Recovered After 5 Years

[Flor]

Dear friends,

I spent a lot of time on these boards for a couple of years and got some very helpful information along the way.

I wanted to offer back a quick report since I seem to have largely recovered from the leaky gut I had -- in case any of this is helpful.

I developed chronic and severe gut problems (followed by joint and mental health problems) after two rounds of intestinal viruses and post-partum exhaustion. I thought at first it was celiac but going gluten free only helped a little. Stopping soy, corn, dairy, nightshades, yeasty foods, high oxalate foods, etc etc only helped a little more. Taking buckets of supplements helped a little more. But the joint pain got worse and there were still way too many bad days even eating very strictly.

I recently learned from a rheumatologist that some people develop long-term post-viral syndromes after gut viruses and that five years is a fairly common long-term recovery time. I am just short of five years now.

After all my experimenting around my road to recovery looked like this:

1. Avoiding all foods that potentially cause inflammation. This would include: caffeine (green tea okay, also oolong), artificial sweeteners and thickeners (carageenen), corn, potatoes (and eggplant and tomatoes), wheat, pork and beef, soy, dairy and high residue foods like nuts and berries and raw vegetables, alcohol, citrus, sugar, garlic, onions. This is still the diet I mostly stick to though there's now room for some violations for me. It's basically chicken and fish and cooked veggies and rice and quinoa and avocado and coconut.

2. Supplements to support gut healing. Top of my list would be: glutamine, acetylcysteine, arginine, anti-oxidants (D, E, C. CoQ10), and some anti-inflammatories like tumeric, along with other generally supportive supplements (Bs, cal/mag, multi, niacin, etc). I can walk through what each of these is for and dosages for those interested. Of these N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has by far made the biggest immediate difference -- almost entirely eliminating my joint pain (I tried going off and coming back on the NAC and the joint pain correlates exactly).

3. Probiotics. Three times a day. I tried many very expensive probiotics with no consistent effect (VSL3, Threelac, Culturelle, etc). But the most recent probiotic I've been taking has made a HUGE difference. It's Dr. Ohira's Probiotic12. You can buy it online. It has changed the ecology of my gut in a way that nothing else has. Really nothing short of miraculous. My digestion is happier than it's ever been at any prior time in my life, going all the way back to childhood.

Side note: lots of people recommend digestive enzymes to help people with gut problems get all the food digested. In my case, it led directly to acid reflux. I have enough stomach acid and that wasn't my problem. Also, a lot of people recommend herbal anti-fungals (grapefruit seed extract, garlic, black walnut, olive leaf extract, etc). I would NOT recommend any of those, especially at the beginning. They are a kind of chemotherapy really and are hard on the body. In retrospect I think they did more damage than good for me. I think the above stuff to support gut ecology will go a long way to dealing with yeast and bacterial overgrowth. The main idea to start with should be to do no harm; put nothing into the gut that isn't soothing and good for it.

I'd be happy to share any more details with anyone who thinks my road to getting better might be helpful for theirs.

Best to you all.

[gcarey]

Thank you for sharing this information. This sounds very familiar with what I have been going through. Your post was very helpful. Thank you.

Dear friends,

I spent a lot of time on these boards for a couple of years and got some very helpful information along the way.

I wanted to offer back a quick report since I seem to have largely recovered from the leaky gut I had -- in case any of this is helpful.

I developed chronic and severe gut problems (followed by joint and mental health problems) after two rounds of intestinal viruses and post-partum exhaustion. I thought at first it was celiac but going gluten free only helped a little. Stopping soy, corn, dairy, nightshades, yeasty foods, high oxalate foods, etc etc only helped a little more. Taking buckets of supplements helped a little more. But the joint pain got worse and there were still way too many bad days even eating very strictly.

I recently learned from a rheumatologist that some people develop long-term post-viral syndromes after gut viruses and that five years is a fairly common long-term recovery time. I am just short of five years now.

After all my experimenting around my road to recovery looked like this:

1. Avoiding all foods that potentially cause inflammation. This would include: caffeine (green tea okay, also oolong), artificial sweeteners and thickeners (carageenen), corn, potatoes (and eggplant and tomatoes), wheat, pork and beef, soy, dairy and high residue foods like nuts and berries and raw vegetables, alcohol, citrus, sugar, garlic, onions. This is still the diet I mostly stick to though there's now room for some violations for me. It's basically chicken and fish and cooked veggies and rice and quinoa and avocado and coconut.

2. Supplements to support gut healing. Top of my list would be: glutamine, acetylcysteine, arginine, anti-oxidants (D, E, C. CoQ10), and some anti-inflammatories like tumeric, along with other generally supportive supplements (Bs, cal/mag, multi, niacin, etc). I can walk through what each of these is for and dosages for those interested. Of these N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has by far made the biggest immediate difference -- almost entirely eliminating my joint pain (I tried going off and coming back on the NAC and the joint pain correlates exactly).

3. Probiotics. Three times a day. I tried many very expensive probiotics with no consistent effect (VSL3, Threelac, Culturelle, etc). But the most recent probiotic I've been taking has made a HUGE difference. It's Dr. Ohira's Probiotic12. You can buy it online. It has changed the ecology of my gut in a way that nothing else has. Really nothing short of miraculous. My digestion is happier than it's ever been at any prior time in my life, going all the way back to childhood.

