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Prune juice - how much ?
      #257140 - 04/08/06 01:42 PM
jend

Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: Smoky Mts.

I'm a C and still trying to stablize. I'm also gluten intolerant. Someone gave me advice to drink prune juice. Does anyone know how much and how often?
Thanks -Jenny

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Re: Prune juice - how much ? [edited] new
      #257159 - 04/08/06 04:18 PM
Sand

Reged: 12/13/04
Posts: 4490
Loc: West Orange, NJ (IBS-D)

[I realized my original post was pretty muddled, so here's Take 2]

Fruit juices in general are high in fructose. Since fructose is often an IBS trigger, fruit juices are problematic for IBSers. If you want to try drinking any fruit juice, always make sure you have a solid SF base beforehand and I'd suggest starting with a very small amount.

I've always heard that prunes contain a natural laxative, but I never knew what it was. I finally looked it up. Prunes contain sorbitol. Since sorbitol is often an IBS trigger, this would make prune juice even more problematic.

If you do want to go this route, I'd try prunes themselves rather than the juice. Treat the prunes as IF and eat them carefully: after SF and begin with just one to see how you tolerate it. In prunes, the fructose would be less concentrated, which would make it less of a problem. However, I'm not sure about how much impact the sorbitol would have when "packaged" in the whole prune. Perhaps someone else could chime in about this.

Reference article

HTH.

--------------------
[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

Edited by Sand (04/09/06 05:41 AM)

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Re: Prune juice - how much ? new
      #257391 - 04/10/06 12:44 PM
AstroChick

Reged: 12/30/03
Posts: 1023
Loc: Chicago, IL, USA

Have you tried getting some IF fruit or vegetable with every meal? That might be safer than prune juice, particularly if you follow the guidelines on how to make the IF safer (cook/chop/puree).

--AC


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Re: Prune juice - how much ? new
      #257520 - 04/11/06 05:31 AM
jend

Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: Smoky Mts.

I've just found out that I'm gluten intolerant and am trying to stabilize. Since Wed. I've only had one attack when I ate something I shouldn't have Still learning the bad foods! I've also worked my way up to 2tbsp. of acaia, 2x a day. I can't believe the diff. in me. I feel that there is finally hope. I know that it's gonna take awhile for my small intestine to recover and I'm gonna start more veggies this week. I've already had lentils over white rice,(really good with grilled plain ck. by the way) and are still a little timid about branching out but each day I get braver. So, hopefully I won't need to resort to prune juice after all! Thanks for your advice.
Jenny

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How did you decide you were glutent intolerant? new
      #257526 - 04/11/06 06:20 AM
Augie

Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois

Did you have blood work done? An endoscopy?

Just curious as I have been battling this dilemma with gluten, unsuccessfully, for over 1 1/2 years...or is it 2 now? Doctors can't agree and tell me totally opposite advice.

I had antibodies, but the GF diet doesn't help me feel better....so I don't know if I should just eat it anyways. Some docs say yes, some say absolutely not.

How did you come to this answer/diagnosis? Is the GF diet helping or perhaps it's the Acacia. I suppose it would be hard to differentiate if you initiated both of them at the same time.

Is this the first SFS you have tried? I wonder why some can tolerate Acacia and others cannot.

Can you give some ideas on what you eat for meals? Which products you find edible and safe for IBS?

That is so wonderful you are feeling so much better...although I used to love to eat prunes. Yummy!

--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!

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Re: How did you decide you were glutent intolerant? new
      #257596 - 04/11/06 12:53 PM
jend

Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: Smoky Mts.

Well, I asked my GI to order the blood test done in Sept. when I was still not any better. It came back neg. However, I pointed out that can't you still be intolerant or allergic and it have not reached the point of serious damage of the small intestine? He said yes, but he thought that it was just IBS. Long story short, as I continued to be sicker, weaker and just plain desperate, I researched and google every possible digestive issue. I also sat down with my hubby and discussed all of the digestive issues that I've had in the last 1 1/2 years. I chose that length of time because that was when I noticed that my stomach hurt after I ate waffles, pancakes or bread. I just thought that I had an upset tummy. Then my stools started to change and I became C much more often.

