Hi Everyone,

Like so many other women, I am relieved to be here and gain some insight into this incredibly stressful and worrisome change of life. I actually found this site a few years ago when, at barely 40, I thought I was in peri. It turned out that I was gluten intolerant (another long story I can post another time), and when I got that under control, things seemed ok on the reproductive front.

Now, at 43, I find myself on the craziest out-of-control bus ride of my life. In the past I've dealt with PCOS, HPV, fibroadenomas in my breasts, and infertility. Now I am dealing with fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, and apparently, peri!
I'm experiencing: nausea, anxiety, hot flashes, aches and pains, forgetfulness, fits of sobbing, and probably several other symptoms that I can't put into words at the moment. Last night was scary when I had a feeling of a drop in pressure throughout my body, followed by palps, anxiety, shaking and chills. Almost enough to send me to the ER, but I got a grip using measured breathing (thank you yoga!) and early bed time.

I find that my symptoms pop in and out throughout the month, but are worst the week before and during my period. Mornings and late evenings are really rough when I am experiencing symptoms.

I had a pedunculated polyp removed from my uterus in January of this year, followed by regular and much lighter periods, until last month. I believe i had an ovarian cyst burst, followed by 2 weeks of nausea and a general feeling of unwellness. I experienced many rounds of: nausea followed by hot flash followed by sobbing. So much fun! This month wasn't as bad, until last night when I fell apart.

I am going to see my gyno next week, and hope that she doesn't give me the bum's rush, and "Live with it". I believe I have always been estrogen dominant, so perhaps progesterone can help, though the gyno says "Dr. Lee thought progesterone would stop wars and save the world".

I follow a very strict diet due to multiple food intolerances and allergies; I am grain and gluten (all grains, including rice & corn)-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and yeast-free, and avoid nightshade vegetables and legumes because they just make me feel bad. I eat 90% organic foods and my cholesterol and blood glucose have improved dramatically in the last 2 years due to dietary changes. I take vitamins and supplements in a regimine I've developed by listening to my body, and recognizing what my body needs and when it needs them. I rarely drink anymore and I do smoke, but am using acupuncture to help stop. I swim, walk, do yoga, and (try to) keep up with my 7-year-old son. I also have a wonderful, supportive husband, a 9-year-old stepson, and a good job.

So that's my basic story. I appreciate the opportunity to share, and it does make me feel better just to get this written down.

Best,
Nance

Hi Nance, I am at work so I can't stay long but wanted to WELCOME you to power surge !!!!! Glad to have you join us on this roller coaster ride !!!!! Cathy

Hi Nance! Welcome to PowerSurge. I am curious as what do you eat since you have to cut out a lot of foods you can not eat. Hope that makes sense. Thanks, Pam

Hi Nancy - Welcome aboard this crazy, unfair bus! I've been on it for about 3 years but just realized it about 3 months ago. I'm 51 and have felt lousy for the past year - when I say lousy, I mean nauseous much of the time, tired, anxious (at times) and unable to get a good nights sleep. When the night time hot flashes showed up in full about 3 months ago, the lightbulb finally lit up. I went to my Gyno., she tested my FSH and said "Yup, you're well into menopause". How is that possible when I've have 3 scanty periods in the past year? I 've been through every Gastrointestinal test in the world, had lots of bloodwork, an MRI, and CAT scan. All normal, except acid reflux and high FSH. I feel pretty lousy most of the time. I started HRT 2 weeks ago. It has cut way back on the night sweats/hotflashes and I am sleeping a bit better. However, I still am having the GI nausea crap much of the time. That's what I REALLY wanted to get rid of. I know that the HRT takes time to kick in, but I'm having 2nd thoughts about it. Will I have to face these estrogen withdrawal demons sometime? My mom had endometrial cancer and my dad had heart disease so am I just driving a nail in my own coffin? I'm thinking of giving it 2 months. If I don't feel substantially better, then I guess I'll quit and tough it out. I'm so sick of this! Nancy, you've come to a good place - PowerSurge is very comforting and helpful.

Thanks for the welcome!

I knew this question was going to come up
I eat: beef, pork, poultry,eggs (no fish - I dont't like it at all); fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds.
The only prepared foods I eat are: Chebe Bread (tapioca flour mix - I make flatbreads to wrap all the other stuff in); Enjoy Life chocolate chips; nut butters, a couple of different brands of coconut milk frozen dessert, Terra Chips (original) made from root vegetables, Lara Bars and a couple of the Whole Foods nut & fruit bars, Pacific brand broths, Blue Diamond almond milks.

I make smoothies for breakfast from fruit, hemp seed powder (for protein and fiber), ice, and probiotic powder.
I bake squashbread - made with squash, nut butters, eggs. This is a snack or breakfast food.
I have a big salad or a wrap for lunch.
I have a protein and a veggie for dinner.

