Ow! My tummy!

February 17, 2009 2:57 PM

How best to treat or prevent stomach cramps due to food sensitivity.

Mrs. Smartyboots has become sensitive to soy lecithin recently (after having already been sensitive to msg and soy products like tofu and soymilk for years), and it results in very painful stomach cramps several hours after she has it. Obviously, she avoids soy lecithin but it sneaks into so many foods that it's almost impossible to get away from entirely, especially if you eat out (or eat at a friend's house).
She says the cramps feel like a muscle cramp, only in her stomach. Antacids like tums or tagamet don't help. What will? Warm milk? Herbal tea? Ice packs? Magic copper bracelets? We're open to all suggestions.

posted by smartyboots to health & fitness (5 comments total)

Ibuprofen helps me in a similar situation.
posted by Maisie Jay at 3:32 PM on February 17

For me, the best thing I can do is take a buffered painkiller (so the drug doesn't make my gut feel worse) with some room temperature (or warmer, so as not to irritate my stomach) water.

Then, I curl up with a heat source clutched to the area that hurts - a microwaveable "magic bag" or a heating pad-type thing - and lie on my left side. I try to stretch out as much as I can, every few minutes, so that the food in my belly has a chance to move around appropriately - even though I'd prefer to just stay curled up.

I also try to gently massage my stomach area in clockwise small circles, clutch the magic bag some more, re-massage, re-heat, re-massage, re-heat..

Once I'm feeling about 90% better, I get up and try to do some light stretching and something a tiny bit physical (a short walk) to help my body continue digesting.
posted by VioletU at 5:25 PM on February 17

Pepto Bismol, and lying down with a warm heating pad.
posted by amyms at 7:31 PM on February 17

Ginger tea with a little honey perhaps. Slice some as thin as possible, about 8 slivers. Boiling water and let steep a goodly long time. Chamomile tea is favored by some for digestive relief.

If heat seems to be a problem- alfalfa and a little mint. Celestial Seasonings used to make a tea called Mellow Mint with mostly these ingredients. No ice packs, really.

Ms. SB might find that Curing Pills work for her. They sell them at those big "natural" grocery stores.

Dairy is not so easy to digest so milk is probably not the thing.

Copper bracelets only if you know the secret chants.
posted by pointilist at 9:21 PM on February 17

I second ginger tea. Ginger helps release bile from the gall bladder. Bile is needed to break down fatty acids, which is essentially what lecithin is. Don't use ginger if you have gallstones.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:35 PM on February 17