Not Sure Whether To Continue A gluten-free Diet...

[kellysensei]

Hi, I haven't posted in a few months. Long story short, I went gluten-free temporarily last fall in an attempt to get rid of a chronic cough. It seemed to work - although I also did a juice fast and went low-carb for a bit, so I'm not sure what actually helped the cough. I decided I wanted to get tested for Celiac, so I did a two-month gluten challenge. My cough did not return while I was eating gluten. In January, a stool test through EnteroLab came back positive for a gluten sensitivity. In February, my blood tests at my GI doc's office came back negative for Celiac.

 

In mid-February, I decided to go back to a gluten-free diet based on the EnteroLab results and the fact that I'd developed terrible joint pain in my left hand and wrist. That pain went away after three days gluten-free. However, I haven't had any other positive effects from being gluten-free. I still have bad sinus problems and have had two long-lasting sinus infections since going gluten-free. I still have bad headaches several times a month. I still have all sorts of Charley horses, leg pains, and overnight foot cramps that are affecting my energy and mood. And my vision seems to be all out of whack. I just can't find a correct prescription. Oh, and my cough came back, although I can control it somewhat by cutting out sugar.

 

So I'm starting to wonder if I should even bother with being gluten-free. I'm not convinced it's really helping me. What do you guys think? My son's birthday party is in three weeks; I'm debating having a piece of cake and seeing how it affects me...? Good idea or bad?

 

 

[IrishHeart]

Since the Enterolab stool tests are not diagnostic for "gluten sensitivity" --because there are no valid tests for this condition yet--you still cannot be sure what is going on. (this is not my opinion, ok, it's what the celiac researchers say) 

 

Currently, there are no recommended methods to test for non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Some doctors offer saliva, blood or stool testing. However, these tests have not been validated and are therefore not accepted

Open Original Shared Link

 

If you have been strictly gluten-free--no cross contamination, no glutenings at all--and you still have symptoms, perhaps it is not a gluten issue at all?

 

However, since you dosed for the gluten challenge, it is possible the symptoms are lingering from that.

 

Having your cough and joint pain resolve does seem to indicate that removing gluten helped those symptoms, anyway!

 

And the other symptoms can be from things other than gluten, of course.

 

Anyone I know who went G F for health reasons did not see much improvement until 6 months or so.

 

You can hang in there a bit longer and see what happens.

[radley]

Except for anxiety and depression everything else either didn't improve or got worse for me after going gluten-free. I'm now gluten-free for about 8 months and thinking about quitting it as I still have wheat cravings even after all those gluten-free months.

[IrishHeart]

Except for anxiety and depression everything else either didn't improve or got worse for me after going gluten-free. I'm now gluten-free for about 8 months and thinking about quitting it as I still have wheat cravings even after all those gluten-free months.

 

If you have celiac, you can't resume gluten.

 

And to be rid of anxiety and depression is huge! why would you want those back in your life?

 

What got worse--bowel issues? well, maybe you have other food intolerances in addition to gluten? maybe you have another gastro problem. Go see a GI doctor.

[kellysensei]

I just found out that the multi-vitamin I've been taking for a month has wheat grass and maltodextrin in it. I thought I was so good at reading labels, but somehow I missed that one. So angry.  Three months of buying gluten-free bread and eating only grilled chicken at restaurants down the drain. :-(

[kareng]

I just found out that the multi-vitamin I've been taking for a month has wheat grass and maltodextrin in it. I thought I was so good at reading labels, but somehow I missed that one. So angry.  Three months of buying gluten-free bread and eating only grilled chicken at restaurants down the drain. :-(

IF you have been eating at restauruants often, you have probably been getting a little gluten, too.

[IrishHeart]

I just found out that the multi-vitamin I've been taking for a month has wheat grass and maltodextrin in it. I thought I was so good at reading labels, but somehow I missed that one. So angry.  Three months of buying gluten-free bread and eating only grilled chicken at restaurants down the drain. :-(

 

 

But, maltodextrin is gluten free and the small amount of wheat grass in a multi is not going to cause much of a problem.

 

"Pure wheat grass and barley grass (just the grass, with absolutely no seeds) do not contain gluten.

In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in its finalized Open Original Shared Link, has said that wheat grass and barley grass could be used to make foods labeled gluten-free, as long as the finished products contain Open Original Shared Link."

 

So, I doubt that's your problem.

[BlessedMommy]

Wheat grass does not necessarily always contain gluten. Open Original Shared Link

 

Nor does maltodextrin always contain gluten either. Open Original Shared Link

 

These are iffy ingredients that may or may not be safe.

 

Have you contacted the manufacturer of the product to find out the status of it? 

[kellysensei]

I just contacted the vitamin manufacturer now. We'll see if they respond. 

 

I still don't know what to think about gluten. My cough was totally fine during my whole gluten challenge this winter, and I wasn't having nearly as many knee pains and leg cramps as I am now. So either I'm consuming more gluten than I think, or gluten is not my problem. I just think it's impossible to be totally gluten-free in a house with two kids (who play with Play-Doh all the time)  and a husband who are NOT gluten-free. I'm trying my best, but I'm bound to have an accident or get cross-contamination once in a while. Still pondering having cake at my son's party to see what happens...

[BlessedMommy]

You could get the kids gluten free play dough. 

 

Open Original Shared Link

[kellysensei]

This was the company's response:

 

"From the guidelines set by the Food & Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, the Alive product line, with the exceptions of  Alive! Once Daily Men’s , Alive! Once Daily Men’s 50+, Alive! Ultra-Shake Pea Protein Chocolate, Alive! Ultra-Shake Soy Protein Chocolate as these formulas contain oat bran , are gluten free (<20 ppm). Alive! Women's Energy is <20 ppm which can be considered gluten free.

 

However, the Garden Veggies Blend in the Alive! contains wheat grass. While gluten content would be low since it is the grass and not the germ, we would recommend that individuals who are concerned about celiac disease and/or other gastrointestinal issues avoid taking the product unless otherwise specified by a healthcare practitioner."

 

So - their product doesn't contain gluten, but don't take it if you're gluten sensitive. LOL

 

I think I'm going to go to a functional medicine doctor to check for nutritional deficiencies and hormone imbalances. I'm tired of feeling like crap even on a gluten-free diet. I'm also going to start taking probiotics and fish oil capsules. I should probably find a multi-vitamin, too, that agrees with me. (Most multivitamins give me headaches or make me nauseated.)