Aa
Dumping Syndrome?
I have been having tight muscles everywhere (head to toe) since July 2006 after trying to eat less and working out for about 6 months. All trials (physical therapy, yoga, accupunture, muscle relaxer, etc) have failed to release the knots and tightness.
I am a 4 feet 11 female and have tried to loose weight since 2000. After years of working out and still feeling very tired and with no success with weight loss, I tried to quit in 2006, but felt hungry a lot and gained weight. I would gain weight and waking up during the night with stomach rumbling and feet sweating.
The workup in 2007 showed stomach inflammation with H.pylori and the bacteria have been successfully eradicated (test result). However, my body still does not tolerate carbohydrate (fruit, white rice, brown rice etc) very well. Early in 2008, the gastric emptying test showed that my gastric half-time was 40 minutes (standard is 45-100 minutes). I will be reviewing the result with the doctor soon. I have not had any surgeries in the GI track before. Does anyone know if this is the evidence of dumping syndrome? I have tried to change my diet to be very high protein/high fat and low carb, but with no success to release the muscles nor the frequent hunger. My quality of life is low, due to the combination of frequent hunger and tight muslces. I stay close to home to cook (all the protein food like chicken, fish, egg, beans) and eat and that is very boring. I tried to eat 6-7 meals a day.
Supplement of hydrochloric acid helps eliminate the allergy with seafood like fish. However, it makes the sweating and funger worse. Thus, I tried to use the acid only with protein solid meals like last 2 meals of the day.
Does anyone know if the insurance will approve for any kind of surgery to resolve this issue which is due to the stomach operating too fast? I hope that when the energy is stabliszed, the musles will loosen up. Is there any emphasis I should bring up to the next doctor's visit to get help with this? I appreciate if anyone has comments on this. Thank you.
NgSeeker91
I am a 4 feet 11 female and have tried to loose weight since 2000. After years of working out and still feeling very tired and with no success with weight loss, I tried to quit in 2006, but felt hungry a lot and gained weight. I would gain weight and waking up during the night with stomach rumbling and feet sweating.
The workup in 2007 showed stomach inflammation with H.pylori and the bacteria have been successfully eradicated (test result). However, my body still does not tolerate carbohydrate (fruit, white rice, brown rice etc) very well. Early in 2008, the gastric emptying test showed that my gastric half-time was 40 minutes (standard is 45-100 minutes). I will be reviewing the result with the doctor soon. I have not had any surgeries in the GI track before. Does anyone know if this is the evidence of dumping syndrome? I have tried to change my diet to be very high protein/high fat and low carb, but with no success to release the muscles nor the frequent hunger. My quality of life is low, due to the combination of frequent hunger and tight muslces. I stay close to home to cook (all the protein food like chicken, fish, egg, beans) and eat and that is very boring. I tried to eat 6-7 meals a day.
Supplement of hydrochloric acid helps eliminate the allergy with seafood like fish. However, it makes the sweating and funger worse. Thus, I tried to use the acid only with protein solid meals like last 2 meals of the day.
Does anyone know if the insurance will approve for any kind of surgery to resolve this issue which is due to the stomach operating too fast? I hope that when the energy is stabliszed, the musles will loosen up. Is there any emphasis I should bring up to the next doctor's visit to get help with this? I appreciate if anyone has comments on this. Thank you.
NgSeeker91
I do realize this is an old thread, but I'll try to help in any way I can anyway. Last September I started having problems with the effects of nutrients from foods hitting my blood way too quick. We don't know what happened to cause this. But I quickly tracked down certain foods that made the symptoms much worse. And I'm talking within ten minutes of eating. The food just seems to go straight through my stomach and start absorbing in the duodenum. I wasn't content with knowing that it was just "certain foods". I wanted to know exactly what was causing this to happen. It didn't take long to find that folate and vitamin K foods were the culprit, for me at least.
I know this because I developed neuropathy in September of last year. So any time I ate, the neuropathy got ten times worse, within ten minutes of eating. For example, I can eat a slice of a pickle (high in vitamin K, to me (3%RDA)) Less than ten minutes later, I feel an extreme burning sensation around my ankle. I'm still experiencing this today, in mid-February 2018. It would be OK if it were one or the other, but these vitamins combined are in basically every food known to man, in some degree or another. So right now, my diet is very limited. Before I figured out which foods I could SAFELY get all of my vitamins and minerals, I was really struggling. Going downhill fast. As time went on the less and less of these vitamins in foods caused more extreme reactions. Then finally, something happened about a month ago where I was able to tolerate more folate all of a sudden. But vitamin K, no. Even 1% still gives me a burning sensation. And I can't say for sure if it IS autonomic neuropathy that is causing all of this, but I'm not willing to take the chance of making things worse by eating foods high in these vitamins right now. If I were to get an infection right now requiring antibiotics, I'd be royally screwed. Thank goodness for bacteria in the gut.
So at its worse, every time I stood up my heart rate would jump to 180-190, I was waking up every single morning to tachycardia of about 130 that took about one hour to finally resolve, I developed 5 new arrhythmias at the height, difficulty walking, unexplained foam in urine, no bowel movements for 8-9 days at a time, eyes bloodshot, skin would turn red and very warm, very painful spots on my body that move around daily. burning knees, unsteadiness - fell a lot, incontinence, muscle twitching (fasciculations), blurred vision, clonus, hyperreflexia, etc. I've been to the ER 25+ times since September, admitted 3 times. They performed heart cath, brain, cervcial, thoracic MRI, electrocardiogram, stress test, multiple blood tests. Of course, everything comes back perfect. I had a EGD to check my upper GI. Gastroenterologist only found very mild gastritis on lower esophagus and duodenum. He never said one word about pyloric sphincter. That is partially controlled by the vagus nerve which can be adversely affected by neuropathy. He set me up for a CT of the abdomen later this month. I suspected autonomic neuropathy early on because it seemed to be not only affecting my limbs, but also all of my organs. They did a fasting blood glucose test and I came in at 151 @ the 2 hour mark so my Neuro said I have diabetes now based on that test. I visit my endocrinologist two months later and he said NO, I don't have diabetes and the neuropathy wouldn't be caused by my low readings. My GP said the same thing. But I have been monitoring my glucose levels and it is only slightly high at the 2 hour post-prandial @ <115. And this is ONLY while I am in pain. If I'm not, it usually measures around 88 or so. So this is all connected. But I know without a doubt that sugar is not the cause of my neuropathy.
