Ideas To Speed Up Recovery From Contamination?

[sydneysmommy]

Lately I have been VERY sensitive to any kind of contamination or cross contamination. Meaning, I am showing immediate and obvious/strong ill reactions after the slightest ingestion of gluten. Just the tiniest flake of wheat germ or slight dusting of it on the table-to-my-food-in-my-mouth kind of a thing. It NEVER used to be like that. I have 2 kids and a husband that do NOT eat gluten free and we've never had to worry about cross contamination but now it's terrible bc I stress about cooking their seperate pot of spaghetti (yes, my husband still insists even though we now have VERY good spaghetti...kids don't mind). And I've had to get a new toaster just for my bread.

I think stress has something to with my new 'sensitivity'. Because I was diagnosed 10 years ago and have NEVER been this reactive to small amounts. I get that I've probably had underlying issues as a result of cross contamination, which is probably just as dangerous and this physical reaction is likely a blessing in disguise to get me to really pay attention.

Well I AM!!!

My question is... how to I DEAL with the physical symptoms in the meantime? I feel like I cannot get back on my feet for weeks. (magic number seems to be 2 weeks after contamination as long as I am VERY strict).

Fatigue, cramps that are really bad one day and totally fine the next, then hit me bad the next, IBS which is like PMS of the intestines... can't make up its mind if I have constipation or the opposite, migraines and tension headaches, BRAIN FOG, gas (Lord help me), hormonal fluctuations which cause this 30yo to break out like a 14yo and also I'll miss my period entirely. I am also a runner and am training for a marathon- and my joints begin hurting TERRIBLY (hips and knees) so this cripples my long runs for two weeks which is uncool.

HELP.

I need a super pill!!!!

Any ideas?

I need help trasitioning and smoothing over these horrible effects.

I already practice a VERY strict regimen of eat well ----> exercise well ----> sleep well. Purely organic whole foods and a dynamic round of exercise and no matter what I sleep about 8-9 hours a night. That has always worked for me to stay strict with those 3 elements but when I get glutened my LIFE is upside down.

[dilettantesteph]

My glutenings used to be like that. Now that I am super gluten free my glutenings only last a day or so, but that is only glutening from very small amounts of gluten like a tiny bit of contamination of a gluten free food. We had to go to a gluten free household years ago. We just couldn't do it without me getting sick. Probiotics will help some. I hope that you can get your family to cooperate.

[padma]

Hi. I just came across a new "cross-contamination" definition which is much broader and may explain some of our symptoms.

I came across this article by Donna Gates about coffee and gluten reactions. .. there is a sinus-gut connection, added to neurodegeneration, inflammation and cross-reactive inflammatory triggers (something new to me):

Open Original Shared Link[uNIQID]

"And solid claims have been made that coffee reduces risk of Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's. (5) However, when working with a permeable gut, it is essential to consider the latest research regarding gluten sensitivity.

There is such a thing as gluten-associated sensitivity and cross-reactive foods that trigger a systemic gluten-like inflammatory response. So far, Cyrex Labs is the only testing facility that checks for the appropriate antibodies. Cyrex researchers have discovered that coffee has the highest rate of cross-reaction with gluten. Meaning, it tops dairy as a cross-reactive inflammatory trigger.

Perhaps a little less surprising is that dairy shows up as commonly cross-reactive because its protein structure is so similar to gluten. An array of testing for cross-reactivity can determine which foods will trigger a gluten-sensitive response in your body. (6) It is important to build the healthy microflora in the gut with coconut water kefir or probiotic beverages <or acidophilus> in order to lower the inflammatory response.

What does a permeable and inflamed gut have to do with brainpower and neurodegeneration?

Well, a lot. Think of the gut and the brain as best friends that are constantly communicating via the vagus nerve. Another reason why they are such good friends is that they are made of the same stuff, neurons and glial cells.

When glial cells get the inflammatory signal, a sort of excited frenzy of cell death occurs. If these episodes of cell death happen frequently, irreversible neurodegeneration follows. In short: fire in the gut, fire in the brain - both have the potential to lead to neurodegeneration.

Therefore, while studies have observed a positive link between coffee and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's, if you have any kind of systemic inflammatory condition, gut dysbiosis, an autoimmune condition, or food sensitivity, consider the most recent research that shows that the proteins in coffee are cross-reactive with gluten antibodies." footnote: Open Original Shared Link

I have found a link from my nose to my gut. This is an example of how the different parts of our body are connected. When I find my nose running, like yesterday after I was exposed to beach fire smoke, today my sinuses are inflamed. I am not digesting food well today. Perhaps the 1/4 cup coffee I had yesterday was connected to my hypersensitivity today. ???

