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Pls share yr gut successes

Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
Seeing as so many of us have gut problems I thought it might be useful to have a post where everyone who's had success in coping with a digestive system problem shares with everyone else what that success was.

(I hope this hasn't been duplicated somewhere else - I did look fairly thoroughly).

I've had benefit from wind and bloating from taking Optibac friendly bacteria. These are the only ones for me that work well.
 

Sparrowhawk

Senior Member
Messages
514
Location
West Coast USA
I started out this journey with lower left abdomen pain,a nd after a CAT scan eliminated the possibility of diverticulitis, I was stumped what to do. Food elimination diet was the first thing, and I noticed if I ate grains, later almonds, I would get the pains again and they would last for several days. So I just stopped eating those foods and things were fine for several months.

Last winter my GI tract basically shut down, searing stomach pains. I self treated for h pylori even though the blood test was negative (used mastic) and eventually things calmed down again. BUt I had been reduced to eating soft boiled eggs and not much else. Lost a lot of weight.

I had a run of decent gut health, oddly enough, after a endo and colonoscopy, not sure if the prep for that cleaned me out or what.

I do seem to be on a downhill slope of an ever increasing set of food sensitiviites.

In the last six months I had received benefit from 45B probiotic, one of the refrigerated kind (Udo's Choice, for those of you in the US). But they stopped working last month and actually seem to be making things worse. Now during that same period I had tried to start eating natural sauerkraut, which I think was a net negative for my gut overall. I have a bout if diarrhea every morning, usually not more than once a day, but its clear things are still not right.

I'm looking at three different probiotics to trial, VSL3, Theralac, and Prescript Assist, all of which have been recommended by others on this board.
 

Iquitos

Senior Member
Messages
513
Location
Colorado
Eliminating all grains and sugars and adding homemade kefir and yogurt cleared up my gut issues. The key to homemade kefir and yogurt is to let it ferment for 24 hours so ALL the lactose is converted to protein. I have a feeling that the success of GcMaf for some is due to whatever benefit is conferred by kefir.

I'm also effortlessly losing weight, which I needed to do. Not eating grains has stopped my food cravings.
 

Sparrowhawk

Senior Member
Messages
514
Location
West Coast USA

Beyond

Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
Messages
1,122
Location
Murcia, Spain
Eliminating all grains and sugars and adding homemade kefir and yogurt cleared up my gut issues. The key to homemade kefir and yogurt is to let it ferment for 24 hours so ALL the lactose is converted to protein. I have a feeling that the success of GcMaf for some is due to whatever benefit is conferred by kefir.

I'm also effortlessly losing weight, which I needed to do. Not eating grains has stopped my food cravings.

All grains and fruits? I am addicted to both and I need grains to not become bony again :( Low carb/paleo diet ravaged my health and adrenals back in the day. However I have noticed I dont digest well grains and fruits create even less formed stools and actually when they did me a colon hydrotherapy it was crazy the amount of absolutely not-digested pieces of starchy fruits my colon holded.

Freaked me out so profoundly I didnt eat fruits for some months... I stopped kefir recently because it has casein and I felt like it was giving me more intestinal inflammation. But that stuff is too healthy, I want to take it again!
 

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
I had good results with a probiotic and fermented foods. I take Align and eat natto, miso, and kefir. Natto (not nattokinase) stimulates the gut's immune system.
 
Messages
11
Location
Cape Town, South Africa
My doctor sent me for a diagnostic test at a specialist lab that used a stool sample to check my gut bacteria. I was put on a gluten-free, low sugar diet, probiotics and E.Coli. A year later and I hardly ever have any stomach problems. The freedom from the constant pain and upset stomach has made a huge difference in my life.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
I had IBS/loose bowels for decades. Last year I cut out gluten, and also oats and buckwheat due to a possible reaction to them, reduced grains and sugar and started various supplements.

Results: gut function greatly improved - less loose, less frequent and less urgent.

Several other important improvements too.

See this thread.

Not sure if it's mentioned in that thread, but careful pacing is also important, as over-exertion also causes similar problems to the wrong diet.
 

mermaid

Senior Member
Messages
714
Location
UK
I began IBS in my 20s and though it changed over the years it was lower bowel and discomfort and bloating more than pain for 20 yrs. Then in my late 40s I had upper gut pain diagnosed with gastritis and duodenitis via endoscopy. I took PPIs for 2 yrs but wanted to get off them, and my stomach was beginning to feel a mess.

I tried cutting gluten and dairy and most sugar in my early 50s with some success, but slid back on to the old diet. In my 50s I got diagnosed with ME/CFS on top of being hypothyroid, and after a relapse 3 yrs ago my gut really deteriorated badly with acid reflux and periodic pain in the middle area.

So.... for what has worked since. First a Paleo diet, but I introduced it very slowly and reluctantly. Now I just have a little rice and quinoa, and I do also eat hummus. I am able to eat goat or sheep milk kefir and yogurt. Otherwise its meat, fish, veg, (lots of green leaves, often 3 times a day), seeds and nuts mostly. I can have a little fruit too, but only a little. I have as a by product lost a stone in weight this summer and am back to the weight I was 10 yrs ago at last. I am now 61.

I tried various probiotics but had trouble with some and settled on a soil based one for a while, Prescript Assist but v expensive. Also tried Symprove for a bit too. Now I am able to have goat milk kefir mostly.

I use Betaine HCL and digestive enzymes too.

I can't say it's mended yet, but hopefully getting there. I really find the food thing hard especially when out anywhere, but I am having spells when it feels OK at least. If I am fragile in energy though, or have an immune dysfunction going on then it gets worse. I find it very hard introducing any new foods in too, as so often it can tip over but I am better at getting it stabilised now.

Edit note: forgot to say, I also use Lepicol which I have found to be very useful for any constipation issues. It has probiotics in it as well as a couple of other useful ingredients, and doesn't cause me any adverse issues. Of course many people have diarrhoea rather than constipation, and I used to have spells of it too, but don't get that now.
 
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