Please Help Me, Help My Mum

[megz6989]

Hi, 

 

I am wondering if anyone can help me. My mum has been very ill for 25+ years, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, ibs like symptoms, pain in the upper stomach, extreme nausea, dizziness, fatigue, depression and anxiety, ulcers, she's had her gall bladder removed, a hysterectomy and a brain opp to remove 3 aneurysms and there is probably more that I cant think of right now. Doctors have prescribed her medication all her life to deal with all these symptoms, without ever, I believe, trying to find the course of them. 

 

She doesn't eat a lot, but what she did eat was about an 80% acidic diet and that was all washed down with 3L of diet caffeine free pepsi and about 4 coffees a day, more acidity!

 

She agreed 5 weeks ago to follow a diet that I created for her, cutting out processed snacks, whole grains, rye products, healthy carbs and fats, fruit as a morning snack only, having 1 veggie juice a day, she even switched to stevia in her coffee and has been drinking 2L of water, she was lucky to have one glass before.

 

3 weeks later, she lost some weight, skin was getting clearer and her constant diarrhoea has stopped for the first time in 25 years. She still had severe pain in the belly, I stumbled across, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance and coeliac disease and she has every symptom, so we cut it all out and were planning to reintroduce them next week, to see whether it's gluten, lactose or both. But three days ago her diarrhoea came back with a vengeance and we can't think of anything that she has had that could have cause this, so my thoughts were: 1. Her stomach is reacting strongly to the acid all of a sudden, because it hasn't been able to repair itself (not being alkaline) and the gluten/lactose problem no longer masks this?

2. She is actually allergic to something she has eaten (she tried a gluten free gravy around this time)

3. Maybe she is still reacting to the milk and we should try lactese tablets?

4. Her medication is causing the problems

 

So we are going to buy test strips this week and started looking at making her diet more alkaline, but I am so overwhelmed, im struggling to find ways to keep it simple, staying away from gluten, lactose and acidic food, its seems she would have to become vegan to be as alkaline as what is recommended, I am just so overwhelmed, every meal I look up, either is acidic or has gluten or lactose and the variations, have ingredients, that either we don't know what they are or are very expensive. 

 

Any advice or ideas would be so appreciated, 

 

Megan 

[kareng]

I don't think there is much to this theory that your blood is acidic or alkaline.  Acidic foods in the stomach can make the stomach irritated but they don't change your blood ph.

 

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

"The theory of the alkaline diet is that eating certain foods can help maintain the body's ideal pH balance to improve overall health. But the body maintains its pH balance regardless of diet.

For instance, your diet may affect the pH level of your urine. But what you eat does not determine your blood's pH level."

 

 

 

That much diet soda a day can be bad for you in so many ways.  Its good you have her off of that.

[squirmingitch]

You need to make sure her meds are gluten free or she won't be gluten-free. She could be having problems with the dairy. IF she has celiac disease then the villi get destroyed & the tips of the villi are the 1st to go ~~~ the tips of the villi is where the digestion & beak down of dairy (lactose) is done. Many celiacs, once they've gone gluten-free, find they can not eat dairy for a while ~~~ some for months & some for a year or even more until those villi heal.

When one 1st goes gluten-free, it can be a rocky road. Ups & downs with the symptoms coming & going or even seemingly getting worse. The body is adjusting & has a lot of adjusting to do. There are lots of subs for dairy. Almond milk, rice milk, etc.... Google on here to find lots of options or post a thread about subs for dairy. She could use a good probiotic. Culturelle makes a good dairy free, gluten-free, capsule. I'm speaking from the US though & since you said your "mum", then I'm guessing you're in Great Britain or Australia so you need to check if the Culturelle is available there & if it's gluten-free.

Also, you mentioned the gluten-free gravy. When ppl go gluten-free, we suggest they eat only whole foods for a minimum of 3 months (meat, fruits & veggies) & that means no processed foods even if they're gluten-free ~~~ they're still processed food with a lot of stuff in them that can upset the system.

