Sick Alot

[mbg98]

I have been gluten free now for about 7 1/2 months and was feeling great!! For about the past month now thought i am sick with D what used to be once or twice a week has now turned into everyday! I get up every morning and hit the gym hard, I used to eat before hand but would get D at the gym pretty reguarly so I have started not eating before hand only drinking water but I still seem to get issues and now they are practically everyday. I took my kids on a school field trip yesterday and didn't eat at all prior to leaving but still had to find a bathroom on the way up and also on the way back. I feel as if I can't eat anything when I need to go places because I don't know when it will hit me but now without eating I still get D all the time. Most of the time It is just mild stomach issues with bouts of D but sometimes I get terrible stomach cramps that come and go in waves with no other issues. Today was a wierd day as well I woke up with stomach cramps and have been in and out of the bathroom all day! I need help I can't take much more of this. I can't seem to find a common denominator between the days I get issues. Somedays I wear make-up some not, I drink water everday but that can't possibly be it! I wipe my face with Huggies baby wipes everday a couple times a day (strange I know!) but I re-checked those and they are gluten free. I use Oil of olay moisturiser and went to re-check that but no ingredients are on the bottle so I used something else today that i know is safe and still i am sick! I am going on Vacation the end of the month and am dreading this still going on. I finally found a Doc that deals with Celiac (my previouse said all he can do is diagnose the rest is up to me) and I am going to see him on Monday am, I some how though don't have to much hope for the doc's help! Can anyone offer there opinions? Anyone else go through this, it helps for me to be able to talk it through with someone that understands and knows about all this. please someone help!!!

[CarlaB]

The thing that struck me is that you said you hit the gym hard every day and don't eat first ... I used to do that. Between being sick, being under stress, and further draining my body with exercise (which actually felt like it was getting me going!!), I drained my adrenals. Do a search on adrenal fatigue syndrome. It seems to go hand in hand with celiac in many cases.

[Ursa Major]

If you're sure that gluten isn't the problem, it must be another intolerance rearing it's ugly head. It could be dairy, or soy. Or other lectins (check the link in my signature). Rice, potatoes and eggs, as well as any grains, will also give me D. You may have to do an elimination diet to find the culprit. I have my doubts the GI will be much help in this (even though you may actually have one who understands about food intolerances, most don't).

[AndreaB]

First off, thanks for sharing with us and HUGS for you.

Secondly, many things could be causing problems but food wise it would tend to be soy or dairy and possible beans. That is, if you've ruled out all cc issues. Beans/legumes give my family diarrhea.

Have you tried keeping a food journal/diary to track what you eat? You need to keep in mind that it can take up to two days for symptoms to appear. I have done allergy/intolerance testing for my family to make things a little easier. I've copied over a sheet my doctor gave me. It's popular this morning....third time I've posted it. I found it very helpful, I hope you do too.

Food Allergies

Food allergies are a problem created by a disordered immune system. Normally, the immune system, or body’s military team, is designed to attack disease-causing germs such as bacteria and viruses. Sometimes, however, the immune system gets “confused”, and begins attacking harmless proteins such as those breathed in the air [pollens, mold spores, etc.] or ingested [proteins in our foods]. We call such a reaction an allergy. Allergy symptoms are many and diverse; the most commonly recognized being itching of eyes and nose, runny or stuffy nose and sinuses (“hay fever”), difficulty breathing or asthma, and rashes such as hives or eczema. Not as commonly appreciated is that these immune system reactions can also cause many other symptoms such as; headaches, especially migraines, fatigue, sore throat, arthritis or joint pains, stomach distress, colitis, gall bladder attacks, etc. Even such disorders as epilepsy, spontaneous miscarriages, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, etc., may have an allergic basis.

You might say, “I feel fine nearly all the time; why should I check for allergies. While it may not be necessary, many individuals discover that they are able to enjoy even better quality of life when they avoid their “problem foods”.

How does one know which foods are “problem foods”? That can be a difficult question. Fortunately, several tests can be useful. One measures the amount of immunoglobulin G present in the blood which is specific to a certain food, another measures the amount of immunoglobulin E. Other tests check for concentrations of antigen:antibody complexes, or look for swelling in white blood cells. The test most frequently useful is that which measures the concentration of the immunoglobulin G, or “IgG”.

