Yes, I was suckered into buying some BRN+ which has glucoadvantage dihyroberine and cissus quadrangularis in it. Whenever I take these pills, my appetite goes through the roof. My only thought is because I generally am on a keto diet and maybe these pills are dropping my blood sugar enough to get carb carvings because that's generally what I eat when I get hungry after taking these. Any thoughts?

Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is essential for maintaining hormone balance and supporting overall sexual health. Incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals. Some foods, like avocados, almonds, oysters, and dark chocolate, are known for their aphrodisiac properties.
Regular physical activity not only enhances blood circulation but also uplifts mood and energy levels. Strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. Activities such as walking, swimming, cycling, or yoga can all contribute to boosting libido.
Managing stress is crucial, as chronic stress can adversely affect libido by elevating cortisol levels and reducing sex hormones. Practice stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, or engaging in enjoyable hobbies to alleviate stress and promote overall well-being.
Quality sleep is paramount for maintaining hormonal equilibrium and overall health. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to bolster optimal sexual function and libido.
The Growth Matrix Natural Exercise: Using the growth matrix exercise can boost your libido and testosterone levels naturally without the need for any pills. This exercise is natural and can enhance your sexual and overall health. Additionally, watching tutorials can help you increase penile size, girth, and libido naturally.

I just want to rant and I don't seek any advice... I (33F) have always been acne prone, but everything went south one year ago, probably due to stress and a pill change. Since then I tried everything except Accutane (reverse back to previous pill, strict no dairy no sugar low high glycemic low processed diet, 5 months differin and psychotherapy,..), I went through bad breakouts and periods of hope, but ultimately I still have pimples, sometimes very ugly cysts. I am now completely obsessed and stressed about my skin, think about it constantly, hate myself and cry every day. I don't enjoy seeing friends, going out and traveling anymore. I just want this shit gone...and not helping:I am getting married in 2 months and I am devastated how my skin will look like. So yes fuck acne, fuck my body doing this shit to me.

About me: 28F, 5'7", starting weight 285, goal weight between 160-180 eventually. I have a sedentary desk job working from home. History of asthma and anxiety, no other comorbidities. I take 20mg Lexapro, Zyrtec for seasonal allergies, and magnesium supplements in addition to the Kit 1 medications. No kids. Very limited experience with exercise, but I am planning to incorporate exercise once I am completely adjusted to the full medication dosage. I have a history of yoyo dieting (lost 60 pounds in the past, gained it all back, plus a bonus five pounds). My family, friends and I are all convinced that I have undiagnosed ADHD (likely inattentive or mixed subtype). Likely undiagnosed PCOS because doctors like to tell women to "just lose weight and you'll feel better." So, I took the plunge with the Hers program.
Week 1 recap: I had minor side effects (brain fog, nausea, gum sensitivity), that were probably confounded by my menstrual cycle. I started strictly counting calories (target 1900/day, TDEE is 2450). It was easier to fall asleep at night. I noticed pretty immediate improvement in ADHD symptoms (maybe placebo, but I'll take it). Down 4.8 pounds. Overall happy with my first week experience.
Full Week 1 post here
Week 2 recap: My side effects from week 1 thankfully all went away and my body adjusted well to the medications. Adding the half pill of topiramate made my hands and feet really tingly. According to the Hers app, that means the medicine is working but it is a weird sensation. I did fall off the calorie-tracking-wheel this week due to family medical drama which likely accounts for the reduced weight loss. Down 0.2 pounds this week // Down 5.0 pounds overall.
Full Week 2 post here
Week 3 recap: I increased my morning dose of Wellbutrin as prescribed and I experienced what some of you had described regarding GI upset!! I had 2-3 days of loose stool, then swung in the other direction with 4-5 days of constipation. With a combination of dietary supplements and "smooth move" tea recommended by one of you, thankfully my bathroom habits are back to normal. I also switched to taking my metformin in the evenings. When I initially received my medication there were no instructions regarding when to take this, so I had been taking it in the morning. The idea of eating was beginning to sound revolting. Someone else mentioned this in the Hims sub, and that he switched to taking the metformin at night which resolved this issue. I did the same and thankfully this is resolved for me as well. Down 2.2 pounds this week // Down 7.2 pounds overall.
Full Week 3 post here
Week 4: I am now on the full dose of every medication included in Kit 1. No major changes or side effects to note this week. I have noticed that my internal temperature does seem to be running hotter than usual, but it is also summer time so that is not a very reliable measure. I have not experienced any noticeable hair loss. I love craft beer and previously would easily drink 4-6 on a given night. Now, on a special occasion, I will cherish one. Any more and I am left feeling unwell. I also love to sip on iced coffee throughout the afternoon as a treat to get through my workday. For some reason I find that coffee seems to make me nauseous if I have more than 8-10 ounces per day. The Wellbutrin is a miracle drug for me (probably just undiagnosed ADHD) but improvements in impulsivity and executive dysfunction are INCREDIBLE. This is also probably what reduces food noise and the inclination to binge eat. I was never a soda drinker so I cannot speak to beverages tasting flat, but my favorite beer & sparkling waters do taste the same. Down 1.6 pounds this week // Down 8.8 pounds overall.
That wraps up my first month on Kit 1! Unless something substantial happens, I only plan to update at the end of each month moving forward. I firmly believe that community plays a huge role in a successful healthy lifestyle change so I plan to remain as active as time allows on this subreddit page. I love to read your updates, comment on your posts, and encourage one another. I'll answer any comments or questions you may have below. Thanks for reading!

Hi all. I am 26F and was diagnosed with PCOS about a year and a half ago. I started taking inositol shortly after being diagnosed but couldn’t keep up with taking 4 pills twice a day so eventually I stopped all together. My symptoms weren’t so bad for a while and I was able to tolerate them, feeling better when walking frequently and eating a cleaner diet. Over the last month, I’ve had a series of odd symptoms that were one after the other which have been making me feel really grossed out and insecure. First, I started getting a lot of whiteheads and bumps on my forehead and chin area. I went to the dermatologist and they prescribed me an antibiotic and two topical creams which I have yet to start. While dealing with this, I noticed a bump on my lady parts which quickly became swollen and painful. I went to a Well Now clinic where they said I had a vulvar cyst which they drained and prescribed me antibiotics. I was advised not to take the antibiotics the derm prescribed until I finished these new ones which I finished this past Saturday. Now I have itchy irritated rashes in my armpits and my ovary pain has become worse. I went to my PCP today and she thinks it is all connected to PCOS and has now prescribed me Metformin which I will start taking tomorrow. I have been in and out of doctors offices the last few weeks and feel pretty down after all of these things keep happening. I’m preparing for my bridal shower and wedding in September and just feel so gross. Has anyone been through something similar? Thank you!

-Mid 30s, male -Little overweight, otherwise healthy (lost 40lbs, looking to lose 30 more) -mostly vegetarian diet -wanting to feel and look my best Daily intakes include: -One a day men’s vitamin -Fish oil pills (omega 3-6–9) -Magnesium citrate pill -Chlorella pill -Activated charcoal pill -10 strain probiotic

I know the answer to losing weight is a calorie deficit however I feel like I have been in a calorie deficit for most of my life if that is even possible. For background I am 24 (F) 156cm and weigh around 78kgs.
I recently learnt that I’m supposed to aim for 1200 kcal but I realised I eat around 900 kcal daily and since I was little I haven’t had a good appetite I’d eat maybe 2 proper meals so I don’t think I’ve ever reached the minimum calories I should eat. My metabolism is terrible I (TMI) maybe go no. 2 twice every 2 weeks and have very low energy. Everyone on here who says long term calorie deficit usually are on it for like 6 months to 1 year but what are the effects of being on it for majority of my life ? ~Would it affect me to the point where a calorie deficit has no effect since my metabolism has been ruined?~
How do I fix this in order to lose weight as I feel I don’t lose weight. I have started to walk around 7k steps daily and do home workouts for 30 minutes a day via YouTube.
I know it’s not good to compare but most of my friends eat around the same quantity I do and they are not overweight. I am on the pill but I have been overweight for most of my life. Not obese but just chubby.
I really want to lose weight but is my solution really to eat less ( do people really eat that much in a day) and exercise more to be in a calorie deficit when I am already in a prolonged deficit? What is reverse dieting? I am scared my body is too used to my eating habits that if I try add more food I will just gain more. What should I do ?
TLDR : I believe I have been in a calorie deficit most of my life so how do I lose weight from here if my metabolism is terrible ?

