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Think I've cured Fructose Malabsorption

Mog

Messages
91
Location
UK
Athene, I'm very glad to hear that you are getting results with the supplements for your fructose problems. That's positive news!
I had a test done recently, a blood test for Fructose-6-Phospate, which showed "Fructose + sucrose intake exceeds metabolic capacity". I think it relates to how your liver handles fructose. Is this what you have, or is it a different issue altogether?
 

globalpilot

Senior Member
Messages
626
Location
Ontario
Hi Athene,

You mentioned adrenal fatigue and the flashlight test in another post. I did the flashlight test last night and my iris did not expand at all during a couple of minutes. Does that mean my adrenals are functioning ok according to the book you read ? I'll do it several more times to make sure. My fiance did this with me and our reactions were the same (he is healthy).

I've been taking my temperature everyday and it does vary quite a bit day to day which I took as a sign my adrenals were struggling. So I have conflicting results between the 2 measurements.

GP
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Athene, I'm very glad to hear that you are getting results with the supplements for your fructose problems. That's positive news!
I had a test done recently, a blood test for Fructose-6-Phospate, which showed "Fructose + sucrose intake exceeds metabolic capacity". I think it relates to how your liver handles fructose. Is this what you have, or is it a different issue altogether?

Hi Mog,
Yes, that test would have to be a different issue, as it tests how your liver copes with fructose in your blood stream. With fructose malabsorption that I had, the fructose cannot get into your blood stream.
Do you have a web link that give more info about your test? I have had a suspicion for along time that I do not coep well with the sugars I do absorb. I have read that Lyme disease can give you problems here, so that would make sense for me.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi Athene,

You mentioned adrenal fatigue and the flashlight test in another post. I did the flashlight test last night and my iris did not expand at all during a couple of minutes. Does that mean my adrenals are functioning ok according to the book you read ? I'll do it several more times to make sure. My fiance did this with me and our reactions were the same (he is healthy).

I've been taking my temperature everyday and it does vary quite a bit day to day which I took as a sign my adrenals were struggling. So I have conflicting results between the 2 measurements.

GP

Hi GP,
Yes, according to the book that means your adrenal glands are fine. I've been doing this test on myself for a longish time and comparing it to blood test results and generally how I feel, and I reckon it is pretty reliable.

The adrenal book doesn't mention anything about temperature so, as far as I know, that is not connected with adrenal hormones. But it is definitely connected with thyroid hormones. I have a body temperature which is often below normal.
I've just had my thyroid measured and it is below normal - but only just below normal, so the doc says, no problemo! I've learnt from another thread that this is very common in CFS. (and Lyme disease, which I also have.)
 

Mog

Messages
91
Location
UK
Yes, I think hypothyroidism is pretty common in CFS.
I've just been reading "Stop the Thyroid Madness" by Janie Bowthorpe. According to it, taking its info from Dr Rind (http://www.drrind.com/therapies/metabolic-temperature-graph), you can determine your thyroid and adrenal status by taking your temperature. The following is from Bowthorpe's book.
"You simply take your temperature three times a day, starting three hours after you wake up, and every three hours after that, to equal three temps. (If you have eaten or exercised right before it's time to take your temperature, wait 20 more minutes). Then average them for that day. Do this for at least 5 or 6 days. If your averaged temperatures are fluctuating from day to day more than 0.2 - 0.3 degrees F (approximately 0.1 degre Celsius), you need adrenal support."
"On his website... Dr Rind explains more: If it is fluctuating but overall low, you need more adrenal support and thyroid. If it is fluctuating but averaging 98.6 degree F, you just need adrenal support. If it is steady but low, you need more thyroid and adrenals are likely fine."
 

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
Athene i have a couple of questions for you,

Did glucosamine make you tired? I'm wondering if its that, the condroiton or whatever. I got really tired but my body aches are lessened so its nice. (even though i wasnt that aware of them)
You took glucosamine on its own, without the condroiton, is there a reason for that?
Have you tried taking SAM-e? I have problems taking folic acid too and through the methylation cycle stuff i found that SAM-e goes great guns for me, it also helps with joint problems.

Cheers,
Gavin
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi Gavman,
The glucosamine didn't make me tired. But based on some very good info I've learned from MOG, some people (especially with CFS) have problems metabolising fructose. Liver enzymes have to turn it into glucose, and if you are not functioning too efficiently, what cannot get through the bottle neck instead accumulates toxic intermediate-stage substances in you. So potentially, if that is the case, it could be that being able to absorb more fructose is taking you over the limit of fructose that your liver can handle.
I guess to test this, the logical thing would be to cut out fruit for a while, till you have had time to detox, and see if the result is more energy.

