Rice Sensitivity

[rustycat]

I keep hearing that rice is one of the least allergenic of foods, but it causes extreme fatigue, indigestion and rapid heartbeat for me. It took me a long time to figure this one out.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with rice and if it got better with time.

[missy'smom]

Fatigue after eating rice or rice based breads, crackers etc. can be a sign of impaired glucose tolerance aka blood sugar problems. Rice is very easily and quickly converted to glucose and brings blood sugar up quickly. Elevated blood sugar can cause fatigue.

[rustycat]

Fatigue after eating rice or rice based breads, crackers etc. can be a sign of impaired glucose tolerance aka blood sugar problems. Rice is very easily and quickly converteg to glucose and brings blood suagr up quickly. Elevated blood sugar can cause fatigue.

Interesting. I know that I do have insulin resistance as part of my polycystic ovarian syndrome, so maybe that's part of it. However, I don't get the rapid heartbeat and indigestion from sugar, so maybe the blood sugar issue exacerbates an intolerance?

[missy'smom]

If you have IR, then rice could definitely be very problematic for blood sugar. Are you on any meds for the IR? Even with meds, blood sugar could still be too high. If you haven't been evaluated for diabetes you should be. There is a connection with PCOS and diabetes. Any one time blood sugar number, like a fasting blood sugar is not sufficient to give a good picture of what is going on. You want to use tests that will be reflective of blood sugar at various times. Oral Glucose Tolerance test and/or A1C. Get a meter and test like those with diabetes do and you will soon see how your meals are affecting blood sugar. Test before the meal, at 1 hr. after it and again at 2 hrs.

[11475]

I keep hearing that rice is one of the least allergenic of foods, but it causes extreme fatigue, indigestion and rapid heartbeat for me. It took me a long time to figure this one out.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with rice and if it got better with time.

Rice has me yawning after a few minutes, with an elevated heartbeat and large, dark red patches under my eyes, and I'm asleep within half an hour of eating it.

Sorry I can't be of any help - I haven't yet tried adding it back in, as I'm still healing and still developing more intolerances. Glad you finally figured it out as something that bothers you.

[julandjo]

Rice is a big problem for me. After 6 months of being grain-free, I decided to try adding rice back into my diet a few weeks ago. I was fine for the first 2 days, but then I got very uncomfortable guts/bloating/gas, my stools became very narrow and I got really constipated (I eat at least 30g of fiber a day so it's not that!), and my body started to ache. After 5 days on rice I had to give it back up.

I'm still not totally recovered from that trial, but when I am I'm thinking of trying to have rice maybe once or twice a week and seeing if my body can handle that? I don't know... but you're not alone.

[T.H.]

I always hear that about rice, too, but so far, I've had reactions to four varieties of rice (brown and white, both), from multiple companies, so I'm thinking it does me in, yeah.

And I recall reading somewhere that allergies to rice seem to be on the rise in some countries where it is more of a staple. Haven't tracked that comment down to see how true it is, though. Might be worth looking into, though, if you are interested.

Oh, also, I've been reacting to rice now for about 12 months, a little more, and the reaction has become worse rather than better.

[epiphany]

I get a rash on my face from rice. It started around my lips like little pimples that would dry out as new ones formed. Then it started to spread onto my chin in little patches. After I figured it out, it went away fairly quick. When I accidently ate something with rice dextrin in it , I broke out on my nose. As for other symptoms, I still feel awful, so I don't know.

[Evangeline]

Yesterday I discovered I cannot eat rice because it gives me diarrhea . I hope one day I shall be able to eat it again!

[gf-soph]

I keep hearing that rice is one of the least allergenic of foods, but it causes extreme fatigue, indigestion and rapid heartbeat for me. It took me a long time to figure this one out.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with rice and if it got better with time.

I definitely have an intolerance to rice, I found this out while on an elimination diet, when I increased my rice consumption my digestion went crazy. I also had mood and concentration problems. This was caused by eating a lot of brown rice products, though I seemed to be ok with white rice before, so I'm hopeful that I might be ok with white rice. A few days after cutting out all rice I felt amazing, and haven't had the chance to reintroduce it yet.

