HouseCall: Valtrex, Acid-Blocking Repercussions, Osteoporosis, Gut Permeability Issues

Thank you for joining us for our 2nd Cabral HouseCall of the weekend!

I’m looking forward to sharing with you some of our community’s questions that have come in over the past few weeks…

Let’s get started!

Lauren: Hi Dr. Cabral, First, thank you! You continue to help me daily! This question is for my sister. She is 32 and after doing a month of whole 30 she found out she has a mild case of Crohns in the tail of the small intestine. She only got ct scan and colonoscopy with biopsy. The gastro told her to take lialda 1.2 (2tablets a day) and budesonide 3mg (3times a day) for two weeks while she is overseas and then come in to discuss treatment. I am very anti this as the doctor never discussed why she has all this inflammation in the first place. For background she also found out she had HSV-2 3 years ago right after she randomly got shingles. for the HSV2, she takes Valtrex as she thinks its the only way. She has also been on birth control for 15 years. I believe since she started Valtrex, her stomach has been in shambles and her hair appears to be thinning. The doctor took her blood work and said everything seems ‘fine’ but she has elevated testosterone. First, Can you please recommend what she should do for Crohns as well as what foods she should eat/avoid… I want her to see a nutritionist to see what she can eat and/or a functional doctor or better yet you despite living in NY, to test for food sensitivities, organic acid test, heavy metals, thyroid etc. Secondly, can you please recommend the absolutely necessary testing she should get done and how she can go about NOT taking these harsh treatment drugs doctors typically prescribe? I have a feeling her immune system already is poor and those treatments will make it worse and lead to later bigger problems. Third, could the Valtrex and birth control and HSV2, in general, be something causing the Crohns? I want her off those medicines but I figured she may respond better to you rather than me telling her! Thanks in advance!! I really want to help her as she is overwhelmed and needs direction on what exactly to do/eat etc.

Lori: Hi Dr. Cabral. I’m so glad I found your podcast. I tell everyone about it and love passing on information to them that I think will help them – I have a question about my loud stomach. My stomach seems extremely loud after I eat, but there are even times when I haven’t eaten anything and it is still making gurgling noises. I drink a smoothie every morning using your daily nutritional support, and I just ordered the fruit and vegetable blend. I tried using the probiotic in the daily protocol but it made me so bloated and uncomfortable that I stopped taking it. My diet is okay. It could be better but I don’t eat red meat, have occasional chicken, and eat mostly fish. I don’t eat a lot of processed food, and I do some form of exercise every day, either rowing, elliptical, weights or yoga (my favorite). I also try to meditate daily. I do get heartburn and maybe 5 years ago I was put on Zantac every day. I went off after a year or two because I felt I didn’t need it anymore. Ironically, I was put on high blood pressure meds a few years ago even though I am not overweight and have no other risks factors other than high bp readings at dr.’s office. I’m 5’7”, 135, workout daily, limit salt, no red meat. In your podcast 108, it said low stomach acid could be a cause. I monitored my bp for one month at home and had very good readings. I brought that info to my PCP and he said I could possibly stop, which I did. I’ve been monitoring and am having good readings. It’s been almost 4 months that I’ve been off all medication, not even over the counter Tylenol. I’m wondering if you think my loud stomach is because of overgrowth and should I give the probiotics another try? It really made me very bloated and it was very uncomfortable. Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing what you think I should do.

Deb: Dr. Cabral, I am a new ‘convert’ to your wealth of health insights thanks to friend Lisa. I am 68 female with Hashimoto’s who has osteoporosis in both hips and osteopenia in the spine. I have resisted taking any of the bisphosphonates or Prolia in the 15+ years I’ve experienced bone loss due to all the side effects. I eat a healthy mostly Mediterranean diet (and no gluten, soy, or GMOs, eat organic 90%) and focus on exercises that will strengthen butt muscles and take ‘all the right supplements.’ A functional medicine osteoporosis expert proposes (while not a fan particularly) I take Prolia for 1 year and follow it up with a year on Fosamax reasoning that Prolia DOES build bone BUT if you stop it you are at greater risk of fracture. My integrative PCP is proposing Prolia and does not like bisphosphonates. What is your advice, please?

