Has anyone else gotten sick from home brewing?

[jdlev]

This is very well said. I will comment however that not all allergies are immediate. Without getting too technical, some allergies are quick and easy to recognize, others are subtle and can present with any multitude of symptoms (skin rash, headache, runny nose, etc.). I would visit a doctor who deals with food sensitivities, like a licensed naturopathic physician. They should run the proper allergy and parasite tests.

To the OP: prilosec will not cure ulcers. It is a band-aid treatment that will have no positive effect on the disease process, but might make you feel better.

ulcers make sense (kind of). my wife had them, and she took protonix (or something like that) and changed her diet and eventually they went away.

It's very rare that its a sharp pain, though it has happened on occassion. It's mainly just a dull/bloated pain, typically after I eat. It kind of feels like my stomach is a bag full of rocks. If I don't eat anything, then typically there is very little pain - which is the biggest reason I've lost weight. I've cut my beer intake to 1/10th (hell...i can't remember the last time I got drunk - oh wait...yeah I can...about 2 weeks ago), and I just don't eat anywhere near what I used to because I don't like feeling like crap...I just don't know why ulcers would cause the squirts and lightheadness. That was the most frightening symptom...at its worst (probably a little over a week ago)...I was extremely lightheaded, and my face would tingle. I thought I was having a stroke or something...

 

[flabyboy]

Have you been watching me?!?

I already started my bland diet. Lunch was broccoli cheddar bread bowl (last i'll be having of those for a while)

Dinner was scrambled eggs and plain steamed broccoli. No more cigars. No more Home Brew (for at least 10 days) No more scotch!

Broccoli is a huge gas producer. Bloat city baby. It sounds like an ulcer to me. I have had problems with my gut before. I was working nights, eating crap and stressed out in general. I switched to day shifts, ate better, exercised, and got adequate sleep. Things improved greatly. Of course, then I had children and adequate sleep went bye bye. Make sure to take care if yourself. Put down scotch and stay away from coffee.

 

[imasickboy]

First of all...consuming live yeast will make you "bubbly" inside. You will get gas. depending on the amount, you may get diarrhea. You may also experience cramping.

Filtering your beer is a definite option, if you are kegging. A standard cartridge filter housing with a coarse filter will remove most of the yeast. If you are bottle conditioning, filtering is not a viable option. Allow your beer to carb for a few weeks. The longer the better, as the yeast will settle as time passes. Put it in the fridge, and let it stay there for a while. The yeast will settle even more when cold. Pour carefully into a glass, doing your best not to pour any yeasty sludge from the bottle into the glass. Never drink from the bottle.

I'm sure you know all of that, but just in case, it deserved to be said. Too much yeast will make you feel like your entire insides are trying to come out.

As for the dizziness and tingly feeling, if it was just a one time occurrence, I'd not worry about it, and pass it off as coincidence.

Overall, though, I am inclined to go with the majority on this one: ulcers.

 

[KRYLOK]

you can still eat rice and... um... water.

 

[BrewDocND]

ulcers make sense (kind of). my wife had them, and she took protonix (or something like that) and changed her diet and eventually they went away.

It's very rare that its a sharp pain, though it has happened on occassion. It's mainly just a dull/bloated pain, typically after I eat. It kind of feels like my stomach is a bag full of rocks. If I don't eat anything, then typically there is very little pain - which is the biggest reason I've lost weight. I've cut my beer intake to 1/10th (hell...i can't remember the last time I got drunk - oh wait...yeah I can...about 2 weeks ago), and I just don't eat anywhere near what I used to because I don't like feeling like crap...I just don't know why ulcers would cause the squirts and lightheadness. That was the most frightening symptom...at its worst (probably a little over a week ago)...I was extremely lightheaded, and my face would tingle. I thought I was having a stroke or something...

Different types of ulcers present with pains at different times, but yes, do tend to be sharp and no, would not cause "squirts"

You just need a good doctor who will listen to you

 

[RchanceN]

Even if it is ulcers, they are most often caused by a particular bacteria called H. pylori which can be tested for and treated. Most of the rest are caused by frequent use of NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, etc). Smoking, excessive alcohol, and stress play a part in some people, but are likely contributing factors rather than causes. Ideally you would have some labs and an endoscopy done to confirm or rule out this possibility if a doctor thinks your signs and symptoms warrant this.

As someone else said though, ulcers don't explain your diarrhea or weight loss. Dizzy and tingling could be caused by too many things to discuss here. Your symptoms, especially lasting 8 weeks, need some investigation.

