Monday 30 September 2013

Candida and alcohol - very interesting

Candida Infection

What Causes Candida Yeast Infection
Let’s look at the various causes for dysbiosis, yeast infection and Candida Overgrowth (CO). Here is a major, key point to understand. Regardless of the cause listed below, the result is always the same. Your healthy probitoic bacteria gets killed off causing an imbalance to bowel ecology which allows candida albicans or other “opportunistic” microorganisms (parasites, bacteria or yeasts) to overgrow.
  • Antibiotic
    Literally means “against life” and is the main tool in the arsenal of modern day disease fighting. Millions of prescriptions are written every month and most of them, 50%, are unnecessary (according to the national center for disease control) Antibiotics contribute to CO because they reduce the “friendly bacteria” of the intestinal tract which keeps Candida under control.

    You don’t need to go see a doctor to get antibiotics. They can enter the body through common dairy products. Dairy products, especially milk, are so laden with toxic bacteria that the FDA allows dozens of antibiotics to be used directly in milk.

  • Diet
    Is probably the second biggest cause of CO dysbiosis. Candida (and all the critters causing dysbiosis) all feed on sugar. Your first and most obvious sign of trouble is when you begin craving sugars (fructose or fruit, honey, juice, soda, maple syrup, ice cream, especially any type of candy or chocolate, basically anything sweet. Yes, there are many pasta, cookies, cakes, etc). There is nothing wrong with a little sugar now and then. But when it is a daily craving it falls into an “extreme diet” category.

    Extreme Diet is a classic question of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Does extreme diet cause CO or does having CO cause the extreme diet? Whichever is the case, we know dysbiosis is involved.

  • RX Drugs
    Like antibiotics can cause an upset in the bowel ecology and immune system which adversely affect the body simply because they are artificial, unnatural and man-made. They are foreign invaders to the natural human body. We are not against modern medicine. That would be foolish. RX drugs can save lives in an emergency. But they are not designed to cure, heal or be used for years at a time. They are made for the temporary relief of symptoms. Unfortunately some people stay on them for years, never bothering to find out how to heal their own body. Then they are surprised when “suddenly” the accumulated negative side-effects of the drugs simply overwhelms them with serious or life threatening disease.

    The drugs which most directly upset the bowel ecology and contribute to CO dysbiosis are Brith Control Pills, Hormones, Steroids, Anti-inflammatory drugs and Antacids.
  • Alcohol
    In excess kills off friendly bacteria, increases toxic overload of the liver, and allow candida overgrowth dysbiosis. Add to this dilemma the fact that alcohol is actually a yeast by-product and you can see the potential problems. People with extreme CO can have high blood alcohol levels and literally be drunk, just from eating sugar. This moderate “high” is one explanation for intense sugar cravings. There is another interesting aspect to alcohol and yeast. Every living thing that eats must create waste on the other end. Usually that waste is toxic (poisonous) to the organism. Not so with yeast.

    The alcoholic by –products it creates can actually serve as a fertilizer to help it grow further. This explains why various researchers have indicated that everyone who drinks alcohol regularly (daily or a few times weekly) is likely harboring Candida Overgrowth.
The conditions above are most likely to cause candida albicans yeast infection and dysbiosis. The conditions below also contribute but usually must be extreme. That is, done more frequently, sustained over time, or magnified by each other.
  • Hormone imbalances
    That show up as obvious symptoms (PMS, etc.) can upset the balance of friendly flora in the guy. This explains why women are more prone to yeast problems giving their monthly cycle, pregnancies, menopause, birth control pills, etc. however, with proper bowel balance and a strengthened immune system, these variations should not cause problems.

  • Tap water
    Containing chlorine kills both bad and good bacteria in the gut. It is better to drink filtered or spring water. Better to drink distilled water with something else mixed with it rather than plain. Better to have room temperature water rather than cold (cold and ice puts out the “gastric fire” which is necessary for proper digestion).

  • Bowel Problems
    Like constipation, diarrhea, parasites, worms, IBS, leaky guy, heartburn, gas, bloating, are not only the signs and symptoms or yeast infection, but can be originating causes as well. The “chicken or the egg” story once again. Either way, where there is smoke, there is fire.

  • Excessive stress
    Can most certainly affect the immune system and bowel causing CO. The link between mind-body is well established. Emotional nervousness or mental stress can cause chronic fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, high blood pressure, ulcers, etc.

  • Environmental Molds or Chemicals
    Can deplete the immune system and liver reserves, causing bowel dysbiosis. This is a problem for people who work around chemicals frequently, for example, hair stylists, dry cleaners, lawn maintenance, house painters, fuel or chemical industry, etc. Basically, if you can smell anything, it means that your liver and immune system has to work to get rid of it. The stronger and longer the exposure, the more likely a yeast infection or dysbiosis problem.

  • Toxic Metals and Food Chemicals
    Have the same explanation as the above category. Mercury )as found in dental amalgams, some fish), other metals and food chemicals, such as aspartame, MSG and other can kill friendly intestinal flora, alter immune response, and allow yeast to proliferate. Mercury and metals can be a paradox. There is no question that they are toxic. However, clinical experience clearly shows that , like any of these possible causes of CO, toxic metals will affect people differently. For some people a much more dental work don’t have any problem at all. I have seen people who were convinced their problems were dental related, spend thousands of dollars to get them removed, only to find the same problems or worse. The best way to determine if this is a problem for you is Test don’t Guess.

