I guess my initial optimism was a bit premature, since symptoms worsened soon after my first posts, and my worst day/night of the year was last Friday. Then my EnteroLab results were posted late Friday night, and of course I’d been wrong about most everything. Not only was there no fat malabsorption, but also most of my “safe” foods weren’t safe.
As I’d assumed, I was sensitive to gluten (49), eggs (46) soy (15), and chicken (1+), but surprisingly no longer to casein (7). They said this might be because it’s been restricted for 10+ years, so recommended continued restriction for at least another year.
Other results were: (total=23)
3+ = Oat (who knew?)
2+ = Walnut, Cashew, Almond
1+ = Rice, Corn, Chicken, Tuna, Pork (very limited Pork for 20+ years)
0 = Beef, White potato (No beef/minimal russet potatoes for 20+ years)
Reading here, I learned that plain turkey was often okay, even when chicken wasn’t. So on Saturday I switched from fish to roasted turkey only, to russet potatoes, and ditched the rice. I’d already ditched nuts, oats, chicken and the other reactive foods, and it now seems that carrots, coconut macaroons and coffee were the only “safe” items I’d been eating. Thank goodness coffee is okay!!!
Seems incredible, but since my first “safe” meal on Saturday, there has been no real cramping or loud gurgles. Just a few subdued “glugs”, and fleeting gassy cramps within an hour or two after meals. Also no more urgency, and frequency is way down to just a few times in the AM instead of all hours of day +/or night. Still liquid, but seems like H20% is also diminishing daily, and I finally stopped losing weight.
I can hardly believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My reaction #’s seem relatively mild though—are symptoms residual and cumulative, or suggest histamine/mast cell issues, if there’s been lots of long-term 1+’s and 2+’s, fiber and histamine in one’s diet until fairly recently?
How long a break is recommended before trying salmon again? Turkey is great, but massive amounts of wild Alaskan sockeye and nuts/peanuts/butters have comprised the bulk of my diet for years. Any hope for 85+% chocolate anytime soon? Does soy sensitivity (mine was only 15) generally preclude all legumes—or is there hope for peanuts, garbanzos. etc. in the future?
Also info re: white vs. waxy potatoes seemed inconclusive. I just bought a big bag of O/G russets, but don’t really like them. Think a test substitution of a yellow potato would currently be dangerous?
Thanks again to everyone for all of your EnteroLab recommendations and postings! They’ve been enormously helpful.
With best regards.
EnteroLab results/questions: I can hardly believe it!!!!
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
EnteroLab results/questions: I can hardly believe it!!!!
TeriM
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
HI TeriM
I'll give you my thoughts on this quote
You tested 15 on Soy - well it is kinda low but you still react to soy so ALL Legumes are out of the picture including peanut butter, garbonzos for the foreseeable future :-( I've tried to bring in a little PBj once in a great while and it doesn't do anything good for me.
The Waxy potato Red or Yellow should be fairly safe for you as would Beef. The russets from what I understand are a bit rough on the intestines, I don't eat them anymore and when I used to I would smother them in butter (that was pre MC diagnosis).
You appear to be able to rotate Rice, Corn, Chicken, Tuna and Pork....so eventually those are options still left to test.
Good Luck, and to have Enterolab testing sure is super helpful:-)
Erica
I'll give you my thoughts on this quote
I'd let my guts settle down a bit more before testing Salmon you need a base line of no reactions so you can do a three day test of a little bit of salmon on each day and by the third day if you do not have any out of the ordinary reactions occur you may be able feel some what safe with Salmon. I say some what because unless you caught it yourself you really aren't sure how it was processed so you be the judge ;-)How long a break is recommended before trying salmon again? Turkey is great, but massive amounts of wild Alaskan sockeye and nuts/peanuts/butters have comprised the bulk of my diet for years. Any hope for 85+% chocolate anytime soon? Does soy sensitivity (mine was only 15) generally preclude all legumes—or is there hope for peanuts, garbanzos. etc. in the future?
Also info re: white vs. waxy potatoes seemed inconclusive. I just bought a big bag of O/G russets, but don’t really like them. Think a test substitution of a yellow potato would currently be dangerous?
You tested 15 on Soy - well it is kinda low but you still react to soy so ALL Legumes are out of the picture including peanut butter, garbonzos for the foreseeable future :-( I've tried to bring in a little PBj once in a great while and it doesn't do anything good for me.
The Waxy potato Red or Yellow should be fairly safe for you as would Beef. The russets from what I understand are a bit rough on the intestines, I don't eat them anymore and when I used to I would smother them in butter (that was pre MC diagnosis).
You appear to be able to rotate Rice, Corn, Chicken, Tuna and Pork....so eventually those are options still left to test.
Good Luck, and to have Enterolab testing sure is super helpful:-)
Erica
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Hi Teri,
Hmmmmmm! Maybe there's something to this EnteroLab testing after all.
Just kidding.
That's absolutely great that you've responded so positively and so quickly to the diet corrections you're made. Good for you!
