Saturday, May 28, 2011

HPV Treatment: Update

Headaches, nausea, and more headaches.

Today is now Day 16 of my overall regimen, but Day 10 of The Plan.

All of today and especially yesterday I have been battling throbbing headaches and nausea. It began the day before pretty early on. I woke up with about 7 hours a sleep and felt defeated. I could barely muster the energy to sit up in bed and decided to stay in an extra hour or so until I felt better. The headache was already beginning when I took my first pill (probiotic), and by the time I had the second and third (vitex, slightly large, and folic acid) I was too nauseous to take the rest. Other than a tea (licorice), those were the only supplements I allowed myself. I spent the day entirely irritable and emotional. The pain got worse as time went by and neither eating nor sleeping resolved the pain.

On Day 11 of the plan I decided to completely cut out any treatments. I began my day with no pain, but as soon as I started stirring around in my bed the headaches started to return. I was in attendance at a graduation party where I socialized on my feet for hours and felt fine. I had a plenty to eat and drink and felt relative good with only spurts of nausea or headaches. The only thing I was taking was ginger in the form of candy and soda to counterattack the nausea and I took no pain-killers for the headaches.

Prior to this, there was only one other time in my life when I felt these kind of symptoms, when I overdosed on vitamin C. The daily allowance was max. 2 tablets a day and I had taken 23 in a two-day period. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I could not leave my bed, let alone reach water or the bathroom. It was not until the second day when I was given a glass of water and able to pass the vitamins through my system that I started to feel better.

This is what leads me to believe I am taking too much of one of those vitamins. During Day 6 of The Plan I had this same 2-day episode, and yet I cannot figure out what the difference is between these two times that I had headaches and nausea and the other days when I took full dosages and was fine.

Tomorrow I will ease my way back into my vitamin and supplement regimen. Hopefully I will be able to pin point which of the things I am taking are causing the problem.

HPV Treatment #4: Castor Oil

What and Why?

It is a vegetable oil made of castor beans and I am not going to eat it; I am going to make a castor oil pack from it. The belief is that castor oil penetrates the skin to heal organs. I have found many personal cases on cervical dysplasia forums that encouraged the use, but I could not find a single reference that stated it healed or even simulated the cervix or vaginal area. What I did find was that almost every site recommended that it be placed over the liver, which as I mentioned in a prior post could be advantageous in an indirect way.

The Liver and Estrogen

The presence of excess estrogen is dangerous for us with cervical dsyplasia in that it increases cellular growth of good and bad cells. Normally, an efficient liver would eliminate the excess estrogen. If, however, your liver is congested, the same excess estrogen which had already ran through your organs (what Marysherbs.com calls "mutated estrogen") will pass through your liver and make yet another round, except this time be very ineffective in helping your body. The result: estrogen in excess and mutated promoting cellular growth and travelling aimlessly through our bodies.


Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Secondary: Excess Estrogen, Inefficient Liver
Symptoms: Visibly none, PMS
Duration: Unknown

Solution
Active Ingredient: Castor oil
Brand: The Palma Christi Castor Oil
Dosage: 1 pack for 1 hr/day, 3 days at a time (3 on, 3 off), 3 months
Availability: Amazon.com, Whole Foods
Price: $5.99
Special Note: I have used cheaper, non-organic brands in the past and had a terrible allergic reaction (hives and irritated, red rashes).
Risks: Can stain clothes. Also, be careful when handling the oil heated.

Variables
Other Medications: Nope, impending LEEP procedure
Other Supplements: licorice, probiotics, vitex, folic acid, echinacea, goldenseal, burdock, tea oil, calendula, comfrey leaf, eucalyptus, sage
Recent Procedures: biospy, colposcopy


How To Make a Castor Oil Pack


I found varying recipes, but the most straight forward approach was this 1980's video clip I found at Fitsugar. If you can get past the fact that it looks like back drop of that cult-like Swan center from LOST, you will see that they are very clear on the amounts and handling of the pack that might not be clear with written directions. 