No, it's not easy, and I have to worry not only about what foods I eat, but how and where they are prepared. Cross contamination is a huge issue, so I have my own cooking utensils, pots and pans. I hardly ever eat out. This diet has changed my life significantly - socially, financially, emotionally and health-wise. Having experienced and explored food intolerances in depth, I would recommend a trial exclusion of gluten and/or dairy to anyone having unexplained digestive, anxiety/depression and/or sinus issues that defy diagnosis by way of conventional medicine.

Hi Nancy,

I'm new to PS myself!

I am very interested in the gluten intolerance...may I ask a question or two???

First, what symptoms were you having that made you get tested? Next, did you get tested? I think I read somewhere that there is a blood test (is this the same as Celiac Disease)? I am fighting a terrible sinus infection, it is driving me crazy. But, I don't think that I suffer from gluten intolerance, although I don't know. Did you have a lot of diarrhea? I suffer more from constipation, it's been a problem most of my life. Chronic congestion and now it seems as if I have allergies.

Anyway, I would love to hear back from you. I would appreciate any info that you are willing to share.

Take good care and welcome (I love it here!)

Tracey

Thanks Nanc for answering my question! Pam

Hi Nancy:

Welcome to PS. I hope you find the support and happiness that I have here.

Hugs,
jeaninne

I had cycles of anxiety, depression, nausea with rapid weight loss ( a lb. a day!); stocking-glove sensations on my arms and legs, fatigue, brain fog - see? A lot like meno symptoms!
After a year of having these horrible times, lasting 2-3 weeks depending on my stress level, and refusing my doc's offers of anti-depressants and reflux meds, I figured it out one day when I ate a sandwich and had an anxiety attack. I got on the internet, discovered Celiac and gluten intolerance, and went gluten-free immediately. By the time I got in to see the doc, I'd been GF 3 weeks. To be tested correctly, you must be eating gluten. There was no way I was going to do a gluten challege (ingest gluten daily for a period of weeks) to get a correct test result. I also did not have small intestine biopsy, which detects the damaged villi, until a year later. When I did have the EGD, there was some detectable damage, but my gastro doc couldn't definitively diagnose me with Celiac Disease. At that time I did blood testing for other intolerances, and came back positive for delayed food allergies (IgG vs. IgE which are like peanut allergy - immediate response) to casein (milk protein), rice (!!!), yeast, wheat and oats.

From what I've learned, Celiac Disease can be considered a spectrum disease, with gluten intolerance at one end, and full blown Celiac on the other. Celiac is a genetic autoimmune disease which can manifest any time in life, but often after a period of high stress, surgery, childbirth. I'd be happy to pass on any resources to interested parties. It's a whole lot of info to digest, so to speak.

Strangely enough, classic symptoms of Celiac like diarrhea and wasting are the reason so many are undiagnosed. About 1/2 of Celiac patients are overweight and are constipated. It is estimated that 1 in 133 people in the US are gluten intolerant to some degree, and only 1% are diagnosed The average time from first symptoms to diagnosis is something like 11 years.

Welcome from the gang here on P-S

Hi nanc...

Welcome to P.S......it's a great website, very friendly and informative....as is your gluten info...

I did an adrenal stress test and a comprehensive stool analysis test in the last 8 months, and discovered I have a gluten 'sensitivity', some very bad bacteria and yeast overgrowth, plus I have zero amount of some of the good bacteria!

My (alternative) practitioner has given me caprylic acid to kill the bad bacteria, a high dose of good bacteria to build up my defenses, and told me to stay off all sugars (which I can tell you is not happening right now, I have very little willpower when it comes to sweet stuff!)

The adrenal stress test (saliva test) showed also that I had weak adrenals and high cortisol levels in the afternoon and at night - hence I could not sleep....and that gluten was killing the villi...so was told to stay off it.

I have stayed off gluten for 6 months, and my stomach finally stopped gurgling and bloating after a couple of weeks. Now, however, I do eat some gluten and don't seem to get any problems from my stomach point of view
anyway.....but....my bowel movements are still not returning to anything like normal, I'm assuming it's because of the bad bacteria and lack of good bacteria in the colon/bowel? I'm taking the caprylic acid like a good girl, and have been for a month now, and I take 2 PB8's after each meal, but it seems to be having no effect on my bowel movements (they are basically loose and thin all the time - ugh, sorry!).

Did you ever have that problem arise before you stopped your gluten intake or after?

just curious!

Yes, you're right, my gluten sensitivity showed up more after a period of high stress!

Caz

I've been happily regular since I quit gluten. It sounds like you are taking probiotics - are you taking huge doses? I take around 15 billion orgnaisms a day in a single capsule, and have no issues. I know that large doses can cause gas and loose stools. Everyone is different. i don't know anything about caprylic acid so I can't comment on that.

What changes did you notice when you cut out gluten?

Nanc

I am taking 14 billion - 2 capsules (PB8) at each mealtime!

My stomach upset and bowel movements got so bad that my stomach would 'growl', gurgle, bloat and be really upset and uncomfortable!....when I cut out the gluten all those symptoms stopped within a few weeks/month, apart from the consistency of my bowel habits....this is why I ended up doing the stool test, which showed up the 2 bad bacteria in my colon and the yeast problem, and the lack of some essential good bacteria.

