Medication Diary 2022-Natural Hormones

As I ran out of them, I stopped taking the many supplements that I tried while recovering from Disseminated Zoster and bringing my adaptive and innate immune systems back in balance. My psoriatic arthritis in my hands and feet is better. My inverse psoriasis only flares if I eat something that triggers it. But my back pain was pretty constant this year and by the end of the year. My Functional Medicine doctor believes I would benefit from higher estrogen levels. So I decided to try some natural hormones before considering full hormone supplements again.

Remember, my struggle with arthritis started with menopause around 2014-2016. I took hormones briefly but stopped them in October 2018, about 3 months before my disseminated zoster diagnosis. I stopped ALL supplements in November 2019 when I started a very strict 5-day fast and 21-day elimination diet, which is part of what helped put the disseminated zoster in remission. The psoriatic arthritis initially got worse but it got better after about 6 weeks on the diet. The psoriasis also went into remission, but only for about a month. The first time I had alcohol and challenged my diet the psoriasis came back. I have not tried hormones again since.

To fully understand why I was taking each of these supplements you’ll want to review my posts on the progression of my disease and the diet and elimination protocols I have tried.

September 2021-February 2022

I am forgetting my vitamins more than I am remembering them right now. My back is hurting worse too so I need to be more diligent about the vitamins to see if the back pain improves or if I should restart some of the previous vitamins. I also had 2 potential gluten exposures in the first 2 weeks of September that might be causing issues. Specific details are in my Food, Exercise & Symptom Diary.

Iron bisglycinate, 18mg. I was sent the wrong iron but I already opened it so will take it until it is finished. Ferrous Sulfate 65mg, 365 pills so 1 year!
5000 IU D3/100mcg K2 1/day
7/13/21: Kirkland Mature Multivitamin 1/day 7/13/21 to
Ultimate Omega 3, only taking one so 325 mg EPA, 225 mg DHA, 90mg other Omega 3s
Chelated Magnesiuim, 100mg tablets, taking 2 each night
FINISHED: Black Cohosh 540 mg, 1/night

February-May 2022

It is becoming a routine that I feel pretty bad at the end of winter. I assume I am low in Vitamin D but supplements aren’t enough. I need real sun. I had a lichen planus flare and found the topical Vitamin D cream to be the most effective at making it go away. In general, my muscles ache all over, similar to when I had disseminated zoster and I have found 2 random spots that were similar to the zoster spots. But nothing all over like I had before. I am considering restarting a biologic or some other drug. I live with chronic pain and fatigue.

Iron bisglycinate, 18mg. I was sent the wrong iron but I already opened it so will take it until it is finished. Ferrous Sulfate 65mg, 365 pills so 1 year!
5000 IU D3/100mcg K2 1/day
7/13/21: Kirkland Mature Multivitamin 1/day 7/13/21 to
Ultimate Omega 3 2X, only taking one so 5625 mg EPA, 438 mg DHA, 75mg other Omega 3s
L-Lysine, Free Form 1000mg, started when exposed to COVID
Zinc, Nature’s Bounty Zinc Gluconate, 50 mg. started when exposed to COVID but I think it upsets my tummy
Maxasorb Vitamin D3 cream for a week or two on lichen planus flare in late March
Releveum Aloe Vera Cream by Dessert Harvest. Made lichen planus feel better & may have tamped it down but I think the Vitamin D3 cream worked better.
Calm Magnesium, ~1tsp, 175mg Magnesium Carbonate, not sure helps with sleep though

June 2022

My winter pain had gotten so bad that I considered getting back on a biologic. Before doing that, my functional medicine doctor suggested I stop all supplements and repeat my 5-day fast and 21-day elimination diet. I decided to continue taking a new liquid magnesium supplement that I first learned about in The Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean. It is supposed to be easier for my body to absorb and when I first started taking it I thought I noticed improved muscle tone and strength. Since I’ve always been low in magnesium I decided to take it while doing this detox to see if it helps my body repair itself.

ReMag, gradually increased to 6ml in water over the course of the day.
ReMyte, gradually increased to 2ml in water over the course of the day.
Clearvite-CLA. Once per day for 1 week, twice a day for 1 week, three times a day for 4 days, then reduce back down to once per day for whole month

July-August 2022

I got COVID for the first time in early July. I can’t help but wonder if my immune system was weakened by either my June fast or by the removal of all my supplements. I didn’t take anything for COVID but I remembered there were quite a few vitamin protocols recommended so I added Zinc Quercetin and CoQ10 and will take them until I run out. COVID was pretty rough for 2-3 days and I was not myself with significant fatigue for at least 3 weeks.

