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Iding Intolerances-How And How Long Did It Take?

birdie22

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birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted

I've posted before here about being blood test neg. Back in Oct I did a elim diet (chicken, rice, banana for a week, then added in other foods one food group at a time per my docs plan). Gluten somewhat stuck out to me then but not entirely, but nothing else stuck out at all as problematic. I went entirely gluten-free in November and have remained that way with the exception of one intentional and one accidental glutening. In that 3 months I've seen little if any improvement in symptoms (fatigue, headaches, thigh aches, bloating, distention, heartburn). So, I'm revisiting other possible intolerances but having a really hard time IDing if anything else is causing these problems. I've been keeping a food and symptom log for about 5 months now.

So I added some gluten back in the other day. Two days ago at dinner I had some cookies, bread, and scalloped potatoes all full of gluten. I had a bit of dizziness but no other symptoms. The next morning I had greek yogurt for breakfast and felt fine. At lunch I had a bagel w/ cream cheese. Bloated 30min later, heart felt like it was pounding hard. For snack I had a glass of skim milk and nut thins. Nothing. Felt fine. Dinner was baked chicken, plain white rice, and green beans. Felt bloated about 30min after. This morning I had gluten-free cereal and skim milk. Felt bloated and nauseated 30min later. Dinner tonight was ham, white rice, and corn. Bloating again.

As I type this out I see that what I probably need to do is go back to a more basic diet and just focus on adding one thing and give it a week. I guess I just thought with months worth of notes I'd be able to see a correlation. I just don't get why I sometimes feel bad after dairy, but not other times and why I feel bad sometimes after gluten, but not other times and especially confused when I feel bad after a gluten free dairy free meal. There doesn't seem to be a consistent "when I eat XXX then I feel XXX" pattern. I was also under the impression that lactose intolerance was more consistent in that the reaction was quick and cause gas, rumbling, diarrhea, etc...very noticeable reaction. Is that not the case?

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Sometimes the reactions are not consistent. The reason I initially thought corn was my problem was because I reacted to it quicker than to gluten. And sometimes I didn't react to gluten at all - in fect, pizza used to be my comfort food. And at first I could eat non-GMO corn, but not tany more. Also, even with the same food, reaction times may vary, depending on what is eaten with it. Like all the cheese and sausage and mushrooms and olives seemed to nullify the effect of the gluten in the pizza. I found the way to tell if a food is a problem is to consume it by itself. And not have anything else for at least three hours. That way it reaches the small intestine alone and doesn't have any buffers.

Sounds to me like you should give dairy the boot for now. See if you are still having problems. If you are, I would give soy and corn the boot too (while, of course, remaining glutenfree. If none of these measures work you may have to go back and do the elimination all over again. Do you have in your previous notes when you first started reacting again? And did you note the times of your reactions? Sometimes you can see a time pattern, which may be after you have had additional food - like, say, 12 or 24 hours after corn you have a problem.

Sorry I don't have more to offer.

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted
  • Author

I have not been diligent with recording timing of symptoms. That's a great suggestion. I typically note something as 30min after lunch or immediately following dinner, but it'll be easy to start adding what time I ate something and what time I experience symptoms.

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted
  • Author

So if I ate a wheat bagel for lunch w/ pb&J on it and w/in 30min I was a tad bit dizzy feeling and w/in 1hr my heart was pounding (87bpm..so a bit faster than resting for me but really could just feel my heartbeat in my chest like crazy), would you assume gluten reaction? I purposefully didn't include cream cheese or other dairy topping. I'm guessing the other thought could be fructose (smuckers jelly). But, the amount of jelly was so miniscule...you know those tiny single servings they have on the table at a diner...barely enough to even taste it. I ate that on a pretty empty stomach (nothing for about 4hrs) and only with water to drink. The dizzy only last about 15min and the heart pounding lasted about 60min.

