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Potato/ Nightshade Intolerance

covsooze

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covsooze Enthusiast
covsooze
Posted

I seem to have a problem with most nightshades as they all, with the exception of potatoes, make my stomach feel 'raw'. Tomatoes give me a mild oral allergic reaction as well. I've suspected for a while that potatoes might be an issue too, although I haven't been able to track down any particular reaction, except that they are the one food that I feel I really couldn't live without. Anyway, I've tried to cut them out a few times and am pretty sure as a result that it's potatoes that make my skin really dry. Just wondered if anyone else has had the same sort of experience? Having not had any for a few days, then had some yesterday and today, my heels, which had started getting better, have cracked up. I will now eliminate them properly for a couple of weeks and test again, but would be intereseted to hear others' experiences with nightshades.

Thanks!

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Now that is interesting. I realize that I might get dry skin as well when I cheat and eat potatoes! My lips will crack, and I have to keep putting lotion on my arms and legs, and get an itching, burning rash on my shins that can only be controlled by lots of lotion. I've never connected these symptoms with potatoes before, but think there is definitely a connection.

The symptoms I am sure about are stomach cramps and diarrhea within a day of eating potatoes, and migraines from tomatoes as well as heartburn. Peppers cause me to break out with pus-filled pimples all over my face within a day, which take at least a week to clear up (looks gross and stops me from cheating with peppers :rolleyes: ).

CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

I am so glad that you all have brought this problem back up. I have been trying to figure this out for several weeks and all the related threads on this forum seemed old. After having gone gluten-free and CF since the start of the year, I find that I also have a problem with nightshades. In small doses tolerable but a sizable portion of tomato sauce or potatoes and I get sick in about an hour. I get what feels like the flu: low grade fever, the chills and joint pain primarily in knees and shoulders but other joints can also be involved. I also become extremely tired and have gas. I will sleep very hard.

I get a similar reaction to dairy (my gluten reactions are similar but I have not noticed them to be quite so strong). My dietician has recommended that I be tested for rheumatoid arthritis because of the type of joint pain and other symptoms, and because nightshades are known to increase inflammation in arthritis patients.

The other thread I was referring to here mentions a book by Michael Fowler called Nightshade Free Pain Free. Couldn't find it at the library so I ordered it off Amazon. Not the most academic scholarship, but an interesting read. I would go into more detail here but I will have to wait until tomorrow. At any rate, the author contends after a lifetime of horribly serious health issues he determined his underlying problem was actually a nightshade intolerance, not celiac disease. Once he eliminated nightshades and his gut healed, he has been able to eat wheat, dairy etc.

I am trying to learn more about the arthritis angle and determine how one tests for that. Hope someone else might contribute to our line of conversation.

Judyin Philly Enthusiast
Judyin Philly
Posted

Here is a old thread but it's a good one.

hope it helps

judy

Open Original Shared Link

CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

Thanks so much for that link to the old thread and the lead on the Yahoo group. I had not come across that one before. It looks like I have finally found the right place to learn a lot more about the issue...like, what exactly is an oxalate in the first place? :huh: I have some serious catching up to do on the topic. Oh well, it will have to wait until after my son's bday party. Don't you hate in when life gets in the way sometimes? :rolleyes:

covsooze Enthusiast
covsooze
Posted
  • Author

Hi CCM :)

Interesting about Michael Fowler's experiences. How long did it take him to notice a real difference? Reason I'm asking, is I find it simple enough avoiding all the nightshades, except potatoes. The only symptom that I can definitely link with them is dry skin. I'm so hopeless at eliminating them, that I wonder if I eliminated them for a decent period of time, if I would notice a big break through with my health generally.

Have you decided what approach to take?

Susie

darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

Well, I do not have the patience to read 29 pages of an old thread, I am sure I posted there, but not going to look! :huh: Anyways, tomatoes effect me within an hour--stomach cramps, followed by diarrhea, and I have found, it doesn't matter what form the tomatoes are in, ketchup, fresh, stewed, sauce--just can't have them. I know it sounds weird, but there are exceptions sometimes. There will be a food that you can't have one way, but can another. I can't eat potatoes fried, boiled, mashed. I love them, yet they do not cause trouble as quickly as the tomato, but do cause the same effect. BUT, I can eat Lays Potato Chips with no problems--weird huh? I haven't been able to eat mushrooms for years and years, within 20 mins I am sick, probably over 30 yrs now. Green peppers have always given me terrible heartburn and I never eat them anymore.

One of the hardest things for people to accept is; usually the food we love the most is the food we can't have. We crave that which we can't have. I use to think that toast was the easiest thing there was on my tummy, and here it was one of the worst things I was giving it. Go figure huh?

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CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

After a miserable night, having experimenting with whether I might be able to tolerate small amounts of nightshades, my answer is no--at least not with respect to potatoes, and most likely not with tomatoes or peppers either. I am only recently into this gluten-free lifestyle a few months, it never occurred to me when I started that I would have to cut out more than gluten and dairy. It is really distressing me at the moment. Another physician appt on Friday to discuss options and arthritis testing I guess.