 

[gregger]

I'm going with a parasitic infection. All symptoms point to it and only a few symptoms - the non-serious ones - point to ulcer. IMHO I don't think ulcer is logical given all of his symptoms and ailments. The lightheadness, tingliness, diarrhea and 15lb weight loss in less than two months is the clue that does it for me. I don't think not eating will lead to 15 lb weight loss in less than two months unless you starve yourself and workout religiously to burn calories on top of it. I would really like to know what a professional thinks.

 

[VTBrewer]

Ok....this is getting stupid.

Some of us here are doctors. I'm not one. This is a life altering if not life threatening deal. It should NOT be on this board. Go see your doctor.

 

[Suex]

I'm thinking gluten allergy as well, the test is simple now, they just do a blood test.... And don't worry you can brew gluten free beer... I have a few friends with this allergy, you would be surprised at how easy it is to cope with, go get tested.

 

[Suex]

Sorry, double post....

 

[metches]

I second the possible celiac, or gluten intolerance.

 

[theonetrueruss]

if it's the yeast I guess you'll just have to start kegging and filtering your beer to remove the yeast. Not drinking it or quitting brewing doesn't seem reasonable.

 

[jamesjensen1068]

2459573My first ER trip was because I wanted to learn, and so after racking to my secondary, I tasted a little bit of the yeast cake/trub at the bottom of the fermenter.[/B] Anyone else experienced anything like this? If I'm allergic to my home brew, I'm going to start taking steroid shots! Is there a filter out there I could put on my beer line or run my beer through to get rid of the yeast? It makes sense that yeast could be causing the problem because anything sugary really upsets my stomach. Also, after 3-4 big glasses of home brew, I would have a ton of gas. (My wife loved that, and has frequently joked about sowing my ass shut lol!)

Your symptoms started after tasting the trub. Please try my suggestion: Go to your local health food store and get their best probiotics and take double the recommended dose. I believe you upset the ballance of good bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are very, very safe to take.

Cheers

 

[starrfish]

Any hiking or camping trips lately? Maybe as far back as 2 weeks before symptoms started? I was thinking contaminated water... Giardia?

That's a nasty bug, and symptoms seem right. Symptoms can persist after parasite has left the body naturally in severe cases. This also causes late tests to come back negative for Giardia.

I'm not a Doc. But was very active in the BSA as an adult leader. I always filter & boil water when relying on natural sources. I'd definitely have some tests done... even if you haven't been Hiking or Camping.

 

[jdlev]

Ok....this is getting stupid.

Some of us here are doctors. I'm not one. This is a life altering if not life threatening deal. It should NOT be on this board. Go see your doctor.

I've been to the ER twice (who thought they were both anexity attacks) AND seen my gen. practioner 2x (who seems bent on thinking it's gastroenteritis with some serious bug - if i develop a fever, it may be something like e coli). I also talked to him again today. He continued to say it sounds like a viral parasite, which can take some time to go away. He said the diet was a good idea, and if they were causing ulcers, liquid mallox is the way to go. For the squirts...drink some pepto. If it gets worst, and I don't see any improvement in another week, I'm going to ask him to refer me to a GI doc for an endoscopy, and maybe run some labs on stool samples.

The whole reason I brought up this post is I've seen tons of docs, and none have any answers or act like they give a crap. If this hadn't been going on for 6-8 weeks, I would have never brought it up

This blows...I just want to sit back, relax, and be able to enjoy a nice home brew

 

[jdlev]

Your symptoms started after tasting the trub. Please try my suggestion: Go to your local health food store and get their best probiotics and take double the recommended dose. I believe you upset the ballance of good bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are very, very safe to take.

Cheers

Started 2 days ago Also went to smoothie king and got an immune booster smooth with a shot of probiotics. That's about all I've had to eat so far today...

 

[gungadin]

You should do an elimination diet and food challenge to discover or rule out allergies (not like a Man vs Food challenge). Basically you take your intake down to things nobody is allergic to and then add back things very slowly, one at a time, until you find the culprit.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergies-elimination-diet

Source: This is how multiple people in my family discovered that they had sensitivities to yeast and gluten.

 

[dficker]

BTW: There is a difference between food allergies and food intolerance. True food allergies are your body's immune (IgE) response to food proteins, and only food proteins. The most common are milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Food intolerance (Gluten/Lactose) causes strictly GI issues, although food allergens will cause vomiting, but along with the other symptoms, such as hives, swelling, etc. It does not sound like the OP has an allergy to any beer ingredients.

 

[SoonerDoc]

The whole reason I brought up this post is I've seen tons of docs, and none have any answers or act like they give a crap. If this hadn't been going on for 6-8 weeks, I would have never brought it up

This blows...I just want to sit back, relax, and be able to enjoy a nice home brew

With all due respect, stop posting here and find a doctor who does give a crap. No one on here is going to be able to help you. You need some blood tests and a physical examination by a competent doctor. No virus should last 6-8 weeks.

