Comment by raelshark | Hacker News Reader

Comment by raelshark | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

I did an IgG food allergy test recently that I was extremely skeptical about in advance, but the results were consistent with my own observations over the past few years - namely that I was having severe reactions to some dairy. The tests showed exactly that as my issue. So I've eliminated dairy from my diet and I'm seeing what effect it has.

The general impression I got from my research is that some of these tests can be useful, but only when used in conjunction with other observations and case history. I do agree that some can be pretty scammy though - especially in their claims of the things they can fix. So like the parent poster, I'm really eager to see how these actual science-backed and FDA-approved solutions do for people too.

Also, stress and burnout are certainly a big factor in depression and fatigue, but these autoimmune problems are very real and can also have similar effects. I personally have a diagnosed autonomic nervous system disorder that apparently contributes to both the autoimmune and gut issues I deal with, as well as my severe fatigue and impaired mental state. I don't know that those areas - the gut, energy, and brain - are directly related on their own (the doctor I'm working with thinks they are), but I'm happy to try anything that might help any of them, and see what happens.

Just bear in mind that autonomic dysfunction happens in everyone after acute stress, and it is common in chronic fatigue syndrome [1]. It looks like autonomic dysfunction is perhaps just a symptom of fatigue (or, it is caused by the same part of the brain that generates the sensation of fatigue).

I'm not aware of any research showing that dairy intolerance can cause fatigue and depression. There is some stuff about casein acting like dopamine, but it seems to be pseudoscience.

We do know that stress definitely causes gut issues (changes in motility, absorption, and bacteria). Whether there is any causality in the other direction (apart from when you have an active infection), however, isn't really clear.

It can be difficult to definitively figure out whether or not you are actually intolerant to something. I thought for a while that I was intolerant to potatoes, but further research shows that I'm not. (Right now I eat them regularly and have zero problems). If you're interested in really figuring out whether dairy is causing you problems, try introducing small amounts of dairy when you're feeling great and see if anything changes. (Just make sure you're not lactose intolerant before doing that!)

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26420687

Right, you've described my current plan - to eliminate it entirely for a while to see what happens, then slowly reintroduce things to see if I get any reactions. Besides the IgG test some of my own observations were acute reactions in my mouth from certain cheeses, and things like that - so I'm certain there's some kind of allergic reaction to... something going on. (The test I took specifically did show that casein was the problem in my case. We'll see.)

And agreed that stress can cause those issues with the gut - and for me at a minimum exacerbates other things already going on - but yeah, I'm seeing and hearing a lot about how it goes the other way but I'm not seeing the science or experiencing it yet in my case.

Also - in my situation the autonomic dysfunction has a strong biological component. I have postural tachycardia and peripheral neuropathy caused by a genetic collagen issue (Ehlers-Danlos), so I know that there are major physiological factors going on and contributing to all my various issues. And then stress - which is aggravated in my case by wildly fluctuating heart rate - compounds all of that, creating a whole vicious cycle of impairment. Unraveling this whole web and picking away at parts of it at a time is my current challenge. But I am pretty confident that while depression contributes in some ways to my fatigue, it's also majorly impacted by my heart rate and probably some adrenaline issues common in Ehlers-Danlos.

(I appreciate this discussion and your thoughts, by the way.)

>I'm seeing and hearing a lot about how it goes the other way

Well, you need to be careful who you listen to. There are an infinite number of dubious naturopaths (and many MDs) who buy into dubious theories and spread them. There are a lot fewer people who will tell you "stress causes burnout, which causes POTS, ANS dysfunction, depression, chronic fatigue/pain, digestive problems, etc.", even though this is based on a more correct understanding of how the body works. The USA seems particularly bad for MDs believing dubious theories, for a number of reasons.

> acute reactions in my mouth from certain cheeses, and things like that - so I'm certain there's some kind of allergic reaction

If it is an allergic reaction, it will show up on an IgE. Bear in mind, though, that some cheeses are just sharp.

>Also - in my situation the autonomic dysfunction has a strong biological component. I have postural tachycardia

The autonomic nervous system is biological/physiological, but is modulated by stress. It doesn't really make sense to separate these systems into "biological" or "psychological".

Postural tachycardia and depressed parasympathetic nervous system are typical symptoms of CFS caused by burnout from stress. I had these symptoms myself, very severely (I had periods where my digestive system didn't move at all, and where I had atrial fibrillation due to the tacycardia). However I've recovered completely from it now and have no symptoms.

>caused by a genetic collagen issue (Ehlers-Danlos)

Did you suffer from these symptoms your whole life? If not, I'm not sure how it fits. Typically CFS comes on suddenly and/or you have relapses and normal periods...if that's how your illness manifests then I don't see how a genetic collagen could explain it. Also, allergies are a different issue to a genetic collagen problem (and neither really explains depression). I have a moderately severe allergy (hay fever), but zero depression or fatigue from it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com