How Did You Figure Out Your Other Intolerances?

[EmiPark210]

I'm starting to question if I have other intolerances, temporary or otherwise, in addition to Celiac. But I don't quite know how to figure it out besides elimination which is proving to be very difficult. I think I may be sensitive or intolerant to corn and dairy.

 

For corn, I know in the past I've gotten really bad colon spasms when I eat a corn based pasta, but didn't ever seem to react to eating corn on the cob, popcorn, or anything like that. I did seem to react to Planter's peanuts which use corn starch but that was back when I also had very violent reactions to any CC from gluten right after my diagnosis. I'm currently studying abroad in Vienna where it seems that everything that is gluten free is corn based. I've been eating cornflakes in the morning (whereas at home I eat rice chex) and sandwiches on Schaer bread for lunch. I haven't had a full blown spasm attack yet, but my colon is telling me it's not happy. Sorry if this is a bit too much, but my stool has become very different since I got here. It's more in multiple pieces and round but still easy to pass though the need is urgent when it arises... if that makes sense. I've been here for four weeks so there has definitely been enough time for my diet to be affecting everything.

 

As to dairy, I get really bloated when I have a good amount of dairy but notice everything is fine when I have a soy based alternative. I've switched to soy milk for my cereal and a lactose-free cheese for my sandwiches and it seems to have helped. I could probably get a lactose test when I get home to the states in a couple weeks but I've been considering going dairy free for a while. I just don't know how I would do it at home. The soy here in Austria is non-GMO and while I don't have an issue with modifications themselves, I do have an issue with the business practices behind them so I don't know what I'd use as a replacement  state-side.

 

I'm still pretty new to all this so I don't quite know how to handle these questions and self-diagnosis of other things going on. Any input is really helpful. Thanks 

[dilettantesteph]

I think that the only good way is elimination/challenge dieting which is very difficult.  It is worth it though.  I had an issue similar to yours where I reacted to corn in a processed food item but not popcorn or corn on the cob.  That made me believe that it was something else in the processed food item, either another ingredient or cross contamination.  It would help your elimination dieting to be eating simply and with whole foods as much as possible.  That sounds like a big challenge while studying abroad.  I wish you the best.

[Laura Wesson]

The hypoallergenic elimination diet makes these non-gluten food allergies much more noticeable.  You might have a delayed-reaction corn allergy and not know it without doing the elimination diet.

And it is important to eliminate all the common allergens at once, not one at a time.  You will be more likely to have clear reactions to food challenges that way. 

[1desperateladysaved]

I did a blood test in which they looked for various food antibodies.  When I cut out the things the test told me to avoid it did seem to help.  Just now I am in the process of adding back foods that I had the fewest antibodies to.  I am also doing a rotational diet and not consuming the same food family more than every forth day.

 

D

[Juliebove]

I had allergy (skin prick) tests done but they only tested for a few things.  All came back negative.  Had IgG testing done via blood and hair tests.  But...  I pretty much already suspected dairy and knew of egg for sure due to my reactions to them.

[EmiPark210]

I need to talk to my gastro when I get back stateside about a couple of things, but dairy is definitely out. I had a couple days of just soy and rice milk which were great for the symptoms I thought were for dairy... but I just finished the ice cream I bought earlier in the month and I'm like a balloon. I might go get it checked if it's lactose or casein but this one is going to be the hardest stateside. No more Amy's

 

I have another question as well: Could a high amount of unprocessed foods in stool be a sign of intolerance issues, or just part of your body healing? I'm still new to all this and it's hard to talk to doctors while out of the country. 

[Laura Wesson]

 Could a high amount of unprocessed foods in stool be a sign of intolerance issues, or just part of your body healing?

It's a symptom of celiac disease. 

[foam]

Yes, as late as last year (after three years off gluten) I still had all kinds of foods comming out undigested. That part of the problem is more or less fixed now, I had to change my diet to grain free and start eating meat.

[ravenra]

I journaled for months to sort out my food intolerances which give me IBS symptoms (gluten, casein, onions, garlic, peppers, cherries, pineapple, peanuts & sugars) and went through dozens of theories on what was wrong with me. Thank goodness my husband is so patient and learned to tune out my daily rambling!

 

I also experience a high amount of unprocessed foods in D when I eat one of the offending foods (onion, peppers) - but then gluten & oats give me wicked C.

 

I know there are lots of guides on how to remove everything then test individually - but I found it helpful to try dairy, fructose, nightshades, etc. families one at a time. Then you aren't cutting everything out & wondering what the problem is. Or wondering what to test first, afraid that you're going to make yourself sick again. 

 

The biggest help for me though was journaling EVERYTHING. Foods, drinks, all symptoms (of gas, cramps, headaches, colds, BMs, etc.) workouts.

 

I'm still undiagnosed for NCGI / casein, but feel like a different person and also have 10+ years of constant IBS symptoms and daily headaches gone, so I'm no longer looking to mainstream medicine to confirm my hypothesis!

[0range]

My lactose-intolerance came on at age 12. I used to have milk and cereal for breakfast every morning (as I had done as a kid), and remember just having the absolute worst gas / foul-smelling stool that year. It was so bad I remember my dad going into the washroom after me and just running right back out! haha, pretty funny now that I think about it. I went to see the doctor, did some stool tests, and he asked me to cut out all dairy. Instant relief from crazy gut issues. And that's my story of how I was dx with lactose intolerance. Now, I'm moderately sensitive to dairy. I can drink a little bit of it with my tea - but ice-cream, dairy desserts, etc. just won't do. Doomsday diarrhea results. Milk in coffee doesn't bring on the big D but I feel pretty nauseated afterwards, so I just substitute with lactose-free milk when I choose to drink it.

[Rowena]

I figured out my gluten intolerance a few years back when I was not having regular periods, and symptoms a lot like pregnancy (and pain of course) without being pregnant.  They did the blood test for Celiac Disease as kind of a last ditch effort, and not knowing what the heck celiac disease was, I had researched it.  Upon realizing the foods that were bad for celiac disease were the very ones that made my symptoms so awful, I tried a gluten-free diet.  And then, I started feeling sooo much better, lost weight and got back down to a decent weight (I had been gaining weight despite the fact I hadn't been eating well) AND my cycle became regular again!

 

As for dairy, I suspected it for a long time, but it wasn't until after I gave birth to my now almost 4 month old that we realized there was something else upsetting my system besides gluten (since it really had been a while since I ate gluten).  I had intense nausea, diarrhea, alternated with constipation now and then, similar to my gluten pains.  They thought it might be my gall bladder, cause when they pressed on my gb I lept off the bed in pain.  However ultrasound showed nothing.  CT scan only showed a fatty liver (consistent with the fact I have high liver enzymes) and so forth.  Colon/Endoscopy revealed nothing, but biopsy revealed esophagitis, and blood tests revealed a lactose problem.  They've not tested me for casein, but I suspect that's a major issue too.  So we'll see how that diet goes, and if I still have problems in a few weeks, I'm gonna call back and see if there is any other testing they can do...  Or I might just do an elimination diet.  (I suspect I have a corn problem too)