How To Heal A Leaky Gut

[Yoekie]

It's been 6 months since I was diagnosed with leaky gut. I've taken probiotics every morning, fish oil supplements and followed a strict gluten/wheat/diairy/egg free diet. And nothing's changed!!

I still have sensitive bowels (and stomach), I haven't gained anything, I still need 12 hours sleep and feel exhausted nevertheless. I have a chronic throatache, headache, bleeding gum, am feeling dizzy and have a bad inflammation on my hip I don't know what to do.

How do you know you have a leaky gut, then how do you heal it? And -perhaps most importantly- how do you know when it's healed??

Last week I was in a rash on the palm of my hands, but I'm sure I had not eaten any of the 'forbidden' foods. Yet, with a leaky gut, I guess you can become intolerant to whatever comes into your bloodstream, if not wheat and diairy, than corn and soy, no? So what's the point in following a gluten-free diet? I'm not celiac.

Anyone any ideas?

[chatycady]

It's been 6 months since I was diagnosed with leaky gut. I've taken probiotics every morning, fish oil supplements and followed a strict gluten/wheat/diairy/egg free diet. And nothing's changed!!

I still have sensitive bowels (and stomach), I haven't gained anything, I still need 12 hours sleep and feel exhausted nevertheless. I have a chronic throatache, headache, bleeding gum, am feeling dizzy and have a bad inflammation on my hip I don't know what to do.

How do you know you have a leaky gut, then how do you heal it? And -perhaps most importantly- how do you know when it's healed??

Last week I was in a rash on the palm of my hands, but I'm sure I had not eaten any of the 'forbidden' foods. Yet, with a leaky gut, I guess you can become intolerant to whatever comes into your bloodstream, if not wheat and diairy, than corn and soy, no? So what's the point in following a gluten-free diet? I'm not celiac.

Anyone any ideas?

You sound like me last year! I was miserable. I was gluten free but had similar simptoms. I knew if I ate only plain meat and fresh veggies I did better, but I couldn't figure out the rest until I came across the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I found the website and bought the book and have made great progress. Each of us is so different so each of us has different food issues, but I'm healing and now have been able to add small amounts of my problem foods back in.

I am able to eat the homemade yogurt and find it satisfying. I can not do any other milk product as I don't have the enzymes to split the sugar molecules. I read everything on all the websites about the diet. It has helped me, and my two sisters who are having the same problems.

Make some beef broth (recipe on the website) and add fresh veggies and eat that for a day or two and see if you feel a little better. I've been on the diet 8 months and each month I got stronger, had more energy and feel much younger.

I recently found I am very low on vitamin D and since taking the supplements I've made more progress.

God bless you and may you heal too!

P.S. I found I can't take supplements - such as probiotics etc. They have ingredients in them that bother me such as starch, sugar and other stuff.

[Yoekie]

People already suggested trying it 6 months ago when I joined the forum. I read about it, then rejected the idea because carbs are what I hang on to when I'm not feeling well. Most of the time I'm not hungry, and tasteless food (which is carbs!) are the only thing I get down easily. As does a bananamilkshake but I guess even that's 'forbidden' in SCD... so I don't know what on earth I'd live from. And then I'm not sure it's the food. Maybe it's my nervous system, my immunity system or both. Going without carbs could weaken those even more... I don't know.

But thanks anyway for sharing what helped for you!! I wish you all the best in your recovery!

[chatycady]

People already suggested trying it 6 months ago when I joined the forum. I read about it, then rejected the idea because carbs are what I hang on to when I'm not feeling well. Most of the time I'm not hungry, and tasteless food (which is carbs!) are the only thing I get down easily. As does a bananamilkshake but I guess even that's 'forbidden' in SCD... so I don't know what on earth I'd live from. And then I'm not sure it's the food. Maybe it's my nervous system, my immunity system or both. Going without carbs could weaken those even more... I don't know.

But thanks anyway for sharing what helped for you!! I wish you all the best in your recovery!

I hope you will reconsider. Carbohydrates cause a leaky gut. There is no magic pill (pro-biotic) that will heal a leaky gut. It's only through diet and restoring the balance of good bacteria will one finally heal. There are wonderful cook books for the SCdiet. I just made some homemade butter pecan ice cream that is delicious and it is full of good bacteria (natural probiotic.) I eat a big bowl full before I go to sleep and the calcium & protein gives me a good nights rest. I too use to be exhausted and could sleep 24-7.

Take care - I hope you find an answer to your problems.