So yeah, I can avoid ALL of this by not eating for a day. My body returns to homeostasis and my pain goes away, my walking greatly improves...I can breathe. But I have also lost 45 lbs since September trying to avoid the pain. This was worse before I knew what foods my body COULD tolerate. And I have tried supplementing also. My body wants no part of that. Magnesium - extreme pain. Ascorbic acid - extreme pain. B12 - extreme pain. And we're talking just 'chips' off of the vitamin pills. No telling what would happen if I took whole pills. The tried me on calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, alpha blockers and even digoxin to try to control my heart rate. ALL of the medicines caused extreme pain. I even had to stop taking aspirin occasionally because it makes the neuropathy ten times worse. I went through a period of where I was waking up to muscle cramps every single morning here a few weeks ago. Also had carpopedal spasm. I attributed it to low calcium intake so I started drinking at least one cup of milk a day and that resolved. It's just one thing after another, but you have to figure it out and roll with it I guess. I'm currently looking at vitamin deficiencies that can cause neuropathy , like b12, thiamine, vitamin D. B12 is a no go though because I actually get a cold feeling in my feet when I eat foods like Herring that are high in B12. Vitamin D level was just checked and is sitting at 45. Hoping I can get my neuro to check my thiamin level here in a few days. They have already checked PTH and it was perfect. It would be nice just to have some answers. A diagnosis. But every doctor I have seen says they have never heard of something like this. I always thought I was here for a purpose. I just really don't want a terminal disease to be named after me. haha
So whatever. Don't feel like you're alone. There are other people out there going through similar things you're experiencing. I had cervical dystonia for 20 years and then one day it just disappeared. I felt that same 'alone' feeling for 20 years. I won't do it again. No matter what you're going through, there's someone else going through something ten times worse...except for that one guy.
I know this because I developed neuropathy in September of last year. So any time I ate, the neuropathy got ten times worse, within ten minutes of eating. For example, I can eat a slice of a pickle (high in vitamin K, to me (3%RDA)) Less than ten minutes later, I feel an extreme burning sensation around my ankle. I'm still experiencing this today, in mid-February 2018. It would be OK if it were one or the other, but these vitamins combined are in basically every food known to man, in some degree or another. So right now, my diet is very limited. Before I figured out which foods I could SAFELY get all of my vitamins and minerals, I was really struggling. Going downhill fast. As time went on the less and less of these vitamins in foods caused more extreme reactions. Then finally, something happened about a month ago where I was able to tolerate more folate all of a sudden. But vitamin K, no. Even 1% still gives me a burning sensation. And I can't say for sure if it IS autonomic neuropathy that is causing all of this, but I'm not willing to take the chance of making things worse by eating foods high in these vitamins right now. If I were to get an infection right now requiring antibiotics, I'd be royally screwed. Thank goodness for bacteria in the gut.
So at its worse, every time I stood up my heart rate would jump to 180-190, I was waking up every single morning to tachycardia of about 130 that took about one hour to finally resolve, I developed 5 new arrhythmias at the height, difficulty walking, unexplained foam in urine, no bowel movements for 8-9 days at a time, eyes bloodshot, skin would turn red and very warm, very painful spots on my body that move around daily. burning knees, unsteadiness - fell a lot, incontinence, muscle twitching (fasciculations), blurred vision, clonus, hyperreflexia, etc. I've been to the ER 25+ times since September, admitted 3 times. They performed heart cath, brain, cervcial, thoracic MRI, electrocardiogram, stress test, multiple blood tests. Of course, everything comes back perfect. I had a EGD to check my upper GI. Gastroenterologist only found very mild gastritis on lower esophagus and duodenum. He never said one word about pyloric sphincter. That is partially controlled by the vagus nerve which can be adversely affected by neuropathy. He set me up for a CT of the abdomen later this month. I suspected autonomic neuropathy early on because it seemed to be not only affecting my limbs, but also all of my organs. They did a fasting blood glucose test and I came in at 151 @ the 2 hour mark so my Neuro said I have diabetes now based on that test. I visit my endocrinologist two months later and he said NO, I don't have diabetes and the neuropathy wouldn't be caused by my low readings. My GP said the same thing. But I have been monitoring my glucose levels and it is only slightly high at the 2 hour post-prandial @ <115. And this is ONLY while I am in pain. If I'm not, it usually measures around 88 or so. So this is all connected. But I know without a doubt that sugar is not the cause of my neuropathy.