  • Immune deficiency
    Form conditions that weaken the immune system such as AIDS, cancer, herpes, hepatitis, et. It is a little-known fact that almost everyone with serious illness is suffering from candida albicans or yeast infection.

Candida and Diabetes By American Dr Jeff McCombs DC

The Candida Expert

Candida and Diabetes

Candida and Diabetes are two common conditions that occur as a result of past antibiotic use. Each condition supports the existence of the other, but fungal candida alone can create diabetes through direct and indirect means.
Diabetes is a condition in which regulation of the level of sugar (Glucose) in the blood has been altered. The hormone insulin is responsible for ensuring that blood sugar levels don’t get too high. Insulin, a protein-based hormone produced by the pancreas,  moves sugar from the blood into the cells and tissues. There are two main types of diabetes, Type I and Type II. Type I is primarily diagnosed in children and is considered to be an autoimmune condition. Type II is primarily diagnosed in adults due to lifestyle and other factors. Type II is the most common form. There are over 20 million adults with diabetes, and 40 million with pre-diabetes.
Both the incidence and prevalence of diabetes and candida have risen steadily since the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. Diabetes has now become the leading cause of death among various ethnic groups and is the 6th leading cause of deaths in the United States. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 347 million people have diabetes and approximately 3.5 million die as a result of it.
In 1940, there were no recorded studies on candida. Now there are over 28,000 studies, with over 1400 recorded in 2011 alone. The incidence of both systemic fungal candida and diabetes have risen sharply in recent years.
Candida affects the body through various means. One of its primary tools for destroying tissues and acquiring nutrients in the body is through enzymes it produces called Secreted Aspartyl Proteases (SAPs). SAPs are considered to be candida’s main mechanism of virulence or pathogenicity – how it spreads in the body and causes damage. Researchers at the University of California in San Diego found that this protease class of enzymes can cause pre-diabetes, immune system suppression, and high blood pressure. Pre-diabetes conditions include insulin-resistance and hypoglycemia. Insulin attaches to receptors on cells that then activate the absorption of sugar from the blood. These protease enzymes will chop off the receptors on cells causing blood sugar levels to increase.
People with diabetes have been found to a higher incidence of candida infections affecting various tissues and organs. Excess sugars are an excellent source of fuel that can rapidly increase the growth of candida.
Candida also plays a role in shaping of the intestinal flora, which has been found to regulate blood sugar levels through effects on organs such as the pancreas and liver.
The ability of the body to eliminate candida is in part based on the effectiveness of white blood cells. High or low levels of sugar in the blood reduces the effectiveness of these white blood cells., leaving candida to create ongoing disturbances and imbalances.
While many of these effects are in regard to Type II diabetes, candida has been shown to be able to create autoimmune conditions such as Type I diabetes.
The connection between antibiotics, candida, and diabetes is without question. Effective management of the various factors involved can bring resolution to conditions such as diabetes and many others.
Take bake your health.   Live the life you create.   Dr. McCombs Candida Plan.
 Candida and Diabetes DC
Dr. Jeffrey S. McCombs, DC, is a third generation graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic (1984). He is licensed in the states of California, Illinois, and Arizona. He is a member of the California and Illinois Chiropractic Associations, the International Association for Specialized Kinesiologists, and the American Holistic Health Association. Dr. McCombs developed his Candida Plan which is a detoxification and dietary plan that counters the detrimental effects of antibiotics and reestablishes the normal body flora, detoxification pathways, and regeneration cycles of a vital, youthful, and healthy body. Connect on Google+

Candida from mother to child???????in our food chain??????

I believe that both are happening, and is in our food chain via cattle (non organic) as routinely fed antibiotics. I think that we have a serious problem,.

In the light of todays news of children suffering from depression, I post again Candida and Mental Health

Send this article to a friend
The Effects of Candida On Mental Health
by William Crook, M.D.     
 
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author of a million copy bestseller published in the 1980s and The Yeast Connection Handbook, which provides new information for the 21st Century.
Photo - Yest Connection HandbookThe Yeast Connection Handbook
Yeasts are single-cell living organisms that are neither animal nor vegetable. They live on the surfaces of all living things, including fruits, vegetables, grains and your skin. They're part of the "microflora" (tiny plants) which contribute in various ways to the health of their host. Yeast itself is nutritious and small amounts of yeast gives bread its good yeasty taste. Yeast is a kind of fungus. Mildew, mold, mushrooms, monilia and candida are all names that are used to describe different types of yeast.
One family of yeasts, Candida albicans, normally lives on the inner warm creases and crevices of the digestive tract and vagina. When your immune system is strong, candida yeasts cause no problems. But when you take broad-spectrum antibiotics for such conditions as acne, respiratory infections or cystitis (bladder infection), these drugs knock out friendly germs while they're knocking out enemies.
Candida yeasts aren't affected by antibiotics so they multiply and raise large families. These yeasts put out toxins that weaken the immune system.. So you may experience repeated infections. Each infection is treated with another round of antibiotics, encouraging further yeast overgrowth, and a vicious cycle develops.
A diet rich in sugar and other simple carbohydrates promotes yeast overgrowth. 
The "yeast connection" is a term to indicate the relationship of superficial yeast infections in your digestive tract (or vagina) to fatigue, headache, depression, PMS, irritability, and other symptoms that can make you feel "sick all over."
Many of these problems develop because your immune system, your endocrine system and your brain are intimately related.
Other causes must also be considered. If you're like most people with a candida-related health problem, you resemble an overburdened camel. To regain your health, to look good, feel good and enjoy life, you'll need to unload many "bundles of straw." This may take months - even a year or two - but then your camel will be off and running.

