Sunmountain's Log

[Jennifer]

If you're having gut issues with the protein source (milk, cheese, yoghurt) then you're better off using something like micellar casein protein powder. Peat's objection to protein powders is that they lack nutrients and/or they contain impurities from the manufacturing process.

To address them, one need not bother with whey protein, which often contains added tryptophan and is devoid of calcium and other nutrients, and not purchase protein from a supplier that does not supply a Certificate Of Analysis (COA).

cantstoppeating, is there a particular brand of MCP powder you like best that you would recommend?

I'm in europe so my current supplier is http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/micellar-casein.html.

I would have recommended purebulk as a source, but their protein contains soy lecithen. I'm sure there's a similar bulk supplier that sells regular micellar casein protein, it's a very common supplement.

Combine MCP with some glycine or gelatin and you'll have a very potent anti-stress protein source without all the digestive/stomach issues.

Perfect! Thanks so much for the info, cantstoppeating! :)

 

[sunmountain]

The fatigue is baaaaaack!!!!

Achy joints are baaaaaaaack!!!!!

Muscle stiffness might be better after dropping the cultures.

Sucks.

Anyway, one good thing came about -- I've switched from yogurt and cottage cheese to farmer's cheese which has double the protein. It's also more versatile to cook with. And it doesn't take long to make it, and I know exactly what I'm putting in it -- milk and fresh lemon juice.

I tried the MCP before I left for Mx, and at that time it seemed to bloat me more. I had got it from NutraBio. No fillers etc.

Today I had a big breakfast and then didn't feel hungry till evening. I started to worry...where's my appetite. Then I became conscious of the worry and decided to relax and follow my hunger. I ate good in the evening, and still munching this and that. Maybe it's time for me to trust my hunger more and figure the body will make up what it missed. I don't think the body naturally eats the same amount every meal every day. That's the mind, not the body.

I look at my daughter, and while her eating is not ideal, she seems to make up whatever she missed, sometimes quite ferociously. I do remind her not to miss meals, though, pointing to myself as the case study...

I'm also eating more to taste. I've simplified my guidelines to: Avoid pufa as much as possible, Eat protein and sweet stuff as much as possible, go low on the starch and fat. The first two pretty much take care of the third guideline.

Charlie, what news??

 

[sunmountain]

Jennifer, I asked the GI scheduler about the million versus billion, and she checked and said they do million. Then I went back to my doc who ordered the test; she said to ask them where they get their test done. So tomorrow I'll call and find out.

How did you handle the million versus billion thing, Jen?

BigP, thanks for weighing in on the B12. I'll definitely ask my doc, especially if the breath test indicates SIBO.

thanks

 

[Jennifer]

Jennifer, I asked the GI scheduler about the million versus billion, and she checked and said they do million. Then I went back to my doc who ordered the test; she said to ask them where they get their test done. So tomorrow I'll call and find out.

How did you handle the million versus billion thing, Jen?

BigP, thanks for weighing in on the B12. I'll definitely ask my doc, especially if the breath test indicates SIBO.

thanks

Sorry to hear the fatigue and joint aches are back, sunmountain.

I had taken the SIBO test at least a year or two before I started seeing my current doctor who told me about the difference between the parts per million and parts per billion. I never retook the test so I'm not sure how to go about handling it, unfortunately. My doctor just treated me like I had SIBO and put me on the Neomycin. If you want, I could try calling my doctor to see how to go about getting the test done in parts per billion?

 

[sunmountain]

Ah, ok. Let me check with lab tomorrow and get back to my doc, and see where it goes. If we dead end, I'll request you ask. Thanks so much!

 

[sunmountain]

Tomorrow, I'm going to cut out my beloved goat milk for a week. No cafe con leche for a week.

Sucks.

Just wanna rule it out. I had no milk while in Mx.

 

[sunmountain]

Looks like I might need the reference of your doc, Jennifer, for the parts per billion. Or go in for parts per million. But have to decide soon as my doc is suggesting I see GI again, this time a friend of mine, but she's going to insist on the colonscopy, I know.
thanks

 

[Blossom]

Looks like I might need the reference of your doc, Jennifer, for the parts per billion. Or go in for parts per million. But have to decide soon as my doc is suggesting I see GI again, this time a friend of mine, but she's going to insist on the colonscopy, I know.
thanks

They may be able to do a colonoscopy using just a special camera with no radiation. I'm not 100% certain but I'd definitely ask about that option.

 

[Peat's_Girl]

It does suck, sorry you're experiencing fatigue and achiness. It does sound like what I have too, and I still haven't figured it out. Maybe cutting out milk IS your best bet, I know protein is difficult to obtain otherwise, which is a catch 22...
I seem to do better on hard cheeses and they have a good amount of protein (10g for a 30cm cube; this is the fat reduced variety). The richest and safest source of protein would probably be gelatin, and it's awesome for your bones. It always makes you surprisingly full!
I hope you feel better!

