some newbie-ish questions

[Guest guest]

hi all:

i've been doing scd off and on for about a year. (yes, i know it

doesn't really work that way, but it's helped me get used to the idea

and observe how food affects me so that hopefully i can do it properly

from now on.) but to a great extent i still feel a little lost, with

both ibd and scd, and the pressure of so many questions and no one to

ask them of has just been building in that time. i'd really

appreciate if any of you have something to say about just a few of them:

1. i did a lactulose hydrogen breath test two weeks ago. i wasn't

doing so hot before that, but i'm pretty sure it was the lactulose

that tipped me over the edge into the worst flare i've had since being

diagnosed. does that seem plausible? has anyone else experienced

such a thing?

2. i used to take sulfasalazine, which i seemed to tolerate decently.

at the time of the test, i had switched to asacol and had been taking

it for about five weeks or so. asacol has lactose as a filler -- is

it possible for that to cause issues? could that be the reason i was

doing poorly even before the breath test? (i'm back to sulfa now,

just in case, but i was wondering if others had had a similar experience?)

3. i hadn't been having nuts for a long time, but toward the end of

december i made some almond flour goodies, which didn't agree with me.

does soaking/sprouting/blanching improve their digestibility

significantly, or shall i rigorously avoid nuts for a long time yet?

are, say, macadamias any easier to digest than almonds (being more fat

and less carb)?

4. i'd really like to try some legumes -- is that possible? what

level of healing is it prudent to wait for before trying them? i seem

to be able to tolerate green peas, or at least not to react violently

to them (or i could before all this started). is that a sign that

split peas would be ok? are green peas and string beans really easier

to digest than other beans? or should i be avoiding them for the time

being, as well?

5. this one is not quite about the _diet_ per se, but... how do you

deal with the depression of having been able to eat so many different

kinds of (scd-compliant) food a few weeks ago, and now being in a

flare and only eating hamburger meat and black bananas, only not even

that because no one sells ripe bananas and my son gets to them before

they ever ripen enough for me to eat? if there is ever a time i want

to cheat like crazy, it's when last week i was eating stir-fries and

curries, and then after some insult to the digestive tract (eg

lactulose, or whatever), i'm constantly in the bathroom and back to

square one, and wouldn't even have energy to prepare all those

interesting foods even if i thought my guts could handle it.

thank you for any insights!

anitra

[Guest guest]

Addressing your depression issues. On Jan 5, 08 when I started SCD, I didn't do the intro part because I overlooked it in reading the book. I started the intro on Feb. 5, 08 and I was a bit depressed the first day or two until I realized my symptoms were going away. I am holding on to that to keep me going through the diet. I am so scared to try new things because they all seem to bother me (except cooked carrots, squash and apples). Even the yogurt and DCCC give me problems; especially the DCCC. Saturday night, a friend ordered pizza, which is my ALL TIME FAVE FOOD, and the smell almost sent me running, but I just kept focusing on the fact that my symptoms are almost gone as long as I eat right and it got me through it without falling off the wagon or into depression. I'm a pessimist by nature, but I am finding that I have to focus on the positive to get through the negative. Hope this helps, Misty Kimble , LA CD SCD - jan 5, 08anitra wrote: hi all:i've been doing scd off and on for about a year. (yes, i know itdoesn't really work that way, but it's helped me get used to the ideaand observe how food affects me so that hopefully i can do it properlyfrom now on.) but to a great extent i still feel a little lost, withboth ibd and scd, and the pressure of so many questions and no one toask them of has just been

building in that time. i'd reallyappreciate if any of you have something to say about just a few of them:1. i did a lactulose hydrogen breath test two weeks ago. i wasn'tdoing so hot before that, but i'm pretty sure it was the lactulosethat tipped me over the edge into the worst flare i've had since beingdiagnosed. does that seem plausible? has anyone else experiencedsuch a thing?2. i used to take sulfasalazine, which i seemed to tolerate decently.at the time of the test, i had switched to asacol and had been takingit for about five weeks or so. asacol has lactose as a filler -- isit possible for that to cause issues? could that be the reason i wasdoing poorly even before the breath test? (i'm back to sulfa now,just in case, but i was wondering if others had had a similar experience?)3. i hadn't been having nuts for a long time, but toward the end ofdecember i made some almond flour goodies, which didn't

agree with me.does soaking/sprouting/blanching improve their digestibilitysignificantly, or shall i rigorously avoid nuts for a long time yet? are, say, macadamias any easier to digest than almonds (being more fatand less carb)?4. i'd really like to try some legumes -- is that possible? whatlevel of healing is it prudent to wait for before trying them? i seemto be able to tolerate green peas, or at least not to react violentlyto them (or i could before all this started). is that a sign thatsplit peas would be ok? are green peas and string beans really easierto digest than other beans? or should i be avoiding them for the timebeing, as well?5. this one is not quite about the _diet_ per se, but... how do youdeal with the depression of having been able to eat so many differentkinds of (scd-compliant) food a few weeks ago, and now being in aflare and only eating hamburger meat and black bananas, only not

eventhat because no one sells ripe bananas and my son gets to them beforethey ever ripen enough for me to eat? if there is ever a time i wantto cheat like crazy, it's when last week i was eating stir-fries andcurries, and then after some insult to the digestive tract (eglactulose, or whatever), i'm constantly in the bathroom and back tosquare one, and wouldn't even have energy to prepare all thoseinteresting foods even if i thought my guts could handle it.thank you for any insights!anitra

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