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Post by Karen on Aug 27, 2010 17:51:53 GMT -5
As the regulars know, I'm quite determined to figure out my entire body, not just the endo, in an attempt to feel better overall (and also keep endo at bay). In the last few months, I finally found a doctor that was on board. She's an MD with a private practice and focuses on women's issues with a complementary approach. So far in the past 3 months or so that I've seen her, she's done more for me than 15 or so doctors before her have. Not only has she diagnosed and treated my low progesterone, but also my low cortisol and DHEA levels. Already, I'm feeling better.
The last time I saw her, I mentioned my continued bloating. We talked about food allergies and intolerances. I had a scratch test done when I was little that showed food allergies, but a scratch test done this year showed they all went away, though the allergist admitted that the scratch test only looked for one type of allergic reaction, and that others could exist. Well, this new doc took a blood sample and sent it away.
She called me with my results last week and I just got the follow up paperwork today. Those that ranked as highly reactive were American cheese, egg white, and yogurt. Gluten ranked moderately, and 3 kinds of yeast, oats, wheat, and oranges ranked low, but still significant. My job now? To eliminate these foods from my diet. It won't be too hard as I've already cut a lot of things out already, but the yeast (brewers yeast, folks... and I LOVE my beer!) will be the hardest!
The literature that came with the results talked about how these foods can disrupt your intestinal barrier. I've had this article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/is-your-digestive-system_b_313247.html) in the back of my head for a long time. It's all about how your digestive system is a huge part of your immune system. In a nutshell, if your digestive system is way off, it's kind of hard to have a good immune system! Once again, all the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together.
The interesting thing? A lot of these food intolerances I already knew about. When I eat certain foods, I get pelvic pain almost immediately. Some were hard to pinpoint (like egg white, though I can think of a few dishes that I thought had all safe foods in them but still had pain - that'd be the egg white!), but others I totally knew (oranges). This was just more confirmation of it all.
So now it has me thinking - does the endo diet work well for a lot of us because of food intolerances? Anyone suspect any? Anyone have any confirmed? Put your food allergies and intolerance stories here, folks!
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Post by KSA on Aug 27, 2010 20:01:27 GMT -5
Great Karen that for the last 3 months you found a doc worth something! My sister and I just had this discussion today about my baby niece. She is on a soy based formula and breast milk. Her gain has not been that rapid so my sister was forced to give little formula with each feeding. The soy for her is working much better then the rest of the milk based formula the breast my sisters milk and that is what she gets most of which is good and she tolerates that well. Anyways I had a flash of what my food intolerances are and what dairy can do to me. I have suggested her to start a food diary with Ava even tho she is only 2 months old. With my issues with food and endo its better to know earlier then later. Why not start as a infant right? My donut expience was a given I knew what would happend but like you said Karen you want to track it all. I def think it goes hand in hand and although I have not all the testing you have had I can tell what to stay away from and day by day am learning more each day. I am so happy you found a doc that will work with you in this area. Some blow it off. My GP is all for the food allergy and endo connection. Suggest the food diary and knows it helps track our symptoms. I learned late in life of all of this and had I know I would have been trying to do more sooner. My nieces tho mean so much to me that tracking each allergy or food issue will benefit them all so much. I have 9 nieces I adore them all so much so its a huge deal for me to catch these things before it can take over your life. They I hope never have to deal with endo but I think watching all the food intolerances is so important and once they know it can be taken out of the diet.
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Post by Karen on Sept 6, 2010 8:36:46 GMT -5
Sorry, Keri, completely missed this post! Yup, I have a second cousin (16 months) that is lactose intolerant, too, and his eczema flares up whenever he has some. Poor little guy!
Some of the things I knew about, some others I didn't. I'd suggest testing to anyone! It was a simple blood test. I've had health issues all my life, my eczema started in 2nd grade and I still have it to this day. Perhaps eliminating some more foods (I've already eliminated a lot) will help clear them up. I'm convinced food allergies/intolerances create a chain reaction and set off other things in my body as well. If I can turn off some of these reactions, perhaps others will get turned off, too.
And you're right - better to know sooner rather than later!
