Universal Reactor....

[alchemist]

Hello everyone I am a long time lurker here and have finally decided to leave my perch and contribute (hopefully) to the insanity of gluten intolerance and food sensitivities....at least its insane in my world.I react to pretty much everything...including water and at times really am at a loss as to what to do next.My food choices are down to ..Eggs-Turkey-lettuce-cucumber-tomato-pork once or twice a week....I do drink coffee with cream and some sugar....all of these items have to be organic...I have had an organic diet for around 15 years.Heres a little bit of how I got to here.I am now 52 and up until I was 35 had no health issues or food problems at all...I had married a few years prior and moved to Nevada (I am originally from England)where I joined the race to have the "job" "house" car and all the stuff that go along with this lovely life:) my marriage was awful and basically I was/am a square peg in a round hole...all of this led to me having a nervous breakdown of sorts I lost 40 pounds on a 190 pound body....panic attacks anxiety etc...which led to crazy food sensitivities...the panic and anxiety left, the food issues never have.I always drank booze to deal with stress ..this now became my worst enemy.I became a total dietary puritan and drank nothing but water and whole foods for the next 6 years....I realized wheat was causing me some problems but thought that I could eat spelt and kamut as substitutes... Isaw every doctor imaginable and it was never suggested I might be gluten intolerant.I was so sick all of the time and yet still went to work etc...any type of medication or supplements made me worse.....which is still the case today...not one of thousands of dollars of supplements has worked for me.In 2001 I stopped eating any gluten BUT I started drinking beers again....and lo and behold I gaind back the 40 pounds and actually felt better...I still was getting the food reations but the beer acted as a sort of anesthetic(crazy I know) throughout all of this crazyness my marraige was awful...more children came along and my intolerance grew...more doctors ...all thinking I am nuts ...I even think I am nuts.......anyways to cut the next 8 years short my sensitivities continued to grow and finally last year in June I for the first time stopped all gluten completely...(I was still drinking beer up to this point)well my body went crazy and I started having violent reactions to starchy veggies....which make me break out in an anxious/sweat several hours after eating them....initially I would get tingling in my legs and fingers etc...the tingling has subsided but finding any sort of balance has eluded me...I am now going through a separation/divorce and wonder if I will ever be able to find any balance or broaden my food choices again....or even find some level of healing:) .....its been a wierd trip...I have had no support from either the medical community or any other source....a real dark night of the soul and senses for sure....but on a positive note I have discovered a whole world of philosophical and spiritual wonders that I would probably never have contemplated previously....and a creative side that does seem to be insatiable.....so sorry for the fragmented story ....its much more complicated and darker than I am capable of conveying.Anyone else have any ideas as to what could be causing such extreme reactions? I don't quite buy the candida angle....I can actually eat organic cane sugar with no reaction at all...and yet cannot go near a carrot or starchy veggie or corn or rice without horrendous consequences. ok rant over for now

many thanks

regards

Steve

[Lisa79]

Hi Steve

Just wanted to say Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear what a rough time you have had over so many years. Just wondering if you have been tested for celiac disease? I was tested once (10yrs ago) and it was negative, My gut then told me they were wrong but believed the doctors and went on for another 10 years before they did another test which came out positive for celiac disease.

I cant give too much advice as I have just started down this journey, I was finally diagnosed with celiac disease just over a year ago I am 30, and since then I had a mental breakdown from anxiety, it was awful, I had never had anxiety before so it was all so new and so scary. I feel for anyone who suffers or who has suffered anxiety. After my diagnosis I found even cutting out gluten I was still suffering, (anxiety, bloating, constipation etc) I found so many other foods which were making me ill nightshades, yeast, preservatives, artificial colours, pears, apples, caffeine, eggs, dairy, grapes, kiwi fruit and probably a few more. I have also spent thousands on supplements, I must admit I have had improvements although still not 100%, so I also checked out a homeopath, and within 3 days of the remedy's he provided my mental state improved greatly, I felt mentally alive again, less stressed, no anxiety and thinking clearer. Its only been a few weeks but its definately been an improvement so I am going to give it some time.

I have also stared reading some of Louise Hay's books, Heal your life & Heal your body, I knew someone who has suffered years of migraines and ill health, she clearly was not happy, after a divorce and moved back to her home town and a new job she has never had another migraine again. I am not saying a divorce is the answer to peoples health but your state of mind really affects your health and when your unhappy your body suffers too. I suffered from bad anxiety for months I couldn't believe just how much the anxiety affected my body, I lost so much weight, headaches, diarrhea, severe reactions to other foods and this was all because of my anxiety. It made me realise how much my emotions and state of mind affected my health, so I have started making a more positive approach to life.

