Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Elimination Diet To Find Out If I Am Celiac?

Rosemary3

Recommended Posts

Rosemary3 Newbie
Rosemary3
Posted

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first post as just joined today.  I was wondering if anyone else has been through the process I am currently in.  I'm hypothyroid with all the associated symptoms even though my thyroid test results show normal (I take 75mg levothyroxine a day).  I was referred to a endo consultant who felt that I am showing all the signs of being celiac (test for this was negative) but also could have other food intolerances.  So I have had to do a three day water fast, followed by 7 days on a very restricted diet, after which I then have to introduce foods one at a time to see how I react. Has anyone else had any success from doing this?  One of my biggest concerns is that even on a diet of fish, fruit and vegetables my cholesterol was high and still rising before I started the fast etc. Does a gluten intolerance/allergy impact on cholesterol?

 

Also could anyone tell me what single food has the most gluten in - a slice of toast, dohnut, pasta? I'll have to test my reaction.

 

Many thanks in advance. 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

My doctor recommended something plain  like Cream of Wheat cereal.  The other items you described would have yeast and/or other items you could react to.  I suppose the pasta is just wheat.  Don't eat anything else on top of it!

 

I can't speak about your cholesterol question as mine has always been ridiculously low (e.g. 112 total) which I attribute to celiac disease.  Hopefully others will be able to comment.  

 

Welcome to the board!  And don't forget to check out the newbie site if you go completely gluten free.  

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Good for you that you are doing an elimination diet! It's hard and it seems like it takes forever, but it's the only way to figure out MOST intolerances.

 

I believe pasta has more gluten than anything else. Not 100% sure, but I think I read that here somewhere.

 

We can also be intolerant of certain fruits and veggies, such as nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), corn, soy, and others. Dairy is also a problem for many folks. Maybe (if you can handle it) you should start with just meat and something like sweet potatoes. Then add something like broccoli. If that works, add a different veggie or fruit. Go for things that have the most nutrition first. If you can find organic stuff, so much the better. I was reacting to pesticide residue, even though I washed my veggies well. It took a few months before I could eat grocery store produce, and that was because my gut was so raw it couldn't handle anything.

 

Oh yeah, you need to be aware of cross-contamination. Read the Newbie 101 thread and it'll teach you about places gluten can hide. And be aware that any supplements or medications you take may have gluten or soy, and almost definitely have corn.

 

Anyway, when you trial gluten you will find out within hours to a couple or three days if gluten is a problem for you. Our reaction times vary. Did you have any other symptoms besides thyroid? A lot of us don't get the classic celiac symptoms, but there are other symptoms like rashes, brain fog, insomnia, anxiety, and a host of others.

 

You will most likely go through withdrawal for the first two or three weeks too. It is an actual physical withdrawal. You'll get headaches and mood swings. You may feel hungry all the time. I actually felt a bit dizzy for a while too, and had a general sense of "unwellness". But stick with it and you will be able to pinpoint what foods bother you.

 

Best of luck to you. If you have any questions, ask away, and please keep us informed of your progress. :)

answerseeker Enthusiast
answerseeker
Posted

I attribute cholesterol in celiacs as being low not high. Due to fat malabsorption

Right before diagnosis it was pasta that caused the worst reaction in me. I had dizziness like the room was spinning along with the other horrible symptoms

deb-rn Contributor
deb-rn
Posted

Good for you that you are doing an elimination diet! It's hard and it seems like it takes forever, but it's the only way to figure out MOST intolerances.

 

I believe pasta has more gluten than anything else. Not 100% sure, but I think I read that here somewhere.

 

We can also be intolerant of certain fruits and veggies, such as nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), corn, soy, and others. Dairy is also a problem for many folks. Maybe (if you can handle it) you should start with just meat and something like sweet potatoes. Then add something like broccoli. If that works, add a different veggie or fruit. Go for things that have the most nutrition first. If you can find organic stuff, so much the better. I was reacting to pesticide residue, even though I washed my veggies well. It took a few months before I could eat grocery store produce, and that was because my gut was so raw it couldn't handle anything.

 

Oh yeah, you need to be aware of cross-contamination. Read the Newbie 101 thread and it'll teach you about places gluten can hide. And be aware that any supplements or medications you take may have gluten or soy, and almost definitely have corn.

 

Anyway, when you trial gluten you will find out within hours to a couple or three days if gluten is a problem for you. Our reaction times vary. Did you have any other symptoms besides thyroid? A lot of us don't get the classic celiac symptoms, but there are other symptoms like rashes, brain fog, insomnia, anxiety, and a host of others.

 

You will most likely go through withdrawal for the first two or three weeks too. It is an actual physical withdrawal. You'll get headaches and mood swings. You may feel hungry all the time. I actually felt a bit dizzy for a while too, and had a general sense of "unwellness". But stick with it and you will be able to pinpoint what foods bother you.

 

Best of luck to you. If you have any questions, ask away, and please keep us informed of your progress. :)

I don't see the Newbie 101.... where do I find that thread?

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I don't see the Newbie 101.... where do I find that thread?

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

Rosemary3 Newbie
Rosemary3
Posted
  • Author

Thanks to those who replied.  I hadn't thought through the potential of being intolerant of other ingredients when I test gluten such as yeast if I eat bread.  It's interesting and quite sad to see that celiacs also have other intolerances, as if if there is not enough to deal with!  I suppose as grim as it is at the moment I am in the best to find out exactly what the problem foods are so I will have to see how I get on.  My symptoms are very similar to celiac symptoms which is why the doc wanted me to go through this process first to see if I feel better. Can't help looking forward to having a cup of tea! but then again I am British!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    2. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    4. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,336
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Newest Member
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.