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Alcohol - Friend Or Foe?

Lux

By Lux
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted

I'm confused! Any research I dig up suggests that alcohol is detrimental to digestion but sometimes it is the only thing that gets me 'going' - I mean, properly clears me out (sorry if that is TMI). Even if I have one glass of wine, or a V&T in the evening, I should be going in the morning.

Is this normal? Does anyone else find that alcohol actually facilitates their digestion?

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted
I'm confused! Any research I dig up suggests that alcohol is detrimental to digestion but sometimes it is the only thing that gets me 'going' - I mean, properly clears me out (sorry if that is TMI). Even if I have one glass of wine, or a V&T in the evening, I should be going in the morning.

Is this normal? Does anyone else find that alcohol actually facilitates their digestion?

I don't know about the facilitating digestion part, but I used to find that a neat scotch was the only thing that would quiet down my gassy, bloated, unhappy stomach, back in the days when I didn't know what was making it unhappy and "irritable". It just kind of killed all the symptoms, shocked them into submission, as it were :o:lol:

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted
  • Author
I don't know about the facilitating digestion part, but I used to find that a neat scotch was the only thing that would quiet down my gassy, bloated, unhappy stomach, back in the days when I didn't know what was making it unhappy and "irritable". It just kind of killed all the symptoms, shocked them into submission, as it were :o:lol:

That's so interesting - do you find it still has such an effect? Or has going gluten free ultimately destroyed all your symptoms? I'm finding things quite difficult at the moment as I keep removing foods but I can't determine what is giving me this ongoing trouble....

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted
That's so interesting - do you find it still has such an effect? Or has going gluten free ultimately destroyed all your symptoms? I'm finding things quite difficult at the moment as I keep removing foods but I can't determine what is giving me this ongoing trouble....

I haven't had any scotch in 14 months. (switched to white rum) When I first stopped eating gluten I had enormous problems with a red rash on chest, neck and back which itched and drove me crazy. I thought maybe it was the scotch so stopped drinking it, but nothing really changed until I stopped eating soy. That got rid of the rash (and the hives I was getting too), but I still have a lot of itchies although I am so used to itching because of the psoriasis that I only bother about it if it really increases and then I know that soy is creeping in somewhere. I was using the Massell chicken stock cubes and then they came out with a small can of granules which is much more convenient to measure and I was using that. Itchies intensified and I found out that what was in the can had soy! in it. Darn. Didn't read the label.

I still have a little gassiness but nothing like I used to have before. Can't eat chili beans or refried beans at all, they just kill me whereas I used to love them. But mostly cutting out the soy and corn got rid of the residual problems left over after the gluten was gone. Have you tried eliminating all the common allergens--dairy, eggs, soy, corn? I have been lactose intolerant, but can handle yogurt, cheese, butter, sour cream, anything basically where the lactose has either been mostly removed or cultured. And I think I might be able to add some lactose back in now because I can tolerate the milk in cappuchinos okay. It really is just a process of trial and error to find out what else is going on. Sometimes if you can't figure it out you have to go back to the basics of fish, meat, fruit, veggies, rice and if that is okay, add things back in one at a time. Good luck in figuring it out.

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted
  • Author
I haven't had any scotch in 14 months. (switched to white rum) When I first stopped eating gluten I had enormous problems with a red rash on chest, neck and back which itched and drove me crazy. I thought maybe it was the scotch so stopped drinking it, but nothing really changed until I stopped eating soy. That got rid of the rash (and the hives I was getting too), but I still have a lot of itchies although I am so used to itching because of the psoriasis that I only bother about it if it really increases and then I know that soy is creeping in somewhere. I was using the Massell chicken stock cubes and then they came out with a small can of granules which is much more convenient to measure and I was using that. Itchies intensified and I found out that what was in the can had soy! in it. Darn. Didn't read the label.