Sarah: Hi Dr. Cabral, I recently got introduced to your podcast through your interview on Jay Ferruggia’s podcast and I’ve been tuning in often to your podcast ever since! I’ve also been sharing it with my friends and colleagues and family members when I hear something on your podcast that might help them! So thankful for your insights and simple, straightforward approach to healing. Over the last year, I worked with a nutritionist in the Ottawa, Canada area (I also got him hooked to your podcast). Together we identified many food sensitivities (through electrodermal testing) and I changed my diet and approach to food drastically since then. (I’m trying to get my family on board but that has been a bit more challenging. But that is a topic for another day!) I saw immediate and ongoing amazing results. I am 5’4″, athletic body type although small, and when I was a teenager weighed around 105-110 lbs), but after my 2nd child, I kept gaining weight and couldn’t lose it even though I kept increasing my exercise and work-outs and considered myself to eat very healthy. I had reached over 130 lbs, felt tired all the time, and was experiencing early signs of depression. Removing the foods I was sensitive to, I lost 18 lbs in around 3 months, and I recently lost that last stubborn 5 lbs after a bout of the flu (I am now back to 108-110lbs!). I have more energy and more zest for life, etc. Among my food sensitivities are the usual culprits but also a curious list of fruits and vegetables: gluten, oatmeal, corn, soy, dairy, pork, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchinis, all legumes, papayas, mangos, kiwis, bananas, coconut products (except oil), sesame oil and seeds, garlic, food additives and stevia, etc. But I still experience frequent bloating and gas and sometimes constipation after having a “cheat meal” no matter how small the “cheat” ingredient is (which is on my food sensitivity list). The funny thing also is that my food sensitivities seem to change every few months. I also still struggle with psoriasis on my scalp – that has not gone away (had it for nearly 10 years now) and still is itchy even after 14 months of being on my program. I recently eliminated caffeinated coffee (still have decaf) and alcohol but this didn’t seem to do anything. I have sugar maybe once a week in a larger amount, usually it is a teaspoon or less per day. I eat vegetables and protein every meal (usually meat protein since I can’t do legumes) and do starch for lunch and dinner. I recently stopped eating between dinner and bedtime (and changed my bedtime routine based on your diurnal rhythms podcast episode. I go to bed close to 10 pm and I naturally wake up close to 6 am sometimes before. Whereas before I was so tired no matter how late I slept in!) I take magnesium glutamate (2 capsules before bed), a Vit B12 supplement (bought at pharmacy, Jamieson brand – my physician had identified low B12 levels through blood work before I started my diet change), and a Vit D3 supplement (also bought at the pharmacy). I also take a probiotic capsule every day (mix of bifido and lacto) that my nutritionist gave me specifically for IBD-type of symptoms. I take the odd digestive enzyme before a cheat meal, and during periods of more cheating (e.g. holidays) I take glutamine powder every day. Wondering if you have any specific recommendations on how to figure out the problem around my digestion and my psoriasis (I suspect they are related). I listened to your previous podcasts on psoriasis and also on food sensitivities and digestion related. However, I am not clear what is the best protocol to start with: candida yeast overgrowth protocol, or the detox, and should I do the 7 or 14 or 21 day detox? and then what? (weight loss is not my goal). And, based on my body type, should I be eating a different proportion of macronutrients? Also, my nutritionist’s method did not identify the severity of food sensitivities, so I don’t have a good sense for which foods to really remove completely and which ones are ok to cheat once in a while (other than dairy and gluten, they give me constipation for 3 days). Lent has started so this is a perfect opportunity to reset my body and my mind! Look forward to your suggestions. thank you so much.

Thank you for tuning into this weekend’s Cabral HouseCalls and be sure to check back tomorrow for our Mindset & Motivation Monday show to get your week started off right!