How Do We Know for Sure?

Post by **tex** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:19 am

Celia,

Unless our immune systems become reprogrammed, (usually by viruses), food allergies and intolerances are generally permanent. MC is never cured. It can be coaxed into remission, but it can/will become active again, anytime the proper condition is present to trigger another episode.

Since it's a response to Leaky Gut Syndrome, then anything that tends to trigger LGS, will trigger another MC episode.

Whether or not I'm now able to eat a former intolerance depends on your definition of an intolerance. Many of us are now able to eat former food triggers, such as lettuce, fruits, nuts, veggies, etc.. This is because they were not really true intolerances, but irritants to an overly-sensitive colon.

When I was having problems with dairy products, corn, and a number of other foods, I often pointed out, (to anyone who was interested), that a lot of my problems seemed to be due to fermentation. I apparently had a lot of damge to my small intestine, which caused a severe enzyme deficiency. A lot of foods made me sick, simply because I couldn't digest them, and they would often ferment in my colon. It's apparent now, that I wasn't really intolerant of them, (by the classic definition), they made me sick because I couldn't properly digest them, and they didn't just pass on through--they stuck around and fermented.

There's no doubt in my mind that the stenosis in my colon was a huge factor in the fermentation problem. Therefore, I'm not a typical case. In fact, I don't even know for sure that I have MC, (as anyone who has been here for a while, or has read the archives, is aware). (I had all the symptoms, but my GI was too dumb to take biopsies.) It's possible that I'm just a celiac, but again, my GI didn't bother to check for that either, and once I was on the diet long enough to get rid of my symptoms, it was too late to test for anything but damage to my small intestine, which, of course, I did, (three years into the diet, I still had significant small intestinal damage). I have both a celiac gene and a gene which makes me predisposed to MC.

For all these reasons, it's difficult to draw firm conslusions about long-term trends with intolerances and allergies. When I was a kid, I had asthma so bad that I would have died one night when I was in my early teens, if our family doctor hadn't come out and given me a cortisone shot. I was already turning blue when he arrived. When I was in my 20s, I stopped having asthma, and started having problems with hay fever. About the time that my symptoms of gluten sensitivity began to develop, the hay fever disappeared. Nothing is chisled in stone, and we are all different.

Tex

Maureen · Post by **Maureen** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:04 pm

very interesting.... I have been "on top of the world" with my MC. I haven't had any D. in 21 months! I have resumed a normal diet with no intolerances that I know of.

Here's the kicker: My gut may not be sensitive anymore but my migraines are possibly related to food.
nuts,
chocolate
caffeine
alcohol
MSG
pectin (not sure)
aged cheeses
anything fermented
yellow dye
bananas
dairy
spices
fresh bread (yeast)
Maybe MC has moved to my head for awhile .....Which do I prefer? Neither.....(I suppose migraines are easier to cover up when medication is used)

Mo

Post by **tex** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:57 pm

Hi Mo,

Yes it is interesting. When my upper respiratory allergies (asthma, which segued into hay fever), disappeared, my gut problem suddenly popped up, (in more ways than one, since I was bloated most of the time).

I'm guessing that when a significant change such as this happens, our immune systems have been reprogrammed. I don't see how else it could occur.

You know, a high percentage of the things that bother you contain MSG or free glutamic acid. It looks mighty suspicious to me. Here's another article from the Weston Price Foundaion, about the history of MSG, and how it's once again slipping back into our food supply, without appearing ln labels.

http://www.westonaprice.org/msg/index.html

Tex

Maureen · Post by **Maureen** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:39 pm

Another very interesting article, Tex.

I'm happy to say that I will be eating fresh fruits & veggies from my own backyard this summer!

And I will be careful to read all the labels when I by my food from the store....

I am also happy to report no headache today! Yay!

Mo

Post by **tex** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:52 pm

Nothing compares with home grown for flavor, and safety.

That's good news on the headache situation. Maybe this is the start of the end of that problem. I hope so, anyway.

Tex

celia · Post by **celia** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:43 am

Tex,

What you said is very intersting. Eeek! Does that mean that I am never going to be able to eat any grains and lgumes again (for example) even though my MC was never full blown (only mild)? Even if I heal the leaky gut?

