Anyone else suddenly CAN'T eat meat?

[AlisterCat]

I've had poorly controlled type 1 diabetes for a decade. 3 years ago I suddenly started having severe gastric distress that has only gotten worse. I just woke up one day after happily eating meat for 22 years. I've been going to various hospitals to figure out what is wrong, and most just say gastroparesis but I have been unsatisfied with this conclusion (and the botox injections to my stomach did nothing).

The way it presents itself is: eating meat (beef, chicken, fish etc) eggs, and some other high protein foods causes a lot of gastro related problems. 12 - 24 hours after I start to bloat, have rotten uncontrollable gas from both ends non stop and am constipated, with diarrhoea backed up behind that which usually follows a day after I eat meat. It keeps me bed/toilet ridden for at least 2 days.

My problem is that not a single Gastroenterologist or Diabetes specialist that I've seen has ever heard of gatroparesis happening specifically for meat. Some of the symptoms are the same, but it's usually a general digestion issue.

• I have been checked for common gastro conditions and have none of them.
• None of the drugs they've offered work.
• My gastric emptying study showed slightly delayed emptying but nothing major.
• An autonomic dysfunction test showed some results but I am unclear on this.
• Clear endoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I am mostly fine as long as I don't eat meat but this has been a very distressing 3 years for me and makes me miserable regarding my future.

Not sure this if this is the right place to be asking this, but it has forced me vegetarian.

 

[fletchweb]

I've had poorly controlled type 1 diabetes for a decade. 3 years ago I suddenly started having severe gastric distress that has only gotten worse. I just woke up one day after happily eating meat for 22 years. I've been going to various hospitals to figure out what is wrong, and most just say gastroparesis but I have been unsatisfied with this conclusion (and the botox injections to my stomach did nothing).

Interesting , I just read this article http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/tick-bite-meat-allergy-spreading-spd/ not too long ago. About an insect (tick) that when it bites you makes you allergic to meat. I'm a meat eater so the article kind of resonated with me. Have you had any ticks attached to you lately?

 

[DCUKMod]

I've had poorly controlled type 1 diabetes for a decade. 3 years ago I suddenly started having severe gastric distress that has only gotten worse. I just woke up one day after happily eating meat for 22 years. I've been going to various hospitals to figure out what is wrong, and most just say gastroparesis but I have been unsatisfied with this conclusion (and the botox injections to my stomach did nothing).

The way it presents itself is: eating meat (beef, chicken, fish etc) eggs, and some other high protein foods causes a lot of gastro related problems. 12 - 24 hours after I start to bloat, have rotten uncontrollable gas from both ends non stop and am constipated, with diarrhoea backed up behind that which usually follows a day after I eat meat. It keeps me bed/toilet ridden for at least 2 days.

My problem is that not a single Gastroenterologist or Diabetes specialist that I've seen has ever heard of gatroparesis happening specifically for meat. Some of the symptoms are the same, but it's usually a general digestion issue.

• I have been checked for common gastro conditions and have none of them.
• None of the drugs they've offered work.
• My gastric emptying study showed slightly delayed emptying but nothing major.
• An autonomic dysfunction test showed some results but I am unclear on this.
• Clear endoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I am mostly fine as long as I don't eat meat but this has been a very distressing 3 years for me and makes me miserable regarding my future.

Not sure this if this is the right place to be asking this, but it has forced me vegetarian.

Hi @AlisterCat - Your symptoms would sound like my own, should I mistakenly eat gluten, if you added crushing fatigue in there.

I'm going to tag @donnellysdogs in to your thread, as I know she has some pretty big issues with her "system".

I do hope you get to the bottom of it (sorry, please ignore the pun!) and feel better soon.

 

[Snapsy]

@AlisterCat that sounds rotten. Sending strength. I've no experience of what you're experiencing so can't offer any advice myself, but I wonder if @donnellysdogs might be of some support with this?

 

[Snapsy]

Great minds think alike, @DCUKMod ! Crossed posts!

 

[DCUKMod]

Great minds think alike, @DCUKMod ! Crossed posts!

DD will take out an harassment order on us Snapsy!

 

[Brunneria]

Goodness, that sounds miserable.
The only question i can think of asking is have they tested whether you are producing sufficient stomach acid?

 

[donnellysdogs]

Hi!!

DD here and boy, yes I have exactly the same problems with all meat.

My transit test still showed 56 markers out of 60 at 5 days so is very, very slow and it has been a long time to be honest to get stabilised.

So if you know its meat. Stop eating it. Easier said than done though.. but it is ok. I forgot a few weeks back whilst cooking sausages for hubby and dog-97% meat heck ones.. they looked so good and smelt so lovely I completely forgot and tried one. Agony, distended stomach, bloating and chronic, chronic constipation. Colon can not handle.

So, this also leaves us with a possibility of needing iron. I buy pomi-t tablets and also have mushed over cooked broccoli everyday. Although over cooked the iron is still in it. It keeps me low levels with my bloods but not needing transfusions in hospital.

