I have carbohydrate malabsorption (otherwise known as dissacharidase defficiency). Both are just fancy names for the fact that my body doesn't make enough enzymes to break down and properly absorb carbohydrates.
Like ruffmagruff, i developed this out of the blue after having a bad stomach bug. took about 14 months of being pretty miserable before we figured out what what up. It was a total fluke: i wanted to lose about 10 lbs so i tried the south beach diet. well, the first 2 weeks are extremely restrictive when it comes to carbs.
Without the carbs i started to flourish again....like your neighbor. Working with my doc, we figured out that I lacked the enzymes and now I follow a strict diet and take enzymes, as well as vitamin supplements.
As far as I know, this is the only way to treat this disease.
hope this helps
i have carbohydrate intolerance also. it just developed after i got sick camping. doctors are not able to diagnose anything, and i have had many tests. my understanding is that my intestinal flora (bacteria and other microscopic beings that protect and digest for us) was disturbed.
when i eat carbohydrates i get a feeling like im stoned or drunk. if i do have a bacterial/fungal dysbiosis of the gut then what is happening is fermentation of the carbohydrates into alcohol, which causes my symptoms after eating: bloating,cramping,discomfort,diminished mental powers,fatigue, and dehydration.
i am currently seeking treatment for gut candidiasis/bacterial disbiosis. i have developed gluten and lactose intolerance also. avoiding gluten, lactose, and flour products, and also taking probiotics and digestive enzymes with my meals has made me feel alot better, taken away all excess acidity symptoms and given my stools a good solid consistancy and color again.
if your friends symptoms sound like mine i would suggest seeking treatment from professional nutritionists and alternative doctors since conventional medicine doesnt seem to know how to effectively diagnose or treat gut disorders.
Hi
Thanks for the post.
Entirely based on your description of the situation, it looks like your neighbor is suffering from adult carbohydrate intolerance.
“Carbohydrate intolerance is the inability of the body to completely process the nutrient carbohydrate (a classification that includes sugars and starches) into a source of energy for the body, usually because of the deficiency of an enzyme needed for digestion. Lactose intolerance, the inability to digest the sugar found in milk, is widespread and affects up to 70% of the world's adult population.”
“Digestion of food begins in the mouth, moves on to the stomach, and then into the small intestine. Along the way, specific enzymes are needed to process different types of sugars. An enzyme is a substance that acts as a catalyst to produce chemical changes without being changed itself. The enzymes lactase, maltase, and isomaltase (or sucrase) are needed to break down the disaccharides; when one or more is inadequate, the result is carbohydrate intolerance.”
“Adult lactose intolerance is the most common of all enzyme deficiencies, and it is estimated that 30-50 million Americans have this condition. Some racial and ethnic populations are affected more than others. Lactose intolerance is found in as many as 75% of African Americans, Jewish Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans, and in 90% of Asian Americans. Descendants of Northern Europeans and some Mediterranean peoples usually do not develop the condition. Deficiencies in enzymes other than lactase are extremely rare.”
The deficiency of enzymes can result from diseases like Celiac Disease and Tropical Sprue. Several tests can identify this intolerance like oral tolerance tests and hydrogen breath test.
Your neighbor should see a physician both for confirmation of this diagnosis and also to know its cause. Please refer http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/carbohydrate_intolerance.jsp
Hope this helps. If you need more help, please feel free to contact. I’ll be happy to answer your queries. Please keep me posted.