Cheese and bleeding

[anandbharti]

I am a diabetic and also have elevated triglycerides. These conditions mean I should reduce my fat intake. However, I love cheese. To satisfy my cravings, I go for 75% reduced fat cheddar. Unfortunately, every time I do this I start getting bloody stools. 50% reduced fat causes less of a problem though but obviously at the expense of higher fat intake.

My question to the forum is, is this a diverculitis or is it a symptom of something more serious ?

Thanks.

[MistyDW]

I have been dealing with this problem for YEARS. At first, I thought it was the fat in cheese as I could eat Mozzarella, Parmesan, Sour Cream, and even some swiss (maybe).  I went 2 months with no issues after cutting out cheddar and not drinking milk (I use almond/coconut milk).  Then I found some reduced fat shredded cheddar.  BOY was that a mistake.  I realized quickly that my issue with cheddar had nothing to do with fat content.  I thought lactose intolerance; however, cheddar has less lactose than mozz (which I can eat low-fat with no issue).  When I get these flare-ups, it feels like I am literally passing glass.  I can feel the stool cutting me inside.  It takes DAYS to heal and another side effect is frequent bowel movements (literally 5+ in a day) and it is not diarrhea.  It is the most frustrating thing.  I used to eat cheddar by the boatload throughout my life and now I have developed some sort of hypersensitivity to it.  I wish I knew exactly what I am sensitive to so I can avoid anything else that might set me off.  All I know is when I am in the full throws of one of these flare-ups, the pain and itching is horrible.  

[harpman55]

Cheese can cause rectal bleeding if you have a food hypersensitivity to cheese. I think a lot of the responses were from people who are using their own experiences to advise others. Please read the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19124116

[Twawki]

I am the same. I eat a little hard cheeses & I get rectal bleeding. If I have more I get gum & nose bleeds as well. I have gone so far as to get haemorrhaging on the joints. One out of politeness I ate a part of a cheese pizza at a friends one night, the next day I cried as 2 cups fresh blood came out when I had to rush to the toilet.

For me organic cheese that is unpasteurised seems ok. The problem seems to stem from synthetic cultures, esp. When amino acid glutamic acid is isolated. Glutamic acid can also be called mono sodium glutamate or msg which also gives me massive problems.

As I've switched to a raw food diet and lowered stress levels my symptoms and reactions have gone down and energy up.

[anandbharti]

Nearly two years after the conversation above, the symptoms have worsened. Now even regular cheese consumption causes rectal bleeding !. Don't know whether this isdiverculitis, Ulcerative colitis or lactose intolerance. I should add that Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease. I already have type I diabetes and had Graves disease as other autoimmune diseases. My father had psorisis. I wonder how many AI disease a person can have concurrently ?

[anandbharti]

I would be interested to know in whether the changes worked or not.

Take care

[augustmoon]

I followed this conversation and as a result would add, that I have also eliminated cheese, white flour products, and curry for the main reason being discussed.

[anandbharti]

Stopping the 75% reduced fat cheese and adding prunes to my breakfast eliminated the problem !

[anandbharti]

I am sorry that you thought I was arguing with you.
Well, going off that cheese and adding prunes to the diet has almost eliminated the bleeding. As far as going to a professional, yes, I did see my internist during a previous episode. Then he recommended a steroid  ( Anusol) which is applied to the affected area. However. since I have multitude of other health issues and take a number of medications, I am reluctant to add more to the list. that's why, I want to try non-medical remedies first before going to the doctor again.

[mammo]

You do what you feel is best.  It may just be a hemorrhoid, but this wasn't what you were asking.  If cheese causes hard to pass stool then "yes" you could say "chesse causes bleeding."  In actuality it would be the cheese constipating you, causing a hemorrhoid, and the henorrhoid bleeding, but any rectal bleeding needs to be evaluated, plain and simple.  I'm not here to argue with you, these are my personal opinions and I highly suggest you get a profeesional one.

[anandbharti]

As I said in my original message, as soon as I stop eating the 75% reduced fat cheese the bleeding stops, the wound heals and the pain goes away. I have repeated this experiment ( call me a masochist if you want to) with 100% reproducible results. This could be simple cause of haemorrhoids "flaring up" on eating this particular cheese.  Mammo might say, cheese doesn't cause bleeding. Yes, that may be true for the regular cheese, however, when they process that cheese to remove excess fat, who knows what's used and what kind of toxic residues remain. I will be talking directly to the manufacturer of the this particular brand to alert them.

[mammo]

Cheese is low in carbs and you should be able to eat all you want.  It isn't causing your bleeding though, I think that's all coincidental.  There are no foods that make us bleed, UNLESS there is something along our digestive tract that cheese could irritate, but if cheese irritates it, so would other foods.  They normally stop the Plavix in one year after a stent is put in.  Good luck, a gastro doc will be able to tell you what exactly is causing the bleeding.

[anandbharti]

Thanks, mammo.
The 75% reduced fat cheese was a substitute for carbs ( wholewheat, high fiber, complex carbs etc.). I am currently trying to also reduce my insulin intake ( a fattening agent in an indirect way) by reducing the amount of carbs I eat. Cheese, in my experience, also generally reduces your appetite. The phenomenon of bleeding after eating the 75% reduced fat cheese is real and I have monitored it for over a year by stopping eating it and then starting it again a few months later. Without fail, the bleeding returns. This does not happen with 50% reduced fat or normal fat cheese. I want to stay away from the normal variety because of my high triglycerides.
Although, I have  noticed the bleeding a long time ago, I have recently increased my dose of aspirin from 80 mg to 320 mg. I am also on Effient ( 10 mg, same class as Plavix). The blood thinners are supposed to stop any clotting in the new medicated coronary stent I got 10months ago.
I will be seeing a doctor soon and yes, it is about time I got a colonoscopy done.

[Arodsworld]

Did you findnout any more information regarding this.? I've been trying to get help from somewhere and my gastroenterologist is just a lost cause.

[mammo]

Cheese cannot and does not cause bleeding.  Anytime you have rectal bleeding you need to have it evaluated with a Gastroenterologist as this is his specialty.  We all need to start having colonoscopies at the age of 50, and if you haven't done this, it's a good time to go.  There could be several reasons for the bleeding, and this is why it's imperative that you see a doctor especially at your age.  You can eat cheese and still lower your fat intake by eliminating sugar and white flour, potatoes.  Limit your amount of these types of carbs for lower fat intake.  Take care.