Progress Day 9


I started using the pack 9 days ago, and have not been diligent in my applications. I did 3 days in a row and should have re-started my second  3-day round yesterday. My main problem, other than not having time, is that I do not have a kitchen. The video highly suggests avoiding microwaves for the preparation of the pack, but at the moment that is all I have. I leave it in there for about a minute and use a water bottle filled with warm water to keep the pack warm.


I have not felt any tangible effects from its usage and doubt I will in the future. On some forums, testimonies of popping, releasing, or other types of radical changes or movements are found. One lady had sworn she physically felt a piece of scar tissue stretch away like a rubber band in a sudden painful, but quick movement. 


I do not expect any kind of the sort during my treatment, but if my liver happens to snap, crackle, or pop I will be sure to blog about it.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Lady Demons

I woke up on Day 10 with my period, which now explains a lot on my previous post (see "Overwhelmed")

I have not really decided beforehand what I would do during this time, since many of my treatments involve direct contact with that region, but here is a list of what I will or will not be doing while my on my period:

I Will:
  • Allow myself to have sugar. I had been substituting my refined white sugar/high frutose corn syrup favorites, with coconut water and ginger root brew because I LOVE them and they are sweetened naturally (honey). Now, however, with a forgiving heart, I am allowing myself to also have the traditional, candy aisle stuff until my cravings are gone.
  • Continue the suppository treatment. I will include details on what exactly that is in a future post, but if you are wondering what I am talking about, see this post. It is basically a pre-soaked tampon. I can already see how fun that is going to be, but I only have a week and half til my LEEP procedure to be at my strongest, so it is going in. I am backing it up with a sanitary pad to help with the clean up (only during my period).
  • Continue having sitz bath. Have fun imaging that. I learned in middle school that you do not flow (period) in water, but even if I did, I would do it anyway. 10 days! That is all I have! (until LEEP)
  • Keep applying castor oil packs. Some women fear that apply warm packs to the abdominal area (for pain relieve and cramps) will increase bleeding to a dangerous amount. While I understand the logic of that fear, I have chosen to continue because my regular flows are not that heavy to begin with and because the type of pack I have is honestly not all that warm. Use your own discretion. 
I Will Not:
  • Skip any meals. Usually during this time eating is uncomfortable for me, but I can not afford to lose any energy or vitamins.
  • Stop exercising. I have a new routine at the direction of a collegiate athlete -- ie. intense. I do not recommend doing full workouts to anyone following my treatment plan. I am just informing readers of what I have chosen to do...because I am crazy and do not like losing to circumstances.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

HPV Treatment #3: Burdock Root (Update)

Progress - Day 3

A couple of problems. First..

As predicted, the Burock Root is killing me. It is not the actually root that is causing trouble, just the diuretic effect it is having with the licorice root.

Let me draw it out with measured examples.

Desired Dosage: 2 grams per 6 oz cup of warm/hot water per serving. 3-4 servings a day.
Actual Dosage: ~1.2 grams per 6 oz cup of warm/hot water per serving. 1-3 servings a day.

Desired Interval: 1 hour before or after every 8oz cup of Licorice Root tea (blend)
Actual Interval: Within 5 minutes of Licorice Root tea

Misc: 1.5 pints to 0 pints of water (or other beverages) per day.

It takes about 2 minutes to understand the problem with the Root is that in general I am always dehydrated and taking a combination of herbs that...well...dehydrates. Today I had a pounding headache and flaky, chapped lips, and still I didn't drink water. I am probably even lucky I have not reached my desired dosage which would probably result in me turning to dust.

I just want to make it clear to anyone who I might be scarying away with this post: Burdock is not Bad. People who do not drink things are bad.

Time to add another item to my supplement in-take chart -- scribbling in "water".

And second, I discovered that sucking on the teabag after usage (yes, I know it is weird) will cause your tongue to feel prickly and slightly swollen and borderline numb. It was only a mild reaction, and a couple swigs of coconut milk (it is what I had) cleared it right up,  but I thought it was worth mentioning. Now I squeeze the bag after seeping, and include it with the new bag in the next serving.

