Digestion

[Mandymoobear]

Hi does anyone take digestive enzymes or bitters for poor/slow digestion? I’m always so bloated even though I’m gluten, diary, sugar & alcohol free. I watch my nightshade intake, drink around 2 litres + of bottled water a day and take daily kefir too (chuckling goat). I wake up bloated much of the time even if I’ve not eaten for 12+ hours. I’ve been (as we all have) on a journey to get well for years now, and need to get my gut issues sorted. It feels like my abdomen is always distended......that if I stuck a pin in it would pop! I can’t remember the last time I was comfortable 😔

[Mama196]

I’ve not tried this. Could it be low stomach acid therefore hard to digest everything- you can take supplements for this glucosamine and betaine Hcl- I was on these for a bit but stopped as I was pregnant.

Also do you eat a lot of nuts? I’ve been feeling quite bloated after nuts recently.

[Mandymoobear in reply to Mama196]

Hi thank you for your thoughts. I don’t eat nuts. Did the glucosamine and beta one Hcl-l help you?

[Mama196 in reply to Mandymoobear]

I can’t say that they did but I gave up quite soon after starting them.

[greygoose in reply to Mama196]

Actually, bloating is one of the side-effects of glucosamine, it's not a cure for bloating. It's for painful joints.

[Mama196 in reply to greygoose]

Oh no- though I could probably do with this now- hands are really stiff today. Don’t fancy the bloating though.

I would imagine you need to try one thing at a time find out what works.

Maybe an elimination diet? Oats are a problem for me too. Sometimes some people can’t tolerate certain types of gluten free products due to additives- maybe switching brands of bread might help?

[greygoose in reply to Mama196]

An elimination diet is the best way to find out what causes what, yes. And, yes, you should only try one thing at a time - but I'm guilty of not doing that, so can't criticise! lol

As for side-effects, not everyone gets the same ones, so there's nothing to say that the glucosamine caused your bloating. Could have been coincidence. Trial and error, that's the only way to advance.

[LynneG]

Brilliant, you do so much to help yourself. Maybe I could say - how GF are you ? As in common sense you don't eat anything that obviously wouldn't naturally contain gluten or do you eat gluten free products? GF flours do contain possibly stuff that you maybe shouldn't eat. And GF products may be GF but that doesn't mean the product is a good healthy food that you should be eating. You probably know this tho being sugar free - re these commercial GF flours/foods spiking blood sugar and consequently still providing an environment that would upset your gut microbiome - which definitely sounds as though is unbalanced and /or cause leaky gut re the gas/bloating. Have you looked into SIBO? Maybe the bacteria in the chuckling goat Kefir is providing the gas producing bacteria/organisms in your small intestines. I presume you had the bloating anyway before trying the Kefir, but maybe it is not helping? I would say something is providing them /or making the gas producing bacteria migrate from the colon up into your small intestine.

Maybe it is your diet? Are you eating to feed your beneficial gut bugs? (fruit and veg) There is an opinion that you have to start at the v beginning again from scratch and just have a maximum of 2 or three foods maybe just bone broth for a few days and then gradually increase foods therebye building a healthy bacteria/micro - organism balanced microbiome from scratch. See Professor Natasha Campbell McBride (Scottish Neurologist) work/books on SIBO and the SIBO diet. Nb this is a short term diet.

You are dairy free - is that because you feel that it is healthier or have had testing - because goat's milk is still dairy and goats milk Kefir will surely still contain dairy protein and sugar. (caesin and lactose)

I also belong to an onine group 'Totally Gluten Free' Many of us do not eat any grains not just GF grains. Corn for instance causes many issues and corn is prevalent in everything as corn is used to make vegetable additives/sugars. In many meds, supplements as well as GF flours aka cornflour. Maybe you have an issue with corn as many people with digestive issues do. According to world famous Gluten expert Dr Tom O'Bryan, there are 60 different gluten proteins that are known about and probably many more in different grains. You could try going totally grain free. I use organic almond flour or coconut flour, although I wouldn't try coconut flour while you have such digestive distress/bloating as I believe that coconut flour being heavy in fibre feeds all gut bugs and you don't want to be feeding the less beneficial ones while you having bloating. Also so called commercial GF foods are allowed to contain 20parts per million gluten and it has been proved in clinical trials that this is too high.

