Update #87 -My Cat Gave Me E.Coli!
I knew something was wrong.
My kidneys were hurting me.
I was peeing every 20 minutes, was in acute pain,
and my urine had blood in it. This had persisted
for the past 3 days.
I had tried the usual remedies: cranberry juice,
d-Mannose, and even GSE – but none of them
worked. Now, I needed to see my GP.
My GP took me right away, did the urine culture, and
suggested I get started on antibiotics right away.
I wasn’t convinced. I wanted to get the results of the
urine culture (which would take 5 days) to know what
I had first, and what would treat it most effectively.
She warned me of Sepsis, and to stay on top of any change of symptoms – high fever, increased heartbeat or
respiration, feelings of dizziness, and alert her right away.
Mayo Clinic describes Sepsis:
“…Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection.
Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight
the infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation
can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems,
causing them to fail.
If sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure drops dramatically,
which may lead to death.
Anyone can develop sepsis, but it’s most common and most dangerous in elderly people or those with weakened immune systems. Early
treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large amounts of
intravenous fluids, improves chances for survival.
Many doctors view sepsis as a three-stage syndrome, starting with sepsis and progressing through severe sepsis to septic shock. The goal is to treat
sepsis during its mild stage, before it becomes more dangerous.
Sepsis
To be diagnosed with sepsis, you must exhibit at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever above 101.3 F (38.5 C) or below 95 F (35 C)
- Heart rate higher than 90 beats a minute
- Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths a minute
- Probable or confirmed infection…”
Why was I so reticent to take some antibiotics?
Although antibiotics are life-saving in many cases,
they can also have tremendously serious side effects,
like: C. Diff, torn achilles heel, and permanent neuropathy.
I believe that the antibiotics that have been around
for the past 30 years, rather than the newer “designer ones” are less dangerous in terms of long term side effects.
Click here to read the Paper on Old-Fashioned Antibiotic Uses.
It was a painful and difficult 5 days awaiting the results.
My GP called me and confirmed: E. Coli!
And the best antibiotic to treat it was: Cipro!
I was not happy about taking Cipro.
She prescribed (horse-sized) Cipro pills for 3 days.
To prevent getting C. Diff, I started taking massive
amounts of probiotics:
VSL #3DS, Floracor-GI, S. Boulaardi, and Culturelle.
I wanted to make sure to flood my colon with enough
varied strains in huge quantities to prevent C. Diff.
I had to make sure to take the Probiotics 3 hours after the Cipro to ensure they wouldn’t cancel each other out.
How would I possibly have gotten E. Coli?
I started to re-trace my steps.
About 8 days prior to, I had started my 10 year old ferrel cat on a new dry food (grain free of course). It was expensive and healthy for her. But I noticed, after a day or so, she developed urinary problems: she was spending lots of time in the litter box, she was straining and in pain, and I saw blood in her urine.
I felt badly for her, picked her up as I always did, and
caressed her silky back. She was clearly in pain.
(And I didn’t realize I had an open cut in my finger).
I took her to the Vet, and he confirmed she had E. Coli.
He told me some companies ( even good ones) have
had issues with food contaminated E.Coli. He put her on some antibiotics for 7 days.
I called the store where I had purchased her food, and told them about the E.Coli contamination my vet suggested. They issued me a full refund and told me to throw out her food.
And a few days later, my symptoms started, and
then increased in severity, pain and seriousness.
So, How would I possibly have gotten E. Coli?
The natural behavior of cats is to groom themselves alot.
My cat was no different, and always groomed herself
thoroughly after eating. And when she contracted
E.Coli from the contaminated food, she groomed herself
too. And when I picked her up to caress her, I didn’t
know she had E.Coli, and I didn’t realize I had an open cut
on my finger.
And so when I caressed her, touching those areas where she had groomed herself with the contaminated E. Coli bacteria, I contracted the E.Coli bacteria from her through the open cut on my finger.
My cat was better within a few days.