Advil- I don’t know why, but I’ve noticed this throughout high school, and I take it occasionally (don’t want to rely on it) when things get really bad. I notice it helps the kind of numbness I feel and emotional pain. I’ve tried anti-inflammatory diets in the past but advil really just gives me that extra kick onto the other side of feeling “normal”.
Modafinil works extremely well, and I don’t know why. I guess it’s because I’ve learned to be relatively “functioning” despite my depressive symptoms, but the one thing I can’t beat is just the lingering fatigue that seems to follow me everywhere. I swear that the first time I tried modafinil, I was very productive. Awake. Got a whole night’s sleep without bedrotting in the afternoon. Got harder tasks done, was able to talk to people without feeling like the boredom was going to make me self-implode, etc. I don’t know much about medications and the sciences behind it, but it would help to hear from more experienced people on this.
L-theanine and caffeine… probably the mildest thing, but it seems to help when I take it consecutively. In the past I just took an L-theanine tablet and had some strong green tea (or matcha), which made me feel calmer than usual rather than anxious.
I only try these things because I’m in an environment where therapy is very looked down upon, unsupportive family etc. Honestly anything I try, even healthy food outside of the junk we have at home I pay for because I got a job to try to better my mental health. It’s kind of hard when I’m balancing it with studies but 🤷
I did manage to earn enough to pay for a diagnosis and a few sessions secretly, but it never went further as I now have to allocate my money to some family that are pretty much in poverty right now.
Tldr; what do you suggest I change in my lifestyle/or vitamins/pills that may help depression even the slightest bit? I work out semi-regularly and eat as best as I can, so I’m kind of just sitting like a duck here. I want to at least help my symptoms enough to be able to balance work and school as some people rely on me. Thanks!

Curiosity has the better of me, I’d read somewhere that the Flexnor report changed medicine forever (but was also given to medical schools alongside a sum of money), regulating the use of pills over natural remedies (like plants) this isn’t necessarily where the question is stemmed from but largely related to the medical field.
Either way, could be totally wrong on the background. I’d like to clarify that I’m not trying to be “woke” or anything but that I am curious to understand if people have had success with homeopathic medication, i’ve heard or certain diets being the best option, i’ve even heard dandelions as medicine works or other plants getting rid of cancer. I’m not totally sure that I’d want to eat some grass the next time I have a cold, could anyone help guide/answer this question?

This was my bloodwork from 02/2024:

• ALP: 61
• ALT: 61
• AST: 27
• Total cholesterol: 200
• HDL: 52
• LDL: 129
• Triglycerides: 90

So at that time, only ALT was elevated in addition to my total cholesterol and LDL. I cut out alcohol, sugar, and dietary cholesterol from my diet. I increased fiber and whole foods. Then I retested earlier this month.
This was my bloodwork from 05/2024:

• ALP: 75
• ALT: 62
• AST: 38
• Total cholesterol: 146
• HDL: 49
• LDL: 85
• Triglycerides: 58

Fortunately, the changes to my diet got my cholesterol numbers in check which I was very happy about. However, I’m worrying about my liver numbers…

• ALP increased from 61 to 75, but is still below the normal range of 122.
• ALT increased from 61 to 62 and is still above the normal range of 59.
• AST increased from 27 to 38 and is now above the normal range of 35.

When I modified my diet in February, I also stopped drinking black coffee which helped with my acid reflux, but maybe that is why my AST increased. I also stopped taking all supplements which were a multivitamin, a probiotic, and olive leaf extract.
Earlier this month, I had an “unremarkable” abdominal ultrasound result. Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, biliary tree, main portal vein, kidneys, and spleen were all normal.
In addition, my doctor ordered a bunch of bloodwork to test for things like hepatitis, inflammation, autoimmune, thyroid, etc. and everything came back normal.
In my urinalysis, my specific gravity was a tad above the normal range and I had Ketones of 2+. My doctor said I probably just need to drink more water and eat more food. Maybe I was a bit too restrictive with the changes I made to my diet.
I have really bad health anxiety and he wants me to have my liver numbers retested next week, which will be one month since the latest results above.
Due to my anxiety, I’m worried that my liver numbers haven’t improved or have even gotten worse. So I purchased a TUDCA supplement and I’m thinking about using it for the next two weeks to try to lower my ALT and AST before the bloodwork.
Do you see any issues with taking the TUDCA? I would take one 250mg pill every morning for the next two weeks and then go for the new bloodwork. Or could this end up doing more harm than good?

Hi I’m 24F got diagnosed with mild PCOSand thyroid. I do take pills for underactive thyroid and have been on a health and lifestyle journey for PCOS.
I lost approximately 10 kgs and have 2-3 more to go. Had been told I had insulin resistance so I was on a strict set of diets (on and off) for a year.
Now that I’m off it, I lowkey crave sugar all over again. I try to eat sugar free ice cream and things but I love chocolate way tooo much.🫡
Any tips for insulin resistance that you can do for the long run?

My father 68 was diagnosed with colon cancer after surgery and labs only one affected one lymph node (my apologies for the terrible explanation). He is given 6 rounds of Folfox, after is first session he ended up 8 days in the hospital so the oncologist had to reduce the medication. It is very depressing see him being half the human he was before, he was physically active, joked around all the time but now he is very pale and constantly fatigued. I've been trying my best to help with his diet, below are what I try to give him everyday:

• Multivitamins
• Vitamin C water soluble with Iron prescribed pills for anemia
• Mushroom powder
• Matcha powder
• Pomegranate powder (antioxidant)
• Broccoli sprouts
• Boiled eggs
• Pumpkin seeds
• Walnuts and homemade yogurt (every morning)
• Dark leafy greens
• Dark chocolate
• Natto
• Plenty of water

Hope this helps if you are looking to figure out what to add to your diet, any suggestions are welcome I am more than happy to share what I can fatigue is the one thing I just can't figure out to help with.

So, I was diagnosed with PCOS 11 years ago (22years old), I was initially given contraceptive pills despite saying that I have intense migraine attacks, and it was one of the worst 6 months of my life. Never went back to that OB again.
Since I was studying to become a doctor, I didn't have any follow up check up with an OB (also the trauma),, but I took Metformin for quite some time, but had no effect on me at all, so i stopped.
Few years forward, I was gaining weight with menses barely coming. I decided to work out, and changed my diet. My menses became quite regular, with a bit of weight loss, but for years my weight just plateaued (still overweight with lots of visceral fat).
This year, started taking supplements, which I think helped me with my menses too,, with work outs 2-3 times a week. Still frustrated because I can't lose the weight no matter how hard I try.
For the first time, I was having my period for the past 3 weeks. Finally had the courage to seek consult to an OB today. Well as expected, there were still the polycystic ovaries on the left, and I had a thick endometrial lining.
The ultrasound result was expected, but I still felt sad. I thought I was getting better. The OB gave me meds to stop the bleeding and later on to thin out the lining. She also resumed Metformin, which I'm kind of reluctant on taking, since it had no effects initially.
I honestly feel quite depressed (maybe it's the hormones talking also), even though I've been battling with this for 11 years, it really is still frustrating to be a woman with this problem.
I am a single woman, and one of the reasons why I don't plan on getting married is because I have this fear that I might actually be infertile, and I don't want to give my future husband that problem.
I'm sorry for the long rant.
Also wondering if Metformin worked out well for you?
Happy to discover this subreddit, btw. :)

