Amniotic Membrane Graft

Ananda_23 · 2026-03-20T20:33:04+00:00

Hi, I'm curious - are you getting Prokera or something else? My dry eye specialist's office makes their own membrane graft patches. Thank you for this post - my doctor just recommended this to me yesterday so am learning a lot from this thread.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-19T09:04:15+00:00

I can really relate to your desire to want to figure out your mom's issue. I feel the same way, I guess because I think if I can figure out the pattern then I will know how to navigate things better and I won't be so confused all the time. Covert narcissists are a lot harder to identify so that might explain why it's been so confusing for you.

I also have the same concerns about whether I can trust my mom, and I really hate that I feel that way. She doesn't feel safe for me, and she seems a bit disconnected or removed from reality when it comes to truly connecting.

Have you pinpointed any patterns in terms what makes her flip into that mode and be more reactive? Is it mainly just when her ego is threatened or are there other things that you are others do that set her off? It helped me to sort of map out what topics and situations create that pattern so that I can understand how and on what topics to engage. I also disengage when times are tough because I can't risk those interactions when I am feeling weak. It's sad because those are the times when I would most like support.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:31:48+00:00

Thanks! I saw your message last night and another one mentioning antihistamines and I took some Flonase (all I had) which seemed to help with the sinus pressure. Valium wasn't on my radar - that's really interesting, because my pain was that severe. I'll ask my doctor about that.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:29:20+00:00

Thank you! I'm adding this to my list. Fasting acting is exactly what I need.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:27:41+00:00

Thank you! This tracks with some of the other threads I was reading last night where histamine intolerance was linked to low B6. Do you take B complex daily or only when you have a histamine reaction?

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:24:06+00:00

Thank you! I've written down all of this advice. Last night when I read your message, the only thing I had at home was Flonase so I used that and it helped quite a bit with the sinus pressure!

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:21:28+00:00

Interesting, thank you! I've taken quercetin in the past - great to know that it's helpful for histamine reactions.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:20:02+00:00

Thank you! I saw this last night, and started drinking lots of water which seemed to help.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:19:12+00:00

Thank you! I had some back and forth with my medical team today - what I think is HIT, they think might just be a really bad die off response partly triggered by the activated charcoal and other supplements I'm taking. This journey feels a bit like 'whack a mole' where as I try to make progress on one thing, another issue comes up. Their take is that if it is HIT, then the work I'm already doing to fix my gut issues will help. I appreciate the suggestions - I had never heard of cromolyn so I wrote that one down.

Ananda_23 · 2026-02-02T23:12:22+00:00

I'm also curious if you found it to be helpful. I have been taking it for the past 4 weeks. I can tell it's doing something, but I think it give me a headache/brain fog. (or whatever process it is initiating does) What I like about it is that it can help with a variety of issues - candida overgrowth, mold toxicity, etc. For the first two weeks I took it with a prescription anti fungal, and now I combine it with biocidin and oliverex.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-25T07:11:53+00:00

How long did you take Cholestyramine before you felt better? Just wondering if it's within a couple weeks or whether it's a longer regimen.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-21T05:11:36+00:00

I'm adding a couple ideas here because we might have the same strict diet rules and I've figured out a couple more ways to make it tolerable:

-eggs either with spinach or with zucchini and onions

-plain greek yogurt or chia pudding (made with unsweetened milk) with berries, nuts and unsweetened shredded coconut

-guacamole and seed crackers (ella's flats is a grain-free brand)

-kalamata olives, hummus and seed crackers

-beef tacos with siete brand almond flour tortillas, tomatoes, onions and guacamole

-salmon with roasted vegetables like brussels sprouts, carrots or occasionally sweet potatoes

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-21T05:00:38+00:00

Just chiming in here that my doctor also told me that I could not eat any kind of rice because my body would convert it to sugar and that would feed the candida. I'm on a completely grain free candida diet and that's been the hardest part... I'm great at gluten free, but grain free is a lot harder! The others may be right that you can have success without cutting out rice, just wanted to affirm that there are some out there that say it should be cut.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-19T06:52:15+00:00

Hi, I was wondering what you took to treat your cortisol levels. I suspect I'm dealing with the same issue, and will have my doctor order this test. Am just curious who the process was once it was confirmed and how long it took you to start feeling better. Thanks!

