Gluten / Dairy Sensitivity Questions

[paytong]

Good morning everyone!  I am new here but stumbled across the site after googling some questions I had.  Hopefully someone can help.

First off, I was diagnosed with OCD as a young kid and unfortunately that manifested itself into Hypochondria after a friend passed away a few years ago.  My severe anxiety that has stemmed from that has done a number on my health, and I am trying to turn it around.  I was diagnosed with Gastritis which would flare up mainly during and after anxiety episodes which still comes and goes as my anxiety comes and goes.  After the diagnosis, and previous removal of my gallbladder, I was told I need to start watching what I eat.  

About 5 months ago I had an Alcat blood test done to check for sensitivities to find foods to avoid and it came back with a few things with Moderate to Severe reactions, one being gluten.  I also had a "Mild" sensitivity to dairy, however when I was a kid the doctor told my parents to keep me off of milk because he believed I had issues with it.  I attempted to go Gluten Free for about a week and started to lose weight, which is logical as I am overweight as is so reducing the caloric intake should lead to some weight loss, but my hypochondria makes my mind go into overdrive thinking that the weight loss is from something much more sinister.  Anyways, I decided a couple of weeks ago to give it a try again.  After about a week of being Gluten and Dairy Free most of my symptoms were gone, eczema started clearing up, slept much better,  BMs became much more normal and regular however I started losing weight again.  After a week I went from ~205 lbs down to ~201 lbs. My anxiety took over and I went and started eating as much as I possibly could to prove to myself that I could put weight back on.  I fell off the train last week.

After that whole ridiculous episode I was back to ~204 lbs, and my wife said we need to make this commitment so we got back on the diet.  I have been Gluten Free for the last week now and am back down to ~201 lbs.  This time however, my symptoms have not gone away.  I still feel nausea in the mornings, which I attribute more to my gastritis acting up, and bloated most of the day.  I feel constipated and just "full" in my lower abdomen but know I need to eat something.  The one difference this time is that I have not removed Dairy completely from the diet this time.  So, after all that my questions are:

- Although the ALCAT test showed a "Moderate" reaction to Gluten and a "Mild" to whey, could my physical symptoms be more intense from the "Mild" reaction to dairy than the "Moderate" I had for gluten?

- How do you get the carbs you need for energy now that most ways I had in the past I cannot do?

- How do you know if it's just the withdrawal symptoms from not eating gluten versus other sensitivities?

- How do you guys deal with the constant issues and avoid anxiety?

- How long does it take being completely Gluten and Dairy free for the healing to begin?

 

[SLLRunner]

Welcome, @paytong!

First off, with your health issues, I would talk to your doctor about a referral to a celiac savvy GI and getting tested for celiac.  This will require eating gluten 8-12 weeks prior to blood tests, and 2 weeks prior to an endoscope (gold standard for diagnosis).  My answers to your questions: 

- Although the ALCAT test showed a "Moderate" reaction to Gluten and a "Mild" to whey, could my physical symptoms be more intense from the "Mild" reaction to dairy than the "Moderate" I had for gluten?-severity of symptoms would depend on the person.

- How do you get the carbs you need for energy now that most ways I had in the past I cannot do?-plenty of gluten free foods have carbs in them.  If you are trying to heal your gut, you want to try and stay away from a lot of processed foods, but you might want to see if you can tolerate guten free bread, or sandwich wraps.  Also, foods like quinoa, bruckwheat, gluten free hot cereal (love Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Farina),as well as many fruits.

- How do you know if it's just the withdrawal symptoms from not eating gluten versus other sensitivities? A lot of people do an elimination diet to see what foods they might be sensitive to. This means cutting down to the most basic foods, cutting out foods you think you are sensitive to, and then adding them back in.  However, if you suspect gluten is your problem it's best to consult with your I and get tested for celiac.

- How do you guys deal with the constant issues and avoid anxiety?I have not yet been diagnosed with celiac, and I've had gastritis, horrible acid reflux, and continue to have digestive problems, aching, headaches, etc., and I just take it one day at a time. This moment, this breath is what's most important.

 

[paytong]

Thanks for the reply!  I saw the local GI guru and had an endoscopy done last year and the biopsy showed just chronic gastritis.  I am assuming that could be caused by any intolerance but he did not mention any concern about Celiac.  From what I have read however, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and Dairy Intolerance have been found to be instigators of non specific gastritis, especially since most people have eaten what they are intolerable to for many years.

[etbtbfs]

I had full-blown silent celiac.  What I found was that the gluten enteropathy made me dairy intolerant.  Once I had been off gluten a long time and fixed my nutritional and endocrine problems, dairy was no longer a problem.  However I now use only cultured dairy, e.g. Kefir.

I don't think your current problem is due to gluten "withdrawal".

How long for healing?  If you truly have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, months ... Maybe a year.  If you have celiac, many years ... took me 9 years after getting off gluten.  But some of that was due to doctor ignorance.

The anxiety thing bothers me.  One classic result of gluten poisoning is Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis.  Hashis and hypothyroidism will cause panic/anxiety.  Do you have access to lab testing?  If so, a full thyroid panel TSH FT3 FT4 rT3 TPOAb TGAb should be done.  TSH isn't too important, FT3 is what matters the most.

[ch88]

- How do you get the carbs you need for energy now that most ways I had in the past I cannot do?

 I eat lots of brown rice. 

- How do you know if it's just the withdrawal symptoms from not eating gluten versus other sensitivities?

I'd get tested for celiac disease (its a blood test.) and you have to get it before you go gluten free.

- How do you guys deal with the constant issues and avoid anxiety?

I exercise, avoid sugar and caffeine,  drink chamomile tea (it has calming effects) and green tea. I also take extra vitamin b and vitamin b12. Lots of people with celiac disease are deficient in those vitamins. Also eat lots of fruits and veggies. Oats and processed foods are problematic for a lot of people with celiac disease.  A lot of people reduced there carb intake on a gluten free diet which causes weight loss.  I wouldn't worry about the weight changes. My weight varies a few pounds up or down and I don't think anything of it. 

- How long does it take being completely Gluten and Dairy free for the healing to begin?

Most people see improvement right away but it varies.