How did you find out about a food allergy?

[AmberHeartsDisney]

Long story short...

I had my gallbladder out Nov 08 but i've always had an uneasy tummy.It seems to have gotten worse since my gallbladder is out.

I am thinking maybe i need to get tested for a food allergy or something. Some food just make me feel so sick to my stomach and i'm thinking maybe i'm allergic or something?

I'm not really sure what doctor i would go to for such a test either.

Any ideas?

 

[Dizney4evr]

I had my gallbladder out in April '01, just 3 weeks before my wedding. I, too, feel sick to my stomach often and can no longer eat many of the foods I used to eat. I was told it was because of the high fat content of some of the foods that would make me feel sick. I had to give up eggs entirely because of the discomfort I felt after eating them. There are still a lot of food that I can eat and I just stay away from what I can't.

It will get easier.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I alway have pain on my right side as well. I was not told id have these issues and it stinks

 

[gillep]

Because the gallbladder is used to store bile produced by the liver and is released to help aid digestion when fatty foods enter the digestive tract it is very common for people to have issues with certain foods especially those with moderate or high fat content after removal of the gallbladder. I am very surprised that your surgeon did not make you aware of this as it is probably the most common side effect of the surgery. I had mine removed when I was 3 years old so I guess I don't really notice it as much since it has always been this way, but I do know that I have to avoid certain foods or at least limit them some. For people who have their gallbladders removed later in life it is much more dramatic of an effect, or so I have been told by friends and family who have recently had the same surgery. Again I am so surprised that no one told you about this side effect everyone I know who has had their gallbladder removed had been educated about this prior to the surgery.

I hope that you can find a way to live with this easily via diet etc, I know it is no fun, Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I have been doing weight watchers for the past 5 years or so. I really don't eat that much fat in less its like a holiday or vacation. I have stomach issues oh most everyday. I know that i shouldn't be eating a lot of fat and i hardly ever do. So that is why i am thinking allergy maybe?

 

[lovetoscrap]

It sounds like you need to start by seeing your primary care physician to discuss your symptoms and see what they suggest. These symptoms are probably due to having the gallbladder out but it doesn't hurt to talk it over with your doctor-- there may some tests they can do

Your PCP may refer you to a Gastroenterologist (no idea if I spelled that right!) for further testing and consultation if they feel it is needed but usually there are quite a few things that can be tried before seeing a specialist.

You see an Allergy Specialist (usually Allergy and Asthma) for allergy testing but I would definitely start with a PCP before even considering that.

 

[nfceagles]

I would sooner consider Celiac than allergies.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

It sounds like you need to start by seeing your primary care physician to discuss your symptoms and see what they suggest. These symptoms are probably due to having the gallbladder out but it doesn't hurt to talk it over with your doctor-- there may some tests they can do

Your PCP may refer you to a Gastroenterologist (no idea if I spelled that right!) for further testing and consultation if they feel it is needed but usually there are quite a few things that can be tried before seeing a specialist.

You see an Allergy Specialist (usually Allergy and Asthma) for allergy testing but I would definitely start with a PCP before even considering that.

I have already been to an Allergy doctor for an issue i have been having but they only tested me for like dust and etc. Before i had the gallbladder out i was seeing a tummy doctor. He at first told me i had acid reflux, then it was an ulcer then he said i had cyclic vomiting syndrome. I pretty much think he was pulling stuff out of a hat. So i made them run some test and they found out my gallbladder was dying.

I guess i need to find a new stomach doctor and see what they think.

 

[dizcrazee]

I had my gallbladder out and continued to have stomach issues. This was not related to a food allergy. However, there are certain foods that I can't tolerate very well. I have some food intolerances, but not food allergies. There is a difference.

We found out about dd's life threatening food allergies after anaphylaxis and a trip to the ER.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

How do they test for that tho? The celia thingy?

 

[nfceagles]

There is a blood test for Celiac, but it can have false negatives. The gold standard is a scope of the intestines to see of the villi (sp?) are damaged. You could also try a gluten free diet to see if it makes you feel better. The downside to that is if it does help but you later want medical confirmation via a scope, you will have to go back on gluten and redamage your intestines so that it can be seen in the scope.

 

[Timestop]

I spent lots of money on doctors, they never figured out why I kept getting sick. I had to figure it out on my own simply through process of elimination in my diet. It was hard at first because it didn't happen very much, and I thought other things were causing it like cheese or sauces. But as time went on and attacks became more frequent eventually I figured out it was wheat/gluten, which I ate every day. Doctors did help me rule out other possibilities but only I was able to figure out the actual culprit. And there are other people I know who were never diagnosed by doctors but can't eat wheat anymore. This might not necessarily be your problem (I never had my gall bladder removed) but it could be because more and more people seem to be having trouble with gluten and the gall bladder would help with that I think...