I have a totally gluten free/dairy free kitchen and have been staying off of "gluten free" foods, except for a few that I am re-testing one at a time. I was having a reaction like you, but I was not figuring out where it was coming from. I now know some of the products I was using have been causing a reaction.

The protocol I have been successfully using is to drink mangosteen juice daily as it is anti-inflammatory, anti-biotic and anti-fungal. It has helped my gut re-balance faster than anything. I also take chlorella 1 tsp 2 X day half an hour before the juice. I also take a powerful acidophilus (TheraLac) at night. Occasionally I do an Ayurvedic panchakarma intestinal cleanse (Dr. Lad's book) every 4 - 6 months. I use bioidentical hormones daily. This combination with strict avoidance of gluten, has allowed me to feel well most of the time now and my recovery times have gotten very short if I do get into a little gluten unknowingly. I, too, have my own toaster in case anyone brings wheat bread into the house. I have quit eating gluten free bread for now until I figure out if it is something I am reacting to.

Lately I have been VERY sensitive to any kind of contamination or cross contamination. Meaning, I am showing immediate and obvious/strong ill reactions after the slightest ingestion of gluten. Just the tiniest flake of wheat germ or slight dusting of it on the table-to-my-food-in-my-mouth kind of a thing. It NEVER used to be like that. I have 2 kids and a husband that do NOT eat gluten free and we've never had to worry about cross contamination but now it's terrible bc I stress about cooking their seperate pot of spaghetti (yes, my husband still insists even though we now have VERY good spaghetti...kids don't mind). And I've had to get a new toaster just for my bread.

I think stress has something to with my new 'sensitivity'. Because I was diagnosed 10 years ago and have NEVER been this reactive to small amounts. I get that I've probably had underlying issues as a result of cross contamination, which is probably just as dangerous and this physical reaction is likely a blessing in disguise to get me to really pay attention.

Well I AM!!!

My question is... how to I DEAL with the physical symptoms in the meantime? I feel like I cannot get back on my feet for weeks. (magic number seems to be 2 weeks after contamination as long as I am VERY strict).

Fatigue, cramps that are really bad one day and totally fine the next, then hit me bad the next, IBS which is like PMS of the intestines... can't make up its mind if I have constipation or the opposite, migraines and tension headaches, BRAIN FOG, gas (Lord help me), hormonal fluctuations which cause this 30yo to break out like a 14yo and also I'll miss my period entirely. I am also a runner and am training for a marathon- and my joints begin hurting TERRIBLY (hips and knees) so this cripples my long runs for two weeks which is uncool.

HELP.

I need a super pill!!!!

Any ideas?

I need help trasitioning and smoothing over these horrible effects.

I already practice a VERY strict regimen of eat well ----> exercise well ----> sleep well. Purely organic whole foods and a dynamic round of exercise and no matter what I sleep about 8-9 hours a night. That has always worked for me to stay strict with those 3 elements but when I get glutened my LIFE is upside down.

[naiiad]

I take mangosteen juice daily a long with probiotics and alpha lipoic acid. This combination has done wonders for me. Good luck

[SilverSlipper]

This may not help, but our GI prescribed hyoscyamine for my daughter to take whenever she became ill from a gluten infraction. Typically, a reaction knocks her out for about 7 - 10 days. The first two are usually in bed with stomach cramps, so severe she can't walk or sit straight. She literally moans in her sleep. The diarrhea is usually the main problem and occasional vomiting. She's a very, very sick child during those times. The pain is the worst and what I sought help to relieve.

We've tried it twice now and it does seem to be a magic pill. The first time, she ate half a bagel. I had bought several bags of gluten-free ones and somehow picked up one that wasn't. My husband made breakfast, didn't notice it and she ate a wheat bagel. The reaction came about thirty minutes later and she was vomiting at school and unable to stand. She was doubled over in pain but within an hour of taking the pill, it stopped. She took it for two days and was able to move around without incident.

Because I'm a natural skeptic, I decided that it worked so well because she vomited everything up.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to a restaurant to celebrate my step-mom's birthday. The chips on the table had obviously been fried with something else because halfway through the meal, she became paler and paler and finally doubled over and started crying. Same thing, we got home, took the medicine and within a couple of hours she was back on her feet and able to participate in family events.

Technically, it's not supposed to prevent diarrhea, but she didn't have diarrhea either time.

She's not considered a super sensitive, but her sensitivity is quite high. If you're thinking of medication, it might be worth a try.