29 replies to this topic

[ElSenor]

I have suffered with gas, stomach noises, bloating, cramping, loose sticky stools, constipation for quite some time now. My doctors don't want to run any tests because they think its just stress, but I don't think they are right. I recently visited a Naturopath who prescribed me Coix tablets which seem to make me feel worse. Do you guys have any idea what Coix tablets are suppose to do. I have eliminated gluten for the past week but there has been no improvement. I suspect I might have some food allergies or yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I am scared to try a diet as strict as the candida diet for fear of losing any more pounds on my already frail frame. Any suggestions on supplements I could take or foods I should avoid. I currently eat pretty healthy, nothing processed. My diet consists of whole eggs, spinach, green beans, asparagus, almond butter, sesame butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein, cacao powder, red meats such as ground beef, and steak 2-3 times a week and a lot of chicken and brown rice and fruit. I have noticed I get real stinky gas after consuming chicken or meats, but I have no idea why I get stomach noises and constipation even when I don't consume those foods. I was thinking of doing an online stool test from http://functionalhea...nel.html....but I am not sure if they are a scam. Has anyone ever tried these??

[Ethan Snell]

I have suffered with gas, stomach noises, bloating, cramping, loose sticky stools, constipation for quite some time now. My doctors don't want to run any tests because they think its just stress, but I don't think they are right. I recently visited a Naturopath who prescribed me Coix tablets which seem to make me feel worse. Do you guys have any idea what Coix tablets are suppose to do. I have eliminated gluten for the past week but there has been no improvement. I suspect I might have some food allergies or yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I am scared to try a diet as strict as the candida diet for fear of losing any more pounds on my already frail frame. Any suggestions on supplements I could take or foods I should avoid. I currently eat pretty healthy, nothing processed. My diet consists of whole eggs, spinach, green beans, asparagus, almond butter, sesame butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein, cacao powder, red meats such as ground beef, and steak 2-3 times a week and a lot of chicken and brown rice and fruit. I have noticed I get real stinky gas after consuming chicken or meats, but I have no idea why I get stomach noises and constipation even when I don't consume those foods. I was thinking of doing an online stool test from http://functionalhea...nel.html....but I am not sure if they are a scam. Has anyone ever tried these??

Beans and lentils are known to produce flatulence. If you include these regularly in your diet you may experience abdominal cramping and gas. Try including more vegetables in your diet. Your digestive ailments could be related to stress—since there is a direct link between the gut and the brain. The digestive system could also be compromised if the intestinal microflora is not in balance. We need a balanced microflora in order to optimize digestion of foods. Have you considered taking probiotics?

[ElSenor]

I have suffered with gas, stomach noises, bloating, cramping, loose sticky stools, constipation for quite some time now. My doctors don't want to run any tests because they think its just stress, but I don't think they are right. I recently visited a Naturopath who prescribed me Coix tablets which seem to make me feel worse. Do you guys have any idea what Coix tablets are suppose to do. I have eliminated gluten for the past week but there has been no improvement. I suspect I might have some food allergies or yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I am scared to try a diet as strict as the candida diet for fear of losing any more pounds on my already frail frame. Any suggestions on supplements I could take or foods I should avoid. I currently eat pretty healthy, nothing processed. My diet consists of whole eggs, spinach, green beans, asparagus, almond butter, sesame butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein, cacao powder, red meats such as ground beef, and steak 2-3 times a week and a lot of chicken and brown rice and fruit. I have noticed I get real stinky gas after consuming chicken or meats, but I have no idea why I get stomach noises and constipation even when I don't consume those foods. I was thinking of doing an online stool test from http://functionalhea...nel.html....but I am not sure if they are a scam. Has anyone ever tried these??

Beans and lentils are known to produce flatulence. If you include these regularly in your diet you may experience abdominal cramping and gas. Try including more vegetables in your diet. Your digestive ailments could be related to stress—since there is a direct link between the gut and the brain. The digestive system could also be compromised if the intestinal microflora is not in balance. We need a balanced microflora in order to optimize digestion of foods. Have you considered taking probiotics?

