Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have been " doing" Paleo with my husband for exactly one month. Some pleasant results - lost 6 lbs of bloaty muffin-top, and no more gas!

But. I am a pretty thin person, 5'8" ( now) 136, so that was not a major reason. I wanted to feel better. And I feel pretty good, but I have had a non-stop run of mouth sores and cold sores since this started. The mouth sores may have been a virus and coincidental, but for the last three weeks I get a new cold sore as soon as the last one heals. This only happens to me when I am really run down or pregnant. I'm not pregnant.

I also have had some pretty intense hives on my back, although that seems to be better this week. Suggestions?

About diet - bkfast usually eggs with a veg - broccoli, peppers ,etc. Sometimes meat. Lunch usually leftover meat or fish, and salad with varied greens. I alternate fruit or tomatoes on my salads. Night usually grilled meat, baked chicken, grilled fish, various vegetables - really mixing it up. Last night julienned green and yellow squash, tonight sautéed spinach with garlic and roast duck. Snacks usually macadamia nuts. Very rarely, berries with Greek yogurt.

flag	asked Jan 30 2012 at 3:02 Keto-jen 23●1●5

Get coconut oil and coconut milk asap. Consume 1 tbsp of coconut oil 2x day, allow oil to melt in your mouth, savor it. Drink 1/4 a can of coconut milk 4x a day. This whole ordeal should clear up in a couple days. Use Abreva on cold sores on the lips. Change your toothbrush after it goes away. – Bill1102inf Jan 30 2012 at 3:29

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Keto-gen, eliminating all nightshades (including nightshade spices) and oranges got rid of mine almost completely. Too much caffeine, or artificial things, such as artificial sweeteners can trigger them for me. And occasionally, just stress will do it, over-exertion whether mental or physical. I take beta glucans every morning to keep them away. If I feel one developing, I take Lysine until all has calmed, and the symptoms are completely gone. Getting enough rest helps keep them away, too. Hope this helps. – PaleoGran Jan 30 2012 at 19:31

P. S. Taking lots of beta glucans will get rid of them quickly, too, for me. It just costs a whole lot less to use lysine. – PaleoGran Jan 30 2012 at 19:34

Also, too much sunshine will trigger them sometimes, or being outside too long. – PaleoGran Jan 30 2012 at 19:36

What the heck is a beta toucan?:) OMG great autocorrect there. I do know about lysine but it has never worked for me. I have some nasty case of herpes funk that my mother swears I got from eating snow from under the wheels of our car when I was four. Actually, I haven't tried bone broth or coconut anything yet. Can someone give me a fast clue as to what is so important? Like, why would coconut oil work? Just more calories? Or some other property? – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 2:40

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Phil · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-30 04:49:16Z UTC

I'm betting stress and run down immune system not food is causing the issue. Def try the coconut recommendation first though a bump in vitamin c and zinc always helps in my case. Watch the acidic fruits during the mend and make sure sleep is dialed.

rlburgie · Answer 2 · 2012-01-30 04:17:15Z UTC

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I take the vitamin Lysine for cold sores when mine show up. The second I feel one coming on I take 4-6 the first day and taper off as the cold sore subsides! I do use Abreva if I don't catch it in time.

answered Jan 30 2012 at 4:17

rlburgie
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Second the Lysine. I suffered for a year with mouth and throat sores and was days away from having my tonsils out in sheer desperation when someone suggested Lysine to me and it was nothing short of a miracle. – Shari Bambino Jan 30 2012 at 4:45

i agree that not getting enough Lysine may be a factor in general. however the mouth sores and cold sores have only started since the OP has started Paleo. so if Lysine is a factor here, you would surmise that her new diet must be lysine deficient compared to her pre-paleo diet. & i'm not sure that is the case, in fact the opposite may be the case. To the OP, you can visit the nutritiondata.com site and use the 'nutrition search tool' & select lysine (under protein) to check your foods. – daz Jan 30 2012 at 8:05

I agree Lysine helps a lot. So does Zinc. If you're taking a lot of Zinc it leaches copper from your body so take copper supplements too. But Lysine and Zinc helps. Just beware Lysine can have some intestinal side effects. I've actually noticed the opposite my body has dealt BETTER with cold sores after starting paleo. Consider Vitamin D it also helps your immune system at times. – scorp2780 Jan 30 2012 at 16:28

Another big fan of L-Lysine. And I noticed that my paleo body deals better with mouth sores in general, but taking a couple of lysine tablets still helps a ton. – Chris Feb 1 2012 at 0:04

That was really helpful daz! Thx – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 2:43

Laura · Answer 3 · 2012-01-30 04:28:02Z UTC

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Years ago, I cured my canker sores by switching to a toothpaste that was free of sodium laurel sulfate. Apparently it is harsh enough to create vulnerability to such infections. I used to suffer the sores one after the other as well, so I know you must be miserable. Good luck!

answered Jan 30 2012 at 4:28

Laura
461●2●6

+1 for SLS free products (& fluoride free) – daz Jan 30 2012 at 4:31

daz · Answer 4 · 2012-01-30 05:17:02Z UTC

this could be due to a new food or foods that you have introduced since going paleo. or a food that you have increased/eat more often than you did pre-paleo.

so a bit of detective may be needed. & some food elimination to test.
Tomatoes seem to be a candidate in some people.

a quick google turns up some common food causes in some people;

