Steatohrrea

[Fairy Dancer]

I went grain free and diary free several months ago and my bowel issues settled down fairly quickly, however, I am still intermittently getting what looks like steatorrhea (pale foul smelling stools that are sticky, float and look greasy). The only things I can think of that might be causing it are:

1 A few weeks back I reintroduced dairy again, found it upset me and took it back out after several days.

2 I also ate some chocolate the other day which quite frankly made me feel quite ill (it sounds odd but not only did my mood turn as black as thunder after eating it but I woke up the next day feeling so ill I had to spend the day lying on the couch...a day later and the pale stools are back too). Although there were no grains or dairy in the ingredients list I admit to taking a chance on that as it did say not suitable for gluten free diets due to manufacturing techniques. I thought I could get away with it as it may not have been cross contaminated.

The question is would the pale stools have appeared if I had not eaten the dairy and then the chocolate and if so how long does that take to wear off?

So far, although I am not diagnosed with celiac disease as the blood test I asked the dr for came back normal and they wouldn't do further testing, I have had some improvements over all on the grain and dairy free diet. Before my diarrhoea was uncontrollable and my bowel was not giving me warning any more whereas now, other than the discoloured stools on occasion, I rarely get diarrhoea. I have also been well enough to at least get out of bed most days (as long as I rest frequently and move around slowly) which is nice as I was previously bed bound most of the time.

However I am still having brain fog and vertigo days along with the steatorrhea, which is annoying. I also get vile migraines or migraine type headaches along with cognitive dysfunction (word recall issues flashing lights in my field of vision and so on) as well as odd episodes of depression that last for a few hours or a day and then go away (which makes me think it's not clinical depression as it does not come and go like that usually...). The mood changes can often precede the migraine type headaches or on days when I am feeling like death warmed up again (ie after eating that chocolate).

Should I be going back to the dr for him to check for other things or should I persist and see if more improvements are made over time? If it is misdiagnosed celiac disease, how long before things settle down properly (if I lay off the dairy and chocolate?). I admit I hate seeing drs as they don't take my complaints seriously and put them down to anxiety and depression without doing any further testing beyond a few blood tests now and then. Years of seeing one shrink after the other and being on antidepressants (that I no longer take as they do nothing) and I have gotten nowhere. I have only deteriorated over the years...until I went on the grain and dairy free diet that is...

All the same, I am fed up with still feeling bad, even though I feel slightly better than I did! I am optimistic that things will continue to improve but I am wondering, if I am going in the right direction and it is a digestive issue causing my ill health, how long it is likely to take before all the oddness goes away completely?

Any advice welcome.

FD

[Skylark]

However I am still having brain fog and vertigo days along with the steatorrhea, which is annoying. I also get vile migraines or migraine type headaches along with cognitive dysfunction (word recall issues flashing lights in my field of vision and so on) as well as odd episodes of depression that last for a few hours or a day and then go away (which makes me think it's not clinical depression as it does not come and go like that usually...). The mood changes can often precede the migraine type headaches or on days when I am feeling like death warmed up again (ie after eating that chocolate).

I get this! Brain fog, vergito, neuro symptoms, horrible cognitive dysfunction (can barely drive), and migraine symptoms. I can also be depressed when the episodes come on. For me they last 2-3 days. I am a little afraid it's perimenopause in my case.

Chocolate triggers migraines in some people. I'm also sensitive to tyramine, which is very high in aged cheese and yogurt. I don't know whether I'm dairy sensitive or whether my symptoms after eating cheese are a result of tyramine. I get symptoms from other tyramine foods like red wine, chicken livers, or bacon.

You might see if eating low tyramine helps a little.

Open Original Shared Link

I'm also on CoQ10 and Migrelief a preparation of riboflavin, magnesium, and feverfew. I've been taking them a few months and it seems to be helping some. The Migrelief bottle says three months so I'm right in the time frame where it's supposed to work.

[Takala]

I think you are on the right track.

You are slowly introducing foods back in and keeping track of your reactions. It's likely you're a more sensitive type person, who may never get the celiac diagnosis but who really is for all intents and purposes, in terms of what you can and cannot eat.

The trick is while you're sorting it out, to just add ONE new thing back in at a time, as you just proved to yourself.

Finding safe chocolate is tricky, then, the stuff tends to be loaded with sugar anyway, gaaah.

Pale stools say "liver" and "gall bladder" upset. Should wear off in a day or too, as long as you get back on the wagon.

Are you off of soy ?