Soy Intolerance?

[Guest JennyK]

Hi,

I am new to the forum and need some help with possible soy intolerance. Last fall I started seeing a chiropractor who practices Applied Kinesiology and Homeopathy. This doctor told me to begin a gluten free, dairy free diet. I haven't followed her advice 100%, but I've greatly changed my diet, eliminating wheat/gluten and dairy most of the time. I got a terrible cold at Thanksgiving and then again the first of the year. The middle of January I started experiencing breathing problems, like I can't get a full breath. This happens several times an hour, but not when I'm lying down or sleeping.

I have also been under an incredible amount of stress. The week in January that I noticed the breathing difficulty, it scared me so bad that I had a panic attack and for the next week I struggled with fear that it was going to happen again. I went to urgent care and the doctor said I was fine. Several weeks passed and I was still having this problem. I managed my stress and decided that my breathing difficulty was real and that there has to be something wrong. So last week I went to the doctor (not the chiropractor) and they did chest x-rays, echocardiogram and blood work. Everything was normal with the exception of my rdw that was at 10.9 (normal 11 - 15), so very close to normal, hopefully not the start of anemia, which I understand can cause breathing difficulty.

On Friday, I was working from home and noticed the breathing difficulty and tracked how many times it happened, which was about every 3 - 10 minutes. Completely frustrated, I did some reflection to figure out if anything had changed in my diet that could be causing this. The only thing I can think of is that I started eating soy yogurt and drinking soy milk about the time this started happening. So I have been trying very hard to avoid soy the past 5 days. Some days are good, others are a struggle.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this with soy intolerance. Am I more sensitive because I haven't gone completely wheat/gluten/dairy free? If I completely eliminate soy and/or wheat, gluten and dairy does anyone know how long it would take for the breathing to improve?

Any feedback/suggestions would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks,

Jenny

[lonewolf]

Hi Jenny,

I don't really know much about breathing problems like you've described, but I wanted to welcome you to the forum. I would suggest that you try going 100% gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free right away. Hopefully this will help soon. It sounds like you've looked into all the "normal" medical problems that it could be.

I used to have problems with anxiety and panic attacks. They've gone away now. I can't say for sure if it was going completely gluten-free or not. I avoid soy - it can cause all kinds of problems for a lot of people.

[ENF]

I haven't had breathing problems.

I was told by Enterolabs that I had elevated soy antibodies, but I have heard that soy lecithin is not hamful to anybody. I don't know - I won't eat Tofu, or drink Soy "milk", and I try to avoid soybeans, but it's hard to eliminate soy completely.

Does anyone know if soy leithin is safe for everyone, including soy-intolerant people?

[lonewolf]

I can handle soy lecithin, but some people can't. I don't tolerate any other form of soy. The Food Allergy and Anaphylactic Network (FAAN) states that soy lecithin is safe for people with soy allergies.

[jnclelland]

I haven't had breathing problems.

I was told by Enterolabs that I had elevated soy antibodies, but I have heard that soy lecithin is not hamful to anybody. I don't know - I won't eat Tofu, or drink Soy "milk", and I try to avoid soybeans, but it's hard to eliminate soy completely.

Does anyone know if soy leithin is safe for everyone, including soy-intolerant people?

Soy lecithin gives me a distinctive rash on my hands, so no, it's not safe for *everyone*.

Jeanne

[happygirl]

Jenny,

I just wanted to welcome you to the board! It sounds like you are going through a rough time with your health difficulties. I hope you can find some answers.

It might be worth it to find another doctor, or do allergy testing through an allergist, or something. Breathing problems are serious and I would hate for something *else* to be going on that is being overlooked by your current doctor.

Best of luck,

Laura

[RiceGuy]

At one time I thought soy was giving me some problems, but I found that some high/concentrated protein foods gave me difficulty. Same was true for certain carbs. Thankfully though, taking a powdered magnesium supplement has given my digestive system a boost in efficiency, such that most things are no longer a problem.

