What's Wrong With Me!

[okgrace]

Hi Everyone,

I need help and to vent! My stomach is killing me all the time. I ate a gluten free Namste spice cake with cream cheese frosting (homemade) last Tuesday and was horribly ill for 2 days. My stomach was finally feeling 100% Monday and Today I am having D again. The pains I was having last week were awful, sharp and stabbing. My massage therapist thinks it's my gallbladder or related to nerve impingment in my neck since they all run on the same nerve. (Not that she can diagnosis this stuff).

Does anyone else get overheated quickly and have D and headaches that become migranes if they aren't treated quickly?

I stumbled on to the gluten free thing through my dd who was diagnosed in Jan. I stopped eating gluten to be supportive of her. We have also stopped nightshades, soy, dairy, and some lectins.

I feel like I can't eat anything that I don't prepare from scratch at home. I need to know what I should do next. My dd is doing really well and is not experiencing the same symptoms. My husband is convinced it's the water or in my head because who develops food allergies at 29.

Thanks

Kristan

[Rachel--24]

My husband is convinced it's the water or in my head because who develops food allergies at 29.

I became intolerant to pretty much *everything* at 31.

Foods, chemicals, environmental triggers, etc. Prior to that....I had no problems with anything.

I have several issues contributing....although I do not have Celiac.

[tom]

Namste spice cake with cream cheese frosting (homemade)

I'm dairy-free too and don't know if I've seen a DF version of a cream-cheese frosting.

What's in it?

[MyMississippi]

You need to see a doctor if your stomach is killing you all the time.

Or you can start an elimination diet to see if a particular food is the culprit. Or,You might want to just drink water for a 24 hour period and NO food at all - (if you have good health) and see what happens.

I got multiple food allergies when I was in my 40's --- so it can happen anytime.

[okgrace]

The cream cheese frosting wasn't dairy free. This was the first time I had allowed dairy in several months becuase I want my dd gut to heal. She was experiencing symptoms that weren't going away so I cut out all the typical triggers. I never had a problem with dairy before this. I have only been experiencing this for a few months.

This is gross, but when other people get D does it seem to be unstopable without an anti-D. Is it good to take and anti-D or just let it run it's course (which could be 24 hours or longer)?

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it.

Kristan

[okgrace]

I was just thinking.... Some of you mentioned that you have environmental allergies. How do you go about figuring out what those are. I work for a hospital and most of the time I work out patient at schools and childcare centers, but about once a week I work inpatient. I am usually ill after working inpatient shortly after I get home or even before i leave work. I am constantly using handsanitizers and washing my hands. I have wondered if there soap makes me sick, but I am sure there are lots of other chemicals that I am exposed to there. I have also wondered if it's just in my head since I enjoy working with the patient's, but acute care isn't really my thing.

Just don't know anymore,

Kristan

[Marleigh]

Several things come to mind for me...if the cake was sugar-free also (by any chance), the artificial sweeteners will give me violent D reactions like you described. Not necessarily Splenda and things that you put in drinks, but the "sugar alcohols" (malitol, etc) that they put in sugar-free baked goods.

Another idea is MSG or a preservative, or high fructose corn syrup. Either one of those will cause intestinal symptoms for me, in the right doses.

[home-based-mom]

I was just thinking.... Some of you mentioned that you have environmental allergies. How do you go about figuring out what those are. I work for a hospital and most of the time I work out patient at schools and childcare centers, but about once a week I work inpatient. I am usually ill after working inpatient shortly after I get home or even before i leave work. I am constantly using handsanitizers and washing my hands. I have wondered if there soap makes me sick, but I am sure there are lots of other chemicals that I am exposed to there. I have also wondered if it's just in my head since I enjoy working with the patient's, but acute care isn't really my thing.

Just don't know anymore,

Kristan

I have a customer with extreme mold sensitivity. She was on disability for a couple of years before she got enough of her health back that she could return to work.

For some reason (she told me but I can't remember) she recently wound up in a local ER where upon her condition got worse instead of better! The reason (confirmed by the attending ER physician) was the *mold in the ceiling caused by leaky pipes!* The tiles were actually sagging and discolored.

Not only that, but he said that because of lack of maintenance it was common in hospitals!

Just thought I'd pass that on to give you a place to start looking.

[Rosewynde]

My husband is convinced it's the water or in my head because who develops food allergies at 29.

Anyone can develop food allergies at any time. All it takes is to have something trigger it and you get stuck with it. My trigger was a difficult pregnancy. I've read enough on here to know that many of us developed these problems latter in life. I hope you can convince your husband of that. If your feeling rotten there is some cause and it is not all in your head. Do be aware though that worrying about things only makes the feelings worse as it stresses your body.

[okgrace]

Thanks for the input from all of you. Our hospital has gone through some major renovations in the last couple of years. It is a small community hospital that is growing quickly so unlike most hospitals it seems to have had money to maintain itself fairly well. Parts of the hospital are old and I am sure are not up to par. I wonder about the air quality system. How often are the filters changed etc. I have no idea how it works, but I feel like the air is part of the issue.

The cake mix does not have artificial sweetners, although my sister may have used xylitol to sweeten the frosting, not sure. The cake mix is free of gluten, wheat, soy, nuts, potato, corn, dairy, and casein. It is sweetened with cane juice. I just thought about the fact that my sister uses xylitol frequently to sweeten things and I have a hard time with gum that is sweetened with it. Very interesting!

I am trying not to worry to mych and now that I am feeling better it's a bit easier. My husband asked this evening if I had pickrd up a water test kit. Arrrrrrrrhhhhhh!