Healing Your Gi Tract In The Beginning - How?

[IrishHeart 1,644]

TO IRISHEART:

OhMyGosh! Incredible. Your post is inspiring. I have printed off so many "lists" of gluten-free and nonGF that my piles are scattered everywhere and I need hours to organize, inbetween the demon bathroom "inspection and cleanup".

I do not know what "PM" means, but yes I would like for your to email me your printed information. I am VERY lucky to have the internet TODAY and this forum which provides far more than most of you had on your own journeys.

I feel like I've been hugged

I have a lot of catching up and posting back to everyone who has "given" to me.

First of all, it is heartbreaking what you and your grandson have had to deal with. Bless you both for being the wonderful people you are!

If you know anything about celiac-- and it sounds as if you do--emotional turmoil does exacerbate the symptoms (in fact, it is often the TRIGGER for the disease) and it does make us anxious and depressed, especially if the gut is so ravaged and vital nutrients are not being absorbed. It seems complicated, but the mechanisms of the GI tract control so many other organs and tissues and the gut is where seratonin and other neurotransmitters are produced. These regulate mood, sleep, a sense of well-being. Everything is affected--even the brain. Fix the gut, fix the body.

While this poor young guy has had to deal with emotional trauma, he has YOU and your husband to help him overcome it. If he can be stabilized physically, it will go a long way toward helping him heal emotionally, too.

So many people will tell you on here that they suffered from anguishing depression and anxiety (me, too--it came out of nowhere as I got more and more ill) and it eventually subsided because our guts healed. It's not the total answer to resolving your grandson's emotional state, but IT WILL HELP ENORMOUSLY. No one can function "normally" when he/she is that sick. Stress reduction is essential for healing, too.

PM is personal messenger. On our profile pages, there is a link under your photo that says Send me a message. That allows you to have a personal conversation with a member. Looks like you have provided an email link on your page! I'll send this stuff to you and I'll put gluten-free info in the subject line so you know it's me, not junk spam mail.

You've had a rough road. We just want to help. Hope today is a better day.

[pricklypear1971 355]

First, this is for PRICKLY:

We cooked a simple, kinda light, gluten-free pizza tonight together, light on the sauce, skim mozzerella cheese, pineapple tidbits, canadian bacon ham, and a few turkey bacon bits. He was EXCITED.....and we both knew there was a huge chance of expulsion. It was actually okay for the taste, crust a little weird. Think I need a real pizza pan. It has been 2.5 hours and NO REFLUX AND NO EXPULSION.

This has been the highlight of his day . Thanks for sticking up for the guys

And in honor of all the ladies and mothers: He has kept down grapes today as well.

That's fabulous news. Glad to hear it, and sincerely hope the trend continues.

[heidi g. 16]

With all due respect, what I have suggested is not going to make him feel he will suffer a "life of gastronomic doom" nor did I say he could never have any gluten-free prepared foods at all. Did I? Nor do I not think the OP would get the wrong impression at all from what I have said.

I suggested that tomato sauce is one of the worst foods for reflux. Fatty meats are tough to digest. Please, look at the list the previous poster has suggested as offending foods!

Have you ever suffered from acid reflux??--then, surely you know this.

I was trying to help with the specific problem she posted about.

The first priority is to get help him stop the horrible reflux and the diarrhea, so he CAN heal and start enjoying all the gluten-free goodies available to him!!!

What I have suggested --maybe try it for all of a week or two---may just help him. That's all.

Once he feels better, add more foods back in. He's young and will probably rebound much faster--at least that is what my friend's son was able to do at 16-- and now, he feels fantastic!

with all due respect i agree with Irish. bland diet is the best way to go. I could NOT tolerate gluten free processed foods whatsoever! I ate some gluten free bread and i had same reaction as before. My diet consisted of Rice with steamed veggies with a pinch of salt. I also noticed that smoothies i could tolerate very well instead of eating the actual fruit because i think the fruit skins were difficult to digest.