Read this too:

Newbie 101 for celiacs

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

 

I will add too that many celiacs can not tolerate soy so that may be a factor for you to consider. I agree that the sodas are not good & am glad you have her off of them.

 

Keep a food log as it can help immensely to track down problem foods.

I would say to keep her gluten-free & drop the dairy but not to worry about the acid foods for now & see how she does.

[bartfull]

Chances are she also got some cross-contamination. Read the Newbie 101 threadhere to find out all the places gluten can hide.

[foam]

Hey I wouldn't read much into the acid alkaline theory, the gut needs to be acid to work properly. I lived on the most alkaline diet of all time most of my life and it sure didn't help me. I'd bet she got gluten from something somewhere, it's sneaky stuff. Anything processed from anywhere is likely to have gluten hiding in it. Zero processed food, all made in your own kitchen is the key.

 

It takes a long long time to heal, count on years with a previous diet like that so keep being persistent with the new diet.

[Posterboy]

 

Hi, 

 

I am wondering if anyone can help me. My mum has been very ill for 25+ years, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, ibs like symptoms, pain in the upper stomach, extreme nausea, dizziness, fatigue, depression and anxiety, ulcers, she's had her gall bladder removed, a hysterectomy and a brain opp to remove 3 aneurysms and there is probably more that I cant think of right now. Doctors have prescribed her medication all her life to deal with all these symptoms, without ever, I believe, trying to find the course of them. 

 

She doesn't eat a lot, but what she did eat was about an 80% acidic diet and that was all washed down with 3L of diet caffeine free pepsi and about 4 coffees a day, more acidity!

 

She agreed 5 weeks ago to follow a diet that I created for her, cutting out processed snacks, whole grains, rye products, healthy carbs and fats, fruit as a morning snack only, having 1 veggie juice a day, she even switched to stevia in her coffee and has been drinking 2L of water, she was lucky to have one glass before.

 

3 weeks later, she lost some weight, skin was getting clearer and her constant diarrhoea has stopped for the first time in 25 years. She still had severe pain in the belly, I stumbled across, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance and coeliac disease and she has every symptom, so we cut it all out and were planning to reintroduce them next week, to see whether it's gluten, lactose or both. But three days ago her diarrhoea came back with a vengeance and we can't think of anything that she has had that could have cause this, so my thoughts were: 1. Her stomach is reacting strongly to the acid all of a sudden, because it hasn't been able to repair itself (not being alkaline) and the gluten/lactose problem no longer masks this?

2. She is actually allergic to something she has eaten (she tried a gluten free gravy around this time)

3. Maybe she is still reacting to the milk and we should try lactese tablets?

4. Her medication is causing the problems

 

So we are going to buy test strips this week and started looking at making her diet more alkaline, but I am so overwhelmed, im struggling to find ways to keep it simple, staying away from gluten, lactose and acidic food, its seems she would have to become vegan to be as alkaline as what is recommended, I am just so overwhelmed, every meal I look up, either is acidic or has gluten or lactose and the variations, have ingredients, that either we don't know what they are or are very expensive. 

 

Any advice or ideas would be so appreciated, 

 

Megan 

 

Megan I think I can help you.

 

Remember there are no silver bullets . . . but there might be a silver shotgun.

 

I have had remarkable results with basic nutrition.

 

I propose one vitamin and one mineral. 

 

Think of the tango.  It takes two things to really make a difference.

 

Hence the shotgun approach.  No one nutrient - dietary change by itself will make all the changes you seek but two or three key nutrients can make as they say in the US "a whale" of a difference.

 

The one vitamin B3 Niacin and the one mineral Magnesium (citrate) preferably.

 

If you will take these two nutrients I don't think your mom will still be wasting away as much as it seems now in 6 months.  For those low in magnesium are said to waste away.

 

I helped chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs) with it.  Helped Sleep Apnea and improved my Arthritis with it.

 

Much like the book "The Magnesium Miracle" says you really feel like its a miracle to have soo much energy after haven wasted away over the years without it.

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Good luck on your journey!