Depression

Millions of Americans suffer from depression. Many of them have taken Prozac, Zoloft and other medications. These medications, like many others, may cause adverse reactions. Because of these possibilities, many therapists say that these drugs should not be given to people without looking for the underlying physical and psychological causes of the person's depression.
Like fatigue, headache, PMS and other chronic complaints, depression may develop from many different causes. Moreover, such causes are often multiple. In my experience and that of many other practicing physicians, Candida albicans ranks high on the list…especially in women between the ages of 25 and 45.
If you suffer from depression and/or any other disabling disorder and have a history of… 
  • Repeated or prolonged courses of antibiotic drugs
  • Persistent digestive symptoms
  • And/or recurrent vaginal yeast infections, prostrate infections, jock itch or nail fungus…
…a comprehensive treatment program that features oral antifungal medications and a special diet may provide you with sometimes dramatic relief from recurring depressions.

Manic Depression

During the past few years, I've received a number of letters from people with manic depression who responded to antifungal therapy. Here are excerpts from a New Zealand woman's story, which I found to be especially dramatic:
"Imagine the whole world spray painted gray or being in a small windowless cell or in a tunnel. I felt that I had 50-pound weights on each foot and all my favorite things suddenly became meaningless and sterile.
"If someone had given me two round-trip air tickets to London and Paris and $15,000 spending money, I would have been completely unmoved. Nothing could trigger a flicker of interest or enthusiasm…"
Then, after a week or two of this hell, she would swing into a manic world of exhaustion and even delirium.
"I was king of the castle, drunk with joy, bursting with crazy schemes, talking nonstop, spending money like water, issuing dinner and party invitations, smashing up the car. You'd have to have seen it to believe it…"
This woman struggled with her depression for eight long years. She was put into a psychiatric hospital and received out-patient therapy for many months.
Then a general practitioner prescribed a diet, nystatin (an antibiotic for treating candida), and nutritional supplements. On this treatment program the bouts of mania stopped immediately, and the depressions became brief and much less severe; within three months they disappeared.

Autism

In the early 1980's I saw a five-year-old boy who had been troubled with recurrent ear infections and hyperactivity during the first two years of life. Yet his developmental milestones were normal until the age of two and one half when specialists at a university center made a diagnosis of "pervasive developmental disorder with symptoms of autism."
On a comprehensive treatment program that included nystatin, a special diet and the avoidance of chemical pollutants, the child improved significantly - even dramatically although he continued to experience developmental problems.
During the 1980's, Bernard Rimland, Ph. D., of the Autism Research Institute, told me he had received numerous reports from parents whose autistic children improved following anticandida therapy. During the late 1980's, I saw several more children in my practice with autistic-like symptoms who improved on a sugar-free, special diet and nystatin. All through the 1990's, I received many, many calls and letters form parents of autistic children.. Almost without exception, autistic symptoms in these children first appeared during the second and third years of life following repeated ear and other infections.
The October 1994 issue of Autism Research Review International included a two-page review, "Parents Ratings of the Effectiveness of Drugs and Nutrients." Here are excerpts from this report:
"The parents of autistic children represent a vastly important reservoir of information of the benefits and adverse effects…of the large variety of drugs and other interventions that have been tried with their children…The data presented in this paper have been collected from the more than 8,700 parents who have filled out questionnaires designed to collect such information…
"The 31 drugs listed first were prescribed by the child's physician in each case. Note that Ritalin, the drug most often prescribed, is near the bottom of the list. Only 26 percent of the parents reported improvement, while 46 percent said the child got worse on Ritalin."
I studied the charts in the report and I noted that nystatin ranked higher than any other prescription drug. Of the 208 children who were given one of these medications, 49 percent found that the child was "better" on the nystatin and only four percent said that the child was "worse." The better/worse ratio was more than 12 to 1.
By contrast, none of the other drugs showed a better/worse ratio of more than 2.7 to 1 and many prescription medications, including Ritalin, which was given to 1,661 children, showed a better/worse ratio of 0.5 to 1. (This means that twice as many children were made worse by Ritalin than were helped.)
In other research, William Shaw, Ph. D., and colleagues in studies of children with brain dysfunction found elevated fungal metabolites and other abnormal acids in the urine of children with autism and ADHD. Following treatment with the antifungal medications and dietary changes, all of the autistic children improved.
Autism, like many other chronic and often devastating disorders, develops from many different causes. Yet there's now clear evidence that in many children it is yeast-connected.

