IBS and/or food allergy help

[LarlaB]

TMI- GI issues ahead. :)   Basic question- how do you tell the difference between IBS and food allergies? 

I have diagnosed Celiac Disease as well as a wheat allergy.  I've never had additional food testing although I have had distinct GI distress after eating peanuts & drinking milk (gas, cramping & diarrhea). I don't eat those foods- but I do have a lot of dairy (cheese, sour cream, yogurt). 

 

Over the last few months I've had increasingly frequent episodes of constipation then diarrhea.  I have not been able to pinpoint exactly what foods are causing me issues.   The constipation doesn't concern me as I am GF and low-carb, so I don't have a lot of fiber in my diet.  It hasn't been an issue.  The diarrhea is what concerns me.

It seems to occur two ways: 

 

Scenario 1.  I have stomach cramping, diarrhea and then I feel ok. No stomach churning or excessive burping. 

Scenario 2.  About 30-60 minutes after eating whatever offending item it may be, I have stomach cramps and then several bouts of diarrhea, upset stomach and lots of burping for hours &  hours afterwards. That's a typical 'reaction' that I associate with a likely food allergy or intolerance- (most similar to Celiac reaction, although that is accompanied by other symptoms). 

I also have multiple environmental allergies that are in peak season right now- mold, dust, pine are year round...so, Fall is the toughest season for me, and I know my immune system is on a hair trigger. Could that be why I am over-reacting to foods?
 
My question-  barring blood testing to determine additional food allergies, how in the world do I know? What is the simplest, blandest, least offensive diet to eat? Should I try to steer towards a low FODMAP diet?

I appreciate any experience and input. :) 

[KaleSprouts]

Autoimmune Paleo has a good elimination and reintroduction protocol that might be helpful. It helped me with a lot of problems (including celiac).

[Kanin]

I hate that doctors give "IBS" as a diagnosis. I had that happen to me... and I was like, "Duh, I KNOW my bowel is 'irritable," but what's MAKING it irritable?" I got no help from the doctor. 

 

I agree that the Autoimmune Protocol is a good way to pinpoint food issues. Even if you don't think your issues are autoimmune, it's just a really good elimination and reintroduction protocol, as KaleSprouts said. You take out pretty much everything that *could* be bothering you (gluten, dairy, nightshades, grains, eggs, etc) and then after a short period (2 weeks maybe?) you try putting stuff back in. 

 

My DH was having tummy troubles and he found that the "gums" in gluten-free foods really bother his stomach. The xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. that are in EVERY GF product.

 

Your troubles sound extremely bothersome and worth figuring out. I'd do the elimination diet route rather than trying different random things, because it's really hard to pinpoint the real culprit when you have even a handful of potential offenders in mind.

[Kanin]

You could also try the Specific Carbohydrate diet or GAPS to narrow things down, but the AIP is the most comprehensive one, I think. It's also recently been supported by a couple research studies!

[BarbecueMom]

Sinus drainage from allergies will aggravate IBS and cause D. BTDT. Have you tried taking Zantac with Zyrtec?

 

Low FODMAP might help. Getting onions and garlic out for a few weeks is the big thing, IME. Reducing/eliminating dairy, too. After a few weeks I can introduce a little bit of garlic/dairy/onions back in, but I can't go eat veggie fajitas bathing in sour cream or anything tasty like that.

 

I don't know if this is good advice for everyone or anyone, but skipping meals (or I guess it could be called intermittent fasting) helps give my system a break. My body just cannot tolerate three meals a day. Two small meals is about all I can handle.

 

If diet alone doesn't help (mine didn't), there are a couple of meds that might help, if you can get in with a GI doc.

 

ETA: FWIW, many of my trigger foods ARE low-FODMAP. Basically if it's healthy or tasty, it's gonna wreck me. Raw, cooked, blended, doesn't matter. If it only comes in a package (like crackers), it agrees with me. I like cooking and colorful foods though. :-(

Edited November 6, 2017 by BarbecueMom

[Rosie_0801]

My mother is much better now she's drinking kombucha regularly. It can often stave off and attack.

[Tammi K]

Could it be gallbladder issues?  Some of your symptoms are similar to what I experienced.

[LarlaB]

Today is the first time I've read in depth about FODMAP and was, quite frankly, overwhelmed.   It's so complicated and doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.... and quite a learning curve.  And frankly, something I don't know that I can do right now- so I was trying to find a middle road as I don't have the full focus to give to it.  Not an excuse, just a reality based assessment of my life- stress is moderately-high and will stay high the next few months (holidays/travel/work).

 

I had been eating LCHF for 5+ years, then went off of it (and gained a ton of weight) and went back on a reduced carb/high fat diet 7 months ago, and have lost 20+ pounds.  

 

Upon reflection, I realize I DID have some Halloween candy earlier this week - which is very unusual for me. Plus some GF bread 1x a day this week, also not typical. Add in several high FODMAP foods and maybe it just triggered more 'episodes'???  ETA:  4 days with issues this week, I mean.  Usually only 1-2x a week. 

I know it sounds lazy but I just really don't want to deal with this. LOL  I already have so many allergies and food issues and have been watching food even more to lose weight-  it pains me to have to give even more attention to food limitations. 

