Hemochromatosis + Fructose-Free, Gluten-Free Diet = Fun Times
I'm a 35-year-old woman with hereditary hemochromatosis. I'm supposed to have zero problems til menopause, but in my 20s I had severe iron overload.
Celiac.com Sponsor (A13):
After the bloodlettings, things went along OK. But now I'm diagnosed celiac and gluten-free...and my celiac anemia tendencies are removed, allowing the iron free rein in my system. It's running in my system like toddlers after cake.
So I feel like crap. Yay. Thanks, genes.
BUT I also have crazy high blood sugar after eating. This is an Easter egg for iron overload. And since all fructose causes bad things to happen for me (extreme leaky gut issue or hereditary fructose intolerance? Hopefully I'll get some answers soon.) I have to eat only white rice, safe fats, and lean meat/fish.
So, basically, a starch-rich diet with tons of iron. Yay once again. Ooh, or mercury, since I hate all seafood but tuna.
Did I mention I'm dangerously underweight? And I lost even more when I stupidly tried the SCD thinking this was all just SIBO. I'm up to 99 lbs (I'm 5'2") but I can't both control my blood sugar spikes AND eat enough extra calories to gain weight. Since I feel awful when my blood sugar's above 130, guess which one wins out.
Ironically, if I was my proper weight I could just saunter over to a blood bank and shed the excess iron. But with my current condition I'd just do what I always do when someone tries to take a full bag of my blood--pass out. No thanks.
Am I complaining? No, I'm blogging. Complaining would be explaining to my coworkers exactly why I can't eat the constant snacks in the kitchen, in meticulous, medical detail.
Hells bells, this is a crazy runaround of intestinal delights. Looks like I'll have lots to talk about at Mayo next month.
2 Comments
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now