Leaky Gut Issue - Advice required

[Gull_67]

Hi all

My names Joel. I'm 35 and for about 10 years now I've had issues with my health all down to stomach issues which I'm pretty certain is down to a leaky gut.

When I was in my early 20s I had a number of sinus issues which ended up with a couple of long hospital visits. (ended up having a very large maxillary sinus polyp which was causing huge bleeds). I also had a lot of ent issues growing up and ended up on alot of antibiotics and the hospital stays were filled with alot of drugs.

On release from hospital over the next few years leading up to about 25 I was suffering first with quite bad mental health issues, anxiety, panic attacks etc. This then lead to stomach issues, bloating poor digestion and not tolerating some foods. Mostly I would probably say waere pretty rubbish takeaway food at first . This then lead to a problem with alot of foods.

I then got to about 30 and since then my issues got as bad as they ever did. I have huge food interlorances to most foods. Due to this I'm constantly fatigued, sinus stuffyness (no smell), feeling irritable, brain fog absolutely no concentration, poor digestion, feeling inflamed and all together rubbish on a daily basis. This is all down to the reaction my body has to food. It goes in to fight of flight mode.

I have seen a number of practitioners over the years which has never seen me over come the issue. I have taken alot of different supplements over the years, mostly ones I found I could not tolerate like food. I find the foods I can tolerate are below:

Salads
Vegetables
Small amount of fruit (bananas, blueberries)
Eggs
Chicken
Quinoa
Porridge oats
Almond milk
Flax seed, Chia seeds
Avacados
Salmon

There maybe a couple of other bits I haven't included by the list is very small.

My recent practioner gave me to take a digestive enzyme with each meal, candex (anti candida supplement) 2 times a day, l glutamine 2 teaspoons a day and a probitic once a day.

Now I found these supplements really helped and my digestion got alot better.

The main issue I have is the sensitivitys from the food. I find when my digestion gets better I can become even more sensitive to bits I try to eat to keep some weight on me. I'm nearly 6 foot and I really struggle to maintain a decent weight due to my inability to tolerate food. I use to eat a very plain healthy almond butter and oat cakes. I found i became even more sensitive to the almond better as my digestion got better. For years I relied on plain kettle crisps to try maintain a weight. These would make me feel lousy day in day out and that's what the almond butter does to me.

It's a really difficult position to be in. The less I eat the better I feel. If I was to eat nothing day in day out I would feel fantastic.

Does anybody know why taking the supplements with an increase in better digestion why the sensitivitys were getting worse than when my digestion was awful.

I also suffer from constipation which once again I feel is more due to the sensitivitys.

Does anyone have any experience of leaky gut and what I could possibly try to make the sensitivitys better so I can tolerate more food?

It's seriously nothing I've ever been able to overcome.

I'm 35 now and have had a really poor quality of life for 10 years and not much of a life at that. It's really depressing.

I have been to the NHS a number of times but found they won't recognise the issue and get nowhere with them.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Many thanks

Joel - United Kingdom (England)

 

[hapl808]

Does anybody know why taking the supplements with an increase in better digestion why the sensitivitys were getting worse than when my digestion was awful.

I could make some guesses, but generally I think this is just true for most illnesses. The worse you are doing, the more sensitive you become.

My health problems pretty much started with GI problems after getting very sick in SE Asia in my 20's. I already had some sinus problems as a child, but the sickness triggered immediate sensitivity to so many things that never bothered me before. The next 10 years were awful as I tried every different diet, candida regimens, SIBO treatments, etc.

Unfortunately my ME/CFS symptoms pretty much started then and I struggled with mild-moderate for the next 15 years, then falling into severe after a number of triggers happened over a relatively short period. Ironically my digestion is probably better now, but I strictly can control exactly what I eat since I'm housebound. Before when I ate out it was more variable.

Sorry I don't have more to offer.

 

[Gull_67]

Yeah it was very strange. The only thing I could think of was maybe because the food was being better broken down there was more to set off a reaction. But then I always thought undigested food would cause more of a reaction. Thanks for your input. Hopefully some others may come forward with some ideas.