Sorry cant give any advice, I would love to hear others thoughts so I will keep an eye on the thread.

Lisa

[alchemist]

Many thanks for the response Lisa....no I have not been tested for Celiac ...but I am in no doubt that it is highly possible..but I couldn't start eating gluten again and then test...I really don't need a diagnosis to know not to eat Gluten...and I cannot find info anywhere concerning any disease causing such extreme food reactions and I should mention my reactions are to perfume-cologne and paint and chemicals as well....oh and lets not forget toothpaste (the mint)....and well the list could go on and on.I do agree that the stress and anxiety can exacerbate sensitivities....this sounds wierd but I am aware of the time I actaually became sensitised to potatoes and beef during one of many standoffs with my wife....a feeling of such intense frustration and inner turmoil my insides felt like they were split in two.....dramatic I know true nevertheless.I sense some sort of problem with my small intestine regarding some of the intolerance's....but it could all be related to celiac and an inflamed gut....havent a bloody clue!

cheers

Steve

[Skylark]

Hi, and welcome. I'm just going to throw out a few ideas for you to chase down. My mom had a lot of stomach problems and turned out to have fructose malabsorption. She doesn't digest lactose either, and is feeling better off gluten. Mushroom on the board here is sensitive to lectins, which limits her food choices. She gets a lot of symptoms from them. There are also folks around here on Specific Carbohydrate Diet who swear by it. It's designed to remove the sugars and starches that bacteria feed on and is supposed to be helpful for IBS. Good luck and hopefully some other folks will offer more suggestions.

[JDB]

Open Original Shared Link

Watch this, it's changing my life, my health, my spirtuality, my happiness.

gluten free---yes, but raw vegan, ahhhhh, i feel better

[alchemist]

Open Original Shared Link

Watch this, it's changing my life, my health, my spirtuality, my happiness.

gluten free---yes, but raw vegan, ahhhhh, i feel better

well to have the metabolism and digestion to eat a raw vegan diet is probably one of the rarest human traits I do not have that particular constitution....and folks that do usually write a book about it and tell everyone else they "should" eat that way too.....its a flatland view....goodluck to anyone that can eat that way.....paleolithic works for me in a modified fashion....minus the nuts an fruits ....but thanks for the thought

cheers

steve

[mommida]

Some of the things you describe sound like a vitamin B12 defiency. It has a strong connection to Celiac as Pernicious Anemia.

There are also other medical issues that can bring on some of the wacky stomach issues going on. Have you been tested for....?

H.ployri

parasites

worms

eosinophils (this can be causing problems any where in the digestive tract and is not an easy diagnoses at the moment because the medical community is not very knowledgable on the subject)

any type physical damage or deformation in the G.I. tract

abdominal migraines? Don't really know what to tell you about this.

Allergy testing - intolerance

Pernicious Anemia / vitamin B12 defiency

gall bladder function

Keep a food journal noted everything. Food, amount, time, symptoms, BM's, and so on.

I know I have probably forgotten some other possibilities.

[EvieLS]

Hi, and welcome. I'm just going to throw out a few ideas for you to chase down. My mom had a lot of stomach problems and turned out to have fructose malabsorption. She doesn't digest lactose either, and is feeling better off gluten. Mushroom on the board here is sensitive to lectins, which limits her food choices. She gets a lot of symptoms from them. There are also folks around here on Specific Carbohydrate Diet who swear by it. It's designed to remove the sugars and starches that bacteria feed on and is supposed to be helpful for IBS. Good luck and hopefully some other folks will offer more suggestions.

Skylark do you know if beet and cane sugar are included in no fructose diet? I am to start that soon? THX EvieLS

[Chakra2]

Steve-- your potatoes and beef comment struck a chord. I have a similar thought about a very emotional time in my life sensitizing me to certain foods. Have you ever looked into NAET or any acupuncture- based allergy treatment program? Some integrative medicine MDs that I trust recommend NAET and from what I've read it helps "clear" the

physical and emotional energies contributing to food sensitivities. I don't know if it's nuts or if it works (or both!) but the concept intrigued me. I think I might actually post a topic here to see if anyone's tried it. I don't think NAET claims to cure gluten sensitivity but I've thought it sounded intriguing as a way to reduce some of those secondary sensitivities.