That one supplement has done sooo much good for me that I can hardly believe it. Not only for digestion, but muscle/nerve function, mood, and a number of other things. If things keep improving like they are now, I believe I may soon be able to tolerate dairy again! Though I didn't ever eat much dairy, it would sure be nice to have a pizza or mac & cheese once in awhile.

As the responses already indicate, lots of people here don't tolerate soy, so it wouldn't be surprising if this was the case for you. However, some other things to consider might be sugars, yeasts, or even MSG. The foods you mention may contain one or more of these too, so you may have to do a bit of experimenting to be certain. As you know, a lot of products are made with soy or certain constituents thereof, such as lecithin, isoflavones, etc.

Welcome, and I hope you find the answers you need.

[ENF]

..... a powdered magnesium supplement has given my digestive system a boost in efficiency, such that most things are no longer a problem......That one supplement has done sooo much good for me that I can hardly believe it. Not only for digestion, but muscle/nerve function, mood, and a number of other things.

Yes, I agree that magnesium is very important, but I find it difficult to tolerate.

Which brand or type of powdered magnesium supplement do you take? I was considering getting buffered magnesium from Kirkman Labs. Do you take calcium supplementation as well?

Thanks!

[Craig]

Hello all, also new to this forum. Made my way here by searching for a soy intolerance forum. I have been studying food intolerances for roughly 8 years now, trying to figure out my specific dietary issues.

I tried to follow every diet that I could find and no luck. I have been vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, atkins-based, blood-type diet follower, and numerous others. Nothing worked, (although, I feel the BTD may work now quite well if I make sure everything is soya free). On top of it I noticed reactions to certain soaps, shampoos, conditioners, detergents, scents and cleaners. And I never thought of a soy intolerance until a random encounter with someone else with "food"issues" I thought that soy couldn't be the culprit before because i had taken soy proteins out of my diet, never thinking about the tons of things soy can be made into, emulsifiers, vitamin E, and such. A bit ago I took anything soy based completely out of my diet (and my shower routine) and my body started to cooperate with me for the first time in as long as i could remember. My bloating went away, my red and swollen face started to go back to a normal skin shade. (I was always one of those kids, with the rosy cheeks), and the dark patches under my eyes have started to go away. So I really feel I may be onto something this time. What really is bothering me is that what seems to be an intolerance is worsening. My worst symptom now is severe sinus congestion and difficulty breathing coupled with "fuzzy" brain. Today I accidently used hair conditioner that I later found to have a soy based ingredient and my breathing difficulty became so severe that I feel I went into a panic attack. I immediately drank some tea to get antioxidants in my system and my breathing returned to normal within 3-4 hours. I have an easier time navigating around soy-inclusive foods, but;

My question is this: What soaps, hand lotions, creams, and shampoos do you use to stay soy free?

BTW, my other symptoms are gastrointestinal bloating (severe), feeling angry or "on edge", and fatigue.

thanks for any help you can give!

[Guest JennyK]

Thank you all for your feedback and replies. I have been busy with work, reading through the topics on this forum and taking your suggestions under consideration. I'm still not sure about the breathing issues, but think 50% is from stress and despite the doctors, I really feel like 50% is due to an allergy or other medical issue. I met with an allergist and everything checked out. Didn't do any blood tests b/c I've been following gluten, dairy and soy free diet the best I can, and from what I can tell from this forum, the tests wouldn't be accurate.

Thanks for your ideas on magnesium. I was taking Tri-Mag (magnesium supplements) from Wellness Resourses and quit taking it about the time my troubles started. I've started taking the magnesium again, other supplements, and am trying to manage my stress and have felt better.

I love this forum and am so glad to have this as a resource. Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories and ideas - it really helps so many people like me feel like there is a place to go where I don't feel alone.

Jenny

[dally099]

holy cow, do i know what you mean soy is in everthing i cant tolerate any form of it, and its harder to avoid then gluten. my hubby found me mayo from helmans that is soy free, its made from olive oil, as well as newmans salad dressings has a couple of varieties that have no soybean oil. kraft dressings all have soy in them, bread and pastas and crackers have soy added to them as well, so you get a double whammy of gluten as well as soy. even my crushed garlic had to be thrown out, along with my vitamin C chewables!