Also, i have thee worst acid reflux problems. I am on and off of prilosec and that seems to work best for me. I drink pepto bismol sometimes but i learned to not take it everyday because it would make me extremely constipated & I will get cramps and a very bloated feeling. I seen in the doctors show, that you shouldn't take anti diarrhea medications because it stops the body from flushing out whatever is making you sick!

I have tried to eat some Brown Rice bread and i tolerated it alot better than i did 3 weeks ago.

Im still on the bland diet but occasionally ill throw in some staxx original chips or some starburst (yummy ) but i cant really tolerate that much sugar.

What helps me digest alot better is taking a special enzyme that helps with digeston and its completely natural. Its called papaya and L-glutamine is a amino acid that helps repair the intestines.

The diet is a pain in the behind but feeling better makes it worth it.

[heidi g. 16]

Dinner tonight (and no pizza yet- I know the tomato would kill his stomach): Choice sirloin 3 oz broiled, baked potato with Promise Fat Free butter, Green peas. He is sick, sick, sick of CHICKEN & RICE HOMEMADE SOUP which I have probably cooked 20 times in the last 30 days (except I used bouillon cubes which I see now have gluten in them). All the bland stuff for the last 30 days -- glutenized, and he is sooooooo already exhausted of those things.

So far tonight, so good. His emotions though are so intense, and he is stuck to me like glue. I am totally washed out. My husband has been trying to play with him / watch a movie, etc., while I try and continue to educate myself on gluten. I have a medical background and "almost" a degree in Biology...........but my gosh that was decades ago. So I can "get" the doctor talk and the big diagnostic words, but not the WAY YOU LIVE WITH THIS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS OR THE FINE TUNING AND TWEAKS TO MAKE IT THROUGH -- Ya'll are giving that to me on a silver platter.

You know I don't even know if he has Celiac/Gluten Intolerance. Sure sounds like it to me. I do know you guys are smart, resourceful, and been through absolute physical and mental pain to get to where you are now -- and it sounds like without much help from your first 25 or so doctors. My heart goes out to you. Even if the kid doesn't have Celiac, I have learned a new appreciation and respect for each of you.

And yes I know the Celiac blood test can come back negative and be false. The GI specialist was shocked that when the kid had an EGD a few weeks ago that biopsies were not done. Me too.

If he has celiac disease or not, he should still follow gluten free diet. I have learned from several doctors that gluten is hard to digest. And judging from what i read his stomach is on fire! Rice- absorbs acid & other bad fluids. Sirloin is hard to digest! He shouldn't be eating tough meat. Boiled chicken is the easiest meat to digest and contains the protein he will need and calories. Steamed vegetables is ok especially spinach. He needs to eat foods that contain anti-inflammatory products. Spinach, cantaloupe, rice (only because it absorbs) & original applesauce. He needs to follow the brat diet. I know you don't want him to be sad because he can't eat good foods, but its either he sucks it up or he suffers. diet is the cure for some relief right now and i know he's only 15 but he needs to do it. He needs to accept what is happening and just do it. I will gaurantee you on a couple days on rice he will feel better. Here's some foods that can produce more acid or give acid indigestion:

tomatoes

onions

garlic

potatoes (because they are heavy and have starch)

sugar

coffee

caffinated tea

steaks

GROUND BEEF !!

try giving him pepto bismol for it coats the stomach.

bananas also coat the intestine lining

give him spinach and rice.

It sucks but the bland diet is the way to go until he starts to feel better then add in new foods and eventually introduce him to gluten-free processed foods.

This is what 3 nutritionists told me:

"you need to suck it up and go on the bland diet else your GI tract wont heal. Its tough but feeling better will be worth it."

im 21. I can't drink, eat nachos, i cant go to buffalo wild wings (thats where me and all my friends used to go!!) Tell me about unfair :/

& i would kill for some pizza right now but since i did this diet, i have more energy, my body bounced back from having my son, and i have a better sleep pattern and my stomach is on fire less. And the diet helped extremely with the acid reflux issues.

[IrishHeart 1,644]

So, I am wondering...after all we told you....how is he doing????