My Story of Semi-Recovery (Non-Medication)

[crystalgaze]

There was something I came across the other day....

I bought a psoriasis shampoo and strangely enough, it has helped my itchy scalp. It's active ingredient is salicyc acid.... (spelling?) like what is used in acne products. It was by Dermarest.

I've used Nizoral many times before, whose active ingredient is ketoconazole or head and shoulders (pyrithione zinc) with only temporary relief....

I'm not saying I have psoriasis.... I don't know that for sure. It's just that the shampoo helped with the itching and flaking. My scalp doesn't flake all the time, usually only after some of the hair on my head has grown back again.

[Warmsoul/Jeanie13]

((((((((((((((((( Crystal )))))))))))))))))))))

Just a thank you for all you do. The interesting things you share with us. That all takes time. You are special, did you know that?:D

Warmie

[crystalgaze]

~lol~ Thanks Warmie!! (((((((((((((( Warmie ))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm beginning to believe that I'm special (in a good way).


This is probably one of the most interesting things I tried recently. Okay..... It's an ionic toothbrush. It costs about $20 (where I got mine from or so)!!

My teeth feel cleaner (no joke)!! It's unbelievable..... Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man.... It even seems to clean better than an electric toothbrush (like Sonicare)....

The brush I bought was by Dr. Tung's.... Now all I need to do is get a U-shaped tongue scraper!

Background: My mother came home in tears one day about having problems with her teeth, so I set out to find something to try to help her.... She makes such a face that I'd rather not see..... (and I don't mean that in a mean way....)

I just don't want to see her like that.... I am hoping she will be as pleased as I was.....

[Obayan]

You find a doc that wil do dentures on a probono basis and i'm in!

[crystalgaze]

~rofl~

[Obayan]

((( crystal )))

[crystalgaze]

Ah, yes... I forgot to tell the results of my little experiment.

In another post, I think I mentioned using less toxic cleaning materials, as well as less toxic laundry detergent.

Well.... I like the laundry detergent and cleaning materials I tried (Biokleen).

I must say that I don't itch when I sweat now. The detergent powder is not pungent, and I actually left it out on the kitchen counter + ate with it on the table next to me. (That was the test. Try doing that with popular detergents and I don't think you'd be able to make it through your meal.... )

While I like it, I may not get any of it again, especially since I can't find it in the store here. (Shipping costs are way too high.) I did find an alternative in the hardware store.


Edit: I forgot to mention that I picked up some Greek yogurt from the store, and it's not bad (not bad at all, at least to me).

[Obayan]

You could be one of those people that are sensitive to cleaning chemicals such as laundry soap. You can find in the store where they have special items for "sensitive skin". It's not that much different in cost from the regular stuff.

[crystalgaze]

I very well might be sensitive....

I have good news to report...


Okay, ya ready?! I have been trying this other little experiment.... (Perhaps, my true identity and calling in life is that of a mad scientist??! )

Well, anyway, a long, long, long while back, I read that water was good for depression.... Well, I thought that was just too easy, but since I've drunk more water/water-based drinks than I usually do of late, I've been okay.

I even had a meltdown, made sure I drank my water and was fine within a few hours. This really is too good to be true.... I've seen an overall improvement in everything that I just would never have expected in this life.

BE SURE TO DRINK YOUR WATER, if you don't already, especially if you're a WOMAN.

Please bear with me and keep reading.

****

I'm going to do a recap on everything, so I can keep this entire thread in perspective.

All the while I've had "depression" or whatever all of this has been, I've had physical things wrong with my body. In no particular order, it's:

1. Seizure
2. Mineral Deficiency (as a result of taking the seizure medicine)
3. Hormonal Imbalances/Fluctuations (as shown with test results)
4. Racing Pulse/Heart Problem (taking medicine calmed nerves + slowed down my pulse; wasn't too too hyper.)

5. Secondary Amenorrhea (No Menses; linked to the hormonal imbalances)
6. Incomplete/Sporadic Bowel Movement (taking a cleanse/detoxing helped)
7. UTI/Candida
8. Digestion issues (probiotics/calming tea helped)
9. High perspiration (water has made a difference)
10. Overactive sebaceous (oil) glands (water has also made a difference)
11. Itching scalp/flaking (anti-psoriasis shampoo helped)
12. There were probably other things I don't quite remember right this minute.

Now, #7 was the real killer.... I've only started to feel better after taking care of it. I want to call attention to #7, especially for women--THE UTI or Urinary Tract Infection.

The irony of it all was I didn't even know I had a problem. There were virtually no symptoms, except for the other day when I had sudden, lasting pain for days across my lower stomach, hips, and _________. I had no foul odor, no discharge, no itching, no nothing.

So how did I find out? I tested my urine with a home kit I had gotten from the store. (Thank goodness for over-the-counter products! They're turning out to be life savers!!) It appeared to be positive. I looked up what a UTI was and started drinking water, cran-water and teas +yogurt said to counteract it.

I feel fine now, but I will test my urine again, and if it has not cleared up in a week or so, I will go to the doctor for antibiotics (again).

