Hi,
well it certainly sounds like you've seen the medics to rule out any really nasty things. Have you seen a dietitian? I had similar gut issues, had endoscopy and other tests for coeliac etc but all negative. I finally saw a dietitian and did a food elimiation test diet. Essentially you eat pears and white rice (very bland but generally non irritating to everyone) for weeks then gradually introduce other foods and see what causes the issues. it's hard and boring and energy sapping but worth it in the end for me. ... Turns out i can't eat the entire Oligo-saccharide food group!
The elimination diet is based on the FODMaP approach which stands for Fermentables, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols... essentially you are finding out what ferments certain ways in your gut and is or isn't digested effectively and therefore produces gas and all your other symptoms. Some or all of the FODMaP groups might irritate you more than others. Find a good sports dietitian who knows their stuff and they should be able to guide you through this. If anything, it won't hurt to try.
good luck!

i forgot to add this: http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/...5/TheLowFODMAPsDiet/ might have some other useful info for you :)

What jumped out at me from your post was the "vegan" and the "with supplements".

Have you changed your diet or supplementation regimen recently or have any of your go-to foods or supplements re-tooled their formulas? The bloating sounds like what happened to my husband when we tried taking supplements (simple multi-vitamins). We finally gave up and decided to compensate with diet instead because the vitamins made him miserable. Maybe you could try to compensate for one supplement at a time in your diet and see if any of those changes help?

I get the bloating/gas also and found that avoiding wheat (I tested negative for gluten allergy, but had a very low reaction to certain wheat proteins) and decreasing my water intake has helped a lot. With the whole "drink before you are thirsty" idea, I was drinking ridiculous amounts of water, which caused me severe GI distress (diarrhea, gas, bloating, etc). Drinking to thirst is working a lot better for me. Please also note, however, that gluten-free is not the same as good-for-you. We went out for pizza the other night and the gluten-free dough, while it had no wheat, was 2x more calories and 3-4x more fat (to which my GI is also sensitive) than the regular wheat crust.

My only advice is to read the book Clean by Alejandro Junger. I'm currently on Day 4 of the cleanse that he recommends in the book. Pretty easy to do and I really think it will help you.

I dont know what your calorie intake is like, but I found when I dropped too low in calories I started getting a really uncomfortably bloated belly and put on some weight. I of course reacted in the wrong way and though I was eating too much and lowered them more and energy started to drop off. Also what is your fat intake like?

I started working with a dietician and he increased my calories pretty significantly, while being at a small 200 cal deficit and I actually lost about 4 pounds and that bloated feeling in about a month. It was my body producing cortisol in response to the stress on my body of not getting enough calories. For 12 hours of training a week he had me averaging 2200 cal/day and I'm 5'6 120. Prior I was eating about 16-1700. It was about 30-35% fat diet, which again was a surprise but did wonders.

Seems totally counter-intuitive but it got my body fat and weight back down, and energy was soaring.

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http://www.jennacaer.com
Instagram @jennacaer

that sounds miserable & I'm sorry you've had to travel such a long road. So many things should be so much easier. I have no really sound advice or knowledge here, just wanted to tell you I hope you get relief or find some answers in the not-too-distant future. My first inclination was that there may be some sort of low-grade lurking allergy or intolerance, like Noodlecat mentioned. That may be a reasonable course of action, along with a dietician visit - possible to combine those into one person??

I've picked up about 5lbs from somewhere & am having a time trying to get them to go away. That said, I'm running a very high stress quotient with a lot of disruption in my life causing less than stellar eating habits & lacking discipline in that arena, so I'm partially aware of why they're not going away!

I hope you get some relief soon.

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AW

Can't tell from your post-are you female? If so, request an ultrasound of your ovaries. Orarian cysts can cause many of your symptoms; bloating, weakness, abdominal pain, etc. If you're a dude, sorry...

Good luck! I hope you figure it out.

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"A merry heart doeth good like medicine." (Proverbs 17:22)

Wow. Except for the vegan part, I am in virtually the same situation as you. I mean "I could have written that post" exactly the same situation. I feel slightly better now knowing I'm not alone ;-)

Here's what I've learned so far:
- Not wheat: I did a 3 week exclusion trial and I felt better but not significantly to conclude that I cannot eat wheat (I just try to eat less of it)
- Not dairy: Ditto above. In fact I did WORSE on the lower GI side when I removed dairy esp. yogurt from my diet.
- I did have two fibroids removed about a year ago which made a dramatic improvement in the massive pain & bloating during my period. I thought it would solve the bloated belly but it hasn't - only during my period.
- The coughing up phlegm - yep I have that too - and I have been told there's a few possible causes: upper GI acid reflux; food allergy/reaction; post-nasal drip. The latter is most likely for me. The dairy exclusion did not help with this as my doc thought it might. I also have problems with my eustachian tubes which is why she first thought "dairy".
- I have a bloated belly no matter what I do and am now going to see a lower GI specialist (hopefully within the next month) as they are now worried about a possible parasite (!)
- I too have been 5-10lbs over where I was even a year ago and I am running a silly amount these days and can't drop the weight.
- I tried B12 supplementing which didn't help a lick with energy levels.