I survive on roasted butternut squash, cauliflower cheese, parsnips, swede mashed and the only way I can eat any meat is corned beef hash. Thats it.

I cannot moan. I also have had amitiza (lubiprostone) for a year (not the standard authorised two weeks), dulcolax and picolax. I also have phosphate enemas but hate them so have less pain and agony/discomfort if I have picolax.

I monitored every single food I ate and have an excellent gastroenterologist who told me to avoid peas or anything with shells like chickpeas. Bread, pasta, rice is also a no,no. No fruit or veg with skins on. No tomatos or onions. Nothing stringy like leeks or runner beans.

I am stabilised and I also never allow myself to have 3 days without a bowel movement. On 3rd day I have to have a picolax. I have dulcolax sugar free liquid on repeat prescription as I can vary the amount I take.

Stupud dietitian recommended 6 small meals a day for me. This wasnt enjoyable for me. I stick mainly to my one meal a day. It was a small reaplate of food and perhaps a smoothie (homemade) when I felt I could handle it. But nowadays I am up to a small dinner plate of food. So tonight for example I had caulifliwer cheese as my main veg with broccoli and butternut squash. This has been my 3rd day of eating this.

Weekends I can handle lovely M&S beer battered cod with scraps with mushy veg for two days. Then We'll make a big pan of corned beef hash (not with potato) but with cauliflower, broccoli, bnut squash, and swede and a couple frozen chunks of spinach in it. (I can eat frozen spinach in a hash as well)-think thats because its cut up so, so small by the frozen food company, oh and two eggs and the very end tips of asparagus.

If I make smoothie it can have a lump of frozen spinach in it but not fresh.
In smoothies I can get away with putting in a whole apple with skin..melon, coconut milk and blueberries and yogurt and mango/strawberries/raspberries.

I do not take any painkillers at all. Painkillers even like paracetemol disrupt my colon working.

I also use a vibration plate as guaranteed if I do it jigs my colon and it helps it work.

Keffir is good but if can't handle that I take a probiotic but I do not waste money on expensive or health food shop ones. It is essential to have good flora and I use only natureMedical Healthy Probiotic Bacteria made by the same company as the Pomi-t tablets. I can honestly 100% say that these tablets have definitely helped my stomach and colon.

I also take oil of oregano tablets. My gastroenerologist reckons this is what has kept my small intestine with good flora as he was expacting me to fail SIBO tests.

I am religious about monitoring my food/bowel habits and only vary one food at a time for 3 days in a row so I can monitor how food teavels and for horrible transit pain and lumps travelling in my colon.

Will come back later with anything else I remember but meat is not everything and there are plenty of alternatives... honest.

You arent the only one, although my goodness it feels as if we are!!

 

[donnellysdogs]

You will find that a low fibre diet will help.. meat is not low fibre..

 

[donnellysdogs]

Also, you may think its just meat that causes this reaction but you need to start at basics... cut out foods that are containing lots of fibre such as bread, pasta, cakes as well.
Cut out for a week. Then re introduce only one thing for a week.

diarrhea can be overflow due to the constipation...so eliminate the constipation and diarrhoea will improve.

Many gastro's will say you need more fibre... I had some say this to me but my best gastroenterologist has totally said the opposite and he was right. When diabetes team sent me to a dietitian she said to add in condensed milk and icecream!! Condensed milk according to gastro was the least advisable food to add!
He also recommended no tomatoes or onions and was absolutely right on that. He was also delighted that I was adding turmeric and black pepper in. However patients on blood thinners like warfain should not add in turmeric or oil if oregano capsules.

I hope this makes sense.
@Kristin251 also has probs with foods and limits her intake to specific foods as well. Not sure I've spelt tag name right though...

 

[Kristin251]

I have a horrid stomach but veggies are worse than proteins for me. The fiber in veggies always bloat me. Moderate protein and healthy fat like avocado , mayo, olive oil all are ok. If not over eaten of course. Veggies mess me up. Fats and pot in work. Even mushy veg lik @donnellysdogs does down work. LOW fiber is best but low nutrients? Fighting bg and stomach and nutrients. Tough.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

You will find that a low fibre diet will help.. meat is not low fibre..

So meat is high fibre?

 

[donnellysdogs]

So meat is high fibre?

What I meant was the fact that slower colons cannot break down the stringy effects of meat easily and also fat in porkchops or belly pork is a kilkernfor me! Also sausage skins cannot be broken down either and can become wrapped up in colon travel and then all these unbroken down tough digestion foods cause colon further problems with speed, water ends up being sucked out of poo and it ends up being absolutely horrendous in its travels through colon.

It is the fibrous meats like steak, pork, good ham, and even chicken that colon can really struggle with for me compared to trying to push through wet sludgy veg.again even skins on peas, tomatoes and leafy products can be hell for me. One spinach leaf will come out as swallowed but all twisted around itself. This action is not food being digested but pain and discomfort from it not being transported and broken down properly due to the fibrous textures in meat and also even bread and pasta is exactly the same.

Does that make sense, its the fibrous texture not the fibre content. I
dont know whether its same for liver or kidney as I dislike it..

