Hey there,For 8 yrs now, haven't been able to eat a nice normal ham sandwich(or anything w/ nitrates). I ate one 3 days ago, and for the first time since IBS came along--NO REACTION. I did go thru a "die-off" period, where I got a bit of a cold & more D trips, but it wasn't bad at all.Thx so much for your advice...I found online another person who has taken GSE after their CDSA (stool test) found C Freundii and it took care of it for him...but he has to take GSE everyday, or his D comes back. I'm hoping if I can find the right probiotic, that won't be the situation for me. The intestinal microbe world is a complex one...But I still need to take the fiber. I may at some point, when I'm less busy, try going off the fiber for a week. Anyways, I've also read that GSE is effective ag many other bacteria & parasites, along w/ yeast, that can cause IBS symptoms. Maybe that's why so many people respond to taking it.How are you doing took20?Talissa
Took20...the Grapefruit Seed Extract(GSE) works for me 2
1 - 20 of 455 Posts
Well, I guess took20years is not around right now...But I "need to share" this. As a non-practicing CN, I'm ashamed of myself. I've been eating like a college student again, just to test this new improvement out. I've drank soda, eaten chips, big bowl of pasta, all former triggers--still no reaction. (I won't continue this, but its fun for now!)After 8 yrs, it's weird. Really good, but weird. I'm going 2xs solid in the am...& think if I quit the high fiber, that will bring it down to 1 per/am...After 3 weeks taking the GSE in liquid form, I've been taking the GSE in caps(Proseed http://www.imhotepinc.com/product1.html ) since Dec 26th.Unlike took20, who got better taking the caps with meals, I'm following the directions on the bottle--3 caps daily on an empty stomach.I take probiotics before bed(right now it's Jarro-Dophilus & iFlora).Is anyone else trying out the GSE caps??Anyone?
I started the cps just a few days ago, so it's too early to make a judgement yet. Some of my bms have been a bit too loose, but maybe that's from something else. I don't seem to be experiencing die-off, but did have a long run on the liquid drops during the past year. I took the drops between meals, but the recommendation for my cps is to take them shortly after meals, so I might experiment both ways.I would be interested to know what fibre you are taking, Talissa. Thanks.
TalissaYou just made my day!!!!My oldest daughter went back to college on Sunday so I have spent the past 3 or 4 days getting the house back to normal and just now checked the new posts! I am SO happy it's working for others!!I knew it would!I am still doing very well. As a matter of fact, yesterday the 9th was exactly 3 months since I first started taking the GSE. I made one of my favorite homemade soups over the weekend, black beans, corn, carrots, veggie broth and tomatoe based and cheese sprinkled on top. The tomatoe, cheese and broth would have had me on the floor with a migraine and moaning from stomach pain. But instead I have been savoring every spoonful of this healthy meal! I have had been eating raisins again, I have also had nitrites and nitrates too. But the best thing is being able to eat tyramines again which is in so many foods! I have gained a few pounds. Well..... Back to my usual 105 lbs ( I had gone down to 102-103 lbs for the last 8 months from not being able to eat so many things). My brother who was diagnosed with IBD about 7 years ago started the GSE before the holidays. He called a few nights ago and said he's noticed a change. How do I put this? When he goes he actually can call it a BM now. He said it's solid for the first time in YEARS! He is taking the GSE 2 to 3 times a day and the probiotic once every morning. None of the medicines his doctor has given him over the last 7 years has ever done this for him. The GSE I'm taking says : Suggested Use: Take one capsule one to three times daily, with or without meals, or as directed by a health care provider". I'm hypoglycemic so if I can take something with food I try to do that so I don't feel sick. I still take 2 or 3 GSE a week and 1 probiotic every day. I still can not believe that after 20 years I am CURED! Even the bleeding from my colon has almost completely stopped. It's just spotting every so often. I go to my oncologist/hemotologist this Friday for the results to the blood tests he took a few weeks ago. I almost bought some ham lunch meat the other day. I got scared! I'm trying all the tyramine foods first. I have been eating cheese on just about everything and fruits I had to give up. Spaghetti!!! I missed eating spaghetti! We have a garden every year and I always make home made marinara sauce and stock our freezer in our garage with quarts and quarts of it. I had to quit all tomatoe meals. NOT ANY MORE!!!CONGRATS TALISSA!You're off to a New Year!