So yeah, I can avoid ALL of this by not eating for a day. My body returns to homeostasis and my pain goes away, my walking greatly improves...I can breathe. But I have also lost 45 lbs since September trying to avoid the pain. This was worse before I knew what foods my body COULD tolerate. And I have tried supplementing also. My body wants no part of that. Magnesium - extreme pain. Ascorbic acid - extreme pain. B12 - extreme pain. And we're talking just 'chips' off of the vitamin pills. No telling what would happen if I took whole pills. The tried me on calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, alpha blockers and even digoxin to try to control my heart rate. ALL of the medicines caused extreme pain. I even had to stop taking aspirin occasionally because it makes the neuropathy ten times worse. I went through a period of where I was waking up to muscle cramps every single morning here a few weeks ago. Also had carpopedal spasm. I attributed it to low calcium intake so I started drinking at least one cup of milk a day and that resolved. It's just one thing after another, but you have to figure it out and roll with it I guess. I'm currently looking at vitamin deficiencies that can cause neuropathy , like b12, thiamine, vitamin D. B12 is a no go though because I actually get a cold feeling in my feet when I eat foods like Herring that are high in B12. Vitamin D level was just checked and is sitting at 45. Hoping I can get my neuro to check my thiamin level here in a few days. They have already checked PTH and it was perfect. It would be nice just to have some answers. A diagnosis. But every doctor I have seen says they have never heard of something like this. I always thought I was here for a purpose. I just really don't want a terminal disease to be named after me. haha
So whatever. Don't feel like you're alone. There are other people out there going through similar things you're experiencing. I had cervical dystonia for 20 years and then one day it just disappeared. I felt that same 'alone' feeling for 20 years. I won't do it again. No matter what you're going through, there's someone else going through something ten times worse...except for that one guy.
Boron,
The Mayo tested the stool for H.pylori and they confirmed that it is gone. Since the Mayo has a good reputation in the medical field, I assume they use a reliable method for testing. I can be wrong.
You have very interesting thoughts about frutose malabsorption. Your suggestions to avoid spices or alcohol are worth to consider.
Thank you VERY MUCH for your response.
NgSeeker91
The Mayo tested the stool for H.pylori and they confirmed that it is gone. Since the Mayo has a good reputation in the medical field, I assume they use a reliable method for testing. I can be wrong.
You have very interesting thoughts about frutose malabsorption. Your suggestions to avoid spices or alcohol are worth to consider.
Thank you VERY MUCH for your response.
NgSeeker91
Sugar crash?
Anyway, I listed few foods with high fructose. If you can safely eat honey, than you probably don't have fructose malabsorption.
You've also said you can't tolerate "fruits, white rice and brown rice". Well, this is why I've considered fructose malabsorption.
Fats stay in the stomach for few hours. Also proteins. Carbohydrates and fluids leave the stomach first.
Spices, alcohol, and whatever else you find it speeds peristalsis are foods to avoid. Not drinking along with meals is good idea.
You've mentioned H. pylori was treated. This infection may reapear, the only reliable test is a breth test for H. pylori.
Anyway, I listed few foods with high fructose. If you can safely eat honey, than you probably don't have fructose malabsorption.
You've also said you can't tolerate "fruits, white rice and brown rice". Well, this is why I've considered fructose malabsorption.
Fats stay in the stomach for few hours. Also proteins. Carbohydrates and fluids leave the stomach first.
Spices, alcohol, and whatever else you find it speeds peristalsis are foods to avoid. Not drinking along with meals is good idea.
You've mentioned H. pylori was treated. This infection may reapear, the only reliable test is a breth test for H. pylori.
Boron,
Yes, I can eat these those foods without any allergies like rash or abdominal discomfort. However, it seems these foods have high sugar which can cause a sugar crash in myself quickly. I used to try "food combinations" which means that I only ate protein with fat in one meal and carb with fat in a different meal. I was doing worst during that time.
Yes, I can eat these those foods without any allergies like rash or abdominal discomfort. However, it seems these foods have high sugar which can cause a sugar crash in myself quickly. I used to try "food combinations" which means that I only ate protein with fat in one meal and carb with fat in a different meal. I was doing worst during that time.
Can you safely eat these foods:
- honey
- prunes, apples, pears, dates
- fruit juices
- wheat, onions, artichokes ?
- honey
- prunes, apples, pears, dates
- fruit juices
- wheat, onions, artichokes ?
Hi Boron,
I hope your health article writing career is going well.
I have finished my visit at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and they have confirmed that I have Rapid Gastric Emptying, even without any abdominal pain nor diarrhea. I will quote the GI study findings below. Mayo said that my gastric empties food about 2 times faster than the normal rate. Mayo said that explains all of my fatigue and hunger problems. The Mayo did not say anything about my thyroid, but my primary doctor told me that my thyroid is hyper.
GI Study Findings (8/19/2008)
1 hr 63% (normal 11-39%)
2 hr 86% (normal 40-76%)
4 hr 99% (normal 84-98%)
6 hr small bowel transit 92% (normal 46-98%)
Geometric center of colonic activity was:
4 hr 0.4 (normal 0.7 - 1.7)
24 hr 2.3 (normal 1.6 - 3.8)
Impression: Very rapid gastric emptying. Normal small bowel transit. Overall the colonic transit appears normal as there is delayed opening of the capsule at 4 hours with the measurement at 24 hours normal.
Thyroid Study Findings:
T4, FREE (ng/dl) 1.7 (normal 0.9-1.8) 10/29/2007 from Health Partners
TSH, SENSITIVE (uIU/ml) 2.29 (normal 0.3-5.0) 10/29/2007 from Health Partners
TSH, SENSITIVE (mIU/L) 2.0 (normal 0.3-5.0) 8/22/2008 from Mayo Clinic
The Mayo recommends to not drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. They advise to take guar gum or apple pectin with meals to slow down gastric emptying. They say they can give medication to slow down the GI if diet changes does not improve the symptoms.
The Mayo says there are lots of people who come to Mayo with rapid gastric emptying without pain nor diarrhea. They are currently conducting a study in the GI area. The name of the study is "Mechanisms of Rapid Gastric Emptying in Humans." The goal is to see if a hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is reduced in patients with rapid gastric emptying. The study also wants to understand how genes regulate the release and effects of CCK. Another goal of the study is to see if the stomach in these patients are NOT relaxed after a meal.
I am eligible to particiapte in this study and I am considering it. Hopefully, the study finds something interesting and that there is a fix to this problem in the near future.
NgSeeker91
I hope your health article writing career is going well.