"One of the most common causes of mouth ulcers ( besides trauma from sharp or hot food ) is sensitivity to Salicylates." "High salicylate foods are all berries, all stone fruit, grapes, dates, most apple, rockmelon, pineapple, orange, mandarin, passionfruit, watermelon, kiwifruit, lychee, capsicum,chilli,gherkin,olive,radish, tomato and tomato paste,zucchini, almonds, licorice, honey, peppermint,most spices, all teas except tisane teas, port , rum, wine"

&
"Certain foods - including citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables (such as lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes, and strawberries) - can trigger a canker sore or make the problem worse"

&
"Be aware of triggers for cold sores and try to figure out what causes outbreaks for you. Cut back or avoid the ones that cause you the most problems. Here are some standard cold sore instigators: extreme sun exposure, stress, high acid foods like tomatoes, a cold, feeling run down, hormonal changes"

&
"Eating certain foods can also increases your likelihood of developing mouth ulcers. Foods that have been identified as increasing the risk of mouth ulcers include: chocolate coffee peanuts almonds strawberries cheese tomatoes wheat flour"

Roberto · Answer 5 · 2012-01-30 05:54:26Z UTC

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As Daz said all those foods are tricky! I have always had problems with canker sores and when I first switched to paleo I had plent for the first two weeks. Then they pretty much disappeared.

Also make sure to limit fructose!

answered Jan 30 2012 at 5:54

Roberto
646●1●8

Thanks a lot! Hm – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 2:45

Doris · Answer 6 · 2012-01-30 14:31:21Z UTC

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I had mouth sores pop up for awhile and finally found out that it was the cinnamon that I was using excessively, and sad to say, nuts--especially walnuts and macademia nuts. Several more things that I don't remember, but those two did the most damage. I read on PH to rinse with baking soda to neutralize the acid and, by gum, dropping the offenders and rinsing with baking soda worked!

answered Jan 30 2012 at 14:31

Doris
1,479●2●6●11

	Ooooh. I have eaten about 4 lbs of macadamia nuts in the past month. I think the mouth sores might have been a virus because they were really bad, all over my soft palate and throat, but the cold sores persist. On every 4-5 days. Only a small one this week.... – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 2:48
	Keto-jen. Those sores really sound like the ones I had. Try giving up the nuts and do rinse with baking soda. A teaspoon in a cup of water-swish and spit. I hope you find relief. – Doris Feb 3 2012 at 12:00

Cankerboy · Answer 7 · 2012-01-31 17:24:49Z UTC

I have to ask if we're talking about cold sores or canker sores, as they're two different things.

Cold sores - the kinds that pop up around the lips as fluid-filled blisters - are caused by the Herpes Simplex 1 (HS1) virus.

Canker sores - the kinds that erupt inside the mouth as painful white craters - are caused by a faulty immune reaction.

Some people do get both, but they are not caused by the same thing. The herpes outbreak suppresses the immune system, which causes the canker sores to form.

Lysine, as mentioned above, has been shown to be effective against canker sores, but many canker sores are caused by deficiencies in iron and B12 as well. Try supplementing with 5000mg B12 a day and see what difference that makes.

As for the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in toothpastes, that does effect some people, but my bet is that if you were using normal toothpastes and weren't getting recurrent canker sores before you changed your diet, then it's probably not the toothpaste in your case.

I would suggest trying out B12, Lysine, and/or Iron and see if that makes a difference. Chances are, they will get a little better as your body adapts to the new diet.

Might also make it a habit to rinse, even with water, after each meal to get any kind of irritants out of your mouth that might cause tiny scratches that could lead to an ulcer.

Good luck!

NoGlutenEver · Answer 8 · 2012-01-30 03:09:26Z UTC

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test for gluten intolerance, pronto

answered Jan 30 2012 at 3:09

NoGlutenEver
126●1

	lots of focus on the mouth sores here but not on the hives! – NoGlutenEver Jan 30 2012 at 17:26
	But but but....I have no gluten in my diet now. – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 2:45
	I think the hives are the eggs! Haven't had them in in 5 days - no hives. Should try an egg today, but I am so glad to be rid of the hives I am reluctant to. They were all over my upper back, very itchy, I am sure I looked like Mrs Grok with my arm down the back of my shirt scratching LOL – Keto-jen Feb 3 2012 at 13:34
	hopefully the egg thing will be temporary. You may still have small amounts of gluten in your diet and it may be a problem for you. For example - your old cutting board, your old colander.... – NoGlutenEver Feb 13 2012 at 18:05

Keto-jen · Answer 9 · 2012-02-06 03:06:28Z UTC

I think I have figured it out. I had c diff 4 years ago, went on vancomycin, since then have had pneumonia 2x in past 18 mos. , multiple courses of antibiotics and steroids...weight gain and sluggishness really started in the fall after my most recent antibiotics. also, became very reactive to fragrances, to the point I needed an inhaler to go to the mall.

Diagnosis - candida overgrowth and die-off. The really bad mouth sores were the first week of Paleo, very low carb, and is well described as a candida reaction. Immune system getting better now, no new cold sore so far, last one almost healed. Cross your fingers....

manspirit · Answer 10 · 2012-10-12 06:38:06Z UTC

http://paleohacks.com/questions/100051/i-started-probiotics-and-got-itchy-skin-and-a-cold-sore-huh/155211#155211

http://paleohacks.com/questions/79544/chocolate-and-skin-problems/155120#155120

for both cold sores AND mouth sores.

Mouth sores/ cold sores?

10 Answers