Hi Mark,

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my case I really appreciate it 🙂

I’ve filled out all your paperwork, but I felt like some important points of my case might not have been fully conveyed there alone.

So I’ve decided to include my own notes below as well for your reference.

But before I do, the main point I’d like to make, is that I can suppress nearly all my symptoms with my routine, diet and supplementation (outlined below).

However, if I slip a little, a few symptoms return, and if I slip a lot, a whole horde of symptoms will return.

And my routine is very difficult to keep up perfectly, meaning I mess up constantly.

The result is that my life regularly derails completely where I’m either shattered with depression, anxiety, fatigue or all 3.

And this is why I had some trouble with answering your questionnaires…

See, I could either fill it out as if I’m being perfectly strict with few symptoms, or a whole lot where my life devolves into a living hell.

So I wasn’t sure in which scenario to fill it out so I went with when I’m doing well and life is good, since that constitutes +-70% of my life I would say.

I’m not sure if that approach was optimal, and I’d be happy to fill them all out again if need be, just let me know.

Also, I’d like to give you a little back-story about me, my health history and what I’ve done so far:

QUICK LIFE STORY SUMMARY:

I used to suffer from severe eczema, asthma, dry skin, rhinitis, allergies, gingivitis ever since I was 3 months old.

My mom says it was all caused by an MMR vaccine at 3 months old and that I was totally healthy before that. My mom is also atopic with asthma, eczema and allergies.

I also experienced mental problems like anxiety, depression, mild obsessive compulsive disorder and brain fog so bad I dropped out of high school.

Then in 2011 I found Paleo and 70% of my problems disappeared in about a month or so.

I was feeling really good for a few years until I took 5 courses of antibiotics (they weren’t clearing up a stubborn STD so I kept getting prescribed more and different types by a lazy doctor here in Thailand) after which I started experiencing extreme cramping, trapped gas and diarrhea for months until I slowly started clearing up on a low carb diet.

After about a year my gut healed up and has been a lot better.

My main issues are that my excitement for life is a little dimmed in general, I suffer from off and on depression, anxiety, fatigue and my digestion isn’t quite the same although it’s not bad.

MY CURRENT SYMPTOMS:

MENTAL SYMPTOMS (BIGGEST ISSUE):

– Masturbating – makes me anxious and depressed for 2 – 4 days afterwards.

– Too much supplements – Makes me fatigued and I can’t get out of bed.

– Messing up my diet – eating too many calories in a meal, too many carbs, gluten, dairy, sugar dulls my thinking and focus. (I find probiotics and fermented foods helps this a lot).

– Oversleeping – Sleeping more than 7 hours make me very depressed/anxious. If I go to sleep at 10pm and get up the first time I wake up in the morning at around 5-6am, 70% of the time I will feel good or okay that day. But if I wake up and go back to sleep 8 out of 10 times I’ll feel very depressed and anxious all day, to the point of not being able to do any work. I’ll feel fragile, teary eyed, unmotivated, can’t focus and any negative thoughts makes me feel even worse.

– If I work more than say, 12 hours a day for a few days in a row I start getting VERY depressed. Also if I work at night I get depressed.

– I find myself tearing up during a movie or listening to a song frequently. I cry on occasion uncontrollably and when I do I feel much better  for a few days. But when I don’t cry for months I feel numb for days/weeks. This has been happening for about 6 years now and it feels like I’m releasing old trauma or something because the crying episodes are decreasing slowly.

– When I’m busy working, productive and making money I feel awesome, but when I’m on holiday I feel deflated and not excited about life. As if being stressed is the only thing that gets me excited about life any more. That’s why I’m turning into a workaholic. Is this a low cortisol issue?

– Never plan ahead for events, trips, birthdays etc

– Low-grade sadness

– I tend to be a loner

– Terrible sense of direction

– Cannot remember peoples names

– My memory sucks – people tell me regularly

FATIGUE/SLEEP:

– I tend to stay up very late but I feel much better when I sleep early (10pm and wake early (5 – 6am)

– I oversleep often and I’m tired maybe 2 mornings a week from bad sleep

– I feel terrible all day if I get up after 8am. Mid day is the worst. 5:30 / 6 am is ideal.

