[hopeful]

Hello Everyone,
My Accupressurist did a hair analysis for me from Trace Elements Inc. I am wondering if anyone has had this done or heard about it. It showed me to have Low Thyroid Function (which I do). High Calcium and Copper, High CA/P ratio, High Na/Ka ratio, high Ca/Mg ratio, Low Fe/Copper ratio.

They recommended a lot of different vitamins and minerals. The cost is 171.20 for 30 days. My accupressurist said I can use 1/2 of what they recommend and get 60 days use. My endocronolgist said he could not sign off on any of this since there is no research done on it.

If anyone here knows anything about this or has any thoughts on it please share. I am unsure what to do. I hate to put out that kind of money but if it will help me.....However, i don't think I will be able to keep it up.

Also, she is now recommending I have my blood tested for food sensitivities. The company is Cell Science Systems. The website is www.alcat.com. She said there may be some food sources that are causing some of my symptoms. She gave me a form to be sure it is covered by insurance and said I need a doctors note and she will provide the test tubes as long as I go to Quest diagnostics.

Unsure what to do. Has anyone ever heard of this company or had other food sensitivity testing done. If so did it help to eliminate the foods you were sensitive to.

Mrs. D it seems you have been studying all of this for many years have you heard anything about these test? By the way I went to CVS today ours doesn't have the epsom lotion. I am going to look on line.

I would really appreciate any information anyone can give me. So many different things are recommended to me that half the time I don't know what to do.

Oh as a side note I do think my accupressurist is great. She is very caring but not all that familiar with neuropathy.

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give me
hopeful

[mrsD]

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/sh...new_crumb=true

Right now today there is no sale on this. But sometimes it goes down to 5.99 or 7.99.
There is a shipping charge however.

If I were you I'd talk to the manager of the store and have HIM order it for you. It is a regular product of theirs and there would be no shipping charge if you had them get it for you at store level.

Two CVS locations near me carry it all the time regularly.
It may be put in odd spots in the store. I've seen it with the Thermacare patches, or next to the epsom salts. There is no specific spot for it, it seems.

As far as expensive supplements go, I'd do this:

1) increase your intake of potassium rich foods. A can of V8 juice (not the fusion type) has more potassium than an RX supplement! 800mg for regular and 1100 for low sodium. Cantaloupe --1/2 melon has 1400mg potassium! You don't need a supplement for that.

2) get that lotion, and try it first.

Your hair analysis did not show heavy metals? Copper can be mildly elevated when zinc is low. You could take an inexpensive zinc supplement and that will lower copper. Clinically low iron (FE) would show up as anemia in your regular medical testing.
The main reason for hair testing IMO is to get any hint of toxic heavy metal loads.
This zinc supplement is the best one on the market IMO:
http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals...lets/1361?at=0
About a year's supply for 9.80. Most quality health food stores have this but it may be a bit more expensive. A close second choice would be zinc picolinate which is also common in store locally.

I am not familiar with Alcat testing... so I cannot really help you there.
But doing an elimination diet, is free, and works too. I just did that myself with gluten and nightshades, and citrus. Stop eating the suspected thing for 2 weeks and reintroduce it. This can be very revealing!
The offender typically can turn out to be something you love and crave...allergenic things tend to do this, make you want to eat them MORE.

I would start with magnesium, the lotion. And/or some supplements orally. (not oxide type)
Here is a link to a food information site which will help you choose foods high in potassium and magnesium.
example for edamame beans (you have to shell them yourself):
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/...roducts/9873/2

These are really good. I buy them cooked and frozen and just thaw in boiling water for 5 minutes or less. They taste good and are satisfying and help with blood sugar control. A wonderful source of potassium, magnesium and zinc. And not expensive.

[Marlene]

We've used hair analysis a few times and have gotten some valuable insights from them. Having said that, we have found that you need someone who knows how to assess the results accurately. In some cases, you can use the hair analysis to address nutritional issues. But in others, it's an indicator that you need further testing.

Like with your iron and copper. If you haven't already done this, you can do blood serum levels of your iron. Ferritin is a good indication of iron status. They can check your iron, TIBC, %saturation, UIBC and Ferritin. I don't know how accurate the hair analysis is for low iron stores but I do know that the hair analysis is NOT a good test for excess iron.

Zinc, copper and iron are closely linked. If one is abnormal, it can effect the others. So it would be good to check your zinc and copper blood serum also. You can get a complete copper/zinc profile done.

I think Mrs. D's suggestion on adding zinc (to lower copper) and the foods rich in potassium and magnesium (to help the calcium) are a good idea. Green leafy vegetables are also good to add add for the minerals and vitamin K.

Identifying and correcting food sensitivities can go a long way in helping your body to heal and self-correct.

