My Quest for Health

    I have struggled with digestive issues since I was 18 years old. I can't count how many GI specialists I've consulted or how much money I've spent on medical bills throughout the years. But, finally, two weeks ago I stumbled upon the answers I've been longing for. Do I think the medical community was withholding valuable information from me? Absolutely not. My doctors have exhausted their knowledge and tests to try to give me the answers I so desperately have needed. So, then, you may ask yourself, why did it take 30 years to get any illumination on my issues?

    I believe they simply didn't know. I, myself, have a doctorate and have never heard of this issue. I think it's vitally important to share my journey and the knowledge I've obtained to try to help anyone in need. I've researched this issue for countless hours and believe it to possibly be genetic. I also believe it affects more people than anyone realizes and this information can help people, especially people with autoimmune diseases, have a better quality of life.    

    Every blood test, physical exam, colonoscopy, and endoscopy has been normal and deemed healthy. My providers have thought that I was lactose intolerant, but after giving up lactose, my symptoms remained. It was hypothesized that I wasn't eating enough fiber in my diet, but even after ensuring I ate 30 g of fiber daily there was no improvement. My official diagnosis: irritable bowel disease. In case you are unfamiliar with an irritable bowel disease diagnosis, it simply means, we agree you aren't "normal" but we have no idea why and there's no cure.

    Prior to the Covid lockdown, I went to a dermatologist for both a slowly growing, itchy rash on my left foot along with fissures that were causing so much pain I was limping. I also had what I deemed "alligator scales" up both legs that appeared if I didn't moisturize daily. No matter how much I moisturized, if I skipped a day these scales would appear. The dermatologist diagnosed the scaly legs as a form of eczema. I attributed the fissures on my foot to standing too long during the day while simultaneously being morbidly obese. He assured me that the creams and steroids he prescribed would clear my rash up within a few weeks. After this was unsuccessful, I tried foot moisturizing masks and applying the steroid creams with occlusion (meaning I wrapped my foot each night with saranwrap after applying the creams). When this was unsuccessful, I added 20 minute warm epsom salt foot soaks nightly prior to applying the creams and saranwrap. My fissures cleared up, but the itchy rash remained. Biopsy ruled out fungal or bacterial infections.

    Fast forward to 2024 and the rash that began as the size of a quarter on the left side of my left foot had now spread the whole length of the left side of my foot, around my heal and was now on the right side of my left foot. I applied O'Keefe's Healthy Feet Cream twice daily for years. This kept the itching at a minimum and I believe prevented any additional fissures. I discontinued the steroid creams because, quite frankly, they didn't help and the O'Keefe's Healthy Feet Cream worked just as well and was gentler on my skin. I decided to return to the same dermatologist for a follow up appointment to see if there was any new knowledge or approaches that had been developed since I had seen him last. I was so excited to try again to get control over my health issues, but I was informed I would need to wait 6 months to see him for an appointment or I could go elsewhere.

    I opted to wait the 6 months (until March 2025) because I thought it might be better to stick to the same provider versus starting from ground zero again with the biopsies. Each time I saw him, I racked up $400 in bills after my insurance paid so I really didn't want to start completely from scratch and invest more money than was necessary. This time when I saw him, however, he was hurried and dismissive. Evidently, this appointment was scheduled for a mere 15 minutes of his time and it was evident he wanted to move on to his next patient. When I pointed out where we last left the rash at and the lack of an official diagnosis (eczema vs. psoriasis) he stated that it didn't really matter what it was because it was an autoimmune condition and was just here to stay. I was so disappointed. I waited 6 months to be dismissed. His nurse said to me "when you get older, your skin does a lot of weird things." Obviously, I haven't been back. What a complete waste of my time and money.

    In a way, this empowered me to use my own doctorate to take charge of my medical issues. Even though I'm not a medical physician and am merely a dentist, I can read and understand medical studies with the best of them. I do admit throughout my life I have been lactose free and have consumed 30 g of fiber daily for extended periods of time (6-9 months each time), I always eventually stop because each time these efforts were unsuccessful.