Hi 28 F! I have never experienced this before, my boobs have been incredibly swollen and painful since I skipped my period on the pill approx 2 weeks ago. The pain is on the sides only. I have been on the pill for ten years, my periods typically are painless and last 1-2 days however I do get quite bloated / puffy. I decided to skip my period this month as my period landed on my birthday party date. The last time I skipped a period would’ve been maybe 8 years ago, so quite a while. I’m not sexually active and there is zero chance I could be pregnant. My weight is 55kg and I don’t have any other symptoms. Both boobs are equally as sore as each other, the sides are too painful to touch. Has anyone experienced this before? I’ve tried an anti inflammatory diet to see if that will help, I really hope this goes away soon. I have felt to see if there are any lumps etc but I can’t feel anything, both boobs have had this pain consistently for two weeks

Trial Day 18
Katherine, Janet, Rebbie and Randy Jackson are in court. Only one of the siblings was allowed in the courtroom as they are potential witnesses. Janet accompanied Katherine during morning session while Rebbie was with her during the afternoon session.
Paul Gongaware Testimony
Jackson direct
Paul Gongaware is one of the defendants in the case. He's an adverse witness called by the plaintiffs. Gongaware is Co-CEO of Concerts West, part of AEG Live. Gongaware has toured with Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin and is currently on tour with The Rolling Stones. He worked for Jerry Weintraub in the 80s
He produced Prince's tour in 2004. He has not promoted/produced tours since. Gongaware has not talked to Prince after the tour
Gongaware was a CPA licensed in NY and Washington. He said he believes he's still licensed but hasn't checked status since there's no need
Gongaware testified that landing Jackson, whom he felt was the biggest artist of his era, was huge for AEG. In a 2008 email to AEG Live President and Chief Executive Randy Phillips, Gongaware described how the company should approach Jackson and his manager about a possible comeback tour:
We need to start at the fundamentals. How we do it. The difference between [Live Nation] and us is huge. We are artist-based, they are Wall Street-driven. We are smart people. We are completely honest and transparent with everything we do. That's how [founder] Phil [Anschutz] wants it
Gongaware said he worked on an Elvis Presley tour. Panish asked if Elvis died of drug overdose, and Gongaware said "Yes". Gongaware replied to a condolences' email on July 5, 2009:

"I was working on the Elvis tour when he died, so I kind of knew what to expect. Still quite a shock"
"So you knew what to expect when Michael Jackson passed away, is that right, sir?", Brian Panish asked.
"I kind of knew what was going to happen, yes",Gongaware answered.

Despite working as a tour promoter for 37 years -- including for Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead and many others -- Gongaware testified that the only artist he ever knew that was using drugs on tour was Rick James
Panish asked about working for Jackson 5, Gongaware said had no interaction with Michael. Gongaware was a logistics manager on the Dangerous tour in 92-93. Panish said Michael made $100 million and donated it to charity. Gongaware said he didn't know
When Gongaware met Jackson was with Colonel Parker (Elvis' manager) in Las Vegas. Michael had wanted to meet the Colonel
Gongaware explained the difference between being tour manager and managing the tour. He talked about Michael's History tour

Panish: "You knew that Michael had been to rehab during the dangerous tour?"
Gongaware: "Yes, based on the statement he made after the tour"

Gongaware said he never knew MJ was involved with drugs until after the end of the Dangerous tour. Gongaware told LAPD he was aware of Jackson's previous use of pills/painkillers but did not want to get involved. Gongaware had known for years that Michael Jackson was taking painkillers but wasn't aware he was abusing them until MJ abruptly canceled his Dangerous world tour in the early 1990s to enter rehab. Gongaware said he knew of "two occasions" when Michael used painkillers between shows, but he claimed he didn't grasp the scope of the Michael's sickness until the taped 1993 announcement.

"I would dispute knowing that he had a problem. I wasn't aware that there were problems", Gongaware said

Gongaware said he knew a doctor was medicating Jackson during the Dangerous tour but did not find out why the tour was eventually cut short.

"Didn't have time,I was just dealing with what was in front of me", he said

Panish said Dr. Finkelstein testified under oath that Gongaware knew Michael had problems with painkillers before the Dangerous tour ended.

Panish: "Do you dispute that?" (Finkelstein testimony)
Gongaware: "I knew that he had pain"

Gongaware said Dr. Finkelstein is his doctor and friend and that they talk off and on, but he doesn't know specifics of the doctor's deposition. Dr. Finkelstein said he gave MJ painkillers after the concert in Bangkok following Michael's scalp surgery. In Gongaware's video deposition:

"Did you ever ask Dr. Finkelstein if he treated Michael during the Dangerous tour?"
"He wouldn't talk about that stuff"

Another part of Gongaware's video depo:

He said yes, he "occasionally treated Michael Jackson on the Dangerous tour"
Panish: "Were you always honest with Michael?"
Gongaware: "I believe I was"
Panish: "Did you throw around numbers to trick Michael Jackson?"
Gongaware: "I didn't try to trick Michael"

Panish elicited contradictory testimony asking over and over about Gongaware's memory, how long he spent with lawyers to discuss testimony.
On the Bad Tour MJ sold out 10 stadiums at 75,000 tickets per night.

Panish: "That's a pretty big number?"
Gongaware: "Huge"
Panish: "In 2 hours, how many tickets sold?"
Gongaware: "In initial presale we sold 31 shows"
Panish: "The fastest you had ever seen?"
Gongaware: "Yes"
"No one knows how many shows we can get with Mikey," said Gongaware.

Panish asked about name "Mikey" - he said he used it occasionally
Email on 2/27/09 from Gongaware to Phillips:

"We are holding all of the risk, if Michael won't approve it we go without his approval.We let Mikey know just what it will cost him in terms of him making money, and then we go with or without him in London. We cannot be forced into stopping this, which Michael will try to do because he is lazy and constantly changes his mind to fit his immediate wants"

Gongaware said his use "Mikey" was affectionate, not disparaging, and that the 'lazy' crack amounted to "poor choice of words" but one that accurately reflected how Michael

"really didn't like to rehearse. He didn't like to do these kinds of things."

​

"People were aware at this point there would be a press conference. Michael wouldn't show up at the conference, it'd cost money," Gongaware said. "It wasn't much risk at all, we hadn't spent money," Gongaware said about that point of the tour. This was prior to news conference.

Gongaware said the situation in London, where they constantly referred to Michael as "Wacko Jacko" would impact marketability to sell tickets

"He doesn't want to do this kind of things, but it was important to show Michael to the world if he wanted to do a show," Gongaware explained

Jurors were shown several e-mails from Gongaware that Jackson lawyers suggested were evidence that AEG Live deliberately misled Jackson about how much money he would make from his comeback concerts and how many days he would have to rest between shows. Gongaware wrote to his boss, AEG Live President Randy Phillips, that they should present gross ticket sales numbers to Jackson, not the percentage of the net profits, during contract talks.

"Maybe gross is a better number to throw around if we use numbers with Mikey listening"

Panish talked about an email Gongaware sent to his secretary suggesting that she design a concert calendar for Jackson using light tan colors for show dates, while drawing attention to his rest days
Don't want the shows to stand out too much when Michael looks at it.Less contrast between work and off. Maybe off days in a contrasting soft color. Put 'OFF' in each off day after July 8, as well. Figure it out so it looks like he's not working so much.

Panish: "Did you want to change the color of the schedule to show Michael would not be working so hard?"
Gongaware: "Yes"
Panish: "Were you trying to fool him?"
Gongaware: "Nah, I wasn't trying to fool him, I wanted to present it in the best possible light"

Gongaware said it would be obvious when Michael would be working and not and he wasn't trying to trick him.
Email on 3/25/09 from Phillips to Gongaware:

"We need to pull the plug now. I will explain"
Panish: "Mr. Phillips wanted to pull the plug on the show, right sir?"
Gongaware: "I think he was referring to pull the plug on Karen Faye. We never talked about pulling the plug on the tour. Not that I recall"
"Kenny wanted the pull because the way she (Faye) handled situations," Gongaware explained. "She tried to control access to Michael and Kenny didn't like that"

Karen Faye expressed strong opinion that the tour as dangerous and impractical for MJ. Panish asked about a chain of emails where Gongaware said the pulling the plug refers to Ms. Faye.

