The journey of Hashimoto's Part 2 (SIBO, EBV, Blastocystis)
Okay, so you have Hashimoto’s. You know that, and you’re beginning to work with it. But what happens when going gluten-free, reducing stress, and prioritizing sleep isn’t enough? For me, it took A LOT more than just these basic lifestyle shifts to see a reduction in my symptoms. So I’ll share my experience, and maybe it’ll help you along your journey.
I have had chronic diarrhea for over a decade. I’ve been to over a dozen doctors, including gastroenterologists and hormone specialists in New York City, where I lived for nearly ten years. We all think the best doctors have practices in NYC, but it wasn’t until I moved to Portland and started seeing Dr Dani at Terrain Wellness that I was able to successfully address this symptom. She believed I might have co-infections, because when your body is plagued by auto-immunity, a whole host of pathogens are able to enter and thrive because your immune system isn’t working as it should be.
She tested me for Epstein-Barr virus, and my results came back extremely positive. Like, I didn’t just have it a little bit, I had it a lot. And it was surging right then, I was having a reactivation. Let it be clearly stated that no other doctor had ever thought to test me for EBV, out of all the brilliant and expensive folks I’d seen. And one of the common complaints of EBV, fatigue, is a symptom I presented with time and time again when seeing doctors. If you want to learn A LOT about EBV, Kasia Kines is the most focused expert I’ve found. So, with those new results, Dr Dani immediately suggested L-Lysine, Monolaurin, and a supplement called Phytogen to support my immune system and quell the Epstein Barr virus. My fatigue began to dissipate instantly.
Additionally, we did stool tests to see if I had other co-infections, which, again, are extremely common alongside any sort of auto-immunity like Hashimoto’s. We discovered I had a protozoa called Blastocystis, and I had Type 3 and Type 7. We started off with some herbal parasite killers, and I really stuck to that protocol for the duration. In the end, we retested and I still had the Blasto, though one of the types had been killed off by the herbs, and that was a small win. So, we went with an anti-parasitic pharmaceutical, and that got rid of the remainder. It is never my first choice to use western medicine, I’d always rather rely on herbs and supplements, but sometimes you just gotta do it!
After all of these discoveries and victories, I was still having the chronic diarrhea. It felt like it was just going to be with me forever, that it was just a part of my life. If you’re feeling this way too, do not lose hope!!! Dr Dani suggested we do a SIBO breath test, and I am so glad we did, because ~ drum roll, please ~ I had SIBO! Again, let it be clearly stated that no other doctor had ever thought to test me for SIBO, despite my chronic diarrhea for a decade plus. Eye roll. But, the highly efficacious pharmaceutical treatment for SIBO called Rifaximin is VERY expensive. We’re talking in the 4 digits kinda pricey. Luckily, Dr Dani knew of a great resource, Canada Drug Warehouse, who sells the same Rifaximin for a much lower price. You do have to have a doctor’s prescription to order from them, so keep that in mind. So, I took one round of the drug for two weeks, and am elated to report that I now have solid stool. It literally feels like a miracle, but it is my reality, day in day out. Even when I drink coffee or indulge in alcohol, two things that used to trigger my diarrhea, I have formed poop!
We’re peeling back the layers here, people. It’s never one thing. I have several co-infections, some of which I could have had for a decade or more. That is terrifying, and deeply saddening, but the joy comes in when I remember that I got to the bottom of a very major symptom, with the help of a great care team. If you can see yourself in my story, do not lose hope. Call Dr Dani, she does telemedicine anywhere in the world. Or read Hashimoto’s Protocol by Dr Izabella Wentz, and find a practitioner near you from the listing in the book. You can figure your symptoms out too!
With love,
Chef Kerry