And I got better within 5 days.
And thankfully, because of the preventive measures I took, I didn’t get the dreaded C. Diff.
The moral of this story is: You can get E. Coli from your cat!
To learn more about E. Coli, here are some resources:
1) From the Public Health Agency of Canada (click here)
2) “Petting Zoos Could Spread E. Coli” (click here)
3) From FoodSafety.Gov (click here)
“E. coli
E. coli is the name of a type of bacteria that lives in your intestines and in the intestines of animals.
Although most types of E. coli are harmless, some types can make you sick.
The worst type of E. coli, known as E. coli O157:H7, causes bloody diarrhea
and can sometimes cause kidney failure and even death. E. coli O157:H7
makes a toxin called Shiga toxin and is known as a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
There are many other types of STEC, and some can make you just as sick as E. coli O157:H7.
One severe complication associated with E. coli infection is hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
The infection produces toxic substances that destroy red blood cells, causing kidney injury.
HUS can require intensive care, kidney dialysis, and transfusions.
| Sources |
|
| Incubation Period | 1-10 days |
| Symptoms |
Severe diarrhea that is often bloody, severe abdominal pain, and vomiting. Usually, little or no fever is present. Symptoms of HUS include decreased urine production, dark or tea-colored urine, and facial pallor. |
| Duration of Illness |
5-10 days. Most people will be better in 6-8 days. If HUS develops, it usually occurs after about 1 week. |
| What Do I Do? | Drink plenty of fluids and get rest. If you cannot drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration or if your symptoms are severe (including blood in your stools or severe abdominal pain), call your doctor. Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection. |
| How Can I Prevent It? |
|
General Information
E. coli Infections (NIH MedlinePlus)
Trusted health information on causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
E. coli (CDC)
General information plus details on previous outbreaks.
E. coli Outbreak Investigations (CDC)
Outbreak investigations from October 2006 to the present.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (USDA)
General information plus directives and notices, compliance guidelines, data collection and reports, and more.
E. coli and Ground Beef
Focus on Ground Beef (USDA)
Includes concerns about E. coli.
E. coli and Raw Cookie Dough
FDA Continues to Warn Against Eating Raw Dough for Cookies or Other Raw Dough Products Before Cooking (FDA)
Reminds consumers about the risks of eating raw cookie dough.
Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Eating Raw Refrigerated, Prepackaged Cookie Dough (CDC)
A summary of the investigation into the 2009 outbreak.
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough (FDA)
Includes information for consumers on the risks of eating raw cookie dough.
E. coli Outbreak and Raw Cookie Dough (CDC)
Information about the June 2009 E. coli outbreak related to raw cookie dough (2:36 minutes)
4) From Veterinary Medicine (click here)
“…Dogs and cats can be infected with E. coli in much the same way that people can be, by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
- There have been many recalls of commercial pet food diets and treats involving contamination with E. coli. Ingestion of these diets and treats could potentially cause infection in your dog or cat. This could potentially result in your pet becoming a carrier of the disease as well. …”
The moral of this story is: You can get E. Coli from your cat!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I’ve received many emails from you, asking what’s the most
basic and important step to follow?
By far, the most important
step is: proper food combining.
Learning to combine your foods properly
Did anyone teach you how to do this?
Did your doctor tell you about the scientific
principles behind this?
The answers are probably a resounding NO.
To learn more about this and the science
behind it, click here.
