From an article I published about my previous 5 plus years.
NDNR Article
November 2021 Men's Health Issue
Mais do que Desifanado
Port. to Eng.: More than slightly out of tune.
“And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels,”; this one line from Whitman’s poem, “Song of Myself”, has held such power throughout my life, and especially my life as a naturopathic doctor. Holding the possibility of miracles in our lives, having faith in the power and grace of spirit and nature; these have been the kindest companions throughout my own life and in my decades of naturopathic practice. They were absolute truths to my elder friends and teachers, Ralph Weiss, Bill Mitchell, Joe Boucher, Jon Bastyr, and so many others, who came into my life in the late 70’s and early 80’s. This humble faith in the power of nature and grace was palpable and visible and I’m sure aided their clinical brilliance in the simple tools of nature.
“My song”, “more than slightly out of tune”, is the clinical case that I have chosen to present in the Men’s issue of the NDNR. It has been more than five years since I have submitted an article to the NDNR or any other publication. A very long five years, four of which I suffered severe disabilities from a pharmaceutical injury. Sometimes rudderless, homeless for 23 months, hopeless, and isolated in my own desperate journey, I managed to hold on. My debt is to the vis, the spirit, the vital force that resides within, during our absolute worse times. The staggering miracle of the human body knows no limits and addresses the profoundly complex with the natural simplicity that takes the acorn into the mighty oak. With time, prayer, perseverance and patience, I completely recovered from over 90 long term clinical side-effects, on protocols based upon the time honored precepts of naturopathy.
The word “health” is defined as whole, being free of illness or injury, but this spans a huge spectrum of human states of existence. Restoring health from a state of distress or disease is the providence of our profession, and when this work involves organs, tissues and functions specific to the XY chromosomal expression of our species (ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny), it is a men’s health issue, or men’s health. It is wonderful to get rid of the need for a catheter, to have a strong urine stream, to have prostate markers normalize and symptoms disappear, but, is what is left “health”? While there are admittedly herbs, nutrients, dietary considerations and many different protocols associated with these conditions, I would put forth that men and women are nearly identical, and the practices of good health in nature are also nearly identical and that approach to men’s health issues is holistically, the same nature of addressing and removing the obstacles of the Body’s ability to restore ideal normal function.
Time: Dr. Who and Mr. McGoo
My story began after a perfect storm, 7 days of a pharmaceutical medication that changed my entire world. I would return home from the hospital to find my home empty, my then wife and daughter gone, along with furnishings, and empty accounts. I had been given a temporary one or two week prescription for zyprexa, which I handed to my new trusted primary, stating that, though I knew it to be against advice, I would cease cold turkey. We graduated together in 1983, and he knew my life-long avoidance of all prescription medicines. It was a wicked initial withdrawal, lasting more than a few months and continuing for 2 1/2 years. I would bear witness to a lengthy materia medica of withdrawal symptoms that outlined the many, many systems and regions of influence of this particular drug. I was pretty much clueless to what was happening to me, or what had happened. I would remain clueless for 18 months, during which time my business folded, I did not renew my license to practice, I lost my home, car, family, and in avoiding foreclosure was required to obtain an ad-litim, power of attorney as I was deemed incompetent and unable to understand my own interests. I remained completely disabled for 30 months, no short-term memory and unable to understand my best interests.
After losing my home, having lucked into a live social security agent, and having established early retirement, I became homeless for two years. I was isolated from others, was living through Facebook and a hot spot, and was plummeting into severe Complex PTSD and anxiety. My posts were off the charts and a one time student saved my life when she came to visit out of concern for me, viewed through my posts. I had lost 45 pounds, had non-healing wounds on both feet, was afraid to go out in public, terrified of sirens and all loud noises. Living my dream, I guess.
This doctor specialized in treating people and especially children with the long term side effects of zyprexa. I resembled the child response, which we felt might be due to my life time avoidance of pharmaceuticals, chemicals in foods and constant fasting detoxification. She told me that when parents come to her, wondering what has happened to their children, she tells them simply, the drug stole their soul and wiped out their gut serotonin. Bull’s Eye, the lost soul was so accurate, though indescribable until then, and the gut serotonin wipe out was why I had wasted to grade school weight, lost all fat and most muscle. She told me that she knew no teacher, peer or person that was as anti-pharmaceutical as myself, but in her approach, she would titrate through drugs like Ativan and Cymbalta; but that she didn’t think I would choose that approach. I told her I would take 10 weeks of natural therapy before even considering her titration approach. I chose a path of restoring health, once I knew what was the rate limiting impact of this drug’s side-effects.