Depending in which type of testing is performed, the significant levels will be listed differently. If RAST testing is done, [e.g. Serolab], usually the important foods will have counts greater than 3,000 (or _____). If ELISA testing is done, [e.g. US Biotek], levels greater than “No Reaction” are usually considered relevant.

However, laboratories can make mistakes. Therefore it advisable to experiment with the “problem” foods to see if they actually do produce any problems.

The preferred method is called “elimination diet and challenge testing”. It means strictly avoiding any food which is on the “problem list” (shows an elevated level of antibodies) for about 3 weeks [at least 2 weeks]. Then testing or “challenging” each food one time only, beginning with those foods having the lowest positive [but significant] reaction. Do not eat the tested food again until all problem foods have been tested. The next food is tested after 3 days, (or 24 hours after any reaction has subsided--whichever is first). The amount of the test food is usually not critical. Any amount from 1 tablespoon to 1 quart is acceptable. Other “safe” foods may be eaten at he same meal as the test food.

Observe carefully for any symptoms, especially within the first hour, 6-8 hours after ingestion, and 24 hours after the test meal. It is wise to keep a diary or journal, so you can recall what specific symptoms were experienced, and how long it was after the test meal until they occurred. It is sometimes helpful if a family member also is observing for any personality changes or other objective symptoms.

A typical reaction to a problem food might be as follows. The “problem food” [cheese, for example] is eaten for breakfast at 8:00 am. Half an hour later, you notice some sniffling and sneezing. An hour later, you feel jittery, shaky inside. Four hours after breakfast slight nausea is noted. Seven hours after the test meal [3:00 PM], you get a headache. This continues, gradually worsening, the rest of the day. The following morning you awaken feeling very tired, exhausted. As you drag out of bed, you notice that your joints feel stiff and a little sore. They gradually “limber up” as the day progresses, but you feel tired throughout the entire day. The following morning you awaken beginning to feel more like your normal self. Just eating one problem food once could cause this 48-hour ordeal.

After all problem foods have been tested, decide which ones caused symptoms worse than the trouble of trying to avoid the causative foods. Ideally, one strictly avoids all those foods for a period of 4 to 6 months, after which they are each tested again. The goal is to assist the body in “forgetting” those foods are “problem foods” so they may be safely eaten again. This may take some time, but can be worthwhile.

Another method of dealing with allergy foods is to eat them only occasionally. Eating a problem food at intervals of 4 days or more frequently minimizes the symptoms produced. This can be easier than strictly avoiding the food, though the immune system may not “forget” to “fight” a food that is eaten intermittently. The “bottom line” rule of thumb is to be no stricter about your diet than you need to be in order to feel as good as it is possible for you to feel.

If you would like a more thorough explanation of this topic, please consult one of several excellent books that are available.

[mbg98]

Thanks so much for the input, It seems now though I can eat apples or even grapes and get D. I am determined however to get this figured out because I can't keep going like this, I have to work tomorrow which means I can't eat and I will still probably get sick!

[LKelly8]

. . . It seems now though I can eat apples or even grapes and get D. . .

Apples and grapes are notoriously diarrhetic , or is that what you meant?

Your symptoms sound like gluten to me, or lactose intolerance. (No blood, right? That could be uclerative colitis.) Have you checked everywhere? Crumbs or residue in the oven/toaster/non stick pans/wooden utencils. Vitamins, medications, do you drink flavored water? Is there some food stuff you think is gluten-free but you never got around to double checking?

Your doctor can check the antibody levels in your blood. That'll tell you if your celiac is reacting to hidden gluten or if it's some other intolerance.

[MistressIsis]

Oil of Olay products all contain gluten! I believe it's wheat starch or wheat protien...

you can use Mary Kay face washes & moisturizers.

[mbg98]

Wow oil of olay products arent gluten-free, I have been using the "original" version and the ingredients were on the box that of course i threw out so I checked a box when I was in the store last night and nothing jumped out at me so I am off to check the web site! Thanks!!

[Mayflowers]

hope for the doc's help! Can anyone offer there opinions? Anyone else go through this, it helps for me to be able to talk it through with someone that understands and knows about all this. please someone help!!!

OR, You could have viral diarrhea. I had it one time for a month straight and nothing I took stopped it. It just slowed it down. I lost 7 pounds, but it finally stopped. May just have to run it's course.