Here are my test results. I was so excited to see that the only thing I can't have is soy, and that wasn't even that high. But I'm still confused as to why I react every time I eat something other that the brat diet. And I don't totally understand the fat malabsorbtion testing. I understand that it's slightly high, but I don't know what that means
Comprehensive Gluten/Antigenic Food Sensitivity Stool Panel
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 9 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 3 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 15 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 2 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fat Malabsorption Stool Test (Fecal Fat)
Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score 431 Units (Normal Range is less than 300 Units)
It talked about the pancreas, in the results, and I've been suffering from severe hypoglycemia for years. Blood sugars are controlled by the pancreas.
This is all very confusing.
Mandy
Enterlab testing. Feeling relieved but still confused
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Interesting....
even though the gluten and casein scores are low, I would still minimise intake of gluten/dairy as they are inflammatory foods, and take more energy to digest. the good news is that you are not likely to have nasty reaction to contamination etc.
Soy - can be a tough one to remove totally!
Soy is used in so many products (cause it is a cheap ingredient)
It is easier now than a few years ago. I react worse to soy than gluten so avoid it totally. I even avoid using any moisturizers, lip balms etc that have soy.
the other hidden places that have soy (and is not easy to confirm)
- eggs can be sprayed with soy based vegetable oil so best not to have boiled eggs. (poached, scrambled etc are fine)
- some vegetables can be sprayed with soy oil to help them last longer in the shops. I peel a few mm off all vegetables and let the worms process it! dont use vege peelings in bone broths/soups
- lots of vitamins/supplement (especially those that are gluten free) have soy.
- tinned tuna etc
- snack foods and takeaway items
I have this list typed out and carry it in my wallet. very handy for the early days of making sure you are buying soy free items...
Alpha tocopherol (Vitamin E)*
Amylases
Broth
Calcium stearate*
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
Diglyceride*
Disodium guanylate
Disodium inositate
Edamame
Glycerin*
Glycerides*, any
Glycerol*
Isolates
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Miso
Monoglyceride*
Natto
Natural coloring*
Natural flavoring*
Okara
Olean*
Olestra*
Oxystearin
Propylene glycol monostearate
Shoyu
Sodium stearoyl fumarate
Soy anything
Soy oil
Stearoyls
Structured protein fiber
Tempeh
Textured vegetable protein*
Tofu
Vegetable anything on food label*
Vegetable broth*
Vegetable oil*
Vegetable protein*
Vitamin E*
Yuba
Products to beware of:
Margarine, Mayonnaise, Salad dressing, Miso soap, Tufu, Meat alternatives, Nondairy anything, Shortening, Whipped topping, Tuna.
even though the gluten and casein scores are low, I would still minimise intake of gluten/dairy as they are inflammatory foods, and take more energy to digest. the good news is that you are not likely to have nasty reaction to contamination etc.
Soy - can be a tough one to remove totally!
Soy is used in so many products (cause it is a cheap ingredient)
It is easier now than a few years ago. I react worse to soy than gluten so avoid it totally. I even avoid using any moisturizers, lip balms etc that have soy.
the other hidden places that have soy (and is not easy to confirm)
- eggs can be sprayed with soy based vegetable oil so best not to have boiled eggs. (poached, scrambled etc are fine)
- some vegetables can be sprayed with soy oil to help them last longer in the shops. I peel a few mm off all vegetables and let the worms process it! dont use vege peelings in bone broths/soups
- lots of vitamins/supplement (especially those that are gluten free) have soy.
- tinned tuna etc
- snack foods and takeaway items
I have this list typed out and carry it in my wallet. very handy for the early days of making sure you are buying soy free items...
Alpha tocopherol (Vitamin E)*
Amylases
Broth
Calcium stearate*
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
Diglyceride*
Disodium guanylate
Disodium inositate
Edamame
Glycerin*
Glycerides*, any
Glycerol*
Isolates
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Miso
Monoglyceride*
Natto
Natural coloring*
Natural flavoring*
Okara
Olean*
Olestra*
Oxystearin
Propylene glycol monostearate
Shoyu
Sodium stearoyl fumarate
Soy anything
Soy oil
Stearoyls
Structured protein fiber
Tempeh
Textured vegetable protein*
Tofu
Vegetable anything on food label*
Vegetable broth*
Vegetable oil*
Vegetable protein*
Vitamin E*
Yuba
Products to beware of:
Margarine, Mayonnaise, Salad dressing, Miso soap, Tufu, Meat alternatives, Nondairy anything, Shortening, Whipped topping, Tuna.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
ohhh no, soy was the hardest!
