Got my EnteroLab Results...Why am I not feeling better?

[GrammyLou]

So my results came back really fast! Specimen received by lab on Nov7 and results posted today, Nov 10. Wow!

I feel like it could have been much worse:

Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 39 Units
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 12 Units
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 11 Units
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 24 Units
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 12 Units

No significant reactivity: rice, chicken , pork, tuna, walnut, cashew, white potato
Some reactivity +1: Corn, beef, almond
moderate reactiviy +2: oat
signif reactivity +3: none

I have been diagnosed with LC, but I don't know if my symptoms are typical? It all started back in January when I DID have true diarrhea...things went right through me...for maybe a month? But then it all settled down, and by the time I got my diagnosis (April), I was back to just 1 or 2 bms per day and feeling normal...except that I had "puffy poo". Since I wasn't feeling bad, I stupidly just ignored the diagnosis and the puffy poo and went about my normal life. My GI doc recommended a low FODMAP diet, which I didn't really adhere to since I felt okay. But then around September I started having bad stomach cramping, usually late in the day, so that I often slept with a heating pad on my stomach. That's when I decided to find out more about this mysterious LC diagnosis...which led me to this forum.
I have been 100% gluten and dairy free since Oct 25th...at least as far as I know, unless I'm missing something. That seems to have helped, since I haven't needed the heating pad anymore. I was still getting some cramping and lots of nausea, however, so I continued to research. I did 3 days of nothing but chicken, potatoes, and bananas, and was feeling better, so started trying to add other things, but again had lots of nausea and woozy-head feeling. Then I read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and decided to cut all grains and potatoes. That seemed to help. I'm thinking it might be soy that was getting me. I was snacking on dry Rice Krispies and Rice Chex, which I see now both probably contain soy.
I was so disappointed to see my soy number come back high, because that, to me is the most difficult thing to avoid. It is hidden everywhere :(
So I guess I'm just wondering if it is typical to take weeks before you start to feel better? Or maybe I am just not being strict enough - yet at the same time, I'm afraid of not getting proper nutrients by eating too restrictive of a diet for too long. Today I actually felt great for most of the day. But now this evening, some cramps and "woozy head". The only things I ate were a fermented pickle (ingred: cucumber, water, salt, garlic, spices). I thought it sounded safe and that the probiotics would be good for me. I have been taking Culturelle and I do think the probiotics make me feel better...hard to tell for sure though, with so many other factors. The other thing I ate that might be questionable was a vitamin with corn starch. Ugh, this is not an easy road! And I don't feel like my numbers on the Enterolab test were that bad compared to many of the others I have seen here. I thought cutting out all the junk food would fix me right up. Ha. Not so easy :(

[Pam V]

Hi Lou, I’m sure others who are more knowledgeable than I will chime in but here’s my thoughts.

I think when you are not feeling well, it’s best to not vary your diet too much ~ rice, potato, sweet potato and protein. From what I understand, protein is key. I’m just starting to add veggies back and will eat broccoli, green beans, squash. I even have had some lettuce, no dressing. I think that until things calm down, your body isn’t absorbing all the nutrients of the food anyway so don’t be too concerned with your nutrition. And I think it’s the B vitamins that help with brain fog. It takes awhile for that to lift so get plenty of rest and try to be gentle with yourself.

Hang in there!!!
Pam

[tex]

Hi Lou,

Pam is right — forget about nutrition until after your gut has done some healing. Heal first (to stop the inflammation), and balance your diet after you have reached remission and partially healed . Soy is a major problem. But if they still contain barley malt, Rice Krispies contain gluten. Avoid spicy foods. Your food is now your medicine, so you're no longer eating for fun — you're eating to heal.

You'll probably be in recovery for 3 to 6 months, maybe longer. You'll have good days and bad days, but you should slowly improve. Once you reach remission, it will probably take another 2 to 3 years for your gut to finish healing. Then all the remaining brain fog and fatigue will fade away. Yep, this is a tough, cruel disease, but we learn to adapt our lifestyle as we develop a new normal.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

Hi there Lou
i know that it is all very overwhelming at first.

to expand on what Tex and Pam have put above, main focus for now is healing so that you can absorb nutrients.
and you may be surprised by the nutritional value of the bland, minimal ingredients eating plan.

I would encourage you to avoid ferments for now, and any products with garlic/spices etc
stick with safe proteins, safe veges as per what we suggest in the guidelines to recovery eating plan
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22328
Protein is key to this stage of the healing journey...

with the high soy result I would also avoid heavy use of moisterisers, facial products, lipsticks, lipbalms etc anything with Vit E in it, as this will be high with soy.

Also - be patient... healing takes time.
It takes weeks and months not days for your body to clear things like gluten antibodies etc and only with continued bland low inflammation (low triggers etc) eating plan, lifestyle plan, along with good amounts of Vit D3 and magnesium will the body heal.
we encourage people to avoid adding any additional ingredients for as long as possible.

hope this helps