For those who are going to try the GSE.First make sure you are not taking any other medicine that can't be taken with GSE. Ask your doctor if you can take GSE with that particular drug.Also, patience is the keyword.I noticed a change from the GSE after taking it for about 2 weeks. It was a subtle change, but a NICE subtle change. Every day after that I seemed to be getting better and better. My brother started noticing a change after about 3 weeks, again, very subtle. He said each day now he gets more and more solid. He didn't have the horrible cramping that I had for 20 years. With me the nicest change was having the cramping after eating start going away. That also took 2 or 3 weeks to subside. I don't have ANY cramping after eating anymore! Some people may take a few weeks to notice a change, others may take longer. But it seems to be a process that takes a little time for our bodies to heal, but when it does:HAVE FUN EATING AGAIN!
Hi guys & took20,Am so glad I'm not the only one trying this out! But you called it took20, I've got bad news...I still can't eat chocolate. (That or I jinxed myself yesterday...) Got a bit carried away, I guess.Just need to remind myself it's only been a bit over a month & natural agents don't work like Rx drugs & need to be given time.Btw, for anyone who's unaware, here's some interesting info on grapefruit seed extract~"CONCLUSIONS: Plant-originated substances are highly gastroprotective probably due to enhancement of the expression of NOS I, NO release and an increase in gastric microcirculation."Influence of plant-originated gastroproteciive and antiulcer substances on gastric mucosal repair."CONCLUSIONS: The initial data shows GSE to have antimicrobial properties against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive organisms at dilutions found to be safe. With the aid of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), the mechanism of GSE's antibacterial activity was revealed. It was evident that GSE disrupts the bacterial membrane and liberates the cytoplasmic contents within 15 minutes after contact even at more dilute concentrations."The effectiveness of processed grapefruit-seed extract as an antibacterial agent"Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is truly a broad-spectrum natural antibiotic, capable of killing a wide variety of pathogens. Highly active against protozoa, bacteria, yeast and some viruses, it has been used for quite some time in the treatment of parasitic infections. It is nontoxic, generally hypoallergenic and can be administered for up to several months, which may be required to eliminate stubborn infections...GSE has been shown to be effective in treating hundreds of different organisms including: Shigella, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Giardia lamblia, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycobacterium species, Campylobacter, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Proteus, Cholera, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Legionella pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Herpes simplex 1, Influenza A2, and measles virus. GSE has been shown to kill both gram-negative and gram-positive strains of bacteria."http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T223917.htmlI'm so incredibly HAPPY for you took20!!! (that soup sounds amazing...) And thx for the congrats, & esp for leading me back to GSE. I gave up on it too soon abt 6 yrs ago when I tried it, in liquid form....
Hey Arnie, I take metamucil(2T, am & b4dinner), which is psyllium. When I can stock up, I get the healthfood store brands of psyllium which don't have sugar...I'm like my granny right now--gotta have my metamucil.
![]()
It's my goal to get off the stuff, but in the meantime, I'm pretty grateful...
Talissa, question..? When you had your last stool culture what was your balance of microbes, I was very Bifdo and to a lesser extent lacto difficient, but no pathogenic quantities were found. When I had my last one completed I was almost sure it was going to come back with a positive klebsbelia, but nada.. I was advised not to use any anti-microbials, I had already stocked up on Bactrim and naturalcides like GSE. I am in your camp about the the ecology of the GI tract, I do believe it is the root cause of most IBS cases, perhaps chronns and IBD as well. However the only way to prove it is successful for IBS is for us to be healthy, and symptom free....a tough thing to accomplish but people like you are leading the way....keep up the great posts....good luck
Hi Ng, That must be pretty frustrating to have gotten rid of the kp only to still have problems...did you take an antibiotic to get rid of it? Have you checked to see if c difficile is resistant to it? In milder forms, the c diff can seem like IBS-D...What symptoms are you having?The GSDL has a separate test for C Difficile...maybe your lab is the same? And maybe you've got IBS-C & all this random speculation is just wasting space...
![]()
Do you still have the fatigue?When I took the CDSA late 2004, it showed citrobacter freundii at 4+, and klebsiella at 3+. Both are resistant bacteria to the Flagyl I took before getting chronic d(they're also resistant to the tetracycline I took for a yr as a teen)... I had low bifido at 1+ and no lacto. (you're not allowed to take probiotics before and during testing days) I haven't retested but may do so after more time on GSE. GSE also is "gastroprotective" due to its antiinflammatory effects on the gut wall. It's a flavonoid. I -think- I'd try it if I were you...Really depends on the symptoms. Just having low good bugs can change motility, lead to inflammation, etc...
Btw, I've read how some bifidobacteria & lactobacteria are resistant to a ctn few antibiotics...but I can't find any studies done on how GSE affects the good bugs. I have found sites that CLAIM it doesn't affect the good microflora, but none have proof...Logic dictates GSE kills the good bugs, which is just another reason I take probiotics(I'll never stop)...but there's no proof.T-
Joined
·
983 Posts
This thread is being moved to the appropriate topic forum : SupplementsThank you for your cooperation.