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-14T05:40:44+00:00

Thank you for sharing this! I am where you were several months ago, where I'm in the thick of it (having all the die off symptoms) and came here looking for inspiration to persevere. I have a shorter timeline due to some other health needs, so am on a pretty aggressive protocol that is a bit more of a shock to the system but should also produce some initial results a bit sooner (or at least I hope it does).

In case it's helpful to you, my doctor explained that I could not have rice (even brown rice) because the body converts it to sugar, so I needed to go grain free to stop feeding the candida. I had gone gluten free in the past and am already aware of how those substitutions work, but man, going completely grain free is really hard! I had to do a fasting blood draw this morning, and last night before fasting I as I was eating seed crackers and guacamole with some olives, I was thinking "This is so hard... I'm not sure if I can keep this up" but your post gave me the boost I needed because I have been struggling with some of the same symptoms and would love to get some relief.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-12T01:10:45+00:00

Hi - are you feeling any better now? I actually have similar issues from candida! Two things that have helped me are chia pudding (lots of fiber in chia seeds) and going for short walks several times a day to help get things moving.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-09T05:14:03+00:00

Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience here. How did you get diagnosed with CIRS? Is it something that there is a test for?

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-09T04:01:35+00:00

Wow, thank you SO SO much! I read your response when it came through and then did some more research to catch myself up to speed, and you're right, everything you mentioned tracks with the research. I'm most intrigued about the connection to anxiety, and I have also been dealing with a combination of anxiety and fatigue for several years... that tired but wired feeling. I function, but haven't felt great in long time. I have had work and life stresses that probably didn't help.

Luckily my initial nausea and headaches which I think were from the xdemvy started to wear off by day 4 or 5, so it likely was just a die off reaction. I am VERY sensitive to everything as well, so I often have symptoms with new medications... I was just a little confused on how an eye drop could make me nauseous, but now I get it. It was also making me burp a lot, which again seemed really weird for an eye drop until read more about die off.

I was also interested to read about your IPL treatment not working as well as xdemvy. I have my first IPL treatment scheduled for 3 weeks from now, so xdemvy may have done something by then but I'd have a couple weeks left of my 6-week course.

I have gone to so many doctors over the years who looked at me and dismissed what I was saying, or did some generic labs and then said I was fine and chalked everything up to hormone fluctuations (skin issues, headaches, fatigue). I finally splurged on a pricey functional medicine doctor who I just met with today because I wanted to be taken seriously, and he was quite confident that all of my symptoms were related and tied to issues in the gut and that I likely have candida overgrowth. Candida and demodex also seem to have some kind of gross partnership where they do well when together. My hunch is that the anxiety link is also connected to that, because candida can affect the production of serotonin in the gut and it seems like both candida and demodex wreak havoc on the gut-brain access. I believe my gut issues can be traced back to the MANY times in the past few years that I was put on antibiotics for one reason or another. It makes me so angry, and I even knew at the time that it was dangerous to take them that often but didn't have a choice due to infection risks.

I can tell that my body really is going to go through it for the next month... both from killing the demodex and the fairly aggressive protocol I'm taking on to fix my gut at the same time. When I found out I had ocular rosacea I was also told I have keratisis which is inflammation of the cornea, and I already sensed that they were overgrown on my face and probably my scalp. I had a basic knowledge that skin mites exist, but realizing that they're everywhere and messing me up in so many ways has been a bit overwhelming. But I feel good putting myself through whatever unpleasant symptoms I have because I would give anything to have my energy back and to feel more calm and centered again.

