Questions you thought you'd never ask...

draperygoddess · Post by **draperygoddess** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:50 am

Okay, this is the ONLY place I'd even bring this up, but...

Tuesday, went out for lunch, had a GF burger with a slice of swiss, paid dearly for the cheese. Yesterday, no BM (apparently cleaned out from Tues.). Today, norman, but floaty. Not pale, not excessively smelly. I have noticed this pattern (minus the D) often when I have eaten meat, especially a fairly large portion. In the early weeks of remission, even after eating chicken. Now, my question is, does this indicate a fecal fat issue? Two of my kids (the ones with other GI issues) also occasionally have this problem.

Post by **tex** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:16 am

What problem? a fairly normal BM? or the reaction following eating the meat and cheese?

Assuming you're referring to the reaction to the burger, a fecal fat issue causes steatorrhea, which involves excess unabsorbed fat in the stool, marked by an oily film on the water in the bowl, and accompanied with a foul odor. Fat malabsorption is very common with MC, celiac disease, and other IBDs.

Tex

draperygoddess · Post by **draperygoddess** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 12:31 pm

Okay, Tex, so I guess what you're saying is, there is no problem.

Post by **tex** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:48 pm

Well, a fatty meal will cause steatorrhea, but steatorrhea can't occur if there's no fat in the diet.

Tex

draperygoddess · Post by **draperygoddess** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 7:35 pm

What I meant was, it sounds like my funky norman doesn't fit the description. So maybe it's not something to be concerned about. I guess I should be happy it WAS a norman and not the D of the day before! And I'm fairly certain it was the cheese that caused the D. My gluten reaction time is much longer--dairy hits me within a few hours, as this did.

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 7:47 pm

Wow, you're in a high-rolling mood, Cynthia - gluten and cheese in the same week!

(I risked a few peanuts last night, in a salad made by a young friend.. on a day when I had also had lunch out - I feel really lucky that today worked out.)

draperygoddess · Post by **draperygoddess** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:03 pm

Yeah, hang gliding and bungee jumping are next on my list...

Daresay I've had my last "on purpose" bread and cheese. If I needed confirmation, that did it.

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:46 am

You know, I think this is kind of a natural approach that any mammal would take to foods, to figure out what works and doesn't work. We're lucky we may also have tools like medical/Enterolab testing... but I'm sure wild animals 'test' foods, and have strategies for minimizing the adverse consequences of certain types of risks. This may be beyond even "human nature" - chalk it up to Nature with a capital N.

Because an animal in the wild would be foolish to rule out giant chunks of easily available nutrition, if it turns out that they can tolerate it... and there is no wilder environment than a supermarket or restaurant!