Apparently We May Not "Outgrow" Food Intolerances

[tex]

A few years after the turn of the century, when I was recovering, I found it necessary to avoid casein and beef (among many other foods). But a couple of years after I was in remission, I found that by slowly adding then back into my diet, I was able to tolerate casein and beef. At least they didn't seem to cause any gastrointestinal problems. But a few years later, when I noticed that my osteoarthritis was becoming a problem again, an EnteroLab test showed that I was sensitive to casein. So I cut all dairy products back out of my diet and the symptoms faded away. I never did the Enterolab test for the 11 other antigenic foods, and I only ate beef rarely, so I never noticed that it was a problem for me. I seemed to tolerate it OK (as long as I only ate it once in a while).

But a sister gave me some pure beef sausage for Christmas, and last weekend, I decided to try it. I ate some of it almost every day for most of the past week. A few days ago I noticed that I would wake up with a stiff, sore neck. I didn't pay much attention at first, thinking that I was probably just sleeping in the wrong position, or something of that sort. But it seemed to be getting worse with each passing day. This morning when I woke up (awakened, for any English majors who might be reading this), and couldn't get back to sleep because of the discomfort, it finally dawned on me that the only thing I've done differently recently was to eat beef.

Obviously, when we only occasionally eat a food that's a minor sensitivity, we're not likely to build up a significant level of antibodies against it, so we may not even notice any adverse effects. But eating it every day for a few days is very enlightening. Now, it's pretty clear that I cannot tolerate beef, after all. So one by one, the foods that I thought that I had regained the ability to safely eat, are turning out to cause the same symptoms that they caused when I was still recovering.

At any rate, I'm beginning to realize that we don't really lose our sensitivity to foods that create an antibody problem early on. We just "think" that we can tolerate them, until proven otherwise. Just because they don't cause major gastrointestinal symptoms, doesn't mean that they are being ignored by our immune system.

Tex

[Marcia K]

Thanks, Tex. I had a stiff neck a few weeks ago and at first I thought it was from sleeping but then I wondered otherwise because it didn't even feel better after I went for a massage. I said to my husband today that this disease makes everything so hard to figure out....that was an understatement!

[crervin]

I hate this Tex! Did you have initial Enterolab testing? Sorry I was trying to remember...

I was wanting to try dairy again. So yesterday I ate one bite of cheese and today 3 bites. I had a flare after eating butternut squash. I'm so hoping it was that and not the cheese that I had eaten earlier. It wasn't a problem on my Enterlab test. I read that milk is soothing to IC'ers.

Its always scary to try new foods...

[tex]

I hate this Tex! Did you have initial Enterolab testing? Sorry I was trying to remember...

No. Back then I wasn't even aware of EnteroLab. I used trial and error testing, and it took me a year and a half to do it. A few years later, after I came across Sally's old CC board (and discovered that there were others in the world living with this problem), I ordered tests for soy, eggs, and yeast. The results were all negative. The reason I ordered those tests, (and not gluten and casein) was because there was no doubt in my mind that based on my own testing, I reacted to gluten and casein. I couldn't prove (by my diary) that soy, eggs, or yeast were causing any problems, but I wasn't absolutely positive, so I ordered the tests.

Back then, most of us thought that other than gluten, we might have a chance of eating some of the other foods after our gut healed, and sure enough, by introducing it slowly (slowly increasing doses), I managed to develop a tolerance for casein, and I could eat dairy foods without any GI symptoms. It never occurred to me at the time that I might be producing antibodies to casein that would eventually bite me in the butt (as osteoarthitis).

And then in August of 2015, despite my negative EnteroLab test result for soy 8–10 years earlier, I tested positive to soy antibodies after having a reaction to peanuts that stopped my digestive system from working for roughly about 15 hours. So clearly, we can develop additional sensitivities as the years fly by.

Tex

[crervin]

Thank you Tex! I remember your soy reaction. This really stinks! It seems Enterolab testing would be well worth it when a new symptom arises, even un-GI related. Well I have pretty much chalked up ever drinking anything other than water again. But I know it could be a whole lot worse....

[tex]

It seems Enterolab testing would be well worth it when a new symptom arises, even un-GI related.

I agree with you.

Well I have pretty much chalked up ever drinking anything other than water again.

Don't give up too soon. Remember that we only produce antibodies against certain proteins. (With the exception of alpha-gal, which is the sugar that's associated with mammalian meat allergy).