I don't really kow anything about chondroiton; I didn't deliberately avoid that, I just used these version of glucosamine because they are by Jarrow and I have found so many times that the Jarrow version of anything is better for me than any other brand I try.

I haven't tried SAM-e, but that is very interesting that it helps you and that you also have folic acid problems. I definitely think I should give that a go, because my methylation cycle seems to have ground to a halt. What dose do you take?
 

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
Hmm. Interesting. Yes i have fructose absorbtion problems but shouldn't taking it eventually help in this? FFS - stupid cyclical problems/solutions.

I don't eat much fruit but can manage bananas, avocados, orange juice and pineapple juice to a decent degree. Apples, pears, peaches etc. make me go to the toilet.

I notice a response with SAM-e 400mgs, it was like an immediate oh yeah this is the stuff feeling. I'd suggest you get that first to try it, but its more expensive. (i use now foods one) and then moving to the l-methionine and tmg as precursors, which i dont notice any response but i figure it takes longer with the building blocks.
I take them twice a day. I also take B6 and zinc as tests have indicated pyroluria. And i feel better on it.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hiya,

I've tried TMG before and the effect was bad. I suppose with all these things, you need to add them in the right order - or all at once.

The fruit you have described as making you go to the loo too much definitely means you have fructose malabsorption. How long have you been having the glucosamine? It ought to have cleared all that up in 3 weeks. If you've ben on it longer, I wonder if that means the chondroiton version is used differently from the one I take?


Bananas and kiwis have no fructose in them, so you can go wild on those. Kiwis are great because they are very rich in vitamin C. Oh and lemons also have almost no fructose, so you can have lemon juice with sucrose added (but NOT honey, which is pure fructose).

Unfortunately dealing with fructose after you have absorbed it is a different issue, and you need a whole different bunch of nutrients to help sort that out. And I am sorry to say I don't know what they are!
 

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
Right right, well SAM-e might not be a goer. I read up a fair bit and it seemed to be indicated so i got it. I did like that undermethylation/overmethylation piece that shows what you are more inclined towards, but its quite basic.

Ok so i talk to a pharmacist, it could be the sulfite. It is also a monosaccharide. I'm just gonna test a few different types and see how i go.
Kiwis i'm not too good with either.

I'll just keep searching, thanks for the info, Athene!
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
For what it's worth, I have hideous problems with sulphites. (I'm talking about the type of symptoms you can't discuss in polite company).

Maybe the kiwis give you trouble because they're such high fibre.

Basically if there's anything you can be allergic or intolerant to, I am. So I reckon if you can get those Jarrow glucosamine supps, I'm pretty sure there's isn't anything that could give you problems!
 

Tony

Still working on it all..
Messages
363
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Just to add to the fructose/fructan problems, if you have this malabsorption then too much wheat is a real problem. Wheat is full of fructans. With fruit it's the fructose to glucose ratio that's important. We absorb the fructose by having the glucose there to work with it to be absorbed. It's probably more complex than that but that's how I remember it. Banana's and oranges are ok because the ratio is very even. Peaches are supposed to be fine too.

Often fruit juices are very high in fructose or at least high in sugar which isn't great anyway. For more info and some good studies have a read here:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?8056-Is-fructose-a-problem&highlight=fructose+problem

Cheers..:)
 

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
I picked up some vegetarian glucosamine, while waiting for iherb to send my stuff. And im not sensitive to it but the results arent as potent.
It is created from the corn husk and while i'm sensitive to corn, it seems as though its the high fructose content in corn that is the problem, and the fact that corn syrup is very evident in lots of products.
 

Clodomir

Where is the sun?
Messages
212
Location
Belgium
Hi everyone,

After a year of regime whiteout fructose,(because I have fructose malabsorption), I can eat now normally. And It is great! My gut is now in order (like brand new...:)). I eat my first piece of chocolate wednesday.
So, It is possible, to "change" the flora of the gut. But it was hard. And I hope that it will stay like that.

Best wishes to all

Clodomir
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi everyone,

After a year of regime whiteout fructose,(because I have fructose malabsorption), I can eat now normally. And It is great! My gut is now in order (like brand new...:)). I eat my first piece of chocolate wednesday.
So, It is possible, to "change" the flora of the gut. But it was hard. And I hope that it will stay like that.