That brings us to June 06 when I started LA Weight loss and started their program to lose 20lbs. for our vacation in Aug. Whole grains galore, IF all day 5 times a day. I kept waiting to feel this burst of energy that everyone talks about when you're eating healthier and it never came. I was feeling sluggish and when I would go into be measured for inches lost, they couldn't understand why my stomach was always so bloated. I also became very C which didn't make sense considering how much IF I was having every day. I kept asking them if it was normal to be so bloated all the time? They said that I was just retaining water.

Then comes Aug and the beach vac. from hell. I hadn't been feeling good for about a week, but I wasn't gonna cancel free condo at the beach with my family. The morning of the trip I was in agony with cramps and hadn't gone to the bathroom in 6 days. Things just got worse when we got there. I can't tell you how many enemas and suppos. I took. NOTHING. I called a close friend who is also my GYN and he prescribed Miralax and Dicyclomine. I spent the whole vac. in either bathroom floor or the bed. Then I started throwing up blood and we hightailed back to TN. I went straight to hospital and I had a massive bowel blockage. I was in the hospital for 4 days and then coming back for tests for 3 weeks. I had every test under the sun done for colon, blood, etc. you name it. I went to a diff. GI because the one on hospital staff said he couldn't help me. Then I had the small bowel test done. Have you had that done? It's where they make you drink "chalk" -barruim and test the motility of your small intestine. Most tests take 3 1/2 to 5 hrs. tops. They finally called it quits after waiting 8 1/2 hrs. for mine. So they put me on zelnorm and eurythmicin to stimulate motility and told me to go on a lo carb, lo fat and hardly any roughage. I didn't have to worry about that as I still couldn't eat hardly. This continued until Mar. when I came across GB. At this time I had been on a liquid diet for 3 weeks and couldn't keep ANYTHING down. I was searching the web and found this info. and asked my GI dr. to call me and explained how sick I was. He didn't call. I called again. He didn't call. I then had to be admitted to hospital for fluids as I was severly dehydrated. I asked my friend the doc to order a HIDA scan. He did and my GB was at less than 10%. I had it out on 3-14 and have been able to eat solid food ever since, even though it was only saltines, white bread, ck. noodle soup and applesauce. However, it did nothing to help with the terrible pain, cramping, bloating, you know the drill. I kept looking and after looking back over my digestive habits and the new info that I had, I had ALOT of Gluten Intolerance symptoms. Everything that I was eating before the surgery and after were full of gluten!! I had asked my GI every time I went to see him if it could be my GB or Gluten. He always said no, that I would just have to learn to manage the pain or go to MAYO.

I went GF on 3-8 and have been amazed a the diff. I wake up and I'm not in pain, I am now walking 35 min. on my treadmill a day and playing with my kids and able to enjoy spending time with my hubby. Everyone is like " you're glowing" or "you look so happy, did you find out what was wrong finally?'. On Sat. I ate some baked Lays plain and started feeling really sick again. I had checked their web and it said it was GF. However, I've already learned that unless it says it on the packaging, don't buy it. There are 2 ingredients, one in the seasoning and modified corn starch that are both made from gluten. My hubby said that was all the evidence that he needed. I started back on the right path on Sunday and have been feeling really great ever since Monday, after the gluten had worked it's way through my small intestine. I had breakfast for the first time today since Oct. I had tried Heather's diet before, but then the GI said lo carb so I stopped and it wasn't helping at all anyway. I hope to change out flours and such and still be able to keep to the basic principles. I'm eating - white rice, pureed lentils, gb, carrots, gf pasta, gf waffles, polaner all fruit jams (gf), cattleman's bbq sauce (gf), eggbeaters and of course ck., plain. I'm going to be working more IF into my diet this weekend. I just want to give my guts a little break and just stick with those few veggies and SF. I've been taking Acacia for 3 wks. I'm still having about 4 days in between BM's but I know that as my body starts to heal itself and the acaica gets going, that will improve.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I've read some of your other posts and really feel for you. Gluten intolerance and Celiac Dis. attack the small intestine and affects motility. I didn't know the signs and feel pretty stupid that all that I have gone through could've been avoided if I just trusted my "gut" instead of once again mistakenly trusting the dr. I'm now 40 lbs. lighter(125 lbs.)and I feel like I've missed almost a year that I can never get back. I had signs, but just didn't know it. I suggest that you check out some web info. Livingwithoutwheat.com and web md. I hope this has been of some help and again, sorry for the length. I just wanted you to understand how I came to this conclusion.

