I *really* need board wisdom

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Hint about protein and GI problems... learned this from a family friend with issues... If you have unknown GI problems, avoid red meat, esp. beef and pork. These have all sorts of hormones etc., which can throw a human's system out of whack if you are sensitive. She was told to stick to: chicken, fish, and wild meat. Organic would be fine too except it is SO expensive.

{{hugs}} for the something-in-the-air but don't-know-anything stress-out. Ugh.
 

Steely

Active Member
I don't know TeDo....I guess because they thought I would benefit from their new found sense of urgency :(

My sister was on a gluten free diet, and it helped. That will be the next step I believe. I just feel so bad for him cuz he already feels as if he can't eat anything - to tell him he can't eat the one food he "feels" like he can tolerate will be hard. But I also know he wants to feel better, so maybe it will be ok. He is loving the "smart" chicken from Schwanns so if he coupled that with gluten free bread and, um, god forbid, some veggies, maybe that would work. I think at this point that would be better than where he is at.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
He is loving the "smart" chicken from Schwanns so if he coupled that with gluten free bread and, um, god forbid, some veggies, maybe that would work. I think at this point that would be better than where he is at.

Hmmm...
Any chance he would eat rice? it's probably the closest thing there is to an reaction-free starch (I'm sure there's somebody in the world that can't tolerate it, somewhere).

Will he drink juice? There's a wide range of options with this, including juices that have extra vitamins and minerals added, or fruit and veggie combinations that taste like fruit juice. At least it would provide some extra nutrients, as well as extra calories.

None of which will necessarily work - he may be as picky about food as I used to be. Just tossing ideas out there...
 

exhausted

Active Member
Steely, I looked up (Mayo clinic is my favorite medical site) elevated liver enzymes and the list is large. The most common reasons seem to be all the forms of hepatitis, alchohol, and medications. I would want to look into this since he has been on medications for awhile. Hepatitis has been on the rise in the US. I had to get Hep. shots to work for the schools because of this. Apparently with all the immigration and refugee kids in our district, teachers were high risk. Crohns makes sense as well. I too have an autoimmune disease and have a rash on one ankle and one knee as a constant. My hands break out here and there. I would not rule these out and they are so hard to diagnose unless you are in a full flare up-even then it can be tough. Weight loss and gain are common with autoimmune issues.

I also think parasites would be good to look into. I got giardia about 10 years ago and was not in the mountains-I got it from either my pets or possibly bottled water (go figure). I was so sick, dehydrated. I lost about 25 lbs in a few weeks. I didn't go into doctor until I fainted at school and was forced to go. Everything made me sick. It cured fast with a few pills. This doesn't explain the dairy issues. It is possible he has more than one issue.

I'm glad he is going to GI. I hope he is not too scared out of his wits and his nerves are not getting to him. Gastroenteritis can be caused by stress. It makes the intestines swell and vomitting and diarea are part of it. Bless his heart. Will he let you advocate for him at the doctor?
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I was going to suggest there are some non-dairy protein drinks. You could put the protein powder in those yummy V8 fruit veggie drinks. Gosh they are good. He should be able to drink those for fluids. Because he is liking pasta, I would go with the gluten free pasta or rice. If he will drink almond milk they make an excellent chocolate flavor but if nuts are an issue soy chocolate is good too. I am just thinking of calories right now. The vanilla is to die for because it tastes like a shake to me. If I put it in a blender with a few ice cubes I feel like I am having a milk shake. The cramping does need to be dealt with and I dont know that there is an over the counter medication that can help.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Ensure. Slimfast is good too........as long as he eats with it, it will cause him to gain, not lose, tastes better than ensure too. There are high protein bars that are delicious over in the health food depts. I grab them on sale with cpns for free.........Aubrey thinks they're candy. lol It's good on a day when her bowels are backed up making her feel full, she thinks she's eating candy, but she's getting a basic "meal" with all the protein/nutrients she needs.
 

Josie

Active Member
I've been girlfriend for 6 years. I would advise him to eat naturally girlfriend foods at first and stay away from substitutes, with the possible exception of the pasta. Most girlfriend bread is just not good and if he eats that, he will feel doomed to a life of bad food. He could eat baked potatoes or rice instead.

If he likes sweets, he should also stay away from the packaged girlfriend cookies. girlfriend brownies are often better than regular ones. Forgotten cookies are naturally girlfriend.

I could tell on the first or second day of going girlfriend that I wasn't going to need my Lexapro any more. My daughter's stomach stopped hurting right away, too. That was enough to get me through the first weeks of adjusting to this diet. I'm not sure if it is that quick for everyone though.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Sorry to hear Matt is not any better. Have you considered talking to a dietitian about what foods would help him gain weight based on his particular health issues? Protein in large amounts will actually cause someone to loose weight - build muscle but loose weight. If he's trying to bulk up there are protein supplements WHEY protein and SOY protein (if he can digest them) at the health food stores that can be added to help him; however without consulting a dietitian I wouldn't waste a lot of money asking the kid in the store. Go informed. I found this article. Perhaps the contents will help you both. Best of luck. Star.