Best wishes to all

Clodomir

Clodomir, that is such great news! I am really pleased to hear it.
Did you do it entirely with probiotics? Or also take antibiotics? Did you try the glucosamine products?

I've been meaning to update this thread with a caution. It is such a bummer!
I have been diagnosed with hypothyroid, and when you have that condition, your body keeps laying down glucosaminoglycans - not just the amount you need, but on and on. It puts them in your intestine (where maybe they don't do any harm?) and also in your joints, where they are essential but haing too much causes terrible pain!
So I have had to stop taking the glucosamine supplements. My knees are much better but my intestine in backsliding fast and I am having trouble with fructose again.
What a bummer.
 

Clodomir

Where is the sun?
Messages
212
Location
Belgium
Hi Athene,

I didn't take probiotics, but the 3 first month: 2 different antibiotics. The rest was just diet! Very hard to follow. No sugar at all, no fruits, some vegetables, only rice sugar ( a tea spoon a day max), no porc, no alcohol ( this was easy because i don't like it), no tea, no coffee, just water, etc...
In fact, I had 7 or 8 different hot menu, 3 type of breakfast,during one year... everything was fresh: no can, no prepared menus.
I had a dietetician. But it was very, very hard. Because this diet did allow restaurant, social life, etc...

Hope that this part of my cfs/me is finish...

Have a good day

Clodomir
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi Clodomir,
I tried that regine for quite a few years but it wasn't enough for me, I think I just needed stronger stuff as my immune system couldn't really do much at all by itself.
I really hope the effect lasts for you!
 

xks201

Senior Member
Messages
740
Fructose induces diabetes faster than any other sugar. I would not eat more than one fruit..no matter who you are. Bananas are good because they contain neurotransmitter precursors as well. Can't go wrong with bananas.

And Athene definitely watch your thyroid.... Mine was normal for a long time, yet I probably could have benefited from supplementing with 50 micrograms of T4 a long time ago before the lab result showed it out of range low. I don't know if it ever got extremely low - but you have to remember when it comes to hormone tests those lab reference ranges are from mostly sick and old people who are getting their blood work done in your area. So odds are that the bottom 50% of that reference range is a sick range.

I know for example that the testosterone reference range is from 300-1100. A healthy male should have a testosterone level of 800+ if he wants to be able to sexually perform and handle stress. I was told at my young age that 305 was a normal level by clueless doctors. Then finally one told me that that level was ridiculously low.

T4 makes a world of difference for me. If I do not take it (and my T4 level is normally otherwise just below range) I am a total space cadet and feel like a corpse. It is seriously one of the most important things I take everyday.

If you have any inclination to cold body temperature...cold hands and feet - I would definitely find a new doctor and get on thyroid supplementation. I never liked t3 much because it is metabolized very quickly and there is debate as to if the extended release t3 capsules you can get compounded even absorb down the intestines.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Fructose induces diabetes faster than any other sugar. I would not eat more than one fruit..no matter who you are. Bananas are good because they contain neurotransmitter precursors as well. Can't go wrong with bananas.

And Athene definitely watch your thyroid.... Mine was normal for a long time, yet I probably could have benefited from supplementing with 50 micrograms of T4 a long time ago before the lab result showed it out of range low. I don't know if it ever got extremely low - but you have to remember when it comes to hormone tests those lab reference ranges are from mostly sick and old people who are getting their blood work done in your area. So odds are that the bottom 50% of that reference range is a sick range.

I know for example that the testosterone reference range is from 300-1100. A healthy male should have a testosterone level of 800+ if he wants to be able to sexually perform and handle stress. I was told at my young age that 305 was a normal level by clueless doctors. Then finally one told me that that level was ridiculously low.

T4 makes a world of difference for me. If I do not take it (and my T4 level is normally otherwise just below range) I am a total space cadet and feel like a corpse. It is seriously one of the most important things I take everyday.

If you have any inclination to cold body temperature...cold hands and feet - I would definitely find a new doctor and get on thyroid supplementation. I never liked t3 much because it is metabolized very quickly and there is debate as to if the extended release t3 capsules you can get compounded even absorb down the intestines.

Thanks for all the tips xks.

I do love bananas! I'm a bit of a nana addict actually! :)

I have just started taking thyroid supps now.
How long were you taking tablets before you started feeling OK again?
I did notice today that I actually felt hot and sweated; I haven't felt anything but cold for a really long time - which clearly shows something is wrong since I live in Sicily and it's about 30 degrees here!!!