ADHD

Children with ADHD often give a history of repeated ear infections in infancy. Such ear problems are usually treated with amoxicillin and/or other broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs. A research study found that 69% of children being evaluated for school failure who were receiving medication for hyperactivity gave a history of greater than ten ear infections. By contrast, only 20% of non-hyperactive children had more than ten infections.
Antibiotics wipe out friendly bacteria in the gut while they're knocking out enemies. As a result, the usually benign microorganism, Candida albicans, multiplies. Based on research studies, candida puts out toxins which affect the nervous system, the immune system and other parts of the body.
I sent questionnaires to 16 practicing physicians interested in the management of children with ADHD. Five of the responders said that antiyeast therapy was "very effective" in managing these children and eight said it was "somewhat effective" in managing these children. One responder said it was "not effective" and another responder said he had not tried this therapy. Diet is another factor. Although I didn't know that systemic and nervous symptoms in my pediatric patients could be yeast-related, beginning in the late 1950's I learned that such symptoms were often caused by food sensitivities. Common troublemakers included especially milk, wheat, corn, chocolate and egg.
Yet it wasn't until the early '70's that I learned that the ingestion of cane, beet or corn sugar was an important cause of hyperactivity - even though I didn't understand the mechanism. In the 1970's, at the suggestion of the late Dr. Amos Christie (my pediatric chief at Vanderbilt), I kept a record of every new patient who came to see me because of complaints of hyperactivity, attention deficits and other behavior and learning problems.
During a five-year period I saw 182 children with these complaints. Most were between four and eight years old. Each child was given a comprehensive workup which include a carefully planned and executed seven-day elimination diet. The eliminated foods included beet and cane sugar, milk, wheat, corn, egg, chocolate, yeast, citrus and food coloring and additives. If and when the child's symptoms improved (as they usually did), the eliminated foods were returned to the diet one food per day and reactions were noted. At the end of a five-year period, through questionnaires and personal and telephone interviews, I obtained the following information:
  • Seventy percent (128) of the parents were absolutely certain that their child's hyperactivity was related to specific foods in the diet.
  • The foods causing hyperactivity in 136 children included: sugar, 77;colors, additives and flavors (especially red food coloring ), 48; milk, 38; corn, 30; chocolate, 28; and wheat, 15.
  • Many other foods were reported as causing trouble.

Schizophrenia

As a final note on Candida and mental health, Dr. Carl Pfeiffer, one of the pioneers in the nutritional treatment of mental disorders, noted in his book Nutrition and Mental Illness that chronic Candida infection is one of the less well-known causes of schizophrenia..

Summary

Sunday 29 September 2013

Stress/ nervous tension will cause her even more problems, they know not what they do

When to give up getting a Dx?
Author
Post
What's wrong with me
28 Sep 2013 at 12:09PM
I have been ill for nearly two years now. Not any closer to getting a Dx. I have had 2 x MRI's brain and c spine and now a lower back one, no lesions found but a bulging disc at L4/L5 Gp says this is not causing my bladder or numbness problems.
Sure when I go back to see Nuero he will discharge me. Last time I saw him first he said it wasn't MS, but then wanted to do another MRI to look for MS.
My sister has MS with no lesions. Gp thinks it is MS and suggested I ask for a LP, Nuero said even if LP was positive he would not give me a Dx of MS unless I had more major symptoms!
I have unexplained eye problems- under eye clinic at local hospital.
Numbness, pins and needles, nerve pain, bladder problems, stiff and heavy legs. Balance and memory problems. Brisk reflexes. And fatique.
Last time I saw Nuero 3rd visit, when I asked what was wrong, he said I did not need a label as they could treat symptoms!
Starting to get stressed about Nuero visit in 6 weeks, and wondering if I should stop trying to get a Dx and just get on with my life! Or should I find an MS specialist? My Gp said she would refer me, but understand they do not have to take referral?
Help
Kizzydane
29 Sep 2013 at 2:04PM
Hello there x Bless you - your plight sounds so very familiar! To me & many others I'm afraid!
I've been going through it for a few years now with test after test always coming back abnormal - but always inconclusive!  Everything else pretty well ruled out so MS is a probable - frustrating I know!
So sick of hospital visits and tests - I often ask myself that question these days - do I need to keep persuing that elusive and definitive label?Eespecially  since the drugs they have given me have been awesome and very much keep my symptoms at bay?
So - I have no answer for you I'm afraid! I've just got into the mindset of whatever will be will be and it'll all pan out in the end xxxjenxxxhappyflower


MrsChicca
29 Sep 2013 at 3:49PM
I'm not going to be much help other than to say that not having a name for what's going on in your body is very frustrating, Try and stay calm when you see neuro, explain calmly that you appreciate having your symptoms treated, but that him using the word symptom makes you think that he thinks they're symptoms of a condition x

Clares story, they are just stringing her along- it's disgraceful

Chances of ms after cis? Age. Vit D.
Author
Post
Clare-
29 Sep 2013 at 8:56AM
Hi all
I've been away for a bit, trying not to dwell on all this. Now, after quite a long wait I now have the results of all the tests. The outcome is that everything else is ruled out, and I have had a CIS event - transverse myelitis I.e. All my lower body symptoms were caused by one spinal lesion.
I know that the chances of getting a second attack - which would then mean MS - are hard to predict. I have one brain lesion. If it were zero then it would be 20% chance of a second attack. If I had many brain lesions,it would be a very high chance. 1 (small) lesion is a bit insignificant, but nonetheless the neuro said it did mean chances were prob a bit higher than 20%.
What I didn't ask, and I'm wondering if any of you have idea, is whether age plays a factor? Does the fact that I'm relatively old (42) to be first getting this mean it's less likely to develop into ms? Also if it does develop, does the severity of attacks have any correlation with age?(either way?)
Btw, I was also told to take vit d supplements in winter. Any advice about that? I assume much cheaper over the counter than on prescription - anything wrong with supermarket ones?
Many thanks in advance for your always helpful advice and support!
Clare

Saturday 28 September 2013

Why don't Doctors get the whole subluxation concept, Chiropractors are the experts in this field

Figure 7: The Effects of the Atlas Subluxation

Figure 7 opposite explains what happens to your body if you unfortunate enough to sustain a head injury which shifts your skull on your atlas and results in a skull to atlas subluxation. Make no mistake for this is exactly what happens. The ramifications of the subluxation can extend to all parts of your body. In the most benign of these subluxations you may only experience a little lower back pain and in the more serious your whole body can be racked with pain and dysfunction. The tight sub-occipital ligaments and cervical spine muscles can be responsible for headaches or migraines as well as neck pain.