 

Thanks for the input and suggestions- I have copied it and will thoughtfully reread and consider as time allows. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by LarlaB

[BarbecueMom]

I "bought" several pieces of my kids' Halloween candy. Ate a couple. Was completely miserable and threw the rest away. Spent a couple nights in bed with the heating pad.

 

Chocolate is one of my triggers. Cheap chocolate is a sure bet to cause problems.

[LarlaB]

I "bought" several pieces of my kids' Halloween candy. Ate a couple. Was completely miserable and threw the rest away. Spent a couple nights in bed with the heating pad.

 

Chocolate is one of my triggers. Cheap chocolate is a sure bet to cause problems.

 

 

That is helpful to hear.  It just occurred to me that it was something pretty out of the ordinary intake wise this week. 

[kbutton]

I have had distinct GI distress after eating peanuts & drinking milk (gas, cramping & diarrhea). I don't eat those foods- but I do have a lot of dairy (cheese, sour cream, yogurt). These are all high histamine foods.

 

Over the last few months I've had increasingly frequent episodes of constipation then diarrhea.  I have not been able to pinpoint exactly what foods are causing me issues.  

I also have multiple environmental allergies that are in peak season right now- mold, dust, pine are year round...so, Fall is the toughest season for me, and I know my immune system is on a hair trigger. Could that be why I am over-reacting to foods? Yes!

 

Diarrhea can definitely be a histamine reaction. You might want to read up a bit on histamine intolerance. 

 

http://theceliacmd.com/2014/03/histamine-intolerance-causing-symptoms/

 

I definitely have some degree of histamine intolerance, but removing the worst offenders helps a LOT. When it does act up, I have been cleared to take two Claritin every 24 hours, Allegra, an H2 blocker, and Benadryl if needed. If I am at that, I am risking needing an epi pen. 

 

Some kind of elimination diet is an excellent idea, but I would definitely look at HIT lists and then maybe lists of things like salicylates (people with HIT often can't do those either) if you aren't ready to take the plunge on a diet. You might find immediate relief by removing any fermented dairy products and aged cheeses for a while. Sour cream is a HUGE trigger for me. I can take probiotics, but I cannot do much of anything fermented. I also have trouble with some nightshades (tomatoes and peppers). 

 

For me, the severity changes and so do the triggers, but when I found several really big triggers to eliminate, it got a LOT better, and there were some foods I could add back in. 

 

I am still wanting to figure out the basis for why I have histamine issues, but one thing at a time, right?

[kbutton]

I "bought" several pieces of my kids' Halloween candy. Ate a couple. Was completely miserable and threw the rest away. Spent a couple nights in bed with the heating pad.

 

Chocolate is one of my triggers. Cheap chocolate is a sure bet to cause problems.

 

It is also my understanding that while some candy is GF when you buy it in it's "normal" form, holiday candy is often farmed out to production lines that aren't GF all the time, and it can be cross-contaminated. So, a Hershey bar might be fine, but the holiday version might have trace contamination.

[BarbecueMom]

It is also my understanding that while some candy is GF when you buy it in it's "normal" form, holiday candy is often farmed out to production lines that aren't GF all the time, and it can be cross-contaminated. So, a Hershey bar might be fine, but the holiday version might have trace contamination.

Yep, this too. Holiday shaped peanut butter cups, for one. DH has Celiac but doesn't really eat candy so I forget about that.

[tdbates78]

The problem with IBS is that we all have different triggers. My own triggers are legumes, most dairy, apples, things with HFCS and resistant starches. The low fodmap diet is helpful, even if its a huge PITA, because it helps figure out your own triggers. Monash University, who discovered FODMAPs, has a really nice app with lots of foods and their fodmap levels. It really is just trial and error. I was diagnosed with IBS-C (and later SIBO, a whole other mess) over 20 years ago and I've been in pain for the past 3 days due to something I've eaten :(

[MBM]

This is a bit rambling but a few thoughts...

 

You might want to read researcher/inventor/cardiologist Steven Gundry's book Plant Paradox, which discusses lectins.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Paradox-Dangers-Healthy-Disease/dp/006242713X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509999749&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=steven+gundru

 

GI distress after eating peanuts could mean you have a problem with the lectins. Gundry compares lectins to barnacles that can latch on to the gut walls and pull the cells apart just a bit. That then leads to leaky gut which can cause the cramping and whatnot.

 

The casein in dairy products could also be causing problems. Dairy contains either A-1 or A-2 casein. Casein A-2 can lead to gastro distress. This link explains a bit more:

 

http://gundrymd.com/food-pyramid/

 

My youngest seems to have problems with lectins and not just gluten so we're trying to eliminate lectins from his diet to see how he feels. Getting rid of the gluten helped quite a bit, though, but not 100%.

 

He also is taking a special probiotic called VSL #3. It is shipped in cold packaging and must be refrigerated. So far, that seems to be helping, too.

 

Also, you mentioned bouts of diarrhea and constipation. My son had tenesmus which is the urge to go throughout the day but without producing anything. That took awhile to go away -- 3 weeks or so -- but is mostly gone now. Every now and then it comes back which is why we're trying to remove the lectins altogether.