I am on the FODMAP diet, and there are people who can tolerate white rice but not brown, due to the fructans in the brown rice. If you want to try it out, you could try a lower GI white rice like basmati or doongara clever rice, and see if you react.

[Mother of a Celiac]

Rice is a big problem for me. After 6 months of being grain-free, I decided to try adding rice back into my diet a few weeks ago. I was fine for the first 2 days, but then I got very uncomfortable guts/bloating/gas, my stools became very narrow and I got really constipated (I eat at least 30g of fiber a day so it's not that!), and my body started to ache. After 5 days on rice I had to give it back up.

I'm still not totally recovered from that trial, but when I am I'm thinking of trying to have rice maybe once or twice a week and seeing if my body can handle that? I don't know... but you're not alone.

Thanks for your post. I just tried reintroducing rice in my daughter's diet and she now has stomachaches and headaches again. It is reassuring to know that this is probably the cause and not some other "mystery" issue. So hard to narrow down all the different intolerances. We thought we had it all figured out a year ago when she was diagnosed with Celiacs, then this past January the symptoms returned....

[Nackie]

I have issues with rice, too. With a full plate of rice (like stirfry with rice, etc) only takes about 30 minutes, and then I am bloated and retaining water for a good 3 days. I have the feeling that I tolerate it still in small quanitites, like in grape leaf rolls filled with rice (if I don't eat too many of them). But even the little bits are starting to bother me, so that I do try to avoid it lately. Which means no more baking at the moment, since I can't eat corn or soy either. Plain potato flour / starch does not a good baked good make!

[catarific]

It also could be the amount of rice being consumed. I have recently learned about the Low Fodmap Diet which does allow the consumption of grains during meals but it does say that the rule of thumb is to not have more than a half of cup to one cup (cooked) per meal. Sometimes that works. Try eating less and see if the same reaction occurs. Also limit the amount of carbohydrates being eaten at the same time. If you are having rice, do not have a starchy vegetable or bread. Only have one carbohydrate during the meal instead.

[GFinDC]

White rice does a number on me. It makes me very tired. I don't eat it anymore. I seem to be ok with the brown rice tortillas though.

[superfob]

hmmm, this is really interesting

i was eating a lot of rice because I read how it was the least allergenic grains, but the last two days I stopped eating rice and noticed an increase in energy

i just had some rice, and i felt a little tired and foggy very soon after eating it

its definately not a blood sugar issue, so maybe i'm reacting to the protein

i'm starting to notice all these food intolerances, now, can I expect them to stay, or maybe they will go away after I heal for a while?

[Evangeline]

Oh, I experienced fatigue after eating rice, too. The doctors had tested my glucose levels and found that "all was normal." Yet, I would be too tired to do anything but sit on the couch all day. I've stopped eating rice and corn and all grains now and my health has definitely improved.

[kalthoum]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with the celiac disease in March 2011. Since then, I am on a strict gluten free diet but have been experiencing many other food intolerances such as rice, eggs and dairy products (cow milk derived products essentially).

I have been having big trouble with rice. It started with white rice and now it is expanding to other types of rice. I feel extremely tired and have belly pain especially with whole grain rice. Once it woke me up in the middle of the night. I went to see a doctor (gastro enterologist), he said he had never heard about rice causing pain... same with the dietician yesterday. She told me her sister was celiac and has no problem with rice... This is the first time she hears something "bad" about rice.

I know I should avoid rice now but I don't have many other options for grains: corn causes me constipation, no way I eat wheat since I am celiac, Millet causes me bloating. I tried gluten free oats and had pain too. I am not a big fan of quinoa... I don't feel full after eating only vegetables and meat/fish, I feel like my body is always seeking some sort of grains to fill my stomach with.