repost-all Lucy's symptoms can be Atlas/cervical spine related

Lucy28
18 Sep 2013 at 8:10PM
Please help I'm experiencing some symptoms of ms
Tingling
Body parts feel numb but are actually not
Eye strain
Eye pain
Neck tremors
Difficulty walking
Difficulty moving hands
Pressure in chest area making it difficult to breath
Prickling sensations
Brain fog
Derelization
Feels like I can't remember things
Occasional blurred Vision for about 5 seconds
Titinus
Pain at the top of spine
Saving pains all over the body
Rib pain
Eye floaters
Vertigo
Lightheadednes
Please help me

Again memory probs of those newly/awaiting diagnosis

Memory like a sieve...
Author
Post
Reikiblossom
26 Sep 2013 at 9:27PM
One of the symptoms that causes me the most problems is a malfunctioning short-term memory. I frequently leave food too long in the fridge and get told off by hubby (who is the one paying for it). I have to write down times when cooking. Appointments and important events have to be written on the calendar immediately. I often go to bed and forget to lock up. Little routine things that cause domestic stress. I have to write down all my passwords. I forgot some bank details recently which caused me a lot of hassle to put right. *sigh*
But I actually shocked myself the other day with something fairly innocuous. I was preparing a tub of blackberries for the freezer and I wrote the date on it. I got the day right. I got the month right. But I wrote '08!
Puddinglover
27 Sep 2013 at 12:55AM
My main problem is losing words in the middle of sentences. My friends jump in and help me, a bit like people do when people stutter. It is frustrating when the words just disappear from your brain!
Yvette
27 Sep 2013 at 7:18AM
hi, you are not alone. I have had this problem for many years and I adapted like you with diaries, notes, to do lists etc. some days I can add up items in my basket at the checkout and other days struggle to understand the change I have in the palm of my hand. The variability of my memory is crazy but better when I am focused on one thing only.
I can often get my telephone number/ post code wrong and I can even recall a time when I rang my land line and was quite insistent that the number that i had rung was mine. (The last two numbers cause me problems).
I get words mixed up and may say pass me the television instead of telephone which is amusing (but wearing thin) and family and friends finish or guess words if I am struggling with making a sentence. (Which makes me feel stupid)
I struggle with the year. With my passwords at work I incorporate the month and the year to reinforce that information.
The constant barrage of password related logins are a nightmare but I try and have as many as possible the same.
What a do!!!
Yvette
Reikiblossom
27 Sep 2013 at 11:19AM
Thankyou for your replies!
The hard bit of this is not being able to give a reason (yet) as to why these episodes, that my Tai Chi teacher amusingly calls 'brain farts', are happening.
I can't claim the phenomenon that new parents call 'mumnesia' any more...she's nearly five! It's embarrasing, harmful to my self-esteem and worrying. This 'cog fog' is one of my top five concerning symptoms and a strain on the relationship with my hubby.
I'm counting the weeks until I see the neuro. What a strange situation to be in. Why would it seem easier to get a diagnosis? Maybe because we humans like to name things. If we have a name for something, we feel a degree of control over it (whether or not that is the reality). Will I improve or will I just have to learn to live with this? Just give me a name for it so I can explain it to others. Then maybe I'll be able to accept it and be better able to respond to situations that arise when next I forget something.
(and I hope that somebody benefits from me sharing all this!)
Puddinglover
27 Sep 2013 at 11:31AM
I know exactly what you mean! Everyone keeps asking me what my I diagnosis is and I just have to keep saying that I have none (I am still off work). The truth is even if they do suspect MS (which I was told I had in hospital) they won't officially diagnose it as I have only had one episode. It is a nightmare this limboland!
Purpledot
27 Sep 2013 at 12:56PM
I, too, struggle with cognitive issues.  I go blank in the middle of sentences and say the wrong words all the time.  I also have this weird thing where I frequently say the opposite to what I want to say........eg: cold instead of hot, or outside instead of inside.  The worrying things is that I have no idea I've said it wrong until someone points it out to me!  I also, like you Yvette, say words that are similar but wrong, eg: hotel instead of hospital, or wardrobe instead of window!
I also forget things, and struggle with timings for cooking etc.
I spent the whole day yesterday trying to remember the name of the Neuro I'm being referred to, having referred to him quite happily and frequently over the previous week or more!
I also struggle with remembering what day it is, although I've put this down to being at home most of the time so not having any routine.
I can also completely forget whole conversations, which has caused problems between my hubby and me on more than one occasion when I swear he hasn't told me something, or that we haven't discussed something that he assures me we have.  I have learnt to accept that he is right now (not easy!!).
Also, when on the rare occasions I am out in public these days I can get a kind of 'detached' feeling, where everything is going on around me but I am nothing to do with it and I am just looking on.  Very weird.  I can also get this if I have a fairly long one-on-one conversation, where the other person will kind of seem to become distant from me, but I can still hear what they are saying.  Maybe I'm just a bit weird!!