I have hypothyroidism, and my energy levels are OK - some days they're through the roof and other days pretty damn low, where I have to drag my ass through some runs that's for sure. My TSH levels are good (with meds). I've been tested for all the same things as you. Oh and I turned 40 5 months ago as well :-)

The only advice I can offer is to keep at it. If I learn anything new from the lower GI doc, I'll pass it on.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

are you taking a probiotic supplement?
are you eating a ton of fruits/veggies? (too much fiber?)
How committed are you to veganism? (yogurt and keifer can fix so many tummy issues)

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Recoverie and AndyPants -

Of course the disclaimer: I am not an MD.
What struck me about both your stories is the bloat...AP - you mentioned you are being tested for a parasite...that is what I was wondering too...especially with Recoverie's description of malnourished kids. Here's the other piece of that...maybe you ARE malnourished. I have a friend who is going through some VERY similar symptoms and as she is working through it, a stool sample has revealed that she likely is malnourished. It is not about diet (good vs. bad) it is about what your body can actually digest.

I would pull on that string - and see what comes up. I know it is unpleasant, but I would suggest a stool sample.

For me my brain goes to: possible parasite (more or less likely with where you live/travel); or under/malnourishment based on what your body can/can't digest.

Good luck -keep us posted!

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________________________________________________
Don't Just Live, Thrive!
Thrive Kinematics Physical Therapy - http://www.facebook.com/...8178667572974?ref=hl

Thanks for the info and website. I have not seen a dietician. Based on my experiments, it doesn't matter what I drink or eat and when, I still have the severe bloating, some days worse than others. I had a colonic last March that expelled a lot of gas. No candida present. I followed that up with a charcoal drink, then hours later, probiotics.


I've looked into this FODMAP diet. I've even tried eliminating all grains and nuts and seeds. My hunch is it's not the food, but something in me has changed. I don't know if it's just time and age. Though, I can't imagine just because you turn 40, things just fall apart in a bad way. I'll keep you posted.

I had a major bout of the trots in NZ about 18-20 months ago - I mean 10 straight days of it - and I recall doing a bunch of thermal pool swimming. So... beaver fever? giardasis (sp?)? this is what we're going to check on.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I would think these could be two options, but there are lots of parasites, and lots of ways to pick them up...just thinking out loud.

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________________________________________________
Don't Just Live, Thrive!
Thrive Kinematics Physical Therapy - http://www.facebook.com/...8178667572974?ref=hl

I hear you on the "drink when thirsty" model. I thought about this when during Branson 70.3 on Sun, Sept 19, 2010 when I was pounding the water, but not enough electrolytes. I diluted my sodium levels so much that I went to the medical tent after the finish and was given two bags of an IV solution. I had hyponatremia (they didn't say that, but, read about it later). My blood pressure was crazy low (maybe 80 or 60 over 40, I can't remember, but it was LOW). It was in the upper 90's that day, I pushed the bike too hard, didn't drink enough electrolytes. After the IV, I felt reborn. My bloating and nausea went away, I didn't feel as sore, and my appetite returned. I truly felt like a million bucks. The next day, I wasn't that sore, so, went out for a low effort hour bike ride. Felt great during the rest of that week. But, that Saturday night back in WA, I had a binge episode, but got back on board after one day. Though, still had episodes again a week later.


Thanks for your input.

Thanks for the info about Clean. I checked out some excerpts from the book online yesterday. Will continue to investigate.

Thanks for this info. I read something about problems surfacing if the body's cortisol levels get too high (lack of quality sleep can be a factor that can raise it). What do you think?


I understand I have to get a good amount of quality calories in order to lose unnecessary weight. If the body senses a deprivation, the metabolism, as I've read, will slow down to conserve energy. So, losing weight is harder. One has to eat to lose weight. However, sometimes I don't intentionally under eat. But, having had the on again, off again binge eating episodes since 1991 (it began in the Air Force when I decided to start eating "healthier" to get more energy for exercise), I'm afraid of eating too much. I can usually tell when I've had enough when a burp surfaces at the end of my meals. This is usually 30 to 40 minutes after beginning to eat, and doing it slowly, chewing the food well into a cream before swallowing. When I've stopped eating when I burped, get up and move around, it proves to be enough. But, if I kept going past that signal, I don't feel good.

Thanks again for sharing. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to get those ovaries checked out, but, it won't be mine because I am a dude. :)


Thanks for the well wishes. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the sharing. I'll keep you posted, also, if and when I learn something that helps. :)

Thanks for your input, TC. I'll keep you posted.

I'm not a doctor but I heard a story on NPR this week that shows some evidence that malnourished children with extended abdomins may be caused by the bacteria in their gut. We all have bacteria in the gut to help with digestion and if the bacteria we need dies off for some reason and is replaced by unhelpful bacteria may be causing the malnourishment. That is the theory anyway. Might be worth looking into.

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I'm not crazy. I am mentally amusing. - Daffy Duck

Thanks for the well wishes. I'll keep you and AP posted.

That sounds rough! At this point, I would think anything is possible, and would leave nothing to chance. Surely there is a cause to all of this.

Thanks for the info, Rlshanley. This makes sense.


I'm looking back at when these issues started. It seems to be around the time after Branson 70.3 in 2010. Due to the heat and humidity, I dehydrated so bad that I went to the medical tent and received two IV bags of a sodium solution. I felt awesome after that, and had no lingering issues. My gut issues haven't been an issue until a year ago. It came on gradually. Any long or hard efforts makes me feel unsettled and nauseous in my gut (like when I do a two hour bike followed by an hour run once a week). The fecal coliform bacteria that was in a local lake I swam in last year is still a red flag for me. However, I'm having worse symptoms now, and I have not been in that lake since last August.


These stomach and colon issues have caused me to miss work and personal appointments and gets in the way of life in general, not just the swim, bike and run. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

It all sounds horribly uncomfortable :-(
I'd try eating yogurt more frequently - either soy-based yogurt (with the note that soy causes gas for a lot of people) or keifer :-) keifer is really good stuff.

