I'm going to the GI tomorrow and am wondering what tests GIs can order. A couple of months ago, I asked him if he could test me for lactose intolerance. He told me to eliminate all dairy for two weeks - that was cheaper than the test. I eliminated the dairy, but of course my symptoms didn't disappear because I was still eating all my other forbidden foods. When I told him that I still had problems, he said "There's your answer - you're not lactose intolerant!"
I suspect that I'm fructose intolerant. Can he test for that? He'll probably tell me to eliminate it again, but I don't even know what products besides fruits contain fructose. I think it's in everything, just like soy, which I'm having a very difficult time eliminating. Does any margarine exist that doesn't contain soy?
What Tests Do GIs Do?
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What Tests Do GIs Do?
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Hmmmmmm. I'm afraid your doctor is confused, and his logic is flawed. Just because cutting out dairy products did not resolve your symptoms, certainly does not prove that you are not lactose intolerant, since as you correctly pointed out, you are probably reacting to other triggers. It simply proves how difficult, (and confusing), elimination testing can be, when there are multiple intolerances present. I applaud your doctor, however, for attempting to use a simple elimination test, in place of a medical test. The problem, of course, is that such testing is rather complex, for people with multiple intolerances.
If you are casein intolerant, lactose intolerance is a moot point. It's possible to buy lactose-free milk, ice cream, etc., and most types of aged cheese normally contain very low amounts of lactose. However, casein is in any and all dairy products, and it cannot be removed, nor it's effects neutralized. Therefore, if you are casein intolerant, all dairy products are off limits.
Probably the most reliable lactose tolerance test requires fasting prior to the test, and then drinking a liquid that contains lactose. Several blood samples are then taken over about a 2-hour period, to measure the changes in the patient’s blood sugar level. These changes indicate how well the body is able to digest lactose.
The hydrogen breath test is sometimes used to diagnose lactose intolerance, and it is also used to diagnose fructose intolerance, (a rare and permanent condition caused by a genetic defect - in contrast with fructose malabsorption, which is a common and temporary condition). To be honest, I don't have a lot of faith in breath tests, since they can be influenced by a lot of unrelated conditions in the body, such as SIBO, for example. Breath tests typically rely on the presumed measurement of the products of fermentation, in order to infer the existence of certain conditions within the body. Often, though, there are too many unknowns present, to allow for an accurate interpretation of the data collected.
When a person has microscopic colitis, so many digestive system functions are affected, that it's possible to be diagnosed with all sorts of diseases, including Lupus, (SLE), chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and all sorts of other autoimmune diseases. Typically, production of many/most enzymes is affected, so that most sugars cannot be properly digested. Once your MC symptoms are resolved, most likely, all your other issues will also disappear. Many doctors, (even some GI docs), do not understand this, and a few doctors will go off on all sorts of tangents, finding all sorts of things wrong, that will turn out to be moot, once the main problem, (MC), is addressed and controlled.
I don't recall ever seeing a margarine that did not contain either dairy derivatives, or soy, (or both). I tried for months to find a margarine that I could safely tolerate. I finally gave up and stopped looking, and just cut them out completely, and solved the problem. Margarine is an unnecessary ingredient. I'll grant you, mashed potatoes without either milk or margarine are pretty bland, but you do what you have to do to allow your gut to heal, and then once it is healed, you can add some of those things back into your diet.
If you're searching for a margarine substitute, to be used for mashed potatoes, or whatever you would normally use margarine for, try some good old homemade chicken broth. It can be enhanced with spices to add a lot of flavor to otherwise bland GF foods. There are a lot of other good ideas in the "Recipe" forum.
Tex
If you are casein intolerant, lactose intolerance is a moot point. It's possible to buy lactose-free milk, ice cream, etc., and most types of aged cheese normally contain very low amounts of lactose. However, casein is in any and all dairy products, and it cannot be removed, nor it's effects neutralized. Therefore, if you are casein intolerant, all dairy products are off limits.
Probably the most reliable lactose tolerance test requires fasting prior to the test, and then drinking a liquid that contains lactose. Several blood samples are then taken over about a 2-hour period, to measure the changes in the patient’s blood sugar level. These changes indicate how well the body is able to digest lactose.
The hydrogen breath test is sometimes used to diagnose lactose intolerance, and it is also used to diagnose fructose intolerance, (a rare and permanent condition caused by a genetic defect - in contrast with fructose malabsorption, which is a common and temporary condition). To be honest, I don't have a lot of faith in breath tests, since they can be influenced by a lot of unrelated conditions in the body, such as SIBO, for example. Breath tests typically rely on the presumed measurement of the products of fermentation, in order to infer the existence of certain conditions within the body. Often, though, there are too many unknowns present, to allow for an accurate interpretation of the data collected.
When a person has microscopic colitis, so many digestive system functions are affected, that it's possible to be diagnosed with all sorts of diseases, including Lupus, (SLE), chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and all sorts of other autoimmune diseases. Typically, production of many/most enzymes is affected, so that most sugars cannot be properly digested. Once your MC symptoms are resolved, most likely, all your other issues will also disappear. Many doctors, (even some GI docs), do not understand this, and a few doctors will go off on all sorts of tangents, finding all sorts of things wrong, that will turn out to be moot, once the main problem, (MC), is addressed and controlled.
I don't recall ever seeing a margarine that did not contain either dairy derivatives, or soy, (or both). I tried for months to find a margarine that I could safely tolerate. I finally gave up and stopped looking, and just cut them out completely, and solved the problem. Margarine is an unnecessary ingredient. I'll grant you, mashed potatoes without either milk or margarine are pretty bland, but you do what you have to do to allow your gut to heal, and then once it is healed, you can add some of those things back into your diet.
If you're searching for a margarine substitute, to be used for mashed potatoes, or whatever you would normally use margarine for, try some good old homemade chicken broth. It can be enhanced with spices to add a lot of flavor to otherwise bland GF foods. There are a lot of other good ideas in the "Recipe" forum.
Tex