MrsChicca
27 Sep 2013 at 1:12PM
I have the 'hubby being right' issue. Very frustrating. Haha. I've been feeling quite disconnected from my environment since I developed this infection. It's quite scary.
arwen
27 Sep 2013 at 1:23PM
Yep me too forget so much stuff its annoying and more than the usual things that I think most people get. I was writing the date yesterday and after putting 26 I was lost and my friend had to tell me to put Sept next. Words are constantly wrong. I have got lost driving to work as well one day. In fact I got a bit lost driving back from somewhere a mile from my house last week. Neuro told me 4years ago that was normal!!!!
A xxx
Reikiblossom
27 Sep 2013 at 2:13PM
It's so good to know that I'm not alone here!
Puddinglover - isn't it just!
Purpledot - I'd happily admit to being 'a bit weird'...I know what you mean about (lol I just spelled 'the' with all the wrong letters!!) THE detachment. Especially with this dizzyhead.
MrsChicca - I also get annoyed when hubby is right. We are both the same personality types according to numerology - both 1's which are independant leader types so yes, we both like to be right. I get picked up on what I said and what he heard and perhaps my mind plays tricks on me sometimes but I swear blind I said A when he heard B. Another kick in the self-esteem.
Arwen - Normal?! Normal in what context?!
Anyone remember that film Flight of the Navigator? There was a line in it, something about the human brain leaking. If only I could plug the hole!
MrsChicca
27 Sep 2013 at 3:28PM
My frustration is a because hubby is known as the dipstick, he often mishears things or completely forgets. Now I'm catching up with him :-(
arwen
27 Sep 2013 at 4:12PM
Yep apparently permanently forgetting why you are in a room, getting wirds wrong, crashing car cos not putting handbrake on etc was all normal according to the neuro I saw 4years ago as is tingling and burning sensation. Did no neuro exam and sent me away! !
A
TsukiUsagi
27 Sep 2013 at 11:52PM
I have had to stop working due to the massive brain fog. But I always say bwrain frog! I frequently put things down and in minutes forget where they are. I think I've said things when I haven't and can't keep track of the days either. Not the safest of things when having to dispense medication! At least I know I'm not alone in this!
Puddinglover
28 Sep 2013 at 1:47AM
Arwen , well your neuro must have lived in a weird sort of normal then!
I haven't been out of the house apart from being in hospital or to go to hospital appointments for 6 weeks now so I am utterly detached from reality and totally confused about days and dates. Like others I also can't remember what I have told people. I am sure I am turning into that old bore that repeats stories again and again and my visiting friends are just too polite to say!
arwen
28 Sep 2013 at 9:34AM
Lol pudding I thought that he was a right t##ser my dad saw him as well when first getting diagnosed with parkinsons and immediately changed neuro. I repeat stories too and ask the same question repeatedly my hubby is always saying I've asked or told him something.
Axx
Ps never forget what pud I like so far although some days I point at a menu cos I can't say the word.
TsukiUsagi
28 Sep 2013 at 2:48PM
Purpledot you're not the only one with feeling disconnected. It seems like everything is going on around me or I know I'm doing something but just doesn't feel like it's me... Today I forgot the word for vertebrae (spelling?). That was interesting telling my fiance how a LP is done without knowing biology of the spine hahaha.
Reikiblossom
28 Sep 2013 at 10:26PM
TsukiUsagi (Nihonjin desu ka?) I often think I've said things when I haven't...maybe I just had the thought. I'm also finding placing things in time quite tricky e.g. I might actually remember opening that houmous very clearly, but when I did it is beyond me.
Puddinglover - I'd be lost without a calendar on my wall...a wall I pass by very frequently. Do you have one?
Arwen - never let it be said that the name of your favourite pudding desserts you (just can't help myself!!)
I have a lingering memory from childhood of being able to picture an elephant but just not remembering what one is called (ironically, as they 'never forget'). Thought that was funny for years. Not so much now.
May you recall your lost 'elephants'.