Keep us updated. I hope you find a solution. AP too.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Thanks, TC. I'll give the keifer a try, even the dairy based kind. I've used the coconut based one from So Delicious. I can't tell a difference whether it helps or not. I'll keep you and others (AP) posted.

One other issue that has come up (from the tri forum) is to limit or suspend all swim, bike and run for now. I'm willing to do it, since I'm having the constriction in my left chest, neck and head area. It's a bit disappointing because I received my new Blue Triad SP from All 3 Sports last Thursday. It's still in the box in a storage room at my work place. However, I know I'm not able to ramp anything up as far as exercise is concerned, so, the bike will have to wait until I'm well again.

Other thoughts - you mentioned a history of binge eating disorder. Is it still an issue? Any current or past laxative use/abuse?
You don't have to answer that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, but it's something to think about. I can empathize with eating disorder related tummy troubles :P

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Yeah, it's still been an issue. Mainly due to the discouragement I feel because of this constant bloat (no matter what I eat or drink). I sometimes wonder if the years of abuse have caused this distended belly. It seems in my mind that when I had episodes in the past, and would get back on a schedule, I didn't have the pregnant belly. Now, no matter how careful I am, I still bloat. It's a vicious cycle, in that, I get physically hungry and need to eat, but soon after taking in calories, I wish that I had not ate.

definitely worth asking an MD. Continuing bingeing certainly won't help - though I understand that binges are emotionally driven

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Did you have the blood test or the small bowel biopsy to test for Celiac? The blood test is infamously inaccurate.
Have you tried going 100% gluten free, just to see? That would be the first thing I'd recommend (as a Celiac). If that's not the culprit, at least you'll know for sure. But your symptoms sound fairly textbook for gluten intolerance...

Thanks for the info. I know bingeing never helps. It adds problems. Maybe my gut issues are the result of "on again, off again" bingeing.

I had different reasons for bingeing in the past. Now I'm doing it because I'm depressed over how my health is going downward. So, I turn to lots of high carb sugary food (healthy junk food) to cope with my pregnant belly. I know this is insane thinking, but, I'm trying to be healthy with nutrition and exercise, but, I still have this fat roll on my belly and severe bloating. I don't like this, so, I turn to food, that ends up making things worse. I need help.

Thanks for the info. I've tried it for a few days. Even when I drink water (or lemon water) in the am, my belly bloats. It does this even after a bm twice a day.

I have not had bloating issues and a run down feeling before eating gluten containing foods. Yet, ever since 2004, most days I wake up feeling like I played tackle football all night. I thought it was due to exercise the day before, but, when I have a day or week off, I still wake up with a very stiff back, legs and feet.

If you try again, I would give it more than a few days. If your intestines/gut are severely damaged they need time to heal before you might see a change.

Thanks for the advice, lisa. I'm willing to try it. I have to do something because the situation is not right, and geting worse.

I'm open to looking at any underlying emotional issues, but, if it's a physical issue (like offending foods), that creates problems that then segues into emotional issues (like depression), then I would think I would need to look at the things I'm putting in my mouth. My symptoms seem to occur after eating. Not sure at this point that it's some unresolved childhood issue.

Agreed - I gave it 3 weeks to see. A few days isn't enough.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Re: binge eating - eating issues don't have to be rooted in childhood issues - as you noted above, this seems to be a vicious cycle of depression/upset at physical issues, eating because of it, which may cause more physical issues. I hear you - sugar is just about poison if you have food issues - it creates cravings for more sugar! - but carbs also make us feel good (at least temporarily).

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Is therapy an option? If it's a $ issue some have sliding scales.


I agree with others that this sounds suspiciously like a gluten issue. You might try posting your symptoms on the marksdailyapple.com forum. Warning: they're anti-vegan and believe that gluten is the root of all evil, so the responses you are likely to get is "cut the gluten!" but someone might have some other insights for you.


Finally, how else can you cope with being upset/angry/etc about the feeling of a fat roll and the bloating? When you are feeling icky, what are NON FOOD ways you can make yourself feel better?

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Thanks for the update, TC. I have insurance through my work. Therapy might be an option as I discuss plans and cost with a therapist. Yes, I have been hesitant about therapy, only because I don't want to pay someone to talk about my lack of healthy coping skills. Yet, I'm paying for it now with poor health. :)

Thanks for the info on Marks Daily Apple. I'm hesitant about going the route of incorporating animal flesh in my diet. There was a time in 1995 I felt super on a vegan diet. It was 2004, however, when I began having subtle issues in different parts of my body. After Branson 70.3 in September 2010, I felt my best ever (though not as great as switching to vegan in 1995). But, the last year has been the worst of my life. It's very hard to get on an exercise program like in years past because of these gut issues and lack of energy and overall gusto.

As far as coping with upset and angry feelings in a non food way, boy, you hit the nail right on the head! I think it's not some issue in my past (some people years ago hinted at sexual abuse, but, I have no evidence that justifies that, not from a friend, relative, babysitter, etc.). The only thing that comes to mind was in the eighth grade (about 1983/84) when I skipped school for several weeks, unknown to my parents at the time (they knew later). I stayed home while my parents were at work and my younger brother was at another school and watched movies while eating a bunch of sugary, processed junk food. At the time, I did not consider that I was "bingeing." I had no thought of "Boy, I'm getting fat. I feel so lousy." There was none of that, unlike today.