I have finished my visit at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and they have confirmed that I have Rapid Gastric Emptying, even without any abdominal pain nor diarrhea. I will quote the GI study findings below. Mayo said that my gastric empties food about 2 times faster than the normal rate. Mayo said that explains all of my fatigue and hunger problems. The Mayo did not say anything about my thyroid, but my primary doctor told me that my thyroid is hyper.
GI Study Findings (8/19/2008)
1 hr 63% (normal 11-39%)
2 hr 86% (normal 40-76%)
4 hr 99% (normal 84-98%)
6 hr small bowel transit 92% (normal 46-98%)
Geometric center of colonic activity was:
4 hr 0.4 (normal 0.7 - 1.7)
24 hr 2.3 (normal 1.6 - 3.8)
Impression: Very rapid gastric emptying. Normal small bowel transit. Overall the colonic transit appears normal as there is delayed opening of the capsule at 4 hours with the measurement at 24 hours normal.
Thyroid Study Findings:
T4, FREE (ng/dl) 1.7 (normal 0.9-1.8) 10/29/2007 from Health Partners
TSH, SENSITIVE (uIU/ml) 2.29 (normal 0.3-5.0) 10/29/2007 from Health Partners
TSH, SENSITIVE (mIU/L) 2.0 (normal 0.3-5.0) 8/22/2008 from Mayo Clinic
The Mayo recommends to not drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. They advise to take guar gum or apple pectin with meals to slow down gastric emptying. They say they can give medication to slow down the GI if diet changes does not improve the symptoms.
The Mayo says there are lots of people who come to Mayo with rapid gastric emptying without pain nor diarrhea. They are currently conducting a study in the GI area. The name of the study is "Mechanisms of Rapid Gastric Emptying in Humans." The goal is to see if a hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is reduced in patients with rapid gastric emptying. The study also wants to understand how genes regulate the release and effects of CCK. Another goal of the study is to see if the stomach in these patients are NOT relaxed after a meal.
I am eligible to particiapte in this study and I am considering it. Hopefully, the study finds something interesting and that there is a fix to this problem in the near future.
NgSeeker91
I'm a male. Boron is a nickname which should mean a tree which is known as "pine" in English.
Great test there!
I recommend you to try the next fish, for which you think you're not allergic, and continue this way as long there is no symptoms. This way you'll build your list of safe fish. If you find only weak symptoms at some fish, drop it for good from your diet. Always have at least one fish-free day before testing new fish, to prevent mixing effects between them.
Deciding to drop the acid pills is also good.
My theory is, that acid has destroyed the allergic power of tuna, so you had no symptoms in acid-tuna combination. But you're obviously allergic to tuna, so forget it.
This is one little success, I was hoping you could experience some success.
Great test there!
I recommend you to try the next fish, for which you think you're not allergic, and continue this way as long there is no symptoms. This way you'll build your list of safe fish. If you find only weak symptoms at some fish, drop it for good from your diet. Always have at least one fish-free day before testing new fish, to prevent mixing effects between them.
Deciding to drop the acid pills is also good.
My theory is, that acid has destroyed the allergic power of tuna, so you had no symptoms in acid-tuna combination. But you're obviously allergic to tuna, so forget it.
This is one little success, I was hoping you could experience some success.
Hello Boron,
Is Boron a nick name for a male or female?
I believe you suggested the following:
Have a one week diet that is free of all fish and free of hydrochloric acid supplement. Then add fish back (the kind that will not cause any itching). I don't think I am allergic to white salmon, so I will add that to the diet after finishing one week fish free diet.
According to your notes, tests for allergy like skin test, transient hypoglycemia (Post-exercise hypoglycemia and post-prandial), and gastric acid exist.
---------------
Here is what I did (based on your suggestion, but a little differently)
4/15/2008--Eat tuna (about the same large quantity with the day before) for dinner, but NO acid supplement. Result: Heavy stomach, bloating/gas and itching during the night. Not a restful night at all. Very swollen face, perhaps due to the unrestful night of sleep.
4/16/2008-->4/22/2008: No fish/acid in the diet. Result: No itching, easy to fall asleep, but still hungry at around 2-3 AM. Perhaps, I had a much less amount of chicken (about 5 ounces) for dinner compared to that big amount of fish. I tried to keep everything else in the diet the same.
4/23/2008--Have salmon for lunch along with black beans and veggie. Result: no itching during day or night. I woke up at around 3 AM, but not able to fall back to sleep until having a soy protein shake.
I believe your theory of me being allergic to fish is correct. Until being tested positive for hypo gastric acid, I am planning to stay fish of allergic fish and acid, as it sounds like taking acid supplement is not normal
Thank you very much for reading, sorting all the details from the post, and recommending the elimination diet. I will keep the case updated once I have good news.
NgSeeker91
Is Boron a nick name for a male or female?
I believe you suggested the following:
Have a one week diet that is free of all fish and free of hydrochloric acid supplement. Then add fish back (the kind that will not cause any itching). I don't think I am allergic to white salmon, so I will add that to the diet after finishing one week fish free diet.
According to your notes, tests for allergy like skin test, transient hypoglycemia (Post-exercise hypoglycemia and post-prandial), and gastric acid exist.
---------------
Here is what I did (based on your suggestion, but a little differently)
4/15/2008--Eat tuna (about the same large quantity with the day before) for dinner, but NO acid supplement. Result: Heavy stomach, bloating/gas and itching during the night. Not a restful night at all. Very swollen face, perhaps due to the unrestful night of sleep.
4/16/2008-->4/22/2008: No fish/acid in the diet. Result: No itching, easy to fall asleep, but still hungry at around 2-3 AM. Perhaps, I had a much less amount of chicken (about 5 ounces) for dinner compared to that big amount of fish. I tried to keep everything else in the diet the same.
4/23/2008--Have salmon for lunch along with black beans and veggie. Result: no itching during day or night. I woke up at around 3 AM, but not able to fall back to sleep until having a soy protein shake.