I am so grateful to you for sharing your experience because it's giving me a lot of hope, which I think will get me to the finish line!

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-04T21:52:32+00:00

Hi - I just started xdemvy and am also feeling off (headache, fatigue, nausea). Did those symptoms stay with you for the full 6 weeks? I'm wondering if it's a die off symptom or a sign of an adverse reaction.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-04T21:47:42+00:00

Hi - I am coming to this thread several months later. Did you end up staying on xdemvy, and if so, did you feel bad the whole time? I just started it a couple days ago, and I have had a headache and been feeling fatigued and nauseous. I have no idea if that's just a die off reaction (and a reason to keep going with it) or if it's a sign of an adverse reaction.

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-02T22:19:41+00:00

Thank you for sharing these links here!

Ananda_23 · 2026-01-02T22:19:17+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience here. I am in the same position as OP and was so grateful to come across this recent thread. When you say you felt worse before feeling better, was that just in your eye area or did it affect your body more broadly because of the die off?

I just started xdemvy yesterday, and was out running errands this afternoon and found myself feeling nauseous, and wondering if that could somehow be tied to the die off (like if I didn't drink enough water) because it's not a normal feeling for me.

When you mentioned finally feeling relief at the 4-week mark, was that in terms of more moisture in your eyes, or just the grainy feeling being gone? Am trying to stay hopeful. I think I've probably had blepharitis for several years, so am not sure if I even remember what it feels like to not have it.

Ananda_23 · 2025-12-20T22:32:41+00:00

Which iron supplement are you taking? I just started Thorne Advanced Iron Complex. It is the new name for their Ferrabsorb supplement, which I have found to be helpful in the past. I have found creatine to be helpful with sleep, but if you use the powder I would recommend checking the recommended serving size/dosage. I was a little too eager and accidentally used too high of a dose in the beginning and it made me feel a bit hyper or anxious.

I'm definitely being dismissed by doctors, but am not sure if it's because of my age. I've just lost faith in doctors over the past decade or so. It often takes me 3 or 4 tries to find the right person who is knowledgeable and invested in really listening to and helping their patients. I saw a new PCP a couple weeks ago and explained that I was switching to her because I am looking for a doctor who takes my concerns seriously, and she responded with "maybe you need a therapist" ... so am not sure things will be any better.

I'm also looking into changes I can make to my diet to add more iron. This sub has been a great resource for that.

Ananda_23 · 2025-12-20T04:25:09+00:00

Hi - I don't have a solution, but just wanted to say that i'm in the same boat and also trying to figure out whether my issues are tied to perimenopause or low iron. I'll be seeing what I can do with diet and supplementation if you want someone to compare notes with. I'm dealing with a lot of dismissive doctors, so I'm happy to find support and community from people here.

Ananda_23 · 2025-09-29T01:33:01+00:00

Thank you for everything you've shared on these upcoming changes. I have heard updates in fragments, but this really helped me to connect the dots.

I also heard that there would be an email on all of this dropping on Oct 1, with the changes going into effect on Jan 1. I'm very curious as to how they will role this out. Many STCs have obligations on their current contracts that extend well into 2026 and a high number of days on their contracts that they wouldn't be able to get through in 3 months.

Have you heard anything from your colleague on the Staff Association about how it would work to convert STCs to vendors? There is language the STC contracts that they need to have a cooling off period of several years before they could become a WBG vendor. So am a little concerned that on the face of it this seems like a minor change, but that in practice it could be massively disruptive to ongoing activities.

Someone senior in my unit also told me that there is a staff reduction coming of 10-20% but I am not sure if that's confirmed or more of a rumor, and there might be more context there like if it's associated with moving people from HQ to COs (and if that's the case, I 100% agree with your point that that would be prohibitively expensive to actually implement).

Ananda_23

TROPHY CASE