Fast forward to December 1990, while stationed in England with the Air Force. I had always been active, and into various sports in school like football, tennis, weight lifting and swimming. Once I was on a work schedule with my Air Force job in the U.K., I began doing workouts again, like in my high school days, at the base gym. One day while at the base book store, I noticed these men's fitness magazines. I read about various workout routines and types of foods that would help someone get the most out of their exercise regimens and get "ripped." This was new territory for me because, up until this point, I had no idea that what you ate could have an effect on how you felt. So, I took the advice of drinking more water, eating more fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean meats with gusto. I've always been that whatever I'm going to do, I give it everything I got. So, I attempted to throw out everything that I was eating before, mainly the sweets and candy bars. In my mind, I considered those things now bad, and if I wanted to be "good," then I should not eat them. I also remember looking at some of the men's bodies in those fitness magazines (and some triathlon mags from that era), and desired to look like those people. Hence, a foot hold was made with my body image problem. However, the seeds were planted when I was a kid and noticed how heavy my Mom (and my Dad) and her side of the family looked. In my young mind, I vowed to do whatever was necessary to never get like that. I feared to look like them or some of my relatives. I soon looked upon all people who I thought were severely overweight with horror, that if I ever reached that point, I would kill myself.

So, in December 1990, I told my parents to not send me any care packages of sweets that I was accustomed to eating before. I told them that "I'm trying a new eating plan." I did well, imo, for two weeks, then out of nowhere, this intense, practically uncontrollable feeling came over me, and I got my hands on those forbidden foods that I deemed bad (cookies, pop-tarts, candy bars), and wolfed them down furiously. After 30 minutes to an hour while I had a good sugar buzz going from all those carbs, I felt the need for something salty to offset the sweetness. Then I thought, "what the heck did I just do?!? I am a terrible, weak willed, disgusting person. I'm such a failure!" Then, paranoia set in. I thought, "what would my coworkers, roommate and others say if they see me doing this? What would they think?" That's when I began bingeing in secret so no one would see my horrific behavior. I even left the base on my days off, taking a bus or train to a remote location in some city in Oxford or London where no one knew me, so I could binge on all the sugary food I wanted, and no one would think ill of me. I remember often bingeing like this while also needing other stimulus in the form of looking through mountain bike magazines, devouring the articles on the latest equipment and races, comparing myself to those elite athletes, wishing I could be as fit as them. Then, after a few days, I would pull myself up by my bootstraps, get back on a schedule, and do well, imo, for a couple of weeks. Then, I would have another meltdown, feel guilty and ashamed, and plunge into another disappearing, secret binge.

This began to be full blown during the summer of 1991. On time, when I I was on a schedule of good nutrition, sleep and exercise, a coworker made a comment about me looking "anorexic." I remember feeling so good when I heard that. I was on cloud ten! Then, another time when I was in a binge mode for several days, but had to show up for work anyway, one coworker poked me in the gut before we went out to our jobs on this flightline, and he noticed I was a bit pudgy, commenting as such. I knew he meant no harm, just kidding around. But I wished I could have destroyed those words that came out of his mouth. I wanted to run away as fast as I could because I felt so despicable. This scenario has happened many times afterwards in different venues with different coworkers in different jobs. I made an excuse to one customer in this health food store I worked at (after getting out of the AF) that I had been "working out" more when he saw me and asked, "Are you gaining weight?" I had been in a terrible binge cycle, and rightly so, working in this food store (not a good situation I later learned). I had quickly put on weight in a short amount of time, like 15 pounds in two weeks. So, this customer who knew me well from years of shopping there had commented about my weight because he had not seen me for awhile. I saw him from the back of the store, so I tried to avoid hide from him in the store so he would see me this heavy. When he said those words about my weight, I wanted to destroy those words from off the face of the earth. I wanted to crawl in a hole and never see the light of day. However, when this same customer saw me on a different occasion years later, he commented how I was looking fit. I was elated to hear that! I never told him how upset I was when he asked me about the "weight gain." I later shared with him in private about my binge episodes. It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders at that time to come out in the open with what I had been trying to hide.

When I am on a schedule of nutrition, sleep and exercise, I am REALLY on. But, after about six weeks (more like two weeks the last few months), I become overcome by this uncontrollable feeling, this presence, where I just consume every sugary high carb food in sight, (mostly the organic, healthy junk food, replacing Snicker's bars for Clif and Luna ones, Kellog's Pop-tarts for Nature's Path ones), then switch to something savory and salty to offset the sweetness. There have been times, like 10 and 15 years ago, I would steal food, or, money to get the food. In these scenarios, when I was off, I would be REALLY off. There has been no middle ground for me. When I would blow it, I would throw my will and hands up and, through my actions say, "Well, I blew it now, I might as well go all the way and do a really good binge. Really nail myself to the wall, and eat until I collapse." I would eat anything I wanted at any hour, stopped exercising, kept late nights with my sleep schedule all over the map. This has been going on for the past 20 years. On again, off again, a living Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The longest I was on a regular schedule was 1995 and 2001. I remember going almost six months in both years where I was not bingeing. I went through a divorce January 2002 (no kids involved), and got into triathlons that same year with Memphis in May and a couple of sprints in August in AR. I took a couple of months off in October and November, then began a training plan again in December for the next year. Then, in January 2003, I woke up because of a fiery sensation in my right knee (it and my right leg from hip to ankle had always felt weird ever since going to clipless pedals in 1992). The next morning, while out for a run, I had to limp. I felt crushed, like my days of running were over. Thus, the bingeing started up again because of the physical set backs. I couldn't do the training and triathlons that I was looking forward to because of this supposed injury. I knew I could do well, and was willing to do the work. I saw and felt improvements when I was on a schedule. The efforts just got easier and easier. I wanted to see how far this body could go endurance wise. But, when I had a physical setback, it depressed me. So, I coped, by turning to sugary, high carb foods and stopped all forms of consistent exercise. More health problems ensued over the years, namely, fibromyalgia symptoms in my back, legs and feet. I still feel that today, but, I now have the constriction in my left chest, neck and head area that prevents me from getting a deep breath, plantar fasciitis and the stomach bloat.

