16th June 2003
I am nothing if not thorough. :)
Here are the answers to some of your questions Ron.
I don't think I have had any of the blood tests that you mentioned, except possibly the Rheumatoid factor.
I was never given an anti-biotic "just because". In other words, they never gave me one unless there was an obvious infection, like Sinusitis, etc... But yes, I have taken Zithromax. I can really only take Cephalosporines because I am allergic to Sulpha and to Penicillins. I can take some third and fourth generation Penicillins though. I have taken Zithromax, Lorabid, Levaquin, Ceftin, Avelox, and a few others. While I was in the hospital for my Gallbladder, I was given several doses of Cefotetan by IV.
I have had my nose cultured and they found bacteria (on two separate occasions over the years). Both times I was treated with anti-biotics... once a few years ago with Bactroban ointment in the nose, and once a few months ago with Ceftin, because it was also in my throat and sinuses. (it was Strep)
I do believe that there have been times however, that I had a low grade infection in my body (low grade fever for several weeks) and I was given anti-biotics with no known cause of infection.
While on the carb free diet (which I might add, was MUCH more restrictive than the Atkins diet.... I could not have ANY carbs, period, no dairy, no fatty meats, etc...) I had very bad stomach problems (i.e. diahrrea, cramping, excessive gas even more so than usual.)
I don't have any ovary pain. Never have. (shhhh. knock wood!)
I have been on Nystatin SEVERAL times during my life. I get it specially compounded because the form that you can get in the regular pharmacy has sugar in it, and what is the point in taking something with sugar if you are trying to get rid of yeast? My allergist orders it for me from a compounding pharmacy in NYC. Every time I have to be on an anti-biotic, I take it for a few days. Last year, my allergist thought that possibly my severe dry eyes were being caused by my yeast sensitivity. Anything is possible with me. So he put me on a regimen of Nystatin that was much more involved than just taking it orally. They come in capsule form. For the first few days, I took a few pills by mouth. Then I took a few more by mouth, and added one a day vaginally. Then I added more orally and did two a day vaginally. Then I began using it rectally. When I had been doing it rectally for about 7 or 8 days, I began to cut back, and eventually got to where I was just taking it orally again. My Candida blood test came back as normal, but we did it anyway. Nothing changed. And just to let you know the exact dosage, the Nystatin that I takes comes in units of 1 million I.U. per capsule. I was taking appx 1 billion units a day for about 2 weeks. I also used to get severe yeast infections when I was a child. I could never use any of the over the counter products such as Monsitat, because I was allergic to them. So I used Nystatin. It worked like a charm.
Someone had mentioned the possibility of my having diabetes... I don't think I do. I have none of the symptoms. I haven't lost weight (except when I was in the hospital for 5 days and not allowed to eat, and when I was on the carb free diet). I don't urinate frequently. I'm not thirsty. Even when I feel lightheaded and I test my blood sugar (my mom has diabetes and has a meter), it is always LOW, not high. My blood sugar is LOW after eating. That's why I have to eat every few hours during the day, and I always carry a snack with me. So I think it is pretty safe to say that I am not diabetic right now. (although I know I have to watch myself and I have to lose weight or I could become diabetic. It runs in my family and I am hypoglycemic, which is a precursor for diabetes.)
So I am definitely going to run all of this by my dr when I see him. I talked to my eye dr today and while he agrees that it is possible I have a thyroid problem, he thinks it is very unlikely, and he's not the one to run the tests anyway. I will be seeing my PCP on July 7, so I will be sure to bring all of this info with me. (in a much more condensed form!!)
Thanks a lot,
Elyse
P.S. I also have some arthritis in my feet, which they attribute to the fact that I am tall, and VERY flat-footed. (I wear prescription orthotics, because I have pretty much no arches.) I thought I'd mention it because arthritis, even if it is just in my feet, is a rheumatologic condition. (I told the rheumatologist this and he didn't seem to care.)