it is cheap and plentiful so it is used as 'filler' in alot of processed foods, and vegetable oil makes for cheap preservative for tinned foods etc.
and because there is 'organically grown soy' it can be used on organic products... so Organic things are not soy free or necessarily safe for us...
and alot of moisturizers, make up etc all use soy - Mineral Powders have quite a bit of soy in them...
it is cheap and plentiful so it is used as 'filler' in alot of processed foods, and vegetable oil makes for cheap preservative for tinned foods etc.
and because there is 'organically grown soy' it can be used on organic products... so Organic things are not soy free or necessarily safe for us...
and alot of moisturizers, make up etc all use soy - Mineral Powders have quite a bit of soy in them...
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Mandy,
Usually an elevated fat malabsorption score is the result of damage to the small intestine caused by gluten. However, it could also be caused by compromised lipase production by the pancreas. Assuming that your liver is producing a normal amount of bile to emulsify the fats, it's also necessary to have an adequate amount of lipase to hydrolyze (digest) the fat globules created by the action of the bile. Otherwise the fat cannot be absorbed well, and higher-than-normal amounts will pass on into the colon, unabsorbed. Excess unabsorbed fats in the stool can cause D.
Please be aware however, that if you were ingesting higher-than-normal amounts of fat when you took the stool sample, that could also cause an elevated test result. And certain supplements, such as fish oil, can cause an elevated fat malabsorption test result. I'm just guessing, but I would suspect that large amounts of coconut oil or olive oil in the diet could also cause an elevated fat score.
Do you mind if I add your test results to our list here?
Tex
Usually an elevated fat malabsorption score is the result of damage to the small intestine caused by gluten. However, it could also be caused by compromised lipase production by the pancreas. Assuming that your liver is producing a normal amount of bile to emulsify the fats, it's also necessary to have an adequate amount of lipase to hydrolyze (digest) the fat globules created by the action of the bile. Otherwise the fat cannot be absorbed well, and higher-than-normal amounts will pass on into the colon, unabsorbed. Excess unabsorbed fats in the stool can cause D.
Please be aware however, that if you were ingesting higher-than-normal amounts of fat when you took the stool sample, that could also cause an elevated test result. And certain supplements, such as fish oil, can cause an elevated fat malabsorption test result. I'm just guessing, but I would suspect that large amounts of coconut oil or olive oil in the diet could also cause an elevated fat score.
Do you mind if I add your test results to our list here?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
If you were following the BRAT diet, then the fat malabsorption result is probably correct. Many of us seem to have pancreatitis issues (inflammation of the pancreas),when our MC is active (and a few members have even gone to the trouble to get a diagnosis), but it virtually always resolves when we get our MC symptoms under control.
Fat malabsorption is quite common with MC, and there's a good chance that compromised lipase production (associated with MC) is much more common than is realized. We know that MC (similar to Crohn's disease) can cause inflammation of any part of the digestive system (from mouth to anus), so it's not surprising that it might cause inflammation of the pancreas, also.
Thanks. I'll add your results.
Tex
Fat malabsorption is quite common with MC, and there's a good chance that compromised lipase production (associated with MC) is much more common than is realized. We know that MC (similar to Crohn's disease) can cause inflammation of any part of the digestive system (from mouth to anus), so it's not surprising that it might cause inflammation of the pancreas, also.
Thanks. I'll add your results.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
HI Mandy. Those are good results! Yes, soy is insidious, but avoiding it can be done.
Have you taken most of the fiber out of your diet for now? I have to say, what helped me the most was not eating raw fruits and veggies for a long while. They are just too hard on a gut that is already inflamed. Too much sugar can also cause issues. ..as can caffeine. These are all foods that can be tested back into your diet as your gut heals. It took me at least a year to be able to eat a small salad and raw veggies. Popcorn is also Okay now, but it took a while.
Leah
Have you taken most of the fiber out of your diet for now? I have to say, what helped me the most was not eating raw fruits and veggies for a long while. They are just too hard on a gut that is already inflamed. Too much sugar can also cause issues. ..as can caffeine. These are all foods that can be tested back into your diet as your gut heals. It took me at least a year to be able to eat a small salad and raw veggies. Popcorn is also Okay now, but it took a while.
