Is There A Common Cause For Chronic Gut Issues?

[ATP]

I have tried almost everything I know of to reduce my gut issues. Constant extreme bloating, switching between loose/normal stools and constipation, most of all painful and tender to touch all over but usually in the lower half of my gut.

This has been going on for over 10 years. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it, even when I eat starch sometimes I have really bad reactions but then sometimes it doesn't do anything negative. There is no consistency when it comes to reactions to specific foods I eat.

I am perplexed with the issue. For the majority of people I know they can eat what ever they want and have no negative reaction in their gut.

What is the defining factor for digestive health? Is it bacteria?

 

[JCastro]

Consider low magnesium. Acute magnesium deficiency can lead to fibromyalgia (hurting all over). Taurine and potassium help retain Mg.

I don't know about the digestive stuff but garlic, grapefruit seed extract, and oregano oil are helpful. Or an herbal antibiotic blend.

Popular drugs here for digestion are cyproheptadine and famotidine. I like Alka-seltzer Gold.

 

[ATP]

Consider low magnesium. Acute magnesium deficiency can lead to fibromyalgia (hurting all over). Taurine and potassium help retain Mg.

I don't know about the digestive stuff but garlic, grapefruit seed extract, and oregano oil are helpful. Or an herbal antibiotic blend.

Popular drugs here for digestion are cyproheptadine and famotidine. I like Alka-seltzer Gold.

I've tried supplementing with them with no positive changes.

 

[Richiebogie]

I found raw leafy greens and dairy gave me diarrhea.

Gut happy now on fruit (fresh OJ, bananas, mango, pawpaw, raspberries, dates, figs) and roast potato and roast pumpkin, animal protein (raw eggs, raw oysters, chicken, rare roast beef), with some tomato sauce with dried herbs and spices for vitamin k, yeast extract for vitamins b, and 100mg aspirin with tablespoon coffee essence!

As I am now low calcium I am also low salt otherwise I get cramps in the calves!

 

[javin]

Could be high serotonin. Lots of folks on here talking about that and how it relates to gut health. It could be beneficial to try some of the things that help lower it.

I have dealt with periods of loose stools in the past and found that it also coincided with feelings of anxiousness/nervousness. Once I started eating more fruit juices, sugar, fruits, salt, and other yummy Peat foods, as well as worked on my nerves in general through a change in lifestyle, my stools are almost always solid now. If I ever start feeling nervous, get cold hands/feet, then almost certainly I'll have a loose stool.

Stay calm and treat your body and mind with love.

 

[ATP]

Could be high serotonin. Lots of folks on here talking about that and how it relates to gut health. It could be beneficial to try some of the things that help lower it.

I have dealt with periods of loose stools in the past and found that it also coincided with feelings of anxiousness/nervousness. Once I started eating more fruit juices, sugar, fruits, salt, and other yummy Peat foods, as well as worked on my nerves in general through a change in lifestyle, my stools are almost always solid now. If I ever start feeling nervous, get cold hands/feet, then almost certainly I'll have a loose stool.

Stay calm and treat your body and mind with love.

I've tried a lot of anti serotonin strategies such as cipro, starch/fibre free, daily carrot salad, charcoal, ritanserin, antibiotics, etc. I guess it could still be a serotonin problem but what I tried didn't work.

 

[EIRE24]

I've tried a lot of anti serotonin strategies such as cipro, starch/fibre free, daily carrot salad, charcoal, ritanserin, antibiotics, etc. I guess it could still be a serotonin problem but what I tried didn't work.

I can relate. Have you tried slippery elm?

Do you suffer from any skin issues due to your digestive issues?

 

[lollipop]

I've tried a lot of anti serotonin strategies such as cipro, starch/fibre free, daily carrot salad, charcoal, ritanserin, antibiotics, etc. I guess it could still be a serotonin problem but what I tried didn't work.

Have you tried high doses Lysine for a brief time? Repairs gut lining and decreases serotonin in the gut.

 

[Orion]

I've tried a lot of anti serotonin strategies such as cipro, starch/fibre free, daily carrot salad, charcoal, ritanserin, antibiotics, etc. I guess it could still be a serotonin problem but what I tried didn't work.

What has helped me is zero starch and zero fat, took about a month, but bowels are much better now.

 

[Queequeg]

could be SIBO. My mom has this and I have been doing some research for her. There is a SIBO test (methane/H2 oral test) to diagnose it. The prescription medicine is ridiculously expensive, even with insurance, but herbals work just as well. I think she is still taking oregano, allicin, and neem. There is a ton of stuff on the net on this as it is very difficult to get rid of.

Environmental mold could also be an issue.

 

[BobbyDukes]

What has helped me is zero starch and zero fat, took about a month, but bowels are much better now.

What does that diet consist of? Skimmed milk, shrimp, fruits (or juices)? I definitely do better on both of those things too, but finding something that actually works (food that is tolerated) is the long term ongoing battle.

 

[Orion]

What does that diet consist of? Skimmed milk, shrimp, fruits (or juices)? I definitely do better on both of those things too, but finding something that actually works (food that is tolerated) is the long term ongoing battle.