Again, you wonder? YES, AGAIN.... The doctor and nurse DID NOT tell me I had one!!! All he did was prescribe antibiotics, which I thought was for MY THROAT (because when I went to him, I seemed to be having this recurring sore throat). While he didn't tell me I had one, I was able to look back at a urine test I had done where the white blood cell count (leukocyte) was high, which was the indicator.

& so, I felt better and went on my way--and then felt horrible again....

Now, here is the clincher, what really threw me when I pieced this whole puzzle together.... 4 years ago when I attempted S, the medical professionals said I had had a yeast infection and gave me antibiotics for it while I was in the hospital. Yes, people.... Back then, when I wiped out, I probably had a UTI then too.... (Who knows if I haven't had a UTI on/off, since the seizure or when I first started college?)

It's amazing how that has turned out to be a constant in this whole journey and no doctor ever told me I had one and how to take precautions. (THANKS A LOT!!) I went to doctor after doctor after doctor after ?%*#@!> doctor and no one was able to help me.

You know what else? When I worked at clearing up the UTI and started drinking more water + eating Greek yogurt, that all elusive monthly finally came. (I finally got a normal-looking period after.... I don't know how many months of either not getting one or getting one but with too many issues: too short, too heavy, too clumpy, etc.)

Now that the UTI is under control, I am sleeping better. I wake up in the middle of night still but I am actually able to get back to bed, like nothing ever happened. (No more insomnia, no more staying up for hours after waking up at like 12am or 1am or so in the morning...)

How do you like those apples??

Get to peeing enough, if you're not already doing so. Peeing helps to clear out your bladder of germs, etc. Read up on the UTI, if you don't know what it is and also to see what countermeasures there are.

Water is more important than I realized.

Oh ya, I mentioned drinking water-based beverages.... I've been drinking tea without sweetener or hardly any sweetener (not even Stevia). Cinnamon has been a great help, but it is said to be antibacterial, which is what I want anyway. I keep my tea water in fridge and drink cran-water as well, when I feel like it or interchange between the three (water, tea water and cran-water). Cran-water is mixing water with cranberry concentrate, by the way.

Well, this post was long. Don't stop in your fight against depression. You may very well NOT be actually depressed. (Yeah, I'm still pretty hard on myself and feel down about things. I do wish that my life was going better--all of those things, but I feel that it is justifiable and within normal" bounds. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the psychologists and psychiatrists I went to all those times. In my case, they were ALL WRONG.)

Water and treating the UTI have been the 2 real dents in case, where I feel like I'm actually making headway. I have more energy than I've had in a while. I feel normal/like myself again and my mood has been consistently okay, even with some of the not so great moments in life. It's not perfect, but it's a huge improvement from the usual feeling.

Since I am seeing such good results, I am going to continue this experiment to see if I will have lasting relief from the fatigue, bad feelings, low energy, non-interest, mood swings, and so forth that have crippled me for the last 4 years. The other day when I didn't drink water/enough water, I did feel horrible, like I usually would.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. If my lip feels cracked, I probably didn't drink enough water. If my face is too oily and scalp are too oily, I probably didn't drink enough water. (The oil is so much that I don't even have to grease my scalp anymore.) If my perspiration is too high and I wasn't doing any heavy house/yard work, then I know I didn't drink that water. Those are my gauges. Of course, I make sure not to overdo it....

I will post later about some other things--fiber, probiotics, etc.

[Warmsoul/Jeanie13]

(((((((((((((((( Crystal )))))))))))))))

You are my encyclopedia... my book of knowledge. Thank you for all the informative post you give to us.

Warmie

[crystalgaze]

Well.... I have started taking some probiotics. Right now, I'm taking one by Dr. Floras, since it came in the cleansing kit.

I have been feeling better. Later, I will check the store for Align or Sustenax to see what I can see about them.

[Monty]

Like others have said, thanks for sharing all of the information that you have found out on different subjects.

You have given me some thoughts about solutions to problems that you have mentioned in your posts, that I hadn't given much thought to before.

Thanks

[crystalgaze]

You're welcome! I'm glad that my curious nature/interest quick cycling can be put to good use!

(I'm glad I'm finding a way to channel it.... I don't know what I would do, if it were just left to run amok all by itself!)


Edit: Oh ya, I forgot to post that I was having a problem with this castile soap I got clogging up my liquid hand soap dispenser. I added a good bit of aloe vera juice & it doesn't clog up as much/anymore. It also made the soap moisturizing.

[crystalgaze]

This is more of a reiteration for myself, but I was feeling so crappy the last couple of days or so & then I found relief.

& it was simple.... Going to the bathroom (regularity) & drinking water.....

So just piecing the puzzle together further.... I not only have to drink water, but all elimination has to occur in a timely manner--whatever that time frame is.

The fighting bad bacteria with good bacteria plan seems to be working so far.... It is an everyday thing, though.... but it's not so so bad. I can eat JUST A LITTLE BIT OF grain products (rice, bread, cereal, etc. in small portions spread out over a few days or so) & my allergic reaction will be at least delayed. The itching, etc. is very mild as well. It's more like a few tingles on my skin and scalp.

If I eat like one or two servings spread out over the course of the day then skip a day, I may not have a reaction at all.

[Obayan]

((( crystal )))

such simple sweet answers in simplicity.