Hi Kirkie,
Even though my urine PH is way better, it still tends to fluctuate (not having anything to do with the time of day, or what I’ve eaten). I would be curious if it was the calcium supplement, not the probiotic, that raised your PH. From my perspective, that would make more sense being that it’s a strong alkaline mineral. If you wanted to track your PH, I would just buy some inexpensive PH Paper Strips at a natural food grocery store. It costs about $15.00 USD and seriously lasts forever.
I really don’t know how PH ties into Matt’s stuff. That’s a good question, but I’m always hesitant to recommend that someone overhaul their diet. If you’re drawn to WAPF, I would be inclined to stick with that (at least for the most part).
If you can’t afford to work with someone (which I SO understand), I still think you could get some solid results on your own. I know this sucks right now, but an unfortunate number of young people are walking around with bone mass that is sub-par, and they have no idea. They will probably not know for decades. The good thing about knowing is you can take steps to improve your bones now, instead of getting a DEXA, for the first time at 50, and thinking, “Oh, Shit.” It’s not that it’s ever too late, but being that you are so young you will see improvements more quickly (and with less work, and often without pharmaceuticals).
Is there any chance you can get two tests covered? In the US, it’s difficult to get covered, but not always impossible. They are referred to as NTX and CTX. I would do a little reading on it, and see if you think it would be beneficial to you. If so, I would see if insurance will pick up the tab. Obviously, no medical test is close to perfect, they just may provide a different perspective. (They are two separate tests.)
Also, probably an elementary question, but is your Vitamin D status in good standing?
Cheers!