Have I made myself lactose/gluten intollerant?

SaresMansell

I've been eating paleo for about 2 weeks, yesterday the boyfriend and I had a huge pizza hut blowout, it included pizza, mac and cheese, cheesy bites, breaded chicken, and cookie dough and ice cream. This morning I feel rotten, I feel sick, bloated, stomach achey and lethargic. I'm slightly worried that I've given myself an intollerance by avoiding these foods. I've eaten this much before and not felt this bad after.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm just a bit worried

livlovra

I think I have - been primal since Jan but slipping off the wagon re sugar lately. Not great but no dramatic side affects, but the moment I have any wheat now I imediately feel bloated and have tummy cramps. I have never experiences gluten intolerance before and would have pasta at least once a week. Now it is totally out of the question and I think it has increased my sensitivity to it by avoiding it. I still let my kids have some wheat occationally just so this doesn't happen to them but already if they have pasta and bread in the same day they almost always say they have a sore tummy in the evening, so think it might already have happened.

Sugar is my nemesis at the moment. I was doing fine but recently I just can't seem to get through the day without chocolate. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and need to watch I don't develop gestational diabetes so its really cucial I get a grip on it. The side effects with sugar are probably worse but less obviously noticible which is a shame. I wish sugar gave me a sore tum too. it would help me avoid it. :happy:

TriLifter

I'm pretty sure two weeks wouldn't cause an intolerance. Remember that feeling next time you want to do something like that again.

shar140

Did you make yourself intolerant? No. You detoxed most of it out of your system, so you notice symptoms now.

I already knew I was lactose intolerant, but it was mostly milk that gave me issues (cheese, yogurt are ok). It wasn't until after a few months of being primal, that I finally figured out I was gluten intolerant - though my symptoms can vary depending on source and amount of glutening (headaches, lethargy, tummy issues, achy joints, etc). So I just avoid gluten all the time now, even when I go off course - I stick with rice and potatoes and ice cream/candy. My only vice is beer! Though I've been trying to choose cider instead.

But I've also had other health issues clear up that I didn't know were related to gluten: chronic acid reflux, eczema, IBS, to name a few.

MikeFlyMike

exactly - your body is beginning to finally digest food and you threw something at it, it doesn't like. One interesting thing about primal/paleo is that "cheats" often are unsatisfying for exactly this reason. If you have been good about your sugars, things don't taste the same, that piece of cake, just isn't really all that good etc. Then you get a reminder for several days.

For me, my shoulder hurts the next day without fail. It just ain't worth it usually.

ngyoung

Sometimes all it takes is being free of grains or dairy to realize how sensitive you actually were to them. Plus your body is adapting and reprogramming itself to digesting all the foods you are eating on a paleo/primal diet and then you dumped in a bunch of stuff that it wasn't geared up for eating. When you were eating those food before your body likely had built up several things to deal with the toxins and other junk. After you started eating cleaner it likely stopped doing that and has been flushing all that un-needed stuff out of your body.

homesweeths

Agreeing with previous posters. I'd add that I imagine your gut has been healing itself in the time you've been off gluten and dairy. It is likely that you were already intolerant, but your gut had been so damaged that you were sort of numbed to the effects of the food. As your gut healed, you started feeling better and if you're like other people I know, feeling better came so gradually you didn't even realize how much things had changed until you assaulted your gut with more gluten and lactose.

Oh, and it might not be lactose, it might instead be casein, the protein found in milk that has a similar structure to gluten. I'm casein intolerant -- I used to be able to cheat by limiting myself to high-fat dairy (cream, sour cream, half n half, full fat cheese, ice cream) or drinking raw milk (which contains enzymes that help you digest the milk).

I'm told it takes 30-45 days for all the gluten to get out of your system, and can take six months or more for your gut to heal completely.

So, continuing to feed gluten/dairy to your children so that they don't react, might mean that you are actually damaging their digestive systems which can lead to other health problems down the road. Not meaning to lay a guilt trip by saying this, it's just something to think over.

zazielascaux

Looks like you were intolerant to start with, and just so used to symptoms you didn't notice that much. You've had a break from them now, so the effect jumps out at you. Plus your body is saying to you "Go back to that? Hell no!" Maybe best listen to it...

Wantingtolose1

I did gluten free a couple months ago for a few weeks and when I ate gluten again I was sick for days after that though I was fine in the sense that I was no longer running to the toilet, stomach etc but I know I felt a lot better when I was off it( more energy, less mood swings, no fog brain) so considering going paleo now to get rid of grains all together and see how it changes the way I feel. I think as others said your body reacted when you ate the gluten bud if you keep eating it you won't have such a severe reaction but may notice smaller things that it changes about you

DesdemonaRose

Eating large amounts of something your not use to can make you sick, even for foods that are not generally allergy causing. I've seen it happen to Kosher eaters who were introduced to pig fat (in eggs at a camp site, cooked by the staff there). They were not massivly sick (and the eggs didn't bother some of us who didn't follow diet rules, like me) just a little yuck in the stomach.

I agree it's completely possible that you had a mild intollerance before but your body just dealt with it. Just take it easy the next time and try not to binge on things your body is not use too.

carrieann8

I "cheated" yesterday too. I had a bun on my hamburger and I had forbidden french fries.... And I'm feeling the same way like my whole body hated me for it! Lol!

diana031394

I had a similar experience. I drastically reduced the amount of gluten I was consuming. (Didn't worry too much about small amounts in sauces, etc., and even had some chicken baked with light breading, etc.) Then, I started eating lots of it again with every meal. It took a couple of days for it to really catch up with me but then I suddenly felt like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz with my joints stiffening up ~ it was terrible. I eliminated gluten pretty well completely and after a couple of days I felt great. I'm really amazed at how much the symptoms have cleared up. I'm avoiding dairy, too, just in case although I do have small amounts, it's mostly coconut milk, etc. I am increasing my activity and I believe my body continues to heal more and more the longer that I am off of it.

Sprinkelss

From PaleoMom: "It sometimes feels as though the longer we avoid gluten, the more sick we feel after accidentally eating some. This is in large part because the body stops protecting itself from gluten (for example, there may be less mucus in the gut) so when we do consume some, we are defenseless. It may also be because we forget how we used to feel and are so used to feeling so much healthier."

Check out the article: http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/09/how-long-does-it-take-the-gut-to-repair-after-gluten-exposure.html

This isn't a diet to loose weight this is a lifestyle change, as such most paleo diet suggests cheats but GF cheats. Also you didnt just eat a bun, you had a large quantity of highly processed grains, you shocked the heck out of your system.