Reflux and food?

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Hi! Just me again and another question on food! I am so frustrated and don't know what to do?! I am trying to be brave and add new foods, but don't know when to push through the pain and when to stop?! I can feel my esophagus burn when I try a new food, then my stomach starts to burn and get all stabby, and within 30 minutes get awful reflux, then esophagus and stomach continue to burn and feel all inflammed, and get so bloated! Within an hour the frequency increases. What do you guys think, if I push through the discomfort for a few days do you think my body will just give in, or will this only increase the inflammation? Is it possible, because I haven't eaten these foods for 2 years that I am going to react to everything in a negative way at first? I know I have added foods within the past 2 years and didn't have this reaction, but starting to react to some foods I have been eating, like steamed broccoli! I am so lost, and don't know what to do anymore! I need help! Should I go back to the very basics remove everything but the few items I think I am tolerating on list 1? Thanks for listening and your help!

pterzwife's picture
pterzwife

Wow CP, that is hard. It seems that you probably really need the nutrition from the food. How small are the amounts you are starting out with? I know vegetarians temporarily lose the ability to digest meat and then it gets better. Do you think this could be in play? What does Dr. B think?

pterzwife's picture
pterzwife

Wow CP, that is hard. It seems that you probably really need the nutrition from the food. How small are the amounts you are starting out with? I know vegetarians temporarily lose the ability to digest meat and then it gets better. Do you think this could be in play? What does Dr. B think?

cprince's picture
cprince

I am starting with like a teaspoon or a couple bites of things, just to see how I react! I don't know I am just tired of being stuck. Dr. B agrees I need the nutrition and have asked about cutting certain foods or asks how foods are going, but she never really wants me to remove anything! I am so inflamed, my bowels hurt!:( Trying to wait until my appointment in 3 weeks to ask about food again! Just not sure what to do in the mean time?

livandlex's picture
livandlex

Christina!
Hugs!!  This may be a moot question but when you found all that yeast and stuff growing in your gut what did they do with it? Could it be die off in there on some sort of molecular level plus healing? Eating food may be like pouring acid on open wounds? thoughts from dr. b?
So sorry you have to deal with this!
xoxxoClaire
 

Mimij67's picture
Mimij67

C
Tell us what you are adding in? Are you adding gluten grains or dairy? Those IMO would not be the best place to start. Probably not tomatoes, peppers or avocado either (night shades I read are not recommended for auto-immune if gut is really tricky, and avo has potassium, but maybe worth a try??)
Did you ask Dr. about sprouting your grains or using sprouted flour? That is supposed to make them easier to digest. (Soaking brown rice overnight in a acid medium like whey?)
Have you tried raw almonds from Livingnutz.com? They are soaked, sprouted, slow dried, not cooked, organic and non-pasturized. Not from California. From Italy, pricey but worth a shot if you will tolerate them. Easy to digest. Maybe 5 or 10 a day?
Can you jump on the food lists a bit, like you did with milk, etc.. (with Dr. B's help). For example, when healing the gut, some people can do Paleo foods (think, sweet potatoes or squashes in small amounts). Some cant do double sugars at all (potatoes, sweet potatoes i think)- but maybe there are a few foods up the lists that she would approve. (Maybe green apple or squash for energy??) maybe cooked turnips with butter from list 3. Maybe well-cooked onions (for 1/2 hour or more)?
What about goat feta? If you are tolerating raw milk, what about a bit of raw cheddar cheese?
Are you able to eat any cooked greens? Chard or spinach?
Did you ever discuss dygestive enzymes? I know she doesn't like them, but worth a discussion. There are some now that I think digest milk and gluten protiens?
When you do add in grains, I would def. start with the non-gluten grains, as the gluten protien is very large and hard to digest.
Keep me posted...

If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.

cprince's picture
cprince

Thanks Claire and Mimi! This is all so tricky! When I first got diagnosed with the yeast issue I was put on diflucan for 7 days, then out in carafate, a sugar based pill to treat active ulcers, which I did not have, and only made my initial symptoms much worse and every time I have ventured back in to see my GI doc he always wants to put me back on carafate, which does not make sense to me. So possibly still have some issues with yeast and possibly die off, yes good questions for Dr. B. 
So, back in February I cut potatoes and rice. Dr. B did not want mr to cut all grains so she had me add in spelt bread. I am still yrying to eat this, but feel bloated 100% of the time and bowels are very sore and causes low pelvic pain/pressure. Do you think I should cut out spelt? Then end of March tried to add in raw almond butter, throat burned a little, but not terrible so Dr. B said to keep in for the nutrients, then 2 weeks later pain started to increase so cut it out! Now trying to add back in again. I was told to try adding in rice porridge, white rice, but get reflux with that and definite more pain with potatoes. I have tried yams, not sweet potatoes, but started to react a bit, so cut them. Yes, I can sauté cabbage with spinach. Seems to go ok. Starting to question avocado, seems to also increase pain! I did get daring a couple weeks ago and a restaurant had goat cheese, and I couldn't resist trying! Well, it sure was worth trying! It was amazing, no cheese for 2 years! Had nightmares and reflux that night and more pain the next day! Also, seem to be getting more burning from goat yogurt recently! I don't understand why I seem to be ok for a while then have a bad reaction?
I don't know Dr. B hasn't had any recent suggestions so I just feel so lost and alone! I am such a freak of nature! I feel like it is to the point where I just need to push and see what happens, but am scared I am just hurting my gut more! Considered food sensitivity testing, but not sure it would even be helpful? Dr. B says it is just a now thing and probably won't help with my pain levels, but said it wouldn't hurt to try. Any thoughts? I will have to look into the sprouted almonds and sprouted flours. Thanks again for the help! 

