Still A Dabbler

[BarryC]

Like warrior princess said, I am still a dabbler. I guess I am partly in denial, or maybe its the A.D.D. (I have been tested for and was diagnosed with it-I take wellbutrin for it). Its under control but not gone.

I do post on different boards too, but I like to get different opinions.

I hope you guys will agree with me though that it tough to finally make a full mental commitment to going gluten free. And its a tough diet to follow-gluten is everywhere.

My brain fart last night eating the KFC was influenced by a couple beers, celebrating my son's engagement, and thinking its just chicken and maybe the meat will cancel out the gluten or the frying will render it harmless. Something like that.

Today of course I am sneezing, listless, and my bloating is back.

Anyhoo, thanks for keeping an eye on me. KIck me in the arse when I need it-I am a former minor hockey coach I have dished out a lot of verbal kicks myself!

This site is awesome, God Bless you all.

[kareng]

The point is, if you are not gluten-free, don't pretend to be gluten-free on here. You can ask for help with that on here. Asserting that something gluten-free made you feel bad when you also ate gluten with it is not helpful to all the people who are trying to learn.

"Forgetting" to tell us about the KFC and regular beers you also consumed, makes it hard for us to give you real help. Our advice just looks silly when those facts come to light. But...perhaps that is your intent? We do occasionally get people on here making fun of our diet restrictions but few every stay at it as long as you have been on here. Its usually 1 or 2 posts and they are gone.

If you wish to learn and contribute, in the spirit of this forum, you are welcome to do so.

[IrishHeart]

Perhaps if you committed to a strict gluten-free diet for a few months, the gut issues AND the ADD symptoms could reverse/diminish/disappear

and you would not need medications.

You ask repeatedly: "why do I have bloating?"

The answer is: You keep eating foods and drinking beverages with gluten in them.

Nothing cancels that out--not removing the floury coating on a chicken leg or fishing noodles out of the soup or drinking a lot of water to wash it out.

You need to read about how gluten affects the entire body--GI tract, skin, joints, muscles and the brain--for you to fully understand the system-wide havoc it can cause. Once the inflammatory response is initiated, it's a done deal.

We take this stuff pretty seriously --as our lives truly depend on it. This thing tried to kill me.

Celiacs can NEVER "dabble" in it.

This is not (as some people scoff) a "fad diet" to us.

Gluten is like kryptonite to me.

Barry, you won't feel better if you keep putting the poison back in the system.

So, as Karen points out, until you are going to follow the diet completely, you will continue to have symptoms.

It's like the Jack Kerouac quote: "You are either on the bus or you're off the bus."

gluten-free or not. (there is no "sort of")

[GFinDC]

Ha-Ha , one arse kicking coming up! I wear a size 12 boot Barry, is that big enough to do the trick?

You are really setting yourself back when you cheat on the gluten-free diet. It can take weeks for the autoimmune process to calm down once started. So it isn't something you can just take a little gluten here and there and be ok. It is not a weight loss or fad diet, gluten-free is a medical diet.

We had a poster awhile back who went off the gluten-free diet. She had minor symptoms so she chose not to follow the diet. A few years later she was rushed to the ER and they removed part of her destroyed intestine. She ended up with a colostomy. Not fun stuff.

It might help you to pack your lunch or some snacks when you go out, even if it is a short trip. Taking along some Larabars or fruit or nuts can fill your tummie just fine instead of grabbing some junky fast food. Of course if you have to have some junk Corn Nuts are ok. Most Planters Nuts are ok too but check the label. There are threads on Halloween candy that is safe and threads on snacks too. Search the forum for snacks or Halloween and you can find them.

Going gluten-free is a process and it is different for everybody. Dragging it out may work better for some people. Some people like to use up all the gluteney foods they have in the house first instead of throwing them out at the beginning. You won't really know how different it makes you feel until you stick with it 100% though. A food journal with a list of symptoms each day may help you understand the changes. Just write down what you ate and drank and how you felt that day. When you get to where your list of symptoms is "feeling great today" then you are on your way.

[Cathey]

The point is, if you are not gluten-free, don't pretend to be gluten-free on here. You can ask for help with that on here. Asserting that something gluten-free made you feel bad when you also ate gluten with it is not helpful to all the people who are trying to learn.

"Forgetting" to tell us about the KFC and regular beers you also consumed, makes it hard for us to give you real help. Our advice just looks silly when those facts come to light. But...perhaps that is your intent? We do occasionally get people on here making fun of our diet restrictions but few every stay at it as long as you have been on here. Its usually 1 or 2 posts and they are gone.

If you wish to learn and contribute, in the spirit of this forum, you are welcome to do so.

UGH...

If you are Celiac, and diagnosed A.D.D. and you are on Wellrutrin? You sir need to check out a meeting group, it's called AA. The alcohol and your medication don't mix, you are mixing a deadly cocktail. I hope you find peace and the help you need.

[Juliebove]

Just so you know... The school thought my daughter had ADD. But did she? Nope. It was the gluten.

