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ndb
209 Posts |
 Posted - 03/15/2009 : 23:44:24
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Hello,
A friend was given a positive result for bacterial overgrowth. Has anyone had success with the TMS approach? I know that BO can occur for a variety of reasons, but I would be interested in any input at all. What I describe below focuses largely on the physical symptoms, but in some sense I am trying to write things from his point of view. I suggested a TMS approach, but he does not really buy it, so I wanted some input if possible on whether others have overcome related/similar conditions.
My friend has suffered for about a year from abdominal pain, cramps, bloating. Initially he started treating it as IBS and ate a lot of cereals and fiber supplements as well as probiotics. The results were so so, nothing conclusive. Then, he suspected wheat or perhaps candidiasis or bacterial overgrowth were the problem so he cut it out entirely from his diet and started on the SCD diet, which he says eased his symptoms by a lot. A colonoscopy was negative for any growths or Crohn's disease of the large intestine. As mentioned, he did test positive for bacterial overgroth and was given a short course of antibiotics. But after this, the symptoms have returned.
As a person he is high strung and impatient, and quite critical of people. He is emotionally very sensitive and observant. He has a fairly strict sense of honesty or code of conduct with regards to doing anything unfair or sneaky. He has a very good heart and cares a lot for the people around him. He is extremely intelligent - he is a mathematician and became a professor at the age of around 30 at one of the best mathematics departments in the US.
He is also a type one diabetic. So far doctors have not said that there is any connection with the stomach problems and his diabetes.
Any words or ideas are appreciated.
ndb |
Edited by - ndb on 03/16/2009 00:18:31 |
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positivevibes
204 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2009 : 00:25:47
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Years ago, I took antibiotics for a very minor infection. Several weeks after finishing the antibiotics, I mysteriously began to get stomach cramps. They progressed to the point of me not being able to eat anything or go to work. To make a long story short, I had an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria in my intestines. The doctor gave me a drug called Flagil, which restored the bacterial balance in my body.
I have read that sometimes a person may need more than one dose of a drug like this to restore their balance.
So I wonder, has your friend had his feces tested recently for bacterial imbalances? Maybe he needs another dose of that antibiotic.
Another thing I want to throw out to you: has your friend had a blood test for gluten intolerance? There are definitive "markers" that can be tested for. Some people are not full-blown Celiac; they only have one or two of the "markers," which makes them only partially intolerant to gluten. I know a fair amount about this because my friend's daughter has Celiac disease and we have talked about it a lot.
Another thought: lactose intolerance? Has he tried "going off dairy" for a while, or taking Lactaid pills when eating dairy? I have lactose intolerance, and I get pain cramps and bloating if I eat certain types of dairy foods (particularly low fat) and forget to take a Lactaid pill!
I assume that your friend has seen a gastroenterologist.
Your friend does sound like he has some traits that would lead to TMS. But personally, I would wonder if it doesn't have something to do with his diet. If all those avenues have been exhausted, I would certainly begin to suspect TMS. Dr. Sarno talks a lot about gastro issues and TMS in his books. |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2009 : 01:38:56
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positivevibes, thanks so much for the response.
His symptoms seemed to have started after being given morphine in the ER and taking a course of antibiotics for a very bad case of food poisoning.
I will mention Flagyl to him as well as the idea of the fecal test. You are right about the possibility of needing multiple doses too.
We did think of getting a test done for Celiac, but put it off because apparently it involves a change in diet and other restrictions which seemed uncomfortable to him - if I remember right, you have to start eating wheat products, and he felt they bothered him. He is possibly lactose intolerant - he has never drunk milk much and recently switched to SCD-approved yogurt which has very low lactose content.
Can Celiac-like symptoms be a manifestation of TMS? I don't know a lot about it, but it seemed Celiac is like an allergy? How did you convince yourself in your daughters case that it was not something that can be controlled?
The thing that puzzles is that a year ago he ate almost everything with no problems.
Thanks once again,
ndb |
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DrGUID
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2009 : 07:08:58
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> The thing that puzzles is that a year ago he ate almost everything with no problems.
I am certain that apart from the occasional bout of food poisoning, most stomach problems are due to TMS. I get stomach problems quite often, and they don't seem to be related to what I've been eating.
Going away from home often triggers it, and as soon as I return to familiar surroundings it goes in a few hours  . |
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positivevibes
204 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2009 : 12:57:39
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It wasn't my daughter, it was my friend's daugther that had Celiac. She had unexplained coordination problems, weight loss, and behavorial problems when she was a toddler. Once they diagnosed Celiac and took her off gluten, she returned to normal and began to thrive. She eventually found that she could have a small amount of gluten each day, but if she went over that amount her body couldn't handle it and she got symptoms again.