When she mentioned a condition of long term side effects, I followed up to find two national class action suits settled for $2.6 billion with public records naming around 150 side effects. I was experiencing over 90 of these side effects, and while some were within the category of “male” health issues, fitting the criterion of this NDNR issue, the size and complexity of my problems left me thinking big picture, with nature and the body’s own restorative ability as the only long term approach.
As soon as I learned of the serotonin equation, being fully aware of my constant state of fight or flight, I knew that I was not processing my proteins and suffering a massive wasting syndrome. I initiated what I would call “Bio Fuel”, being branched chained amino acids and isolated essential amino acids added to vitamins, enzymes, minerals essential oils and lecithin. Within a few days, I had a glimpse of my soul and for the first time in 18 months my thoughts felt connected to my body; hard to describe if you haven’t been there. I would forget about water and fiber as I woke my body up, and I entered a very severe state of toxic depression for a few days, before I remembered my own work with patients that I was helping to detox. Water, psyllium and black cherry juice brought peace. I had non healing foot wounds during this time and an elder doctor said this was due to Selenium deficiency, and with 100 mg, bid, for 30 days, along with zinc at a similar dosage, all the wounds finally healed.
It would take me over a year to consume the three months worth of bio-fuel that travelled with me during my many homeless relocations, but I regained 35 of the 45 pounds, and was getting stronger, though none of the side effects had disappeared. I experienced almost all of the severe and less severe side effects cited in the class actions. Parkinson symptoms, disturbed personality, constant excitation, paranoia, depression, short term memory loss, severe back pain, constipation, constant nausea and frequent vomiting with difficulty swallowing and, unmentioned in the legal findings, a severe brain stem sensory blockage; these were the most challenging four year companions on my journey.
With the balance issues of the Parkinson’s symptoms, confused state, anxious and sleeplessness, I would fall or have accidents resulting in 9 fractures, complete rupture of two quad’s and innumerable sprains, strains, bruises, burns, cuts and abrasions. I would have three minor strokes, another side effect, three attempts at suicide, and with some trouble with the justice system, 6 breakdowns before I found traction on my recovery. I recently researched a clients new prescription medicine which has a metabolic half life of 14-18 days but is reported to remain in the body for two years, so these long term residual events do happen. The metabolic half life of zyprexa is 21 to 54 hours and said to clear the system in 10 to 14 days, but withdrawal symptoms, from one to two weeks of use, can last weeks, months, or even years, according to the manufacturer.
Prayer
Around two and a half years into my journey, a grade school friend offered to let me stay in his side building for a few months. I had a 4 foot tall, 5 by 7 trailer, sometimes my home, and another friend parked it in a temporary space on my friends property. My friend, Doug, told me where he wanted it, and when he went to dinner, I tried to tow the trailer by hand, to the spot. It hit a dip and bolted into a higher speed, about to pin me into a 30 foot fishing boat. I had about 6 feet to slow down the trailer, but it still pinned me to the other trailer, leaving indentation fractures of the femur and tibia, rupturing two quadriceps muscles and leaving 7 regions of sever sprain/strain. My right leg was swollen with two ostrich egg protrusions from the quads, already purple and red. Remarkably, three days later, as I stood in the middle of Doug’s acreage, a dense cloud lifted, and all the side effects left. Possibly the severity of the shock to the system evoked a tremendous immune/inflammatory response, but after exactly 30 months, I had finally returned to a conscious awareness of being. I could now begin to craft a more target oriented approach to restoring my health. I would share family meals, began weight lifting, exercise and through Doug’s church did a 3 month spiritual group and went through the “Celebrate Recovery” program for my pharmaceutical recovery program.
Perseverance
My social, psychological and life-skills were nonexistent during my illness. I stunk, I didn’t remember how to bath, I realized, two months into my illness that I wasn’t doing my 20 minutes of prayer and maxims each morning, and I soon forgot. Part of my recovery was the immediate realization that I had to enroll in the fastest paced school of life that I could find. I had to unlearn homeless survival skills, transition from cooking and eating off a hot plate to some semblance of food as medicine, and I needed to refill my naturopathic pharmacy, with me as an important recipient.