deir's picture
deir

Oh dear- you must feel really lost! I don't have the other issues you have but I never seem to be able to tel if food afffects my bladder. The only thing that has helped me is to add a food and keep it for a few weeks at least uuntil I make a decision. I am so up and down, it seems that anything could be the culprit . I now eat yogurt and tomatoes freely and almonds as well (soaked and low roasted) I just decided to keep them in and see what happened. I have had good and bad days with and without them so I just decided to stick with it.Maybe your instinct is right to just push with something for a longer time unless you notice a really bad immediate reaction. This is hard, I am sorry you are feeling frustrated. I am praying for you!!

Mimij67's picture
Mimij67

Deir has good suggestions! Maybe try a food several days (like at least 3) in very small amounts to see if you might  build a tolerance?? You could have your "three day rule".
The thing about the almond butter, is it is not really raw. It is heat pasturized as no organic almonds in the US are really raw (unless from a farmers market, those may be truly raw!)  Livingnutz are truly raw. But pre-digested, so that may help.
Are you truly ok with the raw milk now? Casein is hard for many to digest. That is why butter is so easy. I wonder if the raw milk contributes to inflammation? Milk is tricky. Could you try a bit of raw milk cheese? I have read in places that the gut cant reseal if there is a big intolerance to gluten and dairy because those are so hard for leaky guts. This is a little different than Dr. B's approach. So tricky!!!
I am wondering about soaked brown rice again, but soaked this time, or basmati? I worry that with a leaky gut the spelt/gluten might be hard for a while??
Allergy tesing is expensive and controversial. But some people swear by it!! It could make some kind of guide for you to follow.
 

If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.

Rachel Ann's picture
Rachel Ann

C,
 
I also struggle with food.  Nine months into treatment, when I was completely weaned from all the drugs I had been taking, I was in so much pain that my diet became limited to a handful of foods that I felt were "safe".   I have been eating these same foods for over a year because every time I try something new (two bites just like you do), I experience a major increase in bladder pain.  Dr. B sometimes wants me to try new foods, and sometimes says to hold off. 
 
I go back and forth between feeling okay with all this and being patient, and being concerned about not getting enough nutrition.  I feel good about the fact that I eat grass fed beef and organic spinach every day.  I feel like those are very nutritious and I am thankful that I tolerate them. 
 
We will get there, it's just taking a lot longer than we would like.  Ugh!!!

cprince's picture
cprince

Thank you all ladies! I know none of this is easy and really appreciate all your support and suggestions! I will have a lot to talk to Dr. B about this whole issue!
Bonnie, when you say vegetarians have a hard time digesting meat again, do they have to take something to help them tolerate again or do they finally just build up a tolerance with incorporating animal protien slowly?
Claire thanks again for the questions Imhave on my list to ask Dr. B!
Lisa and Deir, I know it is so confusing when to push and when to say enough is enough! We do seem to be on the slow train for being able to add new things without feeling the consequences! Not that I am happy to hear you are still having a hard with this as well, but nice to know I truly am not alone! Hard not to feel like a failure when no one around me gets it and make me feel like this is all because I am not willing to try new foods, or it is in my head! Deir, I also seem to have good days with certain foods and then out of no where seem to have a reaction to the same foods! I don't get it!
Mimi, such great suggestions I am going to try the sprouted almonds and will think about the cheese! Is cheese typically easier to digest then milk? I cut out raw milk for a couple days and my stomach felt about the same! Who knows? I know Dr. B is using the raw milk to try and heal my leaky gut and what I have read people seem to have good results with using raw milk for this! I will cut out spelt and see if my bloating seems to go down! When you say sprouted flours, are there certain grains to look for, or is it just called sprouted flour?
Ally, i am contemplating scratching the 3 other items not from list 1 and see how I feel! Dr. B has not always been excited about this because of the nutrition side of things. but like Lisa said we are at least eating the healthy foods grass fed beef and organic veggies so this can't all be bad! I might keep the spinach and cut the avocado and see if that makes a difference! Oh well, I know one day this will not be an issue, just wish I knew which foods were absolutely causing the inflammation so I can avoid these offending foods. You are so right, inflammation can't stick around forever! Not possible!
Thanks again my dear friends! Love you all! I couldn't keep my level head without your support!