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My letter is in response to letters I've seen recently on the list, parts of
two of which I have attached here:

> I have noticed recently that after a lengthy time of being GF, I am
> getting severe panic attacks, sometimes accompanied by vivid dreams, that
> strike about 3 hours after I go to sleep

> >Hi, about four months ago I found out that I  have celiac disease.
> >Since then I have been on the gluten free diet, and  felt much better.
> >But there are still problems.  I also have problems  with my adrenal
> >glands, and have been trying to eat in a way to help them.   But now, I am
> >having diahrrea again and headaches, and the wierd thing is I  can't eat
> >fruit.  One of my main symptoms when I eat gluton is that my  blood sugar
> >goes down (I think).  I get a panic, hungry feeling.  I  can't concentrate
> >or focus.  Lately, when I eat fruit or any other sugar, I  have gotten
> >that panic feeling.  For a while, I thought I was getting  better, and
> >improving, but now I seem to be going back.  I have never been  able to
> >eat a lot of sugar, and have always been very cautious.  But this  is more
> >severe then ever.

I have made some discoveries recently that I feel I really must share with the
rest of the group.  Because there are many on this list who have not gotten a
celiac diagnosis and because many have commented on lingering symptoms long
after going GF I want to share what I learned this last month.

The lingering symptoms may be a result of a parasitic infection.  These little
critters can range in size from microscopic to many feet long and they attach
themselves to our intestinal walls and can linger there for years, at times
lying dormant, but still alive and waiting for the right conditions (stress,
weakened immune system etc, surgery, PMS etc...) to come hatch and compromise
our health all over again. Mine worsened with every PMS and were responsible
for most of my PMS symptoms.  These symptoms included fatigue, irritability,
bloating, headache and chest pain toward the end, feelings that I wasn't
getting enough oxygen, crying spells, depression, and extreme hunger.

Here are symptoms of parasitic infection as listed in Healing with Whole Foods,
by Paul Pitchford:

gas, bloating, belching, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal-tract burning and
cramping, changeable bowel movements, irritable bowel syndrome, mucus in the
stools, malabsorbtion of nutrients, inability to digest fats, lactose or GLUTEN
INTOLERANCE!!!!!!, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, insatiable appetite, weak
appetite, anorexia, over-weight, under-weight, cravings for sweets, carbos,
burnt, and/or crunchy foods. Chronic fatigue, weakness, frequent colds and
flus, mental fog, memory problems, sleep disturbances, insomnia, teeth
grinding, hearing loss, eyesight impairment, joint and muscle aches and pains,
excess mucus, frequent sinus infections, allergies, hives, eczema, acne,
swelling of the lips, itching in anus and the ears, apathy, depression,
nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, hyperactivity in children.

My symptoms included dryness inside the nose, and the need to remedy repressed
emotional issues, intolerance of loud noises, sensitivity to light. The
restlessness at night often occurs 3-4 hrs after going to bed. Symptoms are
aggrivated by any kind of sweetner, including fruit. Some tropical fruits are
better, but citrus is bad news where parasites/candida are concerned.

Since starting the parasite purge all my food allergies and intolerances have
VANISHED.   I was having severe panic and anger attacks after eating my food
allergens and of course the gluten-intolerance until I started the purge, but
now I can eat them  with no effects at all.  The more I have researched this
the more I realize this may be affecting millions of people in this country.
People with pets are at high risk, as are those who travel.  I've read that
the tapeworm that comes from dogs is especially highly transmissable.  Many can
be shared with others through a kiss, by sharing a drinking glass, etc...There
has been much talk about candida and not much about parasites, perhaps because
we assume it implies poor hygiene.  Regardless, the parasites were at the root
of my problem.  I took care of the candida but until I killed the parasites I
still had problems. They require similar but different treatments, and until
both are under control, leaky gut continues, food allergies continue.  I
believe this may be the cause of gluten intolerance for many of us.

Since starting the purge my acne has completely disappeared.  Constipation and
diarrhea are gone.  I can see the parasites and egg chains coming out in my
stools.  It's very startling, but thrilling to think this might be the final
battle.  I am much calmer, not at all bothered by loud noises.  My
strong-smelling sweat is no longer, I'm sleeping better...PMS was a breeze, no
cramps, no bloating, no cravings. During parasite flare-ups I got really
anemic, couldn't get a tan to save my life.  Hypoglycemia was another symptom
of the infection.

I am not a doctor, but I will include the protocol I am following.  It is
important to start slowly because die-off symptoms can include headache,
shoulder tension, nausea, and mood-swings -- similar to candida die-off
symptoms.  There is a product called ParaGONE which is really effective.  I am
presently taking:

Wormwood/Black Walnut tincture:  One or the other is fine but both is better
                   18 drops/3 times a day, 1/2 hr before meals.
Caprylic Acid:  For candida, as directed on the label.
Acidophilus/Bifidus:  6, twice a day
Grapefruit Seed Extract:  5-15 drops, 3 times a day

The last one is highly recommended as a anti-parasitic.  You can take it for an
unlimited amount of time.  It's really important to take it when traveling to
keep from picking up anything in foreign countries.

It is important to take the above remedies for 10-15 days then stop everything
for 5 days to let the eggs hatch, then continue for another 3-9 cycles.

Western medicine tests for parasites are not reliable.  My recommendation is to
try the above remedies and check the stools for parasites.  Collect anything
suspicious in rubbing alcohol in a glass bottle and have it analyzed at a local
lab.  The parasites I collected look like 1) black threads, these are the egg
chains, and 2) what I think are bladder worms (not in the bladder, refers to
shape) which look like chicklet-sized pieces of clay (the biggest ones, some
are smaller and seem to have sharper edges), or macadamia-nut pieces.  They are
off-white to greenish in color and float and look like undigested food.  There
were also assorted wormy-looking things, very small, the width of fishing line
and only about 1/2 in in length.  My doctor tells me that the microscopic
parasites are the most dangerous and the hardest to kill.

This is not just a third-world problem.  These critters are all over our pets.
One "kiss" on the lips from a pet is enough to transfer may parasites to our
own systems (and even those who have been diagnosed Celiac should know about
this because those who have been chronically ill are especially vulnerable).
Keep in mind that migrant workers from other countries are working in our
restaurants, our children pick up these parasites from day-care centers....like
any any other sexually transmittable infections, parasites can be anywhere.  I
was actually diagnosed bipolar and on medication for 7 years and this began
after a trip to Greece and Egypt and I now remember that many of the symptoms I
have had started on that trip.  I tried to commit suicide a year later.  This
is serious stuff.  Please consider the possiblity of parasitic infection if
your celiac symptoms are lingering after adopting the GF diet.  Like any other
infection it can be "low-grade" for a period of time then flare up during times
of stress or illness. I believe I've been infected since age six.  I was always
underweight despite a healthy appetite and used to chew on raw spaghetti and
elbow macaroni all the time.  I also ground my teeth as a child, was moderately
hyperactive but happy until puberty when depression set in.

Couples:  It is essential that your partner be treated at the same time or you
will be reinfected! Entire families need to be treated together but the doses
and remedies for children are a bit different.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I really hope I can help some of
you with with this.  This is the piece of the puzzle that was missing for me.
For the record, my gluten intolerance symptoms were extreme, but I tested neg.
for celiac (blood).

Jennifer in San Diego