Today's Dietician January 2008 Issue
Underweight: A Heavy Concern
By Meghan A.T.B. Reese
Today's Dietitian
Vol. 10 No. 1 P. 56

Overly thin people may be the envy of those who struggle to shed pounds, but as dietitians know, those who are significantly underweight risk infection, osteoporosis, and other medical conditions. Helping clients gain is crucial and starts with targeting a healthy weight.
With the obesity epidemic spreading at an alarming rate, it's not unusual for dietetics and weight loss counseling to seem synonymous. However, despite the climbing number of Americans who are overweight or obese, there is also a segment of the population that is underweight. It's easy to wonder how anyone could possibly struggle to gain weight when so many have unwittingly figured that out on their own. But there are many facing the difficulty of gaining weight and in need of professional help to do so.
The Skinny on Underweight
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) defines the ideal body mass index (BMI) as between 20 and 25. Thus, anyone below that range would be considered underweight and those with a BMI from 18.5 to 17.5 extremely underweight. According to Elena Blanco-Schumacher, RD, a clinical dietitian within the Christiana Care Health System at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Wilmington, Del., 8% to 9% of the population is, by these standards, underweight.
While being underweight often appears preferable to being overweight, the reality is that's just as with obesity & being overly thin has risks and repercussions. Blanco-Schumacher notes that those who are underweight are prone to infection due to weak and easily compromised immune systems and tend to have low muscle mass, hair loss, and in some cases disrupted hormone regulation. Being underweight can also derail intake and absorption of vital nutrients, including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, leading to increased risk of osteoporosis and anemia. In addition, underweight women are prone to amenorrhea and possible pregnancy complications.
There is a plethora of reasons why people may become underweight, and there are as many treatment courses as there are causes. There's no one size fits all or magic bullet. You need to tailor a plan based on each individual person,' Blanco-Schumacher says. Being underweight, whether or not weight is lost intentionally, results from a variety of factors, some psychological, some physiological.
Physical origins of underweight include genetics and illness. Those with lean genes may have a higher metabolic rate, Blanco-Schumacher says, but should be wary of excessive weight loss. High risk for underweight is weight loss greater than 2% total body mass in one week; 5% in one month; 7.5% in three months; and 10% in six months, she says. Some bouts with the flu or other viruses can cause unprompted weight loss, and many medications can suppress appetite or actually cause weight loss. Patients should check with their pharmacist if they have recently started a new medication and are now experiencing otherwise unexplained weight loss. Deficiencies of digestive enzymes and/or stomach acid may also contribute to weight loss and hamper attempted gains.
Anorexia likely comes to mind when considering underweight, but excessive stress may not. Yet many people under stress experience weight loss due to a lack of appetite or nausea. Another major psychological cause of underweight is depression. Individuals suffering from depression often present with a reduced appetite and rapid weight loss; in these cases, advice from a psychologist or counselor should be sought in addition to guidance from a dietitian.
Wasting Diseases
Several major illnesses foster pronounced weight loss and underweight, including hyperthyroidism and perhaps surprisingly, since it is often related to obesity and overweight diabetes. Then there are the wasting diseases such as tuberculosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. These conditions are called wasting diseases because patients literally shrink away. Patients with wasting generally lose muscle mass, not fat, as the body burns up muscle tissue for the protein needed to fight inflammation in those with heart conditions and cancer. Since wasting can be a sign of disease progression, it should be a red flag for clinicians.
While not completely understood, the correlation between disease and wasting has many causes, including drug- or illness-associated side effects such as nausea and appetite loss; infections, which increase calorie needs; oral infections, which complicate eating or swallowing; and debilitating fatigue, which makes daily chores such as shopping and cooking difficult. Intestinal malfunction may lead to an inability to absorb nutrients and can contribute to weight loss. Metabolic changes, including the number of calories patients expend at rest or during physical activity, also affect weight loss.
HIV/AIDS, another wasting disease, also requires individualized nutrition care plans as part of medical management. According to research conducted at Tufts University, All HIV-positive patients, including those on antiretroviral therapy, can develop wasting. Dietitians should routinely monitor patients for changes in body mass and weight and look for lipodystrophy or a change and redistribution of fat in patients body shape.
In the position paper Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Nutrition Intervention in the Care of Persons with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, the ADA states, A well-nourished HIV-positive person is more likely to be able to withstand the effects of HIV infection. Also, Nutritional status, specifically the maintenance of weight and crucial body-protein stores (body cell mass), affects a person's ability to survive HIV disease. With a loss of body cell mass to a level of 54% of the expected value based on height, death is likely to occur in HIV-infected patients, regardless of the presence or absence of infectious complications,& a further confirmation of nutrition's role in treatment.
The situation is similar for patients with cancer, a population in which those who lose more than 10% of body weight have the worst prognosis. David Grotto, RD, LDN, a spokesperson for the ADA and former director of nutrition for a cancer center, says, "Weight makes such a difference in whether they [wasting patients] make it or not." However, Blanco-Schumacher, who also specializes in working with underweight in cancer patients, notes that in instances involving wasting diseases, "There is a whole different mechanism to weight gain and should be approached as such."
Grotto's recommendation is to make certain situations a little lighter. A certified laughter leader, he says of patients who have just heard terrible or heavy news, "The last thing they want to hear about is nutrition." He recommends a timely and appropriate joke, a smile, and all the simple things that go together to make people happy.
Over/Under Parallel
The parallel between overweight and underweight continues in treatment approaches. Successful weight gain comes down to the age-old tactic of pairing a structured diet with regular physical activity. Healthy weight gain, like healthy weight loss, requires guidance and determined effort. The key, Blanco-Schumacher says, "to gaining weight is to take in more calories than you burn."
The first major step, Blanco-Schumacher says, is to find a healthy weight target and proceed from that starting point by upping the client's caloric intake. She recommends an extra 500 to 1,000 calories per day, depending on the patient's needs and goals. Much of the regimen should be based on the individual's wants and needs, Blanco-Schumacher emphasizes. "It's important to be comfortable and healthy. When people are underweight, they don't look or feel their best. Being proactive includes recognizing that it's not unhealthy to be thinner than other people's just of utmost importance to be as healthy as possible, she says.
As with weight loss, 1 to 2 pounds per week is a healthy target, says Blanco-Schumacher, when it comes to putting on weight. Similarly, realistic goals are also essential for proper weight gain, Grotto says. "Communication is critically important" when it comes to keeping a patient on target and hopeful, he says.​
 
