Desperately need help fast

[Devaskyla]

Dh just got out of hospital. He was in ICU & nearly died from acute pancreatitis. He's home but not healthy. He's now a type 1 diabetic, which is actually the least concerning health aspect. When he went into hospital his glucose & triglyerides were off the chart high As were his bilirubin & creatine. His sodium, potassium & calcium were very low. Blood tests from Friday show his calcium is critically low & his hemoglobin half where it should be. The high numbers are all slowly coming down. No clue about the sodium & potassium

He's on calcium carbonate & calcitrol (activated vit d) but the dr is doing nothing for the hemoglobin & dh is utterly exhausted all the time & his breathing freaks me out.

I'm so scared we're still going to lose him if we can't get all these numbers sorted. Please help. What should I be getting to help him? Thanks!

[Violet2]

Hope your DH feels better soon. I have no idea how to sort out everything he needs to do.

Just stay in touch with your doc. Go back to the ER if DH seems worse or unstable--don't even hesitate.

He was very sick, it's going to take some time.

Hang in there.

V

[1mamaroo]

I have no advice, but want you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Try to stay positive. Your family needs that I'm sure.

[tinuviel_k]

I have no advice, but didn't want to read without posting. That sounds so scary! (((HUGS)))

[pianojazzgirl]

So he's not taking iron supplements? I would imagine that he should be (???), and he should be careful to stay well-hydrated. Nettle tea is a very good source of iron (with vit c which helps the body absorb iron) and it is hydrating (of course).

I would also post on the "Cell salts" thread for some advice.

ETA I forgot to give hugs! So sorry that you are going through such a stressful time. Please, if you aren't feeling comfortable with how things are going don't hesitate to call his dr. And go straight to the ER if ever your gut tells you you should.

[BunnySlippers]

Vitamin A is thought to be important in regards to iron levels.
Does a high fat diet have anything to do with pancreitus in humans?

Sorry i can not be of more help

[Devaskyla]

No, he's not on iron supplements. I was thinking of getting some today since the dr apparently doesn't think it's enough of an issue to do anything. I was going to call first and make sure it's iron deficient anemia (given everything they've tested him for, I should think they have iron levels). I sure hope that's all it is, I can't find anything about what to do about other types of anemia.

I'm just worried since last night he had what appears to be a reaction to either synthroid, calcitrol or magnesium. Not sure there's much point in talking to the dr. Even when he was in the hospital, they were ignoring his complaints about what were pretty major side effects for stuff he was on. I got him off of them as soon as I realized (& told the dr after the fact).

He just has soooo many issues and his body has such weird reactions to things sometimes.

Thanks for all the hugs and the suggestion to try the other thread.

[pianojazzgirl]

So you mean that you've taken him off the synthroid, calcitrol and magnesium? What did his dr say about the reaction and what kind of reaction was he having?

[pianojazzgirl]

Interesting... I just did a quick search and saw that nettle (which I recommended earlier for iron/vit c) also helps balance the thyroid (whether hypo or hyper). I assume that he has thyroid issues since he was on the synthroid?

[Devaskyla]

Originally Posted by pianojazzgirl

So you mean that you've taken him off the synthroid, calcitrol and magnesium? What did his dr say about the reaction and what kind of reaction was he having?

Well, I'm not giving them again until the reaction wears off. He's had issues w/
synthroid & magnesium before. The calcitrol seemed fine, but the dr had me double the dose yesterday & the reactions he's had are also listed for that, so that's a huge coincidence. I know they're trying to get his calcium levels up & he needs D for that, but these reactions are terrifying. Trying to get him to go sit in the sun or maybe try a the regular D supplements he was taking. He's only on calcitrol because his liver & kidneys also had some damage & they didn't know if they could activate the D.

They've ignored his reactions to meds completely, even when he was in the hospital, so I'm not sure there's much point in trying to track the dr down. We'll probably be talking to him again soon anyway & I have no idea how to get ahold of him.

Interesting... I just did a quick search and saw that nettle (which I recommended earlier for iron/vit c) also helps balance the thyroid (whether hypo or hyper). I assume that he has thyroid issues since he was on the synthroid?

Yes, he's badly hypo, but for some reason even extremely low doses of thyroid (tried both synthroid & bovine) give him hyper symptoms. Which he told them. And yet they decided to put him on it again when he has no hypo symptoms & a ton of other issues that need to be sorted now.

[pianojazzgirl]

Oh mama, how frustrating and hugely stressful to have to deal with drs who aren't LISTENING to you! I am so sorry.

If you have the time do a little reading on nettle and see if you think it would help. I'm certainly no expert (esp on the thyroid issues) but there are lots of mamas around here who know their stuff who might be able to chime in. I have taken nettle to help with anemia due to excessive post-mc bleeding and it helped tremendously.

