I’d love to hear how switching to a low oxalate way of eating helped you. And what motivated you to go down this path? Was it pain, weakness, low energy, anxiety, insomnia, bladder issues and/or restless legs and painful feet? (or something else?) How quickly did you see results when making the dietary changes? And what would you say to someone who can’t even imagine a better, easier and pain-free life, and really doesn’t want to give up so many foods?
I’ve seen incredible results personally and my painful feet and restless legs/insomnia (and also severe eye pain in one eye) was my motivation. I’m a nutritionist and understand the power of nutrition and know what is possible. But I know it’s tough to grasp for many individuals.
I’m asking for a dear family member who uses a walker and can’t imagine life without her walker and that dietary changes could make a difference.
I posted the above on Facebook and here are some of the few incredible responses I received. I hope they inspire and motivate you if you’re just beginning this low oxalate journey, or if you have a family member you’re trying to inspire, educate and help.
Beth shared how stopping high oxalate foods – beets, sweet potatoes, almonds, swiss chard, and chocolate – enabled her to stop using her cane in just 2 weeks:
I had to use cane by the time I was 28 and could barely hobble. The pain was like ground glass in my joints. To take a flight I had to get a wheelchair at the airport and had to use the electric carts at the grocery because I couldn’t walk or stand due to the excruciating pain. This went on for a few years.
When I learned about oxalates and stopped beets, sweet potatoes, almonds, swiss chard, and chocolate and went down to only medium oxalate foods or lower, I was off the cane in 2 weeks. I didn’t know about dumping, and I got lucky, but now if I eat too many oxalates the only problem I get is pain in my fingers and toes.
I can personally relate to the ground glass pain she describes – the pain in my feet felt like a mix of shards of glass and hot coals. It’s a common description I hear from clients.
You may be familiar with the wonderful work of Beth O’Hara, functional naturopath and founder of Mast Cell 360. She shares this too: “ I see a lot of mold toxicity underlying oxalate issues due to leaky gut, nutrient depletion, and a few other factors.”
Quick results for insomnia, bloating, stomach pain, peripheral neuropathy, body pain, brain fog, weird rashes and more
Nicola shared these wonderful results and the fact that her symptoms started to resolve quickly:
I had extremely quick results – a couple of days for some symptoms. But the thrill of the slow realization that I wasn’t actually seriously ill and brewing up ever more and newer ways to suffer, was the biggest relief. Lower stress also equals lower pain.
Insomnia first, then bloating, stomach pain, peripheral neuropathy, chest pains, body pain, swollen lymph glands, brain fog, TMJ pains, weird rashes, arthritis type pains in hands/wrists, headaches. The list is too extensive to enumerate. Suffice to say I no longer feel in imminent danger of contracting lymphoma, heart problems, Alzheimer’s etc.
I am 66 years old and I’ve only been on this TLO (trying low oxalates) journey for about 8 months or so and all those issues have mostly been resolved. Kind of magical really. Still dumping oxalates regularly as I had a long way to come having been mostly Paleo for about 8 years previously.
I think we are too quick to resign ourselves to the ‘aging’ process. I find I am getting younger by the month, the longer I am lowering oxalates. I may not look any younger, but to be living without chronic pain is quite the unexpected boon.
I have to agree with Nicola. It is quite magical to get results like this and too often we take for granted that as we age chronic pain is inevitable. As you can see from these stories it is not inevitable and you have much more control than you may realize!
So desperate with pain that she thought she was going to have to quit work
Yvonne found out she had oxalate issues after having DNA testing done. She shares this about her journey and motivation:
I had extreme shoulder pain, grainy eyes and in the end, I couldn’t take my thyroid meds without the shoulder pain or some other pain. I found my way to the group through DNA testing which …suggested that I may have an oxalate problem. I slowly started eating low oxalate, suggested by the TLO group.
I had been primarily consuming high oxalate foods trying to be healthy but my diet wasn’t diverse enough. I was eating nuts, celery, spinach, kale, chocolate and sweet potatoes.
I was cautious after going low oxalate and having my problems relieved. Over time I’ve gone back to eating medium oxalate foods and done well. I do feel like making my own kombucha and drinking it daily has helped.
Dietary oxalate issues are often worse for women as they start to go through perimenopause and into menopause because of lower estradiol levels (more on that below). Yvonne was 65 at the time.
She shares what motivated her to make changes: “I was so desperate with pain that I thought I was going to have to quit work. That’s the reason I had the DNA testing done.”
Belly pain (maybe bladder), left leg pain, scalp itch, eye stinging and itching reduced immediately
Cristina shared what she observed when switching to a low oxalate diet:
Noticed belly pain (maybe bladder), left leg pain, scalp itch, eye stinging and itching reduced immediately. But might have taken a couple of years to really unload excess oxalates. I still get the exact same symptoms if I have high oxalates, particularly carrots, potatoes and nuts.