 

[GreenEdge]

I suggest you exclude: Quinoa, Porridge oats, Flax seed and Chia seeds.
Also Almond milk - If not lactose intolerant, have you tried A2 Dairy Milk?
See: Two Causes of Leaky Gut

Include fatty red meat (beef, lamb, pork, etc.) as these provide all the nutrients in the form your body requires.

Don't be afraid of red meat - Stable Isotope Analysis in Archaeology proves that humans ate a diet that was mostly or entirely animal based before the development of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Not enough time to evolve to eating something else - look at how human digestive system is different to other primates.
See: Dr. Alex Petrushevski - 'Red meat and cancer'
See: Georgia Ede: Brainwashed — The Mainstreaming of Nutritional Mythology

 

[Learner1]

@Gull_67 You might enjoy a book called The Food Intolerance Bible, which is a great self help book. It's by Anthony Haynes, I believe.

 

[Gull_67]

That's a fair comment on removing those.

What else am I surpose to eat? I struggle to maintain any kind of weight as it is.

I know there are a few bits I could remove which would make me feel better but id be like a skeleton after a few weeks. I struggle eating red meat as I find it hard to digest.

 

[CSMLSM]

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Hi I believe leaky gut is thought to be caused and maintained by inflammation. I do not know if I had it but your symptoms are like what I had.
I treated my gut issues with cannabis in the past. I have recently used CBD and was excellent. What I use for this now is Caryophyllene and I source that from Copaiba essential oil from the Copaiba tree, it is much cheaper and not from cannabis although it does contain it also. I use this in gelatin capsules at 5-6 drops. You may wish to start with less drops but stick to every 4 hour doses. This will get the inflammation under control and over time improve the function of your bowel. I also use Copaiba oil sublingually and that has given me my life back.
I use this-

Testing from the company-

β-Caryophyllene Inhibits Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice through CB2 Receptor Activation and PPARγ Pathway - PMC (nih.gov)
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) activation is suggested to trigger the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) pathway, and agonists of both receptors improve colitis. Recently, the plant metabolite (E)-β-caryophyllene (BCP) was shown to bind to and activate CB2. In this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effect of BCP in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and analyzed whether this effect was mediated by CB2 and PPARγ. Oral treatment with BCP reduced disease activity, colonic macro- and microscopic damage, myeloperoxidase and N-acetylglucosaminidase activities, and levels and mRNA expression of colonic tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, interferon-γ, and keratinocyte-derived chemokine. BCP treatment also inhibited the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, nuclear factor κB, IκB-kinase α/β, cAMP response element binding and the expression of caspase-3 and Ki-67. Moreover, BCP enhanced IL-4 levels and forkhead box P3 mRNA expression in the mouse colon and reduced cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor-α, keratinocyte-derived chemokine, and macrophage-inflammatory protein-2) in a culture of macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. The use of the CB2 antagonist AM630 or the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 significantly reversed the protective effect of BCP. Confirming our results, AM630 reversed the beneficial effect of BCP on pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in IEC-6 cells. These results demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of BCP involves CB2 and the PPARγ pathway and suggest BCP as a possible therapy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Putting a stop to leaky gut - Harvard Health
Your first step is to share your symptoms with your doctor. If leaky gut is a possibility, he or she can try several strategies to help relieve symptoms and reduce inflammation. The most common is to review your diet and eliminate known dietary causes of inflammation, such as excessive consumption of alcohol and processed foods, and to explore whether you have any food sensitivities — for instance, to gluten or dairy. "In theory, reducing inflammation from your diet like this also may rebuild the gut lining and stop further leakage," says Dr. Fasano.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I got digestive help from an expert chinese TCM herbalist. A mix of custom herbs I take with a meal, generally results in a reduction in wind, for me, which contributes to IBS-d and leaky gut and food sensitivities.

Recently, I've been trying a new probiotic. Mood Probiotics (see thread on PR N=1). I don't usually take them, and its been interesting because these do "something" involving the HPA axis. My cortisol cycle is somehow affected and perhaps its helping something, I seem to need far less sleep. How odd.

Some autonomic things seem to be waking up: stretching, yawning, sweating...things I often do not do.

The general diet I went on was smooth oily warm foods. Translation: cooked. I eat very little raw food. I can tolerate some fruit, have to watch my blood sugar so I eat only small amounts of fruit.

