Fructose Intolerance?

[varthurs]

A little history:

Back in October I started doing the South Beach Diet. While on Phase 1 (no carbs, only veggies and lean protein/low fat dairy) I have never felt better. When I went off I felt VERY ill. Being a constant Weight Watcher member, I was amazed that I could do this South Beach and feel so unbloated and ungassy. On WW I was always suffering with gas and bloating. That is when I suspected Celiac. I went for a blood test and it came back positive. I went for my endoscopy last Monday and the doctor said he sees abnormalities and to start eating gluten free. He also saw an excessive amount of reflux and put me on daily Prilosec. I see him next Monday to get the official results of the biopsy.

So now I started eating gluten free. Trying to eat all non-processed foods. It has been 1 week. My head is clearer but my stomach is still horrible. Yesterday with lunch I ate a nectarine and flavored seltzer. About an hour after I was in excruciating pain and the terrible gas started. I did not eat ANYTHING that could have been contaminated yesterday. At first I thought may be the seltzer, but it said water, carbonation and natural flavors.

I am starting to suspect that I have a fructose intolerance. I have always had gas issues with apples, grapes and raisins. But I also wonder if I am just not healed yet and it's the celiac.

Any thoughts???

Thanks in advance

[Skylark]

Sure sounds like fructose intolerance to me. You might find the folks in the Yahoo fructose malabsorption group helpful.

Open Original Shared Link

[MJ-S]

Fructose can be difficult to process, especially since your system has barely begun to heal. You may need to lay off the fructose in the short term while you are healing, but it's too soon to jump to the conclusion that you have a primary fructose intolerance (which is rare). Give it some time, chances are you may be able to tolerate larger amounts of fructose with time.

Also, you've only been gluten free for one week. Chances are you're still feeling the effects, or still getting cross-contaminated, or both.

I hate Prilosec as a long term drug. Docs are quick to prescribe it without explaining the side effects. Hopefully without gluten your reflux will lessen so you can get off it quickly.

[Skylark]

Fructose can be difficult to process, especially since your system has barely begun to heal. You may need to lay off the fructose in the short term while you are healing, but it's too soon to jump to the conclusion that you have a primary fructose intolerance (which is rare). Give it some time, chances are you may be able to tolerate larger amounts of fructose with time.

Where did you get this idea? Is there something with some scientific evidence I can show my mom, who has had FM for most of her life? She's become pretty expert on it and has never run across any evidence that fructmal is reversible but she would love to be able to tolerate more fructose. (And I am not talking about HFI.)

[MJ-S]

Where did you get this idea? Is there something with some scientific evidence I can show my mom, who has had FM for most of her life? She's become pretty expert on it and has never run across any evidence that fructmal is reversible but she would love to be able to tolerate more fructose. (And I am not talking about HFI.)

I never said it's reversible if she has an actual fructose intolerance. Just that she should look first at the possibility that she's malabsorbing fructose due to the damage in her system and that once she heals she might have an easier time.

[Skylark]

So you got nothing for Mom. Well, she's been gluten free a while, her stomach is settled down, and the fructose malabsorption is no different.

[YoloGx]

I would wonder about the "Natural Flavors". I often have reacted to them as has my boyfriend. Don't they contain gluten even if to a minute degree?? due to the way the flavors are extracted, often being in alcohol which more often than not has some component of the glutenous grains... unless otherwise stated. It may just be a case of gluten CC, IMHO.

As far as the fruit thing. I thought I was allergic to all fruit. However it turns out it was the high salicylates in most fruit, especially the peel that bothered me. Berries are the worst. I now can have peeled ripe (non Asian) pears and peeled ripe golden delicious apples.

Some with this condition can have ripe bananas--though I shouldn't without likely headache and hives due to the high amines which I am also sensitive to, it appears. Did I say I was ultra sensitive?? This is not so very common but like I said it can happen. Think sensitivity to aspirin and ADD and ADHD symptoms and especially little kids with red ears and hives who can't sleep much at night, and you get more of a picture, especially with the Failsafe Diet. It also often goes together with chemical exposure and/or heavy metals. Thing is is that it can happen to adults too. Fibromylagia is sometimes how it shows itself in an adult rather than so much the ADD etc. though I would say I have had both aspects happen to me.

Not that I wish salicylate intolerance on anyone, nevertheless, it happened to me and has happened to others, and the difficulty with fruit IMHO can be a sign. Although I wouldn't automatically think that, it is a consideration IMHO. There is also often IMHO a connection between celiac or severe gluten intolerance and salicylate sensitivity--or maybe the other way around, I don't know which comes first, chicken or egg...LOL!

Another possible thing to look into IMHO with fruit sensitivity creating gas etc. might be candida or other fungal overgrowth. Or simply a sensitivity to those particular fruits--in case its not gluten CC.

You can ask your doctor by the way to do a fructose intolerance test pretty easily just to whittle down the possibilities.

I am just glad meanwhile I am getting more of a handle on this, and hope your situation is not nearly as complex--which it probably isn't.

Welcome meanwhile to the Forum, and may your health steadily improve, as I am sure it will! Good for you and your doc for figuring out and following up all those clues by the way.

[evanz8it]

I've been very interested in fructose malabsorption / intolerance as well. From what I understand, fructose malabsorption is when you can't absorb fructose properly in the small intestine & it just builds up. Fructose intolerance is somewhat life threatening & is probably not what most celiacs (or least me) have, because it's more of a violent & critical reaction to fructose. It makes sense that a build up of fructose in the intestines would cause gas. After all, fructose is a sugar... sugars ferment & cause gas. In fructose's case I believe it's hydrogen gas & that causes gas & bloating. At least.. this is what I'm understanding about it all so far.

I went completely gluten free about 2 months ago, after being celiac diagnosed, I had a bad week & then terrible weekend(after about 3 weeks), then backtracked & realized that during that week I was eating a lot of fruit & my weekend went horrible after drinking a Dr. Pepper.. which was the first soda in my gluten-free/elimination diet to that point. So.. I am really interested in fructose malabsorption! My self assessment so far, of what's going on,.. is gluten has been root cause from day one & it did so much damage to my intestinal walls from 20 years of misdiagnosis, that my intestines can't absorb fructose properly and can't process lactose (which is confirmed). I really want to get this hydrogen breath test now ( Open Original Shared Link ), for both fructose & the gut bacteria. It seems like it'd be a great test for any celiac?!

[Skylark]

You are talking about the distinction between hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) and fructose malabsorption (often called fructmal), right? A LOT of people are living with fructmal and don't realize it. It may or may not have to do with damage; the experts in the Yahoo! fructmal group who have been reading the scientific literature and there is some evidence that it has to do with gut dysbiosis. A lot of people with fructmal have undergone repeated antibiotic treatments and can't tolerate probiotics, lending some credence to the idea.