[alchemist]

Some of the things you describe sound like a vitamin B12 defiency. It has a strong connection to Celiac as Pernicious Anemia.

There are also other medical issues that can bring on some of the wacky stomach issues going on. Have you been tested for....?

H.ployri

parasites

worms

eosinophils (this can be causing problems any where in the digestive tract and is not an easy diagnoses at the moment because the medical community is not very knowledgable on the subject)

any type physical damage or deformation in the G.I. tract

abdominal migraines? Don't really know what to tell you about this.

Allergy testing - intolerance

Pernicious Anemia / vitamin B12 deficiency

gall bladder function

Keep a food journal noted everything. Food, amount, time, symptoms, BM's, and so on.

I know I have probably forgotten some other possibilities.

hello and many thanks for the info...I have not been tested for B12 deficiency ...the tingling was intense last year but has subsided now and only happens now if I eat anything starchy...wierd....starches also make me pee a lot....organic sugar dosent give me any of these symptoms....I monitor my blood sugar (just for the hell of it:) and my sugar is normal when any of these symptoms appear.I have never been tested for parasites....but why would parasites make me react to one food and not another?....dosent make any sense at all...to me

I have visited so many doctors of all persuasions and had them look at me like I am a lunatic....there is a highly rated local naturopath who specializes in my particular brand of health insanity....but she charges $325.00 an hour which is a bit out of my price range at the mo....my current goal is to give my adrenals as much care and rest as possible.....just to mention the last bloodwork I had was to test my vitamin d levels which were low at 20...but I cannot supplement to raise the level.. its all nuts

cheers

steve

[alchemist]

Steve-- your potatoes and beef comment struck a chord. I have a similar thought about a very emotional time in my life sensitizing me to certain foods. Have you ever looked into NAET or any acupuncture- based allergy treatment program? Some integrative medicine MDs that I trust recommend NAET and from what I've read it helps "clear" the

physical and emotional energies contributing to food sensitivities. I don't know if it's nuts or if it works (or both!) but the concept intrigued me. I think I might actually post a topic here to see if anyone's tried it. I don't think NAET claims to cure gluten sensitivity but I've thought it sounded intriguing as a way to reduce some of those secondary sensitivities.

you know many years ago(12?) I did go to a chiropractor that used NAET....I thought it was wacky and expensive at the time and it didn't work at that point....but I am open to trying it again...based purely on my experience with emotions and sensitivities....I saw an Acupuncturist last year who I believe uses Naet .....interestingly the Acupuncture didn't help me physically (actually made me unwell) but mentally I had some real moments of clarity during the treatments.

thanks

Steve

[Skylark]

Skylark do you know if beet and cane sugar are included in no fructose diet? I am to start that soon? THX EvieLS

My understanding is it depends whether you have the really severe hereditary fructose intolerance, or just fructose malabsorption. If you have the hereditary form, they're a no-no. Mom just has fructose malabsorption, and she finds that she can tolerate a little beet or cane sugar because they're 1:1 fructose:glucose. If she eats a lot of sugar she'll still get sick because of the relatively large fructose load.

[Looking for answers]

I had was to test my vitamin d levels which were low at 20...but I cannot supplement to raise the level.. its all nuts

cheers

steve

Eeek, you've got to get your vitamin D level above 50 to protect yourself from other autoimmune disorders, cancers, etc. Do you live in a sunny area? All you need is 10-15 minutes of unfiltered sunlight each day to 60% of your body. I lay out on my deck for 7 or so minutes on each side. I'm very fair skinned, this small amount of time will not allow you to burn but will allow you to absorb the vitamin D you need.

Dr. mercola (mercola.com) has a ton of free information on the importance of this vitamin (it's acutally a hormone). It lowers inflammation, so it will help you in so many ways.

Another note: you can also buy sublingual vitamin D that will completely bypass your gut so you can actually absorb it!

[T.H.]

re: the parasites and different diets affecting them. My understanding is not real great on that, but from what I recall, different parasites take different nutrients from you, so if you eat foods that are higher in the nutrients they are eating, then they spread/reproduce/etc... more. And that messes you up more or causes your symptoms to worsen. My husband's friend used to travel a lot and got some bizarre parasite that is very difficult to kill. Eating a highly specialized diet was the only way to get rid of the thing, to deprive it of the nutrition it needed, and it was recommended by his general practitioner as the standard treatment. It was really a strange one!

