Fructose Intolerance help please

I have been flared up with blood and nauseating cramps for about two weeks and I have been trying to find foods that are safe for me to eat. I have been keeping a very detailed food/symptom diary for over a week now, but it has been tough to make any connections. My diet is getting more and more limited as I try to figure out what foods are causing me issues. Then last night I thought I'd try having a stewed pear. I haven't been eating fruit much lately. Within minutes after eating the pear I am on the toilet with pretty bad cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Not really anything out of the ordinary considering I am in a nasty flare. Then after the cramps and diarrhea stop my mouth started watering profusely and the nausea became so extreme that I started to dry heave. I didn't end up vomiting, but I was pretty close. I'd like to make the connection that the high fructose content of the pear caused this.

I had a similar situation a few days ago, but no dry heaving. In that case I ate steamed carrots and sweet potato for breakfast. I have been eating steamed carrot and sweet potato every morning for a few days and I usually feel pretty bad after, but I don't always get the extreme nausea, so it is tough to make a conclusion from that instance.

This isn't the first time I thought I had fructose problems. I tried HPI last year and when it failed the HPI doctor, Dr. Borody from Autralia, told me about FODMAPs. I tried the diet, but no major improvement.

I started searching the web for more fructose intolerance diets and I am getting a very wide range of information. One site will list sweet potatos and carrots as ok and the other will say it is not. I even read one site that said HFCS was ok because it is the same composition as sucrose and sucrose is supposed to be fine, but most sites say NO to HFCS.

My diet is very limited and I am basically sitting at home all day so I can easily restrict my foods to a few safe ones.

For those of you who have had success limiting foods containing fructose, what foods are the safest for you to eat?

How about white rice and brown rice? I saw a site that lists white rice as safe, but brown rice as not safe. It doesn't say why.

I am really hopeful that avoiding fructose is going to give me some relief.

I could see that the biggest problem for avoiding fructose will be trying to figure out what contains it and what doesn't. It also seems that you may be able to eat things with a higher fructose ratio if it is balanced by something with a higher glucose ratio. This will only confuse things as somethings may seem fine and then you eat them again and have problems. Sounds like the story of my life.

I just noticed your signature says you tried fecal transplant. I also gave that a shot, but it didn't seem to improve things that much. I was wondering how did you figure you had fructose intolerence? Did you go for a hydrogen breath test?

I spent close to a year on SCD. I slowly got worse and worse and ended in a massive flare. It is crazy cause people keep saying you need to be super strict and you are going to get worse before you get better. Eventually I suspected my meds as the problem to why SCD wasn't working and I tapered off of them. I lasted about one more month and then I was very sick.
I am still not 100% sure I am fructose intolerant. I am going to see about getting tested. It seems like it is the problem and it would definitely explain my failure on SCD.

People with fructose intolerance, also called fructose malabsorption, have trouble digesting foods that contain fructose, a natural form of sugar found in fruits and vegetables, many sweeteners, and some breads and cereals. Symptoms include gas, bloating, nausea and diarrhea. Fructose intolerance is the same as fructose malabsorption.

Fructose malabsorption (FM) was previously known as ‘dietary fructose intolerance’ (DFI), but this term should be avoided to prevent confusion with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI). 

Good point about the test and thanks for the link with the diet. I have four or five versions of the diet now. I tried white potatos and those are supposed to be safe, but they seemed to cause me some issues.
I think what it boils down to for me are those foods are a guideline and I will need to test them to figure out which ones are going to work. Right now I am keeping a diary and I will continue to add new foods every couple of days. So far I have fish, chicken, white rice, spinach and sunflower seed butter. I am not sure what I will try next, but more veggies would be good.

Do you think fructose malabsorption was something you developed or did you have it your whole life?