Misaligned Atlas and Candida both can cause cognative/memory problems

Memory problems
Author
Post
Juliet
25 Sep 2013 at 7:37PM
Does anyone else have problems with their memory?  I was 'evaluated' by a neuro-psychologist.  He said there was nothing wrong with my memory because I could recall a few nouns in a paragraph he'd just read to me..  He didn't tell me why I have started to forget simple things that I usually do everyday.  Things like; Why I have started to forget to flush the toilet, or why I can make a cup of coffee and then walk out of the kitchen without it.  Or why I have to 'preview' posts 4 or 5+ times before it makes sense to anyone else.
Bunnythecat
25 Sep 2013 at 7:56PM
Hi Juliet, yes i have memory problems, things like names, what day it is, what i was about to say just a few seconds ago, sometimes even things like how to use my mobile phone or the TV remote. it probably happens about 2  or 3 times day.  I don't have a dx yet but it is one of things that really bothers mee, can be very embaressing at workblush
Juliet
25 Sep 2013 at 8:03PM
I had to wait 2.5 years before my diagnosis was confirmed, and I know others that waited longer.  3 words.  Critical illness cover.  I wish I'd known!  I have problems with days of the week, and timelines also, I keep thinking its the beginning of the year.  I'd always put that down to not being able to work for so long, that weekends are just like any other day :-(  I really resent not apprecisating Friday afternoons/evenings now  :-(
jaycie
25 Sep 2013 at 8:41PM
Hi apart from pain, memory is my biggest problem and it does cause lots of problems in my daily life. I  forget numerous things through the day, including taking medication even though I have an alarmed tablet machine. Sometimes cannot remember how to use the phone or switch tv on( like Bunnythecat above)  and yet I can remember things I wouldn't expect to.
 I have a recently had an Occupational Therapist test me on my memory and she said it was normal (if only).
One of the most annoying things is when people say "Oh , but I always do that" and you know that it is not normal for you.
smh
25 Sep 2013 at 8:49PM
Hiya
I get the sort of memory problems you mention and I had it confirmed by a neuro psychologist when I had a full cognitive test done.  She said it was MS causing it.
I can forget the directions to a place I go to all the time, then suddenly remember again.
 I can make a cup of tea, forgetting to boil the kettle or make one, sit down and think I fancy a cup of tea so go an make one, sit down, think I fancy a cup of tea etc....I only realise that I've got 6 cups of tea all sitting there on the counter, when I've run out of cups!  All still hot too!!!  
I also forget words and names 1/2 way though talking.  
I have to shop with a 2 lists, 1 of things I need and 1 of things I don't need, so when I have that nagging thing in my head telling oh I NEED that and must have forgotten to put it on the need list, I can check the don't need list to make sure I'm not going to end up with 6 jars of coffee a enough toilet rolls to last a lifetime.
It's a pain in the bum but you do get a bit used to it and find ways to cope, as do the people around you.
Sue x
MrsH
25 Sep 2013 at 8:50PM
Hi
Yes....I haven't actually admitted this to anyone before now, but a couple of weeks ago, whilst I was particularly unwell, I forgot my own name. I was on the phone giving details and it just went. I could remember my date of birth and my maiden name, which I haven't used for 24 years but not my forename or surname. I was and still am, mortified.
Catherine
Xx
Juliet
25 Sep 2013 at 9:12PM
I totally get being annoyed about any comments people make thinking they're being empathy empathic. Grrrr just thinking about It
Juliet
25 Sep 2013 at 9:19PM
As well as setting myself an alarm to remind me to take my meds, I have to text my brother within an hour of taking them. Last year, I ended up in A & E when I forgot my epilepsy meds.
I have to have my shopping delivered (I live alone), so I order what I need online a week early, so that I have plenty of time to change it during the week.
I am so glad I did this post, it makes the world of difference knowing I'm not alone with this.
Juliet xxx
arwen
25 Sep 2013 at 9:22PM
I am the same (no dx). The other day I decided I wanted a cup of tea went to pick my old cup off the table to take through and realised it waa a full cup of hot tea no recollection of making it. Permanently wander round looking for stuff but can't think what it is etc. Oh and MrsH I have forgotten my name too
Axx
leamills
26 Sep 2013 at 9:27AM
Hi,
Yes i have memory problems too..taking my meds is a joke, no alarm, no tablets!!
I have a large lesion in my juxcortical region (not sure if spelt right?) and my neuro said this accounts for the memory issues!
The brain cant rewire itself so it has to make/find a new area to put memory in.So i guess it will be a while before my hubby quits yeeling at me coz i forgot to turn the pasta pot on for dinner, or wheres the bloody coffee i made that i didn't even start! lol
Oh to be my old very capable self again, na this is so much more fun! The new me maybe a blonde idiot and forgetful and shaky and twitchy etc....but i laugh my a** off most days just becauset the stuff i do is so funny. Oh the best one is putting milk in my kettle coz i was sure thats where the cup was hahahaha!!!
What was i talking about again?......
Lea xx

hcd
26 Sep 2013 at 9:37AM
Hi,
I believe Coconut Oil is good for the memory. I read somewhere that Alzheimers patients had good results just from taking a teaspoon of it morning and night.
It really does seem to be a wonder food. I use it for frying/roasting, plus will have a teaspoon every now and then as it's supposed to be good for the bladder and helps heal a leaky gut. Expensive, though. A jar is around £7 I think, depending on the brand you buy.
Heather
Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 9:42AM
Sorry, but I had to laugh also.
Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 9:51AM
I forgot to preview ... lol
I was just going to say thank you to Lea, because I needed a laugh this morning. Sudden dizzy spell, and very grateful for the boxes I've placed around the flat, as a buffer for falling.
Also, it's great to know the specific lesion I can at least Google to see what else it affects. I get very generalised responses from my neurologist when I ask about my MS or my epilepsy.
Coconut oil is supposed for weight loss as we'll. My daughter bought some for me when I started putting on weight from the steroids. I keep forgetting to take it though :-)
Juliet xxx
Polar Bear
26 Sep 2013 at 2:45PM
It is so nice to read that i am not alone with memory loss, i hide my memory loss very well. but recently haven't been able to. People can ask me to do things and i won't remember within less than a minute what they wanted me to do, and then have to go back and ask them what it was i was supposed to do.  I put things in the fridge that don't belong there, cutlery was one.  Ive left the shower on and then 1/2 later i can hear something in the bathroom and remember i was supposed to have a shower.
oops, deleted what i was writing. damn what was it again...oh ya.  i was out shopping the other day, and i met someone whom i recognized but for the life of me couldn't remember his name. I've known him for years.  I forget my name too. Short term memory seems to be worse. I am always phoning my neighbour up to check if i have locked the front door.
My kids think its great, when i have taken something off of them.  i'll ask them "didn't i take that off you" and they always say "no"....haha  They are using it to there advantage,,,, but i write it down now.  i have lists of things i need to do, lists of things i've done, so i don't redo them. Birthdays i am forgetting aswell, even if they are written down.   Oh and i hide things from the kids all the time like the tv remote....and i forget where i put it....i've stopped hiding things now....it was causing more trouble than its worth....it's bonkers in my house.....haha.
Seeing the ms nurse in a few weeks and i am going to mention it to her.  i have put all my questions in my mobile, hope i don't loose mobile. Interesting that everyone seems to know where their lesions are, question to put in my mobile.  I have no clue.
jennifer x

Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 2:54PM
I started making notes of questions I wanted to ask Jennifer. Then I kept forgetting to ask them though ... haha
Now I email them to my MS Nurse, so we can talk about them at my next appointment. She forgot last time also though ...
emya_1
26 Sep 2013 at 3:06PM
This thread has made me smile after not a very nice week so far!! It is interesting (and a little amusing!!) to read all of our forgetfullness!! I am constantly forgetting words for things and try to explain what I mean but people just look at me like i'm mad! I teach 4 year olds and they have to help me sometimes, which isn't great when trying to teach new vocabulary or a new concept!! I have to write the date on every piece of work but constantly forget it and end up asking my assistant about 100 times a day. I forget what i'm saying in the middle of a sentence and put things down and forget what i was doing...nightmare during a busy day!  Have yet to forget my name tho! happy2
Polar Bear
26 Sep 2013 at 3:20PM
i've done the same, but forget. emailing them before hand sounds like a great idea.  i'm going to write that down to.  my partner can't come with me next time, so i have my sister in law and my two kids want to come to ask questions aswell.


Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 3:29PM
I'd love for someone to come with me, but my daughter lives in Canada, and I always forget to ask my brothers until it's too late. Speaking of which, I'd better email to see if one of them can come to my next appointment, on Monday! Doh!
davecg99
26 Sep 2013 at 3:56PM
This is a classic MS symptom. I have had "cognitive issues" (as my neuro-psychologist calls it) for about 3 years now.....I think. She has done some tests to find out how bad it is:
  1. The first one was to copy a random shape that looked like a house with lots of extra bits attached to it and she would see how close I was to the original (even allowing for how bad I am at drawing). She then repeated this test 3 times over the next half-an-hour, after doing the other tests, to see how much I remembered about the shape.
  2. The next thing was she read out a list of 12 words and I then had to repeat them back to her. This test was done twice more over the next half-an-hour or so.
  3. The 3rd test was she read a list of about 16 words that I had to group into 4 groups. So there might have been 4 tools, 4 fruits, 4 of something else and 4 of something else.
These tests were a disaster! I failed miserably to copy the shape properly or to remember bits that were on/in it. The words tests were worse, in that I could not remember most of the words and certainly could not group the words in test 3. This confirmed to her that my short-term memory was very bad and I needed "cognitive stimulus" (I think that's what she called it). She encouraged me to do puzzles, the sort that are found in Puzzler magazine and similar ones. I can do many of the puzzles, Sudoku, Wordsearch, etc but fail miserably with Crosswords as I cannot recall certain words - I just know that I know the answers, but cannot pull them forward. The neuro-psycho said again this is classic MS, but to continue so that at least I am stimulating the brain, even if it is bloody frustrating not being able to remember the answers.
I recommend anyone who has this to see their GP and ask if there is someone locally in the NHS who does CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy i think it stands for. This will cover the tests that I have outlined above.
Best of luck everyone,
Dav......dammit i've forgotten ny name now!
Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 8:01PM
That sounds similar to the tests I've had Dave, but they're designed to analyse. You shouldn't feel that you've passed or failed them. If you've come away with that impression, then your psychologist needs to go back to school.
Juliet
26 Sep 2013 at 9:32PM
I don't have much faith in psychometric tests for any purpose. I refused to use them to define my staff when I was working. The psychologist who did mine was an a***. I shouldn't tar all psychologists with the same brush.
Puddinglover
27 Sep 2013 at 12:27AM
My memory for faces and names has been going downhill for a while but since having my 'episode' I often lose words during sentences, and can't always explain myself properly. I also forget times more than I used to (eg hospital appointments).
DoctorGeoff
27 Sep 2013 at 11:12PM
Juliet wrote:

I don't have much faith in psychometric tests for any purpose. I refused to use them to define my staff when I was working. The psychologist who did mine was an a***. I shouldn't tar all psychologists with the same brush.
No, Juliet, you really should not ... But some of the profession could do with tarring, and feathering as well.
There is nothing wrong with psychometric tests.  The problems come when people try to use one test to select for a particular ability.  Some of the commercial Occupational Psychologists do this all the time.
I once had the opportunity to run a batch of personality tests on some sections of a (sporting) National Squad. The body that picked up the tab thought  that they would find out how to choose the potential top performers.  My report said that this was not possible, but that the tests could be used to determine the best way to coach each individual, when that individual had already shown great potential. Some people were not happy with these findings (surprise, surprise).
Geoff
pigpen
27 Sep 2013 at 11:28PM
hi
a good few years before i had the pleasure of meeting ms
i was working in a school and at staff meetings i could never remember crucial bits of info.
so i bought some gingko biloba and told everyone in the staff room
at the next staff meeting someone asked me how i was doing with the gingko biloba and i had to confess that i couldnt remember where i had put it!blush
it gave them all a chuckle though!
carole x
Juliet
28 Sep 2013 at 2:05PM
I think my neurologist wants to talk to me about DMDs on Monday, so I'm trying to read up on them again, and make notes of all my questions, to take with me.
I read something, turn to my notebook and then I have to look back at the literature to remind me what the question was. Sometimes upwards of 3 times!!
It's taking forever!!
Jools68
28 Sep 2013 at 9:31PM
Hi folks,
It was really good reading this post as I underwent cognative testing with a Neuro Psychologist just last week......................................................no idea how I've done yet :-s
Jools
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