Persistant Varied Symptoms-suspecting Food Intolerance

[stromssa]

Hi everyone,

I am new to these forums, after having spent a better part of the past decade with constant symptoms that are mystifying but quite annoying. I thought I'd share these and see if anyone has had similar symptoms and can relate or offer some advice:

First of all, I have chronic sinus inflammation. It doesn't feel like excess mucus so much as it feels like the vessels in my nasal area are swollen. This is a more or less constant experience. It somehow feels like it worsens when I have IBS symptoms. My neck glands are also swollen, and I have muscle tension in my right shoulder muscle.

My body aches and IBS issues seem to worsen around the time of my period. Last night, I had body aches all night (mostly in shoulder/upper back area) and restless sleep, woke up with IBS, and by later that day my period came. Currently, I have the sinus reaction inflammation again. (Also, that day, prior to the body aches, headache, loose stools, etc., I had eaten two pieces of Quillin's fried chicken, a serving of mashed potatoes and gravy, and some pea salad, which seemed like it was created with mayonaise and I had about 1 piece of a dinner roll with butter).

I don't have a lot of digestive pain with my symptoms, just mostly loose, foul-smelling stools that I am having a hard time linking to what I am eating. For what it's worth, my mom has rather severe lactose intolerance that she was diagnosed with at about my age (32). She can't eat cheese, either, and claims flu-like symptoms and severe stomach pain when she does. I have had digestive reactions to cheesy or creamy pasta, lattes, spaghetti with tomato sauce and citrus, as well as commercially prepared garlic bread (I ate almost a whole loaf's worth and suffered greatly later).

I don't know of anyone in my family who has had celiac disease, but in my mom's family, both my maternal grandmother and her sister, my maternal great-aunt, died of pancreatic cancer (two different types) within 8 years of one another, and with my mom's lactose issues, I wonder if perhaps some hidden gluten problem could have affected any or all of them???

I have generalized anxiety problems, depression, poor sleep and have a hard time summoning any "get up and go." I am naturally thin, at about 123 pounds and 5-foot-six-inches tall, and "look healthy" except I feel awful most of the time, have constant dark circles around my eyes, slightly puffy face and slightly watery eyes, as well. It always seems like my body is "fighting something."

Any thoughts on what this might be and has anyone suffered similiar symptoms?

Thanks,

Sara

[Dreamon]

Hey hope you rfind what it is.

I am in the same situation as you.Weird things happening but certainly also linked to my insuline resistantce issue...

it's interesting you mention your mucus issue..i noticed I had constant mucus but in my throat, even though i am not sick. i need to cough and people alwaus ask me if i am sick. i seem to have it less when it's hot though, and more at night.

[chatycady]

Your symptoms are very similar to what I use to deal with. I eliminated all sugar, grains, starch from my diet.

I am better. In time I will begin adding some things back in, but right now I"m content with my diet and am flourishing. I follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

You can do a web search or by the book Breaking the viscious cycle. I hope you find the answer to your symtoms. Here's what caused me trouble.

Corn and gluten free grains - neck, shoulder, back pain - and digestive issues (foul gross stools), fatigue

Dairy - sinus headaches and digestive symptoms - also severe joint pain- fatigue

starch and sugar - (potatoes, pasta, etc. ) horrible nightmares and hypoglycemia , fatigue

Plus I was irritable - paranoid - and depressed. Not any more!