Do Intolerances Level Off?

[dlp252]

Okay, I've been gluten free since the beginning of November and casein free since the middle of December...I'm still having some issues with D, which could be from a lot of things, including what my doctor thinks may be C. Diff or colitis from antibiotic use (she found blood in my stool). I'm also thinking something I'm eating may be adding to the problem and am trying to weed out any other food intolerances.

I understand that it may take a while for my gut to heal...I'm okay with that. I understand we may get or find many other food intolerances...I'm okay with that too, lol. My question to the long time gluten-free folks is, at some point do the new intolerances level off...have you found that it took a while perhaps but now you're now not finding new intolerances?

[Guest Viola]

Yes, eventually intollerances do level off, but it does take a long time. To start with I think your body is so used to reacting against every food (because almost all our food had gluten) it just automatically reacts to anything remotely similiar that you put in your mouth. I found that acupunture treatments helped a lot. I'm not sure if it just served to relax all the digestive parts or what .. but it did help.

Also ... I find that especially in the early years, I would worry about going out anywhere because of bathroom problems. It wasn't intollerances that was causing the extra D ... but it was the "worry" that tightened all the stomach muscles and therefore complicated the problem.

In other words .. the stress related to this disease can cause D even without gluten. Relaxing techneques help, as does getting interested in something, whether it be a hobby, volunteer work, or working with your dog. Just do something that doesn't give you time to worry about what your stomach is doing!!!

It's pretty hard at first ... but hang in there .. it does get better!

[dlp252]

Thank you Shirley, that helped a lot! Stress makes sense I guess...I try not to stress about anything, but I know that it's there just the same and it doesn't help with things happen like today. My doctor's office called today (Saturday, , lol) and wanted to talk to me (unfortunately I wasn't home and by the time I called them back they were gone)...she said it was nothing urgent, so I'm trying not to worry...I had a whole bunch of tests run so I'm thinking she was calling about the results of the C. Diff test, but I'm also thinking it if was all negative they would have sent a written report like they did with the blood work, lol.

You are the second person to mention accupuncture, and I actually have the name of some one who is supposed to be very good, maybe I'll give that a try too.

[Rachel--24]

Were you taking antibiotics before you got sick? Thats what causes C-Diff infection. I have C-Diff but for some reason I dont have the hallmark "D" that goes with it. Last night I had a major attack though. I just finished antibiotic treatment for the c-diff Thursday and then last night I tried to eat some rice...took a nap...and got woken up with the worst cramps imaginable. I stayed in the bathroom awhile with "D" and cramps so bad I was dizzy and crying. Its rare that I get those bathroom "episodes" that I hear about so often on this board. After last night I'm really glad its not something I deal with on a daily basis. I thought I was gonna die.

[CMCM]

Were you taking antibiotics before you got sick? Thats what causes C-Diff infection. I have C-Diff but for some reason I dont have the hallmark "D" that goes with it. Last night I had a major attack though. I just finished antibiotic treatment for the c-diff Thursday and then last night I tried to eat some rice...took a nap...and got woken up with the worst cramps imaginable. I stayed in the bathroom awhile with "D" and cramps so bad I was dizzy and crying. Its rare that I get those bathroom "episodes" that I hear about so often on this board. After last night I'm really glad its not something I deal with on a daily basis. I thought I was gonna die.

Same thing used to happen to me sporadically....thank goodness it wasn't daily! And often the attacks would strike in the middle of the night, too! I'd have D but also be feeling like I was going to throw up, so I'd be sitting there with a garbage can nearby cuz I sure couldn't get up from where I was sitting! What I can't believe now that I look back on these things, is why on earth I wasn't more suspicious about gluten. I knew dairy affected me, but I think the reality is that I usually ate gluten and some form of dairy daily, so the combination of the two was really doing me in. But I kept thinking it was dairy, and then so many other foods affected me and I'd go thru periods of time where I felt there wasn't a single food on the planet I could eat. I often realized that although I was really hungry, if I went long times without eating that's when I actually felt the best...when my system was totally empty. But you can't go long without eating....so the cycle would start again.