P.S. Carbs weaken the immune system. Fresh fruits and veggies strengthen it, as they contain wonderful enzymes that keep us strong. Carbs (sugar and starch) cause inflamation - possibly your hip trouble. Sore throat, and upset stomach. Do a websearch on carbs and leaky gut and see what you find.

[Yoekie]

I could give it a try but I have very little resources since I live in Belgium and you simply don't hear of 'SCD' around here. Only low-carb diets to loose weight but that's not what I want!! Didn't you loose weight?

I can't get nut butter around here. Can I use walnut/chestnut/coconut powder? I could bake biscuits with them. Would it make a difference if I eat low carb, or should it really be strict no-carb to make a difference?

thanks for informing me about the immunity-thing, it matters greatly to me.

[Ms Jan]

Hi Yoekie,

The SCD can be done no matter where you live. I live half the time in Denmark, and some years ago I lived in Belgium, and you can get enough of the necessary produce - and if you need any specific stuff, or SCD legal supplements, you can always order them on the internet.

The diet is all about eliminating additives, grains and highly processed food that feed the bad bacteria rather than our bodies. Thus, it's simply back to basics: vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and nuts, a few very specific dairy products as well as honey (the last two I don't eat myself). If you buy whatever is in season locally, it doesn't have to be expensive. And if you eat sufficient amounts of nuts and good olive and coconut oils, you shouldn't worry about loosing weight. Because you're building strength by feeding your body properly.

And instead of banana milkshakes you can do your own fruit smoothies: just blend some fruits you like with a banana and a little water, and there you go ... Delicious and very healthy !

Read up on Breaking the Vicious Cycle, and SCD websites - and maybe the long SCD thread here. And if you do it, commit to it fully. It's a total turn around of your gut flora, so to trying to make up for the lost carbs by eating only baked SCD legal foods, wouldn't do it. You've got to get started on the greens also.

btw, even now four months into the SCD, I still can't eat anything made of nut-flours. It's just too processed for me. But living on my sauteed vegetables and boiled chicken, I'm healthier and more enrgetic than in years - so to me it's all worth it.

Good luck!

[RiceGuy]

I can only say what worked for me, which was the gluten-free diet, low protein, supplements, and time. I found proteins were leaking the most, so I cut back on them until I saw sufficient improvements.

Some of the symptoms you describe can easily be from nutrient deficiencies, which you are prone to have with a leaky gut. Do you take B-vitamins, sublingual B12, and/or minerals? The fatigue, bleeding gums, headache, and so forth can be caused by deficiencies, regardless of what blood tests suggest. Since, they are cheap and safe, I'd think it's worth a try.

[Yoekie]

Okey I'm now giving it serious consideration.

I know my parents will think I'm starving myself and I don't like the introduction diet at all but I really need to get better so I'm prepared to try a lot... maybe even SCD, who knows.

I'll do some more reading first.

[Zathras]

Yoekie,

I haven't logged in for a long time, but your post caught my eye because I'm also trying to figure out how long it takes to heal up from leaky gut. I am highly allergic to gliadin, one of the proteins that makes up gluten, and this allergy created the my leaky gut condition. LG led to multiple food allergies because of the large particles of food and other substances that got into my bloodstream. My body's symptom of choice is post nasal drip, congestion, and coughing - a histimine response.

I was so frustrated I finally had a blood test done for food allergies - and came up with 74 food and food additives that I'm reactive to, and a few other chemicals besides. Well worth the money to know what to avoid. It's not easy, but I would highly recommend getting a food allergy test done - not a skin scratch test, but a blood test.

There's probably a naturpath in your area that can help you do that. That should help your symptoms, and but be aware of the the hidden ingredients of supplements! Cross contamination of supposedly gluten free grains, proteins that are similar enough to gluten that I have an allergy response ( I call them gluten mimics), pectin from apples, gelatin from beef, cream of tartar from grapes, etc., but I'm told that if I stay away from all of these substances for 3-12 mos my body should be able to tolerate those items again - and I'm taking aloe vera juice nightly to help heal the leaky gut so the allergies don't re-develop.

Hope you're feeling better!

[happy2bme]

Probiotics (eneric coated) dairy and soy free

glutamine (very important)

minimize sticky carbs

stay away from red meat

chicken broth and fish are great protein. My doctor said to sip on the broth throughout the day for it is a great source of protein for those on a strict diet

Stay away from dairy all together

MSM, glucosamine and collagen supplement

Also get tested for fungus and parasites by an alternative practitioner. I say alternative as far as one who has great experience in stool testing. The test will be more accurate and they catch more. Standard labs are not as up to date and miss most issues.

Goodluck and Godbless