Discussion Board

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Sorry about your suffering, Ahrat. I have known many with your condition but I am not aware of any conventional treatments that are very effective.

Have you tried acupuncture or biofeedback?

In regard to foods, perhaps those with more water would be better tolerated--porridge, soups and steamed foods.

Please keep us posted!

Dr. McDougall has written a great book entitled "Digestive Tuneup." You might want to check that out. http://www.drmcdougall.com/store_dt.html

Thanks pinkrose & sactobob. I actually just ordered the kindle version of McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up quite literally 10 minutes after I read your post I'll go through this over the next couple days

Okay, I did go through and finish reading the book, but didn't find much information pertaining to my troubles, other than that I should see a doctor. Since I'm in Germany now, I think I'll make an appointment with a good naturopathic doctor, who might be of more help than the two doctors I've been to in NY (go ahead, takes laxatives every day and make your problems worse

I've already ruled out certain foods possibly causing my problems. I am very sensitive to gluten containing grains & oats, both of which cause me to break out in cysts on my chest/face/scalp/back. I did do a 6 month long experiment eating 240g (3 cups dry) oats per day and found that my constipation is dependent on some strange out-of-this-world cycle, not even sensitivities. I've done the same testing out mono-diets (banana, potato, rice, beans) for 1-2 weeks at a time with no improvement.

There was one thing I did try during a 1 week period that did relieve the constipation, and that was eating every other day, which probably somehow shocked my intestines into normal peristalsis, but it's not even possible to maintain.

So let's see what a different doctor says.

Yes, Ahrat, I hope you find one who can help you.

In regard to eating every other day, perhaps fasting did help stimulate your gut. Have you tried shorter fasts--for example 18 hours (e.g., eating at 1200 and 1800 daily)? I wonder if you could eat daily and still get relief....

Have you tried green tea (as as gut stimulant)? What would a big "breakfast" of water and strong green tea do? Do you think it is worth trying?

Also, consider acupuncture and biofeedback if the other interventions do not help.

Please keep us posted!

Dr. McDougall's "Digestion Tune-UP" has been my greatest give away book... and I am so grateful now to have it on kindle because means I will always have a copy. Dr. McDougall shares meat, chicken and fish don't have fiber. A friend explained they have skeletons, fiber is the skeleton of plants. The fiber and water form the soft stool. The graphic of the small Ghana hospital with the large stool and the large Western hospital with the small stool and lots of patients says it all.

I am not sure if you are familiar with Jeff Novick's _Calorie Density_ dvd. In essence Jeff Novick shares we unconsciously eat the same amount of weight of food daily. He shares the fiber and water create the bulk to fill the stomach where we fill full. Potatoes, yellow and green vegetables create satiety. I found when I was practicing ETL, I was missing the satiety, because I wasn't aware of the importance of being starch based. Now the only seeds are eat are the flax that I grind to make a onion/flax dehydrated bread. Papaya, mango are great for digestion. Now there are so many frozen fruits. I always have berries and mango in the freezer.

I am not sure if you are familiar with any 12 Step Program. I have found it is not uncommon to be multi/cross addicted. In working with one addiction it is like changing seats on the titanic. I have found myself food and money are like the last seat. Dr. McDougall shares we can eat for 3.00 a day. His electures can be downloaded for a 1.00 a segment. What is great is understanding chronic illness is lifestyle maintenance and self-care is the best care. The body doesn't lie, it is our best ally.

Aloha, patty

Someone on this board recommended "The Myth of Alzheimer's"... I work in health care.. so I downloaded the book. What was exciting is Dr. Whitehouse suggest reframing Alzheimer's and a Client suggested thinking like a mountain. He also talks about the stress hormone cortisol, when we are in the state of fight or flight. What happens when cortisol is released the immune system shuts down, brain cells die. When we emotionally detach there are no consequences. Well in thinking like a mountain, fight or flight/eating and digesting, is reframed where clouds just pass through clouds. Everyone of of us has something the other doesn't, and only the other can give us that gift:) as like death/digestion there is always a gift. We are all ignorant and afraid. Keep posting... keep using the boards to eat and digest. Heaven is a state of attitude. And it always takes two:)

Hey Pinkrose, I'm seriously thinking about acupressure or acupuncture. I've never really had tea other than some ginger/licorice tea when I'm nauseous, but I'll buy some green tea.

I have done intermittent fasting eating one meal per day, but I don't remember the results and I probably should try again just to see what happens.

I've also looked into gut transit and depression (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1383268/). Apparently there is a definite link between constipation & depression; maybe my problem is opposite of what I had originally thought and depression must be dealt with first. Of course, my stomach depresses me O.O

Just an update:

I never thought b12 could be an issue with myself, as I was intermittently eating animal products the first year or two after the diet change, but some of my symptoms really seemed to point to b12 deficiency(I've never had b12 levels checked, coincidentally). The past two years I had started to sometimes unexpectedly lose balance while walking barefoot, developed a numb patch on my right thigh, often was getting numb outer fingers and numb toes, rapid mood change and depression with no cause, lethargy and constipation that kept getting worse.

I ended up buying 1,000 mcg tablets of methylcobalamin and started taking 2,000 mcg per day since last Tuesday. Anyway, the past week I've had at least 2 bowel movements per day, and gut transit is between 15-20 hours versus 48-96 the past 3 years. I haven't had a week of normal bowel movements since I was 8 or 9 years old.

Last night I had beeturia for the first time in my life (1 hour after eating 300g raw beets), though I do eat raw beets at least a couple times per month. I did do a little searching and found that some 45% of people with pernicious anemia have beeturia during treatment with b12, due to augmented iron absorption (http://www.bmj.com/content/2/5363/971.full.pdf).

It's still too early to be 100% sure this isn't only some coincidental magical resolution of my problems, but I'm quite happy nonetheless, and will post another update after some 7-21 days (hopefully not disappointed).

Great news, Ahrat! It seems that your do not have gastroparesis!!!

Amazing news, please keep us updated!

Beets keep me regular. I grate fresh beets into my salads every night.