Maybe it is a FODMAP problem. I would join the Totally Gluten Free group as many on there have dealt /deal with such digestive distress. Micki Rose the clinician who runs the group, helps us all (lots of info and protocols ) and has patients and testing xx

[Mandymoobear]

Thank you all for your reply’s. LynneG can you give me the actual link to access the totally gluten free site. I looked and there are several websites so I’m not sure which one. I’ll take on board all your knowledge. Would I be better to take a good probiotic instead of the kefir? Thanks Mandy

[LynneG in reply to Mandymoobear]

Hi, Pure Health.co.uk and Totally Gluten Free are run by the same clinician (just one is not just for GF) You can ask Micki Questions from the website or email . So I will post the most recent article by Micki from Pure Health. As you will see you can access anything from the tabs of the website. I will try to post also the totally GF group link but not great with facebk technology so may not be able to get you into applying to the forum but Micki will be able to. Well bloomin ummer its called Truly Gluten Free (face book - sorry) still same group - just my brain ! If you are on face bk it has the ball / globe with black and red writing on it with Allergy highlighted, written in red accross it. Here's the Pure Health website link. Tell Micki Lynne Garwood referred you and got the name wrong, she will laugh at that ;0 purehealthclinic.co.uk/2019...

To answer re probiotics - I take a really good one on occasions, usually winter, google Microbz Bio-Live Dark. Is liquid . minerals etc sugar to ferment and feed the organisms. (always seems to contain the specific strains necessary, mentioned in interview podcasts) But the best way to get healthy varied micro organisms is to eat (great time of year) wild fruit and veg. they are on there living on the skin, (you are eating the organisms and the food they eat with them)so don't wash just pick your blackberry or plum, dandelion leaf and eat it , if you know it is growing wild and organic as in no spraying anywhere. Obviously clear away from hedgerows bordering farms or roads. But to be honest you need to find a reason for bloating/ bacterial overgrowth first, Maybe you are not gluten free enough.

I would stop eating all grains/grain flours (well I have). Stop all probiotics, fermented food as in the goats milk kefir, stop any form of dairy too like goats milk cheese etc. Try and eat simple like bone broths and soups and stews for a while. I eat free range Duck Eggs - less likely to be a problem than hens eggs which are used in vaccinations. So a good food to reintroduce following to see if you are ok with eggs.

But first see if you get a change from eating simply soups and stews. before introducing other foods back.

Micki is the best person to ask. But if you can radically alter your diet, it may be easier for you and Micki, to see/find explanations and causes rather than testing.

[Mandymoobear in reply to LynneG]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put your thoughts forward. I will check our pure health 👍 much appreciated....

[LynneG in reply to Mandymoobear]

Hi Mandymoobear, Just received this study from the Truly GF group tonight. V interesting and quite shocking findings. Interesting. About manufactured vitamin c which is in manufactured products , drinks, meds, supplements. Tons of it, manufactured in China and used throughout the world. Seems creates symptoms in people who are sensitive to it (as made from black mold) Symptoms are massive as in people are tested by med community for RA as creates joint pain swelling, Autoimmune investigations as causes muscle pain , digestive complaints , thyroid issues, and etc and etc . Worth a read of the study ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Mandymoobear in reply to LynneG]

Thank you I will read that later.......it’s all so confusing which way to go for the best. I know there is no quick fix, but self fixing (I can only speak for myself) takes forever for fear of taking the right path....but to stay unwell is not an option so....on we go 🤗

[LynneG in reply to Mandymoobear]

One step at a time, or we get overwhelmed. As long as we are going in the right direction xx

[Luna1390]

Have you ever had any gut testing done? GI Map or GI Effects? Something like that? Perhaps you have some sort of imbalance in your gut going on? Do you take a digestive enzyme currently? Pure Encapsulations makes a good one that I take. It is called Digestive Enzymes Ultra. An elimination diet might also be helpful in pinpointing which food(s) might be causing the bloating. Perhaps it is something else in your diet.

[Mandymoobear in reply to Luna1390]

Thank you for your thoughts, feedback and information....

[MiniMum97]

Hi

I have completed the low FODMAP elimination (that bit’s important!) diet and have found that I am intolerant to certain fructans and these cause pain and bloating usually the day after eating them.

If I want to eat fructans (perhaps because I am eating out) I have found Alpha Galactosidase enzymes to be very effective. I take Bean Assist.

My IBS was horrendous at one point but I only very occasionally have episodes of pain or bloating now (mine is also triggered by hormones and stress).

If you want any tips on the low FODMAP diet let me know! 😊

[Mandymoobear in reply to MiniMum97]

Thank you for your reply and giving your time. I’ve heard the word FODMAP a few times now so I must check it out. I will let you know if I need some tips thanks 👍