it can cause nasty stomach pain. Some people find that going carnivore for a period helps. It sounds counter-intuitive to eat a meat only diet (and it's not a diet recommended long-term) but it can be helpful to anyone struggling to digest fibre.

On 12/1/2022 at 2:36 AM, ThaiPauly said:

Yes a stool sample was the first thing they asked for  but initially I went about the stomach pain  and the stool analysis was OK then, but I have not given one since the dioreah  commenced.

Think I will have to have one in my next visit to the hospital.

What did they test for in the stool sample? Did you get a printout of the results? Often hospital stool tests just look for H Pylori. Did they look, for example, at the fat content (which would show whether you have trouble digesting fat and can manifest itself as loose stools and indicate a liver or, more likely, gallbladder issue). I imagine Thai hospitals don't go in to details about strains of bacteria present - but that might be needed as you might have a serious cases of dysbiosis which is manifesting itself as diarrhea.

Also, where exactly is your stomach ache. The location of the ache might indicate an issue with one of the organs which supports digestion - and if there is an issue with an organ it can result in diarrhea. Upper right quadrant would be liver / gallbladder. Upper left would be pancreas etc.

The surgical removal of your gallbladder is a big deal. Surgically, it's not a difficult procedure and is one of the most common operations performed and, I believe, the most common abdominal surgery. The concern is not so much the surgery itself, or the recovery time, but the after effects of living the rest of your life without a gallbladder.

A small percentage of people who have their gallbladder removed suffer life-long diarrhea. Basically, instead of the gallbladder releasing bile when you eat fats to assist with their digestion, your bile flow is "always on". Think of it as a small, but constant flow of bile. This causes upset in some people and life-long diarrhea. Estimates vary as to how many people this affects but I have read numbers ranging from 5 - 20%. It can cause "urgency" in others, including a friend of mine whose gallbladder was removed. He never knew that once his gallbladder was removed that he would forever need to be aware of where the nearest toilet is. He sometimes gets very short notice that he "has to go" i.e. get to the nearest toilet at Formula 1 speed!

Have you considered trying the Chanca Piedra supplement? It's known as the "stone-breaker" and can help to break down and dissolve gallstones (and kidney stones). Google it for more information. I don't know if it's available in Thailand but Lazada and Shoppee would be worth checking out. Failing that, it can be purchased from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chanca-Piedra-800MG-Tablet-Gallbladder/dp/B071KR997R

Surgery is one option but do your research first, particularly in to the side effects of living without a gallbladder. Also, do some research in to Chanca Piedra. If it were me, I'd try that first (and if you do try it, I'd go with a high dose, like 1,600 mg).

Whatever you decide, good luck!

If your primary concern is constipation, magnesium can be a big help, particularly magnesium citrate (as opposed to other forms of magnesium). Many of us are magnesium deficient and magnesium citrate can be very helpful if you're blocked up.

Triphala is also very helful if you're not regular.

I'm not a doctor so you should do your own research. These supplements are simply recommended to relieve constipation and not to resolve any other underlying issues which may have caused the constipation in the first place. Certainly, there is a lot of material out there online about these two supplements and I speak with experience having used both of them myself.

If the issue is anxiety causing sleep issues, the best thing to do is to identify what the issues are causing the anxiety and deal with those. That is not always easy so you might like to look at some herbal supplements which can help. The most popular for anxiety is probably Ashwagandha. It's good, but I personally prefer the herb Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil. Take it about 30 minutes before you go to bed. It doesn't knock you out like sleeping pills do, but it has a very relaxing effect which results in a deep sleep. When I had sleeping issues, my problem was not in actually falling asleep but in waking up in the middle of the night. I found that taking one capsule of Holy Basil helped me sleep through the night. Google it if you think it might be for you.

18 hours ago, Jackbenimble said:

A serious rap sheet upon entry to The Land of Smiles didn't seem to hinder his progress through passport control. Be interesting to know if he entered as a tourist or on a Non-B and why his criminal record didn't trigger any alarm bells. 