I would have 8 more living spaces, tent, car, trailer, motel and couch before I would finally be able to find a cheep apartment, and begin my full recovery. I was back in Portland, and able to resume with my primary. An extensive profile revealed the consequences of instant potato’s, hot-plate living, high stress and severe nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption. My CPTSD, high anxiety disorder and depression were not side-effects but worsened states due to the many losses and challenges that I faced over the recent years. I was aware of a long standing and chronic yeast overgrowth/auto brewery syndrome in my gut. I knew the connection between candida, depression and anxiety and I treated my overgrowth with a three phase protocol of digestive enzymes, with neem, followed by anti-fungals and probiotcs, followed by glutamine and colostrum. This ended my auto brewery syndrome is gone and BAC is now always 0.00.
I chose to initially treat the anxiety disorder and depression with lithium, a product called anxiety balance, 500 mg flush free niacin and a favored multiple vitamin. I treated the very low vitamin D with 50,000 per day for 30 days, then 10,000 per day for three months. After the yeast, dysbiosis treatment, I addressed my adrenals, now finally winding down. I supplemented an adrenal cortex product, 100 mg daily DHEA and a natural testosterone booster. This protocol lasted three months of daily dosing. I had resumed my long standing basic daily supplemental protocol of a power smoothie, vitamins, 60,000 IU’s liquid Vitamin A, EFA’s, lecithin and protein powders including BCAA’s.
Lab work was repeated and testosterone, insulin, HA1C, Vitamin D and RBC parameters were normal, Cholesterol, HDL and Triglycerides were off the charts and HDL was low. I initiated fish oils, Lipotrophic factors, running, biking and aerobic dance. After only 6 weeks of this program, I convinced my primary to repeat the relevant blood work. The recent blood work had revealed triglycerides at 220, HDL very elevated, ration above 5 and HDL low. Triglycerides had dropped 140 points, HDL over 40, now normal, ration below 5 and HDL within normal range. No lab values remain in the elevated or abnormal levels.
Removing the yeast allowed me to discontinue the lithium and anxiety balance with no rebound. Anxiety is gone, even for my most trigger concerns, brain is clear, serotonin is back in the gut, pain is gone and pleasant sensations are returning. Many things are much better than before this saga began. My vision is better than it was 10 years ago and I no longer need glasses to drive. I am able to improve exercise, work and flexibility easily and consistently. I have landed in an easy daily discipline that keeps what I want from the past and adds what I choose for the present.
As I benefited from improved diet, the ability to do daily fresh juices, resume juice and smoothie fasting, maintain a daily protocol and discipline of yoga, dance, prayer and meditation, I began to think that I was no longer disabled, and had won the battle. Then, at 4 1/2 years, I began to have feelings and emotions for the first time. At first is was simple memories, marvelous sweet thoughts of people and times past, but soon the emotions began to elevate the magnitude of the stresses in my life and I suffered a mental health flareup. Not knowing what you don’t know, having emotions, feelings and a sense of life purpose was the last remaining lost part of my soul, and it took a little work to land and deal with life with a full compliment of being. Having done so much work, I added Nat Mul 1 M, two doses, no coffee, and my life-long, childhood depression vanished and has not returned. I added an immune support product and an Ayurvedic combination of Boswelya and Turmeric when COVID appeared, and these have been dumped in my smoothie on a daily basis for the past 18 months.
Patience
I have learned many things on my journey. The wipe out of serotonin leaves the gut paralyzed, pain and nausea with a tight belt, or even the passive restraint of a seat belt. This is a major reason for the low riding pants of the homeless. Survival in a homeless environment is very, very hard, and I was grossly unprepared. When you don’t know who you are, you don’t know how to ask for help, or even what help you need. Humility can come in large servings, and finally, love, spirit and grace are always present, even when you have absolute zero awareness of their presence. Today, I do my maxims and prayers, yoga, dance, weights and aerobics, just as I once did. I am content and convinced that I am whole; that true health was the outcome of my 18 plus approaches to my disabilities and illness. With help from an ’83 JBC graduate, my mental health primary, I have been able to fully deconstruct my past, construct and reconstruct my present, and fully engage in a healthful life. I move forward, fearing and respecting nature, and seeking to construct personal qualities of calmness, likability, fearlessness, and joy, yet being so very grateful that nature is such a marvelous and creative healer. And of course I am grateful to my elders and teachers who inspired nearly infinite patience in the powers of naturopathy.
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