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I just need to do something, I hate feeling sick everyday. Some days are worse then others i just don't want to keep going on like this and it be something i can fix. ugh what to do what to do haha.

 

[minniejack]

There is a blood test for Celiac, but it can have false negatives. The gold standard is a scope of the intestines to see of the villi (sp?) are damaged. You could also try a gluten free diet to see if it makes you feel better. The downside to that is if it does help but you later want medical confirmation via a scope, you will have to go back on gluten and redamage your intestines so that it can be seen in the scope.

or you could just be non-celiac gluten sensitive--pretty much same symptoms, but non-celiac. Current thinking says there might be 1 in 5 that might be this but not be full blown celiac. That's a big chunk of the population that could have this problem. A blood test wouldn't show you if you are just sensitive. Try the diet, if it works for you, then welcome to the growing crowd.

go the celiac.com and there is plenty of info out there and a welcoming forum for questions there, too.

 

[heatherfeather24]

Without knowing what you mean by "uneasy tummy," have you been tested for Krohn's and/or IBS? I have IBS and when I'm in a flare up, every time I eat (no matter what it is), I'm sick afterwards. Not to be too graphic, but common symptoms are generally chronic diarrhea with cramping, chronic constipation, or a cycling between the two. So if your "uneasy tummy" is less stomach and more lower intestine type stuff, you might want to ask about that as well.

Separately, my son has multiple food allergies and what you are experiencing doesn't sound like an allergic reaction. An allergy is an immune response. It sounds like you may have some sort of sensitivity or intolerance, but an allergy test (which tests for antibodies in the blood) wouldn't be able to detect those.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

How do i explain with out being super gross...TMI WARNING

Most of the time when i eat i feel a little stick to my stomach after eating.A bit nauseous. And sometimes right after i eat i have to go to the bathroom # 2 really bad. Like i feel pain down "there" i'm guessing in my lower intestine. It hurts bad to where i like don't wanna move.

I am never really constipated (i think at least) and i do try to eat fiber one bars. And i do not really have loose stool either.

I guess i need to do some googling!

 

[Timestop]

It could very well be a gluten problem. Like Heather said, a gluten problem could be either an allergy or an intolerance. There are differences between the two, but also you can't always separate the two in every way. Doctors are still trying to understand these growing problems. A blood test will show if it's an allergy, but an intolerance is much harder to diagnose. I've found this to be a good book about what is known: http://www.amazon.com/Food-Allergie...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274240081&sr=1-1
It talks a lot about both allergies and intolerance, but spends a little more time on intolerance since it is the less understood one that is harder to find information about.

One reason intolerance is tricky is because sometimes it takes a long time after you eat something for the symptoms to show up - only after it gets to a certain part in your system. So it's hard to figure out what food is causing it. But it also can still happen right after you eat just because of the mechanics - when you eat, you contract your bowels (sorry for being gross) and force stuff along. There are typical cases of food allergies but there is no typical case of food intolerance.

But there are many other possibilities. It's good to try and figure out if it's related to specifically what you are eating. If it always happens no matter what you eat, maybe it's not related to your diet, and then it's probably not an allergy or intolerance. But if you can, get the blood tests done before you experiment with your diet. If you stop eating gluten, it will be even harder for blood tests to find a gluten problem.

You would also want to rule out Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, polyps, etc. There are so many different diseases that give problems with the "#2."

Sorry for being gross, but also look for blood. And it doesn't matter how much you see, either (in fact, sometimes it's better to see more blood than just a little bit, and sometimes it's worse to see it when you're not feeling any pain. If you ever see a little bit when there's no pain, get a colonoscopy and make sure it's not polyps, which sometimes are cancerous). Looking at your family history may also give you some hints. It can be embarassing, so maybe your family members haven't told you about it.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I just dont want to go to Disney and feel sick

My boss has IBS & colitis and she mentioned to me to get a food allergy test. I guess ill just have to see

 

[sldmh5]

I had my gallbladder out at 21 and I can no longer tolerate onions, salads, or other uncooked veggies. If they are cooked I can eat them. I can't handle most days a lot of fried food either. I have to be close to a restroom if I eat any of the above. I have bad cramps and sudden need to use the bathroom. You just learn to adjust your food intake. Everyone I know that has their gallbladder out has the same issues.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I had my gallbladder out at 21 and I can no longer tolerate onions, salads, or other uncooked veggies. If they are cooked I can eat them. I can't handle most days a lot of fried food either. I have to be close to a restroom if I eat any of the above. I have bad cramps and sudden need to use the bathroom. You just learn to adjust your food intake. Everyone I know that has their gallbladder out has the same issues.

I just don't eat bad. do you ever feel like sick to your stomach a little after you eat? I understand the bathroom thing, but i have issues oh most everyday