Day 9: Overwhelmed

It is the ninth day since I started healing and I am frustrated and overwhelmed with the whole process.

I began with just the probiotics for the yeast infection, and now I am up to 3 pills, 3 teas, and two hour-long treatments a day in just 9 days. There has not been a single day where I have managed to fit every dosage in. Between running errands, exercising, herb hunting and studying, late night and early morning chat sessions with my overseas boyfriend, and a make-shift bathroom- kitchen (the entire kitchen is being remodeled) to prepare all my teas, I going a little insane. On top of that, cramming all the herbs on top of each other so that they fit into my schedule is amplifying the negative side effects of some herbs that do not play nice together, namely Licorice and Burdock.

Today I commuted 2.5 hours each way for a baby shower alone. I woke up late, rushed my morning dosages, skipped lunch and dumped a second round of dosages in an empty stomach. Then I gave into temptation
at a Walgreens and bought a large can of coconut juice, 2 large packs of gummi lifesavers (buy one, get one free) and 2 salt and chile tamarind Mexican candies (same sale). I don't even want to talk about the two goodie bags of food coloring and sugar I got from the baby shower. And of course no water.

I felt like crap. Headaches. Fatigue. Hunger. Stress. Dehydration. And probably also PMS.

This is only the second day of having every treatment on my plate, so I will give it a little time. Honestly, once I get a rhythm going I am sure I will be fine. I just needed to vent a little and maybe get a few episodes of the Daily Show in.

Wish me luck (and energy, patience, and sanity)

Penny Alchemist

Friday, May 20, 2011

BeeHive Health and Nutrition

They saved my life! and would have saved my gas money.

I have been herb hunting on foot and by phone for days and coming up short. I started at Whole Foods which gave me a bulk of what I needed. Unfortunately, they didn't always have the best prices and one of the boxes of tea I bought was filled with an empty, ballooned bag. Whomp whomp.

I filled in the gaps with Vitamin Shoppe which is smaller and easier to handle, but did not supply some of the more exotic items on the list -- comfrey or calendula. The staff, while well-informed on their products, was not well-versed in holistic healing.

It was during round 4 or 5 that I randomly found BeeHive online. I called ahead and discovered they had one of my missing herbs, comfrey, at a ridiculously low price. I won't quote the price here, because the sales associate -- and I, to be honest -- think it was a misprint, but she gave it to me anyway.

They did not have the calendula I was looking for, but she was the only one who remembered its floral name, Marigold, and shortly after I went to a nursery and just bought the live flower -- 3 boxes to be exact. Other than that they had just about everything I needed all in the same store, with plenty of different brands to choose from.

So there you go. BeeHive, in South San Jose. Be there.

HPV Treatment #3: Burdock Root

What and Why?

This is another estrogen balancing herb I decided to add to the mix. Originally, I was on the fence about adding it in The Plan because of some of the potential risks it has when mixed with licorice root (see below), but after researching the role estrogen plays in dyplasia, I have decided to keep it.

Estrogen and Cervical Dysplasia

Excess estrogen causes cell multiplication, including the abnormal cells responsible for gynecological cancers, according to flowing free.org. The imbalance of estrogen can come from oral contraceptives, alcohol consumption, or even foods, sunscreens, plastics, preservatives and dairy products that produce a similar chemical, xenoestrogens, that mimic the cell multiplication of estrogen.


Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Secondary: Excess Estrogen
Symptoms: Visibly none
Duration: Unknown


Solution
Active Ingredient: Burdock Root
Brand: Alvita Burdock Root Tea Bags
Dosage: 2-6 grams in 500 ml of water, 1 cup, 3-4 times daily (undecided)
Availability: BeeHive Health Store, Whole Foods
Price: $4.99
Special Note: Only 29 grams per box, may need higher dosage
Risks: Contaminated burdock can slow heart rate or cause dry mouth. Can cause diuretic effects with combined with licorice root according to this site. If taking internally it can interfere with iron intake, and those with allergies to certain flowers like marigolds, may also be allergic to burdock root.