So, here I am, feeling further away from my goals I set out in those early 90's - to have the best physical endurance I could possibly attain, hoping to get fitter and more efficient as the years went by. I realize now, I was still trying to be like those elite athletes, even hoping, back in my mtn bike racing days of 1992-1994, to one day win the rainbow jersey. I seriously thought it could happen, especially since moving to Italy in the AF in 1992 and getting in with a local mtn bike racing team. I almost stayed over there after the leaving the AF, but, the on again, off again binge cycles caused me to bail on certain mtn bike races, and I didn't stay in touch with these Italian friends I hung out with who owned a bike shop and managed a race team. So many times, then and now, I would sabotage my best, imo, well laid plans. I kick myself now, wondering what could have happened if I didn't binge that weekend, and chose to go to that race that I prepared for instead of bailing on my friends and locking myself away in that apartment for the weekend, burying myself in that sugar addiction.

And so, that pattern continues today. I suffer a setback, mostly due to some physical ailment, and bail on some plan that I've committed to, whether meeting family or friends for a get together, scheduled work, or a triathlon event or bike ride. As I type these words, I realize my coping skills are very poor indeed. I need help.

Thank you for sharing what you did about coping in a non food way. Food, specifically, sugary, high carb processed food, has been my coping mechanism for SO many years. I've never binged on a dozen raw apples, carrots or avocados or huge bowls of brown rice and beans; it's always the sweets for starters, then something salty like a giant pizza or veggie burger. I want to stop this, for, I now feel that my body is rebelling because of the abuse it has suffered for so long. I just don't know how to begin.

Thanks for the advice, AP. I also need to work on the root issue of why I'm using food (mostly high carb, sugary kinds) to cope with my emotions. For, I could eliminate all gluten, but, I sense that the root issue as to why I'm bingeing would still be there. Even if I get rid of all the gluten, in a weak moment, I can still go to the grocery store and buy some sugary food to get that fix. I find it a challenge because food is not illegal to possess, like cocaine or heroin. Sooner or later, I'm going to need food.

I am sorry to distill a long and thoughtful post into a sentence, but I don't have time to read/give it the appropriate attention now. A couple of thoughts - ways to begin - here are a couple ways to cope that I would call self-soothing. I know you're a guy and some of these are sort of "girly"


curl up on the couch/bed with a book or movie
do a craft project (sew, knit, oragami, paint, play with clay)
do yoga
go for a walk
pet a dog/cat
play with a kid
play a board game
write in a journal or write a letter (writing in a journal is really helpful for getting feelings out!)
call a friend
IDENTIFY the feelings - "I am feeling upset/overwhelmed/stressed/angry/sad/lonely/..."
Say to self "I want to binge because I feel _________" ...
force yourself to wait 20 minutes before eating something. That's usually enough time to re-think bingeing on something sugary
keep reminding yourself that the urges to binge WILL go away, you just have to practice it and retrain your neuronal pathways


food-related stuff:
if you need that oral fixation - and I don't recommend this because I think it just reinforces the neuronal pathway of eating when stressed - eat an apple or carrots or celery (less sugar --> less blood sugar spike)
the best thing you can do from a nutrition perspective is go cold-turkey on sugar for a few weeks... that stops the cravings... yes, it is super hard to stop, but it's possible!
tell yourself "if I still want [whatever food] I can have it tomorrow" - chances are you will wake up not wanting it
retrain your brain to go for different comfort foods. My current comfort foods are scrambled eggs and soup.


Finally, reward yourself for using coping skills and not bingeing. I put a sticker on the calendar for every day I don't binge. This may seem silly but it's highly motivating. You could also put a quarter in a jar or something. Set a goal of, say, 7 days without bingeing and I will buy myself some small treat (magazine, new pair of socks - I love socks LOL - etc)

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I agree you have to cut gluten out for much longer. I am allergic to dairy (not sensitive, full blown hives and ana sometimes) and it took a month for me to see a difference. Also, I keep seeing mention of citrus in water. It is a long shot, but some people are allergic to citrus. Have you tried cutting out citrus? Another diet to try is for those with a variety of IBDs, and is called teh Specific-Carbohydrate Diet. Cured me and now I'm "illegal" without issues. http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

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http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

Good ideas tc. I like the "reward" concept.

To the OP: I feel for you, you have a number of underlying issues that are not going to fixed by a simple blood test and medication/diet change. Please get some professional help.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I am sitting through an urge to devour a cheese danish or two :P they are my stress food...

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I appreciate you saying this, TC. Thank you. The "journal" part is actually what I've been doing in this thread, specifically the last very long post about my past in the Air Force.


In light of this, and your comments above about identifying the feelings, it reminded me of the tools and principles I learned when at a clinic in Ohio that helped people will all kinds of addictions (drugs, food, alcohol, etc.). The acronym HALT came to mind when I read your post. It stands for "Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired." This lead me to realize those four things are feelings, something I was not very good at expressing because they were shut down in my childhood, mostly by my Dad. For all of my childhood and teenage years, I did not have the opportunity to express my feelings (I did somewhat with my Mom) and emotions. So, I kept all of them inside me. Things like, "You better stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about!" made me learn to suppress my feelings.