No bloating though and that's usually one of my biggest complaints.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

No, you still have three foods mixed in there. Just eat a couple of Ritz or other crackers, hold the cheese. Or drink a glass of milk or eat some ice cream. Cook some edamame beans and have nothing with them. And don't forget that any reaction could be from something you had eaten before you ate these things too, although if the reaction is within 30 mins. it is probably pretty clearly related to what you just ate. Most IgA reactions have a delay to them. I don't know about fructose. Lactose intolerance usually happened pretty quickly for me, at least.

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted
  • Author

I eat ice cream often, almost always a few hours after dinner. Never have a reaction. I had a glass of skim milk the other day with a handful of nut thins. Fine. So I'm thinking that lactose isn't a problem. I know people who have milk or ice cream and get gas and D pretty soon after. I don't get either. Gas is never my problem. Bloating yes, but burping or flatulence, never.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I can't say as how I have ever had problems with bloating without gas :blink: What do you bloat from? Fluids? Serious question. :)

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birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted
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I can't say as how I have ever had problems with bloating without gas :blink: What do you bloat from? Fluids? Serious question. :)

LOL well I'm guessing it is gas that is bloating me but I don't experience any burping or flatulence when that happens. Like zero, nada, which is probably why the bloating and distention is so uncomfortable. It bothers me most in the space between my breast bone and belly button, but mostly up high by my breast bone (I'm guessing diaphragm). I wish I could poke a whole in my abdomen and let the air out.

I'm actually feeling it right now. On an empty stomach. Haven't eaten since a snack of a mozarella cheese stick and nut thins at 4:30pm and a dasani flavored water at 5:45pm. It's 3hrs later, I'm STARVING for dinner and yet I'm bloated and uncomfortable so much that it almost makes me feel nauseous. And I get this sense of urgency like I must.eat.now to make it better. Why does this happen on an empty stomach?

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

LOL well I'm guessing it is gas that is bloating me but I don't experience any burping or flatulence when that happens. Like zero, nada, which is probably why the bloating and distention is so uncomfortable. It bothers me most in the space between my breast bone and belly button, but mostly up high by my breast bone (I'm guessing diaphragm). I wish I could poke a whole in my abdomen and let the air out.

I'm actually feeling it right now. On an empty stomach. Haven't eaten since a snack of a mozarella cheese stick and nut thins at 4:30pm and a dasani flavored water at 5:45pm. It's 3hrs later, I'm STARVING for dinner and yet I'm bloated and uncomfortable so much that it almost makes me feel nauseous. And I get this sense of urgency like I must.eat.now to make it better. Why does this happen on an empty stomach?

I always call it the sensation of my stomach attempting to digest itself, and I have to eat frequently because I get that often, even if it's just a cracker or piece of cheese, to give it something to work on :lol:

Yes, it is when the gas doesn't want to come out that the problem is at its worst. You have to try to forcibly expel it (from either end ;) ) to relieve the pressure. (Best done in private - although a public toilet stall is okay - if you stay in there long enough :rolleyes::D )

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted
  • Author

I always call it the sensation of my stomach attempting to digest itself, and I have to eat frequently because I get that often, even if it's just a cracker or piece of cheese, to give it something to work on :lol:

Yes, it is when the gas doesn't want to come out that the problem is at its worst. You have to try to forcibly expel it (from either end ;) ) to relieve the pressure. (Best done in private - although a public toilet stall is okay - if you stay in there long enough :rolleyes::D )

I inhaled a few scoops of ice cream and feel a bit better already. I wish I could find a way to expel it. I never moves to my intestines. The bloat stays up by my ribs but doesn't cause burping either. I've tried different stretches, massaging my stomach, etc and nothing works. I can usually get relief from gas-x or phazyme.

I had an upper GI which didn't show reflux or ulcer or hernia, but I do have frequent, almost daily heartburn that flares on an empty stomach. I'm just so frustrated. I can eat a seemingly benign meal and get bloat, eat that same meal another time and be fine, eat nothing and bloat. There seems to be no rhyme or reason.

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