Allergic Contact Dermatitis & Grass | Steroids?

Question:
Dear Ben,

Congratulations on your recent accomplishment. I wish you all the best.

My health question is the following. My 34 year old husband has been fighting a loosing battle with allergic contact dermatitis. We think that he may have contacted it 3 weeks ago while sitting on the grass at the school play ground near our house.

At first we thought it was flea bites and he started to scratch profusely on both the front of his legs and on the "fish belly" of his right arm. However, the next two days it started to spread up his arm and on his abdomen at which point it was bright red and swollen. needless to say, we ended up in urgent care on our vacation where he was given a steroid shot and a 6 day dose of oral steroids as well as antibiotics for fear of the skin becoming infected.

Although the steroids worked for the amount of time they were prescribed, the rash appeared again in a different part of his body and again he went to urgent care where he was prescribed a second and longer 8 day dose of steroid tablets. Even though the rash is disapating and the pills seem to be working, I am afraid that the rash will come back and flare up again.

Do you have any information that can help cure this naturally? I know we should avoid the offending agent at all costs, but I feel bad for him because the itching and swelling gets so bad that he is miserable. Any advice will be helpful.

Thanks!


ANSWER:
Thank you for the congrats

My first thought is: When did the school spray last on the lawn?

Many schools are banning the use of herbicides and pesticides - but many aren't also.

He may be having a chemical reaction and steroids are not going to help remove the cause as those chemicals need to come out.

Sauna may be the best thing to get the chemicals out - and also ask the school what the hell is on their grass.

I personally would sauna daily, take 1 gram of vitamin C every hour as that has been researched to stop histamine production, take liquid vitamin B drops 4 times a day to support the body in detoxing, and take MSM to also help the body detox.

Sauna may do the trick.

Careful with repeated use of steroids - especially orally - as they may cause avascular necrosis (dying bones) down the line. Get off them as soon as the docs say you can - do not just stop them - talk with your doc.

Since you've been prescribed antibiotics, make sure he takes a good amount of acidophilus or some healthy probiotics to re-establish healthy gut flora again - otherwise he is getting set up for stomach problems, food allergies and weak immune function.

Consider finding a real good soap for chemical burns or chemical contact - off the top of my head I don't know any but ask.

Let me know how it goes and what you find out.

Best
Dr Ben, ND

Melatonin and Trying to Get Pregnant

Question:
Any information on melatonin use in women contemplating pregnancy? Thanks.
Dr. C H

Answer:
Dr H -

It is not recommended as melatonin suppresses release of GnRH.

Here is a study considering using melatonin as a form of birth control.

Patients trying to get pregnant should not be on melatonin.

For patients who are infertile, morning full spectrum light is used to
suppress melatonin production and increase GnRH production.

Dr Ben Lynch, ND

Stomach Pain in Children | Tummy Aches | Common Causes

As a father, I get concerned when my boys complain of 'tummy aches'

As a physician, I am trained to think of the worst case scenario and then rule it out.

This mix as a parent can be unsettling at times.

For parents out there who wonder what some of the common 'tummy aches' are - read on.

Early morning stomach pain:
Feed the rascals. They've been up all night and their stomach is crying for food. It is common that they won't want to eat but find something for them to get in. A protein powder, energy bar, almond butter on celery, bite of some whole fruit - something.

Tell them: "Do you want your tummy ache to go away?" Wait for an answer. Once you get confirmation, tell them how eating something will make it go away.

Random stomach pain:
Think - when was the last time they went #2?

Children think few things:
play, where's Mom and Dad and where are we going. They do not fully understand that they have to go #2 every day so talk with them about it.

Simply say: "If you feel tummy aches, I'd like you to tell me and we will grab a book and sit on the potty."

They will deny that they have to go but gently encourage them to try for you. Tell them that it may make the tummy ache go away. Tell them it will just take a moment. Grab a book or two.

They will put up some resistance but mark my words, once they understand the stomach pain goes away, you've got 'em hooked. My son now knows and heads straight for the toilet.

After eating stomach pain:
Consider food intolerances.

We are blasted daily with how good milk is for our kids but for many, milk does not do the body good. Instead, dairy products provide indigestible protein which rots causing bloating and gas. Bloating and gas is followed by diarrhea alternating with constipation.

If they get frequent ear pain or ear infections, that is another positive sign that dairy products likely are the culprit. Remove dairy from the diet. My kids don't eat dairy products unless it is kefir.

Gluten foods are another big one - especially wheat. My oldest got red rashes around his bum and tummy aches when he ate wheat. After treating his gut with healthy bacteria like acidophilus, flavonoids like quercetin, and intestinal repair nutrients like glutamine, he is doing much better. We now limit how much wheat he eats and he is fine.

