Fish Oil Capsules

[taffy]

I was diagnosed last year with gluten intolerance (Mmm...) although 4 other close members of my family are Coeliacs. My question is this : Although I have followed a strict gluten free diet for nearly 2 years , I have started to develop stomach cramps again every morning just after I get to work around 8.30 -9am. Wondering if my fish oil capsules taken around 7am are causing this and sensitivities getting worse? I also take glucosamine and calcium everyday. I was doing so well too!!!

[Jade_Joli]

Perhaps try leaving off glucosamine to see if it's that, I tried it once and it gave me stomach pains and I kept dodging to the loo!! Can be a bit of trial and error taffy, to find the cause. What make of fish oil do you take, I use Efamarine? Are those the only supplements you take taffy, because some others can start to upset you like Vit C or magnesium if you hit a certain level, the body excretes the rest.

[taffy in reply to Jade_Joli]

Thanks Jade but as you say it's going to be trial and error until I can pinpoint the culprit. Feels like I'm starting all over again!

[Jade_Joli in reply to taffy]

Good luck taffy, hope you find the cause, once your system is upset it can take a while to settle.

[Hidden]

Hi taffy, I agree about stopping taking the supplements to see if you feel better. I have mixed feelings about supplements as the best way by far is to get our nutrients from food. Calcium supplements are basically calcium carbonate (chalk) and it's molecules are much larger than calcium in food so we only absorb a small percentage of the calcium and our bodies have to work harder to get rid of the excess chalk. And our bodies need vitamin D to be able to absorb calcium.

As for vitamin supplements the same applies, in that it is much better to get them from the food we eat and if you look at the ingredients of many vitamin supplements they seem to use artificial sweeteners and some even have mannitol which's not only an artificial sweetener that can be a wheat derivative but mannitol is used as a laxative for babies!

Now what interests me is what do you feel when you do not have to go to work so do you still have the same symptoms? Another thing that you could try is taking the cod liver oil with your evening meal and your vitamins at a different time of day and with food, to see if that makes a difference.

I hope that you feel better soon.

[Hidden]

Hi there I agree with above. Ie stop supplements and see if you feel better. I bought some vitamins and minerals and emailed the company to ask if they were gluten free. ( no gluten free ingredients listed on box) my reply was that they could not guarentee it so I gave them away. I would use diet instead. One portion of oily fish per week etc et.

[Mrs_Somerset]

HI taffy,

you mentioned the stomach cramps have happened recently, would any of the following apply during the timeframe:

1. have the manufacturers of the food / medicines you are taking changed the ingredients

- there may be something you are allergic to or they may even now contain gluten ( so many things do as I am sure you are aware!)

2.have you changed when / what you eat in the mornings?

- I found that if I rushed out of the door in the mornings without breakfast (had it in the office when I got in) I would have my normal tea on the tube and found within half an hour I had terrible stomach cramps which went away once I had breakfast. Also - if you increase your intake of caffeine it can cause cramping, or if you decrease your levels of potassium it can cause cramping

3. Are you experiencing any different levels of stress?

- stress does strange things to the body, chemical changes cause dehydration, increased heart rate, increased cortisol production, decreases insulin production and can cause cramps and shaking.

it is often hard to pinpoint these things wihtout sitting down and examining all the changes from before the cramps (at least a few months before as it may take time to come on) and now.

stress management is a very personal affair, you would need to try various things and see what suits you best. for me light stress was managed via half an hour meditation in the mornings before I went out, and heavier stress wa managed by an hour rowing in the evening. But each person is different.

4. Is there any medical reason why your stomach may have started cramping?

- menapause, you mention your family has coeliac - you may have develped this, other autoimmune diseases ( they often go hand in hadn with another, if you have one you are likely to develop another one), recent pregnancy, constipation?

5. changes in activity levels?

- if you are being more actie, you can decrease your natural levels of potassium whihc causes cramping, although usually this would be in the muscles used ( arms, legs, back etc) so unless you have taken up belly dancing or lots of sit ups this is unlikely to be the case - but try a banana a day and see if that helps

just some ideas - hope one is useful

Big HUgs,

M