I believe your theory of me being allergic to fish is correct. Until being tested positive for hypo gastric acid, I am planning to stay fish of allergic fish and acid, as it sounds like taking acid supplement is not normal
Thank you very much for reading, sorting all the details from the post, and recommending the elimination diet. I will keep the case updated once I have good news.
NgSeeker91
I have finished medical faculty, andI have some practice in hospital, but I currently don't work as a doctor. I'm a health article writer and have studiet a lot about gastro symptoms in last months.
I'll concentrate on the gastro/allergy part only, though I think, all your problems may be connected.
I encourage you to have this one week fish-free diet trial, and then try some kind of fish, you think it WON'T cause itching. Something other like you've eaten until now.
It is possible that some members of your family are prone to have a mild allergy (astma may be considered as allergy). Allergy is caused only by proteins, but proteins are practicaly in every food. Allergy is usually only to one or rarely two foods, so having allergy to fish doesn't mean you should have allergy to peanuts and soy. It is possible that acid you ingest, make fish proteins non-allergenic, but it is still more appropriate that you drop both fish and acid.
Fatigue, hunger, sweeting, dizziness, shaking...are all signs of hypoglicemia - in your case obviously only transient hypoglicemia, since your resting blood glucose level is normal. "Post-exercise hypoglicemia" and "post-prandial (after the meal) hypoglicemia" are two types. Tests for both exist.
It would be really fine, if, after your diet trial, you have testing for allergy. If reaction on allergy test will be positive, it is likely that it will be weak, or late (normally in minutes, in your case probably in hours).
Gastric ph measurment would require gastroscopy, so maybe you can ask for this, when you'll have other gastro investigations.
I'll concentrate on the gastro/allergy part only, though I think, all your problems may be connected.
I encourage you to have this one week fish-free diet trial, and then try some kind of fish, you think it WON'T cause itching. Something other like you've eaten until now.
It is possible that some members of your family are prone to have a mild allergy (astma may be considered as allergy). Allergy is caused only by proteins, but proteins are practicaly in every food. Allergy is usually only to one or rarely two foods, so having allergy to fish doesn't mean you should have allergy to peanuts and soy. It is possible that acid you ingest, make fish proteins non-allergenic, but it is still more appropriate that you drop both fish and acid.
Fatigue, hunger, sweeting, dizziness, shaking...are all signs of hypoglicemia - in your case obviously only transient hypoglicemia, since your resting blood glucose level is normal. "Post-exercise hypoglicemia" and "post-prandial (after the meal) hypoglicemia" are two types. Tests for both exist.
It would be really fine, if, after your diet trial, you have testing for allergy. If reaction on allergy test will be positive, it is likely that it will be weak, or late (normally in minutes, in your case probably in hours).
Gastric ph measurment would require gastroscopy, so maybe you can ask for this, when you'll have other gastro investigations.
Boron,
You may be right that protein cannot be substituted for carb. I did not think I can live long term on the diet like this either. My sisters, mom/dad, husband, friends, etc. get scared by seeing me eating an unbalanced diet (mostly protein) like this.
1. Symptoms, diet, drugs: Frequent hunger, tight muscles/cramps, swollen face. Sweating on feet sometimes. I used to sweat on palms/feet, but a procedure (sympathetomy-to kill the nerves under the armpits) about 10 years ago eliminated perspired palms. Now, sometimes I get sweating on the feet. My hair falls out a lot, but they regrow. When I was taking a lot of vitamin (under the supervision of a personal trainer), I had a lot more hair fall out).
I do have recurrent vaginal infection with gardenarella (itching/discharge). Antibiotic no longer works for me. I now use yogurt/probiotic to have it on the mild side now. I still have it, but the symptoms improved.
Diet: Very high in protein and fat/ low carb. Sample below:
A sample of my diet is below:
6:30 AM, a cup of soy milk (no sugar or sweetener),
7:30 AM about a cup of cooked beans and 4 egg whites + some flaxseed oil,
10:30 AM half tofu pack (I think it is about 6 ounces),
12:30 PM lunch with chicken/ 1 cup cooked beans and asparagus,
3:30 PM 4 egg whites, 1 egg york and 1 cup cooked beans,
6 PM soy protein shake (no sugar or artificial sweetener).
7:30 PM dinner with tuna.
Drugs: 1 neurontin (300 mg) at bed time to reduce muscle spasm. The doctor recommended to use 4 pills, and I tried 4. However, I did not seem to do better with 4, so I went back to use 1 pill.
2. what actually happened in 2006 beside deciding for diet, any stress event...?
In 2006, I had the second surgery for breast implants. I felt good and happy after that. Then I went on and exercised more, and got the diet tightened with more veggie. This event left me with tight muscles/swollen face.
3. procedures and treatments so far
Procedures: Sympathectomy (to reduce perspired palms/feet) and breast implants. I had implants done twice. The first time it was with saline (spelling?) implants. They did not look fine, so I went to a different doctor to do it again. Now, I have silicon implants.
I had had hunger problem by this point and have tried high protein diet on/off. After the surgery in March 2006, I felt really good, probably with adaquate sleep/rest, and the new chest. Then in the summer of 2006, I thought I should try a little harder to control weight and get myself ready to proceed with adopting a child. For years, I spent so much time focusing on myself (having energy and loosing weight). I really wanted to spend more time with family and raising/caring for a child with my husband. My husband and I have tried to have a baby, but not able to. Fertility tests showed that I was OK. I really want to help my husband cope with the fertility issue, by having plan "B" about children. My husband thinks that when I resolve my issue with muscles/sleep/unstable energy, we will talk about the adoption plan again. At this time, the adoption plan is on hold.
Because we had fertility issue and I was emotional at times when at the primary doctor's office. They thought I was depressed about fertility and put me on antidepression medications. They did not seem to help. Now, I am only on prescription Neurontin. I seem to do better with less carb/more protein.