Another couple of possibilities to look at might be sulfites - I don't think this was mentioned, but if it was, sorry for the repeat!

And another possibility that occurs to me is you might still be getting corn (I"m a big 'corn is evil' person, LOL). It seems a little extreme, and it might only be one piece of the puzzle, but as you said you react to corn, I figured I'd mention it. If you haven't looked at some corn allergy sites to find all the hidden sources of corn, I'd recommend it, especially if you are sensitive. In some people, it can cause neurological and emotional symptoms (mine last for days afterward - anger and nerve pain for me), so it popped into my head when you mentioned the tingling and anxiety. Also, just on a personal level, until I got rid of all the corn in my diet, I would react to everything in the world! Once it was gone, my body calmed down and started to get a little better (still working on it), but if I get it again, everything revs back up.

Also, it can actually cause a reaction in water for REALLY sensitive folk! You may have already come across the citric acid potential for corn contamination? Bacteria eat corn syrup and produce citric acid, but there is contamination possible. Usually it is claimed to have 'no corn remaining,' but the tests for corn are less sensitive than the tests for gluten even, and a number of corn allergic folk have reacted consistently to citric acid. And citric acid is often a component in water softening salts, so some people who can't have corn also can't have water that has had water softener added. (although, as an aside, some people have trouble with chlorine, so the water would consistently get you with that)

Corn is in almost every medication out there, so that could account for the medication and supplement issue (same thing, sometimes, where there is no 'detectable' corn, but it still has corn derivatives that some corn allergic people react to). Hmmm, do you have fresh veggies or canned or frozen? Most of the frozen ones and many of the canned have that citric acid/corn connection thing, too. Corn can also be in: ALL iodized salt, the ice in the produce section that keeps the veggies cool (corn cellulose slows down melting), and most meats get a bleach wash and then a citric acid wash as well. Some corn allergic folk have to be careful not to buy that meat, either.

It sounds like things are so intense it could be any number of things in combination, but like I said, if you already react to corn, you might want to check to see if you aren't getting some of that elsewhere that might be, at the very least, making things worse for you.

good luck!

[mommida]

Eosinophils (white blood cells) could be activated to fight parasite infection. Eosinophils destroy host tissue. The damage could cause you to have difficulty with certain foods. Like the other post said the parasite's reaction to the food could also be a factor. If the parasite is dying off or if the parasite is thriving and throwing off more waste could be felt as more intense stomach cramps or pain.

[alchemist]

Eosinophils (white blood cells) could be activated to fight parasite infection. Eosinophils destroy host tissue. The damage could cause you to have difficulty with certain foods. Like the other post said the parasite's reaction to the food could also be a factor. If the parasite is dying off or if the parasite is thriving and throwing off more waste could be felt as more intense stomach cramps or pain.

Parasites are a possibility....but a few other details could help to clarify my body's crazy reactions.I have had Ige Elisa testing and Igg testing in both instances the list of foods mean next to nothing ...the food in the no reaction columns I react to I think its related to Amines and Salicylates ...the foods listed in the extreme reaction and medium columns are most definitely a problem...so that is correct.I react to Homeopathics .I have tried doing rectal implants for probiotics and supplements...I react...I have had intravenous Homeopathics and Vitamin shots and I am ill form those too.I just made a plain omelet for breakfast ...I can feel the pressure and fullness in my head and the food hasnt even reached my stomach yet...so the whole gut theory just dosent hold up for me......yes some things take longer for a reaction.I am pretty sure I have Multiple chemical and food sensitivity....and am basically screwed oh and I dont always react to eggs....just some days and some eggs! ....well I must say I am quite depressed today...I think I will go see Scott Pilgrim at the movies....hopefully I wont be bothered by the Theater too much......

thanks

steve

[Bennie]

A lady I know drinks only distilled or boiled water and she notices a big difference. She gets sick with tap water.

[alchemist]

Hello I know this thread is 6 years old but I came across it having not realising I had bookmarked it.........so I found the answer to the cause of my insane body problems........TOXIC MOLD.......plus celiac and fructose....tyramine intolerance.But it was the mold exposure I had in 1994 that started the cascade of symptoms.....due to having the worst type of genetic susceptibility HLA 0401-03-53 ......Im so lucky I actually have 2 of these genotypes.......well my diet has improved and my overall wellbeing is better.....but its still what I call "the "rollercoaster"....or Pinball syndrome" ......

if anyone would like more info .....you can contact me @ stevelyles@charter.net