I see what you mean by being clear by what we mean by intolerance. I don't think any of my intolerances are due to digestive damage. All my tests have been clear. I think they are straight immune reactions, or, if I do have a parasite, it could be food for the bugs who are wondering around causing some of the reactions.

I was hoping that once I clear the h. pylori infection and the parasite (if I have one) that my intolerances my dissolve (except for gluten, of course.)

Am I a hopeless dreamer or do you think this might be possible?

Celia

celia · Post by **celia** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:46 am

Mo, Glad you are having a day without a headache. I've also read that migraines can be connected to food intolerance. I hope avoiding those foods helps banish those darm headaches!

Hugs, Celia

Post by **tex** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:24 pm

Celia,

You wrote:

Am I a hopeless dreamer or do you think this might be possible?

No, it could certainly happen. If you have actually received any positive results on a stool test, then I would think that you will continue to have problems with those foods, unless/until your immune system is genetically reprogrammed. If you tested negative, though, then after your system heals, you should be able to eat anything for which you tested negative, even though it might have bothered you before you finished healing.

The Enterolab stool tests, for example, that I've had, seem to be quite correct. When I was reacting, I thought that I was having problems with eggs, soy, and yeast. The lab test results showed that I was not intolerant to those things, though, and sure enough, I don't have any problems with them now.

If you could prevent LGS from being activated, (via Dr. Fasano's pills to suppress zonulin production, for example), then you could even eat gluten, without adverse effects. The problem is, of course, that gluten is one of the causes of LGS, so until Dr. Fasano perfects those pills, gluten will remain off limits.

Tex

celia · Post by **celia** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:28 pm

Tex, Any thoughts on how to genetically re-program the immune system?

I tested positive for gluten and casein intolerance on Dr. Fine's test, and in the muscle testing I had done. I didn't take Dr. Fine's other tests, but was ok for soy, yeast, and eggs on muscle testing. Eggs seems fine for me. I haven't tried soy or yeast, and I am not eager to have soy as a main component of my diet. I guess only time will tell when it comes to non-gluten grains and legumes, which I would like to be able to eat now and then. It sure would add a little more flexibility to life.

Thanks Tex, Celia

Post by **tex** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 5:16 pm

If I knew how to reprogram the immune system, I'd have it made. LOL. I do believe that altering genetic codes is normally performed by viruses, and is the primary reason for their existance. The details of how they do this is still a mystery, yet to be discovered, unfortunately.

I'll bet that after you heal, you'll only have to avoid gluten and casein.

You're very welcome,
Tex

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:24 pm

Brenda, be careful if you are getting pain like that. I have Diverticulosis & had a very bad experience while away on a trip up north. Had pain in my stomache which became more severe as the day wore on. Was taken to a doctor who was on the point of sending me up to the large hospital in Cairns. Antibiotics seemed to settle things and as soon as I returned home My GI did a colonoscopy & I had been developing an absess. Things could have become a whole lot worse. So make sure you don't get too far away from medical attention & have it looked into as soon as possible.

Love

Liz

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:58 am

Dear Wayne and Celia,

I hope you preserve your conversation in a place where it doesn't get lost.

The question: "am I a hopeless dreamer" is the $64 question, isn't it?

Anyway, not to be a suck-up, but you gave a very thoughtful answer, Wayne, and it should be preserved for posterity.

Love you all, Marsha

Post by **tex** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:18 pm

Thanks Marsha,

Flattery will get you everywhere. Hahahahahaha. I'm not sure that my answer was as good as the question, but I suppose that question is on the minds of many with these symptoms, so I'll try to remember to find a place to move this thread, when it begins to languish in this forum. Thanks.

Love,
Wayne

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:19 pm

Dear Wayne,
You're welcome.

Thanks for the information about glutamate/MSG, also.

Mo,
I wanted to add to Wayne's comment about glutamate:
1. my SIL has almost completely stopped his migraines by eliminating MSG
2. a website nosulfites.com is authored by a man named Rick Williams, who talks about his migraine headaches triggered by sulfites and MSG.

Your list of triggers are heavily weighted with both those compounds. Too coincidental!

Love, Marsha

celia · Post by **celia** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 3:18 pm

Mo,

Just want to second Marhsa's recommendation of the no sulfites website. It's very informative and helpful! Hugs, Celia