– I feel REALLY bad if I go back to sleep after waking up the first time.

– I’m wired and motivated most nights – inspired to work on stuff.

– This is affecting my whole life. On nights where I don’t sleep well I cannot concentrate all day. And sometimes I wake up so shattered that I need to sleep an extra 5 hours just to feel somewhat normal. Obviously sleeping 13 hours wreaks havoc on one’s productivity which affects my income, self-esteem and happiness. I did sleep tracking tests (sleep cycle app) which is 100% proof that my sleep affects my mood and focus.

– Lack of sleep makes me itchy and sneezy but happier

ASTHMA:

I use a Ventolin inhaler3-5 times a day for my asthma but I’m very worried about the long term affects on my heart from it.

DRY SKIN:

Dry skin in summer, VERY dry skin in winter. About half a cup of dead skin sheds on my bedroom floor in 1 week. Goes away slowly in warm weather and almost gone if I’m very warm at night in winter.

HEART PAIN:

About twice a year I get a stabbing pain in my heart for 30 minutes or so. And twice a month I get a subtle sensation of something strange/wrong with my heart.

HERPES:

I contracted genital herpes about 6 months ago, but I find that it has not impacted my health at all. I don’t take medication for it at all and never have.

DIGESTION:

My poop often sticks to the toilet bowl. Brush border damage? – Taking enzymes/HCL helps.

I poop 4 – 6 times a day and spend 40 minutes per time. I feel the urge to go but sometimes I can’t. Probiotics and fermented foods really helps here and brings it down to 2 – 4 times.

BLOOD SUGAR:

Sometimes after eating my heart pounds, I get a little hot and if it’s more than 650 calories my brain shuts off, I can’t focus and I feel super sleepy.

The more carbs I eat the more likely this will happen. Sugar in general makes my brain lose sharpness, speed and focus. High GI foods also make my energy and brain crash.

This is minimised somewhat with fermented foods and probiotics it seems but not 100% sure yet.

BLOOD PRESSURE:

Here are my blood pressure readouts which I’ve taken daily for many months…

CORTISOL:

I’m a freelancer and it seems like every time I don’t have work I fall into a deep slump that’s really hard to get out of. I don’t want to get out of bed. I feel depressed, anxious and unmotivated.

I feel overwhelmed and like there’s no point to it all.

My theory is that when I’m working I have just enough stress to pump up my adrenals to make enough cortisol so I feel normal. But when the stress and pressure is gone I go way below normal levels.

I have so many classic adrenal fatigue symptoms like bald lower legs, slow pupil dilation, dry skin, inflammation, blood sugar issues, sluggish digestion, depression, anxiety, difficulty waking, balding lower legs, sugar cravings, sensitive eyes, lines on fingertips, always cold, people irritate me, low blood pressure, excessive yawning, masturbation makes me feel terrible etc.

NOTE: I did not take the BioHealth 201 saliva cortisol test on a typical work day as I found is suggested. I took the  test on a day where I did absolutely nothing for a week. Will that affect the result?

THYROID:

The doctor said I have a 1x3mm nodule on my thyroid and that it’s totally harmless, tiny, fine and won’t be a problem whatsoever (my thyroid ultrasound scans are below).

However, I never trust normal doctors 100% so I thought I’d get your insights.

But first, here are my thyroid-related labs: (see MISC BLOOD TEST RESULTS right at the bottom of the page for the test results paperwork)

Reverse T3 – 0.37 ng/ml  HIGH?

(optimal range: 25 to 30 ng/dl or 0.25 to 0.30 ng/ml)

(lab range: 0.09 – 0.35 ng/ml)

Free T3 – 2.70 pg/mL  LOW?

(optimal range: 3.0 to 4.0 )

(lab range: 1.71 – 3.71)

TSH – 1.33 uIU/mL  LOW?