Getting your dh out in the sun sounds like a good idea. What about trying the calcitrol at the original dose since it didn't seem to be causing problems then?

Do you have a family dr you could talk to about all of this? Or an NP?

I'll be thinking of you guys.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by Devaskyla

Yes, he's badly hypo, but for some reason even extremely low doses of thyroid (tried both synthroid & bovine) give him hyper symptoms. Which he told them. And yet they decided to put him on it again when he has no hypo symptoms & a ton of other issues that need to be sorted now.

Have you ever been over to the site Stop the Thyroid Madness? And has he ever had his adrenal function tested? I'm guessing that his hypothyroidism is autoimmune and they tested for antibodies?
You may also be interested in the book by Mary Shomon called "Living Well with Autoimmune Disease".
Has your husband been tested for Celiac disease and/or gluten sensitivity?

eta: And I'm sorry you're experiencing this as well.
You may also want to take into consideration a B12 and/or folate deficiency, with a possible MTHFR mutation.

[Devaskyla]

Just TSH as far as I know. And T3/T4 years ago when I told him to request it. No clue if they ever tested adrenal function, though I think there might have been something years ago.

Got them to test for celiac just before he left the hospital & he doesn't have it. He does have issues with some breads though.

Already considered it might be a B vitamin deficiency anemia of some kind, since the dr doesn't seem to think it's iron deficiency. What's a MTHFR mutation, though?

I'll check out that site, thanks.ETA Site seems familiar, think it's why I got him to try natural thyroid, which did the same thing to him as the synthetic stuff

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by Devaskyla

Just TSH as far as I know. And T3/T4 years ago when I told him to request it. No clue if they ever tested adrenal function, though I think there might have been something years ago.

Got them to test for celiac just before he left the hospital & he doesn't have it. He does have issues with some breads though.

Already considered it might be a B vitamin deficiency anemia of some kind, since the dr doesn't seem to think it's iron deficiency. What's a MTHFR mutation, though?

I'll check out that site, thanks.ETA Site seems familiar, think it's why I got him to try natural thyroid, which did the same thing to him as the synthetic stuff

MTHFR mutation is a mutation of the gene responsible for producing methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme responsible for converting folic acid into the biologically available form of folate (methyl-tetrahydrofolate). There are 2 variations which show up as various health problems, some of which revolve around high homocysteine.
If his adrenals aren't functioning properly, thyroid hormone will cause him to feel hyper regardless of what form it's in. It may also cause him to feel hyper if he's deficient in selenium. Re: adrenals, endos (and most mainstream doctors) only really acknowledge adrenal disorder when it's progressed to the point of say Addison's or Cushing's. Often adding adrenal support, often in the form of glandulars, will help with how well thyroid hormone is tolerated. In the case of more severe adrenal issues, steroids may be necessary.
Also, I feel it's only fair to tell you that Celiac testing is notoriously inaccurate, in case you aren't already aware. Most people with Celiac-mediated gluten sensitivity (and many with run of the mill gluten intolerance) will tell you that the true "test" is going gluten free for at least a month, but preferably 3.

I'm not sure if it's contraindicated with the kidney damage, but have you considered milk thistle to support his liver? It's been shown to help regenerate and repair liver tissue.
Hope you find the answers you need.

[mbravebird]

If you're looking at adrenal issues in addition, which it sounds like you are, nettle infusion is incredibly supportive of the adrenals, too. Just piping up again to support what pp already said. It's easy to make, it just requires having a lot of the herb, which means ordering from Mountain Rose Herbs or some such site.

Also, look at coconut oil for support of thyroid. Some folks have been able to go off thyroid meds using just EV coconut oil in therapeutic dosages (3TBS/day).

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

I am so sorry to read all this. What a scary, scary time for you and your family.

The one thing that I kept thinking reading your post was, "is there another hospital near you that you could go to?" Maybe you can check out other dr's online to see if one might be more open to a more holistic way of treating your dh. Or even just listening to you about the side effects he is having....

sounds like really big stuff going on and I just would not mess w. herbs now until his condition has stabilized. I would suggest you really work on getting a solid medical team in place to help you all through this.

Hang in there. I'm rooting for you and your dh.

[LVale]

If it was my husband, I would be taking him to another Dr. asap! I would not mess with any homeopathics, etc. until other vital testing was done. This is clearly a case where you will have to depend on Western Medicine. Don't get me wrong, I hate Dr.'s and drugs and what not, but when the pancreas is involved, there has to be something going on. I have a best friend who suffers from chronic pancreatis (sp?), and they have yet to find the cause, and my bil died from it, because he did not get to the Dr. in time. Please take your husband to another Dr. Just my opinion.