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Celiac is often triggered by a physical or emotional trauma. I'd say your food poisoning episode definitely qualifies! Your symptoms sound like they could well be celiac. Yes, even the anxiety.

The good news is you have come to the right place. Start by reading the "Newbie 101" thread. It'll help you find all of the places gluten hides so you can avoid cross-contamination. Expect to go through gluten withdrawal, which will give you headaches, constant hunger, and emotional upset. It lasted about three weeks for me. Then I started really feeling better.

But be aware that this is a rollercoaster ride. You will feel better, then you will feel worse. It takes a long time to heal and while we are healing, all sorts of non-gluten foods can make us sick. Don't give up though! Eventually the good days will outnumber the bad.

You may also discover additional intolerances. I had to give up soy and corn and most fruits and vegetables. I am slowly adding some of them back now. It was a year before I discovered that I can now tolerate corn starch, and believe it or not, that has made my life and my diet SO much easier.

I think the best way to start is with simple whole foods. Meat, veggies, and fruit. Fresh is better. Organic is best. (I reacted to non-organic foods at first. Pesticides and artificial fertilizers.) Rice is good. Brown rice is better. Potatoes are good unless you have a problem with nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant). Sweet potatoes are really good because they are full of nutrition.

You should take a good probiotic too, and some folks swear by digestive enzymes.

It sounds overwhelming, and it is at first. I think every one of us here has had at least one meltdown at the grocery store. But it gets easier over time and eventually it becomes so normal you don't even think about it. The only time I think about it is when I get asked to eat at a restaurant. I mostly DON'T eat out actually, but I don't mind eating before I go and joining my friends for a beverage while they eat.

You will probably gewt lots of questions from your friends at first, but just tell them you have been diagnosed with celiac disease. That is not a lie - you are SELF-diagnosed.

I guess I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit - you are trying a gluten-free diet to see if it helps. If it DOES, THEN you can say you have been diagnosed.

ALWAYS have some gluten-free food in your purse. Some fruit, some gluten-free crackers, Lara bars, something. That way you will never find yourself hungry with no place to get safe food.

Now, read as much as you can here. Check out the "Leaky gut and other intolerances" section. Check out the "Pre-diagnosis and testing" section. Definitely the "Coping with" section. And all of the what's for dinner and what's for breakfast threads.

And then ask lots of questions. We don't mind if the questions have been asked here before. And remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question. We love to help.

I agree with srall completely! I too am self-diagnosed, and I always say, "Since I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I can't eat that." Or something to that effect. It is not a lie. I WAS diagnosed - by myself. It really IS easier to deal with other people if you say celiac disease rather than intolerance.

Sometimes I just say I have food allergies, depending on the situation, because everyone knows what an allergy is but not everyone knows what celiac is. If I feel like explaining and educating people I say celiac. If I am not in the mood I say allergies and that usually shuts them up.

I have not only sobbed like a baby at the grocery store as Adelaide has, but one time I started yelling! "I HATE THIS! I can't eat ANYTHING!" That was at my lowest point when my other intolerances were at their worst. At that point, it seemed that everything had gluten, soy, or corn in it, and I could eat none of those things. Non-organic foods made me sick back then and I was SO limited. But things have gotten better since. I still can't eat soy or corn meal or whole corn, but I got corn starch back, and I no longer get sick from non-organics.

I have had trouble with salicylates too, but it's been a while since I tried them. I think the thing I miss the most is blueberry pie. I just might get some gluten-free pie crust and make a blueberry pie for Christmas. If it doesn't work for me I can always give it to a gluten-free friend.

I have been reading about Thanksgiving and noticed that quite a few of us were glutened. I see it all the time here, someone goes to a friend or relative's house and tries to eat gluten-free, but ends up getting glutened, even when the host/hostess really tries to make a gluten-free meal.

WE NEED TO BRING OUR OWN FOOD!

I don't care how embarrassed we feel. (We shouldn't, by the way.)  I don't care how many rude comments we get. (They are just that - rude.) People with allergies need to avoid their allergens. People with diabetes need to avoid sugar. People with back problems need to avoid heavy lifting. People with bad hips or knees need to avoid stairs. People who get sun poisoning need to avoid the sun.

So why in the world should we feel strange for needing to avoid gluten? We have a serious disease, and we need to do everything we can to protect our health.

WE NEED TO BRING OUR OWN FOOD!