I am just browsing through Michael Fowler's book and I do not recall any discussion on exactly how long it took him to recover from his symptoms after eliminating them from his diet. There is a bunch of interesting stuff on the history of nightshades...their use in chemical weapons warfare throughout history, the ruling classes forcing of potatoes on the poor, the use of potato dust as a common pesticide. It really is a bit all over the place....

  • 2 weeks later...
mljltarb Newbie
mljltarb
Posted

I am jst finding out hat my diarrhea (on and off) is from potato. I know I cannot eat chilli, peppers or tomato. Chilli and peppers give me instant migraines that last for days but usually not the associated gut problems. How can poatoes do this? are they different to the other nightshades? I sit in combination with other foods that they reek there havoc? I wish I knew as potatoes were my favorite food. I would get cravings for them, chips, baked any way, yum. It was only after my hubby went on a diet that eliminated them (I was cooking for him and eating the same food) that I improved. I ate them the other day and had a very disturbing thing happen. My heart slowed down to about 20 beats/min and I couldn't breathe. Scary stuff! My allergy doctor thinks it may have been an allergic reation, but all I had following this was a dull headache for an hour. No repeat performances. Has anyone else experienced this happen.

After a miserable night, having experimenting with whether I might be able to tolerate small amounts of nightshades, my answer is no--at least not with respect to potatoes, and most likely not with tomatoes or peppers either. I am only recently into this gluten-free lifestyle a few months, it never occurred to me when I started that I would have to cut out more than gluten and dairy. It is really distressing me at the moment. Another physician appt on Friday to discuss options and arthritis testing I guess.

I am just browsing through Michael Fowler's book and I do not recall any discussion on exactly how long it took him to recover from his symptoms after eliminating them from his diet. There is a bunch of interesting stuff on the history of nightshades...their use in chemical weapons warfare throughout history, the ruling classes forcing of potatoes on the poor, the use of potato dust as a common pesticide. It really is a bit all over the place....

CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

Wow, that does sound like scary stuff! So sorry to hear about your reactions. I have tried smaller amounts of potatoes and tomatoes and still get reactions, just not as bad. I read (I think) in that book I mentioned earlier in this thread that apparently vine ripened tomatoes are supposed to have less of the toxin that causes reactions (it is converted to sugar?). I have not done a food challenge on these yet, however.

Guest LittleMissAllergy
Guest LittleMissAllergy
Posted

Sadly, I'm gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, fat free, meat free, citrus free and now I'm thinking I have to be nightshade free because I can't tolerate peppers, tomatoes or white potatoes. I eat a giant sweet potato every night to try to keep some weight on though and seem to be kind of okay with it...do you think that's safe? I hear that sweet potatoes aren't nightshades. Hmm maybe if I stay away from nightshades I can add a few things back in? That'd be nice because weight is definitely a huge issue...and nutrition....

CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

Hey, sorry I have not been on the forum in a week or so. I have read in Michael Fowler's book that sweet potatoes and yams are not part of the nightshade family. The nightshade family of plants is fairly big, I guess, but of the plants that we eat, only these are of concern: potato, tomato, most peppers, and eggplant. These "fruits" of the plant go from green to red/purple/black in color.

The following peppers are nightshades: bell, banana, wax, chili, Thai, habanero, etc.

Peppers that are not nightshades: black, white, green peppercorns, Brazilian, Sichuan (or Szechuan), Tasmannia, Indonesian Long pepper.

Nightshades contain small amounts of several neurotoxins, including solanine. The level of this chemical in foods can increase upon the food's exposure to light, and cooking does not reduce the solanine level. Symptoms of solanine poisoning can include: headache, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Michael Fowler's book states that this condition can be misdiagnosed as celiac disease. I rely on this book for the basic facts because I have not found alot of info online regarding nightshade intolerance yet.

I keep thinking maybe the way to stop this cycle of growing food intolerance is to look more deeply into a rotation diet so that one does not too much of any one food that can overwhelm a weakened digestive/immune system. Has anyone seen threads of this topic on this Gluten Free forum?

Judyin Philly Enthusiast
Judyin Philly
Posted
Hey, sorry I have not been on the forum in a week or so. I have read in Michael Fowler's book that sweet potatoes and yams are not part of the nightshade family.

I keep thinking maybe the way to stop this cycle of growing food intolerance is to look more deeply into a rotation diet so that one does not too much of any one food that can overwhelm a weakened digestive/immune system. Has anyone seen threads of this topic on this Gluten Free forum?

thanks for posting.

I think that the issue with the sweet potatoes and yams are they are high in oxalate's so some of us avoid them for that reason.

I also think allot of use have found after some years (me just shy of 3 years) have found we can not tolerate rotation some of these foods.

Judy

CCM Rookie
CCM
Posted

Interesting...thanks for the feedback. I would have thought that a rotation diet would make things easier on the digestive system.

rinne Apprentice
rinne
Posted
Hi CCM :)

Interesting about Michael Fowler's experiences. How long did it take him to notice a real difference? Reason I'm asking, is I find it simple enough avoiding all the nightshades, except potatoes. The only symptom that I can definitely link with them is dry skin. I'm so hopeless at eliminating them, that I wonder if I eliminated them for a decent period of time, if I would notice a big break through with my health generally.