"I believe he was," Gongaware repeated.

In another March 25, 2009, email, Ortega wrote Gongaware that it was Faye's

"strong opinion that this is dangerous and impractical with consideration to Michael's health and ability to perform"

​

"I thought he was in good shape at the press conference, I was there," Gongaware said at the deposition. Gongaware was at O2 arena and Phillips was with Michael.
"Michael was late, Randy [Phillips] was saying I'm trying to get him going, I'm trying to get him going".
Panish: "Did Randy tell you MJ was drunk and despondent?"
Gongaware: "No, not drunk and despondent. Just said he was having hard time getting him going"

As to Dr. Conrad Murray, Gongaware said there was 1 rehearsal he said hello to him.

"It was basically a hello, on the floor at the Forum. Mikey asked me to retain him. I never hired him"

Panish played an interview of Phillips to SkyTV after Michael died:

"The guy is willing 2 leave his practice for large sum of money, so we hired him"
"I was told Michael wanted him as his doctor for the show," Gongaware said. Gongaware said Michael did not have any illness that he knew of.
Gongaware: "He had taken a physical, he passed the physical and from what I understand there was nothing wrong with him. Maybe some hay fever"
Panish: "Do you know what his blood test showed?"
Gongaware: "It showed it was good"

Gongaware said he received an email from Bob Taylor that everything was fine and that Michael had passed the physical. Gongaware said he never saw the results of the tests and doesn't know who saw them.
Panish showed video deposition of Gongaware and a declaration he signed about a month before giving the deposition. They contradict themselves.At first, Gongaware insisted he did no negotiating with Murray, but, confronted with emails and his previous testimony, he changed his position and said

"The only thing I did with Dr. Murray was negotiate a price." Gongaware said that neither he nor anyone at the AEG investigated Murray's background or credentials
Panish: "First you said how much did you want?"(to Dr. Murray)
Gongaware: "Yes"
Panish: "He said he wanted $5 million, right?"
Gongaware: "That's what he said. He said he had four clinics he would have to close, he would have to lay people off"

Gongaware said Dr. Murray had been Michael's personal doctor for the past 3 years. He said he did not know how many times MJ had seen the doctor.

"Michael insisted on him, recommended him, and that was good enough for me, it was not for me to tell him who his doctor should be" Gongaware said
"The fact that he had been Michael Jackson's personal physician for three years was good enough for me," Gongaware said.

He said that Murray initially asked for $5 million to travel to London with Jackson and tend to him during the tour.

"I just told him it wasn't going to happen," he said, recalling that Jackson then suggested offering him $150,000 a month.

​

"Michael Jackson insisted on it and recommended him and it was not for me to tell him no," said Gongaware. "I wanted to provide what was necessary for him to do his job...He wanted a doctor and I wanted him to be healthy."

Even after the offer of $150,000, Murray wasn't satisfied.

"He started saying he wanted more and I said, 'The offer is coming directly from the artist," Gongaware said.

Minutes later, he said Murray accepted.

"Did that seem desperate to you?" asked Panish.
"No," said Gongaware. "He just accepted Michael's offer."
"We agreed on what the compensation was going to be, but there were a lot of issues to be resolved," Gongaware said.

Gongaware said he recalled meeting with Dr. Murray where he was told the doctor was going to take care of the medical licensing in London. Gongaware and Timm Wooley are longtime friends. They are currently working on The Rolling Stones tour. Gongaware said he negotiated the price for Dr. Murray, but didn't negotiate the contract. Gongaware explained that he didn't do the negotiation, he would normally refer that to Wooley.
Dr. Finkelstein and Gongaware have been friends for 35-plus years. Gongaware said he never offered Dr. Finkelstein the job of being MJ's doctor and said the doctor would be mistaken if he testified otherwise. Gongaware told the jury he called Dr. Finkelstein to ask what a fair price for a tour doctor would be. Doctor told him it was $10,000/week. As to Dr. Finkelstein wanting to be the tour doctor, Gongaware said he didn't recall specifically, but knew he wanted it.

"After his death we may have talked, but I don't recall specifics," Gongaware said.

Gongaware said he sees Dr. Finkelstein a few times a year, but the subject of Michael never came up. Panish asked Gongaware if Dr. Finkelstein wanted to know if Michael was clean or using drugs. Gongaware said he didn't recall the conversation

Panish asked: "You could have told Dr. Murray at any time that his services were no longer needed, couldn't you?"
"No", Gongaware replied.
Panish: "You were involved in terminating one of the nannies who took care of Michael's kids?"
Gongaware: "Yes"

Gongaware told nanny, Grace Rwamba, that her services would not be needed anymore because AEG was cutting down on Michael's expenses

"I never read the contract, I was there when Michael signed it, but didn't see what was in it," Gongaware said, "Doctor Murray was 100% Michael's cost"

Based on the contract, Gongaware said 95% of the production expenses were Michael's responsibility, 5% AEG.

Panish: "Who decided there was a need for a written contract with Dr. Murray?"
Gongaware: "I don't know"

Gongaware said that if the tour went forward, Dr. Murray would've made $1.5 million for 10 months. Ortega would've made almost that.
Gongaware said although AEG never did a background check on Murray, in his view they had "checked out" the doctor according to their standard practices.

"When we check out someone, we either rely on if we know the person or if they're known in the industry or if they're recommended by the artist & in this case, Dr. Murray was recommended by the artist, in fact, the artist insisted"

Panish pressed Gongaware:

"You did nothing to verify anything about Dr. Murray, isn't that true, sir?"

Panish asked Gongaware if he approved budgets for April-July including Dr. Murray as production expense. He said he didn't know which budgets he approved. "It's my job to get that show on the road," Gongaware said.
Gongaware said he had to know how much the production had spent at any given time, but didn't have time to read the budget.

Panish: "Do you think you're good at your job, sir?"
Gongaware: "Yes"
Panish: "Very good?"
Gongaware: "I think so"

Gongaware testified that he didn't pay attention to the tour budgets that he approved, even though he was the tour manager.Paul Gongaware said he didn't read through the budgets, instead trusting that the tour accountant knew what he was talking about.
Gongaware testified that Dr. Murray's salary, although included in the company's budget for several months, wasn't something he saw as an actual payment that would be made.

"If there's a potential for cost we put it in our budget so there are no surprises later", he said.

Gongaware often pleaded poor memory of events. He said he may have met with Jackson as many as 10 times, but could remember only two of the meetings and only one when Murray was present
Gongaware said he doesn't remember how many meetings he attended at Carolwood house. He didn't recall a meeting where a vase was broken.

"There was a meeting where he signed the contract," Gongaware recalled, saying there were more but he doesn't remember specifics.

At the meeting in early June, Gongaware said he was present along with Kenny, Randy, Frank DiLeo, Dr. Murray and Michael.

"The meeting was about making sure Michael and Dr. Murray had everything they needed to care for Michael," Gongaware explained

​

"Yes, we did talk about health-related issues. It was more a general meeting about what Dr. Murray would need", Gongaware said.

He had told the police the topic of the meeting was Jackson's overall health ( i.e., diet, stamina and his weight)
He remembered that Jackson arrived late from a doctor's appointment and had slurred speech. Gongaware said Michael Jackson "was a bit off".

"He was just coming back from visiting Dr. Klein. I believe he was under the influence of something. That was the only time I saw him like that", Gongaware said.