I did not have any symptoms of celiac disease and was feeling much better than I feel now with the gluten free diet. I feel like I became much more sensitive to other foods since I started the diet. I was not feeling any belly pain before... nor a fatigue due to something I ate...

I was diagonsed celiac because I had some weird reaction on my tongue with acidic foods. I saw my allergits and she made a test on my arm. She found I was reacting to citrus fruits, gluten and milk... but really not a big reaction. So I went on a bread/ pasta free diet and replaced it with rice. After a year, I was diagnosed celiac and then started having these problems with rice. It took me some time to figure out what it was. Now I am sure, it is rice. As for eggs and cheese, whenever I eat them in big quantity (more than 3 or 4 bites), my belly is in pain...

Has anyone experienced other food intolerances since a gluten free diet? has anyone talked to his doctor about a possibility of rice intolerance??

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Kalthoum

[missy'smom]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with the celiac disease in March 2011. Since then, I am on a strict gluten free diet but have been experiencing many other food intolerances such as rice, eggs and dairy products (cow milk derived products essentially).

I have been having big trouble with rice. It started with white rice and now it is expanding to other types of rice. I feel extremely tired and have belly pain especially with whole grain rice. Once it woke me up in the middle of the night. I went to see a doctor (gastro enterologist), he said he had never heard about rice causing pain... same with the dietician yesterday. She told me her sister was celiac and has no problem with rice... This is the first time she hears something "bad" about rice.

I know I should avoid rice now but I don't have many other options for grains: corn causes me constipation, no way I eat wheat since I am celiac, Millet causes me bloating. I tried gluten free oats and had pain too. I am not a big fan of quinoa... I don't feel full after eating only vegetables and meat/fish, I feel like my body is always seeking some sort of grains to fill my stomach with.

I did not have any symptoms of celiac disease and was feeling much better than I feel now with the gluten free diet. I feel like I became much more sensitive to other foods since I started the diet. I was not feeling any belly pain before... nor a fatigue due to something I ate...

I was diagonsed celiac because I had some weird reaction on my tongue with acidic foods. I saw my allergits and she made a test on my arm. She found I was reacting to citrus fruits, gluten and milk... but really not a big reaction. So I went on a bread/ pasta free diet and replaced it with rice. After a year, I was diagnosed celiac and then started having these problems with rice. It took me some time to figure out what it was. Now I am sure, it is rice. As for eggs and cheese, whenever I eat them in big quantity (more than 3 or 4 bites), my belly is in pain...

Has anyone experienced other food intolerances since a gluten free diet? has anyone talked to his doctor about a possibility of rice intolerance??

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Kalthoum

I have found that I have MANY food allergies/intolerances that have nothing directly to do with gluten, except that a damaged GI tract may be causing my gut to be "leaky". The vast majority of my food allergies cause GI symptoms. I recommend that you get allergy tested. Find an allergist who recommends elimination of foods even if you don't have anaphylaxis. Maybe this link will help. http://www.developmentalspectrums.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251:fool-allergies-intolerances-and-other-&Itemid=274

[lwatsonz]

Just out of curiosity, what KIND of rice are you people eating that is making you tired? Maybe you should try a different type of rice, maybe. My husband is from the Philippines. He buys 50-pound sacks of milagrosa jasmine rice (I think it comes from Thailand) at the asian store all the time. We cook it in an appliance called a rice cooker. It is far and away much, much, better than american supermarket rice and seems like a very energizing food to me. I eat this plain white rice with a little brown sugar on it for breakfast mostly every day now with a hard boiled egg and an orange and it gives me lots of energy. Well, that's just my 2 cents worth.

[Aky13]

I have had intestinal misery my whole life, as far back as I can remember (I am 64). My father & brother, too. That suggests genetic disorder of some kind. Recently, a friend advised it coud be gluten sensitivity (I am negative for Celiac). I am eating a lot of rice and rice products and still suffering ... Then I came across this discussion! Now I will also eliminate rice and see what happens. That leaves hardly anything to eat!