 

[Jennifer]

Looks like I might need the reference of your doc, Jennifer, for the parts per billion. Or go in for parts per million. But have to decide soon as my doc is suggesting I see GI again, this time a friend of mine, but she's going to insist on the colonscopy, I know.
thanks

Sure thing! I'll try getting through to my doctor on Monday. :)

 

[SQu]

Re aching and fatigue, the other thing with me is stress hormones. When they're higher I ache. There are other signs eg higher pulse, so I know.

 

[Jennifer]

Sunmountain, I called my doctor this morning and spoke with the nurse. She wasn't sure how to go about getting the SIBO test done in parts per billion so she left a note to ask Dr. Oteri and hopefully she'll have an answer for me by this evening. I'll keep you posted!

I Hope the fatigue and pain have subsided and you're feeling much better. :)

 

[sunmountain]

Thanks, Jennifer!

I don't know how to say this, but I feel like I'm in a different body since stopping the milk a couple of days ago. Joints and muscles less achy, quite a bit so. Fatigue is still there, but it is qualitatively different if that makes sense, and not so debilitating as before. I'm waking up less tired.

My body seems to be adjusting to this new state, so can't say what will happen next. Had a bit of diarrhea today after second cup coffee (NOT cafe con leche ) so took pepto. Have not had diarrhea since Mx.

 

[sunmountain]

Stomach still sticking out, but a bit less, and softer instead of the hard sticking out. Also gassiness has resolved.

 

[Jennifer]

That's a great sign, sunmountain! It's good that you're testing things out. I'm giving the goat milk a fair trial run and if it doesn't work out well for me, I'll have to drop dairy completely.

I didn't receive a call back from my doctor's office so I'll see if they call me in the morning and if not, I'll give them a call in the afternoon. I know you need an answer soon so hopefully they'll have it for me by tomorrow.

 

[charlie]

Jennifer, thank you for the ricotta cheese and turkey suggestions!!

tara, thanks so much for reminding be about the homemade farmers cheese! I look forward to bringing this back into my diet. I love putting jellies and jams on it, and I am also going to try the cheesecakes and other things sunmountain mentioned.

sunmounntain, thats great about more protein for the homemade cheese! So truly this works out for the better since we know mostly whats going into making our cheese, plus twice the protein! Do you have your cheesecake recipe posted on the forum? I think I am gonna try it out.

I did 200mgs for a starting dose on the doxycyline, then 200 mgs 2 or 3 times a day for about 4 days. I saw zero improvement and started getting pains so I quit the doxy. About 3 or 4 days after quitting the doxy I started seeing improvement, still to early to tell but I think things are going in the right direction now for my gut. Stopping the yogurt and cottage cheese was definitely a good move.

 

[sunmountain]

Update: things have definitely improved since quitting milk, yogurt, cottage cheese. Yesterday, after I drank coffee, my stomach swelled up in the old way and gassiness returned. I realized that I was probably reacting to the splash of goat milk in my coffee (NOT cafe con leche anymore; just a measly splash).

I went online and studied lactose content in various dairy, and learned some very interesting things. Such as that the more fat the dairy has, the less lactose. And that heavy whipping cream has less lactose than milk, possibly enough to make a difference, I thought. Plus I've had a splash of regular milk (not goat) or heavy whipping cream in tea for years pre-Peat.

So I went running to get heavy whipping cream, and sure enough, no sudden bloat today with coffee.

What a learning experience.

So now the fatigue and aches and pains are better, but stomach still out though less, and fatigue not all gone. Also noticed waterlogged feeling last couple days, so today going to acupuncture. Massage would have been better, but can't get appt till next week. Hoping these modalities will help with the waterlogging.

I'm eager to try the minocycline, but thinking maybe get breath test done first, even if parts per million. I had the same idea as Charlie, to start out with 200mg and see if that makes a difference. Of course I'm scared to death of 200mg as it was tough tolerating 100mg the last time I tried.

A BIG THANKS to Charlie for having posted about the link to yogurt which led to my identifying the milk/yogurt intolerance. I will post the cheesecake recipe soon!

 

[Dean]

Have you tried non-fat milk powder? I make a real concentrated version with added sugar that enables me to pack in a greek yogurt amount of protein without drowning myself in liquid. I've had issues with any and every kind of milk, but so far, so good with this.

As far as the homemade "ricotta" cheese goes, I think it actually is more like cottage cheese, which makes a major difference in terms of calcium:phosphorus ratio. Don't know what the rest of your diet is or your level of concern is with that ratio, but thought I'd point that out. You can punch cottage and ricotta cheese into cron-o-meter and see that the difference is much more than semantics.

 

[Blossom]

I'm glad you figured this out sunmountain!

 

[Jennifer]

Yeah, sunmountain, I would go with whatever breath test you can get at this point. My doctor still hasn't gotten back to me and I'm suspecting I won't have an answer till it's too late. Unfortunately, if you've been reading my log, you'll notice this is one area that I'm forever having a problem with when it's comes to my doctor's office. Sorry about that!