|
Inevitably, someone comes along with complaints similar to these that
come up suddenly, or over a recent span of time:
"I can't eat normal food"
"Every time I eat something I get sick"
"Nothing I eat agrees with me"
Most people - especially teens - who pass through the vampire community
aren't aware of the many reasons that food may or may not sit well at
any given time. Instead, they insist that they "must" be turning
into vampires "because this doesn't happen to anyone ELSE..."
that they know. Whether you realize it or not, there's often a totally
mundane complaint that's causing the problem, and it really does pay to
check out ALL possibilities first - you don't want to leave something
untreated that could easily be resolved.
Well first, not everyone discusses their digestive complaints - especially
for females - if they've continually been told that it's all in their
head, or to "suck it up and deal", or have family members who
insist that they're making it all up for attention. Some people just don't
believe in discussing things of this nature.
And second, many digestive complaints - barring an actual GI
disease or malfunction process - tend to be short-lived in nature.
Whether it's food poisoning or an irritating substance (not everyone can
digest milk, for example) these all will go away in a relatively short
period of time, especially when the offending substance is removed form
the diet.
GENERAL STOMACH ISSUES
Stomach bug / Gastroenteritis
This is a general term for a whole host of viruses, bacteria, and parasites
that can cause symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever,
chills, and achiness. Gastroenteritis can temporarily damage the lining
of the small intestine, making it difficult to digest foods with a high
sugar content. Takes up to 48 hours before symptoms are evident, and
typically lasts between 2-4 days, but in some cases can last about a
week.
 Info
@ the Centers for Disease Control
Poisoning, food-based
Food poisoning happens when food is handled or stored improperly, and
bacteria breed on the surface. When ingested, food poisoning symptoms
are often experienced. Typically they include abdominal pain, nausea
and vomiting, but the exact symptoms, duration, and time before the
symptoms appear will depend on the bacterial culprit.
Food Poisoning
NEGATIVE REACTIONS TO FOOD INGREDIENTS
Food allergies
Allergies can take forms other than sneezing and hives - they can manifest
as stomach upset or indigestion as well. Common foods are dairy products,
eggs, peanuts (often generates severe reactions), tree nuts such as
cashews, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat (gluten). Food allergies vary
in severity, from life threatening to just a nuisance rash. Reactions
are sometimes dose-dependent: trace or small amounts may be fine, but
larger amounts may trigger a reaction, however severe.
Food
Allergies
Aspartame - Equal/Nutrasweet/Canderal/Neotame/Aminosweet/Spoonful
- reactions
Artificial sweeteners can be found in anything labeled "sugar-free"
- Aspartame in particular can be picked out by the mandatory "phenyketonuric"
or "PKU" warnings.
Aspartame
Safety Network: Articles on Aspartame
Dr
Andrew Weil on Aspartame
Mercola:
Aspartame Disease
Mindfully.org:
Effects of Aspartame on patients with depression
Sucralose - Splenda - reactions
Artificial sweeteners can be found in anything labeled "sugar-free".
The makers of Splenda claim that it's made from sugar. While they start
out with sugar molecules, they don't tell you that they modify it by
adding chlorine molecules into the mix...
Food
& Diet: Splenda Symptoms
Holistic
Med: Sucralose Toxicity
Mercola:
Sucralose Experiences (page 1 of many)
Medications - side effects, interactions
Every medicine in existence has potential side effects. If you read
the package insert, you will often find a very large number of possible
side effects, many of which can be quite scary. Side effects are not
guaranteed to occur. In fact, for most medications, side effects occur
in only a small minority, with most side effects going away completely
once the medication is finished or discontinued. Many medications can
be taken without any side effects at all, depending on your body chemistry.
(If your body chemistry is sluggish, for example due to hypothyroid,
then you have a larger chance of getting side effects - even the more
severe ones - because of how long it takes your body to clear the medications
out of your system.)
Drugs.com
main page - search for info on any drug(s) you're taking
RXList
- another drug side effect searcher
Monosodium
Glutamate ("MSG")
On food labels, MSG may be directly labeled as MSG / Monosodium Glutamate,
or it may be hidden under one of the following names:
- autolyzed yeast extract
- hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
- potassium glutamate
- sodium caseinate
- broth
- "spices"
- "natural flavoring"
Thus, MSG sources include prepackaged seasonings, bacon bits, baking
mixtures, basted turkey, bouillon cubes, chips (eg, potato, corn), croutons,
dry roasted peanuts, breaded foods, frozen dinners, gelatins, meat tenderizers,
asian foods and soy sauce, pot pies, relishes, salad dressings, seasoned
salts, soups, yeast and yeast extract. Read the labels on things like
cereals and snack foods as well - chips and other snacks aren't immune
to being laden with MSG. In sensitive people, MSG may cause migraines,
nausea, dizziness, edema, depression, anxiety and more (with migraines
being the most common effect).
