Recurring Stomach Bug

[holdthegluten]

The last month I have had these flu like symptoms recur twice (once every couple weeks). It comes on and i feel weak, shaky,cold,diarrhea, abdominal tenderness. For some reason it has happeened the day after i did a leg workout at the gym (Weird). I have frequent watery bowel movements and achy muscles (lower half of body.) I am wondering how i got this bug again so quickly. Any thoughts on what this is. I dont think its the flu, but maybe some other infection. I dont think its a glutening, because i never get these symptoms with a glutening.

[AliB]

There are several things that could be behind this.

Have you considered the possibility that this may be to do with a deficiency. It could be that in using the tremendous amount of energy you needed to do the workout, your body has used up any reserves it had and has gone into a state of collapse. Only a theory, but worth looking at.

Apparently, there can also be a build up of lactic acid that can cause problems after a workout. I don't know much about that but you may be able to find more info on the web about that. It could be that your glycogen reserves get low and you do not have enough in reserve. The workout could also be releasing toxins into your bloodstream or overstressing your liver which could explain the 'flu' symptoms.

Another thing, and one I keep banging on about is sugar. We all eat far too much of the stuff and it is killing us. Candida feeds on it. The more sugar we eat, the more it grows and eventually it gets to the stage where it overwhelms the gut causing major problems, fatigue and sometimes flu-like symptoms being just one of the many it is behind. We may feel better because we are no longer eating gluten but be unaware that sugar (and possibly dairy too, if we are also intolerant of it) is continuing to damage the gut and restrict the absorption of nutrients.

Whilst women often (but not always) get an external indication of systemic bacterial overgrowth, men don't. The only real way to control it is to curb the sweet tooth and cut the sugar. The less we eat, the better we will be. We may not think that we eat much sugar but most things turn to sugar in the body in one form or another or are provided in the food we eat - glucose, lactose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, and any other 'ose' you can think of. We are bombarded with it and the Commercial State panders to our desire for it, further exacerbating the problem.

You would be amazed though how quickly you lose the craving when you stop eating the stuff. It tries for a while to hang on but will eventually give up. Too much carbs and sugar and not enough fresh vegetables, fruit, and particularly protein will prevent the body from being able to rebuild and support muscle function. If, due to malabsorption issues your body has not been getting enough nutrients to enable it to repair, then working out will obviously take its toll and leave your body feeling weak and fatigued for a few days. If you are using your body's protein reserves during the workout, it will impact on everything that needs that protein, including the gut and bowel, as until you have taken in enough to restore it, it will weaken your whole system.

I hope you can get to grips with the problem and get your strength back.

[ravenwoodglass]

You should call your doctor to ask for stool testing for food borne bugs, just to be on the safe side. You may just be getting different viruses but you could also have something like salmonella which you would need an antibiotic for.

[ravenwoodglass]

The last month I have had these flu like symptoms recur twice (once every couple weeks). It comes on and i feel weak, shaky,cold,diarrhea, abdominal tenderness. For some reason it has happeened the day after i did a leg workout at the gym (Weird).

Just a thought, do they have any of the big chalky blocks of talc stuff to keep people's hands from slipping? If they do it may not be gluten-free and that may be an issue that you have to be really careful of. For example don't place your towel on equipment and then wipe you face with it etc. It may not be a concern but some of my family are billard players and the chalk was an issue.

[holdthegluten]

There are several things that could be behind this.

Have you considered the possibility that this may be to do with a deficiency. It could be that in using the tremendous amount of energy you needed to do the workout, your body has used up any reserves it had and has gone into a state of collapse. Only a theory, but worth looking at.

Apparently, there can also be a build up of lactic acid that can cause problems after a workout. I don't know much about that but you may be able to find more info on the web about that. It could be that your glycogen reserves get low and you do not have enough in reserve. The workout could also be releasing toxins into your bloodstream or overstressing your liver which could explain the 'flu' symptoms.

Another thing, and one I keep banging on about is sugar. We all eat far too much of the stuff and it is killing us. Candida feeds on it. The more sugar we eat, the more it grows and eventually it gets to the stage where it overwhelms the gut causing major problems, fatigue and sometimes flu-like symptoms being just one of the many it is behind. We may feel better because we are no longer eating gluten but be unaware that sugar (and possibly dairy too, if we are also intolerant of it) is continuing to damage the gut and restrict the absorption of nutrients.

Whilst women often (but not always) get an external indication of systemic bacterial overgrowth, men don't. The only real way to control it is to curb the sweet tooth and cut the sugar. The less we eat, the better we will be. We may not think that we eat much sugar but most things turn to sugar in the body in one form or another or are provided in the food we eat - glucose, lactose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, and any other 'ose' you can think of. We are bombarded with it and the Commercial State panders to our desire for it, further exacerbating the problem.