Variables
Other Medications: Nope, impending LEEP procedure
Other Supplements: licorice, probiotics, vitex, folic acid, echinacea, goldenseal
Recent Procedures: biospy, colposcopy


Progress Day 2
I officially started the burdock tea last night with a single cup. The entire box has 29 grams, so I do not think I am taking the full dosage that I have written above. But because I also take Vitex, I am not too worried about that.

So far it has not been conflicting too much with the licorice tea. I have been careful not to take the teas one after another, giving about at least and hour or so in between.

I should note that the diuretic effect has been my biggest obstacle since I hate with a passion drinking water. Today was a relatively cool day and I noticed when I woke up my pee was a bright yellow. For those who already drink water, it should not be a problem. The effect is not too far off from the same dehydration you would get from coffee drinking. Lastly, just as an extra measure, I make sure to have a banana once a day and some kind of electrolyte to counteract the loss of fluids; especially now that I am running daily.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

HPV Treatment #2: Vitex

There are a few herbs listed on The Plan that I am anxious about taking. Vitex is one of them.

I decided to add it to my regime even though the case study I'm following did not include it. More personal research on this is pending, but it seems hormones could play an indirect role in the appearance or treatment of HPV. That and because I still have not gotten my hands on all the ingredients I will need for more direct treatments of the virus, I figured I might as well work on the overall wellness of my lady parts until I officially get started.

The other reason I am taking the risk of bulking up my supplement regime with vitex is I have a short deadline for getting healthy. Exactly 2 weeks until I am in Italy -- a country where iron supplements require a prescription. Then of course, the countdown to my 26th birthday (yay!), when I will no longer be under mom and pops' insurance (boo). As of today, I have 27 days. **And as I just found out 2 minutes ago, 13 days until my LEEP procedure.

The risks, however, seem to be far more published than the benefits. On many sites the side effects were listed as hair loss, headache and nausea, but varied beyond that to rashes, hives, difficulties breathing, etc. If any of these symptoms occur I will definitely post an update blog.

So here's what I'll be doing:

Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Secondary: Excess Estrogen
Symptoms: Visibly none
Duration: Unknown

Solution
Active Ingredient: Vitex berry/fruit (aka Chaste Tree)
Brand: Nature's Way
Dosage: 3 capsules (1200 mg) daily for 3-4 months, then 2 capsules (800 mg) daily for 2 months.
Availability: Amazon.com, Whole Foods
Price: $7.99
Special Note: Not directly connected to aiding HPV. Will be taking in 7-day intervals with 1 day breaks in between.
Risks: For women who are pregnant or taking contraceptives this might not be the best. According to drugs.com and many many other websites, risks for even other women can be hair loss, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, rashes, tightness of chest, and etc. These side effects were linked with unspecified amounts of Vitex or method of ingestion.

Variables
Other medications: Nope, impending LEEP procedure
Other Supplements: probiotics, licorice tea, folic acid, echinacea 
Recent Procedures: biospy, colposcopy, impending LEEP procedure


Also note, I haven't found a recommended dosage.  I have decided to take medium to low dosages of the herb and applying a one day break every seven days for 3 to 4 months, then easing off for 2 months after that.

Ultimately, I will be combining this herb with two other hormone balancing herbs, licorice root tea and burdock root (see blog for dosages). Hopefully, they each balance each other out. 

Oh, and this is the beginning of Day 2 of Vitex for me. So far, I have all my hair :).

Fem Dophilus for the Win: Day 6

Here's an update on my probiotic treatment for my strong yeast infection as of today:

  • Lower occurrence of discharge
  • Much less amount of discharge
  • Outside area is less red
  • A little less itching
Overall feeling pretty confident the probiotics are kicking in. I haven't changed other variables too much. I still have more or less the typical American diet (mealtimes sprinkled with junk food sessions), as well as my terrible addiction to tight, non synthetic work-out clothes. Two things I do have to note that could be strengthening the effective of this treatment are that I rarely wear panties anymore (never cotton) and two, I am currently undergoing a heavy herbal treatment simultaneously. 