[ravenwoodglass]

Were you taking antibiotics before you got sick? Thats what causes C-Diff infection. I have C-Diff but for some reason I dont have the hallmark "D" that goes with it. Last night I had a major attack though. I just finished antibiotic treatment for the c-diff Thursday and then last night I tried to eat some rice...took a nap...and got woken up with the worst cramps imaginable. I stayed in the bathroom awhile with "D" and cramps so bad I was dizzy and crying. Its rare that I get those bathroom "episodes" that I hear about so often on this board. After last night I'm really glad its not something I deal with on a daily basis. I thought I was gonna die.

Racheal, did they tell you to eat some yogert daily while you were on the antibiotics? I have found this sometimes helps stave off the D effects the antibiotics cause. Many will also use probiotics but I prefer the yogert to pills.

[jerseyangel]

Rachel--How awful --hope you're feeling better today!

[dlp252]

Were you taking antibiotics before you got sick? Thats what causes C-Diff infection. I have C-Diff but for some reason I dont have the hallmark "D" that goes with it. Last night I had a major attack though. I just finished antibiotic treatment for the c-diff Thursday and then last night I tried to eat some rice...took a nap...and got woken up with the worst cramps imaginable. I stayed in the bathroom awhile with "D" and cramps so bad I was dizzy and crying. Its rare that I get those bathroom "episodes" that I hear about so often on this board. After last night I'm really glad its not something I deal with on a daily basis. I thought I was gonna die.

Gosh, so sorry you had a rough night hope it's better today. How were the antibiotics for the C.Diff? I had taken about a month and a half of antibiotics (all of October and part of November) for Strep, ear infection, sinus infection and you name it, lol. Then in January I had a week of antibiotics for bladder surgery...the D happened around my surgery date. I've been on antibiotics about 20 times in the last 4 years, some for as long as a month at a time. Grrr! I always have "slight" D but this was a change from the normal and didn't seem to be going away.

[Rachel--24]

Racheal, did they tell you to eat some yogert daily while you were on the antibiotics? I have found this sometimes helps stave off the D effects the antibiotics cause. Many will also use probiotics but I prefer the yogert to pills.

I actually have been off dairy for awhile so no yogurt. I was advised by people on the c-diff forum to avoid dairy because it aggravates the problem....although some people swear by it. I didnt really have "D" while on the antibiotics. Its a rare occasion for me to get bad cramps and "d". I know it was from eating the rice. I do not do well with starches or carbs at all so I dont eat them very often. I was eating one type of brown rice hot cereal and seemed ok with it so ate it everyday but little by little I started feeling very toxic and having brainfog, skin and nail changes, aches and pains etc.

I started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet yesterday and I have a really good feeling about it. I'm just feeding the c-diff and other bad stuff in my gut when I eat the carbs so no more for me. The diet allows homemade yogurt and I've done well with it in the past so I'm gonna start doing that again because I do believe yogurt is very beneficial.

I'd have D but also be feeling like I was going to throw up, so I'd be sitting there with a garbage can nearby cuz I sure couldn't get up from where I was sitting!

Thats exactly what happens to me...I always think I'm gonna throw up and I put the garbage in front of me too! Since my "episodes" arent frequent I never think of "d" as a big symptom. My ex swears that when I was healthy I always had "d". I dont remember having it that often. I *do* remember that every single time I ate Kraft mac and cheese I'd end up with "d" almost immediately after but when eating other brands I was ok. I ate tons of mac and cheese back then. I never put two and two together about gluten because I'd never heard of gluten or Celiac. Also if my ex is right about me having too many "episodes" it certainly wasnt affecting my life cuz I dont even remember it.

[Guest BellyTimber]

1.The important yoghurt is live yoghurt with a really heavy proportion of live organisms in it, they turn the lactose into galactose. They don't do anything to the casein though. Join a casein-free organisation, web site etc in addition to here.

2.Lactose intolerance often goes away or lessens. Gluten and casein intolerance don't.