You would be amazed though how quickly you lose the craving when you stop eating the stuff. It tries for a while to hang on but will eventually give up. Too much carbs and sugar and not enough fresh vegetables, fruit, and particularly protein will prevent the body from being able to rebuild and support muscle function. If, due to malabsorption issues your body has not been getting enough nutrients to enable it to repair, then working out will obviously take its toll and leave your body feeling weak and fatigued for a few days. If you are using your body's protein reserves during the workout, it will impact on everything that needs that protein, including the gut and bowel, as until you have taken in enough to restore it, it will weaken your whole system.

I hope you can get to grips with the problem and get your strength back.

I do work out and am active frequently............i do notice that after anything strenuous, i feel really tired and i need to rest or i feel terrible..........i used to get a boost from lifting weights, now i just get more tired, but i cant stand doing nothing. What do you think i should look into. The only sugar i get is from fruit.........i am on a grain free diet, so all i eat is veggies (non starchy), meat ,fruit and eggs.

It has beena year since diagnosis, and i feel i should be able to work out and still be strong. Also, i got tested (blood and stool) for candida and it was negative. I am having a thorough GI pathogen panel done from Biohealth in a week or so and i just had a total metabolic panel done yesterday. Anything else i should look into?

[holdthegluten]

Just a thought, do they have any of the big chalky blocks of talc stuff to keep people's hands from slipping? If they do it may not be gluten-free and that may be an issue that you have to be really careful of. For example don't place your towel on equipment and then wipe you face with it etc. It may not be a concern but some of my family are billard players and the chalk was an issue.

No.....they dont, but thanks for the creative possibility. I may be picking up a bug from equipment using though. I have a stool test from biohealth being done next week. I cant wait to see what they find.

[AliB]

That was an interesting thought about bugs from the equipment - there was a survey done fairly recently that reckoned gyms and 'health' centers are the most bug-laden environments possible!

Yuk. The thought really puts me off!

I would suggest, if you can find a practitioner who can do it, and you can afford it to see if you can have a nutrient profile done to see where you are lacking.

One thing the grain family does provide is B vitamins, B1, B2, B3, folic acid, plus vitamin E, calcium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and iron, so unless you are getting an adequate supply from other sources you may be somewhat deficient in some or all of these nutrients.

You appear, like me, to not be consuming dairy either which would be an extra source of calcium and other nutrients so it looks as if you may definitely need to be supplementing. I have dropped gluten, dairy, most carbs and most sugars and am really keeping myself topped up with supplements to make up the shortfall. It may still not be enough in some areas (we don't have the choice of practitioners here in the UK that you have so I have not been able to get a profile done) but anything is better than nothing!

The fact that you get weak after exercise is your body's way of telling you something isn't right and it is just a matter of learning to read your body and give it what it needs.

Shortages of both calcium and magnesium can make a significant difference in energy levels and muscle strength, but get it checked if you can before dosing.

It's not much but I hope it helps a little more.

[holdthegluten]

That was an interesting thought about bugs from the equipment - there was a survey done fairly recently that reckoned gyms and 'health' centers are the most bug-laden environments possible!

Yuk. The thought really puts me off!

I would suggest, if you can find a practitioner who can do it, and you can afford it to see if you can have a nutrient profile done to see where you are lacking.

One thing the grain family does provide is B vitamins, B1, B2, B3, folic acid, plus vitamin E, calcium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and iron, so unless you are getting an adequate supply from other sources you may be somewhat deficient in some or all of these nutrients.

You appear, like me, to not be consuming dairy either which would be an extra source of calcium and other nutrients so it looks as if you may definitely need to be supplementing. I have dropped gluten, dairy, most carbs and most sugars and am really keeping myself topped up with supplements to make up the shortfall. It may still not be enough in some areas (we don't have the choice of practitioners here in the UK that you have so I have not been able to get a profile done) but anything is better than nothing!

The fact that you get weak after exercise is your body's way of telling you something isn't right and it is just a matter of learning to read your body and give it what it needs.

Shortages of both calcium and magnesium can make a significant difference in energy levels and muscle strength, but get it checked if you can before dosing.

It's not much but I hope it helps a little more.

Thanks................i just had a full metabolic panel done and im waiting the results.........Something tells me i have a parasite or something that hasnt been found yet and that might be why i cant gain weight and am always feeling bad off and on. We shall see.........if it were just a vitamin deficiency, would i have Diarrhea also. The Diarrhea and stomach pain, is why i am leaning toward a bug bothering me.