Apparently We May Not "Outgrow" Food Intolerances

[Blueberry]

I'm in the same boat at the moment with beef and dairy products. Sometimes I feel they are OK to eat, other times I wonder if grass fed works out better (it does), and now I'm just avoiding them. The strange part is that when avoiding them, beef and dairy, I begin to experience other strange health issues. These strange issues include gums swelling up, gums bleeding, skin becoming dryer. On the positive I'm more with it, more verbose, and generally happier. I don't know. The gut still is troubled, but figure I'll stick with this latest avoidance for a long while and see what happens. One month down on the bovine avoidance.

[Jeanie]

Tex,
You gave me an aha moment! Currently I am taking physical therapy for a sore neck. My neck aches come and go but have been more active currently but also it's been several years ago that I had a whiplash and they got really bad . I know that I do have osteoarthritis so I blame that in conjunction with the injury. I am now wondering if it could be a food intolerance causing it to be worse.

I am also going to be seeing a doctor for a problem I am having with my balance. I had quite a problem in December and part of January and they were accompanied by headaches each time. They seem to be quite a bit better so I did not see the doctor then but I have made an appointment now because the last two nights before I went to bed it got really bad. So since it seems to come and go I am wondering now if it could be from something I ate. At least one of those nights I ate bread and peanut butter before I went to bed and I am wondering if the peanuts could be the culprit . The bread of course was gluten-free. Can food be the cause of a balance problem? The doctors seem to think that it is the inner ear which could be the case .

Side note: I had to change doctors because my regular Doctor no longer takes Medicare patients and I need to have someone that can treat me because I have several maladies. One of the doctors saw me for diabetes although she is not an endocrinologist. She wanted me to go to a dietitian for the diabetes but I do not want to do that because I don't think they could really help me. She also wanted me to start taking Crestor and the Crestor raises my blood sugar. I have taken meds for my cholesterol for about 40 years and I'm done with that. (I hope!). My MC is not as bad as it was a few years back but I still have some problem with it and I am still fighting the battle.

Jean

[tex]

Can food be the cause of a balance problem?

Yes it can. Published research shows that untreated gluten sensitivity causes balance problems so probably other food sensitivities might also cause balance issues. It could also be due to a source of cross-contamination in your diet. Many of us have had that problem before.

But another possbility is a vitamin B-12 deficiency. In some people, a vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause headaches, balance issues, and other neurological problems. It's possible that due to methylation issues you might need the active form of vitamin B-12 (methylcobalamin), or you might need the active form of folate (methylfolate) in order to allow your body to utilize the B-12 already in your diet. It's safe to take B-12 or folate even if you don't need it. If you don't need it the body will either store it or just pass it on through the system.

Regarding dietitians, I believe you made the right judgement. To the best of my knowledge there is only one dietitian in this country who actually understands how to specify a diet for someone who has MC, and she is a member of this forum (though she no longer posts). Virtually all of them will recommend the standard diet they are taught to use for Crohn's patients and it simply will not work for MC patients.

Tex

[Jeanie]

Tex, thank you so much for your reply. I don't think any of the doctors understand the problems that most of us have. They know how to set a broken arm, but "broken digestive system" not so much!

I am confused about the balance issue since it comes and goes. It seems that if it was in my inner ear that it would react differently. But I certainly don't know about that. I have an appointment coming up in three weeks but am wondering if I should go or not.

I recently bought a Prebiotic called Prebiothrive. It just came and I took my first dose this morning. Wish I could have done more research before I bought it. I feel questionable about using it. It may be good for most people but how about those of us with MC? Do you know anything about it? I did find out that it contains milk. I have not been using cow's milk but I do use butter and cheese. I avoided them in the beginning. It's all confusing at times. What do you think about prebiotics and probiotics ?

Thanks, Jean

[tex]

I am confused about the balance issue since it comes and goes.