4. chronic illnes you might have (also your close relatives)
I am not aware of any major illness in the family. My mom/dad are in their 60's and doing fine. Daddy takes cholesterol medication. Mom is drug free.
One of my sister has asthma, but it went away when she started deep breathing on a daily basis. One other sister gets tired often, but she thinks that is 'normal'. From early childhood, I noticed that I had fatigue and sleepy in class. It was unbarable sometimes. When I started working full-time, I wanted to find out what the controllable factors to fatigue. With that thought, I went to have tests at the doctor's office, but nothing was sticking out. Then I went on to exercise/diet and worked with a personal trainer, because the populate media had so many promises . Remember back those days with intense work out, there was a lot of fatigue.
I really like to be active (e. g. walking, yoga)..etc and keeping weight under control (current weight about 105 poungds-4 feet 11). In the summer of 1997, I was working out a lot and felt very tired, slept and eating/gaining weight a lot. My friends and family thought that was very strange. In 1998, I took an aerobic class in college (only 2 times a week) and felt very tired during that time too.
Coming from Vietnam, we love tropical fruit. In 2001, we took a road trip to Canada (Toronto) where lots of tropical fruit (I don't know their names in English) is found. I ate a lot of fruit and I just got terrible hunger (shaking, stomaching rumbing) in about 15 minutes. I was frustrated, but able to find sticky rice cake to satisfy my hunger.
When putting all of this together, it seems to be related to diet/activity/energy.
I had fatigue and unstable energy when I was a child, when I was single, and during the happiest time of my life (when dating/marry). This issue still follows me. So, I don't think it was caused by a stress event. I am not aware that I have other chronic illnesses.
Boron, you are right. I think my skin itching is only connected to fish. I did not notice the allergy with soy, peanuts, eggs, etc.
I am willing to eliminate fish/acid for a week, per your suggestions. Perhaps, I could request for a test about my gastric pH.
Boron, thank you very much for all your comments. May I ask how you got to know much about gasto.....acid, allergy?
I hope to be able to leave all or part of this hunger/fatigue/tight muscles/swollen face behind someday. It would be nice to be able to live a life with decent energy and able to care for a child who needs parents and perhaps some extra energy for volunteer work =:)
NgSeeker91
You may be right that protein cannot be substituted for carb. I did not think I can live long term on the diet like this either. My sisters, mom/dad, husband, friends, etc. get scared by seeing me eating an unbalanced diet (mostly protein) like this.
1. Symptoms, diet, drugs: Frequent hunger, tight muscles/cramps, swollen face. Sweating on feet sometimes. I used to sweat on palms/feet, but a procedure (sympathetomy-to kill the nerves under the armpits) about 10 years ago eliminated perspired palms. Now, sometimes I get sweating on the feet. My hair falls out a lot, but they regrow. When I was taking a lot of vitamin (under the supervision of a personal trainer), I had a lot more hair fall out).
I do have recurrent vaginal infection with gardenarella (itching/discharge). Antibiotic no longer works for me. I now use yogurt/probiotic to have it on the mild side now. I still have it, but the symptoms improved.
Diet: Very high in protein and fat/ low carb. Sample below:
A sample of my diet is below:
6:30 AM, a cup of soy milk (no sugar or sweetener),
7:30 AM about a cup of cooked beans and 4 egg whites + some flaxseed oil,
10:30 AM half tofu pack (I think it is about 6 ounces),
12:30 PM lunch with chicken/ 1 cup cooked beans and asparagus,
3:30 PM 4 egg whites, 1 egg york and 1 cup cooked beans,
6 PM soy protein shake (no sugar or artificial sweetener).
7:30 PM dinner with tuna.
Drugs: 1 neurontin (300 mg) at bed time to reduce muscle spasm. The doctor recommended to use 4 pills, and I tried 4. However, I did not seem to do better with 4, so I went back to use 1 pill.
2. what actually happened in 2006 beside deciding for diet, any stress event...?
In 2006, I had the second surgery for breast implants. I felt good and happy after that. Then I went on and exercised more, and got the diet tightened with more veggie. This event left me with tight muscles/swollen face.
3. procedures and treatments so far
Procedures: Sympathectomy (to reduce perspired palms/feet) and breast implants. I had implants done twice. The first time it was with saline (spelling?) implants. They did not look fine, so I went to a different doctor to do it again. Now, I have silicon implants.
I had had hunger problem by this point and have tried high protein diet on/off. After the surgery in March 2006, I felt really good, probably with adaquate sleep/rest, and the new chest. Then in the summer of 2006, I thought I should try a little harder to control weight and get myself ready to proceed with adopting a child. For years, I spent so much time focusing on myself (having energy and loosing weight). I really wanted to spend more time with family and raising/caring for a child with my husband. My husband and I have tried to have a baby, but not able to. Fertility tests showed that I was OK. I really want to help my husband cope with the fertility issue, by having plan "B" about children. My husband thinks that when I resolve my issue with muscles/sleep/unstable energy, we will talk about the adoption plan again. At this time, the adoption plan is on hold.
Because we had fertility issue and I was emotional at times when at the primary doctor's office. They thought I was depressed about fertility and put me on antidepression medications. They did not seem to help. Now, I am only on prescription Neurontin. I seem to do better with less carb/more protein.
4. chronic illnes you might have (also your close relatives)
I am not aware of any major illness in the family. My mom/dad are in their 60's and doing fine. Daddy takes cholesterol medication. Mom is drug free.
One of my sister has asthma, but it went away when she started deep breathing on a daily basis. One other sister gets tired often, but she thinks that is 'normal'. From early childhood, I noticed that I had fatigue and sleepy in class. It was unbarable sometimes. When I started working full-time, I wanted to find out what the controllable factors to fatigue. With that thought, I went to have tests at the doctor's office, but nothing was sticking out. Then I went on to exercise/diet and worked with a personal trainer, because the populate media had so many promises . Remember back those days with intense work out, there was a lot of fatigue.
