Diatomacious Earth ( DE ) thread :)

[Tandem mama]

Originally Posted by Hopetobe

Good questions! I've just been learning about FGDE recently, so I'd like to know some of these too. I know this is an older thread though. Can anyone help? Is anyone still taking it or happy/unhappy with it?

I got my questions answered in another thread.

1) is there ever a time or illness in which de isn't to be taken? [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]Not that I've found.[/COLOR]
2) does it give you the runs or make you throw up as you detox/cleanse? [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]No. We have not had any problems[/COLOR]
3) does it help the immune system in general? [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]Yes[/COLOR]
4) I see talk of getting rid of food allergic, do you need to take it daily for this? [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]DE doesn't cure allergies[/COLOR]
5) I saw mention of not taking during respiratory symptoms, can a child who has (probable) asthma be ok to take it as long as they don't have an attack or flare up at the time. Why can't it be taken during respiratory symptoms? Is it the dustiness?it's ok to take with a cold/whatever. It's not great to inhale ever.


We took DE for 30 days. I got rid of headaches, TMJ symptoms, constipation, mood issues.
Dd1 got rid of mood issues and constipation.
Dd2 got Rid of constipation
Dh got rid of constipation and SAD.
We ran out and were off it for three weeks. In those three weeks I got massive headaches and mood swings. Also constipation and tmj symptoms. Dd1 and dd2 had big feelings!! They also caught a stomach virus but I'm not sure DE would've prevented that.

We've been back on it for a week. Lowered mood issues, constipation is gone for everyone. My tmj symptoms are gone. We feel way way better on it.

[SonshineMama]

Proceed with caution if you have ANY inflammation issues. My dd1 who has significant stomach inflammation still cannot take DE after over 1.5 years of being on clay and now GAPs for 8 months.

[homesteadmama]

I recently saw a Naturopath who told me DE should not be taken continuously. She said it will start tearing up your insides if you do it for too long. So you should take breaks. I don't know how much of a DE expert she is, but that was her opinion

[MrsHutch]

Any thoughts on how quickly it should help diarrhea? I guess it depends on the severity of the digestive issues, hm? We've been taking it for about 2 weeks now, and DH and I improved digestively almost immediately, but we weren't as bad as J to begin with.

He's had diarrhea for as long as I can remember, and until recently I just never thought to ask myself if it was normal. I started him on 1/2 tbs for several days, then when I wasn't seeing much change, went up to 1 tbs, and today I gave him 1 1/2 tbs.

We have seen significant, gradual improvements in his autism symptoms lately, especially attention and eye contact, which we guess was either the DE or the one-dose remedy that the naturopath gave us the day after we started DE (although I'm more skeptical about that). But his BMs are still very watery and awful.

Thoughts?

[mamacat]

How about switching over to Bentonite Clay?

[MrsHutch]

Originally Posted by mamacat

How about switching over to Bentonite Clay?

I'm not really familiar with it... I'll have to do some digging to learn. Care to share more?

[mamacat]

also helps with digestive issues/gut healing a mama here had baby with bloody stools who was reacting to almost eveything she was eating in her B.milk and he really had a great deal of healing and started having normal stools when she started giving him BC There is a great deal of info about there but here isone soure:http://healthonabudget.com/how-to-na...entonite-clay/

[MrsHutch]

Originally Posted by mamacat

also helps with digestive issues/gut healing a mama here had baby with bloody stools who was reacting to almost eveything she was eating in her B.milk and he really had a great deal of healing and started having normal stools when she started giving him BC There is a great deal of info about there but here isone soure:http://healthonabudget.com/how-to-na...entonite-clay/

So it's really similar to DE? I'm confused about what the difference is... I mean, I get that they're made from different stuff, but they seem to do all the same things...

[Stiina]

bumping! curious about the continuous dosing, if it's good or not.

Our feed store has it in animal grade (which would be human grade too, if it's white enough)...and I really want to try it.

I have headaches and a sore jaw, DH takes a long time to poo and we're on a farm so we probably all have a bazillion parasites inside of us.

[me]

Our bodies require a certain amount of silica daily (i think its a tablespon? i once sited the amount here on gcm somewhere but its been awhile, maybe someone else knows, and can confirm that) . normally we would get it through our foods and water. but things have changed in this day and age that we often have to supplement what we can no longer naturally get. so depending on how much silica you are getting in your daily diet will depend on how much and if you should continously take it. Personally, we only take it as needed. Like when someone starts having growing or joint pains, or jaw pain, or teeth grinding.

I use to have asthma and I can say that DE bothered the heck out of it. If i was having some tenderness and drank my usual tablespoon, ouch!!. Same with when i would have colds that bothered my lungs, ouch! I guess its different for different people.

And clay does not clog up your pipes, so to speak It drives me batty to hear that but read it a lot on peoples sites. There are a lot of reasons that someone can get stopped up and not pass the clay, and whatever else in their intestines, but the clay is not the reason. Taking it with psyllium, in my opinion isnt good for you. If you need a supplement to take clay then you arent using it right. Also, the type of clay a person takes will effect how it passes through the intestines. Which is why we need to read and learn about the different silicas we take. They react differently.
Oh! and sometimes, DE can make things feel scratchy as a stool is being passed. That's not a good sign and shouldnt be ignored. If all these different clays and dirts are used properly and patiently, no one should be having discomfort. Thats why i am such a huge believer in "dirt" a little goes a long way.

[Stiina]

thank you for your post, oh Wise Dirt Woman!

[DancingWithElves]

I had to share that our DE was recently tested by a certified independent lab for lead content, which revealed no measurable levels.

(same for Great Plains Detox brand of bentonite clay)

[backtobasicsmum]

Okay, I'm going to do this.

Someone posted this link on facebook, and I'm curious what you guys (particularly "me") think of cycling like this: http://www.thenutritionalhealingcenter.com/parasites/

[Shutterbug]

DH and I started this a week ago. I haven't had any headaches! Not sure if it's a coincidence or not. We're trying for a baby though and I was wondering if anyone had any resources on its safety during pregnancy. I would imagine it's fine since it doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream. Just curious.

[me]

Don't cycle DE, it works differently than herbs do.
If you are taking DE you dont need to take a special herbal blend for parasites. Just cycle in foods/herbs/teas daily into your diet that kills parasites, fresh is always better and it will be in amounts that our bodies are use to dealing with