I am taking probiotics but they don't seem to help much. After careful examination of my diet I have found it contains way too much iron. Is that safe? I think I easily consume around 30mg a day from spinach, chicken, beans, etc. Is there anyway to off set the iron safely. I really don't want to cut a lot of the foods I am consuming because of iron toxicity. How at risk am I? Thanks.

[jazzcat]

They say only about 20% of the iron in plant based foods gets absorbed. Usually too much iron from supplements will cause constipation. If you want to reduce absorption of any mineral take a fiber supplement with meals.

You might have some type of deficiency. I know pantothenic acid is good for digestion. I think it may be recommended for people with Crohn's. But PA helps with digestion of fats, carbs, and protein.

Do you have any other problems going on now? How is your stress level?

[Skötkonung]

pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein,

Anti-nutrients.

[tunt01]

if you are truly frail, there may be some sort of malabsorption issue. could be anti-nutrients, but i doubt it is the issue if you are eating enough calories. it may be a combination of your genetics or epigenetics in conjunction with your diet. for example, if you had the genetics for celiac disease (gluten intolerance), that would cause malabsorption which would starve your bones/muscle/lean tissue from nutrition and cause digestive problems. there is a genetic test for it (kimball genetics can give it to you for ~$300) or you can have an endoscopy done.

I think Skot's point on anti-nutrients is good. It may be lectins or phytic acid that is causing you difficulty, but I guess I'm somewhat skeptical that is the entirety of the problem. You may want to try cutting out all beans/grains/nuts and just going on a very simple chicken+white rice (not brown, white only)+veggie diet for a few days and see how that works.

I would consider getting a dexa scan to see if you have any bone health issues. You may need an endoscopy to see what is going on with your upper GI. An allergy test would be a simple/low cost way of trying to narrow the scope of the problem.

[Skötkonung]

I think Skot's point on anti-nutrients is good. It may be lectins or phytic acid that is causing you difficulty, but I guess I'm somewhat skeptical that is the entirety of the problem. You may want to try cutting out all beans/grains/nuts and just going on a very simple chicken+white rice (not brown, white only)+veggie diet for a few days and see how that works.

To add to this point, he may just need to prepare the grains / beans correctly. Soaking, sprouting can really help.

As for your point about epigenetics...I cannot tolerate any sort of legume no matter how long I soak them, wash them, or boil them. God help anyone near me the next day.

[MoodyBlue]

For intestinal gas here's a probiotic formula that worked well for me and a friend of mine: http://www.naturesse...stive-bliss.asp. I haven't used Pepzin GI because my stomach feels fine, but it looks like you could use it. See here: http://pepzingi.org/. Also you should benefit from Polyenylphosphatidylcholine PPC. Read what's in the second post on this page by Steve Sliwa: http://www.mindandmu...php/t31773.html

Edited by moodyblue, 28 April 2010 - 02:13 AM.

[ElSenor]

Thanks a lot guys! I try my best to prepare my grains by soaking them over night but sometimes I still have these problems. I am a very tense and stressful person though, could this have anything to do with it? Could stress really cause my stools to come out a bit funky, I find that hard to believe, but the mind is one powerful piece of biological machinery. On another note, I noticed that I have the most problems with sulfur-like smelling gas after I eat meats. This happened when I tried to eliminate grains and only eat veggies and meats. I have eliminated gluten and dairy, and there has been some improvement, but not enough.

[Jay]

Why don't you try to totally change your diet for a few weeks to see how it affects you. Whatever you think of as healthy (which apparently is a lot of vegetables, fiber, and polyunsaturated fat), may not be healthy for you. If your GI tract is revolting, there's a chance your diet isn't good for the rest of you either. So, try something totally different for a while. I would go with meat, potatoes, and eggs as a caloric base but it can really be anything provided it's totally different. If the first new diet doesn't work, try a different one (pasta, fish, fruit.. whatever).

[biochemie]

Do any digestive ailments like Crohn's or IBS run in your family ? i would reduce my carb intake especially from grains, cut out all sugar aside from perhaps berries and such. Manuka honey (OMF >10) has really helped with some of my acid reflux and stuff, it couldn't hurt but its expensive. Stress may aggravate things but it seldomly is the single reason why you have it. It WILL make it worse.

Edited by biochemie, 28 April 2010 - 04:02 PM.