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

What I meant was the fact that slower colons cannot break down the stringy effects of meat easily and also fat in porkchops or belly pork is a kilkernfor me! Also sausage skins cannot be broken down either and can become wrapped up in colon travel and then all these unbroken down tough digestion foods cause colon further problems with speed, water ends up being sucked out of poo and it ends up being absolutely horrendoys in its travels through colon.

Ut us the fibroys meats like steak, pork, good ham, and even chicken that colon can really struggle with for me compared to trying to push through wet sludgy veg.again even skins on peas, tomatoes and leafy products can be hell for me. One spunach leafwill come out as swallowed but all twisted around itself. This action is not food being digested but pain and discomfort from it not being transported and broken down properly due to the fibrous textures in meat and also even bread and pasta is exactly the same.

Does that make sense, its the fibroys texture not the fibre content. Indont knownwhether its same for luver or kudney as I dislike it..

That's sounds really terrible. I think for people with a healthy digestive system, meat is almost completely broken down by stomach acid and bile before reaching the colon (unlike fibre).

 

[donnellysdogs]

I agree with stomachs workng but under stomach emptying studies all food should be gone out of stomach within 4 hours. If it doesnt then things can be made even worse.
The trouble is also that some carbohydrates can pass undigested to the large intestine where they may be broken down by the intestinal bacterias. If those carbohydrates also dont get the intestinal bacteria working on them, then that too can cause problems.

People arent aware of problems such as gastrititis that can occur in stomach too. The stomach is meant to release acid and enzymes to break down food. Gastritis can give feelings of always being full and can lead to ulcers and tumours.

Its a complex minefield and like diabetes or any illness we can all have similarities or a few of us can find things different.

With my stomach I need to stay away from acidic foods which is classified as meat, breads and white grains.

Most veg is ok but tomatoes and onions irritate my stomach badly and this follows downward.

Its a minefield which is why its so individual for persons to try basic fresh fruit & veg first.. and log results, try adding in one food for 3-7 days and see effects. I have to do 7 days as intestines are so slow. If you can tolerate basics then you can venture more but logging it in brain or on records how you feel....

 

[Kristin251]

I agree with stomachs workng but under stomach emptying studies all food should be gone out of stomach within 4 hours. If it doesnt then things can be made even worse.
The trouble is also that some carbohydrates can pass undigested to the large intestine where they may be broken down by the intestinal bacterias. If those carbohydrates also dont get the intestinal bacteria working on them, then that too can cause problems.

People arent aware of problems such as gastrititis that can occur in stomach too. The stomach is meant to release acid and enzymes to break down food. Gastritis can give feelings of always being full and can lead to ulcers and tumours.

Its a complex minefield and like diabetes or any illness we can all have similarities or a few of us can find things different.

With my stomach I need to stay away from acidic foods which is classified as meat, breads and white grains.

Most veg is ok but tomatoes and onions irritate my stomach badly and this follows downward.

Its a minefield which is why its so individual for persons to try basic fresh fruit & veg first.. and log results, try adding in one food for 3-7 days and see effects. I have to do 7 days as intestines are so slow. If you can tolerate basics then you can venture more but logging it in brain or on records how you feel....

Have you ever tried HCL ( hydrochloric acid)to replace your low acid? It worked for me.

I'm kind of the opposite. I can digest animal / fish proteins in modest wianties but not veggies no matter how long I cook them. I growl and bloat and then bs rises as well. I wish I could eat them as I haven't met one I didn't like. I too need a low fiber diet and the lighter veg like salad greens are the worst. Same with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage. Green beans in small amounts without hard skins. Nothing with seeds or skins.
I'm doing good with micro greens and they have loads of nutrients. Right now I have kale and broccoli. Similar to sprouts but higher nutrition and easy on the digestion.

You know I feel your pain @donnellysdogs

 

[donnellysdogs]

Ditto back @Kristin 251.

I dont think people with good digestive systems really appreciate those that dont and the difficulties.

I do now look at it very positively. What I dont spend on food I can spend on nice things for us like my puppy dog and more..... puppy dog makes me a lot happier than 5 mins of food each day!

Does prove how we can all get so many differences but we are all human!!

 

[JTL]

Nothing to do with your problems really but I've suddenly gone off mushrooms.
Loved them all my life and now they look disgusting and taste dreadful.
How that happened I have no idea.
I do think our bodies tell us things though.
I've also gone off pork and have no idea why.

 

[Freema]

There is some evidence that a tick bite might cause intolerence towards eating meat
http://relay.nationalgeographic.com.../2017/06/tick-bite-meat-allergy-spreading-spd
Have you had a tick bite lately ?

 

[Kristin251]

Nothing to do with your problems really but I've suddenly gone off mushrooms.
Loved them all my life and now they look disgusting and taste dreadful.
How that happened I have no idea.
I do think our bodies tell us things though.
I've also gone of pork and have no idea why.

No pork for me. Upset tummy. Mushrooms raise me stupid but my beloved y gravy watered down with extra herbs and garlic oil fix it. Weird. Same aversion to same foods