Things I almost never eat include oats, or seeds and things which are not smooth enough.

Root vegetables. Body likes that. Bone broths I made myself with lamb.

Sorry my comments likely aren't helping you. Since we vary so much, yet have similar dysfunctions.

(seems I did not send this reply yesterday like I thought)

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I use this-

I still have not found this brand outside of Amazon. (I won't use Amazon)

And I wonder why its 4 times the price? Is that because its actually labelled steam distilled? Nothing else seems so labeled. Since its an oil, I need to understand what distilling has to do with it.

 

[CSMLSM]

I still have not found this brand outside of Amazon. (I won't use Amazon)

And I wonder why its 4 times the price? Is that because its actually labelled steam distilled? Nothing else seems so labeled. Since its an oil, I need to understand what distilling has to do with it.

Distilling uses water vapor to vaporise the lipid like substances and because fat/lipids do not mix with water the oil is left sitting on top of the water when it exists the still.

The cheaper way to extract lipids/fat from something is to use solvents. The cooking oil industry uses solvents to extract what is left over from pressing things like olives. After the cold pressed virgin oil is removed they use heat and solvents on what is left to remove that and have little waste. Much of the oil people consume is extracted this way I believe. The same for essential oils but the solvent extracted oil is seen as not fit for internal consumption. You also only get the essential oil with steam and solvent extracted can contain things that otherwise would not be there, so not as pure and could contain harmful substances.

I actually bought a still a number of years ago that looks similar to this one to extract my own caryophyllene from something, but have not used it yet.
Cannot grow copaiba here and would take too long to grow if it did. I considered basil and oregano and was going to try to fractionate it with certain temperatures.

It did say for a while that it was exclusive to amazon but does not now.

Here is their website from the packaging, they are based in India, www.greenwoodessentials.com.
Mail: greenwoodessentials@gmail.com

 

[CSMLSM]

If anyone is considering taking caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide and Humulene containing substances please check medications- CYP3A | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums

 

[CSMLSM]

I actually bought a still a number of years ago that looks similar to this one to extract my own caryophyllene from something, but have not used it yet.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The cheaper way to extract lipids/fat from something is to use solvents.

yes thats our whole problem with oils....

thanks for the link I'll go look again. Availability fluctuates. I think Etsy may sometimes carry the brand...

I may still obtain a still, for symbolic reasons. I wanted to get an alembic made by a glass blower, and then the actual set up to make small batches of oils.

Then, if I gaze at the Alembic, and admire the copper distiller, I will be cured. This will fade away and be banished. Transmuted. Lead turned into gold.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I source that from Copaiba essential oil from the Copaiba tree,

I am poised to get my hands on: Green woods....it found it....!!!!

(I had Amazon set to a zip code which doesn't let anybody get any Greenwoods)

I'm excited to launch internal trials.

 

[GreenEdge]

Hi @Gull_67,

Sorry, I got brain fatigue and had to take a break from PR. Anyway, I have found some helpful links (below).

Yes, an elimination diet is difficult but its only temporary in order to rule out the most likely food allergies; eventually, you get to reintroduce foods that you’ve been avoiding.

Trouble digesting meat can be caused by low stomach acid. Try limiting drinks within 2hrs before and after meals to avoid diluting the acid content of your stomach. Also a small amount of lemon juice (or something bitter) 15min before meals to stimulate stomach and trigger digestive enzyme production.

In my last post for fear of being too restrictive, I didn't mention eggs and I included pork. Anyway I found a great article about how egg allergy can cause leaky gut, which led to another even better article called 'The Autoimmune Protocol' with much info about What To Eat and What To Avoid.

I'm currently doing similar (to discover any food allergies I may have), about 5 months ago I went from Keto to Carnivore. After the first week or two I found I just didn't enjoy eating eggs with my bacon (so I excluded eggs) and I found coffee caused me muscle pain (post exercise). A month later, I found my desire for bacon waned so I've excluded all pork for now (see trouble with pork). These may not be true allergens, could just be indicators of leaky gut - I won't know until I try reintroducing later.

I haven't been super strict myself, I've had the odd cheat day with keto snacks and small amounts of bacon or coffee (both okay). I also didn't exclude sausages until this week - beware of spices and other additives. I think these have all delayed my healing from leaky gut. I'm now starting an even more restrictive 'Lion diet' (only meat of ruminant animals, salt, water) with intermittent fasting.