Leah
Hi, yes, I've been taken all of that out for the past month. Have only been eating chicken, rice, bananas, rice cakes and rice cereal with almond milk. But looking at the things I've been eating, different seasonings and everything, there was a lot of soy. Even in the rice cereal I was eating. It explains why I still haven't felt great.
Coffee is gonna be one that I don't know if I can give up. But I've weaned off the creamers. So that's huge for me. The sweets like cake and cookies I'm craving really bad! I hope those go away!
I'm averaging about 10 g of fiber every day. So I've cut way back. But was having constipation issues until I started using a teriyaki flavor on my chicken. Big mistake. Take took care of the C. I'm still paying for eating that.
Hopefully I can get this all figured out. It's still really confusing what I can and can't eat. For now, no soy. No fresh fruits or veggies. Low fiber. I'm still confused about gluten. Not sure if I should eat that. And people have told me to stay away from high fodmaps, high histamine foods, high inflammatory foods and then I'll hear that all I need to avoid is soy. Or only gluten. Or to eat lots of fiber. Which just adds to the confusion.
Hopefully I'll get it all figured out. I know it'll take time and trial and error.
Mandy
Coffee is gonna be one that I don't know if I can give up. But I've weaned off the creamers. So that's huge for me. The sweets like cake and cookies I'm craving really bad! I hope those go away!
I'm averaging about 10 g of fiber every day. So I've cut way back. But was having constipation issues until I started using a teriyaki flavor on my chicken. Big mistake. Take took care of the C. I'm still paying for eating that.
Hopefully I can get this all figured out. It's still really confusing what I can and can't eat. For now, no soy. No fresh fruits or veggies. Low fiber. I'm still confused about gluten. Not sure if I should eat that. And people have told me to stay away from high fodmaps, high histamine foods, high inflammatory foods and then I'll hear that all I need to avoid is soy. Or only gluten. Or to eat lots of fiber. Which just adds to the confusion.
Hopefully I'll get it all figured out. I know it'll take time and trial and error.
Mandy
Recovery is a very critical time, and time is of the essence, because the faster our intestines heal, the better off we are. Being sick (and living with chronic inflammation) is not good for long-term health, to say nothing of the inconvenience and unpleasantness. By doing everything we can to heal as fast as possible, not only do we get our life back sooner, but we significantly lower the risk of causing damage, some of which might eventually become permanent, or might lead to the development of other AI diseases. That's why we are much better off if we totally avoid anything and everything that might possibly prevent or postpone remission.Mandy wrote:I'm still confused about gluten. Not sure if I should eat that. And people have told me to stay away from high fodmaps, high histamine foods, high inflammatory foods and then I'll hear that all I need to avoid is soy. Or only gluten. Or to eat lots of fiber. Which just adds to the confusion.
The point is, if we are unable to reach remission, not only do we begin to lose confidence in our treatment program, but we continue to suffer needlessly and accumulate additional damage to our intestines. And the big problem is that we still won't know why we were unable to reach remission. At that point we either have to start over, with a crash diet, or flounder around for months or years, trying to figure out the problem without adopting a diet that's restrictive enough to ensure success.
Once we are in remission, then we have all the time in the world to test foods back into our diet, one at a time, to see if they are safe. You can even test gluten then, if you want, if you feel that it's a healthy food, and you think that it's good for you. But we can't do that while we are still recovering, because we can't reliably tell whether or not a food makes us sick, if we are already sick. We have to be in good health, and our digestive system needs to be at least reasonably-well healed and functioning properly, in order to accurately and reliably test foods. And we also can't reliably test foods when we are taking an anti-inflammatory medication, because those medications will at least partially mask any reactions.
If you are not sensitive to gluten, then you should recover relatively quickly, because antibodies to soy have only about a 6-day half-life. Anti-gliadin antibodies (gluten), by comparison, have a 120-day half-life. Therefore it normally takes much longer for gluten antibodies to decay sufficiently that our reactions (to gluten) will stop. But recovery times are never chiseled in stone, because we are all different.
I hope this helps.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Mandy,
Incidentally, most of us can tolerate coffee just fine. Of course as Leah pointed out, not all of us can. In general, if drinking coffee sent us to the bathroom before we had MC, then it will certainly do so after we have MC. But those of us who didn't find coffee to be a laxative before we had MC, can usually tolerate it after we have MC. The creamers are the problem. I usually just plunk 2 or 3 sugar cubes in mine, and it tastes fine. But back when I was recovering, I avoided coffee and drank my tea unsweetened, because as Leah pointed out, sugar can cause major problems when our intestines are inflamed. And remember that even the non-dairy creamers contain dairy.