Also watch that they don't mix bananas, pine nuts, kidney beans, jello, milk, cheese, cereal, and apricots all together. I get a stomach ache just typing that. So watch that they don't mix too many foods together.

Don't let them drink too much while eating as that dilutes their digestive enzymes. If digestive enzymes and stomach acid get too dilute, the foods will not digest well causing gas and bloating. They can drink some but some kids really go nuts with fluids and meals. Don't let your kids go nuts.

Some, not all, Not So Good Symptoms of Stomach Pain
Call their doctor if any of these are happening:

• Bent over double crying in pain
• Very tight stomach/abdomen and in pain
  
• Cannot poo for days
• Fever with Stomach Pain
• Diarrhea that won't stop
• You touch their tummy and they cry out

If you have any doubts or wondering if you should call their doctor, call. It is better to be safe than not. Next time you visit their doc, ask them about common causes of stomach pain and tummy aches. Also ask them about warning signs and what you should be looking for in case of emergency.

Do understand that this is information only and not treatment advice.

Next time your kid has a tummy ache, think about the common causes and act appropriately.

In health,
Dr Ben, ND

I am a Doc!

Yesterday was the graduation for the Naturopathic Physicians Class of 2007 from Bastyr University.

After 5 years of studying, not sleeping and loads of work, I put up my right hand and agreed to the Naturopathic Oath.

With my bounding heart about to pop out frontwards, the Dean of Clinical Education called me up to the stage, "Dr Benjamin Lynch." Then I walked over to the Dean of Naturopathic Students and he placed the doctoral hood around my gown.

I was honored to shake the hand (and hug) Dr Jocelyn Elders, MD, the former Surgeon General for Clinton. She gave an outstanding speech.

Now to cram for clinical board exams.

Thank you all for your support, readership and kind words.

Respectfully,

Dr Benjamin Lynch, ND
(damn that looks good!) :)

Energy Bars, Energy Bars, Energy Bars | Worth it?

I remember when Power Bar came out. It was a new thing and I had to have it before my rowing workouts.

Now that I know what is in 99% of the energy bars out on the shelves, I cringe - literally cringe.

Corn syrup is the big one and it is everywhere. Tell me one energy bar that does not have corn syrup in it. Eating an energy bar that is loaded with sugar or corn syrup gives you a false sense of energy as you will come crashing down with low blood sugar in about 30 minutes.

Also tell me another that has balanced carbohydrates, protein and fats. Any?

Do they actually do anything for you? Really - let me know if so and let me know what energy bar you are using which makes you feel better.

I am a fan of the BumbleBar but it doesn't have enough protein in it so I crash after I eat it.

The so famous Lara Bars and Luna Bars make me cringe. There is very little protein in them, high in sugar and low in healthy fat which guarantee a certain metabolic crash in about 30 minutes tops. Granted they are better than many energy bars on the market but I still am not a fan.

I am a fan of the ReBar energy bars but I crash a bit after those also. They do have a lot of fiber in them though which does slow the absorption of the sugar. They are also not really an energy bar. They are more a replacement for those who do not get their 8 servings of fruits and vegetables. It is a sorry way to get your fruits and veggies - but hey - we cannot always be eating perfectly.

The energy bars which I enjoy the most and keep me going are the ones by Biogenesis Nutraceuticals. Dr David Wood, ND formulated these bars along side an Australian nutritionist and I can munch one of these and go for a long time without eating. Is that a good thing? No, not really. But I am busy and gotta eat something between seeing patients and studying.

The most popular flavor by Biogenesis is the Peanut Butter Crunch energy bar yet it is not the healthiest. The next most popular is the Crispy Rice and that is significantly more healthy than the PB Crunch bar. There is 12 grams of protein, 6 grams of healthy fat and 25 grams of carbs so it is quite balanced ensuring balanced blood sugar.

I've got a wrapper next to me as I came home and checked emails immediately instead of preparing a meal. Sound familiar?

For those commenting - please have these answered so we can understand what is going on out there in the energy bar world:

• Type of energy bar you eat
• Does it have corn syrup in it?
• How many grams of protein, carbs and fats does it have?
• Any organic or real food ingredients?
• Any good amount of real nutritional value? Vitamins, minerals, etc?
• How many do you eat a day?
• What is your ideal energy bar? Why?
  

Work-Related Stress & Fatigue | What to do?

