Nausea

[mela14]

I've noticed that I get nauseous after eating even when it's gluten-free! Does anyone else get this and what should I do for it? My gut feels sour and sore and things just don't sit right. Will this get better as my intestines heal? I also get some stomach irritation no matter what I eat. Lunch was baked chicken and baked sweet potatoe and I feel ill. I did have a bad flare-up these past few days and had to actually stay home yesterday because my gut was so raw and distended. Some gluten may have snuck in there a few days ago in addition to a little bit of milk. I just can't seem to get things to calm down.

any thoughts?

[celiac3270]

You can definitely get gluten-like symptoms even if you ate no gluten, particularly if you haven't been on the diet for too long. If gluten snuck in several days ago, that would make you more prone to getting such symptoms, as well.

[kvogt]

A major cause of nausea is a sudden change in the volume of the stomach. Try eating smaller amounts over a longer period of time.

[mela14]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try that. I also remembered and posted somewhre else that I had tried a new vitamin with lunch yesterday and although it was gluten-free.....there was lots of supplements in there. I'm sure it was too much for me to handle. Needless to say I am staying away from vitamins for a while.

Thanks for your help

[mela14]

ok......I had lunch 3 hours ago and I feel sick to my stomach. I am swollen, raw and in pain. Right after I ate I started to feel sick....my heart started beating rapidly and nausea set in. I just feel awful...like after eating something with gluten. I had white rice and steamed chicken with some water chestnuts from the chinese restaraunt. I don't eat chinese food but didn't bring lunch today and thought that it would be safe to order white rice and something steamed...Could it be cross contamination??? or is it just that I am sooooooooooo irritated that anything will bother me?

This is driving me crazy!!!

When will this calm down............I don't even want to have dinner tonight!

Help!!!!!

[celiac3270]

Rice, though it seems innocent, can be problematic. First, you need to make sure that it doesn't have anything weird added to it, such as spices, etc. Most likely, though, it was made with chicken broth instead of water, which means that it very likely wasn't gluten-free. I'll bet that's your problem--very common.

Feel better!

[jknnej]

I sometimes find myself nauseated or with a tummy ache even with gluten-free foods. I personally have IBS, anyway, so I think that is the cause of my woes. I certainly feel less sick than when I ate wheat, but I don't think for us tummy sufferers, it ever goes away.

I think we will always be prone to stomach problems.

Hang in there and try not to eat out. No matter what you eat at a restaurant it is almost always higher in fat than your tummy would like.

Somethings I do to help nausea, though: peppermint lifesavers; they're gluten-free and really help nausea. Also, sniff lemons or chew spearmint gum; trident sugar free is gluten-free as well.

I hope you feel better.

[Happycat]

Altoids (Peppermint) always make me feel better. My kids too.

I hope you feel better soon!

Lisa

[celiac3270]

Me too...

Also, if you get stomach pains or gas pains...dunno if you have that symptom-- anyway, if you do, try a heating pad--very helpful.

[mela14]

Thanks for all your well wishes! I really appreciate it. I took a hot bath while I was sauteeing some chicken for myself and hubby...just to try to relax......I made him some mixed veg and myself a baked sweet potato. I ate the potatoe and had one bite of the chicken and couldn't do it. I still feel so ill. My gut is distended and sore. My muscles really hurt. I feel sick and my heart is beating fast. It's not the type of rapid hear rate from stress...because I didn't feel THAT stress. It's the type of rapid heartrate I get when I eat something that is not good for me. Sometimes it even happens when I take a medication that has something in it that I can't tolerate. I feel weak and achy and sore all over.

Anway, I thought about the rice being cooked in chicken broth....that could definately be a possility but maybe the steamed chicken was cooked in it. The rice actually tasted plain...but the chicken was a little tasty.

It has to be.....I didn't eat anything else that would have done this to me! Now I know why I never eat in Chinese restaraunts! for some reason or another I never have a good experience there....no matter how plain I try to go.

So, I won't force myself to eat anything else. I am upset over all this and very discouraged. I took an ativan to take the edge off ....I don't want to make the pain any worse. Sometimes we get stuck in that viscious cycle....pain...stress....more stress....more pain. One feeds off the other without even knowing it.

Camomille tea will have to do tonight.

I am almost sorry that I didn't do the endoscopy with my new GI dr now... I am holding off because I am moving in 4 weeks and thought I shouldn't start with a dr that is not going to be able to treat me.

I'll have to wait a little while and see a different dr when I move.

This is really hard. thanks...all of your for helping........

[KaitiUSA]

I still have some minor problems with nausea and I have been off of gluten for a while. Try taking some enzymes. Enzymes help your body to absorb the food and help with digestion. Enzymatic Therapy has brands that say right on the bottle what they are free of. Probiotics are good too. They are very small and they actually help alot with nausea. Just a suggestion Hope you feel better

[rmmadden]

I get nausea sometimes for no aparent reason. I figure it's my body adjusting to the new lifestyle/diet and my intestine's are healing slowly. I keep a food log which helps me identify when I have a questionable food item.