His criminal record did not trigger any alarms as Thailand does not have the ability to check criminal records in New Zealand (or other countries) when someone enters Thailand. This is why there are so many foreigners with a questionable background in Thailand - there is no requirement to show a clean criminal record when entering the country or even when applying for a long-stay visa.

On 10/5/2022 at 5:18 AM, Confuscious said:

Yes, sounds like me.
Crippling pain at times, Chronic constipation whatever I eat or drink, etc.
On top of that, I feel constantly like a balloon that will explode any moment.

Does the "Nuii fiberly prune" helps to attenuate the symptoms?
Do you get them on prescription or buy them over the counter somewhere?

Be careful with fibre!  Conventional wisdom is that if you have constipation then you need to eat more fibre but this is not always the best advice. A messed up gut might mean you really struggle to digest fibre and reducing fibre, especially those that ferment in the gut, might be needed until your gut has healed. I had to avoid garlic and onions for a period and even now, I can only eat relatively small amounts.

It's curious that a doctor would recommend the removal of your gallbladder when there is no pain and said to be no cancer. As LS24 says in the post above, there can be issues living without a gallbladder and diarrhea is one of them.

Do you have any digestive issues? Do you have trouble digesting fats? Pain after eating fat on your upper right abdomen, at all? If not, I wonder why they want to take your gallbladder.

There are a host of possible gallbladder (and related liver) issues. Do some research on TUDCA. It's a supplement that can help to clear sludge from the gallbladder. It would not hurt to take it. Seeking Health's specific Gallbladder Nutrients supplement is also very good, a supplement I took myself when I previously had issues digesting fats - which was related to bile production and bile flow. There are many gallbladder supplements but this one by Seeking Health is widely considered to be one of the best.

Is sublingual B12 an option? There are some B12 supplements that you place under your tongue and are absorbed directly there in your mouth. They do not need to go down through your GI system and be absorbed in your small intestine. Perhaps that might be an easier option?

1 hour ago, endointhailand said:

Wow that’s quite the effort. It’s interesting because I had loose stools for many many years so probably means I had gut issues. I went carnivore and my health got so so so much better. I was a dying zombie who was suffering constantly but now Ive at least got some quality of life. 

Going carnivore for a few months is a popular way to clear up many gut issues. But it should only be looked at as a short-term solution. For those with SIBO (and some other gut issues), fibre is a real problem and carnivore essentially gives the guy a rest from fibre. But like I say, not really a long-term solution as it comes with up issues of its own!

14 hours ago, buddyy said:

I was between that and l-theanine, but tried the latter. I felt it helped but it also made me feel apathetic and tired. I just felt i was not myself and very emotionless after taking it.

 

I sleep well but i feel my anxiety is at its peak just after waking up and hours following it, gets better as the day goes on.

In that case, you might like to take a look at Rhodiola Extract. It's another adaptogen like Ashwagandha but it also tends to boost energy, stamina and mental clarity. It is typically taken in the morning. It's worth Googling "Rhodiola Extract" and doing your own research to see if it is for you. I have not actually tried it. I do have an unopened bottle in my cupboard but have never used it as Ashwagandha and Tulsi work well for me.

On 9/30/2022 at 6:47 PM, buddyy said:

Sorry to hear what you're going through OP!

 

Im in Bkk also, early 30s. Normally im quite outgoing, enjoy dinner out often, occasional beer etc.

 

All changed about 1.5 months ago, i had a massive panic attack in broad daylight out of the blue. Heart racing, hard to breathe, jelly legs, hands shaking, dizzy etc. But i have felt this feeling before, in the past i sometimes wake up like this in the middle of the night, but it has never happened before during daytime. If i had not felt this feeling never before i would have certainly went to the ER straight away. But i found taxi and got home where i felt better.

Getting the blood test you mentioned and having thyroid checked is a great idea.

Assuming the test comes back ok, there are some herbal supplements that can assist those suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Ashwagandha is popular. Google it and see if it's for you. I took it for a few months a year or so back and found it to have a very soothing effect. There are other herbs that are similar such as Rhodiola, Tulsi and others. They have similar effects but can vary a little i.e. Tulsi is good to take in the evening as it can help (a little) with sleep. But for sure, if anxiety is an issue, Ashwagandha is a decent starting point.