[cahill]

I hope you guys will agree with me though that it tough to finally make a full mental commitment to going gluten free. And its a tough diet to follow.

Nope, I disagree. Going gluten free is not that tough.

If you want tough try gluten,soy,egg,nightshade,legume and corn free.

Oh and most fruit ,veggies and meat dont agree with your tummy either. That is TOUGH. And that is where you are headed if you dont take care of your gut now.

[tom]

.... And that is where you are headed if you dont take care of your gut now.

Yup

Don't be too surprised if ADD goes away once 100% gluten-free.

[Juliebove]

Nope, I disagree. Going gluten free is not that tough.

If you want tough try gluten,soy,egg,nightshade,legume and corn free.

Oh and most fruit ,veggies and meat dont agree with your tummy either. That is TOUGH. And that is where you are headed if you dont take care of your gut now.

Egg is the tough one for me. I've found it in soups, mashed potatoes, bread (not gluten-free but gluten isn't my issue), candies, all sorts of things where you wouldn't expect it.

Yes, gluten lurks too. But there are many restaurants now that offer gluten-free menus. And it's easy to cook at home.

[IrishHeart]

I guess I am partly in denial,

I hope you guys will agree with me though that it tough to finally make a full mental commitment to going gluten free. And its a tough diet to follow-gluten is everywhere.

Nope, you are in full denial.

Nope, going gluten-free is not "tough".

Being deathly ill, your hair falling out, unable to keep any food in you, living in the bathroom or the ER, losing your mental capacity, living with burning nerve, joint & bone pain,losing massive muscle mass and the ability to walk, sit, stand or lie down without pain, experiencing raging insomnia and sleeping only 1-2 hours some nights and fighting anxiety, etc. etc. while your husband wonders of you are dying for 4 years is tough.

Compared to that nightmare, going gluten-free was a walk in the park.

Do you think I am a warrior princess just because I gave up bread?

It's not about the food, Barry.

It's how much do you want to feel better and stop hurting.

[sfamor]

Like warrior princess said, I am still a dabbler. I guess I am partly in denial, or maybe its the A.D.D. (I have been tested for and was diagnosed with it-I take wellbutrin for it). Its under control but not gone.

I do post on different boards too, but I like to get different opinions.

I hope you guys will agree with me though that it tough to finally make a full mental commitment to going gluten free. And its a tough diet to follow-gluten is everywhere.

My brain fart last night eating the KFC was influenced by a couple beers, celebrating my son's engagement, and thinking its just chicken and maybe the meat will cancel out the gluten or the frying will render it harmless. Something like that.

Today of course I am sneezing, listless, and my bloating is back.

Anyhoo, thanks for keeping an eye on me. KIck me in the arse when I need it-I am a former minor hockey coach I have dished out a lot of verbal kicks myself!

This site is awesome, God Bless you all.

I felt very compelled to respond to this after reading through many of the responses you got. To take a softer approach-- going gluten free is going to be easier for some people and harder for others. It's going to depend on your symptoms, how long you've lived with them, how debilitating they are, how supportive your family is, the area you live in and the good resources you have, and so so many other factors. It is simply not black and white as many people who responded seemed to view it as. It is perfectly normal (AND EXCPECTED!) that you are going to have some ambivalence about making such a huge and drastic life altering change as going gluten free is for most people. I can say for myself I went through a long period of what I can only describe as mourning. I can tell you that it does get easier! I can say that for myself, making the decision to go 100% gluten free and telling people around me that I was doing it was what got me there. If you haven't decided yourself that you are 100% committed than it's going to be a whole lot easier to have that beer or fried chicken wing, or whatever it is. Before it really "clicked" for me that this was going to have to be 100% of the time, I would go gluten free for a couple days and then cheat with someone small and then since I had already cheated with the small thing I'd figure it didn't matter any more if I just ate something else with gluten, etc... Part of what helped me too is always planning and having a backup plan for food like literally keeping Redbridge gluten free beer in my trunk so I don't have to remember to pack it if I'm going out to a last minute social event. Also, there's kind of a psychological shift that has to happen to I think. For some people, it happens right away. They've felt so bad for so long that they can go gluten free the second the get the diagnosis (or even before they get it) because they are so ready to do whatever it takes to make themselves feel better. For me, this happened somewhat, but I also slowly, over time came to realize that it is just not the end of the world if I can not have certain foods ever again. It seemed like the end of the world at first, but I can say that two years later, if I'm out at a restaurant with friends and there's nothing on the menu I can order for desert while my friends all are eating giant pieces of chocolate cake, I can get through it with only mild self-pity . Seriously though, my cravings have subsided and after two years, all of the gluten free substitutes for stuff really does taste pretty good. Spend some time (and get your family on board) to find out what's available at the different grocery stores in your area and online.

p.s. Did want to mention that the sneezing symptom isn't one I've often heard about with celiacs or gluten sensitivity. I'm not at all an expert, but just a thought was that maybe you're reacting to something else in your environment/food in addition to the gluten? A lot of people on here, myself included have multiple food allergies and it can be hard to distinguish the symptoms.

