Hello everyone.

I’ll try my best to make this as concise as possible…

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2006, and started medication a few weeks after (Avonex). Up to 2011 I kept at it dutifully, despite no improvement in my symptoms and a handful of new plaques on each new MRI (which was why I switched to Tysabri after 4 years). By this time I almost hated the side effects of the meds more than the disease itself.

In the summer of 2011 I watched a video with Dr. Terry Wahls. After a lot of reading I cut out dairy first, within weeks grains and refined sugars followed. I stopped the meds cold turkey too. Within months my symptoms decreased dramatically, and haven’t visited me since.

The only remnant of my symptoms is fatigue and decreased sensitivity in my fingertips due to constant tingling, a big success considering I had tingling in most of my body, severe vertigo, facial numbness and stiff and unwieldy limbs (not all at once!). For me this diet changed my life.

Though my symptoms decreased dramatically, nothing happened to the seemingly non MS related issues. It only recently dawned on me that I had none of these things listed below on a SAD diet, except acne. (Hence the inquiry here.)

Dry scalp (entire flakes coming off all the time)
Dry face (which nothing seems to alleviate, not even shaving or scrubbing, or both...)
Somewhat dry skin over my entire body
Acne on face (back acne disappeared after removing dairy, a significant improvement in my face after removing virgin coconut oil/fat, but still it persists)

Dental caries forms easily (a teaspoon of honey for a week and my teeth object- it doesn’t take much longer before a dark splotch emerges on a tooth)

Nail fungus
Athlete’s foot
(these two are on my left foot solely, plus the skin on my big toe, from the base right up to the nail
is hard and cracked like an elephant’s, and it itches like crazy)
I also have these strange hard bumps on my soles, on both feet, little balls of hardened skin, that come off in one piece and leaves a crater.

Cuts and nicks take weeks to heal, and the mark is there for months sometimes.

I’ve been to several dermatologists about this, but the remedies they prescribed (ointments/creams) did nothing for me. I looked inwards.

Convinced I had candida, I did(summer of 2012) a pretty strict diet for about 6-8 weeks, low carb with lots of Oil of Oregano and other antifungals, with subsequent zombielike fatigue (herxheimer?) for about 2 weeks. Once that passed, I felt great. Still unsure whether it actually was a candida overgrowth…

I have tried cutting out the following to no avail, giving it at least 6 weeks each;
Eggs
Nightshades
Nuts & Seeds

I recently discovered that coconut fat/oil does me no good (stomach gurgling), and I had been eating 1-2 tablespoons a day since I started my modified Paleo diet.

These are the supplements I take;
Vitamin D (D3) around 4000IU a day
Vitamin B12 1000µg a day
Occasionally omega 3, and a combination of calcium-zinc-magnesium (perhaps twice a week)

digestive enzymes (13 different in one pill)
probiotics (6 billion, 10 different strains)
naturally fermented pickles, homemade kimchi, homemade and storebought sauerkraut

Eggshells for the calcium
Recently started eating oatmeal, either soaked or fermented with raw cocoa (the oatmeal is gluten free, and since i don't feel strange after eating it, I go for it)

What’s strange is that when I exercise (mostly with weights) I sometimes start yawning in the middle of it, and have to push myself through it as a massive fatigue comes over me. But once I’m finished, I feel great, my mind’s lucid and my whole body is happy.

I have tried figuring out the cause/causes of this, asking myself whether it might have been any of these things;
Antibiotic treatment for acne repeatedly as a teenager (from age 13-16) which damaged my gut flora
Impaired organ/organs due to the MS meds
Nutrient deficiency
Food allergy/sensitivity
Candida or other fungi/bacteria behind it (behind the MS?)


I recently had another MRI, which showed a bunch of new plaques. My doc wants me back on meds, but I refuse. He says it’s just a matter of time before a severe handicap occurs...

Does anyone have any thoughts on the correlation between plaques and handicap on a paleoish diet?
How long should I wait before I see the full effects of a new diet?