Iron bisglycinate, 18mg. I was sent the wrong iron but I already opened it so will take it until it is finished. Ferrous Sulfate 65mg, 365 pills so 1 year!
5000 IU D3/100mcg K2 1/day
STOPPED 9/20/22: Kirkland Mature Multivitamin 1/day 7/13/21 to 9/20/22
Ultimate Omega 3 2X, only taking one so 5625 mg EPA, 438 mg DHA, 75mg other Omega 3s
ADDED July 15: Zinc Quercetin, 11mg/400mg 1/day.
ADDED July 15: Coenzyme Q10 100mg with Vitamin E 68mg

September-mid December 2022

My functional medicine doctor wants me to explore some supplements to support my own bodies process of making hormones. My estrogen is VERY low and while it seems like it may be normal for a woman my age, he says it does not have to be and that I would be healthier overall with more estrogen. The 4 supplements at the end of the list below are to support my adrenal system and hopefully get my body to start making more estrogen rather than cortisol. I have been using weights to exercise over the last few months and I do feel like my muscles are more responsive. My legs are a little better defined than they were at the beginning of the summer. Now I have to keep up the work. For some reason, I’m craving alcohol and gaining a little weight. I’m wondering if that could be a side effect of the hormones.

November 2022

I continued the natural hormone supplements for November. But my biggest change is that I recently stumbled across the “Pagano Method” from Healing Psoriasis by John O. A. Pagano. He developed this method to heal psoriasis a long time ago, when biologics were not as common, and there is photo evidence of it healing his patients! Psoriatic Arthritis is harder to prove because no one can see it, but I am going to try his method. One of his recommendations, using L-Glutamine powder, is something I’ve done for a while when I’ve had a case of diarrhea. But he recommends taking it regularly. So in early November I started taking about 3mg of L-Glutamine powder every morning and every evening, paired with brushing my teeth. He also recommends slippery elm bark tea, which I started, but I was drinking it in the evening. He recommends drinking it in the morning and apparently spaced apart from vitamins & food because it lines the intestines and can block nutrient absorption. So now my first tea of the day is slippery elm, about an hour or so after the vitamins. His book also recommends American Yellow Saffron tea, which I am starting a few weeks after the other steps but will drink in the evening. Early indicators are that this approach may be helpful. I have been drinking alcohol heavily this month and while there have been consequences, they are not as extreme as they were previously. I am going to cut back on the alcohol and see how it goes through the holidays.

December 2022

I finished the natural hormone supplements mid-December. My bloodwork does not show any marked improvement in my hormone levels, but anecdotally, I would say I am slightly improved. A mildly improved libido and lubrication level. I continued the “Pagano Method” from Healing Psoriasis by John O. A. Pagano. Slippery Elm Bark Tea in the morning, American Yellow Saffron Tea at night, and L-Glutamine morning and evening. Interestingly, I did read somewhere that Slippery Elm Bark Powder might also improve a woman’s lubrication level. I stopped all supplements around December 15 to January 4th to do ALCAT testing with PreviMedica. I go into more detail about this in my Food, Exercise and Symptom Diary

Iron bisglycinate, 18mg. I was sent the wrong iron but I already opened it so will take it until it is finished. Ferrous Sulfate 65mg, 365 pills so 1 year!
5000 IU D3/100mcg K2 1/day
STOPPED 9/20/22: Kirkland Mature Multivitamin 1/day 7/13/21 to 9/20/22
Ultimate Omega 3 2X, only taking one so 5625 mg EPA, 438 mg DHA, 75mg other Omega 3s
Zinc Quercetin, 11mg/400mg 1/day. Finish 11/18/22
Coenzyme Q10 100mg with Vitamin E 68mg. Finish Oct 2022
CHANGED from ReMag to Liquid Magnesium Take a half capful morning & evening.
ADDED October 7: L-Glutamine, Using 5mg /tsp powder under my tongue morning & night for diarrhea.
ADDED Sept 1: Opticrine (K3) 1 capsule morning & night. Stopped 11/23/22
ADDED Sept 1: Adaptocrine (K-2) 1 capsule morning & night
ADDED Sept 1: Prenenolone, 10 drops under tongue in morning
ADDED Sept 1: DHEA liquid, 10 drops under tongue in morning