Try going to your local health food store and pick-up a bottle of Pure Japanese Oil Of Peppermint (bottle only costs $5.00). You add 2-drops into a coffee mug of warm water and drink slowly. It will help settle your stomach AND has been known to cure IBS, too.

Good Luck!

Cleveland Bob

[Carriefaith]

I get nausea sometimes for no aparent reason

I can relate... For about a month or so I got nausea almost everyday for no apparent reason. One time though was a reaction to a lays product. I woke up at 3 in the morning very sick and thought I was going to vomit (I actually gagged), but I took some gluten-free gravol and just can nasty diarrhea instead. I didn't get much sleep that night.

But, yes nausea is one of my many gluten reactions.

[Merika]

yep, I still get nauseus, after being gluten-free almost one year. Mind you, it's way less than when i was eating gluten.

Lol, at all the mentions of peppermints. I thought it was just me! I have Brach's peppermints stuffed in every pocket, bag, car.....i laugh that they're like cigarettes, I go nuts if i can't find one when i need one!

Has anyone else noticed, though, that they are far less helpful now that they're gluten-free? It's like a different kind of nausea....peppermints are nice, but they just don't do it for me like they did pre-gluten-free....

Merika

[celiac3270]

Lol, at all the mentions of peppermints. I thought it was just me! I have Brach's peppermints stuffed in every pocket, bag, car.....i laugh that they're like cigarettes, I go nuts if i can't find one when i need one!

I use peppermint Altoids. I have boxes all over the place. One on my desk at home, one in my desk at school, one in my backpack, and a couple more in a drawer as reinforcements for if I run out in any of my locations

[kactuskandee]

I'm yet another peppermint "Altoid Junkie" and have a can of them everywhere. (Thank goodness Costco sells them in the multi pack.) I can't however, take peppermint caps or tea....creates GERD like crazy in me.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned ginger for nausea. It is an herb people take for any motion sickness and as an alt. to prescription anti-nausea pills. You can try the tea or caps or candied ginger, or whatever. I personally am not wild about the taste (except in gingerbread..LOL) so I use the caps.......daily!!! About the time I start forgetting them I wonder why the nausea comes back and then I realize I haven't been taking the ginger caps daily like I should. Ginger also helps with digestion...........

...and for bloating and gas after a large meal, nothing works like a really strong cup of fennel tea. I hate the taste of fennel tea, but dogonit, it works so I always have some good quality loose organic fennel on hand to make a quick brew when I need it.

Kandee

[KaitiUSA]

Your right kactuskandee ginger is very good for nausea. I have ginger tea alot that tastes soooo good and does help calm the stomach.

There are oils you can get to smell like peppermint etc. Fennel is one of them so if you hate the taste of it maybe smelling it would help and you wouldn't have to taste it. But whatever works is good If it works stick with it.

Altoids and enzymes work 4 me and I know I don't know what I would do without them.

[kdskaggs]

Hi Mel,

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a rough time of it. My daughter has celiac disease ad I can sympathize with you trying to figure out what is going on.

Two things come to my mind. One is that most Chinese restaurants use MSG. MSG affects people differently but is a common allergen. My kids and I all get sick if we eat foods poisoned with MSG. Another thought is that you might be better off eating a more bland diet for now. Sauteeing something in oil is adding additional fat to your diet which may be tough for you to digest. The spiciness in the Chinese food, even if no MSG or gluten was used, could upset an already upset stomach. I'd stick with baked or grilled foods and prepare them very blandly. Even if something is gluten-free, it may not be easy for your already upset system to handle.

Ginger is excellent for stomach ailments. You can either purchase ginger capsules at the health food store or make a tea out of ginger root -- this is a secret my doctor shared with me. Another person mentioned probiotics, which is a great recommendation. I use HMF Replete, which is an extremely strong probiotic. The L.acidophilus alone is 75 BILLION, much, much higher than store bought probiotics. I purchase mine online and I can share the name of the company with you, if you want. There are different herbs that have anti-inflammatory properties to them that could help with the inflammation in your gut. Since you are already in a inflamed state, it is going to take time for your system to heal.

I hope you start feeling better soon.

Kenda

[kactuskandee]

Kenda, I've never heard of HMF Replete...will have to do a search on it. From what I understand VSL#3 is another fantastic probiotic but pricey. Thanks for mentioning..

I forgot to add I take probiotics and digestive enzymes every day, with at least one, maybe two meals (the biggest ones) a day. Thus I have no pains, nausea, gas or bloating. I switch around my probiotics from Metagenics Ultra Flora Plus DF (dairy free) to BioBeads (by Natrol but not very strong) that I carry with me since they need no refrigeration, to Jarrow. My fav is the homemade kefir I make with rice or almond milk for at home....ohhh is that soothing..I use it in fruit smoothies. I take digestive enzymes always and if I'm going to be eating gassy foods a Beano too, or Lactaid if I cheat and eat dairy. All helps.

I take antispasmodics before I eat out..especially if I eat a little more fat than I planned or just plain to much food.

Vote4PresBush....never heard of the oils you smell. Do you have a link? I think the real benefit comes with getting the fennel into the gut, fast. Like you said, "what ever works".

