I would be interested to hear from anyone who has experienced or is experiencing similar health issues like myself and suggestions/advice would be most welcome!

I have type one diabetes controlled by insulin pump therapy. I was diagnosed with this when I was 15 despite no-one in my family having had any history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Throughout my late teens and twenties I have experienced a range of illnesses such as constant urinary tract infections, IBS and two years ago Adrenal Insufficiency. Consultants/Doctors often blamed my illness on the lack of apparent control of my diabetes despite my protests that something else was wrong. When my adrenal glands were not producing the right amount of cortisol I started hydrocortisone steroids which appeared to make no difference to the fatigue I was experiencing. I began to get the side effects of steroids - moon face and fluid retention. I gradually reduced my dose and finally came off them altogether.

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My name is Victor.  I was born in smoggy Los Angeles in 1963 and lived there until the age of 15, when my family moved to Irvine, CA.

My mother was a dentist.  I have been told that she kept me in a sterile environment as a baby.  My mother suffered from hypothyroidism after giving birth to me at the age of 42. She was born and grew up in the country of Latvia, which is low in iodine

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My health journey has taken some interesting twists and turns of late, the new area of interest being the liver.

For the majority of my poor health I have had a gnawing ache under my rib cage on the right side. Twice my liver enzymes registered as normal and I dismissed it as a consequence of generally being fatigued and secondary to other health concerns.

I'm now starting to give the liver a little more thought, interested by the traditional chinese medicine view of 'liver qi ('chi')' and it's impact on general health.

After getting nowhere using adrenal supplementation I decided to trace back my steps starting with digestion. Perhaps I'm not absorbing nutrients effectively? After all most nutrients will pass through the body if the liver is weak - were my thoughts. Trying to boost the adrenals when your digestion is so poor must be akin to skating uphill..on ice.
And so I made some observations.
1 - Direct bowel support - colonics, probiotics, fiber, herbal cleansers, clean diet etc have not helped me get regular or ease the ache from my side.
2 - My stools are often pale and poorly formed, which in part from what I've read can be a bile issue, and lack thereof. This can contribute towards constipation.

3 - The chinese view IBS related symptoms as a problem with liver qi stagnation and fundamental problem for overall poor health. I'm not quite fully grasping the lingo but TCM is incredibly interesting, and by the looks of things very helpful to many people.
I undertook some changes as a result of these thoughts, with variable results. The first was to supplement directly with additional bile acids. I opted for a fairly potent formula which I used in proportion to how much fat I was consuming during the meal used. The results were positive, my stools were well formed, a darker brown and I've been fairly regular since.

I combined this with digestive enzymes and what I previously thought to be my arch nemesis, betaine HCL. The liver plays a fundamental role in digestion and almost certainly mine is impaired significantly. My reaction to HCL with or even towards the end of meals has been positive, giving me no immediate side effects. The effects of digestive enzymes are a little harder to trace without drawing up a detailed food diary and analysis of feelings but I think they are doing me some good.

So I'm eliminating well and will pursue this path a littler further. My most immediate health goals are consistent bowel movements and regular sleep, the later needing some significant work. Also on the supplemental menu is chinese bitters, to cleanse the liver. These apparently can pack a bit of a punch in terms of boosting and purging the liver of toxins, as well as aiding digestion. I've built up a nice collection of partially used herbs and supplements during my health journey such as turmeric, milk thistle, lecithin, dandelion and artichoke and it may be time to dust off the cobwebs and consider them for there liver regenerative properties.

I'll see how things go as I continue to learn about the body and it's many functions. Give me a few years and I reckon I'll have most of it covered ;)

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Synthetic fragrances are increasingly being used as a marketing tool to create atmosphere and brand awareness. As such these potentially toxic chemical cocktails are being released into the air in enclosed public indoor environments such as shops and shopping centres/malls, hotels, car parks, gyms and even 'health spas'.

These fragrances are often marketed as being natural and healthful which is often more than just a slight bending of the truth. Many such 'natural' scents are in fact wholly synthetic pterochemical concoctions which may act as neurotoxins and are certainly an infringement on the freedoms of people who suffer from multiple chemical sensivitity (MCS).

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Anybody with a pet will have experienced a problem with fleas and one point. There are over 2,000 recorded species of fleas in the world with around 100 in Europe and 60 or so species in the UK. They are wingless insects, and their bodies are hard and flattened from side to side, helping them move about in the fur of a variety of  animals including our pets dogs and even ourselves.

Recently my dog, Mack (a crossbreed), experienced an attack of fleas.  He reacted badly as he had developed flea allergy dermatitis. He suffered with severe itching and balding patches. But why can these tiny creatures have such a great impact?

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My EI has not acted up for awhile due to my diligent efforts to adhere to my routine.......except I had a reaction to Trader Joe's Rio Pink Grapefruit Juice because it contained filtrated water.

My system is so sensitive that I have to drink ONLY natural spring water or I get bloated easily. I have to brush my teeth and rinse with only natural spring water, as well. Crazy.

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