Hi, New to this forum.

[constipationbrah]

I believe I've been dealing with gut dysbiosis issues and I can pinpoint the exact moment they began. I am 19 right now. 8 months ago, I was in China on winter break and was taking two antibiotics (doxycycline and amoxicillin). I had only been on either for around a week, the amoxicillin was prescribed by an ENT who saw me for no more than 3 minutes and after hearing that I had had sinus pain for about 3 weeks, she prescribed amoxicillin, a 10 day course. The doxycycline I just had on hand from a few years prior when I used to take it for acne, although I never really took it for very long (couple months at a time, as my acne was quite mild).
But, I decided to take some doxycycline in addition to the amoxicillin because I had noticed a few pimples and thought it would help (wasn't too aware at the time how detrimental antibiotics are). In China, and on these 2 antibiotics, my mom got very sick, just a typical viral infection or something where she was coughing a lot and I also got a little sick. I just had stomach symptoms though, diarrhea for about a week. We were eating from a rather unclean, local place in Shanghai, so I assume it was something to do with that. Immediately after my diarrhea stopped (and I had stopped the antibiotics by this point), my digestive system was never the same. In the beginning I just had chornic constipation, I was only going maybe once every 5-7 days and not completely at all. My stomach looked pregnant from all the stored up water and feces and gas I guess. Before that, my diet had been quite clean. I was into carb cycling and my bodyfat was very low (8-10% range). I also was taking in way too much caffeine for a few months before that, anywhere from 500-1000mg a day. I was new to caffeine and only did that for a few months. It made me feel euphoric and was good for my appearance at the time (stimulated my colon so I could evacuate my bowels a lot and was diuretic, so I kind of went overboard with it because I liked its cosmetic and psychological effects).

Anyways, the constipation, 8 months later, is still a major issue, and now there's intense bloating, gas, incomplete evacuations, undigested food in my stool, and right after China and these issues started, my skin went from very good with a few hardly noticeable pimples to severe, deep cystic acne and bloody,pus filled whiteheads. These have really ruined my face over the past 8 months with extreme scarring. In addition, they're painful to the touch and incredibly deep. In my mind, these things are definitely connected and I know my gut is completely messed up right now. I've also developed some strang water retention in my cheeks/jaw, right around where this acne, or whatever this really is, is. I should add that I've been told by my dentist and an oral surgeon that my 4 wisdom teeth are infected and need to be taken out, which my parents and I are in the process of getting done, so perhaps the water retention/acne has to do with the fact that they're infected? I have read a little about the cavitations that can harbor bacteria or something after wisdom teeth removal, but I think in my case they really have to be removed. Maybe I can look into the ligament removal later on or something.

The only thing I've found to help so far with my evacuating is this product called Super Colon Cleanse, which is just a few herbs including the laxative Senna leaf. It's allowed me to get huge amounts of stool, both very dark, old ones and new ones out. I've been on it for like 3 weeks and I don't want to be dependent on it, however, but when I stop it, I just return to my old way and I can't handle that.

I'm also taking Quercetin, Vitamin D, zinc, trader joe's multivitamin, fish oil, potato flour(resistant starch), diatomaceous earth (i thought i had a parasite for a while, but I now think it's just an imbalanced gut), just got some MSM, vitamin A, and Betaine HCL and a random probiotic called Ultimate Flora, which contains some Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus species.

I don't really want to buy too many supplements yet because I really have no idea what's going on internally.
I should also add that about 3 months after China, I visited a gastro doctor who also heard me for no more than 3 minutes and immediately prescribed a 10 day course of flagyl and cipro, for "suspected parasites." While on those two, my bowel movements completely returned to normal and my skin even got better, only to return to my original state and get worse after i stopped them. I wonder why they helped so much while I was on them? Maybe I did have some type of parasite of overgrowth, but then it just killed off so much more after that I'm now even worse off.


I'm in the Los Angeles area and have read a little about Genova Diagnostic's GI Effects 220 test, and found a doctor in the area who can order it for me, who I will be seeing soon. Hopefully the test can point me in the right direction.
I'm assuming my SigA or whatever that is is quite low, so should I begin supplementing with S Boulardii?


I've only been dealing with this for 8 months, and I know that's not long at all compared some people I see posting on forums, but I feel like this has really been affecting my life. Even just the cosmetic aspect, my face has been ruined, I feel extremely self-conscious. My cheeks are swollen with water right under where this deep acne is, my lymph nodes are swollen, I've had to rely on this herbal laxative to go, but before then I was having lots of abdominal pain and bloating and gas until the late afternoon, at which point I could usually have some type of bowel movement (so technically not constipation anymore, since I am able to go, but before this all, I would always go a few times a day and very completely and my bowels were never on my mind, I didnt suffer from gas/bloating, etc).

I'm a student, and I 've had to take a semester off from my university to attend somewhere close to my house because of these issues.

Do I sound like I'm on the right track with supplementation and getting the GI EFfects 2200 done?
Would appreciate any help.

Thanks a lot, Sean

[constipationbrah]

also, possibly hypothyroid i should add. I had a general blood test done that showed my TSH at 4.2. My dad has one in the 5 range and my mom has been prescribed t4. guess if i do have it, it could have been genetic? or caused by these gut issues.

the general blood test i had also showed off alkaline phospatase levels, forgot if higher or lower, but the one indicative of nutrient malabsorption, if that's relevant at all.

[DeadlyDevice]

With that TSH, I would look into taking a low dose of natural thyroid hormones, start with something like half a grain of Naturethroid, or Thiroyd (the thai one).

You want your tsh around 0.5-1.0 so you will have to find a dose that will keep you there. I've seen a number of people whose digestion has improved once they get their thyroid under control so that would be a good first step.

Acne is a combination of hormonal and bacterial problems mainly, I had very big problems with acne at your age when I ruined my metabolism with fasting and undereating, they were very painful and all over my face just like yours. I am rid of them 90% now though. Here's a few things that can help until you get your body balanced out again:

-get adequate Vitamin A (I see you ordered some but it's best to get it from food), like liver
-eliminating dairy products completely or at least greatly reducing should really help (it did for me when things were the worst, I can now eat them again without any acne), but if you do remember to get calcium
-spend time in the sun, get Vitamin D to around 50 ng/mL

That's a start. It's kinda hard to know exactly what eliminated my acne, I guess it requires numerous things to fall into place so it's difficult to say specifically what to do. But this is as good of a start as any. Good luck

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