It's your body and your money, find a new doctor. Don't wait any longer.

 

[hudsonj6]

+1 on the contaminated water. Jdlev you asked if a well filter for the beer might help, does that mean you get your water from a well?

 

[Huff360]

Is there a filter out there I could put on my beer line or run my beer through to get rid of the yeast?

Yes, but it is VERY fine and is reported to remove taste as well! There is a guy over in the Gluten Free forum who has a relative that is allergic to Yeast and he successfully filters his beer for their consumption. He even posted a technical paper from one of the yeast producers with a size analysis of yeast. Seems like you had to go to a 1 micron absolute filter to get it all. He reports that you can easily tell when the beer has been pushed through that filter.

I couldn't find the thread on it, but I read it a few weeks back.

 

[jamesjensen1068]

One "shot" of probiotics in a smoothie won't do it. I'm not a doctor...I work for a Holistic Doctor's office and we deal with the weird and unusual cases. You need at the very least a bottle of probiotics...if that doesn't help then you start thinking parasites, etc. The fact that your symptoms started after "tasting" the yeast cake should be a clue. Start with the basics...seriously.

Cheers

 

[therealrsr]

Green beer tears up my stomach and causes bloated feeling/stomach pains. A bloated intestine can cause pressure on other internal organs. Sucks, I age my brew longer now and better. Were you brewing before you joined HBT in Sept.?

I have no idea if this is your case and recommend you find a doc who does care, but I can relate.

 

[ChandlerBang]

Ok....this is getting stupid.

Some of us here are doctors. I'm not one. This is a life altering if not life threatening deal. It should NOT be on this board. Go see your doctor.

+1

I've been to the ER twice (who thought they were both anexity attacks) AND seen my gen. practioner 2x (who seems bent on thinking it's gastroenteritis with some serious bug - if i develop a fever, it may be something like e coli). I also talked to him again today. He continued to say it sounds like a viral parasite, which can take some time to go away. He said the diet was a good idea, and if they were causing ulcers, liquid mallox is the way to go. For the squirts...drink some pepto. If it gets worst, and I don't see any improvement in another week, I'm going to ask him to refer me to a GI doc for an endoscopy, and maybe run some labs on stool samples.

The whole reason I brought up this post is I've seen tons of docs, and none have any answers or act like they give a crap. If this hadn't been going on for 6-8 weeks, I would have never brought it up

This blows...I just want to sit back, relax, and be able to enjoy a nice home brew

Doesn't improve? Hasn't it already been 8 figgin' weeks?

Green beer tears up my stomach and causes bloated feeling/stomach pains. A bloated intestine can cause pressure on other internal organs. Sucks, I age my brew longer now and better. Were you brewing before you joined HBT in Sept.?

I have no idea if this is your case and recommend you find a doc who does care, but I can relate.

+1 Screw your doctor. I wouldn't take my truck back to a mechanic that told me to run some injector cleaner and call me in a week.

 

[Highbeam]

I've had giardia, it wasn't all that bad. I waited a month before going in and a very simple test confirmed the parasite. Even simpler was the 5 pills that rid me of the bug.

I had lost about 15 lbs and had the squirts that whole time.

My vote is the parasite and the test for it is simple. Why not rule it out?

If you tell a doctor (worth his salt) that you've had the squirts for 8 weeks and can't keep weight on then he can find a reason. Are you not telling your doctor this?

 

[jdlev]

+1 on the contaminated water. Jdlev you asked if a well filter for the beer might help, does that mean you get your water from a well?

My well can't be contaminated or my wife would be getting sick too. I also use spring water from the grocer for my brews.

I have been feeling half way decent today...hopefully this thing is finally getting beat...

 

[jdlev]

One "shot" of probiotics in a smoothie won't do it. I'm not a doctor...I work for a Holistic Doctor's office and we deal with the weird and unusual cases. You need at the very least a bottle of probiotics...if that doesn't help then you start thinking parasites, etc. The fact that your symptoms started after "tasting" the yeast cake should be a clue. Start with the basics...seriously.

Cheers

That's what I've been taking for the last few days (bottled probios)...and I 'think' it may be the main reason my symptoms are beginning to subside...That and it's T+2 days without alcohol and the bland diet...

 

[jdlev]

Green beer tears up my stomach and causes bloated feeling/stomach pains. A bloated intestine can cause pressure on other internal organs. Sucks, I age my brew longer now and better. Were you brewing before you joined HBT in Sept.?

I have no idea if this is your case and recommend you find a doc who does care, but I can relate.

I think I started in august...