Did Anyone Have To Give Up Citrus?

[WGibs]

I'm curious if anyone else has had to give up citrus or other acidic foods, at least initially when getting your system back on track. I started keeping a food journal, because some days/weeks I would be great and then the D would come back seemingly out of the blue. One major variable I noticed was when I started eating an orange with my lunch each day -- citrus is so good and cheap this time of year! I wasn't going nuts with it -- just one orange a day. Now I've cut it out for two days and already my stools are improving. Does this make sense -- a highly acidic food would tear up a delicate, healing system -- or does it sound like a separate problem?

Thanks for any thoughts!

[Guest nini]

absolutely. I had to avoid citrus and dairy for the longest time...they both just set me off and I felt so terrible afterwards... I think I was able to reintroduce both after about 6 months.

[WGibs]

Thanks for the reply, nini! You have been my savior lately! I was just telling my BF that you said my high AGA IgG was enough to suggest gluten sensitivity so I wasn't crazy after all. His response? "No one thinks you're crazy, sweetie. You're not imagining the D, and if you feel better now, that's what's important." Nice guy.

Back to topic...Did you find that you were okay if you just avoided actual citrus fruit and juices, or did you have to avoid citric acid as an ingredient as well?

It's starting to sink in that I really should give my system break from dairy too. At first, it seemed impossible...that I would have nothing to eat...but now that gluten-free has become easier, it sounds doable.

[Guest nini]

I just really avoided citric fruits and juices... I didn't worry about it as an ingredient so much. Same thing with dairy. I just avoided obvious dairy... (I wasn't willing to give up everything!)

My dr. had said that I would probably be able to reintroduce dairy after being gluten-free for a while and he was right. I knew I was lactose intolerant before my dx... I also knew that citrus fruits tended to really irritate me. So I was already avoiding them before going gluten-free... Reintroducing them and NOT having the issues I had before was so amazing to me. I was very excited to be able to eat oranges from my daddy's trees and not get sick!

[Jen H]

Hey WGibs,

I also had a hard time digesting dairy and citrus at first. I've been gluten free for 6 months now and just reintroduced orange juice recently. It did not sit well with me at all before I was diagnosed. My nutritionist told me to steer clear of OJ and dairy for 6 months until my intestine were on the mend. When you can drink OJ, I highly recommend the Tropicana with vitamin D and calcium. Celiacs are more prone to osteoporosis so the vitamin D will help you absorb the calcium. If you can't drink dairy right now, ask your doctor if you should be taking a calcium supplement.

[ianm]

I can't tolerate citrus or apples at all. However pears, peaches and plums are just fine. Doesn't make much sense to me as to why that is.

[TestyTommy]

I can't tolerate citrus or apples at all. However pears, peaches and plums are just fine. Doesn't make much sense to me as to why that is.

Same here! It seemed like the strangest thing, but apples and orangesdefinitely disagreed with me. I thought I was just being paranoid, but I guess I'mnot.

[slpinsd]

My IgG food allergy testing came back positive for citrus fruits. Pineapple, oranges, lemons. I had some OJ this morning- bad idea. Always had a problem with apples, too. Especially applesauce or juice.

[Guest Viola]

I too had to give up citrus and Dairy. But no longer have trouble with Dairy and I'm getting quite a bit better with all fruits and juices except Apple juice and Cranberry juice. Both get my acid reflux going big time. Strangely enough, orange juice doesn't if I drink it right after phyisical exertion, like after a round of golf, or a hike. I can down a bottle of 100% orange juice and feel great.

These bodies are really strange sometimes.

[julie5914]

Acidic foods bother me a lot. I can handle some fruit, but I've never liked apples, and tomatoes are tearing me up these days. I can handle low acid OJ just fine though. And now before an acidic meal I take a pepcid AC - it seems to help. I don't do dairy anymore.