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Hello everyone,
Hope everyone is doing well. I'm looking for some opinions. I've just been through two days of horrendous bladder inflammation and urgency (and kidney pain, flank pain, feeling feverish, generally, unwell, sweaty, low back pain). Test stick showed leukocytes but not nitrites (docs reckon that the presence of nitrites is the gold standard for infection, I think?). Urine has been clear, not odorous etc.. as is usually the case with infections (which I've had lots of previously). As I've posted before, I've not had many bladder symptoms this time around with this illness so after a couple of days of not knowing what was happening, I decided that perhaps I have a UTI. I'm taking Dr. B's UTI remedy and have been in touch with her. However, after two truly horrible days, I am now feeling somewhat better. I am now thinking - could this be die-off? I'm not sure that I've really believed in the concept of die-off before simply because I don't think I've had any in all the time of treatment. I'd be interested to hear if infection can happen without nitrites (and clear urine, etc.). If this is die-off, what do I do? I really don't know how to run with this. First die-off over two years into treatment? Can this happen? I just feel a bit stumped and don't really know how to feel about or what to do with this.
Hi there! I hope you continue
Hi there! I hope you continue to feel better - I know exactly what those symptoms feel like, and it's horrible.
I'm sorry I don't have an actual answer to share, but I am curious about this topic as well... I just started treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago and felt somewhat better for the first week, then when Boaz tripled my Juice Plus/herb intake, I was in a lot of discomfort (pain, frequency, irritation, etc. but clear and non-smelling urine) for the following week. I finally called to mention this to him, and he said to cut back to my inital regimen until I talk to him again next week. Today is my first day of going back to the much smaller dosage, but I'm still in the same (or worse) discomfort! Does this sound normal to anyone? Could it be die-off this early in treatment, or was I just reacting to the heavy dosage of Juice Plus/herbs? Or both?
I'm also 22 weeks pregnant, so hormonal fluctuations could be the culprit as well (I've also noticed my skin breaking out a lot more this week, so that could be hormonal... or could that also be die-off?). So confusing and frustrating!
Hey There Vin,
Hey There Vin,
Interesting that you should post this because.......I had only ever felt the fluxuations of my " normal" symptoms when 2.4 years into treatment when I had what I think as my first round of die off ..... Either that or I developed another condition because I felt absolutely TERRIBLE! I don't really think I totally understood what die off was until December. I didn't develop a UTI feeling but my muscles started to burn, shortness of breath, fatigue like you wouldn't believe and just felt like I was running in water to try and get anything done. All I could do there was be present in the holidays- I was sure I was developing some horrendous condition. Slowly it has been subsiding, but I am certainly not done with the craziness going on in my body..... Oh yeah and my EYES started to hurt and be sensitive to light. All I kept thinking is....how is it possible I am experiencing this tough die off two plus years into treatment? So....although I cannot answer your UTI question, I share with your experience of die off (possibly) beginning a few years into treatment. Gosh.... We have both come a long way! Haven't we?
Katie
It is possible to have a uti
It is possible to have a uti without nitrates - I believe only certain bacteria produce nitrates. I think many of us show white blood cells in urine during a flare, but you should definitelty get them to culture the sample if symptoms are more severe than usual! You should always get a culture done to make sure. Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks everyone. Megan - I'll
Thanks everyone. Megan - I'll drop a culture off tomorrow at the doc. (does anyone know why these things always kick off at the weekend?), but my feeling more and more is that this is not an infection. Urine is clear/smells fine; these are usually my tell-tale signs with a genuine infection. It's amazing to think of all the times that I've taken abx in this position over the years. Culture almost always came back clear but by then I had started taking the abx. One good thing to come from this - my children haven't had abx yet. Katie- it's interesting that you mention two years and four months. I counted up exactly how long I've been in treatment and it's two years and four months...I wonder if this is significant in some way to treatment? I am feeling enormously fatigued anyway as I've been working nearly a year and I think this plus family demands have taken their toll. I had a cold sore two weeks ago - I've never had one before,- isn't it a sign of a run-down body? SJC89 - welcome, and congratulations on your pregnancy. I think that many people do have die-off early in treatment... or late sometimes! I'm not sure that there's a pattern to it. It could be the pregnancy hormones too but either way, I'm sure Boaz will guide you through. Just keep going.
Anyway, back to nursing my bladder. I'll report what the outcome of the culture will be but I'm more and more convinced that it's die-off or flare. They really do feel exactly like a UTI, don't they?
Vin43,
Vin43,
A few years ago I remember you had some eyes problems, floaters, traces and the like. Are you still having eye problems? I have been having more eye floaters and traces over the last few months and I'm wondering how your eyes are. Are they improved?
Hi Catalina,
Hi Catalina,
Good to hear from you although sorry to hear that you are having increased eye problems. I still have a large number of floaters, tracers, etc.. but two things have happened for them to have become bearable: I'm not so bothered by them now (I think it was you who told me that my brain would get used to them and stop noticing them, and you were right) and also I think some of them have sunk to the bottom of my eye so that they are not as much directly in my field of vision as they were. It took a very long time though for me to get used to it all. From what I've read, floaters are inevitable in the majority of the population; an unfortunate by-product of the ageing process. Sad as it is, I have made peace with the fact that they will always be there and will possibly get worse in some way as I age. How has your vision got worse? Does it bother you much? How are you getting on generally? I really hope that you are doing well. I can't really suggest anything for the eyes apart from learning to live with the floaters. It may take a while to get used to the process but my understanding is that it's pretty much inevitable.
I am doing much better, but
I am doing much better, but for some skin rashes and the eye issues. My vision is good, but for the floaters and flashes which had been better. Matia and I are working on both issues and I am seeing an improvement. Or maybe I am getting used to the process like you said. In general I am doing well, all the symptons I had when I started treatment are now mostly gone but for the skin and eye problems. And short periods of die off. Despite the inevitable ups and downs I remain very positive.
Carol