Thank you - your advice has helped me so much B12 & vitamin D made all the difference

[Patriciamt]

Hello

Firstly I would like to thank you all so much for the advice posted. I feel better than I have done for years and it's all thanks to you and this site.

I had been diagnosed with possible menieres, because of the dizziness, vertigo, memory problems and even came close to major surgery and removing part of the back of my skull to make more space when it was discovered I had a slight chiari malformation. They said my dizziness and vertigo 'could' have been caused by the chiari. I stalled on the surgery and asked to be referred to a neurologist first who said it could be the chiari but many people go there whole life never knowing they had this and no symptoms-mine was only found when I had a scan to check my ears at my request because I had tinnitus and wondered if the balance problem could be middle ear issues and to see if there was a 'mechanical/structural reason for my vertigo/tinnitus etc. If this showed nothing I was ready to accept the diagnosis of menieres but instead they found the Chiari malformation which set me off on the route to have the surgery.

The point of telling you about that was I found your site. I found that many of my symptoms could be attributed to the under active thyroid I have (which still hasn't been tested by my GP for years) but more importantly I learned about vitamin B12 and vitamin D and decided to get my own blood tests through Blue Horizon. They were both very low which could have been the reason for my symptoms.

I've supplemented them now, stopped gluten and dairy and gone over to ndt and the difference is amazing. I was ready to have the surgery but now I'm better. No balance or vision problems. No vertigo or nausea. My memory and concentration improved no end. I spent nearly a year every day or two having 'attacks that started with visual disturbance, vertigo and dizziness resulting with me vomiting and staggering in my office it came on that suddenly. I kept having to be taken home or collected by my family. I had to carry plastic bags around in case it happened when I was out of the home or my office. I couldn't drive. This is why I was ready to have the surgery. But not now thanks to your information.

I may need it in the future but I'm going to carry on following you and taking your advice- it's what made the difference I am sure.

Sorry about the long post but I thought someone else may be in a similar position and it may help.

Thanks again.

Pat

[NatChap]

That's fantastic, I'm so pleased for you! It still amazes me what symptoms vit and mineral deficiencies can cause and how thankful, (despite doctors loathing of the phrase 'I googled it and....') we should all be for the internet!!

[humanbean]

What a lovely post!

Just out of curiosity, what have your various doctors and consultants said about your improvement?

[Patriciamt in reply to humanbean]

Hello Humanbean

I have been to GP to ask for a prescription and was given a very frosty no. She hasn't commented on my improvement but to be fair despite my numerous visits to see her she probably doesn't remember all my issues and I doubt that she ever looks back on the history. I feel that they just deal with the issue that you go in with. And if you have a list (which I certainly did and most under active thyroid sufferer's do) they are only interested in the 'most serious' they never seem to consider that they may be all connected.

If I went in with increased memory problems for example, she would just increase my Levothyroxine. One doctor suggested that at 150 the dizzy spells may have been caused by over-dose of this.

My neurologist was brilliant and happy with the results and for me to continue with the b12 etc. and agreed to keep reviewing the situation. So if I relapse I can see him again.

I keep receiving appointments from the surgeon which I decline. Interestingly my neurologist asked me how I managed to avoid the surgery?(or words similar) as if it was a 'given' that I would have the surgery once disgnosed. I told him that I wanted to explore everything before having surgery because I have read that it is not always successful and people often continue to have symptoms.

Something that I discovered was that my B12 deficiency may have been caused through years of taking Omeprazole. Apparently because you are producing so much less stomach acid you aren't able to get all the nutrients from your food.

[humanbean in reply to Patriciamt]

I mentioned memory problems to my GP once. They were blamed on my age. And I wasn't even that old.

I'm glad the B12 and the vitamin D helped so much. They both helped me too, and I wasn't dramatically low in either of them.

It's brilliant that you've managed to improve so much.

[Justiina in reply to Patriciamt]

I was on PPI'S , large dosage which didn't help me at all and ever since I felt awful. Not as bad as you but dizzy spells, constant nausea etc. Took years to discover PPI'S caused low B12. But doctors don't know about that and they do not recommend supplementing B12.

But it can be any medication, PPI'S being the worst. Birth control pill is bad too as it causes low grade inflammation in small intestine. There are a lot of young girls going on having low B12 and no one tells them why!

