stopping birth control, whole30, and digestion!

[janer1114]

I finished my first Whole30 on August 23.  That day was also supposed to be the first day of a new pack of birth control pills, but it wasn't - because I decided to stop hormonal birth control! I'm excited about that decision and also my new found diet.

 

I haven't done a full reintroduction because I want to avoid gluten and legumes and most grains anyway.

 

I did reintroduce white rice, then a couple days later a glass of wine, and today I ate some mozzarella cheese.  I've have had a little bit of maple syrup and tomato sauce with sugar as an ingredient today.

 

I've had weird digestion issues since a little before the end of my Whole30.  The issues include loose stools and not going as often (used to go about once a day, now it can be between 36-50 hours, this was common throughout my whole30 though, but without many other symptoms).  Now, over the past 3 days, there's also some pain in my stomach - like heartburn, bloating, etc.  I ate a sweet potato at work yesterday that made my whole system freak out.  

 

Last week I started drinking Kombucha (GTs).  I drank 16oz and then had bad headaches for a couple days. This also coincided with mid-time-of-the-month for me.   But, I thought maybe the Kombucha was doing something.  I cut back to about 8 oz a day and kept drinking it.  The headaches went away and I have had a bit of Kombucha each day since then.  

 

About mid-whole30 I started using Natural Calm, adjusting the servings in accordance with how my bowels reacted...since I started Natural Calm, come to think of it, I haven't really had regularity at all...I've sort of stopped taking it.

 

So, I don't really think anything I've reintroduced has cause my discomfort since the symptoms started before I reintroduced.  I only just started to think that perhaps all of my issues are a side effect of stopping birth control.  Or am I adjusting to probiotic Kombucha? Or is this an adjustment to Paleo eating (despite a few weeks of feeling fine Whole30-ing?)

 

And, even though I'm asking about WHY - I also would love to figure out how to feel better.  

[MrsStick]

16 ounces is a lot of kombucha to shock your system with. When I started kombucha I went with a few tablespoons mixed in with other drinks and still had some...digestive repercussions. That could definitely help contribute to what you're noticing, though I haven't really heard of probiotics slowing down someone's digestion.

 

What are you eating? Is your diet pretty much the exact same (including brands, etc.) as when you were on Whole 30? It could be an additive in something that you're eating now causing this.

[janer1114]

It's all the same...maybe I cut back to 4oz of kombucha and see what happens there...