Side note: lots of people recommend digestive enzymes to help people with gut problems get all the food digested. In my case, it led directly to acid reflux. I have enough stomach acid and that wasn't my problem. Also, a lot of people recommend herbal anti-fungals (grapefruit seed extract, garlic, black walnut, olive leaf extract, etc). I would NOT recommend any of those, especially at the beginning. They are a kind of chemotherapy really and are hard on the body. In retrospect I think they did more damage than good for me. I think the above stuff to support gut ecology will go a long way to dealing with yeast and bacterial overgrowth. The main idea to start with should be to do no harm; put nothing into the gut that isn't soothing and good for it.

I'd be happy to share any more details with anyone who thinks my road to getting better might be helpful for theirs.

Best to you all.

[Laura Wesson]

lots of people recommend digestive enzymes to help people with gut problems get all the food digested.

I read a story once where somebody said she was given digestive enzymes by alternative-medicine practitioners for her food intolerances, and, she said, they "stripped the lining of her gut" and made the problem much worse!

It was a cautionary tale about alternative medicine - their treatments can actually be harmful.

Unless you've been diagnosed with a digestive enzyme deficiency by an MD, I don't think taking extra enzymes is to the point.

I've been recovering on a carefully gluten-free (and many other foods-free) diet for 7 years. I still have food intolerances last I checked, but my reactions are much less intense than they used to be. So maybe eventually I can quit this miserable business of avoiding almost all common foods.

Laura

[MommyL]

THANK YOU!

[Skylark]

Dear friends,

3. Probiotics. Three times a day. I tried many very expensive probiotics with no consistent effect (VSL3, Threelac, Culturelle, etc). But the most recent probiotic I've been taking has made a HUGE difference. It's Dr. Ohira's Probiotic12. You can buy it online. It has changed the ecology of my gut in a way that nothing else has. Really nothing short of miraculous. My digestion is happier than it's ever been at any prior time in my life, going all the way back to childhood.

Isn't it funny how different people seem to respond to different probiotics? Threelac worked wonders for me. I wonder if people are missing different sets of bacteria.

[whitebeach]

Hi Flor,

Can I get some more info on your supps?

Whitebeach

jonathan@stormbay.com.au

[hoot]

I read a story once where somebody said she was given digestive enzymes by alternative-medicine practitioners for her food intolerances, and, she said, they "stripped the lining of her gut" and made the problem much worse!

It was a cautionary tale about alternative medicine - their treatments can actually be harmful.

Unless you've been diagnosed with a digestive enzyme deficiency by an MD, I don't think taking extra enzymes is to the point.

I've been recovering on a carefully gluten-free (and many other foods-free) diet for 7 years. I still have food intolerances last I checked, but my reactions are much less intense than they used to be. So maybe eventually I can quit this miserable business of avoiding almost all common foods.

Laura

For me digestive enzymes, specifically pancreatin (lipase, amylase, protease), have helped tremendously. They have cut down my gas and bloating, helped my digestion, more energy etc. Had acid reflux long before them, and the enzymes haven't really affected it. Only negative is that occasionally they seem to contribute if I have constipation.

I have not been diagnosed with an enzyme deficiency, but I know for a fact that they help. So I would not say that people shouldn't use them unless they've been diagnosed with an enzyme deficiency. We're all much the same but still very different. Try the enzymes out for a week or two, if you feel better, they are probably helping, if not, stop using them. Simple as that.

[Glamour]

Isn't it funny how different people seem to respond to different probiotics? Threelac worked wonders for me. I wonder if people are missing different sets of bacteria.

From what I have been reading people respond well and some respond poorly to different probiotics and enzymes, depending on what enzymes they might be missing, what food gives them trouble, and what supplement ingredients they react to. It also seems to greatly depend on how sick you are, as well as other digestive issues.

[Lisa79]

Thanks, good to know. Some days you do start to feel like your getting no where but then when you look back where you were a year ago, you know have improved. Nice to know it doesnt always happen overnight, I was so sick of people with celiac disease say how fantastic they felt in a few weeks, I was so worried something else was wrong with me.

I must admit the digestive Enzymes help me too and I have not been diagnosed, my naturopath recommended them.

I also find the L-Glutamine which is the major ingredient in my Pre-boitic mix does wonders (I use Panaxea) I ran out last week and all of a sudden I am feeling crappy and bloated, off to pick up some more from my naturopath tomorrow.

Did anyone have problems with their Menstrual cycle?

Thanks

Lisa

[Lisa79]

I would also love some info on your foods, rather than what you avoided, what did you eat?

Thanks

Lisa

francos@westnet.com.au

[sweeeeet]

Glad to read your story, it was a success and congratulations! Question, so what's there left to eat if I avoided all the same foods you did? wanna be in your shoes someday,cured. What foods would I eat? I am just intolerant to basically everything it seems, from all dairy, all wheat and gluten, deli meat, certain vegetables, and certain fruits. Even certain nuts don't work for me anymore, especially pistachios and cashews, they give me stomach cramps. I am now even worrying about enzymes and vitamins, I take them every day but they might be irritating the lining of my stomach then, right? My stomach has not felt right in years.

Just a basic list of foods that are helpful to a person with stomach problems similar to yours.

[sweeeeet]

I should have mentioned that in 1995 I had a bad case of roto virus and was sick for over a week, uncontrollable vomiting, etc. a month later all my various symptoms started to make their appearances, digestive issues, IBS, brain fog, swollen calves, fibromyalgia, etc. I always had a feeling many of my symptoms were related to that virus.