I get about ~2500 calories daily from skim milk, 1 cup white sugar, gelatin, pressed dry cottage cheese (farmers cheese), cooked fruits, dried fruits, apple and orange juice, small amounts of liver and oysters. I supp with taurine, A/D/E/K

Roughly 500g carbs and 150g protein. Decided to keep calories a little low, to see if body fat and PUFA will reduce quicker, and reduce symptoms(hair, bowels, acne)

 

[Xisca]

Well, SCD diet seems to be specialized in gut issues....
I thhink the common cause is that flora that should be in the colon go up into the upper gut that should be more sterile.
Consider maybe low stomach acid and correcting the flora, removing gluten and casein.
Stopping gluten was essential for me!
And now I see that even goat cheese is not good for me!

 

[BobbyDukes]

I get about ~2500 calories daily from skim milk, 1 cup white sugar, gelatin, pressed dry cottage cheese (farmers cheese), cooked fruits, dried fruits, apple and orange juice, small amounts of liver and oysters. I supp with taurine, A/D/E/K

Roughly 500g carbs and 150g protein. Decided to keep calories a little low, to see if body fat and PUFA will reduce quicker, and reduce symptoms(hair, bowels, acne)

Thanks :)

 

[ATP]

I can relate. Have you tried slippery elm?

Do you suffer from any skin issues due to your digestive issues?

I haven't tried slippery elm, I'll check it out. I have had body acne for a long time, other than that no skin conditions.

Have you tried high doses Lysine for a brief time? Repairs gut lining and decreases serotonin in the gut.

I have tried high does Lysine with no positive changes.

 

[ATP]

I feel as though that there is a main causative factor with chronic gut issues. I don't think any single amino acid, vitamin, mineral, herb, elimination diet, etc works. Well at least not for me and a lot of other people who I have spoken to who are still struggling with this issue.

 

[WestCoaster]

Stress (Cortisol) is linked to gut issues in almost every way. I think (don't know just think) that HCL may deplete and rise given cortisol levels. One is generally not supposed to eat when they are stressed, this may be why. Supplements may work IF they are supplements that help to lower stress like magnesium. I'm not sure though as it would depend on where your stress is coming from.

If elevated stress is from say lack of sleep, not enough sleep, or patchy sleep, that would need to be addressed first.

Not a popular decision around here I know, but many people report reversing gut issues by reducing or eliminating carbs for a period of time. I don't suggest eliminating them completely but just stick to dark green and leafy green vegetables with meat/fish.

Remember, the ultimate goal should be to be off all supplements and just use simple real food. You need to be careful that if you tackle the gut issue one way that causes you to be supplement reliant is only putting a band-aid on the problem.

 

[thomas00]

I'm not sure if you've experimented with probiotics for your gut ailment but you might like to give Symprove a try. It's been very effective for me and I've tried it all. Although it only seems to work (and by work I mean less abdominal pain and less mental suffering that accompanies it) if I'm very strict with my diet, which has become nigh on impossible. Cyproheptadine is quite effective too.

As for whether or not there is a common cause?

All of the major literature reviews on IBS from the last few years have basically made the case that 'IBS' is a lazy and unhelpful label to be applying to patients. It is a non-specific umbrella term being employed when there are very specific causes of 'IBS' symptoms which need to be investigated. These symptoms may be similar in presentation but have different causes behind them ranging from low grade inflammation, parasitic infection, dysbiosis, SIBO, gut-brain dysfunction, food allergy and probably a gazillion other things. Doctors shouldn't be handing it out as a diagnosis.

 

[LucH]

I feel as though that there is a main causative factor with chronic gut issues

I'm reading a book talking about bad gut issues. Unbalanced intestinal flora and dysbiosis (fermentation)
Extract:
IBS and irritable colon syndrome
This disorder has a prevalence of 12 to 30% in the population and is more common in women than in men, especially after age 50. It is characterized by discomfort or abdominal pain, a disturbed intestinal transit characterized by diarrhea or constipation or a mixture of both, and by some bloating or abdominal distension.

It seems that an overgrowth and / or a change from the types of bacteria in the small intestine, referred to as SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome) is responsible for the symptoms of the disease. The disease would be due to an excess of fermentation and gas production in the small intestine.

We have identified foods that disrupt the microbiota (intestinal flora). The microbiome is dominated at + 90% by 3 categories of bacteria: Firmicutes, bacteroidetes and actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium).

The bacteroidetes are especially present in the 1st part of the colon, the firmicutes in part 2.

A change of the microbiota in the elderly, more vulnerable / fragile to autoimmune pathologies and “fouling”. But this is not evidence given the great diversity of the strains. It is estimated that there are 3 factors that come into play to trigger a disease: A genetic weakness and an unfavorable environment (junk food and intestinal permeability). The 3rd factor might be the imbalance of the microbiome. Think of your intestine as your second brain!

NB: When we talk about "Junk Food", think of dysbiosis and low-grade inflammation and see what's troubling your transit and your energy level: Gluten or FOMAP or excess of solanines? Take into account that each person is different...
Hope it will help.

Source and useful information if you read into French:

« Une alimentation ciblée pour préserver ou retrouver la santé de l’intestin ». Jacqueline Lagacée. 10.2106 . Médecin virologue spécialisée en virologie. Retraitée.

" The food to eat for maintaining or regaining a healthy gut. Jacqueline Lagacee. 10.2106. Doctor virologist specialized in virology. Retired.

NB: When we talk about "Junk Food", think about an imbalance in the frequency, quantity and the type of food. The quality is obviously an important factor: devitalized and processed food, full of preservatives and additives. Etc.

 

[LucH]

I won't take probiotics now, when there is overgrowth. Not the right time. First regulation of excess bacteria.