Here are my thoughts on your questions. If you quickly tire of turkey (which often happens), lamb is another safe choice, as is any wild-type meat, such as venison, duck, goose, pheasant, rabbit, quail, antelope, emu, etc.
Any reaction result above 10 is positive, so the effects of multiple problem foods adds up quickly.
It's difficult to say how long salmon should be avoided, because we are all different in such effects. But I agree with Erica that it might be prudent to wait for some healing before doing much experimentation.
Note that unless you have a classic allergy to shellfish, you should be able to safely eat shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mussels, clams, oysters, etc.
I'm not sure that legumes will ever be a safe option but of course I'm just guessing based on the fact that soy seems to be a relatively potent allergen. I tested negative to soy roughly 10 years ago, but a year and a half ago my first warning that I had developed a sensitivity to soy was a reaction to peanuts. An EnteroLab test confirmed that I am now sensitive to soy. A few members here who are sensitive to soy have been able to eat certain types of dry beans. I'm not sure which ones though. You might be able to turn up some posts by searching the archives. Or maybe someone in that situation will notice your post and respond. It would probably be best to wait a while before trying them in order to allow your gut some time to do some serious healing before challenging it.
Erica is right on target with her comments about the Russets. FWIW, because of the type of starch they contain, Russets make the best baked potatoes, but are the most difficult type of potato to digest. In general, the colored varieties such as red, yellow, etc. are easier to digest. So trying yellow potatoes should not be risky.
Incidentally, the oat result shouldn't be surprising. Despite claims to the contrary by most of the "celiac experts", most of us here (who react to gluten — and virtually all of us react to gluten) also react to oats because the molecule of avenin protein in oats contains some peptide strings that are very similar to some of the highly reactive peptides in the gluten molecule in wheat.
Congratulations on your rapid improvement! And I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.
Your post is the type we all love to read.
Tex
Hmmmmmm! Maybe there's something to this EnteroLab testing after all.
Just kidding.That's absolutely great that you've responded so positively and so quickly to the diet corrections you're made. Good for you!
Here are my thoughts on your questions. If you quickly tire of turkey (which often happens), lamb is another safe choice, as is any wild-type meat, such as venison, duck, goose, pheasant, rabbit, quail, antelope, emu, etc.
Any reaction result above 10 is positive, so the effects of multiple problem foods adds up quickly.
It's difficult to say how long salmon should be avoided, because we are all different in such effects. But I agree with Erica that it might be prudent to wait for some healing before doing much experimentation.
Note that unless you have a classic allergy to shellfish, you should be able to safely eat shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mussels, clams, oysters, etc.
I'm not sure that legumes will ever be a safe option but of course I'm just guessing based on the fact that soy seems to be a relatively potent allergen. I tested negative to soy roughly 10 years ago, but a year and a half ago my first warning that I had developed a sensitivity to soy was a reaction to peanuts. An EnteroLab test confirmed that I am now sensitive to soy. A few members here who are sensitive to soy have been able to eat certain types of dry beans. I'm not sure which ones though. You might be able to turn up some posts by searching the archives. Or maybe someone in that situation will notice your post and respond. It would probably be best to wait a while before trying them in order to allow your gut some time to do some serious healing before challenging it.
Erica is right on target with her comments about the Russets. FWIW, because of the type of starch they contain, Russets make the best baked potatoes, but are the most difficult type of potato to digest. In general, the colored varieties such as red, yellow, etc. are easier to digest. So trying yellow potatoes should not be risky.
Incidentally, the oat result shouldn't be surprising. Despite claims to the contrary by most of the "celiac experts", most of us here (who react to gluten — and virtually all of us react to gluten) also react to oats because the molecule of avenin protein in oats contains some peptide strings that are very similar to some of the highly reactive peptides in the gluten molecule in wheat.
Congratulations on your rapid improvement! And I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.
Your post is the type we all love to read.
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.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Teri
that is great news that you saw improvement with the slight eating plan changes.
with the high Gluten result, I would suggest that you be super careful regarding contamination (if you are sharing the kitchen with others that are having gluten) and I can not recall if we have already suggested this to you (or if you have read it in another post) that you have separate cooking utensils, chopping boards etc for preparing your meals.
Agree with Tex and Erica, I would wait as long as possible ie at least 3 months, if not 6 months before you experiment with different ingredients.
with the quick improvement since making some food changes, you are on track now for some good quality healing to happen. Having good quality healing now in the early stages of your MC journey is a good foundation for the rest of your life (and good way to minimise other health issues later in life)
I would be cautious of salmon in general a) depending on where you source it from as fish on the west coast is impacted by the fall out of the Japan nuclear situation etc b) farm raised seafood is fed a lot of soy.
I would only embrace something like salmon in the future, if it is wild caught from a 'healthy' sea environment.
that is great news that you saw improvement with the slight eating plan changes.
with the high Gluten result, I would suggest that you be super careful regarding contamination (if you are sharing the kitchen with others that are having gluten) and I can not recall if we have already suggested this to you (or if you have read it in another post) that you have separate cooking utensils, chopping boards etc for preparing your meals.