I had a revelation the day after reading your post, that my eating disorder was my way of stuffing my emotions because they were not allowed to be expressed as a child. I learned the eating disorder part from my Mom. I saw her use food to deal with the lack of intimacy (mostly emotional) she did not receive from my Dad. I know both of them have been damaged from the dysfunctional relationship with their parents. These things get passed on from generation to generation. I now know that my body responding the way it has over the last two years with different ailments was in part due to the years of abuse of overeating. I know in time it will heal because I was shown the root to why I was bingeing on sugary foods for 22 years. I was trying to stuff my feelings that I didn't know at the time were valid. As a kid, I wasn't given the opportunity to share them or my opinion on things, for fear of punishment from mostly my Dad. My Mom listened to me, so that's why today, I'm closer to women than men. Hence, I've received more help in this women's forum than any other place. I tend to think that a lot of women are more in touch with their emotions than some men (sorry men, but that's been my experience).

Because of my emotions getting squashed in childhood, it affected me later in life. It lead me to the Air Force because that was a natural extension of my home life. As in the home, so too in the military, you do not talk unless told to by your superiors. Six weeks of basic training just further reinforced the scenario of having my feelings shut down by an authority figure. You couldn't laugh or cry, or suffer the consequences. I later saw some guys turn to alcohol, others illicit relationships with one night stands, and on and on it went.

My childhood scenario also lead me to the types of jobs I would hold. It lead me to always seek the lowest type of jobs because I didn't feel I deserved anything better. It also lead me into sports, like tennis, mtn bike racing and triathlons because I wanted to prove to people (mostly to my Dad) that I was somebody. I also did these things to get attention. Sometimes I would do well and win, but, when I didn't get the attention in one sport, I would go to another one. Now, I'm questioning if I even want to ride a bike and run and swim anymore. My reason for initially doing it was to get noticed by others because I wasn't noticed in my childhood. So, whether I would act out responsibly or irresponsibly, the motivation was the same - to have somebody (my Dad) notice me.

This also lead me to use other things to stuff my emotions, like movies. The reason I was always drawn to the ones where an underdog faced incredible obstacles in a fight with an almost invincible opponent, but miraculously overcame and stood victor, is because that's the way I felt with my Dad my entire life. I was living my life through those actors on the movie screen. I also liked any movie where the actor was speaking their mind to affect change. This held true for hanging out with anyone, in school or a job, who spoke their mind. Some were the rebellious type who clearly had their own issues from their childhood, but, they were doing what I always wished I could do - share my opinion and feelings.

In light of this, I'm on the road for healing emotionally first, then the physical will take care of itself. I will be having a talk with my parents at some point, but, I'm weighing this carefully because I know now they don't see that some of my past behaviors involved them. Yet, I see that my physical problems have their origin in the home with my emotions getting shut down. Now I know why I could consume an entire grocery store of sugar and never feel satisfied. It's because food can never reach the heart, the emotions. I was literally starving for love and intimacy from my parents, mostly my Dad.

I don't blame either of them because I know they are the result of the dysfunction in their home when they were kids. They have not dealt with their issues yet. I'm hoping that what I share with them will turn our hearts together for intimacy and be a family in the truest sense of the word, not just people who slept under the same roof, going to and from work and school and paid bills.

I'm going to heal, and even now it's happening. The root has surfaced and it makes the most sense out of everything I've been through. That's why all of my tests showed normal because medical doctors can't run a physical test for the emotions, in my experience.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this. I'm open to listening.

Scott

Thanks for sharing, Kathy. I appreciate it. However, it was revealed to me this week by some great counseling that my gut issues stem from issues that I've had in my childhood with not being able to express my emotions, mostly to my Dad. I learned how to stuff my emotions with sugary food by watching my Mom do that because she wasn't getting the attention she needed from my Dad. Hence, I developed an eating disorder later in life. I know doing that to my body for the last 22 years did some damage, but, it is repairable. It will take time, but, everything will heal because I no longer need to medicate with food. I eat when I'm hungry, and don't when I'm not. I'm learning to express my feelings in healthy ways. I now know that my feelings are valid, and it's ok to have them.

Thanks for sharing, AP. I have received professional help this week. My gut and other health issues have their origin in my relationship with my parents whereby I was not given the opportunity to express my feelings, mostly to my Dad. I picked up the eating disorder by copying my Mom. She used food to deal with the lack of intimacy from my Dad. Hence, after 22 years of on again, off again bingeing, my body did develop issues. It will heal. I'm just so grateful that these gut issues occurred because after a battery of physical tests producing nothing, it caused me to look deep into my heart. I saw for the first time in 40 years, that my feelings were shut down through my 18 years living under my parents roof. The dots have been connected, and I'm on the road to recovery. My user name is so fitting now. :)

I'd like to add a few things to this. I do agree that profession help IS needed. Yet, gut health is critical to mental health...as it was coined the "second brain" due to it's importance in brain function. There is a book on this, you can easily find. I'll go out on a limb and suggest this, as I've seen this work exceptionally for those who can do it: a strict gluten free diet, whole foods, no sugar/caffeine, limit fruit to berries & low sugar apple, no more than 1 c. legumes per day, take probiotics daily, digestive enzymes, multi-vitamin/multi-mineral, and 300-500 mg/kg body weight per day of L-glutamine. You likely have a yeast overgrowth and/or parasites as well--note the bloating. Both can be easily treated. The general term is call dysbiosis...how you get it varies, but correcting it can help your mental health as well--and clearly helping your mental health will help you stop harming yourself. I wish you luck.

Thanks for sharing, Lori. I'm still going to implement some of these points you and others have made. I know that what I eat does have an effect on my mental state. That's a given. I'm excited at the prospect of implementing a gluten-free diet (for a season) or other program because I know if that is truly needed, it will work. Before, I was trying SO many diets without having the emotional part down pat. I've got the root to my eating disorder. I now know everything else will fall into place in due time. I didn't get like this overnight (with my health), so, it will take time to recover.