For those of you who are thinking of going gluten free ( which I highly recommend) to control your IBD, UC, Crohn’s symptoms, there’s a gluten free version and it’s called:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 16, 2014 Top 20 vitamin D papers for 2013by William B. Grant, PhD(OMNS Jan 16, 2014) There were 3774 papers published in 2013 with vitamin D in the title or abstract according to pubmed.gov, up from 3099 in 2012. Among the top 20 vitamin D papers chosen to highlight for 2013 were 11 reviews, five observational studies, one geographical ecological study, one trial, one laboratory study, and one analysis of data from published results. The papers were chosen in part by the number of times they have been cited in other works as reported by Scholar.Google.com and in part based on expert opinion by vitamin D researchers. Especially Important Original StudiesA randomized controlled trial with 400 or 2000 IU/d vitamin D3 found that gene expression in white blood cells was affected by vitamin D [Hossein-nezhad et al., 2013]. There was some improvement in 291 genes and significant improvement in 66 genes. In addition, 17 vitamin D-regulated genes were found with new candidate vitamin D response elements “which have been shown to be important for transcriptional regulation, immune function, response to stress and DNA repair”. This study provides strong support for the role of vitamin D in affecting risk of cancer, autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular disease. An observational study found that serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 nmol/l (12 ng/ml) were A laboratory study identified several genes associated with triple negative/basal-like breast cancer that are regulated by vitamin D receptors [Laporta and Welsh, epub], thereby providing additional evidence that vitamin D can be useful in reducing risk of and treating breast cancer. A pair of papers published in the open-access journal Dermato-Endocrinology discussed the evidence that solar ultraviolet-B irradiance and vitamin D reduce the risk of autism. In one, the prevalence of autism by state for those aged 6 to 17 years was found inversely correlated with summertime solar UVB doses [Grant and Cannell, 2013]. Rates for African Americans were higher than for European Americans. The variation with respect to solar UVB doses is similar to that reported previously for many types of internal cancer and dental caries in the United States. Summertime solar UVB doses in the United States are highest in the Southwest, lowest in the Northeast due to a combination of factors involving surface elevation, aerosol and cloud levels, and stratospheric ozone amounts. In the second One of the roles of vitamin D is the reduction of inflammation. In a study of morbidly Another paper analyzed data from 21 adult cohort studies involving 42,000 participants with information on BMI, serum 25(OH)D levels, and genes related to BMI and 25(OH)D. The analysis found that each 1 kg/m(2) increase in BMI was associated with a 4.2% lower serum 25(OH)D level [Vimaleswaran, 2013]. The authors were also able to conclude that changes in serum 25(OH)D level would not affect BMI. One of the concerns regarding taking vitamin D supplements is the possible risk of developing kidney stones. An analysis of data on 2000 participants of the GrassrootsHealth.net vitamin D testing program followed for an average of 19 months found no statistically significant association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and kidney stones (P?=?0.42) in the range of 20-100 ng/ml. However, higher BMI was associated with an increased risk [Nguyen et al., 2013]. Comprehensive Reviews of the Health Benefits of Vitamin DPludowski et al. [2013] reviewed the evidence of health benefits of vitamin D as one of the outcomes of a vitamin D conference attended by over 500 people in Warsaw, Poland in October 2012. The evidence reviewed was primarily from observational studies. They found “Adequate vitamin D status seems to be protective against musculoskeletal disorders (muscle weakness, falls, fractures), infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, several types of cancer, neurocognitive dysfunction and mental illness, and other diseases, as well as infertility and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is associated with all-cause mortality.” This paper provided the basis for recommending serum 25(OH)D levels of at least 30 ng/ml Hossein-nezhad and Holick [2013] reviewed the effects of vitamin D on the risk of chronic illnesses, including some cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, neurocognitive disorders, and mortality. The authors recommend a serum 25(OH)D level of at least 30 ng/ml. This paper has open access. The paper by Haussler et al. [2013] summarizes the molecular mechanisms of vitamin D, with primary emphasis on the classical functions of vitamin D on intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption and effects on skeletal and calcium homeostasis, but also discussion of how the active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, affects