Amazon
(Book Link): Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills
eMedicine:
Migraine-Associated Vertigo - Treatment & Medication
Truth
in Labeling: Are You Sensitive to MSG?
MSG
Truth.org
Supplements, Medications and other things
- "Inactive ingredients"
Often used in vitamin/medicine tablets either as fillers or stabilizers,
generally these are harmless, except to the few that might be allergic
to the specific ingredient(s) in question. If symptoms still exist after
avoiding all known allergens, check any supplements or medications you
are taking for inactive ingredients. You might be taking the troublesome
food or ingredient without knowing it. (Someone with a nightshade
issue might find potato starch mixed in their vitamin pills, for
example.) If you are taking chewable - sweetened - medications, the
risks are especially high for you to unknowingly also be taking an artificial
sweetener such as Aspartame or Sucralose.
About.com:
Are your medications making you sick?
FAST:
Ingredients of Medications
UNCOMMON STOMACH ISSUES
Chemotherapy
Many people are told by their oncologists that chemo is "well tolerated"
by "most of" their patients. Well.... that's not always true.
Again, a lot of people don't always discuss digestive complaints, but
when it comes to doctors? They're awfully darn quick to tell you that
it couldn't *possibly* be the medication-of-the-week they're giving
you. For example, the chemotherapy drug Rituxan (Rituximab) - which
is also used for rheumatoid arthritis, by the way - carries a slew of
nasty side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, before it
even gets to things like fever, rashes, sinus infections, cardiac problems,
joint and muscle pain, anxiety, and many other symptoms. And that's
just ONE chemo drug. Often oncologists will use a "cocktail"
of anywhere between 3-6 different chemo drugs, depending on the cancer
they're attempting to treat. Here's a few chemo drug listings so you
can see the details:
RXList:
Rituxan [Rituximab] (enable javascript, then click "side effects".)
RXList:
Doxil [Doxorubicin] (enable javascript, then click "side effects")
RXList:
Vincristine Sulfate (enable javascript, then click "side effects")
RXList:
Cytoxan [Cyclophosphamide] (enable javascript, then click "side
effects")
Poisoning, environmental or other toxin
Environmental poisoning can come from such things as lead paint in old
homes (common if a home is built before 1960), mercury exposure either
through thimerosal-based vaccines or other means, Methyl Mercury (sometimes
found in fish, especially predator fish such as Tuna), arsenic from
pressure treated wood (used to be used in wooden playgrounds), and many
other things you wouldn't normally hear about.
Gentle
Healer: Environmental Poisoning and Health
Parents.com:
Is Your Home Toxic?
Radiation treatment / poisoning
Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness", is
a form of damage to organic tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing
radiation. The term is generally used to refer to acute problems caused
by a large dosage of radiation in a short period. Radiation poisoning
can result from accidental exposure to natural or industrial radiation
sources. Dosimeters or other film-based "badges" are used
by anyone working with radioactive materials to monitor total - and
cumulative - exposure to radiation. These devices are more useful than
Geiger counters for determining biological effects, as they measure
cumulative exposure over time, and are calibrated to change color or
otherwise signal the user before exposure reaches unsafe levels.
Wikipedia:
Radiation Poisoning
~SphynxCatVP, updated August 2010
This site contains articles on various medical
topics; however, no warranty whatsoever is made that any of the articles
are accurate - and even if a statement made about medical matters is
accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. These
medical articles are provided on a general informational basis only
- nothing on this site should be construed as an attempt to offer or
render a medical opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine.
Even though the authors may be capable of
doing extensive research, it must be understood that neither SphynxCatVP,
nor the rest of the contributors, are doctors, despite the presence
of any books of the medical profession in the personal libraries of
any of the authors. Any such articles are thusly written, in part or
in whole, by nonprofessionals. Consequently, there is absolutely no
guarantee that any statement contained or cited in an article touching
on medical matters is true, precise, or up-to-date.
At best, you can use the article to strike
up a conversation with your doctor or other medical professional ABOUT
your symptoms, and share any concerns you may have for them to investigate.
The medical information provided by this site is of a general nature
and CANNOT legally be considered a substitute for the advice of a medical
professional.
|