[mushroom]

I think giving up gluten is probably not as hard for those who have already given up nicotine, which is the hardest thing I ever did. I could only do that by waking up one morning and saying, "You have already smoked your last cigarette." because I could not bear the thought of that last cigarette. Compared to that, gluten was a snap Do I miss crusty french bread, buttery croissantes and phyllo?? Yes, of course I do. But I do not lie tense in bed at night with every nerve in my body on fire and craving them and every muscle so tense that I cannot sleep. It still does take willpower, and the power to tell people, no, thank you, I don't eat that and I will not eat that. But I had already done that with cigarettes and always left a pack of them sitting on my coffee table in training to avoid the constant temptation I knew I would face. And at least with food you can still eat - it's just what you eat that changes.

.

[sfamor]

UGH...

If you are Celiac, and diagnosed A.D.D. and you are on Wellrutrin? You sir need to check out a meeting group, it's called AA. The alcohol and your medication don't mix, you are mixing a deadly cocktail. I hope you find peace and the help you need.

This is really not a helpful comment. He's looking for support around going gluten free; he was not asking for your unsolicited medical advice about a separate issue. If you truly felt concern that this poster might be struggling with an alcohol problem or simply might not be aware that alcohol can react negatively with wellbutrin, then a quick educational fyi would have sufficed or even better, a private message offering kind words of support and recommendations for resources would likely better have served the purpose.

[IrishHeart]

I felt very compelled to respond to this after reading through many of the responses you got. To take a softer approach-- going gluten free is going to be easier for some people and harder for others. It's going to depend on your symptoms, how long you've lived with them, how debilitating they are, how supportive your family is, the area you live in and the good resources you have, and so so many other factors. It is simply not black and white as many people who responded seemed to view it as. It is perfectly normal (AND EXCPECTED!) that you are going to have some ambivalence about making such a huge and drastic life altering change as going gluten free is for most people.

I think you may have the wrong impression here.

What you may not realize is, we HAVE BEEN replying to Barry's MANY posts for weeks with "a soft and supportive approach" and we have told him all the exact same things you are saying here and we have done this repeatedly because we care about his success on the gluten-free diet, but he is admittedly, unwilling to give it a good solid try.

He has admitted it many times and we do not know what else we can say in support.

We are not being harsh ( as you seem to suggest). He is replying here to something we discussed in another post and there is more to the story than you know.

On the contrary, we have been helping Barry with encouragement and support for weeks. He knows he feels better off gluten but he does not want to make the full committment and when he keeps dabbling in gluteny foods, he feels lousy and then wants to know why. So, we tell him over and over again. It's the gluten.

Just so you know.

[cahill]

When BerryC asked for a kick in the pants, I took him at his word that he wanted the cold hard truth .Which I and other on this board are capable of giving.

Celiac disease has a LOT of cold hard truths. It is what it is.Live with it or die with it, celiac is not for the faint of heart.

We on this board are just as capable and much quicker to sugar coat it and hand out sincere (HUGS) It is all in what you ask for.

[GFinDC]

@BarryC

Hi Barry , I hope you are doing better on the gluten-free diet. We all want you to succeed on it. Even dabblers are welcome here. There are plenty of people who are dabblers at first, it is not unusual. gluten-free is a big change for sure. But you can do it.

@sfamor,

Hi sfamor,

Barry asked for a bit of chiding and maybe he did get more than he wanted. I just hope he understands it is not meant to drive him away but to help him stick to his diet. Motivation in a way. You are right, many people have trouble adjusting to the gluten-free diet, it is not an easy thing for most. Some people give up pretty easy and don't even do the diet after while or backslip etc. That doesn't mean they are bad people, they just need more time to adjust their habits and make the commitment. I was a dabbler at first myself so I know it is not the end of the world to not commit 100% right away. I took risks with foods that I wasn't sure were gluten-free etc. It took me a while to learn not to take chances. I think a newbie like BarryC having a few beers and making a mistake is very understandable. It is not good for him, but I think he knows that already or he wouldn't have posted about it. I hope we weren't too harsh in this thread, because it only an attempt to help him.

[BarryC]

I appreciate all the comments, I think its positive to respond to begin with. Everyone has a different personality. This is a journey and I am just starting out. BTW if you want to see some real snarky comments, I will show you my daughter Facebook page! Cheers!

[IrishHeart]

Barry, I wish you the best. I hope you will give the gluten-free diet a good strict trial so you can see if you feel better! Cheers to you, IH

[GFinDC]

Yay! Barry's back! Good to see you back in the throng Barry. By the way, it did take me quite a while to get used to the idea of being gluten-free. I made plenty of mistakes at the beginning myself. But we can all learn from each other. Not so sure about the FB page though, those things wear me out after while. Glad you are with us!