gene expression and, thus risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The paper by Palacios and Gonzalez [2013] presents an overview of what is known about serum 25(OH)D levels globally. Six maps are presented with data on vitamin D status (percent of population50% for European countries, but are 36% for China and 91% for India. The Actions of Vitamin DThe effects of vitamin D on gene expression are controlled by the action of the hormonal metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D on vitamin D receptors (VDRs). A paper by Carlberg and Campbell [2013] reviews the actions of the VDR in comparison with those of other transcription factors in order to better understand the role of vitamin D on gene expression. The Role of Vitamin D for Specific Health OutcomesThe paper by Song et al. [2013] presents a meta-analysis of 21 prospective studies of type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence with respect to serum 25(OH)D level at time of enrollment in the studies. The studies involved a total of 76,220 participants and 4,996 incident type 2 diabetes cases. The second order fit to the data went from a relative risk of 1.00 at 35 nmol/l (14 ng/ml) to 0.45 at 150 nmol/l (60 ng/ml). This analysis provides strong support for the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Girgis and colleagues [2013] published a comprehensive review of the role of vitamin D on skeletal muscle. It has 51 pages and 390 references. It should be the standard reference on the topic for years. A paper by DeLuca et al. [2013] reviewed the evidence from 225 papers for the role of vitamin D in reducing risk of nervous system diseases: Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia. The strongest evidence is for multiple sclerosis. They note that evidence from many types of studies finds that vitamin D plays a crucial role in cellular proliferation and differentiation, neurotrophism, neuroprotection, neurotransmission, and neuroplasticity. Given the importance and devastation of neurological diseases, more research on the role of vitamin D in reducing risk of these diseases is warranted. A Skeptical ViewpointOne paper that has gotten considerable publicity is one calling into question the health benefits of vitamin D. Autier and colleagues published a paper comparing vitamin D randomized controlled trials to prospective studies based on health outcomes with respect to serum[25(OH)D levels [Autier et al., 2013]. While they found reasonable evidence from the observational studies that higher serum 25(OH)D levels were correlated with lower disease and mortality rates, they noted that few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) agreed with the observational studies. They also noted that inflammation is an important aspect of many diseases, but that RCTs have not shown that vitamin D can reduce inflammation. They proposed “the hypothesis that variations in 25(OH)D concentrations would essentially be a result, and not a cause, of ill health.” As noted with respect to the paper by Bellia et al. [2013], there is evidence that serum 25(OH)D levels are inversely correlated with markers of inflammation. The vitamin D RCTs conducted to date have for the most part been poorly designed and conducted as pointed out by Heaney [2014]. Vitamin D RCTs have mostly been done using the pharmaceutical drug model, paying limited attention to other sources of vitamin D, not seeking to enroll people with low serum 25(OH)D levels, supplement them with sufficient vitamin D to raise their
Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular MedicineOrthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org
Find a DoctorTo locate an orthomolecular physician near you: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v06n09.shtml
The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.
To Subscribe at no charge: http://www.orthomolecular.org/subscribe.html
|
Click here to read the Article
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In the last 23 of so Updates, we covered:
Update #63, Important Notice
Update #64, Induces UC in Lab Rats!
Update #65, Relief for Gas & Bloating!
Update #66, Gluten…Not Your Friend!
Update #67, Risking Bone Loss & Fracture?
Update #68, A Dry Run for Turkey Day?
Update #69, Happy Pooping…
Update #70, What the MTHFR?
Update #71, Coming Soon: A Head Full of Hair!
Update #72, Resistant Starch… And Baking for the Holidays!
Update #73, UC & Your New Year’s Resolution
Update #74, The Root Cause: Inflammation…
Update #75, It’s Flu Season
Update #76, What’s Your SED Rate?
Update #77, I Ran Out Of It And The Pain Came Back!
Update #78, FMT…Is That A Crappy Idea?
Update #79, LDN… What Your Doctor Probably Won’t Tell You!
Update #80, Eat 2 Slices, and Call Me In The Morning…
Update #81, Where’s Your Bathroom???
Update #82, I Saw My Gastroenterologist
Update #83, Watch Out For This!
Update #84B, Are You Worth $50?
Update #85, LDN … Another Story of Remission
Update #86, Afraid To Eat Out?
Stay tuned for your next Update.
Thank you.
Nicky
www.cureforulcerativecolitis.com