It's nice to hear you improved so dramatically . I hope some of you doctors will understand this as they can't learn otherwise!!!

[Patriciamt in reply to Justiina]

Hello Justiina

Thank you for your reply.

Doesn't this illustrate why this site is so good. Free exchange of information we have found. Obviously our health matters to us more than anyone else, so we take the time and vigorously explore,investigate, and experiment (within reason)on ourselves and pass on the information and discoveries. Things like giving up gluten and dairy or sugar. We wouldn't know to try if it wasn't for information passed on. We have more time and (vested interest) than doctors to spend on our cases to find out everything we can to help ourselves. Unfortunately the doctors don't seem interested in what we find out, just prescribing for symptoms and not finding out what is causing them.

I didn't know that about birth control bills. Seems medication can be to blame for many symptoms and illnesses. Thanks for the information, no doubt someone like me will find that interesting and helpful too.

Pat

[Justiina in reply to Patriciamt]

Basically any medication is antagonist to vitamins and nutrients. Especially medication that contains fluoride. For a healthy person its not a biggie to use medication short term and fluoride cause no harm, but long term use will cause problems. Doctors are either not aware of these or simply do not care, their job is to treat the symptoms not the cause!

This is why its important we patients can share all information and help each other to feel better and to search for better options, often certain medication has an alternative one can use without harmful side-effects.

Its wonderful how devoted most of people for example on this forum are! We do this to help each other without any reward, we do not get anything except the satisfying feeling we had a chance to help fellow sufferer.

[NatChap in reply to Patriciamt]

Just out of interest, what were your B12 and vit D levels prior to supplementing?

[Skyebeardie]

Lovely, I am on a similar journey of hope. I am so glad you found your health. I agree, this forum is invaluable, it's a scarey journey but at least we have hope and your post is an inspiration, thank you.

[Patriciamt in reply to Skyebeardie]

Hello Skybeardie

Thanks for your comments but i really believe that my return to health is because if all the information I received from this site.

It helped me to know that others had the same experiences with their health practitioners so gave me the courage not to just follow instructions like I have always done but to ask if there were any other options open to me.

I always get copies of results of tests. Something many of us didn't know we were entitled to. And whilst I didn't always have the necessary software to view them I felt empowered when I requested them and received them without question- it gave me confidence. I no longer felt that they were in charge if me and that I had to do what I was told.

I hope telling people of my experiences helps.

[Snoddyoddbod]

Great post. I'm am suffering terrible problems with one ear. Have had an MRI scan which showed nothing. Been told it's just one of those things. It's started about four months after I was confirmed with Graves. Strange that.

Reading your post has given me more ammunition to use at an appointment with my gp as fed up with being fobbed off.

[Patriciamt in reply to Snoddyoddbod]

Hello snoddyoddbod

I thank you for your comments.

I don't know what your ear problems are but have you googled gluten and ear problems. Wondered if it could be covered here.

[Marz]

So good to read your post and to learn of your improvements - inspirational I think many of us have found wellness by following the advice of others here rather than from the Drug focused Medics who simply do not have the time to search for the root causes.

anhinternational.org/2017/0...

Thought you may enjoy the above article which has just popped into my Inbox

[Patriciamt]

Hello Marx

Many thanks for the article. Just the sort of thing we all need to be reading to ensure good health. Have subscribed to the news letter too.

Pat

[Marymary7]

This is exactly what is wrong with the NHS. You could of had expensive horrid surgery which didn't do any good anyway.

They never look at nutrition and vitamin/mineral problems because it's barely covered in their training....not to mention the complexity of hormone problems.

I have a GP friend and he does not agree with me about the dangers of Proton Pump Inhibitors for example, which he himself uses.

Well done to you, a lovely story, keep up the good work.

[mtcorr]

Patriciamt, I am absolutely delighted for you. I too totally believe this forum has given me my life back. Before I took on board all the advice one of my symptoms was vertigo when sitting in the office and I knew if it persisted or I would have to stop driving. When I started to find answers what annoyed me most was everywhere you turned someone was trying to sell you some magic cure, concoction or book (I read lots of books). Thankfully I found this forum and it's free helpful advice. Does anyone remember the game mastermind when you had to discover your opponents colour combination I think our journey is like that each of us has our colour combination that we must crack gluten/diary/sugar/vitd/b12/ndt/T3/ etc once we get our individual combination our health returns. Thank you everyone.