Diet for Carcinoid

For three weeks I have been learning to follow a diet that is suggested for carcinoid patients. It is lower in two amino acids that are used to make the bio-active compounds that our tumors generate. The amino acids are tyramine and tryptophan. Tryptophan breaks down and increases the serotonin that our tumors create. 

Since I now can see that my tumors create excessive amounts of insulin; serotonin; Chromogranin A; histamines and others; I am trying harder to regulate how I feel.

For the low-tyramine diet I have been eating less of the following things: caffeine, chocolate, aged cheese, all cured meats, and pickled or smoked foods. One of the basic ideas in this diet is that foods gradually breakdown after we get them home, therefore the amount of tyramine increases as the food gets older. One nutritionist suggested eating all fresh produce within 48 hours of buying it. Also, either eat meat the first day it comes home or freeze it. Just putting fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator does not slow down the production of tyramine.

I can't quite eat everything  while it is fresh, but I have been eating less chocolate and drinking less caffeinated tea. (I don't drink coffee because I just don't care for it.) I have 1 cup of caffeinated tea in the morning and the others cups are decaffeinated. I also have only one soda per day. Today at a taco restaurant I got just one glass of iced tea, instead of the usual two. I have not eaten any ham or hot dogs for a month. At a restaurant, I did not chose the meal that had chicken with four cheeses even though it sounded good. I didn't know if they were aged cheeses.

Regarding decreasing serotonin, I have mostly been eating less turkey and chicken. We had our Thanksgiving in America, where a turkey dinner is traditional. I tried to eat only two or three ounces,but I was slightly ill on the next day. I had abdominal pain and diarrhea--which I have only had occasionally lately. So it seemed like there was a correlation between eating the turkey and having problems. If I had eaten my usual portion, I would have been sicker.

Researching a low-serotonin diet required me to look at the diets telling people how to raise serotonin---I guess it's good for some people! 

I have been feeling much better since I began following the diet. I do not have the weakness that plagued me from September 15 to November 15. Instead of having 40% to 60% of my energy, I am functioning at 80% of normal. Now I have to get over being so lazy, and get back to doing more for my family. They did so much for me while I was ill.

I will write more about this next later. If you are interested, a low-tyramine diet or low-serotonin diet can be researched on the Internet.