Personally, I really think I've had it forever. As a kid I recall many explosive diarrhea, gas and mucous bowel movements. I can also remember the incredible pain I'd be in if I drank apple juice or pop on an empty stomach. I am guessing that was all due to the fructose malabsorption. The worst dinner was spaghetti. That would do me in everytime. Oddly I always ate it. I know I complained of stomach aches, but nothing was ever done about it. When I was seventeen the blood and really vicious cramping started and a few months later I was diagnosed with UC. Now I am 35 with osteoporosis and on the verge of remicade or surgery. It is pretty ridiculous if it was all caused from fructose malabsorption and could of been avoided. arrrgh!

Bubble tea my wife loves those. I was drinking them last year, but stopped when I was concerned about the fructose. I never correlated drinking them to diarrhea, but that was because I always had diarrhea.

I am not sure if w rice is the best thing, but out of my choices for carbs it seems to be the lesser of the evils. After I eat it I burp and feel quite full. I don't even eat that much. I need something for carbs though. I was really starting to lose weight and I didn't feel good without something.

Do you have a list of a few veggies that are safe for you, anti-inflamatory and low in fructose? I need to start adding things to my diet. I figure I might try something that you already figured out.

Thanks for all the info. I am very much improved since I started limiting my fructose intake.

Fructose Malabsorption -

Just locating this thread now and wondering if anyone who posted here is still active.

 

I had the hydrogen breath test for fructose malabsoption done and it was positive. I've been on the Fodmap Diet for close to 5 weeks now. I did notice that the horrific diarrhea that I've had chronically for 10 years stopped when I began to eliminate foods high in fructose.  I'm happy about that because I want to feel better. It is discouraging however, that this way of eating is so restrictive....of good, healthy foods. I feel like I'm constantly thinking about those "safe/unsafe" food lists and don't think my diet has been well balanced and nutritous enough. I still full up really quickly so my portions of "safe foods" are small. After a while, I feel like I'm starving.

 

Recently, some of what seemed like "safe foods" are causing problems for me so I am even more confused. I wish there was more consistancy in diet information out there. I too have found many contradictions from one food list to another. The Australian book and information isn't that helpful if you shop in the US. I am ready to ask for a referral to a dietican for assistance with meal planning. I feel like I'm still making mistakes and am trying so hard not too.

 

Tomorrow I go for the breath test for SBIBO (small bowel intestinal bacterial overgrowth) to see if bacterial overgrowth is contributing. Most likely, it is. I just need to feel better. In order to do so I will need a better handle on the restrictions and good recipes to make meals tast better. I used to cook with lots of garlic and onions...I miss those flavors. I should say that I cook for my family, and most times have to make something seperate for myself.  By then I'm tired so it's a plain piece of chicken, fish etc.

Are you eliminating lactose as well. I tested negative for the lactose breath test, so I haven't eliminated dairy. Is this a mistake??? 

 

These are foods I've been eating thinking they were safe only to discover they probably aren't: white potatos, sweet potatos/yams, brown rice crispy cereal, brown rice cakes, rice bread, whole rye bread, bananas that aren't completely ripe, red grapes, too large of a portion of orange, cantalope, green beans, peas, fine pepper (supposedly can contain traces of wheat)...the list goes on... I am finding this challenging to say the least. Going out for dinner or going to a friends is even more frustrating. I feel like a P-I-A with all my questions to figure out what I can and cannot eat.!! lol

 

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for reading.       

Yep. I'm still here.

I don't really have much else to add though. I used to always have watery diarrhea, bloating, gas, and urgency, before I kept to a fructose-intolerant diet.

Yes. Lactose does bother me when I'm flaring. I can digest it when I'm not flaring, but it does make my poo softer. I will take Lactaid during those times that it is bothering me. Lactaid seems to work well. I wish there was a Fructaid. I really miss apples.

Keep a food journal, and eliminate any foods/beverages that bother you even if they aren't on the list. I find that maple syrup (yes, even the 100% kind) also gives me diarrhea even though it's not on the list. I've eliminated it from my diet. I really miss having waffles with butter and maple syrup. My boyfriend would make them for me on the weekends...

