Newbie With Questions

[ebrbetty]

hello, I just joined the board and am hoping to find some answers..I've had terrible stomach pain,bloating,gas,heartburn [no ulcer] for close to a year. my stomach hurts 24/7...somedays worse than others,My Gastro has given me every test he can think of,keeps telling me I have a very bad case of IBS...I don't agree,the pain is awful.

I came across this site looking for help...could someone please tell me the symptoms and If there is anywhere I can get a list of food I can eat and not eat..from what I'm reading here on the board it looks like most foods are a no-no I had a english muffin with a egg and cheese this morning and now I'm dying with stomach pain and can't stop burping

HELP PLEASE!!

thank you very much

Betty

[RiceGuy]

Welcome to this forum. I'm sorry you are having such difficulties. You are not alone though, and we are always here to help. I hope you find the answers you need.

From your description, it does sound like it could be gluten giving you those problems. This site has tons of info which can more than answer the questions you have, and the members of the forum are also a wealth of information.

Here's a link for safe/forbidden foods:

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...-02105529657.e2

Here's a link to some FAQ's about Celiac:

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...-18105508857.9d

The best test for being gluten intolerant is the change of diet. If it works, that's really the best indicator, as many here have found. It may appear like most foods are a no-no, but it's really because the typical American diet is centered around wheat. Take a look at your current diet, and you will likely see meal after meal of wheat based foods. That's not unusual, but don't be discouraged. Once you discover all the foods you have been missing out on all your life, you will not miss the wheat so much if at all. Especially when you find out how much better your health can be.

My personal view is not to wait for a doctor to recommend the gluten-free diet. Try it right away, and if it works, you'll be that much better off for it. Many do decide to get an official diagnosis, though I haven't and don't plan to.

Many will tell you how the recovery time can vary widely from person to person. Some see an almost immediate response, while for others it takes months. For me it was about 6 months before I started seeing any improvement. It depends on many factors, not the least of which is the extent of the damage to your insides.

[ebrbetty]

Thank you very much for your help. I feel overwelmed at this point...I just looked through my cabinets,not much I can eat I will try a plain chicken breast with potato tonight..my dr. has given up on helping me....we've tried all the tests and meds he can think of, no help...keeps telling me to eat light and stay away from butter and high fat

any help is very much appreciated..ready to give up before I start!

Betty

[StrongerToday]

Hello and Welcome! I'm pretty new here myself, but have learned *tons* from this website - read everything you can get your hands on!! Has your dr. run any Celiac tests? If not, and you want to be tested (both blood and stool) then you need to be consuming gluten - at least for the blood tests. OTOH, my blood panel came back perfectly "normal", as lots of other people's have. I don't need the paper to tell me I'm having wheat and/or gluten sensitivities. Truly the best test is to cut out all gluten and see how you feel. I've been blessed to have a good doctor, a friend who's a nutritionist who has helped me a lot, and access to the internet so I can check this website daily!! Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Hope you're feeling better soon...

[ebrbetty]

thank you for the encouragement...there is just so much info,my head is spinning still trying to find a good list of foods I can eat and not eat.

If gluten is the problem,then wouldn't my pain be severe everyday? I have been eating it everyday but somedays my pain,bloating hearburn is not as bad as other days