[ajnast4r]

first things you should do:

find new doctors
get checked for celiac by endoscopy
have a stool microflora test

then on to an elimination diet... one group at a time, each for 2 weeks.

[ElSenor]

Ok I just got my IgG blood results back and it appears I have a low reaction to: brewers yeast, egg white, kidney beans, shrimp, brewers yeast, yogurt, American cheese, cows milk....and I have a moderate reaction to Aspergillus niger.

Of those foods, I regularly consume egg whites, yogurt and kidney beans....the rest of my dairy I get it from goats milk or cheese.

Is something with a low reaction enough to give me symptoms? My naturopath thought maybe I might have a yeast overgrowth. Opinions? Thoughts?

[Lucas]

Try eliminating grains from your diet for one or two weeks. Eat only veggies and fruit as carb sources.

[FunkOdyssey]

Eliminating grains is a good idea. Eliminating these: "quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein" are a good idea as those are all difficult to digest. Those measures should improve your symptoms but are probably not related to the underlying cause (unless its celiac disease, definitely rule that out). You may have a problem with poor digestion (insufficient acid, insufficient digestive enzymes) which is leaving too much for the flora to eat. You may have a gut motility problem, either too fast which would result in food reaching the colon incompletely digested or too slow which would cause SIBO. Motility issues might be stress related (fast), thyroid related (hyper = fast, hypo = slow), response to pathogenic flora (fast). Just some ideas for you to think about.

The uniquely bad smells when eating chicken and beef are a result of protein not being digested properly and instead being metabolized by your gut flora into smelly gases.

Stress really can accelerate gut motility so it is not a ridiculous notion that it could be involved, but your doctors should not use that as an excuse not to investigate other possibilities. In addition to taking measures to reduce your stress level I agree you should be tested for celiac disease, stool tests to see what your flora composition is like, and a thyroid hormone panel.

Your supposed food allergies are probably unrelated to your symptoms. Most people will have IgG antibodies to foods they eat often.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 19 May 2010 - 08:22 PM.

[ElSenor]

Eliminating grains is a good idea. Eliminating these: "quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein" are a good idea as those are all difficult to digest. Those measures should improve your symptoms but are probably not related to the underlying cause (unless its celiac disease, definitely rule that out). You may have a problem with poor digestion (insufficient acid, insufficient digestive enzymes) which is leaving too much for the flora to eat. You may have a gut motility problem, either too fast which would result in food reaching the colon incompletely digested or too slow which would cause SIBO. Motility issues might be stress related (fast), thyroid related (hyper = fast, hypo = slow), response to pathogenic flora (fast). Just some ideas for you to think about.

The uniquely bad smells when eating chicken and beef are a result of protein not being digested properly and instead being metabolized by your gut flora into smelly gases.

Stress really can accelerate gut motility so it is not a ridiculous notion that it could be involved, but your doctors should not use that as an excuse not to investigate other possibilities. In addition to taking measures to reduce your stress level I agree you should be tested for celiac disease, stool tests to see what your flora composition is like, and a thyroid hormone panel.

Your supposed food allergies are probably unrelated to your symptoms. Most people will have IgG antibodies to foods they eat often.

So I could continue eating as much eggs as a want without a problem, or should I do some sort of rotation? My naturopath thinks I have a case of dysbiosis, so I am going to do a stool test to see how my gut flora is doing? I am also finding it extremely hard to consume my 3000 calorie maintenance on a no grain diet.

[FunkOdyssey]

So I could continue eating as much eggs as a want without a problem, or should I do some sort of rotation? My naturopath thinks I have a case of dysbiosis, so I am going to do a stool test to see how my gut flora is doing? I am also finding it extremely hard to consume my 3000 calorie maintenance on a no grain diet.

I would personally continue eating eggs. You can easily eat 3000 calories without resorting to grains -- the most calorically dense foods rarely involve grain anyway. Eat more fat.

[ElSenor]

So I could continue eating as much eggs as a want without a problem, or should I do some sort of rotation? My naturopath thinks I have a case of dysbiosis, so I am going to do a stool test to see how my gut flora is doing? I am also finding it extremely hard to consume my 3000 calorie maintenance on a no grain diet.