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Re: How did you decide you were glutent intolerant? new
      #257773 - 04/12/06 08:05 AM
Augie

Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois

Thank you for taking the time to share all this! It was very interesting to read about anothers journey through this "syndrome". Were both your blood work (including gliadin) and endoscopy negative?

I can totally relate and empathize with your experiences with doctors. I think they like to throw a lot of people with GI problems (that they themselves are not able to help) into the IBS pot! They feel better because they have given a diagnosis and they think we are naive enough to passively accept their diagnosis. I know I put to much trust in what doctors say...even when they all say different things! That's why I am so confused. Who do I believe? Who do I trust? When do I just accept that it is sever IBS? Or do I still worry that it's my nonfunctioning gallbladder and some gluten antibodies? They say the fact that my gallbladder is only functioning at 4% has nothing to do with my pain. This may be true because I did read that people who are low weight and have had a history of anorexia tend to have their gallbladders slow down and that their functioning improves again as the weight normalizes. so, nobody is too anxious to remove mine. Most of them refuse...but I did find one that will remove it if I want. How the heck am I suppose to make that medical decision? Isn't that suppose to be their job? I never don't have the vomitting that you had....and I am still able to eat solid food...so maybe my GB really is not a factor?

I have gotten all the remarks as you..."I can't help you"...learn to live with it....you'll most likely always be in pain....I refuse to even work with you because you need to go to Mayo, eat what doesn't hurt and don't eat what does hurt....eat whatever I want if I'm gonna be in pain anyhow so I might as well enjoy food)" Many doctors have sent me home in tears and told me to go see a shrink.

And they can't make up their mind on the gluten...whether it is safe or not for me. Unlike you, going GF has not helped me. I'm glad you are finding relief! That is wonderful...and I would happily continue to eat GF if it helped. (BTW, you are one of the few GI people I have "met" that suffer from C instead of D.

Yep, had a small bowel series follow through. Delicious drink, wasn't it. (gack). Mine took forever, but I did finish it (normal results).

I thought Lays were GF. The company assured me they were when I called them. They said the seasoning and modified corn starch did not contain gluten, and they are my list of "mainstream GF products"...but maybe you can't trust it. I eat Kettle Chips now, but prefer the taste and price of lays better!

I just don't know how much of my pain is self induced by my stress and anxiety over trying to find answers and relief...and how much is real? Is the gluten intolerance and gallbladder dyskinesia real...or is my anxiety over the test results making me sicker than I really am? Is my obsession with researching and reading and spending/(wasting?) so many hours of my day/night causing me the pain and preventing me from ever becoming well? Where's the line between obsession and taking control of your health because no doctor can be bothered?

BTW, what gluten free bread do you use? And what is ck that you are eating? Do you think that you even have IBS? Do you follow this IBS diet? Or do you think you are basically GI?

Keep me updated on your progress with the GF diet. I wish you the best! BTW, are you done with doctors forever?

--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!

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Re: How did you decide you were glutent intolerant? new
      #257832 - 04/12/06 10:44 AM
renee21

Reged: 06/02/05
Posts: 486
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thanks for your amazing story, really interesting. Apparently I have been tested twice for celiac and I don't have it. But I keep thinking there must be something going on there since any kind of wheat gives me insane bloat. I am not eating GF right now but wondering if I should give it a try. I currently no wheat, but I probably eat some glueten (ie oatmeal for breakfast. Although - inspired by Beth(Augie) - I just bought GF Mighty Tasty cereal and am going to try that for a while). Do you really think it is possible to be gluten-intolerant even if the tests indicate otherwise?



