I had an endocrinologist appointment yesterday.

It went well.

The doctor was super nice and comforting.

So I’m supposed to be taking my Synthroid at like 5am, hours before I eat anything or take any other medications.

And a lot of times I do take it with other meds.

He told me in order to take it by itself, to take it in the middle of the night – like when I wake up to use the bathroom or something.

That’s fucking genius.

I didn’t know I could do that.

I decided to take it then, that’s easier for me then trying to wake up at 5am to take it.

I can never wake up in the morning.

I am totally not a morning person.

Anyway, the appointment was to talk about my high prolactin levels, and what to do about them.

He said that the cause is most likely my paliperidone and haloperidol.

And he got the name and number for Alex, my psych NP to briefly discuss with him my options.

He also is sending me for an MRI of my pituitary gland to make sure I don’t have a tumor.

He said 95% of people don’t have one in cases like mine, so stay out of that 5%.

It’s more to rule that out than anything he told me.

He’s pretty well convinced it’s from my psychiatric medications.

Towards the end of the visit I asked him if I should be concerned about bone density loss with the prolactin levels being so high.

He said that’s more of a low estrogen issue than anything, and prolactin has little effect on that.

Which I was glad to hear.

He also told me that if I’m not really showing symptoms of high prolactin levels – lactation being the main one, then I could do nothing about it as long as the MRI is clear.

I could just live with the high prolactin levels and be done with it.

Because I told him I’m not coming off of the Paliperidone.

Ever.

Not unless it stops working which, I hope never happens.

And I told him I’m fine with him touching base with Alex, but I’m not coming off the Paliperidone.

And he said that’s not his realm and he would never touch psychiatric medications himself, that’s up to me and my psych NP.

I was grateful for that response.

I told Dr Bandy, the endocrinologist that the Niacin (B3) and  Vitamin C combination I’ve been on for the past month or so has been working SO well, that I have cut my haloperidol dose in half. 

Actually, I don’t know if I told him about the Niacin and Vitamin C.

I think I just told him I’ve been feeling better so I cut my medication in half. 

I can’t remember what I told him now.

Damnit.

This is part of my problem.

I leave things out and people don’t get the whole picture.

I’m scared to tell doctors about the Niacin and Vitamin C though. 

It feels like witchcraft.

Like an alternative they’ll say shouldn’t be helping.

So I skirt around it.

Just say that I’m feeling better, and leave it at that.

But I’m planning on telling Alex, my psych NP.

For sure.

And my GP, Dr Rocha.

She’ll be understanding about it for sure.

She’ll be happy for me that I cut out a medication.

I don’t know if Alex will be.

I can guarantee he’ll look at me sideways.

He’ll be happy I’m using the Haloperidol as PRN again.

Because as of yesterday, Friday, I came off of it completely.

And I’ll be using it as a PRN only again.

Just like Alex wants me to.

So he’ll be happy about that.

But I don’t know how he’ll feel about the Niacin and Vitamin C helping me so much.

The thing is, the Niacin and Vitamin C have helped me just as much as the Haloperidol does.

I’m on 1000mg of Niacin, 3 times a day.

And 2000mg of Vitamin C, 3 times a day.

My Mom said that she thinks this is helpful for folks who have a methylation issue.

And I did have a methylation issue with my bloodwork that my nutritionist did.

But we don’t know if it’s genetic or was part of what I was eating and part of the supplements I was taking and my body temporarily not being able to detox properly.

So she switched up my supplements and we have been working on the methylation issue naturally and trying to get me filtered back out.

But if the methylation issue is genetic, it’d just be nice to know.

So I got a DNA test on the way from MyHeritage.

The MTHFRsupport website uses MyHeritage and 23&me DNA profiles to filter out methylation issues through a program that they’ve created. 

It’s like $60 for all the bells and whistles and they’ll read the DNA profile you get back and let you know everything and anything related to the MTHFR gene.

Which is the methylation gene and everything surrounding it.

So the box for the DNA test kit from MyHeritage is in the mail – should be here next week.

So I’ll know probably within the month if I have a genetic methylation issue or not.

I’m hoping I can rule it out.

But I don’t know yet.

Time will tell.

It would explain a lot as methylation issues are linked to mental illness and inflammation issues.

And I keep getting comments about how my face and body look like I’ve lost weight while on this elimination diet when I’ve actually gained weight.

But working on the methylation issues would mean that we’re cutting my inflammation down.

So I don’t know what to think really.

We’ll see what the DNA says.

I should’ve told the doctor about the Niacin and Vitamin C.

Now I’m kicking myself.

I’ll see him again in the beginning of March.

I will for sure tell him then.

Why do I do that?

I see too many doctors and there’s too many things to remember what to say and what not to say to them.

And I can’t keep it all straight.

You never know who’s going to take natural support and supplements that are actually working for me the wrong way, so I just keep my mouth shut.

A lot of doctors don’t take well to alternative medications and treatments.

It’s hard.

I want to be honest – I don’t want to hide anything from my doctors, but at the same time, I need to protect myself.

From what, I don’t really know.

It’s not like Niacin and Vitamin C are that “far out” there.

But it is sorta woo-woo.

But I would think all they’d care about is the critical thing; that it’s working for me.

That it’s having the same effect that a fucking antipsychotic does for me.

And it’s natural.

I’m hoping my bloodwork shows that my prolactin levels have come down a bit now that I’ve come off the haloperidol.

And I’m hoping I can stay off of it too.

I hope this isn’t a placebo effect and I’ll start having heavy breakthrough symptoms again.

Because the symptoms are sorta still there.

The full sentences are the things that have subsided.

I’ll hear a few words here or there.

I’ll hear whispers, the radio DJ and music still.

But they’re not as heavy as they have been without the haloperidol or without the Niacin and Vitamin C.

The combo of the two halted pretty much everything full sentence and word wise.

I don’t think the whispers, radio DJ, or music will ever stop.

They’re not totally constant, but they’re pretty constant when there’s “silence”.

Basically that’s why I will always have my television or music or an audio book going.

It drowns the bulk of it out.

Sometimes it gets loud enough for me to hear over the middle noise of whatever’s playing, but the bulk of the time, it’s extremely helpful to have on.

Oh, by the way, sorry for not really posting for two weeks.

I got busy.

I’ve been doing this blog for three years and that’s the first time that’s happened.

Hopefully it’s the last time too.

– Keren