That's typical. At least it's the way that mine behaves. My balance is never perfect, but it varies during the day depending on a lot of things ranging from vitamins and minerals to alertness/sleepiness. I've taken a prescription B vitamin mix known as Metanx for over 7 years, but since the "Affordable Care Act" was passed it has become increasingly expensive. I recently switched to a generic product that's available OTC, known as Methyl Gard plus, by Thorne Laboratories. This particular vitamin mix (using the active forms) treats peripheral neuropathy, endothelial dysfunction, balance issues, and cognizance and memory issues. It's commonly prescribed to treat these issues resulting from diabetes.

Personally I have never used either prebiotics or probiotics because our gut microbiome will always tend to conform to our current diet and environment, regardless of how we try to manipulate it. Using those products is similar to using an anti-inflammatory medication to treat MC. The effect is only temporary, and as soon as we stop using it our gut bacteria balance will soon return to whatever our diet and environment allow.

Tex

[Jeanie]

Tex, thanks again. I had a couple more sessions of balance problem. Really weird. It can be scary. The GP doctor I had been seeing has had me taking a lot of supplements. For quite some time I have been taking L-5 MTHF lozenges which is 1000 mcg Folate.. I also had taken Adeno B12 lozenges which are 3000 mcg deemed to be 50000% of the daily requirement but I am out at present,although there is 300 mcg in the multivitamin I'm taking. (I use Life Extension two per day High Potency multivitamin & Mineral supplement. I also take 5000 IU of D3 along with the 2000IU in the multi tabs. I'm taking 200 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid. Plus Magnesium and Sunflower Lecithin and just started on Super K.

I hate taking so many pills. I'm hopeful that they are helping.

Sometimes I wonder if our systems adjust no matter what we do. At least I don't drink or smoke.

Jean

[tex]

Hi Jean,

Here's what the Metanx contains, and this balance of the three vitamins is claimed to be important.

Metanx uses the active form of vitamins B-12, B-9, and B-6. Each tablet contains:

L-methylfolate Calcium (as Metafolin®) 3mg

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate 35mg

Methylcobalamin 2mg

Good luck with your recovery.

Tex

[UkuleleLady]

Hi Ann, welcome to the forum. I thought I had the most ridiculous GI, but, apparently, you do.

The GI insists that the pain is due to lack of abdominal exercises??? Does anyone else suffer from chronic abdominal pain?

They will say ANYTHING.

I hope you consider going Gluten free, at the very least, this helps us over time. You will discover a diet that works for you, like many of us have. It takes patience and time but your life can get better.

Best wishes.

[brandy]

I am also going to be seeing a doctor for a problem I am having with my balance. I had quite a problem in December and part of January and they were accompanied by headaches each time. They seem to be quite a bit better so I did not see the doctor then but I have made an appointment now because the last two nights before I went to bed it got really bad. So since it seems to come and go I am wondering now if it could be from something I ate. At least one of those nights I ate bread and peanut butter before I went to bed and I am wondering if the peanuts could be the culprit . The bread of course was gluten-free.

Hi Jeanie,

I was age 50 when I was diagnosed. The first 6 months I had ataxia--balance issues. Prior to getting MC I was walking 10 miles a day and no balance issues. Towards the end I could tell that drinking apple juice, sugar and corn made the ataxia worse.

Gradually as I healed the balance issues went 100% away.

Ataxia is a symptom of MC.

I also started taking the absorbable B's at some point. They definitely helped with the memory and brain fog. They may have helped with the balance issues or it may be that my gut healed enough for the balance issues to go away.

[brandy]

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?

I laughed the first time I saw your GI's comment and then laughed again when Ukelele Lady posted.

I live in the south in the most overweight part of the US. Half of the southerners would be suffering from abdominal pain due to lack of exercise. I can't believe your GI's comment.

Have you purchased Tex's book? It is helpful. Link is in upper right of screen. If you have not looked at the foundation newsletters they are helpful too. Click on foundation link then there is a section that has newsletters.

[brandy]

I am confused about the balance issue since it comes and goes

.

This was my experience. I found eating apple juice, corn, and sugar made it worse. As I got better the balance issues disappeared.