Trying To Calm My Stomach Down

[skbird]

Hey all -

I got glutened five days ago now and am still paying for it. I wound up with IBS symptoms and migraines and this is lasting longer than it used to (but the longer I am gluten-free the longer the reaction lasts it seems).

I was at my chiropractor's yesterday and he worked on my ileocecal valve (between small intestine and large intestine) saying that when that contracts, it prevents your small intestine from emptying very well and then you start having toxic reactions in yoru body, like migraines and migrating body aches and pains. Definitely what I'm having. He also said I have a hiatal hernia right now, too, probably caused by my stomach being inflamed and pressing up on my diaphram. He worked on that area, too, before going on and doing my adjustments for an injury - the reason I was visiting him. He recommended I not eat any alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, or raw veggies/pop corn for 4-5 days until my digestive tract mellows out.

Thing is that I am *starving* it seems right now, craving all these foods that make my stomach hurt worse. I went to the store to buy some aloe vera juice but it has citric acid in it and I'm sensitive to that, and I have been taking some DGL licorice plus some enzymes now. I am eating things like chicken and veggie soup (homemade) with rice, plain yogurt, some fruit, carrot juice, etc. But I really want meats and cheeses, things that fill me up usually (I'm hypoglycemic) and also make my stomach go nuts.

How long do your post-glutening reactions last, do they develop into something like this (my GI tract is so irritated that even my throat is sore at this point) and what do you eat at times like this?

Thanks

Stephanie

[KaitiUSA]

My reactions last for about 2 weeks with the 7th day being the worst. My reactions last long compared to alot of celiacs I know.

When I get glutened I usually get aot of nausea. I eat rice, yogurt,mashed potatoes, and soup to calm my stomach. Also try a tea like peppermint or chamomile which will really help with reactions..they are very soothing.

Make sure you drink alot of fluids.

Feel better soon..hang in there

[skbird]

Wow, OK, I already feel better when you say 2 weeks. What a bummer! Of course this is already the longest I've had one so evidently they are getting longer with me...

Thanks for the advice. I forgot that I had a yam for lunch yesterday, that was a really good thing. I'll probably have one for dinner. I just wish I wasn't craving all these other things.

Take care

Stephanie

[Spidey Sense]

Stephanie,

Maybe you could buy some aloe vera gel instead of the juice. I don't think they add anything to the gel, so you could mix the gel with any drink you want (unless aloe naturally has citric acid??). I mix gel with grapefruit juice, but you could add it to anything- maybe even warm tea. It might help you heal up faster.

-Wendy

[burdee]

My gluten contamination reactions last 7-10 days (dairy 5-7, soy 3-5 days). So here's what helps me ease excruciating pain, gas and bloating:

Peppermint herbal tea or chamomile tea (not as helpful as peppermint) or even drinking lots of hot water;

Yoga positions where I lay on the floor and raise my legs up and over my head or put my knees to my stomach;

Long walks;

Hot showers, especially directing the water spray on painful tummy sections;

Eating lighter meals of whatever my body craves (EXCEPT gluten/dairy/soy foods which would only make the pain worse) and can digest easily like well cooked vegies or even soft, nonacidic fruits (pears or bananas), low fat, easy to digest meats or peanut butter and banana sandwiches on gluten-free breads. (I can ALWAYS digest peanut butter, even though I can't always digest salmon but everybody is different.)

Sometimes just going to bed, curling up in the fetal position while I talk on the phone with another supportive celiac friend who has experienced similar symptoms (especially those 'WAVES' of cramping pain which are the worst ).

Perhaps others will post their favorite ways of coping with pain and discomfort ...

BURDEE

[skbird]

Hi Burdee -

Thanks for the suggestions. I am trying to go the cooked veggie route and eat things like yams. I went to the store last night and got some but went by the gluten free section and saw a gluten-free Tuna Helper product (Mrs. Leeper brand?) and ended up making that for dinner instead because I need protein. But wish now I'd had the yam instead. I'm going to crack down today and just eat cooked veggies and maybe some canned salmon. Oh, maybe go find some baby food (I just remembered that one!)

