A-Z Symptom Helper

Click on a symptom below to see what practices/supplements/drugs helped relieve that symptom for fellow sufferers. This list was created via the input of members in our Facebook support group.

Please note that none of this is medical advice. ALWAYS work closely with a trusted healthcare provider before beginning or discontinuing ANY supplements or medications.

**What works for one person, can cause a worsening of symptoms for others, so please use your common sense, do your own research, consult with a trusted medical professional, and remember that every drug/supplement comes with its own list of benefits and risks.**

Please don't hestiate to comment below if you'd like to add something to the list that helped you.

What helped with symptoms overall for most

• Time

• Healthy, organic foods - consider a high protein, low sugar diet rich in healthy fats

• Sleep

• Electrolytes

• Family/friend support

• Healing the Vagus Nerve

Anemia

Anxiety

Back pain

Brain fog/Fatigue

Constipation

Dry eyes

Dry mouth

Dry nose

Eyelid Ptosis

Gut healing

Hair Loss

Insomnia

MCAS

Memory loss

Migraines

Muscle pain/joint pain

Muscle spasms

Muscle weakness

Nausea

Nerve pain

POTS

Secondary Medical Conditions

Swallowing difficulties

UTIs

Vagus Nerve Healing

Vision impairments

Anemia

• Iron supplement with Vit C if tolerated - some will not tolerate synthetic vitamins after poisoning

• Beef spleen

• Oysters and chicken liver (note: these are NOT MCAS friendly)

• Beef

  
  

Anxiety

• Ashwaganda (OTC)

• EMDR therapy

• Vagus nerve healing

• Sound healing

• Distraction

• Avoiding caffeine

• Progesterone cream (Rx)

• LDN (Rx)

• Benzodiazepines (Rx) are sometimes used as a last resort; if you choose to take them please work with a trusted healthcare provider and inform yourself of the risks that come with these drugs

  
  

Back pain

• Icy/hot packs

Brain fog/Fatigue

• Huperzine A (OTC)

• Omega 3's (cod liver oil)

• Creatine

• Ginsing

• Nicotine patches (7 mg) have helped some; for others it made them more anxious

Constipation

• Increase water and fiber intake

• Include gentle movement if possible, like walks or yoga

• Glycerin suppositories

• Artichoke extract/milk thistle

• Slippery Elm

• Senna/Smooth move" tea (note: may cause stomach pain)

Dry eyes

• Warm towel compresses

• carbomethylcellulose preservative free .05% (Rx)

• eye drops

• Cod liver oil or eating more oily fish like salmon, sardines, & mackerel

Dry mouth

• Biotene products (spray, lozenges, mouthwash)

• Chewing gum

• Peppermint drops

• Xylimelts

Eyelid Ptosis

Typically ptosis will improve with time (3-6 months). Your injector can prescribe eye drops to help with ptosis, including:

• Upneeq

• Apraclonidine

Dry nose

• Saline spray

• Petroleum jelly

• Steam/saline mist

Gut healing

• Avoid processed foods, seed oils & added sugar whenever possible

• Stick to a simple, organic whole foods diet. It's important to eat organic grains (wheat, corn, soy, etc) whenever possible, as conventional grains contain high amounts of gut-disrupting herbicides and pesticides

• Incorporate meat/fish broth, (and/or bone broth if you're not suffering from MCAS - bone broth is high in histamine, so you would want to avoid if you have MCAS)

• Low histamine probiotic if you have MCAS

• Sauerkraut and whole fat kefir are great natural probiotics for those who do not have MCAS

• Marine collagen

• Digestive enzymes (may not be suitable for those with MCAS)

• Xymogen GI balance

Hair loss

• Gently washing hair with fragrance-free shampoo every 3-4 days

• Don't comb your hair when wet

• Collagen supplements

• Most sufferers find that traditional hair regrowth systems like Nutrifol do nothing for botulism-induced hair loss. Time is the best healer, and many report that it takes 2-3 years for their hair to thicken back up

Insomnia

• L-theanine

• Valerian root

• GABA supplements

• Magnesium glycinate - note that magnesium is a muscle relaxer, so if you are experiencing muscle weakness it would not be recommended

• "Best Rest" by Pure Encapsulations

• Benzodiazepines (some have had to use these as a last resort short term under the guidance of a doctor)

• LDN (Rx)

• Meditation podcasts

MCAS

MCAS symptoms vary by the individual, and supplements/drugs that help some people don't do anything for others. Work with your doctor to figure out the right medications for you.