Jackson had missed a rehearsal and was thought to be dancing at home. However they discovered he was only watching video. Doctor Murray was receptive to their concerns and indicated he would take care of the situation
Court Transcript
Paul Gongaware Video Deposition (12/20/12)

Hey all. My weekly Update. First a quick update if you havent seen my others. I started 3 weeks ago. I'm 43 yo, 6'1'' 311 lbs(start), build is most of my excess weight in my stomach/torso. I have a sedentary lifestyle (lawyeprofessor) but do have a history of fitness (athlete and D1 college basketballl official before the pandemic) but really ballooned up after the pandemic. Weight mainly from poor eating and drinking habits and lack of exercise.
I began week 3 at 300lbs even so down 11 lbs in 2 weeks and am now entering week 4 at 299.6, so I only lost .4 lbs in week 3. I have seen a lot of posts from people saying week 3 they don't lose much or actually gained. Here are my week 3 observations because although I didn't lose I saw a lot of changes in other areas.
For me, I'm not concerned about numbers here. I don't obsess over measurements. I do wish I had taken some baseline numbers though (you'll see why in a moment). Week 3 I really upped my exercise a lot more. I was consistently getting 10,000+ steps and was doing a lot more work outside with better weather. On Friday evening I was doing dishes and my wife came up behind me and hugged me and he jumped back and shouted "how much weight have you lost?" I responded "well, a little bit, like 10 pounds". She observed that a week ago she "really had to stretch to get her arms all the way around me, now all she has to do is just put them out. This is why I say maybe I would have liked to have a baseline number for my torso. We got out her tailor's measure and estimated I've probably lost 2-3 inches off my chest in only 3 weeks. (That is a very, very rough estimate).
Point is, although I may not have lost much on the scale this most recent week, I think with increased activity levels my body is likely redistributing some weight into other areas and likely converting some weight into lean muscle. So I'm less concerned with the number on the scale here.
Now for a little bit of the not so good.
The metFormin has been hitting me hard. My appetite continues to be really reduced and according to my doctor since I'm already using Metamucil to stay regular (the joys of being 40) which tends to reduce blood sugar levels and a reduced diet if I'm not taking that with sufficient food it can have side effects. I've had some significant light headedness at night and in the mornings. So I am stopping the metFormin for the foreseeable future and will continue with only the cocktail pill and the bupropin or whatever its called at this time. I did that for the first time yesterday and I had no ill effects and so hopefully that will keep up.
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30F 5ft 8in SW: 256 lb CW: 245lb GW: 168lb
I have just finished my first week of MJ and on weighing myself this morning I have lost ELEVEN (11!) lbs! I am sensible enough to know that some of this is likely water weight and will not all be 'true' fat loss, but I am still so thrilled for a huge, motivating kick start to my weight loss journey.
I have tried losing weight for so long and 7 years ago managed to lose 3 stone through diet and exercise but it crept back on over the years and even when the 3st was off I was still not that close to my goal weight. My difficulty is with managing my food noise/will powecravings and the fact that MJ can help me deal with this is so incredible and life changing. I can't wait to carry on with this over the coming months.
My first injection (2.5mg) was on Tuesday afternoon and I have only experience minimal side effects since then - one instance of diarrhoea a few hours after injection and minor constipation the last 2 days (but this might be due to consuming less food?). Also, MJ has caused me to have my period. I am on the mini pill contraceptive so I wouldn't usually have a period, and I am currently halfway through my current pill packet so wouldn't anticipate any spotting, let alone a full on flow By Sunday I had started my period and 3 days later I'm still on. I knew from the guidance that MJ can prevent the effectiveness of oral contraceptives but I didn't realise how quick acting and strongly affecting it would be! Other than this, I have had no nausea, sulphur burps, headaches etc from the injection.
I drink plenty of water every day (sometimes with sugar free squash) and have been eating fairly clean and sticking to wholegrain carbs where possible. I make chia see pudding with protein yoghurt and almost milk almost everyday and I log all my food with My Fitness Pal and have been hitting around 1400kcal each day. I also currently do 6500 steps daily (I work from home so I have to make a real effort to do this!) but currently no other exercise - my plan is to start going back to the gym from this week and I have signed up for a 5km run in October so my goal is to be able to do this without any walking!

Hi there!
Little backstory: the first time I got GERD symptoms was in 2021 and I've been treated for it with 20 mg Nexium once a day for 3 months. It's been in remission until Nov last year.
So currently I've been suffering with Acid reflux since Nov 2023. Since then I have tried taking Nexium 20 mg a day and it did help me a bit but eventually I stopped and decided to try to change my diet and lifestyle. Ngl these past months I have been mostly feeling bad. I decided to finally see a gastroenterologist and she prescribed me Nexium but in a higher dose, 40 mg twice a day for 6 weeks then gradually going down to stop eventually. She also prescribed me Itopride 50 mg 3 times a day for motility. Ever since the appointment I was free from any bad symptoms I even stopped sleeping with my heating pad as even my night reflux was much better. However I decided to still purchase the medicines and start my therapy.
I was a little concerned cuz I once tried 40 mg of another PPI for my chronic gastritis prior to me getting acid reflux in November and it caused me immidiate strong heartburn.
Now, I have taken the medicine this morning and the same thing happened as in the past. About 30 minutes after taking the pill I started feeling burning in my chest and also some burping. Even after eating my regular breakfast it did not go away.
I am currently feeling very confused. My gastroenterologist is very busy so I cannot call or see her right away unfourtnately. I was thinking to see a regular GP and speak about my concerns. Could it be that a higher dose of PPI is just not right for me? Therfore it gives me bad heartburn I'd normally not have? I defenitely don't wanna continue taking it, if it's gonna make me worse.
Has anyone had similar experience when they felt worse on a higher dose of PPI than on the lower one?

I started Contrave around September last year (currently end of May) nd lost maybe 6 pounds. I’ve never gotten to the point of doing two pills in am and two pills in pm. However I’m frustrated I’m back in my old eating habits somewhat.
Starting today I am going to do a low carb diet and have gotten myself to 4 pills a day as of yesterday.
Has anyone had experience with being on the lower dose (only 2 pills in am) and everything magically working (with some effort of course) once they were consistently on 4 pills a day.
I just want this to work. I can’t believe it’s summer again and don’t want to feel like a lump on a log and wear shorts!