If it makes you feel conspicuous, you need to gather your strength and put your foot down. This is the way it is. Practice saying it - "This is the way it is. Subject closed." They may talk about you behind your back, but if they do, be assured, people who would do that are ALREADY talking about you behind your back over any number of different things. SO WHAT? Are we supposed to risk our health on the off chance that they will STOP talking behind our backs? Are THEY worth it?

The people who know and love us will understand. If they don't know and love us, we can live without them! In the case of uncaring relatives, hey, we ALL have relatives we wish we didn't, but we put up with them. So put your foot down, bring your own food, put up with the funny looks, but tell them, "This is the way it is - subject closed." They'll either get over it, or they will have the great pleasure of talking behind your back, but it shouldn't affect YOU. YOU are taking care of your health.

So remember:

WE NEED TO BRING OUR OWN FOOD! "This is the way it is. Subject closed."

Oh Honey, I am so sorry! Families are the sources of some of the greatest joy in life, but they can also be the sources of the greatest misery.

What you need to do next time, is put your foot down and insist that you are bringing your own food. Even people with the best of intentions can gluten us by accident, but when you are dealing with people who don't pay attention, it is not worth the risk.

It doesn't help that you are so new to this. You are most likely still suffering from gluten withdrawal. That can cause headaches, extreme hunger, and ragged emotions. Can you make yourself a sandwich with your gluten-free bread? If you can have cheese, put some on each side, put some ham in the middle, then pop the whole thing in the micro so the cheese melts.

Now, I'm not sure which gluten-free bread you have, but if you don't like it, try different brands. Canyon Bakehouse San Juan Seven Grain is HEAVENLY, and if you get Udi's, make sure you get the MULTI-GRAIN instead of the white. It has the taste and texture of french bread. Even my non-gluten-free friends love it. As time goes on you will find other gluten-free substitutes that you like. Some are lousy and some are VERY good. You'll just have to experiment.

Now, I'm going to preach at you a bit. NO ONE, I don't care if it is family, friends, spouses, or enemies, has a right to make you feel bad for trying to take care of your health. And YOU can't LET them! As hard as this is right now, it WILL get easier. And ruining your health in an attempt to please others is just plain foolish.

If it was just an elevated risk of lymphoma, well, it would be up to you. But there are so many other horrible conditions that eating gluten can lead to! Gluten ataxia, which mimics MS, rheumatoid arthritis which is SO painful, DH, which they call the suicide rash because the itching and pain are so bad. Continuing to eat gluten can lead to dementia. It can lead to other cancers. And so many other things!

Life is worth living when you feel good. Food is just one small part of enjoying life. You can still enjoy the people you love, sunsets, friendships, hobbies, and all the other things you like about being alive.

And you WILL learn to enjoy gluten-free foods. Meats, veggies, rice, gluten-free breads, gluten-free desserts, nuts, - there are TONS of good things to eat.

Now, go wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug from me. As bad as today has been, I PROMISE, it will get better. And a year from now you will be typing a similar post of encouragment to a newbie here who is hurting and ready to give up.

You are going to be OK.

Bring your own. They have no right to be upset that you are doing what you need to do in order to take care of your health. If you bake, make a gluten-free pie or other dish to share. Just make sure you serve yourself first.

Enjoy your family! Mine is gone now and I miss them so much, especially at Thanksgiving. It was always my favorite holiday. My gluten-free Mom always did the cooking, some gluten-free and some not. We had grandparents from both side, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. There were usually anywhere between 14 and 26 people there. After dinner and cleanup there were card and other games, music and singing, great conversation, more food of course, and so much love in the room!

I wish you and everyone else here the warmest, most loving, and most Thankful Thanksgiving yet!

I just realized that for the first ten months or so, I too thought about it all the time. Not just at the grocery store or when I went to someone's house, but all the time.

Now, well I can't say I NEVER think about it, but HARDLY ever. I enjoy my food, and I enjoy time with my friends. I always bring my own food and no one has a problem with that. Celiac disease is in the headlines a lot lately so most people are aware that it exists. When I tell people I have it and need to bring my own food, they understand. And the ones who ask me if they can cook something for me, well, I tell them it's not that I don't trust them, but I explain a little about cross contamination and then tell them it's just be easier if I brought my own. Usually they are relieved because if they DID make me sick they'd feel terrible.

And I haven't cried at the grocery store in a long time - much to the relief of the employees there who have witnessed a few meltdowns. It really does get easier, it really does become second nature. And with the great support system you have, you will be writing the same type of messages we all just wrote, to the newbies who come here next year.

