4 Weeks Gluten Free

[Montefisto]

4 weeks ago I began a Gluten Free diet. I was diagnosed with Celiac's following a year's worth of Celiac symptoms. Initially I thought I had IBS as chronic loose BM seemed a main issue for me but there were other things too and after a lot of reading into the subject I felt I may have either Celiac disease or I was at least gluten sensitive. In particular what made me feel this way was reactions to foods high in gluten especially bread. So having been diagonsed I am now 4 weeks gluten-free and it has definitely made a big difference and I feel better than I did though not fully back to normal.

 

I'm very glad I've came across this forum, it seems a great resource and within an hour's reading Ive found loads of advice and stuff that I just hadn't considered. I thought I'd been pretty strict but there are a lot of things I haven't thought of. Like I was reading a post a minute ago where someone reccomended not using the same toaster as other family members who don't eat gluten-free and to most I guess stuff like that's common sense but I really hadn't even thought of that and likely wouldn't have done so had I came across this forum.

 

A couple of questions though... Sorry to touch on an icky subject but my BM have become a bit less regular thankfully but they're still not what I'd consider normal. How long in people's experience do they start to become fully normal again? I've only been Gluten Free for 4 weeks which I suppose is only a short time.

 

Also, of all the things that I miss Beer is top of the list. I haven't yet tried any gluten-free beers, I keep meaning to order some and start seeing how bad the stuff tastes. Any reccomendations for good tasing gluten-free Beers/Lagers? I used to enjoy Budweiser, Stella, San Miguel, that sort of stuff. 

 

Many thanks.

[kareng]

I would say on the beer....maybe wait a few months before trying it. It isn't like " real " beer. Sometimes it helps to " forget" what real beer tastes like. Try a cider. You know those will taste a bit sweet and appley. Some are less sweet than others. Use this as a time to try new things - drinks and foods.

[notme]

if you are still eating dairy this early on, i would quit it for awhile.  if your villi are damaged, your body isn't producing what it needs to digest dairy - it's produced by your villi - so until your intestines heal some, your poops are gonna be wierd and dairy will be irritating and maybe slow the healing process.   

 

yeah, it's alot to pay attention to, at first, but it gets to be second nature.  have you read the 'newbie 101' thread - lots of practical stuff there.  good luck!  

[Montefisto]

Thanks guys.

 

On the beer - that makes sense. I've tried substituting the beer with vodka but that hasn't been going too well for me. I read that Vodka is ok no matter the source because of the distilling process but I had some smirnoff recently and it really did not go down to well. It felt like I was poisoning my stomach is the best way I can describe it. I persisted with it and went through the rest of the bottle (a small bottle) but I didn't even consider til afterwards that maybe alcohol's a bad idea or maybe I'll just try some potato or grape vodkas see if they're any better. I may have to be a bit more cautious here in the future but I do like a drink and am often out in drinking environments with other people who drink so it would be difficult for me if I don't find a good drinking alternative as sad as that may sound to a lot of people.

 

And yes, I have now read the 'Newbie 101 thread.' Some great info in there, I feel like today I've learned a whole lot more. I suppose for dealing with this you can't do no better than discovering a community of people who are dealing with the same thing with most of you having dealt with it far longer than me and others newly disagnosed.

[cyclinglady]

Thanks guys.

 

On the beer - that makes sense. I've tried substituting the beer with vodka but that hasn't been going too well for me. I read that Vodka is ok no matter the source because of the distilling process but I had some smirnoff recently and it really did not go down to well. It felt like I was poisoning my stomach is the best way I can describe it. I persisted with it and went through the rest of the bottle (a small bottle) but I didn't even consider til afterwards that maybe alcohol's a bad idea or maybe I'll just try some potato or grape vodkas see if they're any better. I may have to be a bit more cautious here in the future but I do like a drink and am often out in drinking environments with other people who drink so it would be difficult for me if I don't find a good drinking alternative as sad as that may sound to a lot of people.

 

And yes, I have now read the 'Newbie 101 thread.' Some great info in there, I feel like today I've learned a whole lot more. I suppose for dealing with this you can't do no better than discovering a community of people who are dealing with the same thing with most of you having dealt with it far longer than me and others newly disagnosed.

First I bought some Redbridge (yuck!)  I couldn't even drink more that one sip!  My memories of good beer are too fresh.  Then I bought some potato vodka thinking that I'd mix it with juice from our backyard tangerine and orange trees.  I was just a month or so into the diet and I don't think my body was ready for alcohol either!  So, I'm sticking with juices or soda when I go out.  I'm saving that vodka, though, because someday I'll be drinking it!

 

gluten-free for just two months.

[nvsmom]

Green's beer is pretty good. It's a bit like a home brew... a bit hoppy. Open Original Shared Link

 

Be careful with the gluten-free beers, some are made with barley but then they "supposedly" remove the gluten somehow.  I had an Estrella daura beer, which was good, but I didn't read the whole label - I stopped at gluten-free to 3ppm. I had a really strong reaction to it. Whatever they do to remove the gluten wasn't enough for me!  I would suggest avoiding any beer started from barley.

 

Welcome to the board.

[pricklypear1971]

Be careful with all alcohol. No one knows why, but it seems to be much more effective once you go gluten-free. I will not reiterate my wine tasting story - it's here somewhere...but be assured, alcohol can be a different animal once you are gluten-free.

A little bit goes a long, long way.

[NotMollyRingwald]

I agree with the above about staying away from the gluten-free beer for awhile.  After 4 weeks back on gluten-free diet, I tried Redbridge last weekend and bleeeech!  I miss my vanilla porter.    Wine it is until I can forget! LOL