NeuroTalk Support Groups - Bowel problems

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I'll try not to gross anyone out.

I am gluten sensitive and have been on a gluten free diet for three years now. (No wheat, rye, barley, or oats) I do not take any kind of supplements. The grain I eat the most is rice.

I very often go for weeks/ months without any bread/ baked goods. A few days ago I baked a loaf of gluten free bread and had four slices in about as many hours. I ate them in the evening. My intestines were rumbling as I got ready for bed. During the night I was sitting on the toilet, doubled over in pain, with yellow tinted, explosive diarrhea. Two days later my bowels are still a little loose and this morning my stool floated. I know the yellow tint mean bile is present and floating means fat present. I don't really know what that means though.

I compared labels on foods that have set me off in the past when maybe over eaten. The main thing is rice. I checked the fiber amount and it ranged between 0% and 7%.

While I don't really think I need to avoid rice, I don't know what I should be doing. I don't eat baked goods very often. When I over indulge a bit I have problems. The same thing has happened with pasta too, but I seem to be okay with that now.

Any help would be great. Thanks!

I'd look for hidden sorbitol in your foods. This can really be laxative.

So can fructose. 1 in 3 people have a digestive intolerance to fructose.

The next culprit to look at is potatoes and tomatoes...and other nightshades. Chili peppers, or the hot ones, green and red all can cause terrible problems in some people. When one has a food intolerance I think others can follow.

I have also found that maltodextrin, which is a suspending agent can be very laxative. So read you labels carefully.

In summer there can be food borne illness too. I hope you are not eating any sprouts lately either?

Thanks Mrs. D. I'll have to check labels again and see what they say. I'm thinking the bread might have maltodextrin in the mix.

No sprouts here. I love them but haven't gotten any for years.

Okay. Reread labels and did a bit of research. All of the baked goods that I know have set me off have potato starch in them. While researching that a bit, I discovered guar gum can act as a laxative. Some of my baked goods have that while others use xanthan gum.

So now I'm wondering if potato starch is the trigger. If that is the case, is there a way I can eat it without it creating problems for me? Reintroduce it slowly? Add yougurt or something high fiber to my daily diet? I know those with one food problem tend to develop others. I was hoping I wouldn't. I've never heard of potato products being a problem for celiacs. Lots of other things but not potatoes.

The nightshade family has a lot of intolerances.

Look it up. There is an alkaloid in potatoes called solanine.

I have read that solanine may be cumulative and not eliminated, so as you get older, you may have more likely reactions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine

Wow. Interesting. Not sure this is the answer but it certainly is something to consider. What puzzles me is I can eat french fries without a problem and had a few slow cooked potatoes a few days before the bread and was fine. Maybe potato starch is super concentrated though.

Thanks for all the information. If I'm lucky I'll remember to tell my doctor about all of this at my next appointment this fall. Thanks again!

I have learned that if any green is in the skins, you should not eat any of that potato...the solanine will be throughout it.

We eat grade A screened potatoes and they may go green at home with you, but they should not be green when you buy them.

However, many veggies of lesser quality are sold for processing.

Did you know they are putting potatoes in pet food now, instead of gluten? I won't buy them, as I don't trust that either!

Hmm. Looks like I need to think about which potato products I eat. Thanks again for all your help! :)