Recoverie and AndyPants -

Any updates?

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

On a few fronts, but not completely. I still have the lower GI issues (I had to resked a specialist appt, and that pushed me out 3 months!) but I am coping. I have an umbilical hernia, that one is for certain, it's still "runnable" but I really do not enjoy core workouts right now. That will be surgery - once I see GI doc. My coughing up "stuff" is better - I actually think it may be due to dust & dog hair in the house - during the winter we are inside more and I think it affects me more - now that I am out side more (as is doggy) I am having less of it.

Still a work in progress... just on hold until Comrades is over ;-)

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Have you ever had a vitamin D test? Your symptoms mirror what athletes with vit. D deficiency usually complain of. Limb girdle aches and pains, gut issues, and a general feeling of weakness and "unwellness." Extra jeopardy since you're a vegan...

x2.. I just did the elimination diet that prepares your for his cleanse. Calms my bloaty tummy right down, makes my digestion work again, and restores my energy. A few days of jello, chicken broth and oatmeal work for me. I suspect it allows some inflammation to settle down..

I had blood work done for Vitamin D (among others). It came back "normal." However, as of today, I feel anything but. I feel quite crummy every day. Now, it doesn't matter what I eat or drink, I get this bloated distended belly all the time (even after a regular bm). I've tried to get as bland a diet as possible (low fiber, gluten, and raw). No change. I'm just so burnt out and so hungry. It's at the point now that I'm afraid to eat anything because of the bloating that always ensues.

My gastro doc suggested I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Recommedned Xifaxin for possible SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). But, it's out of my price range. A two week supply, with my insurance, would have been $338. And it's a crapshoot. The doc said it may help, or it might not.

I'm out of answers at this point, and feel without hope. My exercises have been halted due to the bloating and constriction that I constantly feel as soon as I begin to exert myself (like just climbing stairs around my apartment complex).

I have a friend who went through hell and back t track down problems she was having. She ended up going gluten free, non-dairy and corn-free. What a nightmare of a diet but she feels much better.

She and I did a roadtrip and between her sensitivities and me being vegan we were a real treat to try and feed :-)

This must be an allergy of a common ingredient. Corn and soy are everywhere. Have you looked at those as culprits? I can understand this being so frustrating.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Thanks for your input. How long did your friend go gluten free before her symptoms improved?

I've been vegan since 1995. It never was a problem until a year and a half ago. It's become substantially worse since January of this year, even causing me to miss work and workouts every month (a week and a half each time).

Not sure how long it took. I know the process of identifying the right combination of issues took a long time. Months. She also developed these issues later in life, early 40s.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Everyone's different.
In 2009 a friend suggested that my "IBS" symptoms might mean I was gluten intolerant.
Having nothing to lose, I decided to cut out all gluten and see what happened.
(For anyone considering this I emphasize the importance of reading labels and understanding what contains gluten - like wheat, flour, soy sauce, etc. If you don't read EVERY label, you could very well miss something with gluten in it, find your symptoms don't improve, and give up - just because you didn't read a label.)

Anyway, long story short, within just 1 week, I could feel a *significant* improvement in my digestive system.

I just read thru this thread for the first time. One thing that stood out was that you said you felt amazing for a while after receiving 2 IV bags after a race. I wonder if there isn't a clue in there.

I went thru a period of increasing muscle cramps (mostly while swimming). Tried drinking sports drinks, taking electrolyte pills, salting my food, but nothing really worked. Then I tried a tablespoon of apple cidar vinegar before swimming and that did the trick. Results were immediate. No idea why this worked and the salt and sports drink didn't.

As for the bingeing, I think its impossible to eat perfectly all the time. All those people that look like they're doing it aren't. The key is allowing yourself some flexibility and recognizing that having some junk food isn't making a statement about you. You're still in control because you make the decision to allow yourself to eat xyz. When you know that you can eat whatever you want the desire for it really does disappear. It's a total leap of faith though and I know how hard that is. I think the starting point is to stop trying to follow the perfect junk free diet. The concept of perfection and strict rules has to go. It's just not realistic.

One thing that worked wonders for my sweet tooth was Lindt 70 percent chocolate. It's a treat, but not so tasty that you eat a ton of it. I find it totally satisfies my need for a treat and my sweet tooth has pretty much disappeared. Also, it's kind of considered healthy so I don't even think of it as junk food. I eat it every day.

I really like the idea of talking to your parents and being open with them. I think the key with this is that you say what you need to say, not how they react to it.

I really hope you can find a solution to this!

Finally saw the GI specialist. He's pretty sure I have Giardasis (beaver fever) from my trip to NZ in 2011(!!!). So tests, then antibiotics. He also had a lot of suggestions to follow up after that's done - daily fibre loading to get motility improved; diet modification via exclusion as per FODMAP (reading up on this - sounds very complicated); and continued monitoring. But on the positive side, he recommended AGAINST surgery for my hernia :-) I am really REALLY happy about that.

One baby step at a time...

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

heh heh....you said beaver fever....heh heh

On a serious note, glad you found a potential solution!

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

There's a lot of info on FODMAP exclusion in the paleo world. (It seems like a fair number of folks come to paleo as an answer to mysterious GI ailments.) I've seen good info on the Whole 9 forum (http://whole9life.com/) and other miscellaneous paleo resources. I've also seen it described as an auto-immune protocol, so that might help your search.


