Eliminating Sugar/Caffeine: Results?

[NordicPrincess]

Hi everyone!I'm very bothered by paresthesias, fasciculations and pain, and have read from several in here that it's a good idea to stop eating chocholate, everything with sugar and coffein. I've done that for about 7 mounths now, but I'm not better (even if my condition is not exactly the same as 7 mounths ago). I've read about ecological chocholate one can make oneself, no suggar, but honey, suryp and so..and then the cocoa. So my question now is:why the advise of cutting chocolate? Is it because of the sugar normally added, or is it coffein in the cocoa?It would have been nice to be able to eat something snacks when it comes to x-mas f.ex, that is not sugar and koffein in..tips?Hugs

 

[NordicPrincess]

Well, now I've read about it... cocao beans contains a small amout of coffein....and1.5 % teobromin, that stimulates the central nervous system....trough relasing efedrin (English??) That was not what I wanted to know..I guess everything that stimulates the central nervous system is not good for us a hyper excitable nervous systemHave many of you experienced a relief in symptoms when cutting out all food and drinks with sugar and coffein?

 

[MarioMasher]

In five years I have found absolutely no correlation between what I eat and BFS. So I would advise you to work on your mental health and just eat what you want. The key to BFS is making yourself more happy, not less. )

 

[Gracer]

It is not proven, but it is still known in a common knowledge that chocolate for example might trigger migraines. Migraine is a very complexe condition and even doctors have no idea how much of it is due to psychologial issues, and what is the rest... same is BFS. Practically excluding chocolate might have two reasons - it is still qute an allergenic stuff, possibly acting as sensibilizer to our immune system, then, theobromine (not caffeine) - powerful stimulator driving us up and causing certain irritation to our bowels which seem to be important part of BFS picture..., and then, sugar. But you might go to bitter chokolate - it still tastes great and has low sugar and you can not eat it so much as milk one.what i am making for myself is cocoa powder, mixed with just a bit of water. I put some spices into hot water - cardamone, anis seed, white pepper etc., brew a bit and then mix at a proportion of one -two teasponns of spicy water to good three full big spoons (soup one) of powder, mix well, add more water if necessary. No sugar, no fat. yep a bit of theobromine. but it is fantastic. delicious, really. it is thick like a sour cream and tastes great. once or twice per quqater i can afford that without any bad consequences.

 

[jessica1]

Interesting post. About five years ago, when I developed ocular migraines (also seemingly out of nowhere much like this bfs crap), I noticed chocolate was a major dietary trigger for me. This sucked because I loved chocolate so much prior to all this crap developing. Now with BFS I've noticed innumerable food sensitivities that go way beyond the scope of the ones I had with migraines. I cannot eat chocolate, anything processed, anything with cheese (except mozzerella for some reason), and I cannot be exposed to bright fluorescent lighting for too long. In the past, I would just get a brief migraine episode...no big deal, right? But now, exposure to one of these triggers permanently increases my twitching and also increases twitching locations (I have gone from having one twitch every 10-20 seconds in just legs/calves/arms back in July to having one every single second from scalp to toe 24/7 in a matter of just three months. Eating the wrong thing also sets off a round of sleep starts for a few nights too. I have no idea why I am this sensitive. I would give anything to be able to eat chocolate again, but honestly, that's the least of my problems right now. I have found things I can eat, and while they are bland and uneventful, I am grateful that I can eat them. I wish I knew the answer to this question. I think Yulia has some good ideas about the chocolate specifically.

 

[Gracer]

Unfortunately I do not have more good ideas about chocolate, but looks like I have some on migraines at least. My daughter, being 16, suddenly started to have severe ocular migraines. I mean severe not in terms of pains, thanks God, by she had that kind of aura when half of the sight field goes off. Holy god, so scary... Quite quickly it became evident that at least in her case it was every time she was stressed over her ability to withstand - in the high school exams, in the dancing trainings when some well known artists come to give the training, and then in the university. her first exams session was a real hell, she had blinding attacks every day when she must to pass exams...we applied some medication (like gabapentine), very mild and for very short period of time, she got to phsychologist to talk about her troubles and fears, I become more good and caring mother... she is 19 now, lives in a foreign country far away from me, and I was aksing recently - how do you do with yur migraines? "I do not have them any more", she said. So at least in her case it was clearly a kind of "oh my eyes would not see it" - and she got temporary blindness. as soon as strong fears and boring life were behind her, so were migraines. She can have then by the way triggered by walking on the bright sun when trees create frequent flashing pattern - and fluorescent light has some flashing pattern too, so no wonder it causes migraines in person whose nervous system is in constant high alert condition due to stress.For me it looks like thing like BFS, migraines and food allergies are tightly related to the condition of our nervous system, namely to the amount of stress we have daily. In your case, dear jessica1, it is even exaggerrated by our sleep deprivation. At least my daughter managed to gain her quality of life back with more relaxation, maybe one day, when you would restore your sleep and recover from stresses, you might eat chocolate again.

 

[NordicPrincess]

Thank you for advise and opinions. i have a very strange story no doctor can understand. i was very both ered by migrains for 12 years, the same type as my mother have, took medicin for it about two days each week, but after the extreme diahrea in Jan that was the start of my BFS, the migraine has been completely gone!! good to hear your daughter is better! Hugs