Many patients with chronic Lyme or other inflammatory autoimmune conditions have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS. Many environmental insults contribute to MCAS and serve as triggers for lighting the fire within. Mast cells become activated and rupture releasing histamines into tissues and the bloodstream. This in turn creates inflammation in the body and abnormal immune responses. In order to address the other headlined condition - Lyme, inflammatory arthritis, Hashimoto's, sarcoidosis and such the fire must be put out first.
Your teenage daughter just got diagnosed with PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. That explains the mood swings, the weight gain, the facial hair growth and the perpetual cystic acne. Now what?
There is a mountain of conflicting evidence out there which makes it hard to believe what is real and what is not. Dr. Z. would disagree with some of that conflictual evidence as he has been treating a specific religious population (over 500 treated) in Orange County NY with a 20 dollar drug and had ZERO deaths, hospitalizations and long term negative side effects. This medication has become a political battle for prescribing it and ultimately getting it to patients who could benefit from it.
Did you know that obesity is linked to half a million cancer cases worldwide? Find out how you can reverse your obesity and reduce your risk of all cancers.
Even in a Covid pandemic, there are bacteria and viruses that support good health. It's all about balance in your microbiome.
Acute food poisoning is something you definitely want to avoid right now. Everyone is home and the kitchen can get crowded. You begin to notice everyone's hygiene habits - like the teen drinking milk or juice right out of the carton. It's never been ok, but you could live with it before because it wasn't in your face. Now that it is in your face - makes you want some Kitchen Rules.
- Don't double dip - if you stick your fork or spoon into the mayonnaise jar - no second dips
- Everything must go into the dishwasher - forget the dish drain unless you live alone
- Dishwasher etiquette - watch it on UTube where we learn everything - there is a specific place for glasses, silverware and yes plates - stop putting the good kitchen knives in the dishwasher and the wooden spoon
- Mark leftovers in containers with a date on masking tape - how old is it?
- If it smells funky or is chunky (and it's not supposed to be) throw it out
- Have to wash all perishables - I fill the sink with warm water and add 2-3 capfuls of OTC (over the counter) hydrogen peroxide - bathe your veggies and fruits - then dry them and re-wrap to store for future use
- Forget picking your teeth at the table - go to the bathroom and use some of the 5 miles of floss your mom bought at the big box store
- Toddlers - Some of the dirt is good for them
- If your nose is running before you eat - get a kleenex and don't dip into the guacamole
- Everyone is stressed out in your house - don't stand there waiting for something to happen - pitch in and do food prep, take the trash out, wipe the table down and sweep up after your meals - I like the saying "There are no maids or mothers here" so suck it up and be useful
- Slow down you over achiever rage bakers - you have no more room in the freezer for those 258 cinnamon buns you just baked and there are no school bake sales at the moment - take a break from baking and start rage gardening "tis the season" - get ready for Mother's Day
- Your friend or relative drops off their favorite homemade dish and you questioned their kitchen hygiene before as you scanned their stove top, sink, counters and floors and saw how bad it is - politely say "what a shame, I just ate" - as soon as they are gone - bag it and tag it for the next garbage pick up - don't play roulette with your food
- Kitchen sponges - I microwave mine 5 x day - this is what microwaves were made for!In case you haven't heard - we are in a medical crisis right now and all the places we thought were safe are now danger zones. We used to think of hospitals as warm safe places and Covid-19 has radically changed that idea.
Acute food poisoning (I've had it; it's when an atheist finds religion) can cause chronic gastrointestinal disorders down the road. It can trigger a post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome or cause acquired Celiac disease so you can't digest wheat, rye, barley, oats and other grains. Celiac disease can come on within 2 years of an infectious gastroenteritis. Irritable bowel syndrome patients have higher levels of an inflammatory marker called Interleukin-1Beta and mucosal T-lymphocytes in bowel tissues. One study from New Zealand showed a 3 fold increase of mast cells in colon cells in patients with IBS. Active degranulating mast cells release histamine and tryptase, both enzymes that can cause hypersensitivity and pain.
Examples of organisms that cause IBS are: Shigella, Salmonella, E. Coli, Giardia and Campylobacter. Once you have had one of these infections, you are more likely to develop SIBO or small intestine bacterial overgrowth which does not respond well to probiotics or fermented foods.
I have diagnosed and treated most of these conditions with removal of allergenic foods, homeopathic remedies, injectable biologics, pharmaceuticals, I.V. Ozone and I.V. Nutrients. Most patients respond within one or two sessions.
One of the best diagnostic tools that I use besides the 83 pages of ordered labs is the G.I. MAP test. It's non-invasive and a stool sample gets sent off to a great lab and we get 5 pages of real time microbiome data that gives a clear picture of your flora, whether you have a pathogen be it bacteria, viral, fungal, parasite or worm causing your symptoms. It is literally the Scoop on Your Poop. It even tells us if you have antibiotic resistant genes. Using DNA sequencing technology - GI MAP makes my job easier to create an appropriate treatment strategy.
Do the best that you can. I'm getting calls from parents who have children with moderate to severe stomach aches. Always have to rule out an emergency situation. Remember that children get physical symptoms during stressful times. Tummy aches can be a physical channel for unspoken anxiety. Try calming teas - chamomile or fennel (good for gas), essential oils in an Epsom salt bath, soothing music, kid friendly probiotics unless they have SIBO and some exercise to turn off the parasympathetics in the gut. If that does not help, then they need a physical examination to rule out more serious conditions. See you on the other side of this crisis. Your ozone expert.Dr. Isadora Guggenheim ND, FNP, RN, CNS, MS, LMT
Patients often ask me about ways to control their food cravings.Studies have shown there is a simple method to distract yourself from food cravings.