(optimal range: 1.8 to 3.0) 

(lab range: 0.35 – 4.94)

Microsomal Ab (Anti TPO)) – 0.10 IU/mL NORMAL?

(optimal range: 0 – 15 IU/mL)

(lab range: 0.00 – 5.61 IU/mL)

Thyroglobulin Ab – 0.60 IU/mL  (same test as above?) NORMAL?

(optimal range: 0.00 – 4.11) 

(lab range: 0.00 – 4.11)

– Free T4 – 1.08 ng/dl  NORMAL?

(optimal range: 1.0 to 1.53)

(lab range: (0.70 – 1.53)

MISC BLOOD TEST RESULTS:

 

RANDOM SYMPTOMS:

I’m skinny and struggle to gain weight – I can gain 0.7kg in 7 days of perfect eating and workouts and then I miss one day’s calorie goals and I lose 0.7kg.

I tend to have cold hands and feet.

Scalp oil buildup and flaking is quite bad – I have to use soap thoroughly on my scalp every day to control the oil

Yawning throughout most days

White coated tongue in the morning

Mosquitoes never bite me.

No grip/oil on my palms

I don’t sweat much at all

Rigorous cardio makes me go very red in the face.

Coffee doesn’t give me a buzz at all no matter how much I drink.

Balding lower legs – thyroid?

Deep lines on finger tips and palms – maybe just eczema damage. (tips of fingers is adrenal fatigue symptom?)

Eyes are sensitive to light and glare – blue eyes?

I get lightheaded when standing up at times

1/3rd of my outer eyebrows are thinning

My ass bleeds when i wipe it on occasion

Hair growth double as prominent on left side than right when I was a teenager.

Right eye cant look right – rare eye muscle issue – Duane syndrome apparently

I often have dark circles under my eyes

Bananas give me really bad gas before they’re full ripe (with black spots). Is this a resistant starch issue? Never had this before. Only had this since the SIBO incident.

Growth under left collar bone – it’s deformed bone confirmed by ultrasound scan

My gut gets blocked up maybe twice a year causing my allergies to peak and my eczema to flare up, increased anxiety – getting colonics to return to normal

 

ROUTINE THAT KEEPS ME HEALTHY AND FEELING GOOD:

Strict paleo diet (makes me feel good and keep my skin and gut healthy)

Get up the first time I wake up (if I oversleep I get severely depressed and anxious)

Take supplements (probiotics off and on – helps my mood, enzymes? Helps digestion)

Eat/drink fermented foods – (helps my mood, digestion and skin)

Sleep before 10:15pm (I get deeper sleep and feel better the next day)

Be warm at night while sleeping (otherwise I wake up with a runny nose and dry skin)

Wake up at 5am (my brain works best early in the morning and slows down by 3pm)

>650 calorie breakfast and lunch (any more calories and I want to pass out)

No masturbating (I try avoid it because I feel terrible for a few days after)

Lift weights 3 times per week (I sleep deeper and have more energy)

No sugar (keeps my brain sharper and happier)

Work hard (builds my self esteem and makes me feel good)

Magnesium spray before bed X8 (I sleep deeper)

Drink 1 litre of Crystal water per day (helps my gut stay clean and my skin healthy)

No eating after 8:30pm (makes me tired the next day and my gut messed up)

Work standing for most of the day (helps me focus)

No chilli ever (keeps my gut healthy)

STILL TO ADD (tough for me):

1 weekend away per month (helps me unwind)

Socialise 3x per week minimum (gets my mind off work and energises me)

 

HERE ARE SYMPTOMS THAT ARE NOW MOSTLY GONE AND WHAT CAUSED THEM TO DISAPPEAR:

Symptoms That Have Minimised After Septoplasty, No Masturbating, No Supplements:

Low energy and hard to get out of bed – (supplements often cause this, probably from low liver function?)