A long time ago, I asked my doctor to do a gluten intolerance blood test for me. I wanted to see whether I had any of the markers for gluten problems. It didn't involve a change in my diet. It was just a blood test, plain and simple. It had to be sent to a special lab and took a few weeks to come back. It was totally negative. I'm sure you can find the names of the tests online somewhere.
Regarding the yogurt and dairy foods and lactose intolerance....sometimes people just lose the ability to digest lactose as they get older. It can also happen after abdominal or intestinal surgery. Apparently the lactase enzyme is made in the intestines (small intestine, I think), and if you've had intestinal surgery it can disturb things. My husband had intestinal surgery 15 years ago, and was lactose intolerant for about 6 months afterward....then it went away.
My lactose intolerance began after the birth of my second child. A lot of things changed in my body. That was when I also discovered that I had thyroid disease. I guess that second pregnancy just threw my body for a loop...all those hormones or something...
Well anyway, yogurt is not supposed to give you lactose intolerance symptoms, but I know from my own personal experience that sometimes it does -- especially if I eat nonfat yogurt. The lower the amount of fat in the dairy product, the worse the symptoms can be. Anyway, it's not limited to milk; it's all dairy products or products that contain milk ingredients such as whey and whey protein. This includes cheeses, ice cream, power bars, protein water...basically anything dairy or whey.
Your friend should see a gastroenterologist or an endocrinologist who would know more about these sort of issues.
I don't think there's a test for lactose intolerance other than either totally avoiding dairy and whey for a number of weeks, or taking Lactaid pills along with dairy food to see if it improves things.
I can eat anything I want as long as I take my Lactaid. But I've heard that some people have it worse and just can't eat dairy anymore. That would totally suck!
Best of luck to your friend. And again, if all this stuff checks out negative, it would be a good guess to suspect that TMS is playing a role. |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2009 : 13:54:55
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quote:
Originally posted by positivevibes
It wasn't my daughter, it was my friend's daugther that had Celiac. She had unexplained coordination problems, weight loss, and behavorial problems when she was a toddler. Once they diagnosed Celiac and took her off gluten, she returned to normal and began to thrive. She eventually found that she could have a small amount of gluten each day, but if she went over that amount her body couldn't handle it and she got symptoms again.
A long time ago, I asked my doctor to do a gluten intolerance blood test for me. I wanted to see whether I had any of the markers for gluten problems. It didn't involve a change in my diet. It was just a blood test, plain and simple. It had to be sent to a special lab and took a few weeks to come back. It was totally negative. I'm sure you can find the names of the tests online somewhere.
Yes, sorry I missed reading it was your friend. I will look into the blood test.
quote:
Originally posted by positivevibes
Well anyway, yogurt is not supposed to give you lactose intolerance symptoms, but I know from my own personal experience that sometimes it does -- especially if I eat nonfat yogurt. The lower the amount of fat in the dairy product, the worse the symptoms can be. Anyway, it's not limited to milk; it's all dairy products or products that contain milk ingredients such as whey and whey protein. This includes cheeses, ice cream, power bars, protein water...basically anything dairy or whey.
Yes, previously he would eat only nonfat yogurt from the supermarket but recently he has switched to yogurt that is made for people on the SCD diet which is supposed to have an even more negligible amount of lactose. And yes, he does avoid milk products as well...although not very strictly, so the Lactaid tablets may be a good test.
quote:
Originally posted by positivevibes
Your friend should see a gastroenterologist or an endocrinologist who would know more about these sort of issues.
He's been doing the rounds of gastros for many months now, but as I also know you have to keep looking and trying different doctors and doing your own research into these things. So far he's been through lots of blood tests - the only abnormality has been high amylase (another thing to possibly look into further), a colonoscopy, the SBBO breath test, and an antibiotics course.
Thanks so much for the input!
ndb
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scd1833
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2009 : 10:05:41
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Hi,
I'd recommend staying with SCD, Ive been on it for over 10 yrs and it has changed my life. I've had chron's for over 30 yrs. I have also had to eliminate many "scd legal" foods because they caused symptoms. (nuts, many raw and cooked veggies, etc)
that said, I still believe that it is probably a mind/body process that "causes" this disease but I don't know exactly how to work with it to eliminate symptoms.
if your friend has questions about scd, have them write me off list |
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Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