Chamomile tea is also calming to the tummy, but it seems a bit to mild for me. Nonetheless it is often available in restaurants if there is nothing else. When I'm in Mexico they always have it...as I think it must be popular there.

As to ginger, another thing I love is St. Claire's organic ginger snaps..they come in a little tin like Altoids so you can carry them around with you. Altoids makes both peppermint and ginger types, but I prefer the peppermint. The Altoids, in their ingredients, use gum arabic (acacia) which is a pre-biotic soluble fiber and very soothing to the gut.

Having IBS too has helped me to learn how to eat and what supplements to take to keep a lid on the pain/gas/bloating/nausea/constipation.

Just throwing out what I do, like all the other helpful people here, in case it may help someone else.

Kandee

[KaitiUSA]

kactuskandee...do you have a Whole Foods nearby you? We get them through whole foods. It's aromatherapy oils. We also have a lost we printed out about what aromatherapy oils are good for certain things. I know the peppermint and orange were good for the stomach. I think the fennel is too. We have quite a few of them If you don't have a Whole Foods near you I'm sure I can get you a link of where you can get them

[mela14]

OK that's a lot of info to DIGEST! I haven't been taking any probiotics as I am afraid to take anything at this point. So, would the probiotics help with the inflamation? Not usre how that would work.

I also think I would like to try ginger. Right now I use camomille but feel that it is too mild as someone just mentioned. Peppermint tea seems to be a little stronger but I would like to give the ginger a try. I remember many years ago someone giving me these ginger candies but thinking back now I am sure they were probably full of ingredients that I really didn't need. So...if there a ginger tea that someone could recommend ....that would be great! I also just bought some digestive enzymes that I will try using with my meals. Someone on this board recommended them. I think they are called Essential Enzymes.

Right now the guts is sore and a littel nauseous....but then again I also started Actonel last week and took my second pill yesterday.That could be adding some stomach problems and some muscle problems. Today all my musles are sore and I feel so achy. The Actonel is for the Osteoporosis that I was recently diagnosed with. If this becomes too problematic I may have to try one of the other pills out there....not that I think they would be any better. We'll have to see.

Thanks for all the info.

[KaitiUSA]

The ginger tea I drink is Celestial Seasonings- Original Indian Spice. It tastes like a ginger cookie it is so good. It is gluten-free and has Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in it along with other stuff.

Probiotic bacteria favorably alter the intestinal microflora balance, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Probiotic bacteria also produce substances called bacteriocins, which act as natural antibiotics to kill undesirable microorganisms.

I always use the Enzymatic Therapy brand mainly because they mark all of their products of what they are free of.

[mela14]

Thanks Kaitie,

I appreciate all the info. I think that the Celestial Seasonings may be too much for me. sometimes the cinnamon bothers me.....maybe I should just stick sith straight Ginger. I'm going to stop by Whole Foods on the way home and see what they have.

I'll give the probiotics another try. I remember why I got turned off!!....before I knew about the gluten.... I was taking them because I thought I had Candida. I was getting more sick from them and would wake during the night feeling ill and bloated and nausous!...it turns out they were not gluten-free. I think they had maltodextrin....does that sound right?

I am still learning about all the hidden gluten ingredients in so many things. Vitamins were doing the same thing.

In addition, I have an immune deficiency and was receiving monthly immunoglobulin infusions to help me along. This was finally brought to light about a year ago...after getting sooooooooooo sick so often. Anway, Medicare has decided to stop paying for them and I missed my infusion that I was due to have 2 weeks ago. I'm sure that the levels dropping are making me feel more sick and achy. Between the diet and my horrible immune system things get to be too much at times. Also, so many of the symtoms cross over and sometimes you don't know what is from what.

I also think that the IGG, IGA deficiency, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, allergies and the gluten problem are all related. Something is not working right.. ...

Maybe one day it will all come together. In the meantime....it's just one day at a time. today is not such a good day....but........yesterday was better

[KaitiUSA]

There are probably more mild brands of tea out there that other people on this site drink or have tried. Whatever works good for you definately stick with it though.

Definately give probiotics a try they help with immunity. Do you feel bad all the time? Or do you notice any sort of pattern with the way you feel like after a certain food or anything?

I hope you feel better soon

Have a great day!

[kdskaggs]

Hi Mel,

I just read that you took Actonel!! Oh my God!! I took it once and only once, it made me sick as a dog with all of the symptoms you describe, stomach upset, muscle aches and pains, it was horrible and took darn near a week to go away. Anyone with gut problems should not take Actonel, at least according to my doc.

I make my own ginger tea using ginger root. At least if you use the root, you don't have to worry about something being in the tea that can upset your stomach. Just cut off about a 1" piece of the root and steep it in hot water for about 5 minutes, or until it tastes the way you want it. You can add lemon to it if you like but I never do I like the taste of ginger just the way it is.

If you want a supplement especially for inflammation of the gut, ask someone at a health food store or see a naturopath in your area. Nearly all of the medical care I receive is herbal and I have had more luck with it than allopathic medicine.

A warning about probiotics, if you are really low they can upset your stomach so you may want to wait until you feel a bit better to start on them.

Best of luck,

Kenda