Could be citrus

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:43 am

Well, I think I tested citrus.

Had lime in my drinks at my nephew's wedding Friday. The beef was the only thing I could have and I ate a little. The next day I was achy but I wasn't sure if it was the citrus or a hangover (4 drinks).

Saturday, we went to the lake. Dave's Mom made a big dinner. She is very careful of my food intolerances, but there were items that could have contaminated me. I woke up still feeling achy but no D. Had some orange juice (not thinking about citrus because I'm an idiot) and preceded to get very ill and had D all day. I even woke up in the middle of the night with D, which I haven't done in a long time.

That was yesterday, today I'm a little better, but not sure if I'll be able to work. The worst is that I'm not sure what contaminated me, because I had so many chances over the weekend eat the wrong things.

I'm feeling like I should just stay home and eat my own food forever. I don't like feeling so awful!!!

I'm pretty sure citrus is to blame, but I should test it again. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try it though. Might just eliminate it. Heck, I might just stop eating (don't worry, I don't really mean that).

Love, Jean

Post by **tex** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:07 am

Hi Jean,

I know the feeling. Almost everytime that I try to isolate a test for some item, I wind up in some kind of unusual situation that makes me question whether or not the test had any validity. Sigh. I guess that's the way that Murphy's law affects MCers.

I'm in the process of cutting out chocolate chip cookies again, because I'm not sure whether it's the rice, or the sugar, (or maybe the peanut oil, or a combination), that bothers me. They don't really make me sick, but if I eat more than a few, I am constantly bloated and uncomfortable. Nothing serious--but obviously, something is wrong.

I hope that the citrus, or whatever it is that's bothering you, is soon out of your system, and you're able to resume your normal routine.

Love,
Wayne

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 7:57 am

Hi Jean,

It sounds like you are having a little struggle

If you take it easy at home and test it systematically pretty soon you will know for sure.

I have started questioning my corn intolerance - for some reason I am not sure that I am corn intolerant; I have just assumed it since November of last year; being symptom free makes me not want to test it - should I?

Love,
Karen

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:02 am

Hi Jean!

We are so alike it's scary. I have all of your intolerances (except for rice.....but as you know, I feel better when I don't eat it) and some in addition, like chocolate and yeast and carrageenan. Of course, I am "dairy" intolerant, whereas it appears that you are "diary" intolerant. LOL! (Sorry, couldn't resist).

The last (most recent) intolerances I discovered were citrus and tomatoes. I can have a teeny bit, but if I overdo them or have them again before 3 days, I get D.

Good luck with your detective work. I hope you have it pinned down by now.

Love,

Polly

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:00 pm

Thanks everyone!

I am feeling better today. Nothing like getting a lot of exercise moving perenials to get the last of the aches out.

It so hard sometimes because I forget I have a chronic disease and then it hits me with both barrels. Nothing like two days of bed rest to bore me out of my mind!!!

Polly, did you discover tomatoes and citrus at the same time? Seems to me like they may be very similar molecularly. I haven't had tomatoes in a long time.

Karen,

If I were you, I think I'd test the corn. Find two days when you can veg out (Ha! Ha! Ha!). Corn is a big thing to give up, and if you don't have to don't! Of course I'm not betting any real money on the fact that you can tolerate it.

Love, Jean

PS I think I'd rather be diary intolerant!

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 7:42 pm

Good to hear you are feeling better, Jean; it must be the diary

I feel so good and my bowels and everything else seems so normal (HA HA HA, is that possible ?!^%&#) that I just don't seem to feel like I have two days to waste for a corn trial/test. I think I would test with Pop Corn if I were Wayne

However, I am not Wayne

Perhaps I should try something with lots of corn syrup in it - perhaps just some frozen peaches with a little bit of acorbic acid; that would be delicious. I will let you know if I decide to do it and how it goes.

Love,
Karen

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:23 pm

Before I had any conception of gluten intolerance or food intolerance my very first and earliest symptoms were periods of D mid morning which I attributed to orange juice with breakfast. My usual breakfast at the time was orange juice, cereal and coffee or some variation.

As things slowly progressed I connected occasional nocturnal symptoms to the tomatoes or tomato sauce I ate incorporated with pasta dishes or pizza when getting together with friends after long bike trips.

It seemed very logical to me at the time since orange juice and tomatoes are fairly acid and in my uneducated, uninformed mind I put the two together.

If I only knew then what I know now I would have recognized the entire spectrum of gluten sensitivity and parallel food sensitivities creeping up but it was about as far from my thinking or knowledge at the time as it possibly could be.

So for me they all came along about the same time despite the fact that I never in my wildest dreams could have conceived that they were a result of gluten intolerance, the damage it had done and where it would lead me and that it would result in other intolerances

As I am sure you are well aware by what I have included in my lists I strictly avoid all citrus as well as the nightshade family that includes tomatoes since they are still major triggers even when not combined with grains. I just find it very interesting that I can now see how it crept up on me.

This does not mean that I don’t find the greatest pleasure in growing a glorious tomato plant every year and giving the fruits of it to neighbors, family, and clients that come by my shop. I am expecting the first freeze of the season tonight so it will be the end of them for this season.

Matthew

Lucy · Post by **Lucy** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:43 pm

Jean, I notice that you had two doses of citrus 24 hrs apart. After the first "dose" your antibodies would've been itchin' for a fight with some additional citrus antigen, so perhaps if you'd space the citrus infusions out with at least 3 or 4 or whatever's recommended by Polly, you could tolerate it now and again. Whatcha think?

Yours, Luce

moremuscle · Post by **moremuscle** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:20 pm

I find it interesting to read that so many of you (us) struggle with citrus intolerance. I myself, being the novice MCer that I am, have not noticed any problems that relate to citrus or nightshades (tomatoes); however, my mother is citrus intolerant - I know I have the MC/gluten sensitivity genes from her. I will be paying close attention to how I react to citrus and tomatoes in the future based on what I know now. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Love,
Karen