For the most part I have been following the decided upon dosage faithfully, apart from sometime during Day 3 when I only took 1 pill instead of 2. Hopefully, but the end of next week -- and my supply -- I'll be (bad) yeast free!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

HPV Treatment #1: Folic Acid

At some point in the near future I am going to have a LEEP procedure done. I am hoping to help out the removal and healing  process as best I can. According to Tides of Life, folic acid helps promote the cellular relining of the cervix, which is needed to reduce DNA abnormalities. My desired result would be that the folic acid will help repair my cervical wall more quickly.


There are two reasons for this:

One, I am continually having "scrappings" and samples taken from my cervix each time my gynecologist follows up with me; and each time I have at least some bleeding. On top of that, my next procedure is a LEEP procedure where they will use electricity to purge the cellular growths they have found in my cervix. Some of the risks include scar tissue which will make future growths within my cervix difficult to see (cellular growths can hide behind scar tissue). Plus, injury to my poor little vaginal area promotes yeast infections, and I am currently fighting off one.

The Plan
  • Castor Oil Packs: daily
  • Sitz Baths: daily -- recipe found on link and future posts
  • Tampon of Calendula Tea: daily
  • Echinacea Tea: daily
  • Vitex berries/burdock root: yet to be decided
  • Folic Acid: 2 mg (or 5x400 mcg tablets) daily
The Plan is meant to be done all at once, everyday, but because I am still missing some items I'll only be starting the folic acid today. I'll be using a brand that I admittedly had not researched ahead of time. It is a small tablet without any coating, because I prefer pills that dissolve quickly so as to be more effective. I also choose it because of its size: 250 of 800 mcg. Ideally, I would have preferred the 400 mcg with 100 tablets so that I could get exactly the recommended amount of 2 mg a day, but again, because I travel, I wanted to be sure I would not run out -- plus it was cheaper this way. If all goes well, I'll be doing this for 3 months with a daily dosage of 1.6 mg of folic acid, then reducing it to .5 mg daily.

Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Secondary: Post Surgery Scar Tisssue Development
Symptoms: Visibly none
Duration: Unknown, diagnosed today

Solution
Active Ingredient: Folic Acid
Brand: Solgar -- dietary supplement tablets
Dosage: 2 tablets (1600 mcg or 1.6 mg) daily for 3 months, then .5 mg daily
Availability: Vitamin Shoppe (hard time finding it at Whole Foods)
Price: $11.29
Special Note: Folic acid is essentially vitamin B. It naturally occurs in some veggies. Take with a meal.
Risks: According to some websites, the daily upper limit for folic acid is 1000 mcg. Though they say it is not very likely that you will absorb all 1000 mcg, they do note that overdose can "mask Vitamin B12 deficiencies" and render some anti-epilepsy medications ineffective. Also, some might develop allergic reactions or experience nausea, bloating, insommia, etc. See link for more details.

Variables
Other medications: Nope, impending LEEP procedure
Other Supplements: probiotics
Recent Procedures: biospy, colposcopy, impending LEEP procedure 

HPV Treatment: The Plan

So today I did my first round of herb hunting and managed to get almost everything on my list. I have a short list of treatments I want to start with a long list of ingredients. I am following a recipe found on this site where there are two stories of women who attempted to remedy their conditions naturally. One is a success story...the other is not.

It is from those personal antidotes that I mapped out the treatments I have dubbed: The Plan.

The Plan
  • Castor Oil Packs: daily
  • Sitz Baths: daily -- recipe found on link and future posts
  • Tampon of Calendula Tea: daily
  • Echinacea Tea: daily
  • Vitex berries/burdock root: yet to be decided
  • Folic Acid: 2 mg (or 5x400 mcg tablets) daily
The Plan is meant to be done all at once, everyday, but because I am still missing some items I'll only be starting the folic acid today. The post on that procedure will be in my following post.