I would personally continue eating eggs. You can easily eat 3000 calories without resorting to grains -- the most calorically dense foods rarely involve grain anyway. Eat more fat.

Ok I have received my stool test results back and apparently, I have a case of dysbiosis. Here is what the test showed about the microbiology of my stomach:

Beneficial Bacteria:

lactobacillus species - no growth (bad)
escherichia coli - 4+ (good)
bifidobacterium - 4+ (good)

Additional Bacteria:
alpha haemolytic strep. - 2+ (non-pathogen)
gama haemolytic strep. - 2+ (non-pathogen)
klebsiella pnewmoniae - 3+ (NP)
Strep. agalactia gp B - 3+ (NP)
Bacillus species - 4+ (potential pathogen)

Mycology:

Rhodotorula species - 1+ (NP)

So according to the results I have lactobacilus growth even though I consume probiotics and yogurt, and I have a high amount of Bacillus species which is considered a potential pathogen. My question is, what would cause me to have no growth of lactobacilus bacteria. My doc presumes it is being off set by the bacillus species and prescribed me Biocidin and upped my probiotc intake to 40 billion CFU daily. Is there anything else I should do, asides from taking these two medications, such as dietary changes, or avoidance of certain foods.

[ajnast4r]

what type of probiotic are you using?

[ElSenor]

what type of probiotic are you using?

I am using the OrthoBiotic brand prescribed by my naturopath, its a vegan brand.

[HaloTeK]

It doesn't make much sense that you don't have any lactobacillus species considering that you eat yogurt and or take probiotics (maybe it doesn't have a lacto culture in it).

Have you taken antibiotics recently, or do you eat lots of sugar? Do you get enough prebiotic food?

[ElSenor]

It doesn't make much sense that you don't have any lactobacillus species considering that you eat yogurt and or take probiotics (maybe it doesn't have a lacto culture in it).

Have you taken antibiotics recently, or do you eat lots of sugar? Do you get enough prebiotic food?

The only sugar I get is from 2-3 pieces of fruit I have a day, and no I haven't taken any antibiotics in 3-4 years. Like I said before, my naturopath suspects that the overgrowth of Bacillus is preventing the growth of lacto. What exactly are prebiotics? Onions and garlic, right?

[Forever21]

plant only (kale, spinach, collards, cabbage, chard, romaine, bokchoy) organic
animal only (salmon, chicken, beef) organic, free-range, wild, no syrups or gravy
plain kefir, plain greek yogurt, organic, no sugar or strawberry syrups

no fruits

Edited by Forever21, 17 June 2010 - 05:09 PM.

[MoodyBlue]

This special probiotic formula makes a very big difference in the amount of gas produced in the GI tract: http://www.naturesse...stive-bliss.asp. Here is another superior formula but the former one worked very well by itself: http://www.lef.org/V...Probiotics.html.

Also Pepzin might help heal damage and get rid of unhealthy strains of bacteria there. See here: http://pepzingi.org/health_claims.php. Another supplement which can reverse the fattiness of a fatty liver, and is good for the pancreas and stomach is Polyenylphosphatidylcholine. Read the second post down by SteveSliwa on this page: http://www.mindandmu...php/t31773.html.

Edited by moodyblue, 17 June 2010 - 08:21 PM.

[yoyo]

different fermentable fibres have different effects on gut microbiota. i don't remember whiich ones increase lacto though.

[mellowpuff]

I have suffered with gas, stomach noises, bloating, cramping, loose sticky stools, constipation for quite some time now. My doctors don't want to run any tests because they think its just stress, but I don't think they are right. I recently visited a Naturopath who prescribed me Coix tablets which seem to make me feel worse. Do you guys have any idea what Coix tablets are suppose to do. I have eliminated gluten for the past week but there has been no improvement. I suspect I might have some food allergies or yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I am scared to try a diet as strict as the candida diet for fear of losing any more pounds on my already frail frame. Any suggestions on supplements I could take or foods I should avoid. I currently eat pretty healthy, nothing processed. My diet consists of whole eggs, spinach, green beans, asparagus, almond butter, sesame butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein, cacao powder, red meats such as ground beef, and steak 2-3 times a week and a lot of chicken and brown rice and fruit. I have noticed I get real stinky gas after consuming chicken or meats, but I have no idea why I get stomach noises and constipation even when I don't consume those foods. I was thinking of doing an online stool test from http://functionalhea...nel.html....but I am not sure if they are a scam. Has anyone ever tried these??

your symptoms are identical to mine and i have h.pylori. you might want to look into it - i found this website very helpful http://amyking.wordp...-have-h-pylori/
if you do test positive you'll want to get yourself manuka honey from nz, umf over 20+
my doctors also have said stress or spastic bowel. i know how you feel!