What specific nutrients are they recommending? If iron is one of them, I would not start with a iron supplement until you get confirmation of low iron. Also, is your vitamin D in a good range?

[mrsD]

Yes, I agree with Marlene. Self medicating with iron is not a good idea. Always do that based on medical testing results, and doctor supervision. Often only short term supplements if found to be needed are required. But people differ. Iron overload is a serious thing, and to be avoided at all costs.
You don't see me recommending iron on these boards EVER.
That is a medical decision IMO.

[hopeful]

Hi Marelene and Mrs. D., I had my vit D level check with endo just this month and he said it was WNL. I don't know the number. One of supplements recommended by the hair analysis is iron. I will stay away from that until I have blood serum level done. I was actually surprised my vit D was ok because I have given up all dairy products due to hair saying I had high Ca. Her I found out that dairy may have been giving be stomach issue. They seem to have gone away.
I have written down all the suggestions you made for blood serum testing. I have an appt with my rheumotologist tomorrow and will ask him to order these.

I have also written down your suggestions for supplemental replacements and will be picking those up. Thanks you so much as this will be saving me a lot of money. I feel like I spend so much on healthcare already.

Mrs D. I actually like those beans so I will pick some up along with the V8 juice. The idea to speak with the manager at CVS is not one I thought of. I'll be doing that also.

Can either of you let me know what foods you decided to eliminate from you diet and why. Did it help with your neuropathy? I just hope it is not chocolate for me. That is one thinkg I crave!
Thanks so much to both of you for all you do for all of us here.
Hopeful

[mrsD]

You have to ask for your D results.... "normal" doesn't cut it anymore. Some lab ranges for D go down to 30... which is not normal anymore. Goal is 50 or above.

Gluten is a prime candidate to start with. I think the most common intolerance. We've had people on PN who turned out gluten intolerant and by eliminating it were better.

Nightshades are a problem for me... potatoes esp and also too many tomatoes. (I only have a very tiny amount of bland tomato sauce now and then). Potatoes make my feet burn terribly. Peppers also make me burn.

I've given up sugar and fructose. I can tolerate an orange a day, but not much else, fruit wise. I have terrible GI problems from sugars.

I think anyone with PN should avoid MSG at all costs. This form of glutamate stimulates the NMDA receptor for pain. Read your labels always. Watch for it in restaurants. Chinese, esp but also others that have sauces, and soups where it is commonly added.

Other offenders are dairy protein (casein), chocolate, soy, corn.

Eliminate one at a time and reintroduce...each person is different!

[Marlene]

Mrs D hit the major offenders. Sugars (natural and artificial sweeteners) are troublesome especially if you have digestive issues.


One way to approach it is to keep a log of what you are eating at each meal. and how you feel. What items are appearing daily or even at each meal, and see if you crave any of those. Are you tired or sluggish after a meal? Bloated or have heart burn. If so, those are suspect.

Most, if not all of us, eat a pretty static diet. Wheat, sugar, dairy, corn, soy show up daily. Corn, soy, and sugars are in processed foods. I find if I eat cow's dairy daily, I will end up with sinus congestion.

One other thing on the hair test....this is really a screening tool and has limitations. You can have false low/high values from hair care products. You need to take into consideration your symptoms, diet, lifestyle, stress level and other lab tests. So it's good you are going to check out your iron before starting a supplement. And finally, the test results on your CA,MG, P & K may be a result of electrolyte imbalance and/or adrenal function and not an deficient/excessive status of the mineral.

[mrsD]

Yes, the report on that hair analysis was in RATIO format.

Not in absolute values or concentration for each item listed.

I am not sure what the high calcium and high copper mean.
There are people who cannot metabolize copper properly. It will build up in the blood. It is called Wilson's disease.
This is not common however:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001789/

[Marlene]

I wonder if the high calcium is a result of not having enough of mag, Vit K and D to get the CA where it needs to be. But that's just a guess. You can have excess copper in hair samples from external hair products or swimming pool chemicals.

This delicate balance with copper, iron and zinc is beyond me. All I know is that they exist and you need to look a the bigger picture. When John did his first hair analysis it was before he started treatment for his bone marrow. His Zinc was high. The nutritionist told us that zinc dumps into the hair when vitamin D is low. And his cobalt was low...an indication that B12 is insufficient.
His blood serum B12 was a "normal" 392. HA! We were in such turmoil at the time and didn't have the luxury of time to research and correct nutritional issues before his treatment.

[mrsD]

Copper and zinc have a reciprocal arrangement. When zinc is low copper becomes high and vice versa. So someone with high copper and not with the Wilson's mutation, may be low in zinc.
Other signs of low zinc are frequent infections and hair loss.
Zinc is critical for proper immune functions. Some drugs deplete it, ACE inhibitors are the most common,but acid blocking drugs also block its absorption since acid is needed for its absorption.