I really like to be active (e. g. walking, yoga)..etc and keeping weight under control (current weight about 105 poungds-4 feet 11). In the summer of 1997, I was working out a lot and felt very tired, slept and eating/gaining weight a lot. My friends and family thought that was very strange. In 1998, I took an aerobic class in college (only 2 times a week) and felt very tired during that time too.
Coming from Vietnam, we love tropical fruit. In 2001, we took a road trip to Canada (Toronto) where lots of tropical fruit (I don't know their names in English) is found. I ate a lot of fruit and I just got terrible hunger (shaking, stomaching rumbing) in about 15 minutes. I was frustrated, but able to find sticky rice cake to satisfy my hunger.
When putting all of this together, it seems to be related to diet/activity/energy.
I had fatigue and unstable energy when I was a child, when I was single, and during the happiest time of my life (when dating/marry). This issue still follows me. So, I don't think it was caused by a stress event. I am not aware that I have other chronic illnesses.
Boron, you are right. I think my skin itching is only connected to fish. I did not notice the allergy with soy, peanuts, eggs, etc.
I am willing to eliminate fish/acid for a week, per your suggestions. Perhaps, I could request for a test about my gastric pH.
Boron, thank you very much for all your comments. May I ask how you got to know much about gasto.....acid, allergy?
I hope to be able to leave all or part of this hunger/fatigue/tight muscles/swollen face behind someday. It would be nice to be able to live a life with decent energy and able to care for a child who needs parents and perhaps some extra energy for volunteer work =:)
NgSeeker91
If you're willing to write down your complete medical history here, especially this:
1. all your current symptoms, diet, drugs
2. what actually happened in 2006 beside deciding for diet, any stress event...?
3. procedures and treatments so far
4. chronic illnes you might have (also your close relatives)
I have some diagnoses in mind, including dumping syndrome, but, it seems that we are talking about some cause here, most probably food. You obviously are substituting carbohydrates with proteins. Long term diet of this kind is not possible. Do you think, there is a stress behind all this, something to solve, something what bothers you...?
About food, my proposal:
Stop eating fish. All fish. You get itching after it. And then you take acid which makes you hungry. So - no fish, no itching, no acid, no/less hunger. There may be a delayed type of allergy to fish. In dellayed allergy symptoms appear in hours, not minutes. Eliminate all fish from the diet for a week, and then try it again and observe what happens. If I get you right, itching is connected only with fish. This eliminating/challenging trial may support the theory of allergy to fish.
About acid:
Acid is needed for enzyme pepsin (which breaks down proteins in the stomach) to work properly. If you take acid, proteins are digested faster, and the food leaves the stomach earlier...Anyway, it is not normal to take acid. If you are taking it only for fish, you can solve this with eliminating fish, otherwise you'd need some pH measurement of gastric juice.
Leave fish and acid for a week.
1. all your current symptoms, diet, drugs
2. what actually happened in 2006 beside deciding for diet, any stress event...?
3. procedures and treatments so far
4. chronic illnes you might have (also your close relatives)
I have some diagnoses in mind, including dumping syndrome, but, it seems that we are talking about some cause here, most probably food. You obviously are substituting carbohydrates with proteins. Long term diet of this kind is not possible. Do you think, there is a stress behind all this, something to solve, something what bothers you...?
About food, my proposal:
Stop eating fish. All fish. You get itching after it. And then you take acid which makes you hungry. So - no fish, no itching, no acid, no/less hunger. There may be a delayed type of allergy to fish. In dellayed allergy symptoms appear in hours, not minutes. Eliminate all fish from the diet for a week, and then try it again and observe what happens. If I get you right, itching is connected only with fish. This eliminating/challenging trial may support the theory of allergy to fish.
About acid:
Acid is needed for enzyme pepsin (which breaks down proteins in the stomach) to work properly. If you take acid, proteins are digested faster, and the food leaves the stomach earlier...Anyway, it is not normal to take acid. If you are taking it only for fish, you can solve this with eliminating fish, otherwise you'd need some pH measurement of gastric juice.
Leave fish and acid for a week.
Hi Boron,
My face regularly swells (after that period of eating less). It swells more after either a meal (any meal) or being hungry. I did not think the swelling has anything to do with fish. If I have tuna or round scad fish for dinner, I might get up and scartch during the night. With the acid supplements, I don't notice any itching anywhere in the body. So I think the acid supplement may help control the itching/allergy. It is funny that if I have the acid during a regular meal (chicken with black beans), I would get hungry within about 30-45 minutes. Somehow, the acid is good for me only with protein only meals.
I asked the gastroenterologist and a primary physican whether I would have low gastric acid. They both said no. If I did, I would have low iron, zinc....which I don't.
I never had my face swelling before that event with "eating less".
If I have fruit like an apple or a banana, my stomach would rumble within an hour. I would feel shaky and my lips and hands tremble. I would have problems with speaking/thinking. I would feel like eating more. Then I would more likely to feel hungry at around 1 or 2 AM (after midnight).
All the tests do not have anything sticking out. The only thing is gastric half time of 40 minutes (45-100 minutes for standard at Health Parters in Minnesota).
I appreciate your comments about possible of "allergy". I appreciate if you have other thoughts.
NgSeeker91.
My face regularly swells (after that period of eating less). It swells more after either a meal (any meal) or being hungry. I did not think the swelling has anything to do with fish. If I have tuna or round scad fish for dinner, I might get up and scartch during the night. With the acid supplements, I don't notice any itching anywhere in the body. So I think the acid supplement may help control the itching/allergy. It is funny that if I have the acid during a regular meal (chicken with black beans), I would get hungry within about 30-45 minutes. Somehow, the acid is good for me only with protein only meals.