I still have a little gassiness but nothing like I used to have before. Can't eat chili beans or refried beans at all, they just kill me whereas I used to love them. But mostly cutting out the soy and corn got rid of the residual problems left over after the gluten was gone. Have you tried eliminating all the common allergens--dairy, eggs, soy, corn? I have been lactose intolerant, but can handle yogurt, cheese, butter, sour cream, anything basically where the lactose has either been mostly removed or cultured. And I think I might be able to add some lactose back in now because I can tolerate the milk in cappuchinos okay. It really is just a process of trial and error to find out what else is going on. Sometimes if you can't figure it out you have to go back to the basics of fish, meat, fruit, veggies, rice and if that is okay, add things back in one at a time. Good luck in figuring it out.

Hi,

thank you so much for your response. I have eliminated gluten, wheat, dairy and sugar (with the exception of alcohol) from my diet. I have considered soy but I am obsessed with soy yoghurt (it is my one 'treat') and I really don't want to give it up. I am going to go for allergy testing to try and work it all out but to be honest I am scared of what they will tell me! I feel as if I have already taken out so much that soon all the enjoyment will be taken out of eating as I will begin to suspect everything.

My problem is determining whether it is one thing or the other. How do you know if it is soy or corn? Should I eat one and not the other and see what happens? I think I will just have to revert to the basics, as you suggested, and see if that calms things down for a bit....

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

You can find out what is bothering you by doing an elimination diet. Eat very simply for 3 or 4 days,. Choose a group of foods you don't think will bother you. Eat just those foods. Then add a new "test" food. If you are ok after a couple days add another test food. And so on. Make a list of your safe foods. For me that would be rice, veggies, eggs, bananas as kind of a "core" group of safe foods. Whenever you get sick you can go back to eating your core group of foods that are safe for you. Some people have delayed symptoms, so that's why the idea to add new test foods only every 2 days. But if you react the same day then a new test food every day should be ok. Remember that adding spices, vitamins and medicines has to be carefully reviewed also. They are also possible sources of gluten.

There are other ways to do elimination diets, and you can find them by searching here or on the web.

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted
  • Author
You can find out what is bothering you by doing an elimination diet. Eat very simply for 3 or 4 days,. Choose a group of foods you don't think will bother you. Eat just those foods. Then add a new "test" food. If you are ok after a couple days add another test food. And so on. Make a list of your safe foods. For me that would be rice, veggies, eggs, bananas as kind of a "core" group of safe foods. Whenever you get sick you can go back to eating your core group of foods that are safe for you. Some people have delayed symptoms, so that's why the idea to add new test foods only every 2 days. But if you react the same day then a new test food every day should be ok. Remember that adding spices, vitamins and medicines has to be carefully reviewed also. They are also possible sources of gluten.

There are other ways to do elimination diets, and you can find them by searching here or on the web.

This makes definite sense, and I have tried to follow an elimination diet in the past. Problem is, even if I stick to a core group of 'safe' foods I can end up sick! I might be fine for a few days before my symptoms return. It makes me wonder if I am building up some kind of tolerance to THOSE foods as well - sigh. The other thing is, is it recommended not to drink when undergoing an elimination diet? I'm so confused about alcohol. For me it seems to help but 'specialists' seem to perceive otherwise - that it is damaging and will only exacerbate symptoms in the long term. It perplexes me only because I like to go out in the weekend and have a drink, but also because it really does seem to relax my gut (don't get me wrong, I don't drink a lot all the time, but if my symptoms are really bad a single drink can help). Am I alone in this???

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
This makes definite sense, and I have tried to follow an elimination diet in the past. Problem is, even if I stick to a core group of 'safe' foods I can end up sick! I might be fine for a few days before my symptoms return.

It can take up to a week for an intolerance reaction to appear. That is why on a physican guided elimination diet they only have you add a food, in pure form, every 7 days. It sounds like perhaps one of your 'safe' foods may not be as safe for you as you think. If you can find an allergist who will guide you through an true elimination diet they will give you a starting point of 5 foods that will be safe for you. It is boring and things like spices, coffee, tea etc will not be allowed in the beginning but it can be very helpful in figuring what it is your body is reacting to.

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted
  • Author
It can take up to a week for an intolerance reaction to appear. That is why on a physican guided elimination diet they only have you add a food, in pure form, every 7 days. It sounds like perhaps one of your 'safe' foods may not be as safe for you as you think. If you can find an allergist who will guide you through an true elimination diet they will give you a starting point of 5 foods that will be safe for you. It is boring and things like spices, coffee, tea etc will not be allowed in the beginning but it can be very helpful in figuring what it is your body is reacting to.