Tex

[Ann52]

Hi, I was recently diagnosed with MC. Tired of doctors, urgent care, ER's and hospitalizations. Was hospitalized on Monday due to severe chest and abdominal pain. The GI insists that the pain is due to lack of abdominal exercises??? Does anyone else suffer from chronic abdominal pain?

[tex]

Hello Ann,

Welcome to our Internet family. I'm sorry to hear that you're having so much trouble with pain.

I reckon I'm just an ignorant old country boy, because I've never heard of a lack of abdominal exercises causing abdominal pain. I suspect that your GI doc has a vivid imagination that comes in handy for dreaming up creative reasons for symptoms that he doesn't understand.

Back when the disease was first described in the medical literature, pain was not mentioned as a symptom. Because of that oversight, many GI docs who haven't updated their knowledge about the disease still do not realize that MC can be a very painful disease.

Not all patients have pain with the disease, but most of us here have experienced pain that can range from mild to similar in intensity to the pain of childbirth. Before I was able to reach remission, I had good days and bad days, and days in between those extremes. But on the bad days, the pain was sometimes almost unbearable. So yes, pain with MC is very common.

Again, welcome aboard and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

welcome Ann
(and sympathies that you had to find us and you are struggling health wise)

Does anyone else suffer from chronic abdominal pain?

I used to, for many years (at least 25 years) before my MC Diagnosis (Dx) I would have episodes of crippling pain, ER visits could never find a reason via mainstream testing.

with my MC Dx, and the eating plan and lifestyle plan changes I no longer have them. They are an indication of bad inflammation.
it is one of the motivating factors to me sticking with my MC safe eating plan.

the other aspect to this ongoing inflammation, is that it depletes key nutrients like Vit D3 and magnesium, which are needed to heal from inflammation.
i am confident that with the eating plan that we strongly recommend, and some good Vit D3 and magnesium supplementation you can minimise these issues in a few months.

a link to our guidelines to recovery section where eating plan, Vit D and magnesium, lifestyle suggestions information is provided
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=79
hope this helps

[Ann52]

Thank you all! I suffered with abdominal pain for 15 months before I was diagnosed. Ended up being hospitalized for chronic diarrhea at the end of October. See my GI tomorrow. Will check out the eating plan.

[tex]

Ann,

Please don't be surprised of your doctor insists that diet changes will not help to treat the disease. Many gastroenterologists are still way behind on the learning curve for this particular disease. But research evidence that diet changes work has recently been published for other IBDs, so researchers will eventually get around to verifying that diet changes work for MC, also. Here's a link to some more information on that research if you are interested. The top article at the following link describes research showing that high doses of vitamin D help, and the second article is the one describing how diet can be used to control IBDs.

http://www.microscopiccolitisfoundation ... s-new.html

Tex

[sonja]

Hi Tex
I react on your initial post about intolerances, that apparently doesn't disappear.
It is really disappointing information, but good to share this with us.
I am still struggling to find out all of my intolerances. I am in remission for some time, maybe even one year, but I have a problem with detecting what causes mij osteoarthritis. Not my intestines, but my fingers let me notice if I have been eating anything wrong (and sometimes also my intestines). I think I know by now that I tend to react in a few hours with pain and thick joints (dip and pip) and after that it continues by red and swollen joints and this can go on for days, maybe weeks. I didn't figure it out yet exactly. Because sometimes things overlap and that makes it even more confusing.
So most if the times it's not my gut, but my fingers that warns me. And the difficult thing is that osteoarthritis starts earlier than you notice it, so maybe others parts of our body suffer from low grade inflammation without us knowing this.
I have the problem at the moment that I know many of my intolerances, but I should like to test some more food that I don't eat since I did the Paleo Imuum protocol. But testing one food with a bad result brings me a few weeks and more inflammation further. I thing I better don't try anymore foods, but stick to the paleo protocol.
My surgeon wants to talk with me about artificial joints in my fingers because of the damage, but I want to stop the process of osteoartritis by diet.
I wonder if more people are struggling with this problem. Maybe its a good idea to post a new topic
about this question.
I hope your neck is nog stiff anymore!

Sonja

[tex]

Hi Sonja,

My neck was still stiff and painful this morning, but it's beginning to improve this afternoon.

It takes a few weeks for my finger joints to begin to become inflamed when I have an osteoarthritis flare, and after correcting my diet it takes a few weeks for the inflammation in my finger joints to fade away. My neck seems to respond much faster.

I'll see if I can set up a survey about this symptom.

Tex

[Ann52]

Thanks Tex!

[tex]

You're very welcome,
Tex