Gratitude to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from ten directions and three periods of time!
Gratitude to the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva!
Gratitude to the selfless, altruistic, and benevolent Master Lu!
Gratitude to fellow Buddhist practitioners who helped me!
I am Bin Liu from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Today, I would like to share my Buddhist experience: how the Three Golden Buddhist Practices of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door saved me, a late-stage lung cancer patient.
I have been practicing XX Dharma Door for >20 years and have been a vegetarian for >10 years. In July 2012, due to unexplained weight loss, I went to the hospital. After a series of tests, I was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer that had metastasized to my brain. At that time, my daughter kept the severity of my condition from me, but I had a vague sense that something was seriously wrong. The doctor said surgery was not an option, and that I needed immediate radiation and chemotherapy. I firmly insisted on being discharged from the hospital. My daughter reluctantly agreed, so I left the hospital after only undergoing the tests, without receiving any treatment.
The following 5 months were like living through a nightmare, filled with the excruciating pain brought on by cancer. My daughter took me everywhere in search of alternative treatments, from traditional Chinese medicine to various folk remedies, but none proved effective. My health continued to deteriorate, and my weight dropped from over 40 kilograms to just 25 kilograms. I could no longer walk and had to be carried in and out by my daughter. The most dreadful part was the constant, unbearable pain that lasted 24 hours a day. My entire body was so sensitive that any touch, no matter where, would cause intense pain.
The torment of cancer made me feel truly hopeless. One day, I whispered to my daughter, "Living like this is worse than death," and we both cried. Not long after, I noticed that despite drinking plenty of water, I didn't feel the urge to urinate. My daughter consulted a doctor at the oncology hospital, who explained that it was due to tumor compression, indicating that the cancer had likely spread throughout my body. There was no solution, just palliative care at best, with medication costing 500 CNY per pill, once a day. It felt like a death sentence, waiting for the inevitable day.
On January 1, 2013, I was already drifting in and out of consciousness (this was later recounted to me by my daughter). The day after New Year's Day, on the verge of passing away, news of my illness spread quickly among Buddhist friends I had made while volunteering at the XX Dharma Door practice center. Friends whom I hadn't seen for years came to visit upon hearing the news, bringing with them a glimmer of hope — Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. They arranged for urgent help from a senior practitioner in Nanjing, who then contacted Master Lu's office for assistance. To our surprise, despite Master Lu's busy schedule, He responded within a few days. With guidance from Master Lu, step by step, we followed the assigned practices: Three Golden Buddhist Practices, making vows, liberating lives, and reciting Buddhist scriptures.
As the Lunar New Year approached, I learned that on New Year's Eve, reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 87 times could eliminate much of the karmic obstacles generated in this lifetime. So, on the evening of the thirtieth day of the lunar month, I made a solemn vow to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, committing to lifelong vegetarianism, liberating 20,000 fish, printing 10,000 copies of Buddhist scriptures, and transforming 1000 sentient beings. Despite being bedridden and unable to walk, with the support of relatives and my daughter, I made my way to the Buddhist altar. In a state of extreme weakness and pain, I struggled to complete the recitation of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 87 times.
The next day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, I felt completely transformed — spiritually uplifted and with a much-improved physical condition. Filled with confidence, from then on, fellow practitioners accompanied my daughter in conducting numerous fish liberations, releasing 10,000 fish within a month. With their assistance, we also printed Buddhist scriptures of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and delivered them to temples, where the monks helped me distribute. Additionally, I began diligently completing the daily recitation given to me by Master Lu every day.
Despite improvements in various aspects, my health suddenly deteriorated again. Just when everyone was puzzled and confused, my fellow practitioners helped me secure a second consultation with Master Lu. Master Lu's reply was brief but resonated deeply with me. He pointed out that after practicing the XX Dharma Door for >20 years, I couldn't let go of it. His guidance during the second consultation helped me realize that I needed to recite Buddhist scriptures with Him first to eliminate my own karmic obstacles before I could save myself. From then on, I dedicated myself to reciting Little Houses every day at home, and my health improved day by day.
One evening, feeling a bit uncomfortable, I called out three times, "Master Jun Hong Lu, please protect Bin Liu even more." Suddenly, I saw Master Lu's Dharmakaya, tall figure in a dark suit. I was truly excited, and the discomfort disappeared instantly. My fellow practitioners told me that seeing Master's Dharmakaya meant I was saved, which boosted my confidence even more.
Now, I am just like a normal person. I can go grocery shopping, cook, and take care of my granddaughter's diet. My weight has also increased to over 40 kilograms.
So far, we have burned >3,000 Little Houses for my karmic creditors and released over 40,000 fish. Because of my living example, my daughter, her colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives, and some old Buddhist friends who used to practice XX Dharma Door have all started practicing Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. My daughter, who didn't know a single Buddhist scripture before, can now recite 7 Little Houses every day. This year, our whole family attended the Hong Kong Dharma Conference, and we applied to become disciples of Master Lu. I am truly grateful to Guan Yin Bodhisattva, Master Jun Hong Lu, and all the fellow practitioners who have helped me!
Everyone understands that in our past and present lives, we have all made mistakes and accumulated significant karmic obstacles. Only by eliminating evil thoughts and distractions, and following the great compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, along with practicing Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door under Master Lu, can we eliminate the karmic obstacles within ourselves and return to the embrace of Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
Today, I am deeply grateful to the Bodhisattva for giving me this opportunity to share my Buddhist journey at this auspicious Dharma Conference. I want to tell friends who, like me, have suffered from illness and torment, that it was Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door that saved me and allowed me to be reborn. I hope that all fellow Buddhists have the opportunity to return to the embrace of Guan Yin Bodhisattva in this Dharma Decline Age, cultivate their hearts and minds, break free from the sea of suffering, and attain enlightenment sooner.
Gratitude to the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva!
Gratitude to the selfless, altruistic, and benevolent Master Lu!
Buddhist practitioner: Liu Bin (Jiangsu)
Posted: 2015-07-01
Translator: Frank
Published: 2024-05-28
Source: Feedback from Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door Website Users, Master Lu's Blog.
Statement by translator
The story was translated from Chinese into English by meaning, not word by word. If there is anything that is not rational or in line with the true meaning of the Chinese version, I pray for forgiveness from the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors and Master Jun Hong Lu.
Propagation
It would be greatly appreciated if you would forward this presentation to all sentient beings you know, sick or healthy. You will accumulate immeasurable merits and virtues. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda!
Would you like to change your destiny?
We will show you how to do the Five Golden Buddhist Practices of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door: (1) making vows, (2) reciting Buddhist scriptures (sutras and mantras), (3) performing life liberation, (4) reading Buddhism in Plain Terms, and (5) repenting. You will personally witness how you and your family can achieve physical and mental stability, relief from illness and grievances, wisdom growth, academic progress, career advancement, and family happiness through Dharma. It’s free of charge.
Contact
Buddhist practitioner: Lily
Email: [sunnypurplelily@gmail.com](mailto:sunnypurplelily@gmail.com)
WeChat: HanJing20210820
原文如下：
心灵法门的三大法宝救了肺癌晚期的我
感恩十方三世一切诸佛！
感恩南无大慈大悲救苦救难广大灵感感观世音菩萨！
感恩大慈大悲的师父卢军宏台长！
感恩所有帮助过我的师兄们！
我是来自江苏南京的刘斌，今天在这里是要和大家分享心灵法门的三大法宝是怎样救了肺癌晚期的我。
我修净土已有二十余年，吃长素十余年，在2012年7月因为莫名的消瘦去医院经医院经过一系列检查确诊是肺癌晚期并已转移头颅，当时女儿对我是隐瞒病情的，但我自己隐约感觉着不太好。医生说不能开刀只能放化疗，并且立刻就要进行，我坚决要求出院。女儿只能同意，在医院里我只进行了检查，并未做任何治疗就出院了。
在后来的五个月里我可以说是度日如年，尝尽了癌症给我带来的生不如死的痛苦。女儿带着我四处寻找偏方，老中医，也去找看香头的，但都不尽如人意，身体也每况愈下，从最初的八十多斤瘦到只有五十斤，已经不能走路都是女儿抱着进进出出，最可怕的是24小时没日没夜全身的疼痛，别人都不能碰我因为碰哪儿哪疼。对于癌症的折磨，我真的觉得活的很绝望。一天，我低声和女儿说了一句话，“这样活着真是生不如死”，说完我们俩人都哭了。没过多长时间，我发现喝了很多水都没有小便的感觉，女儿去肿瘤医院咨询医生，医生说是因为肿瘤压迫所致，肯定是转移全身都有了，没有办法，只能死马当活马医，条件允许就给开点药500元/颗，一天一次。我就像是宣判了死刑，等着死亡的那一天。
2013年1月1日那天我已经开始昏沉，（这是女儿后来告诉我的），元旦第二天，就在我弥留之际，因为我之前是在净土道场帮忙助念的，认识很多佛友，我得病的事情很快就传开了，几年没见的佛友听说此事就来探望我，同时也给我带来了生的希望——心灵法门，然后请我们南京师兄帮忙在台长那里挂了急诊，没想到几天后台长百忙之中就回复了，接到台长师父回复后一步一步按照师父布置的功课，三大法宝，许愿、放生、小房子。
当时快过年了，得知除夕可以念礼佛大忏悔文87遍消除今世的业障，于是就在年三十的晚上我向观世音菩萨发了大愿，正式发愿长年吃素，放生二万条鱼，印经书一万本，度一千人。由于当时我已经不能下床不能走路，由亲戚和女儿架着我去佛台那边，我在极度虚弱极度痛苦的状态下，吃力的完成了87遍礼佛大忏悔文，结果第二天大年初一我整个人都不一样了，有了精神，身体状态也好了很多。我充满了信心，自此，师兄们陪着女儿为我大量放生，一月内放生了一万条鱼，还配合了很多小房子，在师兄的帮助下印了心灵法门的经书，送往寺院里，由那里的师父帮我结缘。我自己也开始每天完成台长师父给我布置的功课。
在各方面都有好转的情况下，我身体突然又每况愈下，就在大家都费解疑惑的时候，师兄又帮我向台长师父挂了第二次号，台长回复很简单也说中了我的心事，因为修了二十多年的净土，放不下净土。经过师父第二次点拨我终于明白，先跟着师父念经，消自身的业障才能救自己，自此我每天在家里就是做功课念小房子了，身体也一天好似一天。
有一天晚上，突然有点不太舒服，我就喊了三声“卢军宏台长加倍护佑刘斌”，就看见穿深色西服身材高大的台长法身，当时真的非常激动，身体的不适顿时消失。师兄告诉我如果见到了师父的法身说明你有救了，听后我更加信心百倍。现在我已和正常人一样，自己买菜，做饭还能照顾孙女饮食，体重也增加到八十多斤了。
截止目前已经放生了4万多条鱼了，小房子有3000多张，因为有了我这个活生生的例子，女儿、女儿同事、朋友，邻居、亲戚，还有以前修净土的一些老佛友等都开始修心灵法门。女儿从一个不懂一句经文到现在每天可以念7张小房子，今年我们全家都来参加香港法会，并且申请做了台长得弟子，我真得很感恩观世音菩萨，感恩卢军宏台长，感恩所有帮助过我得同修们！
大家都明白每个人的前世和今世都做错过很多事，每人身上都有很大的业障，只有摒除邪思杂念跟着大慈大悲观世音菩萨，跟着卢台长修心灵法门，才能消除自己身上的业障，回到观世音菩萨的怀抱。
今天很感恩菩萨给我这个机会，让我能在这个殊胜的法会上分享我的学佛经历，我要告诉和我一样饱受病痛折磨的朋友们，是心灵法门救了我，让我得到重生。希望广大佛友有缘在末法时期回到观世音菩萨妈妈的怀抱，修心修行，脱离苦海，早证菩提。
感恩南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨，感恩大慈大悲卢台长！
江苏刘斌
——心灵法门网友反馈 2015-07-01
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Disclaimer of Liability:
The contents of the presentation and answers, including text, images, and other information obtained from Dharma practitioners, are provided strictly for reference purposes. Due to the unique nature of individual karma, results similar to those experienced by the authors may not be replicated. The experiences and advice shared should not be construed as medical advice or a diagnosis.
In the event of an emergency, it is crucial to promptly contact your doctor or emergency services by dialing 911. Relying on any information found in the answers is done solely at your own risk. The translator and answerer bear no responsibility for the consequences. By using or misusing the contents, you accept liability for any personal injury, including death. It is imperative to exercise caution and seek professional medical guidance for health-related concerns.

