Newbie Here, Please Help!

[Liezl]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure where to start, recently I went through a very intensive detox where I fasted for 6 days and went for colonic irrigation everyday.

I did this because I felt like I was being poisened by my gut, I have many GI problems like IBS, bloating, gas, constipation, cramps, nausea etc.

When I broke my fast the lady at the clinic said that I should slowly start adding things back in my diet but that she was pretty sure I was intolerant to wheat and gluten, I have been told this before by a naturopath and homeopath.

I was in denial off course, I mean no bread, pizza, pasta?? I tried eating a bit of all bran cereal and I felt horrible.

Now it seems to me that everything I eat bloats me, my main complaints are bloating like a beachball, where I think at any moment I will either burst or float away, gas (that's trapped in my colon), cramps, burning in my stomach and abdominal pain. I'm not overweight and I don't experience weight gain or loss.

I don't know what to do, last night I had some pasta that the hubby cooked thinking it was my gluten free pasta but he made the wrong one and I was so bloated that it was painful, I looked at least 6 months pregnant.

What confuses me is that it's not only gluten/wheat that bloats me but lettuce, some veggies, some fruits, sometimes my stomach is empty and I'm bloated.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

Liezl

[darlindeb25]

Liezl--Do you tolerate dairy at all. When I first went gluten free, I ate cottage cheese sometimes with 1/2 cup of peaches or applesauce. It gave my tummy time to settle and regroup, so to speak. Maybe some rice, sometimes baked potatoes are good too. Just keep it mild and maybe eat small amounts 6 times a day instead of 3 meals. Feel better! Deb

[nettiebeads]

Deb is right - take yourself back down to simple basics. Your intestines have been damaged and it takes time to heal. Think baby - easily digested foods -but NO GLUTEN. And you'll probably have to eliminate dairy for awhile. The part of the intestines that are damaged from gluten is also the part that makes lactase to digest milk products. As you heal, you'll get the lactase making parts working again. But healing takes time, so in the mean time, simple foods. Most people use mashed potatoes when glutened until the tummy problem is gone. And life w/o bread products? It can be done. There are bad, tolerable and excellent products out there. And after awhile, you'll learn to associated regular gluten containing items with poison, after all that's what it is to your body, and your tastebuds will forget the regular flour items. Well, not entirely, but your cravings will diminish quite a bit - negative association works wonders there. Gluten = pain, discomfort, nausea, D or C, more pain, terrible gas, even more pain...

I'm sure you get the picture. And as you recover and feel normal, it's even easier to go gluten-free, because once you feel good, you won't want to do anything to jeapordize it. Good luck!! Hope you start healing soon!

[darlindeb25]

Nettie is correct about the dairy. Some celiacs cant tolerate dairy when they first go gluten-free. I never had a problem with dairy, which is amazing to me, cause I have so many intolerances now. Some cant tolerate rice either--just stick to bland things. Once you feel better, you add one thing at a time. Cream of Rice is an excellent way to warm your tummy--my sister made rice and chicken soup. My sister is a diagnosed celiac and her doctor called her the walking dead. She had to have IV iron for 3 hours a day once a week for 2 months, then they told her she would have to have an iron transfusion once a month forever. After going gluten-free, her iron levels went back up and she was doing good until recently. She isnt sure why, but her iron has bottomed out again, she is back to chewing ice--which is the first sign sometimes. I have probs with B12 levels. As you go along, things will make more sense to you and you will realize what is going on. Its a tough road to walk in the beginning. You may have to stay away from lettuce for the time being too--my sister couldnt eat lettuce in the beginning either, it never bothered me. We celiacs are all different. Our father is celiac too--we keep it in the family . I am afraid that some of my kids have it too, but they arent ready to accept it yet. I know in my heart that my daughter is, but she has to decide that for herself. Keep your chin up and feel better. Deb

[darkangel]

I don't think "lactose-free" is necessarily the answer either. For many of us, it's the milk protein casein that's making us so sick. Read labels and look out for any milk solids, whey, etc.

[Liezl]

Thank you for all the replies! I just want to make something clear, I haven't been formally diagnosed, and I guess I'm a little bit in denial, I have all these symptoms and many health professionals have told me that I'm wheat/gluten intolerant but I haven't been tested, maybe I'm too scared to learn the truth.

Last night I had a bite from my hubby's chicken which had a sauce containing gluten and ka-bam! I bloated like a beachball, from just one bite!

My fibromyalgia support group referred me to this board, as that is such a complicated disease I write many of my symptoms off as just another fun symptom of FM.

I think that I must just get tested so I can know once and for all, if I am positive I think continuing like I am might be dangerous. I read on the board something about an apple belly, can anyone tell me what that is? Is that when you bloat like a beachball? The article said that indicates gluten intolerance rather than an allergy.

Liezl