    I have also struggled with my weight and obesity throughout my life. I have previously lost over 100 pounds using LA Weight loss, but then gained it all back plus 50 pounds more. I couldn't keep the weight off. I have struggled with depression over the course of my life. I can blame it on my miscarriage or marital issues, or family struggles, but, I can also blame it on going to my doctors for help and being automatically dismissed because they deem my morbid obesity to be simply my fault. I feel the judgement and the discrimination that comes from being fat. I've been thin before and I know I am treated differently when I am thin versus when I am fat. We've been out to dinner with friends. My husband and I usually split an entree because we can never eat all of what is served because we get too full. Looking around the table, the thin people all finish their plates. Thick or thin, we all drank cocktails and beers to our fulfillment. They may be more active than me, but if you ask anyone who has ever tried to lose a significant amount of weight, they will tell you diet trumps activity almost every time. 

    FINALLY, finally, finally, two weeks ago I stumbled on upon the answers to all of my issues. Nightshade Intolerance. It's not an allergy so it won't show up on an allergy test. It checks all of the boxes of my health issues - irritable bowel disease, eczema, psoriasis, obesity, thinning hair, nasal congestion, acne, bloating, brain fog, heartburn, joint pain or swelling, migraines, nausea, gas, diarrhea, and the intense, full body itchiness I previously attributed to allergies. In my research I have discovered it can both cause and exasperate autoimmune disorders like IBD, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and Graves disease to name a few. People who have nightshade intolerance can experience full body inflammation. Inflammation is in essence swelling and fluid retention, thus explaining my obesity.

    This next part might be an overshare so you can skip it if you'd like. How did I discover this issue? I ate a bowl of gumbo with green bell peppers and 20 minutes later my stomach was cramping and I passed all of the green bell peppers into the toilet with my diarrhea. I googled "why can't I digest green bell peppers" and came across nightshade intolerance. The more articles I read about this, the more I'm convinced this is and has always been my issue. Then, I remembered, my mom also can't eat green peppers because it hurts her stomach and causes indigestion.

    For your information, it's not just green peppers I can't consume. It's all peppers, paprika, tomatoes, tomatillos (ground cherries), potatoes (white and red), eggplant, goji berries, pimentos, ashwagandha, curry powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and tobacco. These plants contain a natural pesticide called saponin or solanine. Blueberries, although not a nightshade, also contain this natural pesticide so I am avoiding them also currently. 

    Food I can eat: beets, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, radishes, lettuce, bananas, thyme, ginger, basal, oregano, black pepper (it's a peppercorn, not an actual pepper), corn, apples, strawberries, goat cheese, greek yogurt, tumeric, and cinnamon to name just a few. It has been an adjustment to say the least over the last two weeks, but I'm less bloated. Occasionally I have a slightly solid bowel movement without pain or bleeding now. The only way to see if all or just some of the nightshades affect me is to do a full 3 month elimination diet. It takes a full 3 months for them to clear your body. After that, I can try adding back in foods such as blueberries (one food at a time) and see how it affects my body. I hope you'll join me on my journey.

    The more articles I read the more I am learning. It is my hope that I can use this blog to reach other people who also may be suffering and in some small way help to improve their quality of life. If you know someone who has and autoimmune issues or any of the issues I've mentioned, please share this blog with them. I've spent so much time and money throughout my life trying desperately to find answers. I just want to share the knowledge for free. Knowledge is power; knowledge is priceless.

All You Need to Know about Nightshade Sensitivity

Nightshade Vegetables: Risks, Examples, and Substitutions

What are Nightshades? List and Impact on Autoimmune Issues

Vegetable and Fruit Plant Families

20 Simple Nightshade-free Recipes

What are Nightshades? Risks vs. Benefits