Talk about worthless labeling . . .
If you can do without coffee while you are recovering, you'll probably be better off, but if you really feel that you just can't afford to give it up, as long as it doesn't send you to the bathroom 10 minutes after you drink it, it's probably OK, at least in moderation.
Tex
Incidentally, most of us can tolerate coffee just fine. Of course as Leah pointed out, not all of us can. In general, if drinking coffee sent us to the bathroom before we had MC, then it will certainly do so after we have MC. But those of us who didn't find coffee to be a laxative before we had MC, can usually tolerate it after we have MC. The creamers are the problem. I usually just plunk 2 or 3 sugar cubes in mine, and it tastes fine. But back when I was recovering, I avoided coffee and drank my tea unsweetened, because as Leah pointed out, sugar can cause major problems when our intestines are inflamed. And remember that even the non-dairy creamers contain dairy.
Talk about worthless labeling . . .If you can do without coffee while you are recovering, you'll probably be better off, but if you really feel that you just can't afford to give it up, as long as it doesn't send you to the bathroom 10 minutes after you drink it, it's probably OK, at least in moderation.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Remembering that is really helping me avoid the foods I shouldn't eat. I'm just confused as what foods are bad. I hear so many different things from different people.
I ate something bad yesterday cuz I'm having a lot of pain in my sternum and it's swollen again. No D yet tho.
Since I scored only one point under for gluten, could I still be sensitive to it?
I ate something bad yesterday cuz I'm having a lot of pain in my sternum and it's swollen again. No D yet tho.
Since I scored only one point under for gluten, could I still be sensitive to it?
Yes, you could certainly be sensitive to gluten, because all gluten tests only check for antibodies to the alpha gliadin peptide. There are over 300 other peptides in wheat, rye, and barley that cause celiacs to react. Therefore, it's possible to not be sensitive to the alpha gliadin peptide (and receive a negative test result), but be sensitive to many of the other reactive peptides in wheat, rye, and barley. I have a hunch that this is the basis of most of the confusion about non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Most people (even doctors) apparently don't realize that all gluten-sensitivity tests only test for antibodies to the alpha gliadin peptide, and it's only 1 of hundreds of potential antigens in wheat.
I believe that Dr. Fine points out in the test results that we should avoid gluten if we seem to react to it, despite a negative test result. There is no such thing as a test that works perfectly every time, for every person. That applies to all medical tests. The EnteroLab tests are the best available, and they are very reliable, but they are not perfect. Statistically, a small percentage of false negative, and false positive results will occasionally happen.
That said, your EnteroLab test result may actually be accurate. But the best way to determine that is to avoid gluten now, get your life back, and then test gluten back in your diet, to see if you can tolerate it. If you continue to eat it now, and you are sensitive to it, you will never get your life back. Why take a chance on gambling away your recovery, when you can just avoid gluten now, and then test it in your diet after your digestive system is working fine again?
My first post about this was probably too long and detailed. Here's the short, simple version of how we recover from MC:
1. Avoid all suspect foods.
2. Heal.
3. Test suspect foods back into your diet (one at a time) if you crave to eat them, to see if they are actually safe.
Tex
I believe that Dr. Fine points out in the test results that we should avoid gluten if we seem to react to it, despite a negative test result. There is no such thing as a test that works perfectly every time, for every person. That applies to all medical tests. The EnteroLab tests are the best available, and they are very reliable, but they are not perfect. Statistically, a small percentage of false negative, and false positive results will occasionally happen.
That said, your EnteroLab test result may actually be accurate. But the best way to determine that is to avoid gluten now, get your life back, and then test gluten back in your diet, to see if you can tolerate it. If you continue to eat it now, and you are sensitive to it, you will never get your life back. Why take a chance on gambling away your recovery, when you can just avoid gluten now, and then test it in your diet after your digestive system is working fine again?
If you happen to have a copy of my book on MC, please reread chapters 8 and 9. They should help you to understand why certain foods promoted as healthy are actually not healthy after all.Mandy wrote:I'm just confused as what foods are bad. I hear so many different things from different people.
My first post about this was probably too long and detailed. Here's the short, simple version of how we recover from MC:
1. Avoid all suspect foods.
2. Heal.
3. Test suspect foods back into your diet (one at a time) if you crave to eat them, to see if they are actually safe.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.