--------------------
IBS-C, lots of spasm and trapped gas.

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Re: How did you decide you were glutent intolerant?- Beth new
      #257914 - 04/12/06 03:15 PM
jend

Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: Smoky Mts.

Beth,
Just since yesterday I have already learned alot about CD and people who are GI. A friend who has 2 daughters who have CD has been asking for over a year if I had been tested or had tried to go GF. When I told her last week, she was so excited and told me that her second daughter's came up negative even though she had evry sym. that her sister had and only was able to function and have a "normal" life when she too went GF. She also recommended a book that I had read about on the web called "Wheat free, Worry Free" by Danna Korn. I was going to order it of amazon, but my hubby said that I shouldn't have to wait and took me to Books A Million. I got it and stayed up until almost 1 am this morn reading it. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. I did a little of both! The author has written another book on CD and GI for kids. Basically, I learned that there are 5 tests, NOT 3 that have to be done to completely rule out CD and they need to be at least 2 times each. It's a clinically proven fact that your tests results are affected by the amount of gluten you've ingested just prior to the blood tests. Hello! I went to my Doc no fewer than 3 times when I had to literally carry my plastic bowl to throw up in to the appointment. I wasn't able to eat anything! Also, there seems to be alot of false negatives. So many Docs don't seem to know that much about CD. As you said they just seem to push you out the door with their convenient dig. and wash their hands of you.

As for your other questions, I haven't tried any of the GF breads yet. I don't live in an area where there is alot of variety. I'm going to Earthfare this Friday and will let you know. However, I did try some Choc. brownie mix from Bud's Red Mill. It's awesome! My 9 yr. old keeps asking for more and my 7 yr. old wants to know if we can put choc. chips in it next time. Thank GOD! If I can have my chocolate then all is right with the world.

I know that you're feeling truly hopeless right now. I wish that I could direct you in the right direction. You say the GF diet doesn't work for you - how long did you go COMPLETELY GF? I'm still eating pretty carefully as I've read and been told that you need to be careful the 1st 2 wks. because you need to let your small intestine adjust and start to heal. It needs time after being constantly bomabarded with gluten to rest.

Lastly, have you had all 5 tests:
antigaldin antibodies- AGA
antiendomysial
anti tissue transglutaminase
total serum Iga
anti reticulin antibodies (this test is not as reliable as the others but you take a chance with a false negative anyway)
There is also a tissue biopsy if needed.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck - guess what, it's a duck. I hope that you can find out what's wrong with you and get on living! Don't let anyone tell you that your crazy - I do know that obsessing and researching is better then starting to believe that a stranger or anyone else knows your body better than you do. Honestly, I never voiced it, but the finger of doubt was beginning to wag in my head too. Then I realized that I needed to be deciding what my reaction was to them, (docs and such). I could decide to let them continue to tear me down and cause self doubt or I could let it fly and do the best I could. That also meant that I wouldn't give up. With God's help and my husbands infinite understanding and love, my stubborn self proved them wrong and took my life back. I pray you can do the same.
Lots of Luck,
Jenny

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Re: How did you decide you were glutent intolerant?-renee21 new
      #257915 - 04/12/06 03:21 PM
jend

Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: Smoky Mts.

I do. I have a friend whose been telling me for over a yr. that she thinks I was GF and had CD. She has 2 daughters with it. Her first daughter tested postive and when the second started having issues, she tested neg. But Tina put her on the GF diet anyway and all of her sym. went away and as long as she stays on it she's good to go. I've also been doing some reading and there are false negatives out there. One of my dr. friends commented that he doesn't even know of a CD specialist in the area. There still doesn't seem to be that much knowledge out there. Anyway, I'm no doc, but it's worked for me when nothing else would. I hope you do well, let me know
Jenny

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