Can this be gluten intolerance?

[Luisa22]

I am fine with ciabatta bread. I prefer it toasted with some butter on, and maybe peanut butter or honey. That causes me no problems. I don't eat masses of it but usually at breakfast. It doesn't upset me at all.

But I have noticed that my gut is sensitive sometimes to eating pasta or cous-cous at dinner time. I am fine all evening if I eat that. I have it with only steamed vegetables, no sauces or tomato, and nothing but a sprinkle of salt in the cous-cous (boring though that is.). But I have a "looser" bowel movement in the morning if I have those. Sometimes not, but I'd say 60% of the time that's what happens.

I can't understand this mystery as I don't seem to be gluten intolerant when it comes to toasted ciabatta bread. Pastry seems OK for me too.

Unfortunately, potatoes (peeled and simply baked or boiled) have a similar laxative effect on me. The only carb to have with dinner that causes no upset at all is white basmati rice. But I do like to vary thing if possible. I don't want to have to eat rice or toast with dinner every single day!

Could this be gluten intolerance or what? Does anyone have any ideas?

[BabsyWabsy]

No, I don't think it can be gluten intolerance. You are OK with ciabatta, but not potatoes which don't have gluten. Is it what you are eating alongside pasta, spuds, cous cous? The NHS does recognise carbohydrate intolerance as a problem for some people. Sorry, I have no answers really.

[Luisa22 in reply to BabsyWabsy]

Well, no I don't think it's what I eat with the pasta or cous-cous, as that will usually be the veggies that usually are fine for me, absolutely no seasonings except sea salt, and either fish or eggs which always suit me. There's a definite difference in how my guts are the next morning if I eat pasta or cous-cous, than if I ate rice, or toasted ciabatta.

(sometimes, depending on how tummy is doing, I mix brown and white rice, just cook the brown a bit longer then add the white a bit later.)

[MuppetChristmasCarol]

Hallo 👋

I just wanted to say, as someone who is very wheat intolerant, that it takes about two days after eating wheat for me to get a reaction.

It’s when the wheat hits the (very irritable) bowel that I get my bad reaction.

Perhaps your transit is faster than mine but I never ever get a reaction the same day as I eat the offending food or the next day.

I used to have to keep a food diary and once I had a reaction I had to look back two days to see what did it.

You can check your gut transit (speed) by eating a can of sweetcorn (if you’re not intolerant to it) and seeing how long it takes to appear in your poo!

Also when I first began (25 yrs ago) to be intolerant I could sometimes eat some and get no reaction and others get my huge reaction.

It’s gotten worse over the years so now wheat totally off the menu and now so are some nuts and alcohol.

Please do look at what you ate when the gluten hits the gut as opposed to thinking it’s the same/next day as you might be mixing up what does/doesn’t cause each reaction.

Wishing your bowel to get over its irritability and behave itself!!

Jac xxx

[MuppetChristmasCarol in reply to MuppetChristmasCarol]

Ooh and I forgot to say that French wheat products are easier on the bowel due to its variety and processing method.

I can actually eat the odd croissant 🥐 or bit of baguette 🥖 when I’m there 🙂

[Luisa22 in reply to MuppetChristmasCarol]

Thanks Jac. I have a 14-17 hour full gut transit time. So I gather that's quite fast. It was always that speed even when I felt "normal" and was very fit and well. So I tested it with beetroot, and the purple colour comes through next morning, but not on the second day. I always know that if I get issues one morning it's to do with what I ate the day before (aside from food poisoning of course, which has varied times of manifestation! Thankfully I haven't had that for a very long time.)

But what you say about your intolerance "just beginning", when you got intermittent symptoms but not always does make me wonder about why there are some times when I can eat pasta or cous-cous and be fine, and random times when both seem to upset my tum!

Not so with my particular bread though. That is fine for me ALL the time. It's a bread which doesn't have any nasties added to it.

[OldgalwithIBS]

So, I live in the States and cannot eat bread here, unless it's made in my kitchen with Einkorn wheat, which I order from Amazon. I also order all my pasta from Italy and even then I can't eat copious quantities. And I agree with others about timing - if I eat something "iffy" I don't feel bad immediately - it's usually a 3 day wait until the intestinal hurry or discomfort begins. Once I get into the flare, it's another 3-5 days until it calms down. Very annoying, to be sure.

[Pollyboo]

Hi Luisa, I hope you are feeling a bit better now, our tummies seam to have a mind of their own don't they.I have read your posts and we seem to have many things in common. Tummy trouble as a child, ok for many years and then things hit me when I was 50, menopause maybe?

I cook my own food always have done, and eat a healthy diet, my mother and grandmother taught me well.

I have now suffered for 22yrs 12 yrs now without a Gallbladder which doesn't help.

I was just wondering if you have tried Digestive enzymes as I have just started them 6wks ago and seem to have noticed improvement (fingers crossed). I know you have tried many things.

I read that as we age our tummies can get more sensitive and find it harder to digest food as we used to, as I also haven't a Gallbladder this made sense to me,

I have also given Alflorex a12 week trial and this along with the Digestive enzymes is my go to for now.

Perhaps you may find this helpful.

Take care Pollyboo

[BabsyWabsy]

Interesting. You have a good number of replies. I am allergic to wheat and if I ingest any accidentally, I know within 20-30 minutes because the washing machine in my gut starts churning. I then have about 40 minutes to get home (ideally). My transit time can be quite rapid. Sometimes beetroot is through in about 4 hours. I also pee pink. Is there any correlation between each carb and your transit time? An experimental trial of a new vegan sausage (long story), was out of the back door in 2 hours, and I felt it moving along. Not to be repeated! So I think my gut reacts in different ways/times to different things. Maybe yours does too?