Also make sure to pay attention to any artificial ingredients. These could also cause issues for some people.

Yes. It's really hard to eat outside. Almost every place adds HFCS to their foods/beverages. I've taken to eating/drinking at Starbucks when I go out. They eliminated HFCS from their menu in 2009 (and make their beverages with hormone-free milk). It gets kind of boring going there all the time, but it least I don't end up with the runs.

I also find that I have any easier time keeping my weight down when I eat/drink at Starbucks. I don't seem to get as hungry.

And to think only three years ago, I was so down on Starbucks.

Post Edited (subdued) : 9/21/2011 1:55:16 AM (GMT-6)

 Thank you everyone so much for your replies. I am really grateful for the time you've taken to respond. Being newly diagnosed to the malabsorption issue, I've been at a loss and know my diet is lacking in nutrition at the least while I"m attempting to find my way around the FODMAP restrictions. I have lost 45 lbs in one years time (I was previously overweight), and I can't afford to lose anymore weight now.

Just to confirm, I haven't been diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis (what test is done to determine UC?). I came to this forum because people had discussed fructose malabsorption. At this point, I've tested negative for the celiac antibody blood test and the lactose breath test. I tested positive with the Fructose breath test and have been on the FODMAP diest for 6 weeks. Yesterday I tested positive for SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) with the breath test( they gave me lactulose to drink). I started to get gassy, rumbly, and had stomach distension. My test numbers didn't start to raise until 1 hour into the 3 hour test, then they continued to climb every twenty minutes my breath was checked. about 1 1/2 hours after the test, and lunch I had one of the most violent episodes of bright gold, watery diarrhea attacks I've ever had. The pain was so intense.  Powerful flatulance, mucous clumps, lettuce and other food bits from the lunch I had just eaten, small bits and pieces of gold colored poo, and a pill I had taken that morning. I've seen the Wellbutrin XL pill before so this time I took it out and squeezed it and sure enough, the medicine came oozing out of it. I've been afraid that my medicines aren't always being absorbed... which is a scary thought.

I have a consult with the GI doc who ordered the testing on Monday. The technician said he'll more than likely prescribe a course of antiobiotics. I read what you've written about antibiotics you've taken so I appreciate that feedback as now I'll have to go that route myself. I hope the treatment works for me. I think I'd like to try the probiotics afterwards as well to see if I can boost the good bacteria. It sounds like the bad bacteria never really goes away permantly. Is that the case?

 

I'll continue with my food diary, and in my search for recipes. I've avoided processed foods, sticking to fresh. Any suggestions for what I can do to moisten and flavor boneless skinless chicken breast when I cook it? I reluctantly ate a dry piece of it last night. Not very appetitizing. I have to learn how to create tasty meals for myself.

If anyone else has further comments or suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing them. THANK YOU!      

*Another follow-up....
Doing well after 2 years on the low-FODMAP diet for Fructose Malabsorption. New information comes out periodically from Monash Univ in Australia where the food is tested. Consult with a dietician/nutritionist who has been trained there for the most up to date information and how to structure a safe, nutritional meal plan for yourself. My dietican is in the Boston area and is training other nutritionists in the proper use of the low-FODMAP diet.
Remember that onions and garlic are huge offenders and must be avoided like the plague. The green part of spring onions are safe however. Garlic bulbs can be simmered in olive oil to infuse flavor into the oil, then must be discarded. The garlic infused oil will keep for 2 wks in the fridge

Better health everyone!

Apples, peaches and pears have polyols. Polyols bother me, but small amounts of fructose are ok. I can have some apple, but I don't really eat applesauce or drink apple juice anymore.

Too much fructose is bad for anyone - none of us are built to absorb a huge serving of it. Some people just need to use the restroom when a lot of fructose makes into their colon. Others of us have horrible IBS symptoms.