Withdrawl? And Question

[newjoy82]

Hello, I had gone to the doctor for a second opinion of a fibromyalgia diagnosis I received at 16 years old (now almost 32). I have low overall IgA serum, low D, and tested positive on the TTG IgG celiac test. My doctor told me to go gluten free and did not mention further testing. I thought about asking to do the endoscopy, but I'm not sure if it's worthwhile to do so considering I have high deductible and the results + symptoms seem to indicate celiac.

 

So, I found out Monday and started avoiding gluten Tuesday. I felt completely horrible yesterday (Wednesday) and today. Terrible headache, stomach upset/nausea, and generally feeling bad/achy. Is this normal and how long does this typically last?  

 

Also, I've read on the newbie forum and various resources online and feel like I understand what to avoid. How concerned should I be about cross contamination? How realistically can you avoid cross contamination when you eat out or eat a meal someone else has cooked?

 

I’m also curious how many “gluten free” items other people typically consume…or do you mostly stick to meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, etc and have an occasional “gluten free” treat. A lot of the gluten free breads, desserts, etc seem to have more carbs, fat, sugar, etc.

[bartfull]

That is definitely withdrawal. And I hate to say it, but it can last two or three weeks. But stick with it because when you come out the other side you will be feeling better than you have in a long time.

 

Cross-contamination is a real concern. It would be enough at this stage to set you back to square one. If you can possibly avoid eating out, at least at first, it would be better. There are some restaurants that are usually safe (PF Changs, Outback and others), but everyone can make mistakes. It's not worth the risk. After you have healed, even though CC is still bad for you, at least you won't go back to being just as damaged inside as you are now. So give it at least six months before you venture out into the restaurant world.

 

That's not to say you can't join your friends. Eat before you go and have a beverage with them. A lot of us do that all the time. Friends get used to it quickly. They would rather enjoy your company than obsess over what you are or are not eating.

 

And just like restaurants, it would be best if you stick to whole foods at first. The simpler the better. It's true that a lot of the substitutes have loads of calories and little to no nutrition. I've been at this for well over three years and even now, I get gluten-free foods as an occasional treat but don't eat them daily. I eat lots of meat, rice, veggies. I DO have ice cream every evening though. It's my "reward" for being "good" all day.

 

All that being said, did your doctor mention that you may have trouble with dairy at first? A lot of folks here did. And most got it back after six months or so.

 

Oh, and welcome to the forum!  I'm glad you read the newbie thread. That one thread has the best info you will find anywhere.

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.   And ditto everything Bartfull wrote.  

 

Withdrawal can be nasty.  I don't know why it happens but about a third of all celiacs end up feeling really poorly in those first few weeks.  I still remember that headache.  Ouch!

 

I'm glad that you are aware that many gluten-free substitute foods are not the healthiest stuff out there.  Sugar content is often high, and the flours are not fortified so some people who relied on fortified flours for their vitamins may need to start taking a multivitamin. 

 

I tend to eat baked goods, or gluten-free substitutes like rice noodles, about once per day.  Coconut flour pancakes and muffins are my main type of baking and we usually have pizza or noodles every week.  My gluten-free kids eat more carbs than I do, so they usually have a pancake for breakfast and a slice of toast for lunch, sometimes they have breads at dinner too (pizza).  I figure they can get away with more carbs though since they are growing like crazy and all are on the skinny side... I'm jealous.