A middle-aged man came into the clinic today with complaints of fatigue and over-worked. He loves his job as a prison mental health counselor yet it is 40 hours of intense work. He no longer can exercise on weekends, too tired to hang out with his buds and his Saturday is wasted as he can only lay on the couch. He drinks about 1 gallon of water a day, loves his chocolate and sugar but overall eats a healthy diet with a ton of veggies included.

He went to a MD last week as he wanted to address why he was so thirsty all the time. The doc ran a lab test and said he is not sick in any way. He asked to check him for diabetes due to his thirst - and that too was fine.

Frustrated he came to see us and wanted to know if we could do something for him. The visit was only a brief as he wanted to only meet us and scope out the clinic.

Well, we don't do anything for anyone really. What a good physician does is facilitate one's health and guides patients. Patients fix themselves once they have the proper guidance.

Many people want a magic bullet - something to swallow to make their pains and agonies go away for good without any side effects. Well, that doesn't happen.

Getting better takes work, takes effort and takes initiative. It is great that he came in for the visit as that shows motivation which is a huge step.

What I would do for someone like him:

• Get a thorough history of his fatigue and other health complaints. This is key and provides a good doctor the cause of the problem. Labs and physical exams only support what the doctor already thinks the problem is - basically confirming only.
  
• Order thyroid, anemia, adrenal, electrolytes, immune function, DHEA, 8am serum cortisol and lipid panels. All these tests help point out likely causes of fatigue and support my thoughts what is out of sync with him.
• Ensure adequate protein with every meal. I can guarantee he wasn't getting enough protein as he was eating way too much sugar and chocolate. People who eat enough protein do not crave sweets.
• Reduce his water intake to 10 cups of water a day tops as he is losing too many electrolytes.
  
• Support his adrenal glands as they likely are getting worked out hard with long hours and stressful situations. I would do this nutritionally, emotionally and physically with mild exercise.
• He needs a tonifying herb like Ashwagandha aka Withania. Ashwagandha is an excellent long-term energy tonic, reduces anxiety in a subtle way, improves sleep and provides endurance. This is exactly what he needs due to his long hours and poor ability to adapt to his stressful surroundings.
  
• Lots of B vitamins. He is definitely low in B vitamins as he is fatigued. People who are stressed, work hard or otherwise use their brain a lot need loads of B vitamins.
  

That is it. Simple. Straight forward. Easy.

He wanted a guarantee that we would make him better. That cannot happen as I do not know how motivated he was nor do I know if there is an underlying genetic problem or disease also in the way of his recovery.

Bottom line:
Be realistic when you visit a doctor. Don't ask for guarantees as you won't get them. If you do, then question the honesty of the doctor. Be motivated to get well as a doctor can only provide good information and useful products. It is up to you to apply that information and take the products as recommended.

Question your doctor. If you think they missed something or something needs to be addressed, say it and ask away. It is up to you. Be aggressive in a respectful way.

Stomach Pain for 6 years | Gone in 2 weeks

A 14 yr old honor student came to our clinic with him mom and dad. He has been ill for over 6 years and recently has been missing school for over a month due to pain and too-frequent bowel movements.

He reports worsening intense stomach pain waking him up at night. His rightfully-concerned mom, who is a registered nurse (RN), tried everything under the sun to no avail. It seemed as we were his mom's last hope.

His current treatment was Prilosec as he had really intense acid burning in his stomach area. It was not working and in fact was making it worse.

I began taking his history from as far back as he could remember.

8 years ago, he went to Mexico with his parents. There he got bad diarrhea which resolved with antiobiotics and flagyl.

2 years after that incident, he began having severe food allergies and couldn't eat much of anything without reacting.

The food allergies only became worse allowing him only to eat rice, water and sometimes some raw vegetables.

Then the intense stomach pain came which began slowly and got to the point where he was waking up at night from it.

Basically, he had severe depletion of beneficial bacteria in his gut. This leads to long term inflammation, recurring illnesses, and food sensitivities. If kept untreated, he likely would have developed colon cancer secondary to all the intestinal inflammation he had.

His case is a classic presentation of what is known as gastroenteritis post-antiobiotics. This is a known medical condition which gets missed time after time after time. Standard medicine has nothing to treat this.

There are no drugs which can repair the gut after being destroyed by medications. His gut needed repair - not meds.

His recommended treatment:

• Continue avoiding known food intolerances
• Eat steamed vegetables for 1 week - do not eat raw vegetables as they are very hard to digest.
• Cook brown rice or oatmeal in 3 times the normal amount of water. Let it cook. Then sip only the water slowly. Do this for a week along with the steamed vegetables.
  