Mine hasn't gotten my soul yet, but she sure does have my heart.

Buckwheat, chicken skin is no more porous than human skin. Humans can't get glutened from touching wheat because the molicules are not small enough to pass through the skin. If you wash chicken well, it is perfectly safe.

I'm not saying you don't react to chicken. It is very possible that you have an allergy or intolerance to chicken, but it is not because of any gluten they eat.

While there may be wheat in some commercial chicken feeds, the one I buy locally is corn.(They also sell an oat-based feed which isn't nearly as nutritious for the chickens.)  I react badly to corn, you might even say I am supersenstitive to corn, but I am able to eat chicken every day with no reaction whatsoever. I can even eat grocery store chicken with no reaction. I always wash chicken well before cooking of course, just as I do with all meat except for the ground bison that I love so much.

Oh, by the way, no, I don't raise chickens. But there is a "stray" rooster here in town who hangs out on the lawn of a local B&B. When the owner is out of town, I take him food and water. We have gotten to be good friends, this rooster and I. My friends have taken to calling me "the chicken whisperer".

I haven't heard any mention of the homeless people in New York or anywhere else for that matter. A lot of the homeless live in the tunnels. I'm sure the shelters were full and there wasn't any room for more. I am praying for all those who were in the path of this storm, but especially for the ones who had nowhere to go, and seem to have been forgotten.

Yes, please, if you know someone who is elderly or disabled, perhaps you could invite them to stay with you for the duration. Some folks will insist that they want to keep an eye on their own homes, even though there is nothing they could do if something DID happen. And some have too much pride to admit they need help. Maybe if you tell them you are having a "storm party" they would be able to swallow their pride and join you.

Back in the 80's during hurricane Gloria, we lost power for three weeks! (Small towns are the last to get power back.) When it DID come back on it surged. It blew out the motor in my refrigerator. So make sure you unplug anything that might be harmed by a power surge.

Stock up on snacks too. And toilet paper.

Everyone stay safe and if you can, enjoy this time off from the "real world".

As bad as it is to be surrounded by gluten crumbs, I think being surrounded by gluten crumbs (the human kind) must be even worse. When the people who are supposed to love us show such a total lack of caring it is heartbreaking. My heart goes out to you. It sounds like your life hasn't been easy lately (understatement), and your family is making it worse.

Hang in there and try not to let it get you down. You are obviously a very strong person, and I hope that strength will carry you through this emotional kick in the teeth. WE care about you. ((((HUGS))))

Ashley, go to the "Newbie 101" thread and read and heed all that you see there. Then read as much as you can in other threads, especially the ones under "coping with". There is a lot to learn, including the fact that not everything labeled gluten-free actually IS gluten-free. Stick with whole foods for a few months - plain meats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods like that have only one ingredient so there isn't much chance of cross-contamination.

Expect to go through gluten withdrawal. You will probably get headaches at first, and be really hungry all the time. Eat lots of small meals or snacks. Have a piece of fruit. Bake a potato. Chew on a piece of chicken. Make sure you get enough protein. If you can tolerate nuts, they make a good snack, but be aware that a lot of canned nuts are made in a facility that processes gluten foods and so can be cross-contaminated. Planters nuts are OK if you read the label.

Reading labels is IMPORTANT! If a label says, "made in a facility that processes wheat", you MAY be OK with it, but then again you may not. Personally, I won't touch any food that says that. And you need to get in the habit of reading the label EVERY time you buy something. Companies change their recipes all the time depending on the availability of ingredients. Something you bought last week might be OK, but this week the ingredients may be different.

You need to check all medications too. Most are made with corn, but some have gluten. Your lipstick may have gluten too.

I know it sounds overwhelming, but take it one small step at a time. If you start with just whole foods, then after reading here and learning about labels and cross-contamination, you will be fine. Expect to have setbacks. We all did/do. But you are on the path to good health, and we are here to help you.

Feel free to ask as many questions as come to mind, and if you need to rant or whine or cry, feel free to do that here too. The wonderful folks here saved my sanity by allowing me to vent. We're all in the same leaky boat, and with each other's help, we will all be, not only fine, but we will thrive.  

I know this sounds crazy, but you can google it and see - the BEST place to put Vicks when you have a cold is on the soles of your feet! Seriously. I don't know why but it works better than on your chest.