All thoughts are greatly appreciated, since I feel like I’m at a dead end.


Thanks for your time

Best wishes einhippo

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

I have a few short questions:

1) Did you have a B12 test done before starting your supplement?
Is it the cyanocobalamin or the active methylcobalamin?
Do you take it on an empty stomach?
Some people lack the genetic enzyme to convert cyano to active methyl. If this is you and you are low to begin with, you won't see much or any benefit from what you take. It should be taken on an empty stomach as very little is absorbed, and that little bit which is all you really need, can be lost when food is present and never get to the places in the small intestine where absorption exists.

2) Is the magnesium in your supplement magnesium oxide?
If so you will have to take another form because it is not absorbed. Another chelated type like citrate, gluconate, lactate, or malate, etc are alternatives. Eating almonds, beans, and yogurt, may help as they provide good amounts as food sources.

3) watch your calcium intake when taking that high dose D3.
Some cardiologists are suggesting that with high dose Vit D3, much of the calcium in foods is more absorbed, and supplements should only be done in much smaller doses if at all.

4) Essential fatty acids, like fish oil, need to be taken every day, if you are not eating good food sources. Our bodies cannot make them, and they must come from food or supplements. Your dry skin may reflect this need. Make sure you take at least 3 a day with food. You can break that up as one with each meal, which makes them easier on the stomach.

While certain diets seem to help reduce the severity of MS symptoms, as do some medications, sadly, nothing so far has come out as a sure fired cure for everyone.
I like that you have been taking a step by step approach and then waiting to see if any difference is noted. That is certainly the best way to see how things may affect you personally.

with love, Erika

What is your diet made up of exactly? Seems like you've eliminated most food groups.

Hi there and welcome.

From your post, it sounds like your new diet is helping to alleviate some of your MS symptoms but not helping in your all around health.

Are you drinking enough water? I don't know what is lacking in that diet, but if your skin is that dry and cracking, then, obviously, something is either missing or an ingredient is causing it? Your skin needs moisture from within as well as from lotions.

Thanks for the replies!

I did not have a b12 test prior, I started supplementing with it after reading some research from japan how methylcobalamin helped the brain, not just for ms but other diseases as well.

the magnesium I take is oxide, citrate and gluconate

I'll definitely up my Omega3 intake

my diet consists of pretty much everything part from dairy, grains and refined sugars...meat, fish, greens, nuts, fruit etc

thanks again and have a great day!

Another comment:

When a product gives more than one magnesium listed on the label, like yours does... the vast majority of the mag is Oxide.
This is because the others heavier and would make the pill too large to swallow, and because it is the cheapest.

Don't assume you are getting much benefit from that combination product for the magnesium. Magnesium is critical so consider a different product.

I'd add 3-4 tbsp of flax seed oil (don't heat it) per day as a dressing or whatever to eliminate the need for an omega supplement. Also putting some chia seed in your oatmeal, and maybe adding savi seeds as a snack. For your skin, add more whole fats like veggies/fruits...bananas, avocado, cantaloupe, etc... Putting some aloe gel in your water may help as well. Hydrate with coconut water and see if that works better than the oil too.

Maybe think about listening to your doc as well. Sometimes a combo of both western and eastern medicines is a great solution. But your responsible for your own body.

@einhippo:

Flax is good, but be aware that males do not convert this omega-3 source to long chain EPA and DHA in large amounts like women do. There is a genetic difference in the genders for this task because women must nourish the developing fetus to birth.
This requires huge amounts of DHA for that developing brain.

When adults get low in omega-3s males should take some of their supplements as fish or krill oil. One cannot assume a male will make enough DHA and EPA for their needs from flax sources alone.

Flax is a good source for skin issues in both genders. Dry flaking skin, thick callouses on the feet, etc, will respond nicely to Omega-3 (alpha linolenic acid) provided by flax, walnuts, and a few other veggie sources. Flax also helps with acne. We used it for our son, back when, and it was very successful.