I asked the gastroenterologist and a primary physican whether I would have low gastric acid. They both said no. If I did, I would have low iron, zinc....which I don't.
I never had my face swelling before that event with "eating less".
If I have fruit like an apple or a banana, my stomach would rumble within an hour. I would feel shaky and my lips and hands tremble. I would have problems with speaking/thinking. I would feel like eating more. Then I would more likely to feel hungry at around 1 or 2 AM (after midnight).
All the tests do not have anything sticking out. The only thing is gastric half time of 40 minutes (45-100 minutes for standard at Health Parters in Minnesota).
I appreciate your comments about possible of "allergy". I appreciate if you have other thoughts.
NgSeeker91.
Tuna goes with itching? Your face regularly swell after the meal or only after a fish meal?
Itching and swelling go with allergy (to fish). In dumping syndrome there wouldn't be any itching, also not face swelling, but flushing.
Allergy symptoms are usually quick - 1-5 minutes, while dumping syndrome would need a little longer - 15 minutes maybe.
So, if you think, it could be allergy, you can ask for allergy testing - SKIN ***** TEST is done, you get results right after the test.
You were ever diagnosed with low gastric acid? Anyway...can you say, what is with this carbohydrate non-tolerance - what happens if you eat carbs, and - when it started?
Itching and swelling go with allergy (to fish). In dumping syndrome there wouldn't be any itching, also not face swelling, but flushing.
Allergy symptoms are usually quick - 1-5 minutes, while dumping syndrome would need a little longer - 15 minutes maybe.
So, if you think, it could be allergy, you can ask for allergy testing - SKIN ***** TEST is done, you get results right after the test.
You were ever diagnosed with low gastric acid? Anyway...can you say, what is with this carbohydrate non-tolerance - what happens if you eat carbs, and - when it started?
Hi Boron,
I appreciate your comments.
Hunger: My stomach rumbles and I feel the desire to eat. I get shaky and sweating too and muscles feel tighter. If I don't, my vision gets darker, my face gets swollen, and not be able to concentrate. I went to see an endocrenologist and have hormones like insulin and adrenals check. He said they looked OK. I get bloating often and hard stools sometimes, but no diarrhea. I went to see a naturopathic doctor and he had me take probiotic suppplements like acidophilus and bifidus. This was about 2 months ago.
Tight muscles: the muscles everywhere are like 'hard' and they have knots in them. They have a feeling of pulling in them and not comfortable. Sometimes they are tingling, but they still have sensation. I have seen a neurologist and the blood work/EMG test was OK. They have involuntary actions (spasm) sometimes during the day, but mostly at night. I need to take prescription neurontin to calm down the muscles in order to sleep. The tight muscles limit ranges of motion and they bring out that sore feeling. I believe my potassium and sodium were checked and nothing was sticking out.
I tried to go back to a 'nornal' diet with fruit, veggie, whole grain like brown rice/beans, meat/fish/soy, but it did not help much.
A sample of my diet is below:
6:30 AM, a cup of soy milk (no sugar or sweetener),
7:30 AM about a cup of cooked beans and 4 egg whites + some flaxseed oil,
10:30 AM half tofu pack (I think it is about 6 ounces),
12:30 PM lunch with chicken/ 1 cup cooked beans and aparagus,
3:30 PM 4 egg whites, 1 egg york and 1 cup cooked beans,
6 PM soy protein shake (no sugar or artificial sweetener).
7:30 PM dinner with tuna. I normally add hydrochloric acid supplement when having fish. Otherwise, I could get very itching in the skin.
Thank you for your patience and reading my post and comments.
I appreciate your comments.
Hunger: My stomach rumbles and I feel the desire to eat. I get shaky and sweating too and muscles feel tighter. If I don't, my vision gets darker, my face gets swollen, and not be able to concentrate. I went to see an endocrenologist and have hormones like insulin and adrenals check. He said they looked OK. I get bloating often and hard stools sometimes, but no diarrhea. I went to see a naturopathic doctor and he had me take probiotic suppplements like acidophilus and bifidus. This was about 2 months ago.
Tight muscles: the muscles everywhere are like 'hard' and they have knots in them. They have a feeling of pulling in them and not comfortable. Sometimes they are tingling, but they still have sensation. I have seen a neurologist and the blood work/EMG test was OK. They have involuntary actions (spasm) sometimes during the day, but mostly at night. I need to take prescription neurontin to calm down the muscles in order to sleep. The tight muscles limit ranges of motion and they bring out that sore feeling. I believe my potassium and sodium were checked and nothing was sticking out.
I tried to go back to a 'nornal' diet with fruit, veggie, whole grain like brown rice/beans, meat/fish/soy, but it did not help much.
A sample of my diet is below:
6:30 AM, a cup of soy milk (no sugar or sweetener),
7:30 AM about a cup of cooked beans and 4 egg whites + some flaxseed oil,
10:30 AM half tofu pack (I think it is about 6 ounces),
12:30 PM lunch with chicken/ 1 cup cooked beans and aparagus,
3:30 PM 4 egg whites, 1 egg york and 1 cup cooked beans,
6 PM soy protein shake (no sugar or artificial sweetener).
7:30 PM dinner with tuna. I normally add hydrochloric acid supplement when having fish. Otherwise, I could get very itching in the skin.
Thank you for your patience and reading my post and comments.
Hunger - would you describe it as a crawing for sweets? Oral thrush or occasional diarrhea?
Tight muscles - can you describe this a little more? Any tingling, changed sensations? Cramps? You say this tightness started in Jun 2006? What exact change in the diet you made then? Muscle tightness could be from low potassium (it can develop from irregular eating), but this would be more like cramps.
Tight muscles - can you describe this a little more? Any tingling, changed sensations? Cramps? You say this tightness started in Jun 2006? What exact change in the diet you made then? Muscle tightness could be from low potassium (it can develop from irregular eating), but this would be more like cramps.
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