Leaky gut = possible food allergies (be mindful)

After 3 weeks straight of abx and 4 weeks out of 5, I've formed a level of leaky gut (I wont share the TMI).

With a leaky gut, food allergies emerging are common. It can manifest in different ways but for me it's puffy eyes, dark circles, and the lips tingling and drying out and outlining of the lips losing color.

Unfortunately it's a trial and error to figure it out (unless getting it all professionally checked out). I just learned that spinach and kale (at least raw) I now am allergic too. I ate some last week, symptoms happened. I stopped didn't experience it again, the color of lips started to return (slowly but surely) and then a week later ate some more. One hour later symptoms again.

Sucks because spinach and kale is so healthy.

Wondering what unique food allergies other have experienced (because of lyme/leaky gut other than the most common gluten and diary).

Interesting about egg whites. Haven't heard that one.

I know, I thought I was being super healthy eating kale (and spinach). I'm still early in finding out what exact foods. I'm in the clear for carrots and broccoli but I've always cooked those. I think I'm just going remove all raw vegetables out for now (always cook them).

I will look into Dr. Myers plan.

Thanks.

I have experienced an "allergic" response to nearly everything, to some degree or another. My mind is not the best, but I am struggling to think of one thing that I can ingest without feeling SOMETHING of a negative response.

There are naturally occuring chemicals in all foods (phenols, salicylates, oxalates, to name a few) not to mention things that they pick up later on like pesticides and sulfites (though, I have read that some foods contain these naturally).

Mine are due to a combination of leaky gut and methylation issues, which affect my body's ability to create, recycle, and dispose of certain chemicals.

If I were you, I'd do some looking into diets low in things that foods you are reactive to contain. I know that spinach is high in histamine as well as some salicylates. Rotate foods.

Start taking gut-healing supplements (glutamine is essential).

Consider digestive enzymes so as to make sure your food is getting digested as much as possible (if this is something you decide to do, it's said to take a break every few weeks, so your body does not become reliant).

Consider antihistamines, though there is some controversy surrounding them being used with these sorts of things. Though, they can be a great help to some, yes. But, they only mask the body's reactions, do not cure the root problem.

If you do not have methylation troubles and you work on these things with some success, I don't feel you will have much of an issue.

Not to downplay the severity, but your reactions sound very physical and aesthetic, which still sucks, but it could get much worse (not to frighten).

If I eat trouble foods, I am ruined for the day, physically and mentally. I will go from slightly OK, hopeful, motivated to depressed, irritable, suicidal. It screws with my chemicals, neurotransmitters, etc. It is really sad.

But, yeah.. very overwhelming stuff, the more you dig into it, but if you feel it is/could be a problem for you, then you owe it to yourself to get on top of it.

Take care of the gut, try to minimize symptoms, keeping mast cells from degranulating, etc.

Though, remember, as far as the diets go, be sure to still be eating a balanced diet. I used to starve myself out of fear of certain foods.

Nowadays, I eat, even if it causes me distress, avoiding the worst offenders and trying to soothe reactions and/or treat causes.

There's no healing anyway, if your body is not being fed.

Best wishes.

I also think that I developed some food intolerances and allergies.

Is it possible to do some kind of lab test to sort it out?

I have leaky gut and got the blood testing for food allergies and it was a life saver. I had no idea all the stuff I reacted to! Cucumbers? Broccoli? Chicken eggs but not chicken meat....go figure. I can't eat most fruits. Cruciferous veggies are off the menu. There are other foods not on my allergy listing but I have an intolerance for....I haven't been able to eat anything with onions for about 20 years without getting serious bathroom consequences, I cannot tolerate high oxalate foods such as raw spinach, kale, etc. I can however eat cooked frozen spinach! I found that sweet potato leaves are very nutritious and have low oxalates, so I use them instead of spinach, kale, etc. and grow them easily in my garden for about 9 months of the year. Melons are almost deadly to me except for watermelon out of my own garden but eaten the same day it's picked (I think that has something to do with molds someone once told me).

IMHO food allergy testing is so important for leaky gut. If you continue to eat things that you react to, causing additional inflammation, it will be tough to heal. I did take a type of benedryl that's specifically for the gut called Hista-X. I still take it if I go out to eat at a restaurant or friend's house and don't know exactly what's in what I'm eating...better safe than sorry. I also take enzymes at every single meal or snack to help digest my food. For about a year, I only ate food that I had prepared from scratch myself so that I would know exactly what I was eating and that helped a lot. I still eat primarily my own food, but will go out now from time to time but try to eat the simplest items on the menu without a lot of sauces, etc. Collagen, l-glutamine, aloe, licorice, tumeric and pre and probiotics are all things you may want to look into to help sooth your gut and help in healing and revitalizing the good flora.

I think there are so many variables that you'll kind of have to divine your way to health. I changed up my supplements often and have slowly added quite a few foods back in, but not everything. I think there will always be things that I just can't eat.

I hope start feeling better soon!

Jenny

I see a common theme here on raw vegetables. Multiple people have posted it. When I google it, raw veg allergies doesn't seem to be uncommon in the food allergy world.

Interesting. I'm going to avoid spinach and kale totally and just make sure to cook really well other veggies.