AIP and Feeling Worse

[archer]

Hi!  I've tried going on the AIP and I lasted for about 14 days.  I have had IBS since puberty.  I'm now 33.  I've had other non-specific symptoms mostly related to a very severe anxiety disorder.  I adopted a strict Paleo diet at the end of August and I am a heavy supplementer.  I felt much better on paleo.  I had a ton of energy and my eczema disappeared within a week.  My short stint with the AIP made me feel horrible.  My stomach issues, that were getting better on Paleo got worse, and my anxiety, which was also getting better, increased.  I had no energy.  I feel better since going back to paleo, but I feel like the AIP made me lose the ground I gained on Paleo and I don't know where to go from here.  Is a worsening of symptoms common on the AIP?  Did I not give it enough time?  Should I just stick with Paleo for awhile and see how that goes?  I'm a little lost on where to go from here. Thanks for any help!

[EJ]

Hi

It sounds like you were heading the right direction and just got side-tracked. Obviously, whatever you were doing with AIP wasn't working for you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try AIP again. It honestly sounds like maybe you just weren't eating enough calories-or enough carbs. If you go too low carb, you will lose a lot of energy and it could make you feel worse. If you don't eat enough healthy fats, you could also have random problems (with hormones or feeling full, etc.). So when you try again, make sure you follow Sarah's suggestions regarding what your diet should look like. Track your food in a food tracker for a few days to make sure you're getting good amounts of everything.

I would stick with Paleo for now and prepare yourself for another attempt at AIP. Read everything on Sarah's site under the Autoimmunity heading: www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol. Find tons of AIP-friendly recipes to make a variety of foods. Get yourself a great mindset-you want to HEAL and NOURISH! If you feel deprived, find an AIP treat to make for social situations or celebrations. And take a look at Sarah's food lists in her books (if you have them)-you can hardly feel deprived when you see all the foods we CAN (and should) eat! Also, make sure you're not eating all things coconut or only sweet potatoes. Variety is really important. If for some reason you have issues with coconut (or something else) and then you start eating it ALL THE TIME...yeah, you're going to feel bad

At the same time, work on non-food things. Make sure your sleep is as good as you can get it. Find ways to deal with your stress-maybe new ways if going AIP stressed you out extra. Get some exercise if you're able. Figure out what you can do to best take care of your body and mind

When you're ready, give AIP another try. If you feel miserable after a week, you may need to make changes to how you're eating. Or maybe you need to stop eating FODMAPS. Or maybe you're eating too much of XX and you need to find substitutes so that your diet is varied. Or maybe you need to start meditating or goimg to bed earlier. This is all a big experiment and you need to make small changes here and there to figure out what will work best for your body. Then stick with it and hopefully you'll find healing

Good luck!

[MindyK]

Great suggestions EJ!

[vnh27]

Hello, I have Lichen Sclerosis and have been Paleo for a few months and AIP for just 2 weeks but I feel like my symptoms are actually getting worse!

[EJ]

vnh27, Any change in diet (or lifestyle) requires an adjustment period. Stick with it and hopefully you'll see change soon. But in the meantime, use a food tracker to look at what you're eating. How much, what types, etc. Are you eating a ton of foods you never ate before? Many people overdo it on coconut or avocado or sweet potatoes. So try to introduce variety in your diet. It's possible you might have a sensitivity to one of those foods, which might make your condition flare up.

There are always tweaks that can be made. But the first few weeks can be hard. Also make sure you're focused on relieving stress, getting some movement/exercise in, and getting LOTS of sleep!

Hope things turn around soon!

[vnh27]

Thanks for your reply EJ. I have definitely increased my consumption of coconut products but have been mindful to keep within the range that Sarah advises. I have cut coconut out for the last few days and am seeing how that goes. I have plenty of sleep but feel permanently tired! I will keep a log and see how it goes! Thank you :-)

[paleoaipkat]

I've been Paleo one year, which gave me slight improvement on my original condition, which isn't even listed in Sarah's extensive list of autoimmune problems. then I started AIP Nov 3. I had a complete turnaround within 3 weeks and stopped taking meds
However, within about 10 days of starting AIP I started having arthritis and Raynaud's syndrome (both diagnosed by my Dr) and I've never had either before. The arthritis has processed quite a bit in the 4 weeks. So I would be ready to start reintroducing foods now, but I'm not sure what I should do, or maybe I aid be cutting more out. My sleep has been crap for a few months, but I can't believe that all this could start while I'm having such success with AIP. Help!

[EJ]

Ugh. It's so hard when you start feeling worse while putting in so much effort.

I would hold off on reintroductions until you can figure out why you're feeling worse. Remember that winter weather basically automatically makes some conditions worse (yours included). Then tinker around with your diet-make sure you're eating a variety of foods. Keep track of what you eat and see if there are times when your symptoms are worse. And really work on reducing stress and getting enough sleep and some exercise.

Sorry I'm there, too. Our bodies don't make things easy sometimes.

[jpeterman]

Appreciating this thread. I'm only a week into AIP (after about a month of paleo) to address some food allergies I just can't seem to identify. (Already avoiding everything that showed up on the IeG skin test--plus I'd just really like to heal so these foods aren't such a problem.) But I've had a raging headache all week and random rashes/hives that keep popping up all over. I was actually doing better on just paleo. I'm keeping a food journal, and a record of how I'm doing, but I realize it's only been a week and it might be hard to find a pattern yet. Here's hoping that things will settle down in a couple weeks!

[freeholder]

We (my daughter and I) are just getting started on AIP, but I have noticed over the last several years that my arthritis flares when I eat too much sugar or grain products.  We both have celiac disease so have been gluten-free for over twenty years, but once in a while would break the diet.  Or we would have oatmeal for breakfast once in a while, or rice or potatoes with dinner.  Any of those will cause arthritis flares, as will eating too much sugar (in any form).  So the person who was concerned about arthritis might want to look at how much sugar they are getting from all sources.