X-Post: VSG, PPIs, Gluten, Iron Absorption - my research & experiment

Hi Diane, yep no problem at all with B12 or with my D, both of which seem slightly high to my doc, but are within safe levels, so I am not concerned. Labs actually were fantastic, including lipids etc, other than the ferritin, so things are actually pretty manageable!

 I also have acid reflux if I miss a dose of nexium.  

I would also like to get off the Nexium as soon as possible.

If a gluten free diet does it?...then I will do that.  I want to know how it goes for you so please keep us posted.  

I just checked my lab spreadsheet to check my Ferritin levels, and noticed that is was 136 on 6/11 but I don't have the levels for most recent blood tests.  I changed docs and I guess she didn't order that one.  Must have that checked next tiime. 

I don't think I quite understand how a gluten intolerance can make the stomach a more acid filled environment.  I thought the gluten made your intestines mad once it got there.  If you have the time and can explain it to me I would love to know.  

Have you tried of heard of other ways to get off the nexium?  

Thank for sharing your research!!!!


 

I'm not clear on the mechanics of the connection between gluten and reflux myself - I have done some reading, and there are a lot of articles linking gluten intolerance with reflux, but not attributing this to an increase in volume of acid production.

In terms of malabsorption, the cause, as you mentioned, is damage to the intestines ... I suspect in my case the poor absorption is more due to the Nexium, which is required because of the reflux, which may be caused in part by the gluten ... thus my experiment. Will post about how it goes!

I don't eat gluten free but I bake for some people with celiac disease so I do some gluten-free baking and it's pretty easy to make stuff delicious and also gluten-free. Protein powder, for example, makes a great flour. You have to add some more baking powder to get the recipe to "fluff up" but that's about it.

In fact, I rarely eat anything with gluten in it these days as I don't like bread or pasta that much and nothing else I eat has gluten in it.

I am working on some recipes right now! For me, it is really a matter of finding the intersection of lower carb and gluten free - as often low carb recipes rely on vital wheat gluten, and the gluten free stuff often has a lot of white rice etc, which I don't want to start with! I choose to look at the whole thing as a challenge and an adventure, rather than another tedious set of restrictions. I actually think that eating out will be the most challenging, but manageable nonetheless!

I just wanted to let you know that I've been gluten free for 2 years due to a severe allergy to wheat, rye, and barley, plus oats.  I have to carry an epi-pen and wear a med alert bracelet it's so severe.

My doc put me on Zantac back in December because the airborne reaction caused anaphylactic shock just as much as eating it would do.  The Zantac is an acid reducer, but it's also a histamine 2 blocker.  Since I've been on it, my stomach acid is finally under control, and I can now be around gluten.  I stopped taking Nexium, it wasn't doing much for me anyway.

Before the Zantac, I could not be in anybodies houses, bakeries, bread isle and bakery of the grocery store, and no restaurants because it's in the air.  If anyone broke out a cookie in a waiting room, I would have to stand outside. 

I'll never be able to eat the stuff again, but I am happy to report that Zantac has given this bubble girl her life back.  I can go places and socialize again without fear. 

Also, I stomped my feet in anger for the first year because I had to give it up, but it gets better and you get real use to it after awhile.  I'm to the point where I am at peace with it.  Living without gluten beats the hell out of being sick 24/7 and not knowing what was wrong with me.  The day I was dignosed, was a sweet sweet day, and I got well within a week of cutting it out of my diet.  It will be 2 years this April.  Even though it was sweet, it was very challenging to navigate the gluten free world at first, but it got better.  It took time, and a huge learning curve to make peace with it.  I would rather be well than eat gluten and be sick, that is for sure!

Margo, you have so much on your proverbial plate right now.  I am particularly interested in how you do with the gluten free, how your body reacts.  I so get it about not wanting to give up more foods.  I was eating pretty much paleo/primal before surgery and hoped to find a bit more variety afterwards.  That said, I have been seriously thinking about the gluten issue as my mom had Celiac and I have shown some symptoms, particularly when I eat Barley which runs right through me.  I'm wondering if eating low carb for years kept the gluten issue off my radar.  I have seriously wondered if my slow rate of weight loss could have been contributed to by gluten issues.  Thinking about dumping gluten, even though I don't consume that much of it, really makes me want to stomp my feet and complain.  But if it would improve how I feel in my body, I might (said very softly) be willing to look at it.  My ferritin is slowly going down but still in good ranges.

Please keep us updated on how you do.

Lee, I think about you often, knowing your mom had Celiacs, and it is definetly a genetic disorder.  I believe you are right that you have kept it at bay through low carbing for years. 

My friend who is a doctor, believes that I kept my allergy at bay for years due to low carbing.  But, once I wasn't low carbing anymore and eating lots of gluten, my allergies  exploded and became severe. 

I would guess you kept celiacs at bay for the same reason.  Or, you could be a silent celiac, with very few symptoms, but harming your body silently, especially your intestinal villi.  If your labs keep dropping it could be from blunting of the villi which would cause malabsorption of nutrients....as you know...(I realize that I am preaching to the choir here...LOL)

 Thanks Trish!  I think you may be right.  It gives me a lot to think about!

HI Margo, I'm a little late here because I haven't been on for a few days. I was taking Prevacid daily and also wanted to get off of it. I was able to go to every other day, but could never get to every third day or off because the acid would build up.

I stared Paleo mid January and was able to stop my Prevacid. There were a few times I needed some Tums to get over the hump, but I'm now off of the acid blocker. I don't know why it worked, I just remember a blurb in the book that I read stating the diet helps with acid reflux.

I'm not perfect with my Paleo eating and have had a few relapses and still no problems with acid.

I really do think there is a rebound effect. I hope you can make it over the hump!

Jen