With much appreciation for these women for sharing their stories and giving me permission to share. I do hope this is inspiring and motivating for you if you are navigating dietary oxalates and can’t yet imagine that a diet change could lead to a better life and symptom-free existence. I’ll be sharing all this wonderful feedback with my loved one too.
Additional reading about dietary oxalates
If you’re new to the concept of dietary oxalates here are some blog posts for additional reading:
- Oxalate crystal disease, dietary oxalates and pain: the research & questions (this is a good one to start with if you’re new to dietary oxalates and the issues they can cause)
- Vulvodynia: oxalates, GABA, tryptophan and physical therapy
- Vitamin C causes oxalate formation resulting in pain, anxiety, and insomnia (when there is a defect in ascorbic acid or oxalate metabolism)?
- Waking in the night due to environmental toxins: impacts on the liver, gallbladder and fat digestion (making oxalate issues worse)
- Increased kidney stones in postmenopausal women with lower estradiol levels. What about increased dietary oxalate issues too?
I’d love to hear how switching to a low oxalate way of eating helped you and which high oxalate foods were you eating?
What motivated you to go down this path? Was it pain, weakness, low energy, anxiety, insomnia, bladder issues and/or restless legs and painful feet (or some other symptoms)?
How quickly did you see results when making the dietary changes?
And what would you say to someone who can’t even imagine a better, easier and pain-free life, and really doesn’t want to give up so many foods?
If you have questions please share them here too.
I went on Facebook to find out more about oxalates and have decided to try reducing mine but am finding charts online can really vary, one says carrots are high one doesn’t can you tell me where you look for what foods are high, medium and low?
Thank you,
Diane
Sally K. Norton is the oxalate expert I rely on. https://sallyknorton.com/
Good luck!
I also would like to know! Diana quite a few pages regarding LO which one did you sign in?
Trudy, I just moved to Austin and I am looking for a good Functional Medicine Dr. Is there one that you would recommend?
Thank you,
Diane
Yes you will see many different lists online – it’s very confusing and unfortunate. I rely on Susan Owens and the Facebook group called Trying Low Oxalates (TLO) https://www.facebook.com/groups/135981539816730
Once you join that group, you can ask to join the TLO Spreadsheet group https://www.facebook.com/groups/321541168246845 which gives you access to a very detailed list.
Please do share why you have decided to try and reduce your high and medium oxalate foods? What symptoms?
I would like to hear some stories or some research about oxalates and restless legs. My dear friend, who lives on potatoes and chocolate, has had RLS for many years, and nothing has worked for her to relieve it.
Terran
I find (personally and with clients) restless legs are closely related to oxalate intake and extra calcium citrate on waking in the night helps. Using a magnesium spay on the feet/legs can help too. I also found fat digestion and toxins played a role for me and taurine helps https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/
You’ll find all the oxalate restless legs research to be focused on kidney disease – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26355253/
Hi Trudy, Thank you for your informative website and posts! I am trying a lower oxalate diet, hoping it will help with brain and body inflammation. I have had ME/CFS for 22 years with low thyroid, adrenal fatigue and restless legs syndrome. I have brain fog, joint pain, fatigue, rashes, insomnia, irritable bladder, tingling hands and blurry vision. Like you, I was drinking smoothies every morning, thinking they were healthy. I learned that almond milk and butter, spinach, berries, chia seeds and hemp protein powder are all high in oxalates! I would love to read a post about low oxalate smoothies if you have found some recipes that work for you. I would appreciate any suggestions for restless legs syndrome. I have noticed that the RLS has increased with age and is worse when inflammation is higher. Thanks!
Kathy
Thanks for sharing. I suggest blueberries and other low oxalate fruits, coconut milk/cream, whey protein (or beef-based protein powder), water, flax seeds.
I find (personally and with clients) restless legs are closely related to oxalate intake and extra calcium citrate on waking in the night helps. Using a magnesium spay on the feet/legs can help too. I also found fat digestion and toxins played a role for me and taurine helps https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/waking-in-the-night-due-to-environmental-toxins-impacts-on-the-liver-gallbladder-and-fat-digestion-making-oxalate-issues-worse/
Just wanted to share a bit of my oxalate story. Bladder/pelvic pain and discomfort were my telltale signs. And urgency to pee 17 trillion times a day. It always feels like I have a UTI only it never burns when I urinate. When this first started, I kept getting tested for UTIs, and it’d show blood and puss (gross, sorry) in my urine, indicating “irritation,” but never infection. Doc kept wanting to put me on antibiotics but I declined as I had no infection. After researching, this is how I discovered oxalates.
I did MULTIPLE tests going off oxalates and back on them and every single time the bladder/pelvic irritation and urgency to pee came roaring back.
I also get brain fog, but I get that with lots of things, so it’s not specific to oxalates, but it’s definitely also caused by them.
My guess is there are more things that are caused by oxalates that I attribute to other things, but these are the ones I know about for sure.
