Food Sensitivities

[kabowman]

Well, after several years of thinking I had a gluten intollerance and two doctors suggesting I get tested - which I chose not to do - I finally decided to try to eliminate gluten from my diet. WOW!!! What a difference!! I felt normal...it was truly amazing to me, I could live without pain and not be tied to the bathroom and not "stink" up the whole house.

I finally figured it out the way I figured out I was Lactose Intollerant several years ago by eliminating the food for several days then reintroducing it--for 4 days of pain. Well, now that my stomach is not in constant pain, I have discovered that I have food intollerances to:

-Lactose (milk and ALL related products)

-Gluten

-Peanuts (and ALL related products including peanut oil)

-Corn (and all related products including High Fructose Corn Syrup) in all but the smallest amounts

-I have not tried oats - I have been a little leary

I can still eat rice...my question is, is this somewhat normal?

I have NOT been tested for celiac disease--I did not feel the need for the label.

Thanks in advance - Kate

[kabowman]

Oops I forgot - I cannot drink soy milk anymore either. I am preparing to try some rice milk

-Kate

[tarnalberry]

If you react to all dairy products, you may want to change that "lactose intolerant" to "casein intolerant". There may be a few more things (ah, those silly ingredients with chemical names) that you have to eliminate, but it may help. If it truely is lactose and not casein, you may want to try dairy again in a few months. (The very tips of the intestinal villi is what produces lactase, and if they've been damaged from gluten, you'll - temporarily - be lactose intolerant. But as the intestines heal, you may start producing lactase again.)

I have recently determined (from my elimination diet) that I'm sensitive to casein as well. (A similar reaction as the one I have to gluten, though not quite as bad.) I thought I was sensitive to corn, but it doesn't particularly cause much in the way of symptoms. I think my digestive system doesn't digest it quite as well as it ought to (it seems to move pretty fast (not diahrrea), so I won't be eating whole corn, but homemade corn tortillas did just fine for me.

I think, additionally, that I may be sensitive to olive oil! I haven't found any research to support this, but at the very least, relatively high heat cooking with olive oil seems to give me a headache. (No, I'm not burning the oil; I keep it well below the smoke point.) I'll be investigating that a bit more as well.

I don't think, from what I've read, that it's really that uncommon to have a number of sensitivities - and the ones you listed are relatively common. You've definitely got company in the multiple sensitivity realm! :-)

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I think it's rather normal. . .I have issues with the gluten. . .dairy. . .and soy.

[celiac3270]

It does seem fairly common (although i don't think i have additional intolerances or any allergies).............