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Lately my stomach has been acting all weird. My diet overall could use some improvement I do eat healthy vegetables and fruits and proteins but Im also are carb junky always had been. I also LOVE cookies. But it has always been the same
I do take medications (2) which are an antidepressant and anti anxiety but have been taking 1 over a year ago and the second medication for several months.
I always have bloating and the gas trapped feeling in my stomach and sometimes it usually make me go and use the bathroom. Now I never used a public bathroom and had a bowel movement, I work 3 times a week and every time I work I have to make a bowel movement because of the cramping in my stomach.
I even had gluten/wheat free chocolate cookies with my lemonade and my stomach still was bothering me. I think I might have IBS
But at my job which is a (natural foods grocery store with vitamins and supplements) one of my coworkers who is a specialist in supplements and vitamins. She knew that I have ADHD but she told me that people who had ADHD had some stomach issues. So I really didnt believe her, until Ive done research and that its true.
But I couldnt have Celiac disease I mean I had diarrhea when I finished consuming lemonade with gluten free and wheat free chocolate chip cookies and that didnt have gluten in it. I dont think Im lactose intolerant either, however if I do consume a large quantity of milk throughout the day I would feel the same result
Today I stayed home for work because my stomach was cramping up again.
I do have to admit when I also smell cigarettes it also makes my stomach hurt.
How can I fix this besides going to the doctors because I dont want to make a big deal
You will never know whether you have Celiac unless you are tested specifically for the disease - take the blood test and find out for sure one way or the other. Celiac can manifest a wide variety of symptoms in individuals. I have Celiac and I know this is true. Many Celiac patients have IBS......I have suffered from it for many years. About 2 months ago I started taking a new probiotic - Align - which you can buy at Costco....Align has made all the difference in the world - no more IBS symptoms. It isn't cheap but it is much cheaper than the $100 probiotic/fiber combination I was taking before I found Align. I tried several different probiotics before I found one that works.
Try eliminating ALL gluten/wheat for 24 hours, not just substituting one snack's worth.
If, on that day, you still have problems..
Eliminate ALL dairy for the second 24-hour period. But eat wheat/gluten as normal. on this second day.
If, on that day, you still have problems...
On the third day, eliminate ALL dairy AND ALL gluten/wheat for the next 24 hours.
If, on day 3, you still have problems..
Go to a doctor. There might be something going on with your meds.
If the problems clear up on day 1, then you have a wheat/gluten intolerance and need to eliminate wheat/gluten from your diet.
If the problems clear up on day 2, then you have a lactose intolerance and should either eliminate lactose, or take lactaid on days you plan on consuming lactose. Or - you could reduce your dairy intake - which is what most people do. No more glasses of milk, but a splash in the morning coffee might not cause any problems. No more bleu cheese (the WORST for digestive problems with lactose..ugh) - but a smear of butter on your potatoes won't stick you in the bathroom for an hour.
If the problems clear up on day 3, then you should cut down DRASTICALLY on all starch and fats for at least two days, and see if that's the problem. Excessive fats and starches can do all kinds of weird stuff to the digestive system.
But try those things, in that order. And if all else fails, check with the doctor.
I've had IBS for years, no clue what's causing it, I suspect I may have some gluten intolerance even though I've tested negative for Celiac, but I just don't have the willpower to try a gluten-free diet, carbs are the only thing I really enjoy eating, lol. I've just kinda learned to live with it, I'm used to my stomach being all weird, being bloated and gassy and having urgency at random times, mornings tend to be the worst. Some things that help: avoiding stress and anxiety (being even a bit anxious or scared or even really excited about something sends me straight to the bathroom); limiting roughage and insoluble fiber in foods - raw fruit, veggies and legumes give me painful gas and bloating;avoiding food that's very spicy, heavy, overly rich, etc. and eating small frequent portions, not overeating; taking digestive enzyme supplements, especially with heavier meals; and drinking lots of water and peppermint tea.
Try eliminating ALL gluten/wheat for 24 hours, not just substituting one snack's worth.
What I've heard about gluten intolerance, is that it can take up to 4-6 weeks of absolute clean diet (ie. not even trace gluten in foods) for any effect to show up since it takes that long for it to completely leave your body. This is one reason I haven't tried eliminating it yet, as I don't have it in me to go that long without even knowing if it's going to have a result or not.
It can take weeks or months, once a gluten-free diet is adopted, before Celiac symptoms improve significantly....get the blood test. My symptoms and the consequences of vitamin deficiences stayed with me for many weeks before I noticed much of a difference.
Right - but I was suggesting that the OP rule out the obvious and most common problems, rather than the less obvious and less common problems. Most common:
1. Wheat/gluten intolerance (NOT Celiac)
2. Lactose intolerance
3. Combination of #1 and #2 OR
3a. A regular, consistent overindulgence of starch and dairy.
If you have an intolerance, and you eliminate wheat/gluten for a day, you will notice, that day, that you aren't running for the bathroom as much as you did yesterday. It won't clear up the problem. It won't fix anything. But it will indicate that something is "different."
Lactose intolerance is more immediate.
If you think you have Celiac, I agree - go to the doctor. But if you want to find out if it's merely an intolerance, and not Celiac, and your main symptoms are that you have an upset stomach and the runs, then a day's worth of elimination will give you an idea of whether or not your guess is correct. It's not difinitive - but it will lead you to the next steps.
TySky, best to have an evaluation by your doctor. The fact that you have recently started on a new medication is of interest & something to discuss with the prescribing doctor.
Ty read the recent thread about the elimination diet and see if maybe that will work for you. You'd have to go off of a lot of different foods for a few weeks and then add them back in one at a time but you'll know pretty much what's bothering you. I do tend to agree with others about the celiac test though as you may not take it as seriously otherwise.
Could be your meds or just generalized anxiety and have nothing to do with what you eat. If you are having all these issues you should go to a doctor about them. I would start with a GI specialist and rule out anything not linked to anxiety or meds.
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