(I inadvertently ate EXTREMELY high oxalate, “healthy” smoothies and big spoonfuls of almond butter and spinach salads daily. I thought I was being so healthy!)
Syd
Thanks for sharing your journey here and well done for going off oxalates and then adding them back. Doing it multiple times and feeling and seeing the effects is often the best way to be sure. Glad you figured it out. Be sure to share with your doctor – we need more medical professionals to be on board
And yes those foods are common culprits and catch so many who are trying to be more healthy.
I’ve been on a strict low oxalate diet and supplement protocol for the last couple of months under the guidance of a very knowledgeable nutritionist. My symptoms consisted of extreme fatigue, crippling anxiety, depression (with suicidal ideations at times), RLS, tinnitus, eczema, blistering and splitting skin on my hands, rosacea, weight gain, painful feet upon rising, excruciating heart palpitations and racing beat, muscle and joint pain, air hunger, digestive distress and so many more complaints that doctors were never able to give an answer for (like the time I had bright orange fluid dripping from my nose – that was a doozy and has actually happened twice if I’m going to be honest). The journey to health with this particular issue at times can be quite uncomfortable and the saying “it may get worse before it gets better” certainly rings true in this instance but I genuinely feel I would’ve eventually died from my ever increasing symptoms if my brilliant practitioner hadn’t worked things out as quickly as she did. I’ve seen countless medical professionals and spent thousands of dollars trying to figure out what was happening to me in the past and sadly there just isn’t enough about this condition known or realised within conventional medicine. It’s been absolutely life changing
Oh my!! So wonderful for you!! So you are saying you are way better??? I have the crippling anxiety/mood stuff , tinnitus, amongst other things and have been lowering “copper rich” foods at the advice of my practitioner and coincidentally, I am finding they are low oxylate foods!
April
She is saying this! And yes many high and medium oxalate foods are also higher in copper which can also affect mood.
With regards to the anxiety/mood stuff don’t forget about the amino acids too – symptoms here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/
My book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” is a great place for the foundations and has a chapter on the amino acids with dosing/timing information. More here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/the-antianxiety-food-solution-by-trudy-scott/ There are also plenty of articles here on the blog so be sure to use the search feature.
Rachael
Thanks for sharing here. It wasn’t clear to April and may not be clear to other readers but I assume your symptoms have started to reduce with this way of eating?
You’re spot on, oxalate issues are not well recognized yet so it’s wonderful that you’ve had such a wonderful practitioner helping to guide you.
I assume you’re referring to dumping when you say it may get worse before it gets better? I was fortunate not to have this problem when I switched to a low oxalate way of eating. I was on the pyroluria protocol (zinc, vitamin B6 and EPO) at the time and suspect that may have helped.
Oh yes absolutely I feel better! Apologies for my ambiguity April (oops) 🙂 And your book has definitely helped me and others I know Trudy, with your guidance on tryptophan in particular being an absolute saviour for me! Thank you for providing such crucial information and such a wonderful space to share experiences.
My improvement after lowering oxalates has been profound, but on the days I’m “dumping” (which I am now able to recognise as such rather than worrying about the protocol not working) it can feel like taking quite a few steps back before things clear. On those days the fatigue is probably the first symptom to reappear, then a few panicky feelings in my stomach (although never as bad as they were prior to commencing treatment) and very mild heart palps. The tinnitus and rosacea plus some other unpleasant symptoms also increase during these times and I can be a little more irritable. But the wonderful thing is, despite this, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s very exciting after suffering for so long. Wishing you all the best for your own health journey April. I truly hope you find what works for you and with that, some relief 🙂
Rachael
Thanks for clarifying and wonderful to hear tryptophan being an absolute saviour! So Glad my book is helpful too.
I am curious if you have seen a correlation with a need for tryptophan or a higher dose of tryptophan during your oxalate dumping episodes. These symptoms are all low serotonin: panicky feelings in stomach, very mild heart palps, tinnitus, feeling more irritable? We increase tryptophan during seasonal lows and extra tryptophan can help while dumping.
To your continued healing
I had been having muscle twitches or spasms all over my body almost nightly. It really disrupted my sleep and pickle juice was the only thing that seemed to fix it. GABA sometimes did and sometimes it didn’t. After reading your blog and suggestions for twitches, I realized I might be overdosing on oxalates.
For several years I’d had a spinach-packed smoothie almost every day, along with lots of sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, and almonds. I was trying to control blood sugar, so I had started experimenting with almond flour, too.
After deciding to test the oxalate theory, I swapped out the spinach for collard greens, tried a protein powder made from something other than brown rice, and eliminated almonds and almond flour. My twitches have completely disappeared as well as my exercise-induced joint pain. I am so grateful for the information here that helped me solve a puzzle that the doctors wanted to solve with a medication or a shrug of their shoulders. Thank you!!
Suzanne
Wonderful to hear and so glad you made the connections! How quickly did you notice improvements?