New diet

[V123]

Hi,

I visited a dietician on Friday 3/30. She told me to follow a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, no red meat, eggs, soy, peanuts or pistachios. So far it hasn’t been too hard (I started on Saturday 3/31). I am wondering if anyone has followed an elimination diet that’s similar. I have to follow the diet for a month, then go in for a reassessment. How long has it taken any of you to notice symptom relief? I think I was put on a more strict diet than other people with the same issues because I had allergies as a toddler and baby. I’m also wondering about gluten free snacks. Are things like gluten free chips, crackers, etc bad for you to eat? I have definitely been eating healthier and increasing my veggie and fruit intake. Any suggestions for snacks/recipes on this diet?

[kareng]

36 minutes ago, V123 said:

Hi,

I visited a dietician on Friday 3/30. She told me to follow a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, no red meat, eggs, soy, peanuts or pistachios. So far it hasn’t been too hard (I started on Saturday 3/31). I am wondering if anyone has followed an elimination diet that’s similar. I have to follow the diet for a month, then go in for a reassessment. How long has it taken any of you to notice symptom relief? I think I was put on a more strict diet than other people with the same issues because I had allergies as a toddler and baby. I’m also wondering about gluten free snacks. Are things like gluten free chips, crackers, etc bad for you to eat? I have definitely been eating healthier and increasing my veggie and fruit intake. Any suggestions for snacks/recipes on this diet?

Why were you put on this?  Did you get tested for Celiac first?

[Ennis-TX]

1 hour ago, V123 said:

Hi,

I visited a dietician on Friday 3/30. She told me to follow a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, no red meat, eggs, soy, peanuts or pistachios. So far it hasn’t been too hard (I started on Saturday 3/31). I am wondering if anyone has followed an elimination diet that’s similar. I have to follow the diet for a month, then go in for a reassessment. How long has it taken any of you to notice symptom relief? I think I was put on a more strict diet than other people with the same issues because I had allergies as a toddler and baby. I’m also wondering about gluten free snacks. Are things like gluten free chips, crackers, etc bad for you to eat? I have definitely been eating healthier and increasing my veggie and fruit intake. Any suggestions for snacks/recipes on this diet?

First...if celiac is the suspected culprit you need to be eating gluten and get tested first please refer to the following before proceeding with your current diet.
Open Original Shared Link
Second yes, diets for finding food allergies generally involve removing all but 3-6 foods and eating only those and removing 1 and moving in another for a week at a time recording symptoms. SIBO diets require low carb and fructan free menus, Candida treating diets are similar, there is the antihistamine diet, and the low tanin diet, FODMAP Diet, and I personally follow a Keto/paleo diet minus the meat, with just eggs.   Egg whites are histamine liberator and are normally removed in allergy related diets.

[V123]

1 hour ago, kareng said:

Why were you put on this?  Did you get tested for Celiac first?

Yes, I had blood tests done in November 2017 due to strange symptoms and had positive IGA antibodies. Underwent an endoscopy and it was negative. To now where I’m visiting a dietician 

1 hour ago, Ennis_TX said:

First...if celiac is the suspected culprit you need to be eating gluten and get tested first please refer to the following before proceeding with your current diet.
Open Original Shared Link
Second yes, diets for finding food allergies generally involve removing all but 3-6 foods and eating only those and removing 1 and moving in another for a week at a time recording symptoms. SIBO diets require low carb and fructan free menus, Candida treating diets are similar, there is the antihistamine diet, and the low tanin diet, FODMAP Diet, and I personally follow a Keto/paleo diet minus the meat, with just eggs.   Egg whites are histamine liberator and are normally removed in allergy related diets.

Yes, in previous posts I explained that I was suspected celiac because of positive Iga blood work but had a negative endoscopy. 

[ravenwoodglass]

45 minutes ago, V123 said:

Yes, I had blood tests done in November 2017 due to strange symptoms and had positive IGA antibodies. Underwent an endoscopy and it was negative.

Positive blood trumps negative biopsy. Go ahead and do the diet strictly. The elimination diet may be helpful in picking up any other intolerances you may have but be aware that some of those may resolve in time as you heal. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[cyclinglady]

Celiac disease can create patchy damaged areas of the small intestine that can be missed or you might just be starting to develop celiac disease.  Your GI was wise to refer you to a skilled dietitian who can help you master the gluten free diet.  In a month or so, you should see some improvement (even slight) that will let you know that you are doing the right thing. In six months, ask for a repeat celiac antibodies panel to see if your results are lower (improving).  

Open Original Shared Link

Welcome to the forum!  

[V123]

On 4/3/2018 at 5:25 PM, ravenwoodglass said:

Positive blood trumps negative biopsy. Go ahead and do the diet strictly. The elimination diet may be helpful in picking up any other intolerances you may have but be aware that some of those may resolve in time as you heal. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Thank you! So are blood test more accurate than an endoscopy? I know the endoscopy is the golden standard for diagnosing celiac but I’ve heard of the opposite. 

On 4/3/2018 at 5:59 PM, cyclinglady said:

Celiac disease can create patchy damaged areas of the small intestine that can be missed or you might just be starting to develop celiac disease.  Your GI was wise to refer you to a skilled dietitian who can help you master the gluten free diet.  In a month or so, you should see some improvement (even slight) that will let you know that you are doing the right thing. In six months, ask for a repeat celiac antibodies panel to see if your results are lower (improving).  

Open Original Shared Link

Welcome to the forum!  

Thank you! But I was under the impression that the antibodies are only present when the body is fighting off the gluten? So that would mean that eating a gluten free diet while getting a gluten antibody blood test would be innacurate. Maybe I misunderstood what you’re saying.

[cyclinglady]

The endoscopy is the best chance of diagnosing celiac disease. It was used long before the celiac antibodies tests were developed.  It is recommended by ALL celiac centers and ALL world-wide Gastroenterologist Associations.  Of course there are times when it is not recommended for various reasons. And in your case...there is always the chance (not common) that your GI missed damaged patches or you are just starting to develop damage.  That could be two reasons why you has a negative biopsy.  

If you have celiac disease, antibodies can remain elevated even on a gluten free diet.  For some, it can take a year or longer for the antibodies to normalize.  Some heal a bit faster.  The follow-up testing is just looking for a downward trend.  Follow-up testing occurs usually after you have a diagnosis, but you are kind of diagnosed, but not.  In six months on a gluten-free diet, your GI can order the antibodies test as a follow-up test to see if you are dietary compliant and to help solidify  your celiac diagnosis.  If your antibodies normalize, he is most likely going to give you the diagnosis.  

Standard testing protocol requires (when diagnosing new patients)  that patients should be consuming gluten for 8 to 12 weeks prior to a blood draw.   You are correct. Normally you have to be on gluten for the tests to work.     But some people might only need two weeks and some the full 12 weeks.  Doctors play it safe in hopes of catching a celiac diagnosis.  

Same tests, but different uses.  

 

[ravenwoodglass]

On 4/4/2018 at 7:09 PM, V123 said:

 

Thank you! But I was under the impression that the antibodies are only present when the body is fighting off the gluten? So that would mean that eating a gluten free diet while getting a gluten antibody blood test would be innacurate. Maybe I misunderstood what you’re saying.

You would want to retest to see if your antibodies are coming down so you know that you are following the diet correctly and are healing. It can take time for the antibodies to resolve so it is best to wait 6 months before retesting. If your original test was very high they might not be into the negative but should be greatly reduced.