• Take 1 HLC Synbiotic Intensive Sachet in a glass of water before dinner. Do this for 14 nights and then stop. This is designed to completely overwhelm the harmful gut bacteria with beneficial gut bacteria.
• Twice a day, in a nutrient-rich smoothie, blend:
• 2-3 cups of filtered water
• small handful of overnight-soaked raw almonds (well rinsed)
• 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil (lemon flavored by Nordic Naturals or Carlson's)
  
• 1/2 scoop of Bio-Inflammatory Functional Food Powder for 1 week. After one week go to 1 full scoop.
• 4 tsp of Intestinal Repair Complex for 1 week and then down to 2 tsp after that.
• 1-2 cups of frozen blueberries or other frozen fruit of your choice
• Drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water a day
• Talk with your doctor about stopping Prilosec. It is likely worsening his symptoms as it is taking his acid production down to nill. He need the stomach acid in order to digest his food, kill harmful bacteria and stimulate the other digestive enzymes

After the initial week of treatment, I phoned him and he reported no more night pain and he has stopped the Prilosec. He is no longer going to the bathroom 6 or more times a day. He did report that he was a bit constipated. I told him that this is normal as his gut is adjusting and the nutrients we are giving him are highly concentrated so he needs to make sure he is drinking enough water.

After 2 weeks of this protocol, he and his mom came in to see us. His mom said, "It is magic." He is going back to school and he feels like a normal kid again.

Something to consider:
His mom took him around to MD after MD, year after year without result. We naturopathic physicians are the last ones she takes him to.

It is typical that people try surgery, intense medications and expensive testing first before considering a naturopathic doc.

Don't wait that long people. It may be too late at that point.

Luckily, for this boy, it wasn't.

Research about Healthy Gut Bacteria and Probiotics:

• Microbes, immunoregulation, and the gut
• Probiotics: Some evidence of their effectiveness
  

Frequent Urination: An Uncommon Cause

Many folks know that there are common causes of frequent urination.

Common causes of urinary frequency:

• Diabetes
  
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Drinking too much water, caffeine, etc
• Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy aka BPH
• Alcohol
  

Well, it so happened that an older man presented to our teaching clinic with problems sleeping. I asked him what was up - he said he is waking up every 2 hours to urinate. That sucks.

My first thought was BPH so I asked:

• Do you tend to pee more at night? No - the same as during the day
• Do you have difficulty starting to pee? Nope - I really gotta go and I go no problem
• Do you notice that your stream of urine is not as forceful as it used to be? Nope - it's fine.
• Do you feel that you have urine left over in your bladder after you pee? Nope
• Do you drink anything before bed? Nope

Well that about closed that door for diagnosing BPH so I told him, "Well, I don't think you have BPH."

He laughed and said, "Definitely not. I had my prostate fully removed 3 years ago due to a bad infection."

I opened his chart and found a new report from his MD. The paper said:
Problem List for Patient: BPH

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Good ol' docs. Gotta love funny screw ups. It helps if you ask questions....

But the poor guy is still waking up all the time to pee.

We checked him for a urinary tract infection: all clear

I then figured out that his low blood levels of sodium were likely causing his problem.

We had a recent lab test showing low levels of sodium which his MD thought was irrelevant. There was a little note on his labs stating, "Looks great."

Well - it is not great - especially when elevated eosinophils accompany low sodium - that is a red flag for Addison's disease.

We're working on raising the sodium levels by supporting his adrenal glands.

I told him the connection and he figured we were on the right track.

Two weeks later, he returned and reported that he is waking one time less at night which is quite significant. His blood levels of sodium have been raising and his energy as well.

Uncommonly diagnosed problems for frequent urination:

• Adrenal Insufficiency
• Addision's Disease

We are further evaluating him for Addison's Disease but likely he is not. He is recovering from his intense fatigue very well.

What did we do?

• We supported his adrenal glands with a multivitamin high in B vitamins, magnesium and other nutrients
• We provided him an adrenal glandular product which he takes twice a day
• We advised he eat more frequently and ensure he has protein with each meal to balance his blood sugar levels.

That's it.

I see him next week with the lab results. Ill let you know what we find.

Ask to see your laboratory results. If you see anything that is marked 'High' or 'Low', ask your doctor, "Doc, why is that?"

If they say it is fine, ask again. Get an answer. It is there job to tell you what is going on with your body.

It is up to you to ensure proper health care and that is hard to come by nowadays.

Get a naturopathic physician in your back pocket - they'll take the time to walk you through what is going on.

Medical care works the best if one has a MD and a ND working for them. I don't recommend one without the other. It takes both to ensure proper health.