I get depressive/anxiety breakdowns where I feel like a failure/loser/worthless for a day or two about 3 times per month – usually from spending all my time alone working on my computer -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION

  • Depressed mood -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION
  • Loss of interest in life -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION
  • Can’t switch off from work (I think about it constantly)  -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION
  • Once switched off from work (like on a long holiday) I find it tough to get back into work mode  -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION

•Stressed out a lot about the future -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION

– find it hard to up my energy levels around people. Like I’m often deadpan.

•Random, regular anxiety and depression – usually when I have no work – when there’s no work pressure I fall into a funk -LESS AFTER NO MASTURBATION

Low stomach acid. Cannot gain muscle without taking 2 Solgar Betaine HCL pills per meal. No warmth was felt even up to 11 pills per meal. Didn’t go higher out of fear.

Can’t nasal breathe 50% of the time. Nose very sensitive to temperature – One of my nostrils are blocked up about 80% of the time in warm weather – 100% of the time in cold weather. – septoplasty fixed it

– I get brain fog and fatigue after a big english breakfast or sweets – blood sugar, gone if i keep my breakfast and lunch under 650 calories

Symptoms That Mostly Disappeared After Going Paleo:

  • VERY tired around 10am in the morning especially after eating breakfast. If I skip eating I feel fine. I often fall asleep at my desk.
  • My nails on occasion chip off.
  • Lower back pain form sitting too much
  • Random muscle twitches
  • Very occasional cramping in toes/feet
  • Needle-like stabbing itchy dots all over my hips, and bum in overcast, hot and dry weather. Especially when I’m nervous. I think it’s when I start sweating a little.
  • Teeth get sore easily if I don’t floss and mouthwash for about a week.
  • Swollen gums
  • Sugar makes my skin go extremely crazy within 2-3 days. (hands and face)
  • Coffee makes my skin go extremely crazy for 2-3 days. (hands, body and feet)
  • Soy sauce, marijuana, preservatives make my skin go crazy within 30 minutes to 24 hours.
  • Irritability
  • Negativisim
  • Feeling of victimhood
  • Accusatory or quarrelsome
  • Sharp, verbal retorts
  • Energy: fatigue, especially under stress
  • omega 3 used to help my mood a lot. not anymore
  • Exercise is making me exhausted during the day

Symptoms That Mostly Disappeared After Fixing Digestion with Enzymes, Betaine HCL and Probiotics:

When I eat sweet potato for too many days in a row my skin flares up, I get diarrhoea/gas and my anxiety returns. This is classic gut disbyosis/infection.

  • Never-ending hunger

Constipation at times

Bad breath (caused by white coated tongue – mouth breathing at night?)

White marks on nails

Anxiety, especially in stressful situations

Moodiness

Emotional instability or excessive emotions

Confusion, difficulty with focus, under stress

Poor resilience to stress – stress feels too much or unfair

Excessive sensitivity to human suffering

  • Symptoms That Disappeared Recently After more Lifestyle Tweaks

•I only get tired at night on holiday. (could be from lack of computer screens or to do with cortisol

  • •Rarely in the moment
  • •Irritability
  • Intensely selfish (barely care about my mom, dad or brother)
  • The median nerve in my wrist gets sore from using a mouse for a full day or two. Inflammation?

Symptoms That Mostly Disappeared When I was Young:

mild obsessive compulsive behaviour

 

CONCLUSION:

My theory is that I have some kind of adrenal/thyroid autoimmune/vaccine injury issues going on.

No idea what specifically though.

I’m the most driven and motivated person on earth with huge goals, and yet, I cannot work as hard as I want to because it feels like my body and brain lets me down all the time.

I feel like I’m walking a tight rope. If I miss anything in my routine I get depressed, anxious, tired or overly emotional.

I’m done trying to figure all this stuff out on my own by reading Datis’ work, blogs and experimenting on myself.

I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life decoding my health for some tiny incremental improvement.

So that’s why I reached out to you. I need professional help to save me the time and money trying to do it myself which is a very gruelling, slow process.

I’ve been working hard at this like it’s my job for 34 years and I’m not about to quit now so close to the finish line.

Thanks for reading Mark, I appreciate any help you might have.

Wilding.