The worst thing is that as my stomach continues to be painful and I keep eating things that are most suited to it, I start having blood sugar crashes. I was drinking some carrot juice yesterday afternoon and after work went to the store and nearly crashed out there. And I haven't been having them at all lately. I don't have a problem with soy so I think I'll try some baked tofu for lunch or dinner and see if that helps. And I have been wondering if peanut butter would be ok or not - maybe I'll make some rice toast and have some of that.

Wendy - About aloe - maybe that would work. Citric acid is fine for me if it's from citrus fruits, just the kind that is mass manufactured is made from fermenting aspergillis niger which is sort of like penicillin and I recently figured out that whenever I eat anything with that kind of citric acid I have an almost instantly gassy crampy stomach, and headache, too. It lasts for about 8 hours. I didn't put it together until my dad recently had an allergic reaction to his newest cholesterol lowering med, turns out it is derrived from aspergillis also. He had an actual allergic reaction that was treated with prednisone and so I am now very cautious around the stuff. Explains why I never liked drinking Pepsi (uses it) but loved Coca Cola (doesn't use it). Pepsi always gave me heartburn.

Yay, more stomach stuff!

Thanks for the suggestions. I had such a bad migraine again last night (1 am) that I am exhausted today and wish I *was* back in bed, curled up, instead of at work...

Stephanie

[plantime]

My reactions last 2 weeks. The first week is gastrintestinal pain that comes in waves and spasms, the second week is psycho stuff, like depression, feeling "spaced out", and headaches. I stay in bed, drink lots of water, and go easy on food.

[hthorvald]

What's Aspergillis (s) and where is it used, food or drugs or both? Another ingredient to look out for?

H.

[skbird]

Hi Hthorvald -

It's not something necessairly a problem for people with gluten intolerance but seems to be a problem for me. I had been noticing for several years now that if I had salad at some restaurants (my friend's deli, Outback Steakhouse, some other places) that I could taste something on the lettuce, very faintly. And then within 20 mins I would start having stomach pain, gas, bloating, headache, that would last for several hours. I couldn't figure out what it was though, but this started about the same time that those veggie washes (Fit is one) started appearing on shelves in stores. I thought it was maybe a nightshade thing as I am sensitive to those foods (peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, etc) but there was nothing in the spray that indicated that. Just citric acid. And it's not sulfites, I asked my deli owning friend...

I have never been fond of things like lemon juice, minced garlic in a jar, or other preserved things with citric acid in them and sometimes would get an upset stomach. But I didn't ever put it together because I thought citric acid came from citrus fruit. Some does but it wastes a lot of product to produce it. Then I found out that a large portion of citric acid is manufactured by fermenting aspergillis niger with molassas in vats. I had researched that as someone had suggested that since it is a mold, it could be grown on bread, and therefore could have trace gluten in it. I know that blue cheese makes me sick so I looked into it for that reason.

Aparantly citric acid manufactured in the US does not contain gluten. But it is still fermented this way. Then my dad got very sick with an allergic reaction to his statin drug (lovistatin, simvastatin, pravastatin are all made with it) which I researched to see if it was related to penicillin as he is allergic to that, and found it is made from another strain of aspergillis. I put this all together and determined that I may be sensitive to aspergillis.

What sealed this hypothesis for me is that I have problems even with gluten free tamari that is fermented (with koji, which is another strain of aspergillis) and miso (also has koji in it). I had thought that perhaps either the tamari or miso had barley in them or wheat somehow but checked with the companies and other sources and finally decided to just avoid them. Now I only use Braggs liquid aminos when I have Asian food, take it to sushi restaurants, etc.

Lactaid is also made with a strain of it.

So there is a chance that citric acid not manufactured in the US contains some gluten and that would be a concern. But unless you have a sensitivity to aspergillis, you are fine with it here.

So there's some info on that, I would say you pretty much don't have to worry...

Stephanie