Note to anyone considering trying carnivore diet, give your gut microbiome time to adjust (to avoid weeks of upset stomach and diarrhea), I recommend progressing from your current diet -> low carb -> keto -> carnivore. Give yourself at least a month on each diet, or alternatively just gradually cutout the sugars, starches and other sources of carbohydrate and increase your meat and egg intake.

Keto note if you become light headed or dizzy, you should immediately sit or bend over to restore blood flow to brain. If it doesn't pass within a few seconds, get your head closer to the ground (sit or lay down) to avoid injury in case you fall. Its caused by your kidneys expelling excess water (carbs cause you to retain fluid like you’re a sponge). With all that water, you loose valuable electrolytes that need to be replaced - eat more salt until it passes.

 

[GreenEdge]

Just an update on how I'm going:

I'm starting to see results from cannabis + strict carnivore diet + exercise, so I posted about it here.
My Copaiba essential oil arrived today, but I'm not sure if I should start using it straight away or wait and see if I continue to improve without it.

I wonder if the healing comes from: Keto diet + cannabis (CBD/THC) + β-caryophyllene (BCP); or is it the MCT's in the coconut oil (that's mixed with the Copaiba) boosting your production of ketones and increasing the blood concentration of this alternative fuel.

 

[splusholia]

Zinc carnosine, plus increasing butyrate, has helped me with leaky gut and food allergies. They might be worth trying, if tolerated. I take the zinc on an empty stomach. With butyrate, I occasionally take a straight butyrate pill, or I try and increase it with probiotics and prebiotics.

 

[CSMLSM]

My Copaiba essential oil arrived today, but I'm not sure if I should start using it straight away or wait and see if I continue to improve without it.

If you are improving and happy to wait you will have more idea whats doing what if you plateau Keto/carnivore diet first.
I see no reason other than this to wait though. You are already using cannabis so the water is already muddy but the caryophyllene from the copaiba will affect the immune system side significantly more than what you are already taking

I wonder if the healing comes from: Keto diet + cannabis (CBD/THC) + β-caryophyllene (BCP)

Forget the THC for most of it but the rest yes. The metabolic affect of the Keto + the CBD raising anandamide (HPA axis, immune and metabolic affect) and the powerful affect of the caryophyllene on the immune system and the metabolism will infact work together.

or is it the MCT's in the coconut oil (that's mixed with the Copaiba) boosting your production of ketones and increasing the blood concentration of this alternative fuel.

Yes this also is the case that the MCT can contribute to ketone production I think.

 

[Violeta]

An interesting thing that I've seen for years is that cortisol can cause leaky gut.

How does cortisol affect the gut?


"In the digestive tract, cortisol triggers the release of histamine, which promotes an inflammatory response and can worsen the abdominal pain of IBS. Cortisol also triggers the excessive release of zonulin, which promotes leaky gut."

Some of us have low cortisol levels, but the damage may have been done at the beginning of the disease process. I have to continue to look for information about this.

I don't know if this clue helps in any way, but it might give you a good reason to maybe start with some CBD to curtail cortisol effects.

 

[GreenEdge]

Hi @CSMLSM,

I started taking copaiba (mixed 1:15 with MCT oil) last Friday and wow it is powerful? I started with a dose of just 2 drops added to my usual cannabis oil in the evening. During the night I noticed a constant strong 'minty' odor of cobaiba balsam oil; and a dull pain near my lip where I used to get cold sores. The next morning my sinuses were clear and for first time in ages, I noticed the floral smells of cleaning products - so I can confirm a positive immune affect.
It also helps me to fall asleep.
However, I often get a bad headache about 1 minute after I take it and the headache goes away after a few seconds (might be just me acknowledging it and putting aside), but the intensity of this headache is a concern. Could be over sensitivity to β-caryophyllene or could be caused by an immune reaction to something in my brain?

I overdid exercise on Friday; have had bad back pain since (which is getting worse each day). I also ate my first non-meat meal in a month, an omelet (with tomato and spring onions). I blame the veges and spices for causing inflammation and β-caryophyllene for boosting that immune reaction.