Morning Person vs. Night Owl? It is an Adrenal Issue.

All you Morning People out there kill me - I've always wondered how ya do it.

Now I know.

I was a Night Owl through and through. After a few months of changing habits and supporting my adrenals, I've shifted to a Morning Person. Well - almost.

Morning People have their cortisol secreted in large amounts in morning. It is cortisol which wakes ya up in the morning. If one is healthy and their adrenal glands are functioning properly, they can get out of bed in the morning without a hitch.

However, if you're stressed, working too much, no vacation and high anxiety, then your adrenal glands are getting depleted and cannot produce the cortisol in high enough amounts in the morning time. Thus, you have to literally drag yourself out of bed and into the shower.

Night Owl people have cortisol spiking in the evening which lets them go and go. This is great if you have a night shift or need to study late. Many medical students or post-doctorate people have to keep going so their adrenals help by producing more cortisol.

Problem is that the adrenals need refueling and cannot maintain high production forever.

it takes many nutrients to keep the adrenal glands functioning at full speed. It also requires 8 hours of sleep and low stress levels. No doctor should grab for an adrenal support supplement without suggesting improved sleep and mild exercise first.

If stress is the main issue causing your adrenals to over-produce cortisol and adrenaline, then it is likely necessary to calm your nerves first with sleep and exercise. Supporting adrenals with nutrients is not going to solve the problem.

It is like filling a cup continuously with a hole in the bottom. The cup remains full but the hole exists still - thereby the problem still exists. Sleep and exercise and other forms of stress reduction may just be the ticket to improve your adrenals and shift you to a Morning Person.

How to shift from a Night Owl to a Morning Person:

• Go to sleep even when you are not tired - begin at the ideal sleeping time.
• Get your room very dark at night as this increases melatonin.
  
• Move the alarm clock and other electrical items away from your head.
• Get an alarm clock that uses natural full spectrum lighting and stare into it for 30 minutes on rising as this lowers melatonin.
• Get some exercise in the morning or early afternoon. Do not exercise later in the afternoon as this increases cortisol.
• Do not take hot baths before bed as this increases cortisol - take warm baths instead.
• Eat a small protein snack before bed to maintain proper blood sugar levels through the night. Not eating before sleep causes cortisol secretion which raises blood sugar levels.

Nutrients which may prove useful for adrenal gland functioning:

• B vitamins
• Healthy forms of fat such as omega 3 fatty acids
• Vitamin C
• Numerous herbs such as eleuthrococcus, glycyrrhiza, opolopanx, rosemary, avena, schisandra and others.

There are different levels of adrenal support and they should be followed in order of severity. The most mild and most effective initial adrenal support is sleep and mild exercise to calm the nerves. Yoga and stress reducing exercises are crucial.

Stress increases the excess production of cortisol and causes the adrenals to fatigue. So stress is key to reduce.

Adrenal Restoration from initial mild support to most potent:

• Sleep and mild exercise and stress reduction techniques and yoga
  
• Vitamin C
• Herbal adrenal adaptogen support to help cope with stress.
  
• B vitamin supplement - full spectrum meaning it contains all the B vitamins which also helps the body adapt to stress and provide nutrients.
• Focused broad-spectrum adrenal nutrients containing herbs, B vitamins, hormone precursors and antioxidants. These are a potent group of nutrients for the adrenal.
  
• Adrenal glandular product which contains actual organic adrenal gland from an animal. This is used if someone is very depleted even after getting proper sleep, stress reduction and B vitamins.
  

With these ideas and products, it is possible to make the Night Owl fly away and become a Morning Person. I am actually regaining my strength now and able to wake well-rested in the morning. It is also harder for me now to stay awake late at night. It is now 11:30pm and I'm absolutely trashed. Before I could stay awake until 4am and waking by 10am was impossible for me. I had to drag myself to the shower - literally.

I've experimented with loads of adrenal support products and other techniques. So I am well-versed in how to overcome adrenal fatigue and become a morning person - for the first time in my life.

If you want to check to see how your cortisol is doing, ask your doctor about the Adrenal Stress Index test. It is fast, effective and lets you know how the cortisol curve is doing. The cortisol is supposed to spike in the morning hours and taper down very low in the evening hours. I have seen the opposite in patients and also flat lines.

Currently, I am taking BioAdreno as I want a powerful boost. I typically don't like taking such a powerful supplement but I have to pass my clinical board exams soon. I am taking 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I definitely don't take any after 1pm as I want to sleep by about 1130pm - sooner if I didn't have so much stuff to do.

If you've any questions, post a comment.