• Claritin, Allegra, or Zyrtec (OTC)

• Pepcid (famotidine) (OTC)

• Cromolyn sodium (Rx)

• Ketotifen (Rx)

• DAO supplements

• Vitamin C

• Low histamine probiotic

• SAAT

• AAT

• See our page on Botulism and MCAS to learn more

Memory loss

• Nicotine patches (7mg) have helped some; for others it made them more anxious

• SLEEP!

• Ginsing/Gingko

• Write everything important down, on post its or in your phone

• Use your phone to set reminders and alarms

• Ask others to give you reminders about things you're forgetting

• Repetition: repetition is key to making new memories. Repeat new information that you want to retain every few minutes for an hour or two

Migraines/head pressure

• Acetaminophen (OTC)

• some reported that Gabapentin (Rx) is the only thing that helped

Muscle spasms

• Magnesium (orally) - note that magnesium is a muscle relaxer, so if you are experiencing muscle weakness it would not be recommended

  
  

Muscle pain and joint paint

• Physical therapy

• TENS unit

• Red light therapy (after initial 6 months)

• Magnesium (transdermal, such as lotions or bath soaks) - note that magnesium is a muscle relaxer, so if you are experiencing muscle weakness it would not be recommended

• Magnesium glycinate (oral)

• Biofreeze

• Arnica lotion/cream

• Citicholine (pure)

Muscle weakness

• Pyridostigmine (Rx) has been prescribed for muscle weakness in various iatrogenic botulism case studies. It comes with its own list of risks, so ask your doctor if it's something that might help you

• Citicholine (pure) - may not be appropriate for those who are sensitive to supplements

  
  

Nausea

• Zofran (Rx)

• Phenergan (Rx)

Neck weakness/pain

• Neck pillow

• Icy hot packs and cream

Nerve pain

• TENS unit

• Magnesium (oral and transdermal) - note that magnesium is a muscle relaxer, so if you are experiencing muscle weakness it would not be recommended

• Lion's mane mushrooms

• St. John's Wort

• PEA supplements

• Red light therapy

• Cannibinoids

• Some found that prescription medications, like Amitriptyline, Gabapentin, and Oxycodone were the only things that helped

POTS

• Electrolytes

• Electrolytes MCAS friendly

• Compression wear

• Support organization for POTS: Standing Up to POTS

  
  

Secondary Medical Conditions

The most common secondary medical conditions that can occur after botulism poisoning inlude the following. There are many great resources and support groups for these conditions. Please reach out to me at metoxpretty@gmail.com if you need more information:

• MCAS or histamine intolerance

• POTS

• Orthostatic intolerance

• Lyme

• Reemerging dormant viruses, like Epstein-Barre

• ME (Myalgic encephalomyelitis)

  
  

Swallowing difficulties

• Pureeing food, smoothies, soups, & shakes

• Baby food

• Using a lot of sauce/gravy with solid foods to help moisten the bolus

• Ramen noodle soup

UTIs and interstitial cystitis

• Focus on gut health (see above)

• Water and electrolytes

• D-mannose

• Vitamin C

• When pain persists: How to know if it's a UTI or interstitial cystitis

  
  

Vagus nerve healing

Because botulism and MCAS significantly impact the vagus nerve, it is essential to focus on calming and restoring its function. Here are some practices others have reported being helpful:

• Vagus nerve exercises

• Primal Trust

• Dynamic Neural Retraining System

• Calming frequency sound devices

• Limiting EMR exposure

• Improving gut health

Vision impairments

• Thorough evaluation performed by neuropthalmologist

• Eye exercises on Youtube

• Sunglasses if light sensitivity is present

This is a growing list so please comment below with anything that helped you in your journey!! THANK YOU!!