I'm not a full-fledged member of paleo-nation, but we did a "Whole 30 challenge" back in January. I found it to be a very helpful way of eating to eliminate the bad stuff and focus on the good stuff. Once you get used to it, it's actually not that difficult to follow (if you tend to cook for yourself, it's a little harder to eat out without cross-examining your waitstaff... ) I've fallen away from it with the heavier training, but I still find myself paying much more attention to what's in my food and trying to stick to real food and eliminate the random ingredients that seem to be in every packaged food.


I hope you (and Recoverie) get it sorted out soon.


M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

Thanks you two, yeah I've been really reducing the carb intake in general to try and help the situation already, without going full gluten or dairy exclusion as those didn't work for me. Even just trying to eat less carbs has resulted in some less bad food eating. I think it's always good to be critical of what you put in your body once in a while - kind of like an audit :-) It's easy to slip into bad habits.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Been there done that. You probably have what I had for many years. I started doing some research on GMO's in our food system. The use of Genetically Modified organisms, mostly crops like corn, soy, sugar, cotton, canola, squash and some citrus requires large doses of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Basically these crops are able to handle massive doses of Round Up. Well now that so many crops in the US are GMO the amount of round up we are eating is causing chronic internal inflammation and something called leaky gut syndrome. It took me 4 months to rid my house of all GMO and preservatives, but now all my food allergies are gone, no more pain and I lost the weight I had been carrying for so long due to inflammation. My husband's RA is now under control and my adult son's skin cleared up. My mother visted for 10 days and said she never felt better and has not taken her digestive medicine since June! Do research on leaky gut syndrome, How to eliminate GMO's and how to live a clean healthy life. Basically you need to buy organic as much as possible. Meat is highly concentrated in GMO's due to their feed so limit meat and dairy. It changed my life and I Marched against Monsanto in May because I think that corporation along with other chemical companies are slowly making us sick. Large chemical companies now control most of our food production. They have infiltrated all branches of our government mostly the FDA so the information we citizens are getting is Not correct. Sounds like a conspiracy I know, but do our own research online and see if this works for you. Hope this helps.

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No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
Laura

I only read the first page and certainly there are some good thoughts there but the first thing that I thought of was autoimmune disorder. Might be worth looking into if you have not been tested for that.

Thanks to all of you who have chimed in with tips and encouragement.

Received my lab results from another naturopath this week. Among other things, he noted I have the presence of a "few entamoeba histolytica/dispar & entamoeba coli" parasites. Even though there were few present, he said there shouldn't be any. He ordered other tests for me right then that I fulfilled that afternoon. Will see him in two weeks for the results.

In the meantime, I'm waiting to hear from the City and County I live in about a fecal coliform bacteria that was in a lake I swam in back in August 2012. They closed the lake at that time for three weeks, then reopened it once it was deemed safe. At this point, I don't know if there's a connection between the lake and my current symptoms (my gut issues have been just as bad during my off season from lake swimming Oct thru April).

I'm also taking a less invasive approach to dealing with these critters by using barberry, grapefruit seed extract and oregano oil. If I don't see an improvement in two weeks, my naturopath will suggest taking a pharmaceutical approach to get rid of the bugs. From what I've read, E. Histolytica & Coli can negatively affect the lining of the intestines. It can also get worse where the bugs get into the bloodstream and affect other organs, like the liver and brain.

So, I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Hi Dana,

You were right. My latest lab results from my naturopath showed the presence of the parasites entamoeba histolytica & coli. He also pointed out areas where I am getting malnourished (low iron levels for starters). I'm already thinking that the presence of the parasites are the cause of the malnourishment. Like you said, it's not about the diet, but is my body actually digesting what I'm ingesting. From what I've read about these bugs, they can lay dormant for a while before producing symptoms. They live in their host (me) by eating bacteria and food in the host. Maybe some of my food is actually nourishing the bugs and not me.

Just posted some updates.

How's your health coming along, AP? I just posted updates to my situation.

Glad to hear you are finding some answers and hopefully on a good path to recovery!!

Keep us posted!

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________________________________________________
Don't Just Live, Thrive!
Thrive Kinematics Physical Therapy - http://www.facebook.com/...8178667572974?ref=hl

uck, what's the treatment?

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

My naturopath recommended two treatments to deal with these critters - herbs or drugs. I'm taking the herbs right now (barberry, grapefruit seed extract and oregano oil). If I don't see an improvement when I see him in two weeks, he'll suggest the drug 'metronidazole' (also known as flagyl).

From how he described it, I concluded the allopathic scenario is like the EMP device in the Matrix that's used to annihilate 'sentinel' parasites. However, according to this 'revolutionary' obliteration, the EMP would leave the inner workings of the 'host' (me) vulnerable to a greater onslaught of parasitic 'sentinels.'

On the other hand, the naturopathic route is like Liam Neeson in Taken. The herbs may not look like much when they're first introduced into the 'host.' But when in enemy territory with these 'human trafficking' protozoan, Oregano Oil has a "very particular set of skills that make it a nightmare" for parasites like coli. However, these amoebas have 'relatives' that might seek revenge for all Oregano did to their 'family.'

A third option would be to combine the two treatments where Liam Neeson goes into the host with EMP guns blazing.

Hi Recoverie
I’m having the exact same symptoms as you did.
Would you mind if your issues were resolved?

Thanks
Mike

Thanks for chiming in, Mike. I wouldn't mind if my issues were resolved! :) What do you have in mind? How long have you had symptoms?

I'm currently taking L-Tyrosine, B Complex, Iron and Zinc Picolinate. Latest labs showed low iron and thyroid. Also incorporating blue light therapy, classical music and reducing time on social media.

Since I posted in 2014, some family issues came up involving physical and sexual abuses done to me when I was very young. Been working with multiple counselors since 2018. There has been a mental aspect to some of my physical symptoms.