When I read about the tachycardia, something occurred for me to ask ... Were you eating Chinese food with the rice? MSG is nasty to MANY people. Makes me sweat, gives me a headache AND raises my heart rate!

[T.H.]

Just out of curiosity, what KIND of rice are you people eating that is making you tired?

For me, I tried all kinds. 4 varieties of Lundberg rice (including brown), 2 different brands of thai black rice, 2 brands of thai red (cargo) rice, and I think 5 more brands of white rices (love those Asian markets!). I react every, single time, to all grains and pseudo grains, but I don't actually think it's the grains themselves anymore, necessarily.

At this point, I'm pretty sure I have a combination of being oat sensitive (Lundberg grows oats as a cover crop and other oat sensitive celiacs have had trouble with it too), and extremely sensitive to gluten, too. So Gluten cc from processing is my other guess as to why I get sick.

I've tried a number of different brands/farms of amaranth and reacted all the time. Just recently was able to forage for wild amaranth where I live, and I don't react in the slightest. No trouble at all. I've been trying to grow my own corn so I can do the same kind of test on it, too. Planning to do that with quinoa, next year.

Rice, I don't know if I'll be able to create good growing conditions, but if I can eat quinoa, amaranth, and corn just fine when they are home grown, but not when processed, I'll stick with my gluten cc assumption.

[lookingforanswers2014]

it good i found this thread. i think i facing similar problem. for a while i been feeling sick after eating.  and adopte rice as staple as heirloom wheat tot hard to get for my situation. and i have no fan of hybrid wheat.

 

i been feeling tired and my mind not good and stomach discomfort after food so i have hard time doing anything.  man that really bad!  but i think its rice allergy. cuz recently i ate a grapefruit and felt better. so i ate some chicken and felt fine cuz i usually eat rice with chicken for meal.

 

i heard rice allergy is a growing trend in asia.  anyone heard any medical theories on what causes it?

[Nicole Kraus]

I ate the Lundberg Wild Blend Rice last night for dinner and now I'm paying for it. Just terrible! I thought I was doing something good for me. I have terrible diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, and it feels like a fever is starting. I am fine with white rice. Anyone else have this problem?

[Nelly]

Try eating brown rice and double boil them. Try them and then see the difference. It worked for me but eat half a plate with some vegetables and a lot of salad. But don't forget to DOUBLE BOIL

[Angie B]

On 9/21/2011 at 5:36 PM, missy'smom said:

 

I have found that I have MANY food allergies/intolerances that have nothing directly to do with gluten, except that a damaged GI tract may be causing my gut to be "leaky". The vast majority of my food allergies cause GI symptoms. I recommend that you get allergy tested. Find an allergist who recommends elimination of foods even if you don't have anaphylaxis. Maybe this link will help. http://www.developmentalspectrums.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251:fool-allergies-intolerances-and-other-&Itemid=274

I have tons of food allergies and I feel the exact same way! My body craves and seeks carbs because I can't find anything I can tolerate. I'm allergic to Wheat, oats, soy, nuts, citric acid, and now we noticed I don't tolerate rice. The others I can't have because I get hives head to toe when I consume them, but rice it's definitely the gut wrenching pain that wakes me up and keeps me doubled over. I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto disease right before all these new food allergies showed up. Have you had your thyroid checked?  My sister too had this same issue... started with her thyroid then wen to celiacs.  I had the allergy testing done so we could find out what was causing my hives... then we had to do the elimination diet.... which sucked! We got everything out of my body and then ate clean for a couple months. Then one at a time we tried to introduce all the things above that I tested positive for an allergy to see if it was a true reaction. I surely reacted to each one. I had gut symptoms and hives, fatigue and over all just flu like sickness for days. You have to introduce one... if you react, give you body time to heal and clear before you introduce another.... so beware of that. It's a very long drawn process. Took me about 6-7 months to get through it all.... I'm still trying to figure out what I can and can't have. I've found good apps on my phone where you can scan the product bar code after you set your allergies into the settings too. That helps....