Dear Darlindeb,

Thanks for replying! I remember you, from the old days!

All good points you've made, about how each person is very unique!

By the way, I've learned that some people who are "sensitive" to milk proteins, can sometimes develop a Celiac-like condition, including with damage to their small-intestinal villi, that is pretty much identical to the damage seen in those having Celiac Disease!

And, people with gluten sensitivity who keep eating gluten, (and maybe also those who have a milk protein sensitivity and who keep eating or drinking milk proteins), can develop auto immune damage to any one or more of these areas in the body:
-- nerves, causing neuropathies
-- thyroid gland, causing either over or under-active thyroid conditions
-- pancreas (affecting production of digestive enzymes &/or production of insulin, leading to diabetes),
-- joints (causing rheumatoid arthritis), brain (causing seizures &/or foot dragging, etc.),
-- skin (causing an itchy rash such as dermatitis herpetiformis)
--etc.

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Dr. Kenneth Fine's "EnteroLab"'s (very reliable)non-invasive stool sample testing includes any one or more of tests (each person's choice) for sensitivity to these "proteins":

GLUTEN (in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, etc.)--and rice is gluten-free (if not "cross contaminated" with gluten, at packaging plants). Some gluten-sensitive people can eat rice, while others need to go grain-free completely. This varies from patient to patient. Brown rice (whole grain, natural rice) that is organic, is more nutritious than denatured white rice.

Good health food stores have gluten-free tortilla shells available (like Food for Life brand, etc.), brown rice pastas like Tinkyada, etc., that taste delicious, and there are gluten-free bakeries all over the place, that make delicious gluten-free breads, desserts, etc.

MILK PROTEINS (in milk, yogurt, cheese, pizza, cheesecake, ice cream, butter, etc.). For those who can't live without butter, there's "ghee" (clarified butter, where the milk proteins have been removed), available at health food stores. For many, organic olive oil, etc. substitutes well for butter.

SOY PROTEINS (found in soy-"milk", soybeans, etc.--read labels)

YEAST PROTEINS (yeast protein-sensitivity has been associated with Crohn's Disease in some people)

EGG PROTEINS.

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Some are 'sensitive' to CORN proteins, and I think Dr. Fine is working on making a corn protein sensitivity stool sample test.

Anyone interested in calling EnteroLab (besides looking at www.finerhealth.com) can call them in Dallas, TX, at 972-686-6869.

Dr. Fine says that an alternative (free) way of seeing whether a person is gluten sensitive or not, is to seriously avoid gluten for 3 months, and see if symptoms improve (or see if symptoms don't get worse, as you said, Darlindeb!).

"Oats" are controversial. Most oats are cross contaminated with gluten, at packaging plants. Gluten-free (at least "tested" to be) oats are available at health food stores, but some are "sensitive" to oat proteins, so many believe it's best to avoid oats, to be on the safe side.

Some gluten-free people are OK with millet, tef (an Ethiopian gluten-free grain), and even corn, but others have to avoid all of these grains.

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Thank you for sharing what helps you, including the Jarrow Vitamin B12! I use KAL brand, and it helps too!

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Avoiding acid blockers, is also helpful, when possible, since acid blockers prevent the production of Intrinsic Factor (I.F.) molecules, by the stomach, where these I.F. molecules would have normally "facilitated" small intestinal absorption of Vitamin B12 molecules, in the ileum (last third of the small intestine--thank you Rose for this info!).

By not taking acid blockers, and if the stomach is making enough hydrochloric acid (HCl), the stomach is "allowed" to produce the needed I.F. molecules, which then escort B12 molecules to the ileum, and help the B12 molecules to be absorbed into the microscopic villi.

Peripheral neuropathy forums include MANY people having PN (peripheral neuropathies) whose peripheral neuropathies are at least partly due to being on all these acid blockers, that are making fortunes for drug companies, while hurting patients' nerves!

Good luck to all!

Carol
Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com