S

Signorina

Guest
Just a thought - I am home sick and watching lots of daytime tv - did they check his thyroid???
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Some of those bars are really good. We usually buy the Zone or Balance brand. PLEASE do not assume that because they are sold as nutrition bars that they are healthy. Most Clif bars have so little protein and so much sugar as to be as bad as a candy bar. At least they were the last time I saw them. Zone and Balance both try to stay at the 40/30/30 carb/fat/protein ratio. This really does make a HUGE difference if you can keep meals and snacks in those guidelines. Your mind is clear and sharp, you have a LOT more energy, and generally you just feel great - and you get this in just a couple of weeks. It is a healthy balance and one you can have on ANY dietary restrictions - even gluten-free, casein-free. You can gain weight if needed on this.

For the stomach cramps, the rx medications I suggested are good and so is adding fiber. Use ONLY psyllium fiber. They sell this in capsules or tablets and you need to drink 6-8 oz liquid with each dose. I prefer the capsules. There is a walmart brand and it isn't expensive - certainly no where NEAR benefiber, etc... Psyllium is the type of fiber that does NOT ferment in your gut and cause a lot of gas. The other types ALL do this. More gas is the last thing a cramping, unhappy gut needs. Fiber will add bulk and dry out things if he has diarrhea and it will add bulk and pull water to the stool if he is constipated. It is the only thing that will deal with both ends of the spectrum and everything in between.

He also may benefit from taking gas-x. Walmart sells it in little gelcaps that are inexpensive and it is super helpful with cramps too. Here they are 72 for about $4. The docs have had both J and I taking 2 of them 3x per day. The medication in these is NOT absorbed by your body. It goes in, deflates the bubbles of gas to make a big bubble and then you can expel it easily. I haven't looked at the package directions, but you can take it by the directions for a long time with no ill effects. I didn't read them because the docs (different one fore ach of us with this issue) gave us instructions.

He needs to add veggies and fruits, but not all of them right now. He should AVOID cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, also green/red/orange bell peppers, cabbage, etc... These all cause gas and can end up giving him more cramps. Beano WILL help if he can tolerate it.

I hope you figure out what is wrong. I am glad he is eating protein.
 

Steely

Active Member
Thanks to all of you who responded.....
To answer some of the questions - yes his thyroid has been tested, and he was tested for hep and hiv. All is good there.
I AM going to get him going on a gluten free diet, so thanks for the suggestions.
As for protein drinks, he drinks the Odwalla protein juice drinks (they are just super expensive). So I like the idea of putting protein powder in juice. And he loves Cliff bars, but if he goes gluten free, that won't work.
So onward we will go. I almost want him to try the Gluten free thing before he goes to the GI - just to see if that is the magic ticket. I was talking to my Mom about it today, and she has the same food allergies as Matt (which I knew) but her symptoms are not as bad. And then of course, Heidi was a super sick girl most of her life with this sort of thing. When she got divorced and went gluten free things got better, but that was only in the last 2 years of her life.
 
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