I am yet to go back to my alternative Dr. to tell her that nothing has changed yet...she said to be patient, but I expected some kind of an improvement by now, its been 6 weeks since I began taking the caprylic acid and probiotics. Maybe it is because I have not completely cut out the sugar?.....time will tell I guess!

I am going to see her next week to see why I see no improvements, I'll let you know.

Caz

Caz - that is a LOT of probiotics. I had loose bowels when I took more than one capsule/day. Maybe cut back and see how things go. You can always slowly build back up to the level your NP recommends...or not.
Since you did realize some benefits from cutting out gluten, do you plan on going GF again?

I do stick MAINLY with a gluten free diet, (or should I say I have re-introduced SOME gluten in my diet?!)....and noticed that I have no tummy upset anymore...however, I know that if I ate gluten every day or in abundance, then it would affect me greatly and build up as before, damaging the villi, so I am more careful now.

Rice cakes have replaced bread, rice bran pasta has replaced durum wheat pasta, and like you, I make sure I eat protein at each meal....once you get used to not eating gluten, then it becomes easy to avoid it and know what else there is to eat...and there is indeed A LOT!

I have found a fantastically delicious gluten free 'health bar'...have you tried 'Raw Indulgence' or 'Raw Revolution' bars?....they come in several flavours...chocolate and raspberry, choc and coconut and agave nectar and cashew...I get them from 'Giant' our local food store here in VA, but have not found them anywhere else. You can buy them online from the company that makes them, but they only sell them in boxes of 20!!
They are gluten free, soy free, no refined sugars, non gmo.....and are a 'live' food bar.

Caz

I had a blood test similar to yours to see if I was sensitive to 103 different foods. I tested positive to gluten, wheat, oats, barley, rye, yeast, beans, asparagus, and milk products--except I am not sensitive to hard cheeses which means I am sensitive to whey but not casein as the whey is removed in the cheese making process. I removed these foods from my diet and I improved greatly... but I still have a lot of peri symptoms. I do not have celiac so cross contamination of foods is not that big of an issue with me... a little cross contamination at a restaurant will not effect me. If you test positive to gluten with the IgG test that does not mean you have celiac so you may just have a sensitivity to it.

I would have difficulty with your diet as I seem to need some carbs for energy and to keep my blood sugar up. Can you eat sweet potatoes? I am wonderig if you actually tested positive to rice, corn, and soy as these do not have gluten.

--Kathy

I followed the gluten-free, casein-free diet for 3 years, just before my peri "really hit the fan." Then, I was feeling so bad with those issues (to the point of being depressed and unable to eat), I gave up on the diet, and just ate what I wanted.

You might enjoy this link - it helped me find a lot of "safe" foods that I could get right at the local supermarket. I know some of you are also dealing with other food sensitivities, but this list would at least show which foods are safe from the milk + gluten perspective.

This is put out by an autism group, and they are EXTREMELY dedicated to calling manufacturers regularly, to make sure there have been no change in the ingredients. They are a serious bunch - bless their hearts!

http://gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org...cf-foodlist.htm

Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't have the 100+ test panel done - just specific IgE and IgG tests for certain foods. I haven't been able to part with the $300+ to do the big panel. My take on gluten-free is that it is complete and forever, Celiac dx or no. It is terrifying how sick I get when I ingest gluten. Dairy/casein I've tested and had bad results - got my first cold in over 2 years, then pneumonia. Could have been a coincidence, or my immune system may have been telling me something.
I can and do eat sweet potatos, and other carbs (the Chebe bread is made from manioc/tapioca and is pretty carb-y). I've been working a little corn and beans back in. Rice is my next test, but not until I feel good (no peri symptoms, or at least, fewer than I have right now) so I can discern any reactions.
I feel that my gut has healed some in the last year, and I'm not eager to go backwards. My diet is challenging, though I feel so much better, my skin is much clearer, cholesterol and blood glucose vastly improved. Now I just need to get used to peri and find ways to alleviate the symptoms. It's about as debilitating as gluten for me.

Kathy,

I was thinking about this post and wanted to reply a bit more. When I had the blood tests for food allergies I was 1 1/2 years gluten-free, and I was surprised to see the elevated IgG re: wheat and oats, which I hadn't knowingly consumed in that time period. Because I don't have solid Celiac dx, my gasto and I agree that I am at the very least gluten sensitive. Elevated IgG is a marker for Celiac, though. The positive reactions to corn and rice are delayed allergies to these foods; foods don't have to be gluten grains to produce positive results. It's been hard to understand all the info there is on food allergies, so I've learned to avoid the foods that bother me (like soy, which wasn't positive), and those that I've shown positive to on the blood tests. I wish I wasn't so sensitive, but just a little gluten or casein trigger bad reactions, so I work hard to avoid contamination. I wish I could eat a little cheese every once in a while!