Took20, I cannot remember when I last had beans or sweetcorn, though I'm planning to have some sweetcorn in the near future to check out the transit time.Talissa, I often take metamucil (usually with bentonite clay), but have read varying reports about not taking it with other meds or supps. It makes it a bit hard to juggle times as I'm on a big array of supps, so I'll have a rest from it for now.I'm wondering if some GSE brands are not as effective as others. I got Pure Encapsulations, as that was the only brand I could get from a site I was ordering other supps from, but it might pay to order one of the brands recommended on this site.
Arnie, I have been eating all the things I had to stop eating for so long! I began having food sensitivities to nitrites and nitrates around 2 years ago and tyramines 8 months ago. I have been adding these to my diet over the last month. It is SO wonderful! I had lots of tyramines today - strawberry jam on toast, cheese and even tomatoe based baked beans with lunch. I have a spoonful of metamucil each morning with breakfast. I've been taking that for years. I'm not sure if I really need it anymore since the GSE worked so well. The GSE I have is NutriBiotic Capsules Plus GSE 125mg. I notice it even has a website listed on the bottle : http://www.nutribiotic.comI buy it from a local natural type shop locally.
Took20, I was wondering about ordering the nutribiotic. I've found a site that can mail it overseas, so that would be my best option.I'm so glad that it is working so well for you people. There are many types of food that I cannot eat without suffering the consequences, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Arnie, I haven't done a search for GSE online since I found it in my area. For years I have been ording Aloe Vera Gel Pills from a mail order company. I checked their catalog and was disappointed to find they didn't carry GSE. Good luck. If you do get some GSE please let us know if it works for you too. I was still taking 2 GSE pills a week but I think it's about time I can even quit those. I will always keep a bottle on hand in case I get sick or have any intestinal problems. I keep a bottle of Aloe Vera pills on hand too.
Joined
·
6,019 Posts
For what it is worth:Several years ago I was given GSE by a naturopath as part of a liver cleanse. That might be the simplest method of locating it.Keep the faith, Talissa. Your body most likely has a significant amount of repairs to accomplish. Chocolate will come when you are ready for it.(And why don't threads on Immodium get moved to OTC? Oh, never mind.
![]()
)Mark
Hey Talissa I think you answered my question about the GSE affecting the Lacto and Bifdo, it might, but as long as you keep supplementing heavily I think maybe a month of treatment would be enough, depending on the bugs your killing... I went through Great plains laboratory for my last test, and they found no dysbiotic bacteria, nor any parasites, Giarda, Crypto..... I am sort of stuck right now so I will try the GSE for a couple of weeks see if it helps put me over the wall.....I don't know about taking somethings like GSE for too long, if you have microscopic intestinal fractures in your GI tract which most of us do with allergies, and severe IBS, need to rotate the products wew use or we end up getting reactions to them. I ended up being allergic to grapes, and olives because I used to take grape seed extract and used olive oil for all my cooking. So I have learned that rotating is important but extremely difficult when someone is in the sort of terrible shape I used to be....I still have a little fatigue I workout moderately hard, and my nervous system as well as every other system is still trying to heal. Finding the peices of the puzzle in my opinion revolve around eliminating allergens first while healing the epithelium with proper supplements....Probiotics are the key.....in returning our guts to the stage they were before we compromised them with anti-biotics and everything else we consume that is negative to health....but yes I did use Bactrim to kill off my Klebsbelia....with lots of probiotics afterwards....something the AMA knew 30 years ago but failed to let the rest of us know about...I guess they figured years ago that one size fit...or that they could not market yogurt cultures...I don't know but if they did I am sure it would have eliminated my living hell for the last 10 years.....simple but so long to understand....
Exactly what ticks me off the most. And very few docs are telling people today to counter the antibiotics w/ probiotics to prevent problems. I just told a student of mine about it, she's an educated American, mid-20s, & on antibiotics for a gum infection...she had no idea what probiotics are...
I don't know if anyone's still following this thread now that's its baaaack in the caaaave...But I'm still doing very well. I take 3 GSE a day still, with high dose of Jarro-Dophilus before bed....I'm eating healthier whole foods again, like I have been for the past 7 years or so...It was fun(ALOT of fun!), going off track there though w/ the processed food...Now, I don't know if it was the chocolate that made me go more, or just high sugar consumption at one time...I have to keep the sugar down, not gone, but down, and I have no other intolerances...Which wasn't the case for a very very long time...It's great. Just slowly as time goes by, I've been able to add more back into my diet.I am concerned though w/ staying on the psyllium for so long...we'll see...So bye-bye for now, if anyone's oooout theeere!!Talissa
1 - 20 of 455 Posts
Join the discussion