[Alec]

I have suffered with gas, stomach noises, bloating, cramping, loose sticky stools, constipation for quite some time now. My doctors don't want to run any tests because they think its just stress, but I don't think they are right. I recently visited a Naturopath who prescribed me Coix tablets which seem to make me feel worse. Do you guys have any idea what Coix tablets are suppose to do. I have eliminated gluten for the past week but there has been no improvement. I suspect I might have some food allergies or yeast overgrowth in my intestines, but I am scared to try a diet as strict as the candida diet for fear of losing any more pounds on my already frail frame. Any suggestions on supplements I could take or foods I should avoid. I currently eat pretty healthy, nothing processed. My diet consists of whole eggs, spinach, green beans, asparagus, almond butter, sesame butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, walnuts, millet, quinoa, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, hemp protein, cacao powder, red meats such as ground beef, and steak 2-3 times a week and a lot of chicken and brown rice and fruit. I have noticed I get real stinky gas after consuming chicken or meats, but I have no idea why I get stomach noises and constipation even when I don't consume those foods. I was thinking of doing an online stool test from http://functionalhea...nel.html....but I am not sure if they are a scam. Has anyone ever tried these??

your symptoms are identical to mine and i have h.pylori. you might want to look into it - i found this website very helpful http://amyking.wordp...-have-h-pylori/
if you do test positive you'll want to get yourself manuka honey from nz, umf over 20+
my doctors also have said stress or spastic bowel. i know how you feel!

Use of bovine lactoferrin for Helicobacter pylori eradication

Undenatured whey protein concentrate and CFM whey isolate have high amounts of lactoferrin as well as other proteins that can help the digestive system.

Mastic gum extract is used in southern Europe and it is known to fight pylori. Enteric coated peppermint oil may help but not if there's possible erosion of the stomach/duodenal lining or ulcers. Grapefruit seed extract is another but I'm cautious about that one. I've heard over the years that it can be very unsettling. I would do serious research into all of these then find a GI that's familiar with them.

Edited by Alec, 08 June 2011 - 12:36 AM.

[kurdishfella]

Always take probiotics and digestive enzymes to help the process of digestion and getting the most out of the nutrients from food.

 

Also create a condition were your body is always in contact with the natural wind and the sun and you're not sitting too long on furniture and around plastic etc so your body gets replenished and not be trapped inside a house with clothes and re-used air which affects overall body including digestion. Or does digestion have another meaning where your from? it starts in the mouth so take care of mouth hygiene. 

Edited by kurdishfella, 22 March 2022 - 09:36 PM.

[Lady4T]

I know that this goes against the popular dietary advice.

 

First, you must eliminate infections such as H. Pylorii.

Then, to heal your gut, you must stop eating ALL plant matter. That's right, do not eat any grains, vegetables or fruits. The fiber, toxins (oxalates, lectins, etc.) and anti-nutrients are GI wrecking substances. Try it for a couple of weeks. Then, when your gut is doing much better, you can gradually start re-introducing plant foods - just two or three at time every three to four days so that you can identify which one(s) cause issues.

 

To speed up the start of healing, I would do a couple of days of drinking only beef or chicken broth, as much as desired, throughout the day. And make it yourself (pre-made store-bought products usually contain plant matter for added flavor). The only ingredients needed are: beef or chicken bones (with maybe a little meat attached), water and salt. After a couple of days of just drinking this broth, you can introduce solid meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, etc. This is a simple, cheap, and VERY EFFECTIVE way to heal the gut.

 

 

Edited by Lady4T, 26 March 2022 - 05:58 AM.

[kurdishfella]

Take supplements with you food I find that my digestion is only mostly activated when I consume large amounts of food.