veronika

All the suggestions above are awesome ideas! GFreeMO had a great idea of eating before the dinner, I second that. Then you can bring along a snack like rice crisps + hummus (if you can tolerate it), and some nuts if they are also ok with you. Anything you can fit in a little ziplock bag or small plastic container is good for stashing in your bag and nibbling on through the night.

I understand what a pain in the butt it is to go to social events and not be able to eat anything. For example, every time my parents come into town to see me, we can't really go anywhere 'normal' to eat. I always feel a little awkward about not eating or eating some snack while everyone else is eating -- but I'd rather feel a bit of awkwardness than pay for it later.

If you see DL-alpha tocopherol or DL-tocopherol this is synthetic vitamin E, derived from petrochemicals, and will not cause any gluten reactions as a result.

D-tocopherol/D-tocopherol acetate are natural forms of vitamin E. Even though the concentration of vitamin E in wheat germ is higher, I believe most vitamin E is soy derived as it is much cheaper. That being said, unless you talk to the manufacturer directly there is no way of knowing if the natural vitamin E is obtained from wheat or not. Even if it is derived from wheat, it may still be ok depending on the way it was processed. For example, cold-press extraction of oils will not remove all protein and/or gluten, so you may end up getting a nasty reaction.

Have you had your vitamin levels checked recently? I know that deficiencies in vitamin d or iron can cause sleep disorders/disturbances. Vitamin D is involved in the secretion of melatonin, so if you are deficient, your sleep can definitely be impacted. Low iron can also cause restless legs/periodic limb movements so this can also make you have not so restful sleep even if you are 'sleeping' for 8-9 hours. That and low iron levels generally make you more tired regardless of how much sleep you are getting.

Hi, I'm Sara, new to this forum. I feel really scared and overwhelmed at this point. I could use some encouraging words from someone who understands. This is the third day I've been home sick from work, from new reactions to foods I was tolerating fine last week. I'm actually afraid to eat anything at all now. I only eat whole foods I prepare myself, and never eat out. I'll be calling my ND as soon as her office opens today, but I feel very alone with this problem.
I was diagnosed and have been gluten free for four months. Dairy and processed food free for six months. I was sick for two years trying to figure out what was wrong. My number one symptom has been chronic constipation. That started ten years ago with no apparent cause, and was easily treatable until it got much worse around two years ago. Then I developed new symptoms: blurred vision, trembling in my feet, and joint pain, especially in my lower back. Those have improved since going gluten free, but I keep developing new intolerances. My symptoms now when I have a reaction are generally feeling sore and sick all over, headache, nausea, joint pain, anxiety, difficulty thinking clearly, and some blurred vision. It makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. The chronic constipation continues. I keep thinking I'm starting to get better, but each time I make some headway, another roadblock appears. I tend to be optimistic usually, but this is wearing on me. I'm barely well enough to even go to work, so social activities don't happen - I don't feel well enough or have the energy. In a good week, I'm able to work a 1/2 day at work every day. I don't have the energy to work out. Movies on cable at home keep my spirits up, thank goodness, as I live alone. I'm looking for support groups in my area. I have a couple good leads as soon as I'm feeling well enough to try the phone numbers.
Can anyone relate to any of this? I know it takes a long time to recover, but will I eventually get better and live a "normal" life again?

I'm going through much of this myself right now, you pretty much have covered my life as I know it in this post. After a few months being gluten, dairy, soy free I'm suddenly being hit with new intolerances (ex. potatoes, corn to some extent). I'm sure you are already doing this, but if you are not, keeping a food diary has helped me immensely. It's so hard to tease out what foods are causing you problems without actually seeing trends over time. The healing process is pretty rough from what I gather from reading these forums and talking with other people, so don't be too hard on yourself, there is a lot of trial and error in working all of these things out. If you haven't gotten vitamin levels tested that would also be a good place to start. I myself was severely deficient in iron, and now I've learnt this week, really vitamin D deficient. Both deficiencies are common with celiacs/NCGI and can cause a host of problems from fatigue, aches, anxiety, etc. Eventually things will get better, you are going through a rough spot, but there is a 'normal' life at the other side of this for all of us I think .