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smayw
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Post by smayw on Sept 8, 2010 8:45:07 GMT -5
Karen, how wonderful that you found this doctor. She sounds great! I requested blood tests about a year ago from my GP, but she suggested I keep a food diary instead. When everything makes me feel terrible, it didn't help pinpoint anything except food upset my stomach . I know I cannot eat chocolate at all. It makes me very nauseous in a very short amount of time. That and anything from Taco Bell or Pizza Hut. So, I just avoid those places now.
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Post by Karen on Sept 8, 2010 17:23:27 GMT -5
Ha ha, I was the same way at first - started a food diary last spring and EVERYTHING set me off! Luckily, once my body settled down a bit overall it got a bit easier, but the blood test made it that much cut and dry rather than just guessing!
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Post by hellsbells on Sept 9, 2010 13:16:26 GMT -5
I've tried the food diary, but when several thigns set you off that you aren't aware of, so you're always reacting, it's nigh on impossible to figure out what's doing the damage!
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Post by Tamela on Oct 8, 2010 17:57:09 GMT -5
I have been seeing a Naturopath for awhile now and she has me completely off gluten and dairy. I have always been dairy intolerant and had major stomach pain with any dairy. Going off gluten however was not because of Endo, but because she also found through blood work that I have Hashimoto's. Gluten is the number one thing to NOT have if you have Hashimoto's. My bloating that I was getting is MUCH better. My cramps during my cycle have improved and I am not constipated like I was before. So going off gluten 100% has really really helped me quite a bit!
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Post by gemstone on Oct 10, 2010 14:48:15 GMT -5
That's really cool your doc is good. Wheat makes me ill within minutes; the usual diarrhoea and constipation, gurgly tummy and then the cramps and back pain start. Lots of dairy puts me in pain, last week I woke up in the night and I know it was because of that!!! Before, like you said everything set me off, but now I've cut stuff out I can really see what upsets me and how etc. The pain has been so much better since changing my diet, I rave to everyone about it!
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Post by Heather on Nov 17, 2010 2:00:46 GMT -5
So do you guys have a website for the food diary (similar to the pain diary site, reliefinsite.com), or do you do it the old fashioned way? I find that going to a website and putting in specifics is much easier for me--and I do it more reliably--than writing or even typing. I'm just internet addicted I guess.
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Post by Karen on Nov 17, 2010 7:31:07 GMT -5
I used the old fashioned paper and pen, kept it in my purse otherwise I'd forget. But I only did it for a short period of time so it wasn't too bad.
Oh, but I know there are tons of calorie-counting places where you can log your food! I think myfooddiary.com or something like that is a really good one, although I think there's a fee. Otherwise Sparkpeople.com has a free one, and I'm sure there are loads of others. I'd think there would be a place where you could track with types of common allergens you're eating, though. If anyone finds one, please share!
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smayw
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Post by smayw on Dec 1, 2010 9:37:55 GMT -5
I finally decided to give up something for a while and see how my body reacted (or didn't react). I selected gluten which I thought would be the most challenging and wanted to just be done with this trail.
I gave it up a few months ago now and am glad I did. It took a few weeks to notice a difference, but boy can I! I have little to no bloating which is a big change for me. I used to bloat almost daily. Toast looks so harmless. Who know? Not me!
I feel so much better that I'm really not even tempted to eat bread/cakes/cookies.
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Post by hellsbells on Dec 1, 2010 12:17:23 GMT -5
Nice one! If only I had the tenacity!
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Post by pretty on Dec 1, 2010 13:46:02 GMT -5
AWESOME! WAY TO GO! it was hard for me to get started, but it was SOOO worth it for me.... now I can tell instantly when I eat something that gets the inflammation going.... so happy it's making a difference for you, even a small difference can be so awesome and reassuring when dealing with this awful disease.
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Post by Karen on Dec 1, 2010 20:04:11 GMT -5
Here here! Glad you took the plunge. I swear sometimes people think we're crazy for giving up some of that stuff, but for me, the benefits TOTALLY outweigh the cookie/cake/etc. And doesn't it make you feel so much more in control of what's going on with your body? Big pat on the back for you!!!
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