Unexplained Episode

[CycleFitness]

I've been gluten free for over two months. I did it in response to a recommendation from a chiropractor who suggested I had all the symptoms; painful bloating all the time, very bad gas and belching, severe joint pain, etc. The elimination of gluten from my diet yielded immediate relief from the gas and bloating. I felt completely in control over my GI issues that previously I had discounted as "just the way it is."

The last two days, though, have been very disconcerting. I started work on a new contract. I am a systems analyst and work at the computer. It was not stressful at all. The environment is very friendly and low-key. I was completely comfortable in the situation. I took a left-over turkey burger with me, which had gluten free bread crumbs and cabbage (great recipe). I ate that around 11:00. Then I went out for lunch at 1:00 and had a spinach salad at a restaurant. It had such a wonderful dressing that I didn't even bother to inquire of its contents. By 3:00 I had searing pain in my lower intestine and it was hard as a rock. I got a pounding headache and fatique by 4:00. I went home, took a nap, had soup for dinner, and went to bed. When I woke yesterday I felt a little better. No pain in abdomen and a normal BM (I have one at the same time every morning, so no problem there). I ate normally for breakfast, walked 3.5 miles at lunch, then ate at my desk a homemade chicken salad (with soy mayo) and half of an apple I had brought from home. By 2:00 I was again in searing pain. I kept having to get up from my desk and walk around the office, feeling like I needed to "stretch" the pain away. The difference from the day before is that the pain was worse and it lasted all night and now I've woke within it this morning and have diarrhea.

I feel completely out of control now, whereas before I could control the pain with what I ate, now I haven't really eaten anything that would cause such a problem. Could the salad dressing from Monday still be in my system this morning?

I'm beginning to wonder if this doesn't have something to do with sitting slouched at a computer. These were the same types of pains I used to have every day after lunch that led me to a gluten free diet. To be gluten free and have this episode is very frustrating.

Any thoughts?

Thanks so much.

Deb

[FreyaUSA]

Unexplained attacks are the worst! Still, for me and one of my children, being "glutened" will have gastro effects on us for 2-3 days. Migraine/headache for 2 days. And, for my son's DH, it will last anywhere from 1-3 weeks. So...

If it's any comfort, symptoms seemed to be worse and worse from about 2 months gluten-free to about 8 months (6 months being the notorious WORST month, imo.) I'm now 9 months gluten-free and finding I'm not reacting as quickly or for as long as before.

[darlindeb25]

Deb--you could also be soy intolerant--i am--i do not get the same reactions from soy as i do gluten, but i do know that i am very soy limited now and much of your salad dressings and definitely your mayo are made with soy--try getting a canola mayo without soy or safflower mayo without soy and see what happens--i cant drink soymilk, cant have tuna in water or oil if the contents read veg broth made with soy--i can use veg oil which has soy in it and can tolerate lecithin, but soy protein is a no-no---check it out---deb

[CycleFitness]

Thanks, Deb.

I've heard many discuss the ill effects of soy on the gut. I eat soy a lot. I have made an effort to stay away from isolated soy protein, as my MD told me sometime ago that it wasn't a good source of protein. However, I eat tofu at least three times a week. Are the health benefits of soy (I specifically refer to tofu) over-rated? Is tofu typically included as a culprit in soy allergies?

After I have had an episode like this I typically feel the after effects for several days. My stomach is sore, even when walking. I feel like I'm recovering from an injury.

I still have question whether it has anything to do with sitting. I don't know how one could have a reaction that is turned on and off. I question the salad I ate Monday. That afternoon and evening I was in bad shape. The next morning I was OK, but by that afternoon I was in bad shape again. In discussing with my husband he suggested that after a night of rest the gut is relaxed. By mid-day it's back into a stressed state.

Thanks for the engaging discussion.

Deb

[darlindeb25]

sorry--i forgot the tofu--i cant have tofu and i cant use soy flour--you may want to try giving these foods up for a while---deb

[Guest gfinnebraska]

I ate something bad on friday night... hit me HARD on Sunday & Monday. Yes, something with gluten could hit you even harder today than yesterday. I believe all our bodies are going to react at different speeds to things. I react differently depending on the amount of gluten I have accidently ingested. It is going to take a few days to get it totally out of your system. I would NEVER, by the way, eat a dressing anywhere without knowing the ingredients. That is asking for trouble. I always carry a packet of dressing with me. Good luck & hopefully a pain free rest of your week!!

[CycleFitness]

Thank you, Kimberly.

I'm feeling a bit better this afternoon. I went for a brisk walk in the bright sunshine and moved a lot of the gas. In an acute state like I've been in, the only two things that help is to walk or sleep. If I sit my stomach gets tighter and tighter and the pain increases exponentially. I NEVER, NEVER gave this issue so much credit. OK, I have to confess. I intentionally ate some Christmas cookies on Sunday. I had a weak moment in a state of fatigue and hunger. I typically react within couple of hours, but maybe I'm finding the reaction time isn't predictable. At the time my husband said, 'You're going to pay for that.' I was gloating at him later in the evening because I felt fine. Compound that with the dressing at lunch on Monday and I think everything from there went downhill.

My office just had a holiday lunch. Wow ... tons of baked goods, "traditional" fare like buffalo wings, meatballs, etc., etc. Someone said to me, "Don't you have a hard time resisting this?" I had to laugh and thought to myself that obesity would not be an epidemic if the ill effects of what we consumed were more immediate -- and obvious -- like it is for us with food allergies. I guess for some it is immediate but they don't think to question what they're eating.

Because of this episode I actually began to doubt whether I had gluten intolerance and leaned more toward seeing a gastroentrologist to be sure I don-- only because I couldn't relate what I was feeling for three days with something that happened on day 1.

[FreyaUSA]

...thought to myself that obesity would not be an epidemic if the ill effects of what we consumed were more immediate -- and obvious -- like it is for us with food allergies. ...

Okay, I'm in a mood again. With the onslaught of people having stomach surgeries (sudden brain freeze, what is it when they get half their stomach closed off? Gastric bypass or something?) Would these people be willing to have negative feedback therapy to change their eating habits so they could lose weight? Everytime they ate a cookie crumb, they would be in agony? An entire piece of cake (let's not even go the "whole cake" route), they would be almost knocked by pain into a hospital? I know I look at regular baked goods differently now...horror rather than desire!

[dreamhouses]

I was just wondering if anyone else has tried using Aloe Vera juice as a healing agent for their digestive track. I like to drink some of the Georges Aloe juice and find it very healing. It's the clear stuff that just tastes like water, that I get at Whole Foods...I know they say your supposed to drink that horrible tasting unrefined stuff, but I hate it and this always seems soothing to me. Anyone else tried it? Also, if you are having bad reactions, make sure to take acidophilus supplements. to keep things in balance. Valerie

[Guest gfinnebraska]

CycleFitness: I have people ask me ALL the time how I resist temptation... I just tell them that it isn't hard at all when I know that putting that in my mouth would kill me! I read, early on, that eating gluten is like eating rat poison. I try and remember that this time of the year when temptation is everywhere!! PLUS, there are SO many good things that we can eat! I make a wonderful chocolate cake that is gluten-free and df/cf. I will post the recipe as soon as I remember to bring it with me to work. Hang in there... and when you feel like eating a "no-no", please don't!! Look for something gluten-free ~ keep Pamela's cookies on hand, or other yummies that are good for you!! It will become easier with time.

P.S. Yes, I think there would be less obesity if they had an instant 10 lbs. weight gain with every bite! Ha! I am getting a funny mental image of that.