TLDR: Here is everything I've tried for suspected hydrogen/methane SIBO. This is not medical advice intended to treat or diagnose anyone, just my own case study.
I didn't take all of these at once, I usually took no more than 2-4 herbs at a time. For extra liver safety when taking multiple herbs at once, look up CYP interactions between the herbs and any existing medications you take and avoid taking combinations that might interact (or consult with your doctor). Most of the supplements I used are from Thorne Research, Pure Encapsulations, Metagenics, Organic India, Life Extensions, and Designs for Health. Research your brands carefully; the supplement industry is largely unregulated.

Helpful

Bolded are the most helpful; interventions in which I noticed a difference almost immediately.
Herbals:

• Berberine (works best on empty stomach)
• Allicin (works best on empty stomach for me, but causes reflux and gastritis after awhile so I can only take it for a couple of weeks at a time)
• Neem (1000mg, with meal)
• Oil of Oregano (Very strong...I caution against jumping to this one immediately. I always took with meals since I couldn't tolerate this on an empty stomach.)
• Olive leaf extract (empty stomach)
• Grape seed extract (empty stomach)
• Nigella sativa extract (empty stomach)
• Milk thistle (silymarin)

Motility agents:

• Ginger (specifically MotilPro, but it eventually caused heartburn and LPR for me so I had to stop)
• Triphala (empty stomach)
• Magnesium citrate (up to 400mg per day, although I usually take 100-200mg, or 300mg at most)
• Artichoke extract (empty stomach)
• MCT oil (i'd take a teaspoonful whenever i was feeling particularly backed up, as an emergency treatment)
• spoonful of olive oil on empty stomach in the morning
• dark chocolate (Double edged sword as this also increased histamine reactions for me. Also need to be careful what dark chocolate you buy because many sources of chocolate have high levels of heavy metals in them.)

Fiber supplements:

• Bimuno
• Sunfiber

Digestive aids:

• Betaine HCl with pepsin (I was taking up to 6 500mg pills per meal at one point, and tapered slowly off of that as I started producing more stomach acid. Stress also lowers the amount of stomach acid you produce. The die-off from taking 1 pill of this for the first time frightened me and I almost didn't try it again, I got very dizzy and almost felt like I was going to faint. I'm very glad I tried again.)

Lifestyle changes:

• EMDR or IBS focused meditation
• Walking, running, or other forms of low/medium impact cardio exercise
• Squats/deadlifts (can trigger bowel movements)
• Sleeping before 1am
• Sleeping > 6 hours a night
• Not eating 3-4 hours before bed
• No snacks between meals (good for motility)
• Whatever activities or changes you can do in your life to reduce stress
• Singing or karaoke (stimulates vagus nerve, self-soothing)

Dietary changes:

• Avoiding dairy (How do you think methanogens got into your gut?)
• Increase variety of plant foods - eat the rainbow, and eat organic if possible, or at least avoid the Dirty Dozen
• Specific foods that encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome: walnuts, kiwi, pomegranate, broccoli sprouts, legumes (lentils and green peas being two of the most easily tolerated ones, especially if you didn't previously eat a lot of legumes), sweet potatoes, spices (black peppercorn). There are many more beneficial whole foods, these are just some of my favorites that I try to eat every couple of days.
• Eating something like the mediterranean diet (low to medium fat, low to medium protein, medium low-glycemic carb intake, high in fiber, plants, spices, fruits, and polyphenols) turns out to be healthiest for your gut microbiome - everything in moderation, no major restrictions in diet

Probiotics:
I am especially picky with probiotics because I noticed increased histamine/MCAS-like reactions to some probiotics that I've taken in the past. I try not to take any probiotics these days that aren't single-strain. The strands below should all be non-histamine producing or releasing strains.

• B. longum bb563
• B. coagulans MTCC 5856 (Lactospore)
• B. infantis
• S. Boulardii CNCM I-745 (Florastor)

Biofilm buster:

• Nattokinase (be careful taking this if you're on blood thinners)

Didn't notice a big difference, but potentially helpful

Bolded are interventions that I felt were more on the "potentially helpful" end of "no difference" for digestive issues, or things that I would consider trying again. Some of these I took for their adaptogen or mood-boosting effects, hoping that it would lessen stress and help with stomach pain or reflux, but ultimately I didn't notice a huge change from taking them. I'm no longer taking most of these, and of the ones I've continued taking, I'm taking them for reasons other than digestive health.
Herbals:

• Atrantil (2x pills per meal)
• Andrographis
• Artemisinin (another one to be careful of taking long-term, i suggest no more than 2 weeks at the most)
• Fenugreek
• Asafoetida (mostly used in cooking, great for making legumes easier to tolerate)
• Cinnamon
• Parsley oil
• Quercetin (helped with increased histamine reactions caused by probiotics but didn't do much for stomach problems)
• Gymnostemma
• Pomegranate extract (Some research actually shows that this can decrease acidity in your stomach, so be careful about taking it if you already suspect low acid. I always take this for a couple of days when I notice any gastritis symptoms and it helps a lot with that.)
• Green tea extract
• Sulforaphane (careful taking this for longer than 2-3 weeks at a time, stop immediately if you start feeling any pain in your liver)
• Apigenin
• Tumeric/Curcumin (caused increased reflux for me too)
• Cranberry extract
• Ashwagandha
• Mushrooms (reishi, lion's mane, chaga, turkey tail - some of these actually increased constipation for me)
• Astaxanthin
• Bittermelon extract
• Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice
• Slippery elm
• Marshmallow extract
• Aloe Vera extract

Fiber:

• Arabinogalactan
• Acacia fiber
• Glucomannan
• Apple pectin
• Flax seed fiber
• Psyllium husk (Taking too much of this (or any fiber) can actually increase constipation too.)
• Beta-glucan
• HMOs
• Modified citrus pectin