Many thanks for your advice. I have just consulted an allergist only to find out that a full range of tests is crazy expensive -

salamander Newbie
salamander
Posted

going back to alcohol (story of my life!). I found that the only drinks I could really tolerate were cider and wine. Spirits just don't agree with me anyway, never have. However now I'm finding that Cider might be a problem, and I'm not sure if it's the yeast or something else. wine still seems to be okay. I'm finding that certain foods and drinks that have been safe for over 18 months are now moving over on to my intolerant list. And it's a growing list!

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted
  • Author

What is it that causes these new intolerances to crop up? Is it because we start eating a lot of one particular food which we then become resistant to?

When you say that spirits don't agree with you, do you mean that they result in symptoms (as if you had been glutened) or is it that they result in a worse hangover/cause GI problems, or something else entirely?

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted
This makes definite sense, and I have tried to follow an elimination diet in the past. Problem is, even if I stick to a core group of 'safe' foods I can end up sick! I might be fine for a few days before my symptoms return. It makes me wonder if I am building up some kind of tolerance to THOSE foods as well - sigh. The other thing is, is it recommended not to drink when undergoing an elimination diet? I'm so confused about alcohol. For me it seems to help but 'specialists' seem to perceive otherwise - that it is damaging and will only exacerbate symptoms in the long term. It perplexes me only because I like to go out in the weekend and have a drink, but also because it really does seem to relax my gut (don't get me wrong, I don't drink a lot all the time, but if my symptoms are really bad a single drink can help). Am I alone in this???

First off, yes, I'd suggest no alcohol while doing your elimination diet. You are trying to give your body's digestive system a chance to heal, and the less of strain you put on it the better. Alcohol can cause gluten reactions also depending on the source. Some people react to grain derived alcohols, others don't. Some people react to yeast or sulfites in wine, or even gluten is possible in some wines.

If you have symptoms then something is causing them right? So, something in your so-called safe group or the alcohol or whatever else you might be drinking, (sodas, juices etc) is a potential issue. Things you are drinking are part of your elimination diet just like foods, medicines, vitamins etc. Why not start with plain old water? And leave the alcohol to the end of the elimination.

If you have a problem with your "safe" foods then they are not safe foods. One or more of them has to go! This process can take a while if you do it right. And you may need to do it again if you develop additional intolerances. But it is free, so that's a nice thing!

caramckelvey Newbie
caramckelvey
Posted
You can find out what is bothering you by doing an elimination diet. Eat very simply for 3 or 4 days,. Choose a group of foods you don't think will bother you. Eat just those foods. Then add a new "test" food. If you are ok after a couple days add another test food. And so on. Make a list of your safe foods. For me that would be rice, veggies, eggs, bananas as kind of a "core" group of safe foods. Whenever you get sick you can go back to eating your core group of foods that are safe for you. Some people have delayed symptoms, so that's why the idea to add new test foods only every 2 days. But if you react the same day then a new test food every day should be ok. Remember that adding spices, vitamins and medicines has to be carefully reviewed also. They are also possible sources of gluten.

There are other ways to do elimination diets, and you can find them by searching here or on the web.

Wait! Eggs? I wouldn't say eggs is a safe "core" group...it's also a common allergen. I also thought eggs were fine until blood tests showed I was 100% intollerant, which explained my lack of energy.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted
Wait! Eggs? I wouldn't say eggs is a safe "core" group...it's also a common allergen. I also thought eggs were fine until blood tests showed I was 100% intollerant, which explained my lack of energy.

Well, yes eggs are ok for me. Each person would need to determine their own safe group of foods, depending on their own body response. That's what the elimination diet is for really, to find foods that are safe for an individual's body, vs a general list for everyone, which we all know doesn't work for us. A general list of safe foods is not useful for us, beyond a list of gluten-free foods of course. Seems quite a few of us have additional intolerances beyond gluten. I can't do casein for instance, and seem to be having a problem with tomatoes lately.

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