HouseCall: Itchy Legs & Anus, Seborrheic Dermatitis, High Estrogen, ME/CFS, Dizziness, Bloated Face

Izziness, We’re back with our 2nd day of the Cabral HouseCalls and I’m looking forward to sharing with you more of our community’s questions…

Let’s get started!

Leilani: Dear Dr. Cabral, I have tried dry brushing twice and each time I start off, I’m fine for around 2 to 3 weeks after which my legs start to itch! I brush for a few minutes before showering and then when I dry my legs after coming out of the shower, they will not stop itching for quite a while. Rubbing with a towel or just my hands make it feel better for a little bit, but then it just starts off again. At first, I didn’t see anything strange (like a rash) but when I looked closer I could just slightly make out some small white spots…? Eventually, the itching will go away (10 – 30 minutes later) but sometimes when I sit on the train (when my legs make contact with something, usuly wearing trousers) it can kick off again. After I stop with the brushing, my legs will continue to itch after showering for up to a month. I only moisturize my body with coconut oil, which I have for years now, so I know it’s not that. I only use natural soaps from the health food store, also have done so for years, so I don’t think it’s that. Our towels are cotton, always have been. This occurs whether my legs have been shaved ot not. We don’t have a water filter in our shower and the water is quite hard – we’ve lived in hard water areas for many years and it didn’t do anything to my skin, it’s just when I start dry brushing. The brush I have came in a gift pack with some natural skin care profucts, so I assume the bristles are natural, but it did ‘t say. The last time I tried I made a point of not rubbing too hard, just making very gentle strokes. But just before I stopped again the second time, my arms also started feeling itchy although nowhere near as bad as my legs. I did take Roaccutane when I was a teenager, which dried out my lips to this day. Could it have had an effect on all of my skin? I do get stretch marks very easily and whenever I go for a facial I’m told my skin is quite dry. I drink a lot of water and herbal tea during the day, is there something else I can try? Dry brushing seems like such an easy thing to do to benefit your health, it’s just so annoying this happens when I try. Thanks again for your amazing podcast and especially all the time you spend educating all of us on a healthier way of living. It is so very much appreciated.

Marie: Hi Stephen, I have an itchy patch on my gluteal cleft and sometimes also around the anus. It gets worse around menstruation. I did have candida overgrowth a couple of years ago and did a cleanse to balance things out. I’m wondering if this could be a yeast issue or something else. I’m in my 30’s and have an active lifestyle. I occasionally drink matcha and have chocolate (Hu Kitchen/Eating Evolved) sweetened with coconut sugar. I don’t eat dairy & occasionally eat gluten. I mostly shop at the farmers market & whole foods eating little to no processed foods regularly. Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts. I really appreciate listening to your podcast because you give so much information & you’ve taken the time to study both eastern & western medicine.

Tara: What can you tell me about seborrheic dermatitis? What are the causes and what are the treatments? And will lab tests help determine root causes? Thanks!

Stephanie: Hi Dr Cabral, first off love the podcasts, they are a daily ritual for me. I am writing because I just finished the 21-day detox with the sole purpose of trying to get rid of lifelong acne. I took prescriptions growing and 15 years ago before I was aware of how bad it was, I took Accutane which got rid of it temporarily but it now seems to be getting more aggressive as I get older. Unfortunately the detox didn’t help. I have been eating a plant-based diet for about 6 months now and am thinking this isn’t diet-related at all. I feel great, have lots of energy, sleep well, no stomach pains or bloating or weird cravings. I do have really heavy and long periods and surprisingly have no acne when I am pregnant or breastfeeding. I have seen a natural Dr who ran a ton of blood work and said everything looks pretty good but noted my Estradoil and Estrone were a bit high and put me on some progesterone because she said it’s a tad low, but I took myself off because I felt horrible on it. She also gave me several supplements but here I am 4 months later with acne. I’m not ready to give up yet, but don’t know where to go next. I am not able to purchase every test so would love to know what you would suggest as my next step. Thanks so much for your time!

Amanda: Hello Dr. Cabral, I look forward to the weekend house calls each and every week. The amount of information that I gain from these calls has helped me immensely in my private practice. I have a client who has come to me with ME/CFS. She has had a myriad of health issues since she was a child and has finally been “diagnosed” with ME/CFS. She is very aware of diet and nutrition (bachelors in nutrition), has tried many different alternative methods of healing, and still can’t seem to find answers. She has had copious amounts of antibiotics around 2014-2015 and right now we are working on rebuilding her gut flora, but her stomach is very sensitive so many things she struggles with including sauerkraut. Do you have any advice on this condition or ways you would advise me to help her progress back to health and vitality? Thank you so much for all the knowledge and healing wisdom you share.

Tony: Dr. Cabral, I’ve listened to a couple of your podcasts regarding Menieres “disease”. I was diagnosed with this about 18 months ago which was about 6 months after my initial onset of tinnitus. The ringing and pressurized feeling started in my right ear in August of 2015. At the time I believed it was directly related to stress. I had just moved my family across 3 states, my wife was pregnant with very severe kidney complications, and I had left my old career behind to become a Police Officer. In February of 2016 I had my first experience with brain fog and severe dizziness. Since then I have had seasons where it increases and decreases in intensity. I was also diagnosed with a shift work sleep disorder. Long story short the dizziness and nausea became too intense to continue in my new career as a Police Officer. Menieres has drastically impacted my life and I’m hoping to find out what I can do differently to get my life and health back. A little more info about me that may be helpful…I lift weights about 5 days a week and have always taken care of my body. I generally eat a protein rich diet and especially have been consuming lots of cruciferous vegetables lately. I typically start my days with anti oxidant berry blend smoothies with a handful of spinach and a scoop of Muscle Farm’s Combat Powder(tri-blend protein). I’ve started to limit processed foods but I still eat a lot of bread. I have noticed that my worst days often fall a day or two after a “cheat day” where I probably binged on chips or other similar processed foods. I’ve become very conscientious of sodium intake but I still experience random bouts of brain fog and dizziness. For a short, while I was receiving vestibular therapy and dry needling around my right trapezius/upper back and shoulder area. I found that very relaxing and that it did suppress some symptoms. However, as I said, since then I have had to walk away from my job as a Police officer and no longer have insurance coverage for V therapy or dry needling. I’m curious to know… I’ve had a very high protein diet for about 11 years since I really got into weightlifting. Is there a possibility that I’ve just trashed my gut and it may be manifesting itself through the ringing and dizziness in my ear? What would be the test you recommend to look into this? Also, for years I have taken Benadryl (1 tablet) at night to help me fall asleep. Is there any way that this could also be causing an adverse reaction affecting my Menieres diagnosis? Thank you so much for what you do, you’re a blessing to many, and I’m looking forward to hearing back from you soon. -Tony

Alexandra: Hi Dr. Cabral, Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions! I was just wondering if you’d have any idea why I’m overall a lean female but frequently feel as if my face is bloated. Others tell me they don’t notice it but I know I have fluid retention there and it can be discouraging. Any tips? Thanks!

Thank you for tuning into today’s Q&A and hopefully, you picked up a lot of tips along the way!