Agree with Tex and Erica, I would wait as long as possible ie at least 3 months, if not 6 months before you experiment with different ingredients.
with the quick improvement since making some food changes, you are on track now for some good quality healing to happen. Having good quality healing now in the early stages of your MC journey is a good foundation for the rest of your life (and good way to minimise other health issues later in life)
I would be cautious of salmon in general a) depending on where you source it from as fish on the west coast is impacted by the fall out of the Japan nuclear situation etc b) farm raised seafood is fed a lot of soy.
I would only embrace something like salmon in the future, if it is wild caught from a 'healthy' sea environment.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Thanks Erica, Tex and Gabes. I will try to remain patient and not get over-confident (again). Very glad I can revert to waxy potatoes though! Is it possible that beef might be a “false” negative like casein might, as its been +/- 30 years since I’ve had any?
My husband has also been G/F (at home) for years, so hopefully our utensils/cookware are okay. We eat sustainably caught, allegedly “clean” Alaskan salmon, either fresh, or flash-frozen/shrink-wrapped on the boat. I purchase these still frozen in the original shrink-wrap and defrost them myself.
Thanks again!
My husband has also been G/F (at home) for years, so hopefully our utensils/cookware are okay. We eat sustainably caught, allegedly “clean” Alaskan salmon, either fresh, or flash-frozen/shrink-wrapped on the boat. I purchase these still frozen in the original shrink-wrap and defrost them myself.
Thanks again!
TeriM
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
Teri,
Yes, it's possible that you might react to beef, but the most likely scenario would be that it would take a few weeks or a few months to build up enough antibodies to beef to begin to trigger a reaction. Years ago I did an oat challenge after avoiding them for at least 5 or 6 years. I only ate oats (certified gluten-free breakfast cereal) twice a week (on a 3 to 4 day rotation) and it took 6 weeks to reach the point where I began to react. After I cut them back out of my diet it took another 6 weeks for the D to stop.
Tex
Yes, it's possible that you might react to beef, but the most likely scenario would be that it would take a few weeks or a few months to build up enough antibodies to beef to begin to trigger a reaction. Years ago I did an oat challenge after avoiding them for at least 5 or 6 years. I only ate oats (certified gluten-free breakfast cereal) twice a week (on a 3 to 4 day rotation) and it took 6 weeks to reach the point where I began to react. After I cut them back out of my diet it took another 6 weeks for the D to stop.
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.
I forgot to address the chocolate question that you asked. The higher percentage chocolates are often available free of soy lecithin, so these are potentially safe. However, many of us have mast cell issues that force us to minimize our intake of high-histamine foods. Chocolate is considered to be a high-histamine food.
But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it once in a while, even if you also have mast cell issues. It's the total intake of histamine that causes problems (if it exceeds our tolerance threshold), so the trick is to just not overdo it when eating high-histamine foods. If you don't have any histamine issues then you may be able to eat all the 85 % chocolate you want (as long as the label doesn't list soy lecithin).
Tex
But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it once in a while, even if you also have mast cell issues. It's the total intake of histamine that causes problems (if it exceeds our tolerance threshold), so the trick is to just not overdo it when eating high-histamine foods. If you don't have any histamine issues then you may be able to eat all the 85 % chocolate you want (as long as the label doesn't list soy lecithin).
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.
Thanks Tex. That’s good to know about beef. I suppose the same might happen with pork, which I’ve had only several times as bacon wrapped tuna and possibly inadvertently in some restaurant stir-fries. Other than that I’ve eaten only fish, shellfish and poultry for decades.
Thanks Brandy. Very encouraging that I might be able to try salmon again while its still available fresh later this year, and I’ve been meaning to try oysters for quite some time.
Based on my improvement with anti-histamines I’m guessing that I probably do have mast cell issues. But I had also been eating lots of spinach, chocolate, fish and chicken until recently. Now that those are gone, maybe I can get a better idea of what’s happening with histamines/mast cells. I was planning to get some shrimp and oysters tomorrow, but noticed that shellfish are also high in histamines, so think I’ll hold off for a bit and see how I do.
Thanks!
Thanks Brandy. Very encouraging that I might be able to try salmon again while its still available fresh later this year, and I’ve been meaning to try oysters for quite some time.
Based on my improvement with anti-histamines I’m guessing that I probably do have mast cell issues. But I had also been eating lots of spinach, chocolate, fish and chicken until recently. Now that those are gone, maybe I can get a better idea of what’s happening with histamines/mast cells. I was planning to get some shrimp and oysters tomorrow, but noticed that shellfish are also high in histamines, so think I’ll hold off for a bit and see how I do.
Thanks!
TeriM
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
“Sometimes the light’s all shining on me,
other times I can barely see.” Robert Hunter
Yes, fish and chicken are often high-histamine sources. But when very fresh, or when fresh frozen, they're usually not high-histamine sources. Histamine levels rise steadily at refrigeration temperatures, but not at deep-freeze temps (zero degrees F or below). If the shrimp or oysters are very fresh (or promptly frozen) they should be OK.
You're very welcome.
Tex
You're very welcome.
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.