False pretences

[charlie]

Hi all, Megs and I had the pleasure of meeting up with Bill last week which was great for Megs. she finally had someone to properly share her food with and had a lovely time baking cakes and scones for tea.

But we may still be here under false pretences. We have been to see the gastro chap again and they are still convinced that Meg has fructose malabsorbtion. My main questions to him have been prompted by Megs frequent sneaking food, the most recent of which was 9 ice creams/lollies out of a supermarket multi-variety box. Packed with sugar. But she wasn't ill, she was a bit hyper for a while and a bit mood swings but not ill. So I think that my original theory that something else is going on may be correct as they now think she may have ADHD - explains the drunk episodes maybe.

Anyway, they want to try her on the FODMAP diet which I have researched a bit last year and didn't pursue as I was too scared to. Basically it is based on short-chain carbohydrates. Basically they consist of fructans in wheat, onions and artichokes, as well as slightly in asparagus, leeks, garlic, chickory roots. Also galactans in legumes (soy, beans, chickpeas, lentils) cabbage and brusell sprouts. So I have to take her off wheat - great!!
Also fructose-rich foods such as honey, dried fruits and lots of other fruits.
But I can also introduce low fodmap fruits and vegetables, banana,blueberry, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime, mandarin orange, orange, raspberry, strawberry. Also a few veg, carrots, celery, corn, lettuce, parsnip and tomato!

But the biggest thing is that she can have sucrose, glucose and maple syrup!!!! I will be very reluctant to try them but then maybe - you never know. Only trouble is these may be triggering her ADHD so she still may not be able to have them!!

Maybe if I try her on a mouthful of fruit each day and see what happens with these first. She is very excited about this progress - for some reason most keen to try kiwi. But avocado are out. Her main reaction nowadays seems to be major tantrums and blank episodes so I always put it down to foods but if that is due to ADHD then maybe if we treat that then it opens up her diet a bit. I don't know- I'll sleep on it.

[ukbill]

Megan is a wonderful bright and happy girl, It was a real pleasure meeting you both.

This Diet looks interesting..

Being old.. (but not feeling it) I remember a diet which was around some 25+ years ago where people separated Carbohydrates from Protein foods..

I seem to remember by at least 4 to 6 hours.. to do the same thing.. reduce IBS.

I talked to someone who was on it and they said it really worked.. so long as you kept the time separation between the food groups.

The main reason it did not "take off" as a popular diet is many nice foods are both high in Protein and Carbohydrates are so off the list.

And also its so difficult to eat a meal of Vegetables only.. then 6 hours later a meal of meat or fish only.. makes cooking really difficult!

The reason I would NEVER entertain it is NO BACON and EGG BUTTIES!
(sandwiches).. I think I would have to kill someone if I was denied a bacon sandwich occasionally.

Now that's Real soul food!

How this diet is supposed to work for a DFI I am not sure.. seems to have no correlation to anything I understand about the condition.. but then that might well be my (admitted) lack of knowledge on the subject.

[kim55]

Charlie, good luck with the new diet! I hope it works for Megs.

I was a bit bothered by the suggestion of ADHD triggered by food causing her symptoms. I have done quite a bit of reading about ADHD and I did not think any studies had ever verified the link between sugar and hyperactivity. If you know of some, please let me know.

My own opinion is that there may be some conditions affecting blood sugar where the symptoms are similar to ADHD, but they are not the "classic" ADHD, which has to do with the way the brain is wired and is often inherited. So be very careful if they try to prescribe any type of stimulant medication for Megs.

Of course, I think most doctors understand ADD/ADHD about as well as they understand fructose intolerance, which means not at all.

And yes, I have been diagnosed as ADD, and my son as ADHD. Neither of us takes medication for it.

[Edit] Oh, and if you want to know what I mean by "classic" ADD/ADHD, I walked over to the computer to post this and completely forgot that the gas was on under a pan on the stove. Fortunately, nothing burned up.

[charlie]

Hi Kim,

I do that but I can only confess to old age as the cause!!!!!!!

We are only on the early stages of ADHD. I always thought it was a diagnosis they gave unruly kids when they couldn't blame anything else. However having read up on it they may be on the right track, more ADD. Except when she has glucose then she appears as tho drunk. But Bill has posted before about the euphoria effect of glucose so it may be that.

She had her first banana for 4 years today, she was very excited about it and has been very energetic this afternoon!!!!!. I felt banana was the easiest thing to try first. Will give it a few days before we try anything else, especially as we are going camping for the weekend!!!!

Bill, the diet you are thinking of is a different one - the food combining diet which I have done a few times and lost lots of weight on but didn't continue as it is very difficult to follow longterm. As you say - bacon sandwiches were my downfall ;D

This one works on oligo- / poly and di-saccharides and the balance ratio of glucose to frutose in the foods, basically they believe that the glucose can pull the fructose through the bowel wall if balanced but if high in fructose molecules it doesn't get absorbed through the bowel and attracts water through the villi into the bowel causing bloating and gas. As I say, I'm not convinced but worth a try. But it does mean can't have wheat due to fructans which removes another huge chunk of foods but could possibly add some fruit and veg in. We shall see, will take it slowly.

Funny story, every time I google fructans all I get is pages about ponies getting laminitis. Megans pony gets laminitis - well they do say pets take after their owners!!!!

[ukbill]

Kim, In my case its being Brain dead most of the time.. it could be my age.. but I think I've always been like that.

Charlie, Enjoy the camping..

Question.. "well they do say pets take after their owners!!!!"

Just how often do you have to "shoe" Megan???

Perhaps that's where you are going wrong.. feed her oats and hay.. only joking Megan..

The effect of the glucose fairy cake seemed to me to be like a euphoric effect.. She seemed very "high" for a few minuets after eating it.

I wonder if the chemistry in her brain is releasing more endorphins per molecule of Glucose burnt than "normal" people..?

Or alternatively perhaps she naturally has less endorphins than "normal" and the rush is triggered by the pure glucose "hit"

I certainly can feel a warm "glow" spreading throughout my body about 20 min after I have eaten a "good" meal that was totally fructose free.

The more contamination.. the less "glow"

Also the effect is more pronounced if I have been a long time between meals.

The links to laminitis might be stronger than you think...

Bad skin and nails is occasionally a problem with HFI people!

Or am I neighing in the wrong field?