Other supplements:

• Inositol (Didn't have any particular improvement in digestive issues, but I've continued taking after noticing increased mood and wellbeing)
• Colostrum (empty stomach in the morning)
• Magnesium L-threonate
• Magnesium glycinate (hoping it would help with sleep, but didn't really notice much benefit)
• L-glutamine
• Vitamin C (reducing severity of histamine reactions)
• Iodine + Selenium
• Zinc L-Carnitine
• Vitamin B12 (I still take about 1000mg once a week, just because I don't eat that much meat)
• Vitamin D3 + K2 (I still take this because I don't get that much sunlight)
• Omega 3 Fish Oil
• Phosphatidylcholine
• Ubiquinol
• D-Limonene (tried for acid reflux)
• Sodium Alginate (tried for acid reflux)

Digestive aids:

• Swedish bitters
• Digestive enzymes
• Beano

Biofilm busters:

• Serrapeptase
• Klaire Labs Interfase Plus

Probiotics:

• Biogaia L. reuteri DSM 17938 (I made yogurt with this too and also didn't notice a huge difference...it may have actually increased my gas a little, as many lactobacilli seem to do)
• Pendulum Akkermansia (there's chicory inulin in this as a prebiotic which might cause some symptoms for people)
• B. subtilis
• Other various bifidobacterium strains

Possibly harmful

• Any lactic acid bacteria probiotics or fermented foods - kefir, kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut
• Processed foods
• Seed oils
• Sugar alcohols (sorbitol found in prunes and apricots are often used to trigger bowel movements, but it doesn't seem to be good for you long term)
• Artificial sweeteners and even some natural sweeteners (stevia!)
• Inulin, FOS (feeds everything, including fermenting bacteria)
• Long-term FODMAP diet (reduces diversity of your gut microbiome over time)
• Low salt diet (Sodium chloride is one of your main sources of chloride. Guess what your stomach needs to produce HCl? That's right: chloride!)
• Melatonin (severely slows down gut motility and causes constipation for me whenever I take it, even at <1mg)
• THC/CBD (also slows down gut motility)
• Alcohol (literally poison for your gut microbiome...i indulge rarely, and only socially)
• Metagenic MegaSporeBiotic (caused me to have histamine reactions that lasted even after I stopped taking them)
• Overdosing on laxatives/increasing gut motility to the point of diarrhea

Didn't try but would consider doing in the future

• TUDCA
• Xifaxan/Rifaximin (I was never offered this or any other antibiotics by any of my doctors. I could probably have gotten even more second opinions or pushed harder, but I wanted to see if herbals worked first.)
• Phage-based probiotics
• Lactoferrin
• Moringa
• Tulsi
• More herbals (There are many more herbals out there that I haven't heard of or researched yet.)
• Prolonged fasting up to 2-3 days (Unsure about this, as research shows that fasting can increase Akkermansia...but interestingly, it also increases methanogen presence in the gut. The gut bacteria of anorexia patients is enriched in methanogens as well.)
• Elemental diet (I also think of this as a last resort because it'll really kill the diversity in your gut microbiome)

This is a throwaway account and this post is a thank-you to this community and everyone who has shared their stories and approaches. If you take anything away from this, let it be that there is always hope as long as you're still alive, and "do your own research" - by which I mean, try to read actual scientific articles from pubmed or other journals to confirm what you're reading online or consult with medical professionals (google scholar is a great resource!). Above all, rely on your own judgement: don't abdicate your critical thinking to anything you read on the internet, including this post.
Here's my story. I was going through an intensely stressful period of my life 2 years ago, culminating in a junk food binge (I had nothing but ice cream, chips, and other processed foods for a week or two). Naively, I thought having some kimchi (probiotics are good right?) and various probiotics would make up for the recent binge. Soon after that I started having a bunch of symptoms:

• Extreme bloating after meals, sometimes I was so bloated I was nauseated
• Lots of burping, sometimes it would wake me up at night
• Very little flatulence, all the gas felt like it was trapped in my stomach or colon
• Constipation and a dull, nagging pain in lower left abdomen, near sigmoid colon (when constipated)
• Sleeping on my left side when gassy was uncomfortable and painful, it felt like I was lying on some sort of bubble, gas trapped near my splenic flexure
• Trouble taking a full breath when sleeping on my back
• Waking up in the morning with souacidic taste in my mouth and pain in the back of my throat from acid reflux due to increased gas
• Could not eat anything with FODMAPs in it without a lot of pain and suffering
• Increased allergies and histamine reactions
• Brain fog, fatigue and dizziness, especially after eating

I went to multiple doctors and gastroenterologists who just diagnosed me with IBS and told me to try the FODMAP diet. They refused to do diagnostic exams (endoscopy and colonoscopy) due to my younger age (mid 20s) and lack of occult blood in stool. I tested negative for H. Pylori, but I never ended up taking any SIBO-specific breath tests and mostly went by symptoms and how I felt. My guess was that I was mostly dealing with hydrogen and methane SIBO, as I never had sulfuric smelling gas or diarrhea (besides when I accidentally overused motility agents at various times).
I started with one of the standard herbal treatments recommended in this subreddit:

• Candibactin BR, 2x in the morning, 2x at night
• Candibactin AR, 1x with every meal

I did this for about 2-3 weeks and felt an almost immediate relief after the first week and a half, although the first couple of days were unbearable with increased die-off gas. In hindsight I'm not sure if I did the right thing going with oregano oil right off the bat. It's very strong and I think I may have permanently damaged my microbiome in some way, because after around 3 months of remission, I started to notice the constipation and pain in my sigmoid colon. What followed that was multiple rounds of different types of herbals as I reached a slightly more "stable" place and then relapsed repeatedly. I've listed all the things that I tried above. Most of my rounds were 4-6 weeks long, and then I'd take a break. Taking 2-4 herbs at a time seemed to be mostly safe as I had blood tests during my yearly physicals that showed no abnormalities and good liver numbers.
What were my root causes? I suspect high stress (slows gut motility, reduces production of stomach acid), improper use of lactic acid bacteria probiotics and fermented food (fermented food might be fine for people who don't have compromised gut motility, but the food just ended up sitting in my stomach and fermenting even more), and binging on dairy (big source of methanogens in the gut). All of my relapses can be traced back to attempts to fix things with lactic acid bacteria probiotics, fermented food, slipping and having dairy (one of my relapses was caused by a cheese binge!), or having another stressful period in my life where I'd start eating poorly, sleeping poorly, skipping meals, and not exercising.
After the most recent round, which was 5 months ago, I've been eating onions, garlic, and other FODMAPs with no problems. I have no major restrictions in my diet besides dairy: I eat nuts, fruit, meat, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, etc, many of which I used to find difficult to digest. I'm still taking Triphala, 100mg magnesium citrate, B. longum bb563, Bimuno, and Sunfiber supportively, but no antibiotic herbals. I've been tapering off the magnesium citrate (down from 300mg/day) and have started to taper off Triphala as well. Current schedule: fiber supplements + probiotics in the morning, magnesium citrate with my evening meal, Triphala on an empty stomach before bed.
Am I cured? I'm not sure...this might be something that I'll have to deal with again in the future. But I'm definitely feeling more optimistic than I've ever been about it, and each time I finish a round of herbals, I've noticed that I'm getting closer and closer to normal. So maybe one day! Good luck to everyone reading this!

Gedarel 20/150 for acne?
Hi, I have been on BC on and off for the past 5 years of my life and every time I came off the pill I would get cystic hormonal acne. I’ve tried everything from diet changes, sleep and stress management, retinol, clindamycin, doxycycline, wearing no makeup as much as possible, consuming more products for gut health and nothing is helping.
I have been on Yasmin and Celest previously but when I tried Yasmin for the second time it made my acne worse. The last pill I was on was Cilique which was amazing for my skin but has now been discontinued. I stopped taking this pill in September 2023 and have been struggling with acne since and I have given up trying to wait out for my hormones to regulate.
I have decided I am gonna try the Gedarel 20/150 pill, has anyone had positive experiences using this pill?