Problem
Aliment: Cervical Dysplasia, grade 2
Symptoms: Visibly none
Duration: Unknown, diagnosed today

Variables
Other medications: Nope
Other Supplements: probiotics
Past Procedures: biospy, colposcopy, impending LEEP procedure


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Candy or Candida?

So I as I mentioned in my first post, I'm addicted to candy. The sugary kind with no nutritional value or naturally occurring ingredients. Because I travel for months at a time, whenever I find myself in a foreign country, I usually back off on the candy intake simply because I hate whatever watered down, barely sweet, starchy alternatives to my favorites they have. But I am currently home (California), and I have had at least two full bags of candy a day -- first thing in the morning! Rise and shine baby!

Besides potentially risking diabetes, this addiction brings into my life repeatedly...yeast infections. Though there are a myriad of causes for yeast infections, some of which also apply to me, my number one issue is definitely refined sugar in-take.

As a testimony to improving good health -- see below -- I have decided to finally give myself a healthy vagina in every way possible. As of 4 days ago I began remedying my yeast infection with probiotics. The probiotics I choose were ones I had repeatedly seen online as essential to the vaginal area. Also the brand I selected was popular in the websphere for being effective and alive.

Problem
Aliment: Yeast infection
Symptoms: Thick discharge, yeasty smell, occasional itching, very red and irritated 
Duration: on and off for years

Solution
Active Ingredient: L.rhamnosus GR-1, L.reuteri RC-14
Brand: Fem Dophilus Jarrow Formulas
Dosage: 2 pills a day or 10 billion cfu
Availibility: Vitamin Shoppe, Amazon.com, Whole Foods
Price: $20 for 30, $31 for 60
Special note: keep refriderated! Do not mix with other probiotics or antibiotics
Risks: none known

Variables:
Sexually Active: yes, though not at time of treatment
Condoms: yes, latex no spermicide (spermicide increases risk of yeast infection)
Oral Contraceptives: No, never
Other medications: none
Other supplements: voiding other types of probiotics

Personal Causes: poor hygiene, infected panties, high sugar intake


Progress: Day 4
So it has been day four days and I have not noticed a difference. I plan on seeing the final result at the end of two weeks, accounting for some errors in treatment (missed pills, exposure to old yeasty panties, non synthetic running clothes, missed showers). On day three I forgot to take one pill, making that daily dosage only 5 billion cfu (5 billion short of what I read it would take to build a colony), but other than that I have been faithfully taking them. I have about 2 weeks or less before my period starts, so ideally I would like to have a major part of my treatment done. Having my period keeps me moist down there, and also changes the ph of my vaginal area. I would like to get her healthy and strong before I start my lady demons.

My current status is still a thick discharge and some itching.

Also, of course, I am cutting down on my sugar intake and increasing my exercise regimen.

Beginnings

This blog is the direct result of my resent discovery of cervical dysplasia.

Up until a few weeks ago I was a relatively healthy young adult. I ran, I ate health foods and junk foods, I slept 6-9 hours, I never drank, I never smoked (anything), I traveled, I meddled with herbs and supplements, and I avoided almost all types of conventional medicines for years.

Now, however, that I've been medically diagnosed with the pre-cancerous stages of HPV, I've decided to test my knowledge of the herbs and supplements I studied for pleasure on myself. I will walk you through every remedy I attempt and be the most detailed and honest guinea pig I can be.

I will not only post the result of direct treatment for cervical dysplasia, but other health issues I have as well.

It goes without saying, but I am NOT a medical professional, or even a well informed armature. I will be learning through trial and error of remedies others have recommended and validating their effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) with my personal results. I will do my best to research every method and ingredient used, but I suggest you also do the same.

BIO:
Age: 25 (going on 26 in a few weeks)
Race: mixed
Gender: female
Fitness: prior athlete, currently moderate
Worst Addiction: refined white sugar
Best Habit: drinking herbal teas (no sugar)
Medication: none, almost never