Here are the answers to some of your questions Ron.
I don't think I have had any of the blood tests that you mentioned, except possibly the Rheumatoid factor.
I was never given an anti-biotic "just because". In other words, they never gave me one unless there was an obvious infection, like Sinusitis, etc... But yes, I have taken Zithromax. I can really only take Cephalosporines because I am allergic to Sulpha and to Penicillins. I can take some third and fourth generation Penicillins though. I have taken Zithromax, Lorabid, Levaquin, Ceftin, Avelox, and a few others. While I was in the hospital for my Gallbladder, I was given several doses of Cefotetan by IV.
I have had my nose cultured and they found bacteria (on two separate occasions over the years). Both times I was treated with anti-biotics... once a few years ago with Bactroban ointment in the nose, and once a few months ago with Ceftin, because it was also in my throat and sinuses. (it was Strep)
I do believe that there have been times however, that I had a low grade infection in my body (low grade fever for several weeks) and I was given anti-biotics with no known cause of infection.
While on the carb free diet (which I might add, was MUCH more restrictive than the Atkins diet.... I could not have ANY carbs, period, no dairy, no fatty meats, etc...) I had very bad stomach problems (i.e. diahrrea, cramping, excessive gas even more so than usual.)
I don't have any ovary pain. Never have. (shhhh. knock wood!)
I have been on Nystatin SEVERAL times during my life. I get it specially compounded because the form that you can get in the regular pharmacy has sugar in it, and what is the point in taking something with sugar if you are trying to get rid of yeast? My allergist orders it for me from a compounding pharmacy in NYC. Every time I have to be on an anti-biotic, I take it for a few days. Last year, my allergist thought that possibly my severe dry eyes were being caused by my yeast sensitivity. Anything is possible with me. So he put me on a regimen of Nystatin that was much more involved than just taking it orally. They come in capsule form. For the first few days, I took a few pills by mouth. Then I took a few more by mouth, and added one a day vaginally. Then I added more orally and did two a day vaginally. Then I began using it rectally. When I had been doing it rectally for about 7 or 8 days, I began to cut back, and eventually got to where I was just taking it orally again. My Candida blood test came back as normal, but we did it anyway. Nothing changed. And just to let you know the exact dosage, the Nystatin that I takes comes in units of 1 million I.U. per capsule. I was taking appx 1 billion units a day for about 2 weeks. I also used to get severe yeast infections when I was a child. I could never use any of the over the counter products such as Monsitat, because I was allergic to them. So I used Nystatin. It worked like a charm.
Someone had mentioned the possibility of my having diabetes... I don't think I do. I have none of the symptoms. I haven't lost weight (except when I was in the hospital for 5 days and not allowed to eat, and when I was on the carb free diet). I don't urinate frequently. I'm not thirsty. Even when I feel lightheaded and I test my blood sugar (my mom has diabetes and has a meter), it is always LOW, not high. My blood sugar is LOW after eating. That's why I have to eat every few hours during the day, and I always carry a snack with me. So I think it is pretty safe to say that I am not diabetic right now. (although I know I have to watch myself and I have to lose weight or I could become diabetic. It runs in my family and I am hypoglycemic, which is a precursor for diabetes.)
So I am definitely going to run all of this by my dr when I see him. I talked to my eye dr today and while he agrees that it is possible I have a thyroid problem, he thinks it is very unlikely, and he's not the one to run the tests anyway. I will be seeing my PCP on July 7, so I will be sure to bring all of this info with me. (in a much more condensed form!!)
Thanks a lot,
Elyse
P.S. I also have some arthritis in my feet, which they attribute to the fact that I am tall, and VERY flat-footed. (I wear prescription orthotics, because I have pretty much no arches.) I thought I'd mention it because arthritis, even if it is just in my feet, is a rheumatologic condition. (I told the rheumatologist this and he didn't seem to care.)