Have you decided what approach to take?

Susie

Very interesting.

What about sweet potatoes as a substitute for a little while?

Sadly, I'm gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, fat free, meat free, citrus free and now I'm thinking I have to be nightshade free because I can't tolerate peppers, tomatoes or white potatoes. I eat a giant sweet potato every night to try to keep some weight on though and seem to be kind of okay with it...do you think that's safe? I hear that sweet potatoes aren't nightshades. Hmm maybe if I stay away from nightshades I can add a few things back in? That'd be nice because weight is definitely a huge issue...and nutrition....

Sweet potatoes and yams are definitely not of the nightshade family, plus they have a much higher nutritional content than potatoes.

Judyin Philly Enthusiast
Judyin Philly
Posted
thanks for posting.

I think that the issue with the sweet potatoes and yams are they are high in oxalate's so some of us avoid them for that reason.

I also think allot of use have found after some years (me just shy of 3 years) have found we can not tolerate rotation some of these foods.

Judy

CCN-----------

EDIT.........I'M SO SORRY............I MEANT I CAN TOLERATE SOME OF THE FOODS I AVOIDED AND THINK SOME OTHER HAVE TOO. PLEASE FORGIVE ME HERE. THERE IS HOPE...REALLY

Judyin Philly Enthusiast
Judyin Philly
Posted
Very interesting.

What about sweet potatoes as a substitute for a little while?

Sweet potatoes and yams are definitely not of the nightshade family, plus they have a much higher nutritional content than potatoes.

SO TRUE AND I'D TRY THEM

JUDY

REALLY SCREWED UP THIS POSTING SORRY

  • 4 months later...
Michael Fowler Newbie
Michael Fowler
Posted

Hello Everyone, I missed this thread somehow.

Interesting about Michael Fowler's experiences. How long did it take him to notice a real difference?

Susie, There seems to be three very stages of relief.

Stage one is within about 48hrs. By not eating nightshades you prevent reactions; cramping, headaches, sleepiness.

Stage two is general recovery; healing and general elimination from your system this takes about two weeks to a month, remission of join pain and fatigue occurs. You have returned to normal most of your pain has disappeared.

Stage three is complete elimination this seem to happen very slowly as the solanine is stored deep in the smooth muscle fat and abdominal fat. Migraine suffers report a tapering off of all headaches after about six months from complete elimination of nightshades.

Number one problem people have is believing they can have "some" nightshades. If you are sensitive you must eliminate all of them completely. Often people will dismiss the effects of nightshades by saying they are having a bad day, when they are really having a nightshade day.

Happy eating!!

Michael Fowler

  • 5 years later...
Bill Crews Newbie
Bill Crews
Posted

I seem to have a problem with most nightshades as they all, with the exception of potatoes, make my stomach feel 'raw'. Tomatoes give me a mild oral allergic reaction as well. I've suspected for a while that potatoes might be an issue too, although I haven't been able to track down any particular reaction, except that they are the one food that I feel I really couldn't live without. Anyway, I've tried to cut them out a few times and am pretty sure as a result that it's potatoes that make my skin really dry. Just wondered if anyone else has had the same sort of experience? Having not had any for a few days, then had some yesterday and today, my heels, which had started getting better, have cracked up. I will now eliminate them properly for a couple of weeks and test again, but would be intereseted to hear others' experiences with nightshades.

Thanks!

Thank you for this information. I was diagnosed as Nighshade intolerant 3 years ago, but did not react to either banana peppers or potatoes at that time. I was growing banana pepers and enjoying them every day this year when I began to notice a reaction and it was verified. I then ate a baked potato a couple of weeks ago that had turned green under the skin. Even though I pealed it, apparently enough of the green concentrated whatever it is that we react to and now I have a milder, but noticeable reaction to potatoes that was just verified this morning. I'm cutting out all potatoes from my diet and it will be interesting to see what results. I also have very dry skin with cracking problems around the cuticles on my fingers, especially during the winter. It would be very nice if eliminating potatoes eliminated that painful problem!

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Thank you for this information. I was diagnosed as Nighshade intolerant 3 years ago, but did not react to either banana peppers or potatoes at that time. I was growing banana pepers and enjoying them every day this year when I began to notice a reaction and it was verified. I then ate a baked potato a couple of weeks ago that had turned green under the skin. Even though I pealed it, apparently enough of the green concentrated whatever it is that we react to and now I have a milder, but noticeable reaction to potatoes that was just verified this morning. I'm cutting out all potatoes from my diet and it will be interesting to see what results. I also have very dry skin with cracking problems around the cuticles on my fingers, especially during the winter. It would be very nice if eliminating potatoes eliminated that painful problem!

 

 

Just an FYI - These posts are from 2008.  Most or all of these posters are not current posters. We have some more recent threads about nightshades.

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