Opening my eyes to Celiac

[JesseTheHat]

For starters I've ultimately felt like garbage for nearly ten years. I was a runner who was putting in 50 to 70 miles a week and that abruptly stopped in 2011... Doctors said I was either fine or I had "what was going around." That continued to be the trend for years. If I asked what's wrong with me they assured me I'm on of the healthiest patients the see, and when I bring up my inability to run they tried pushing antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds on me. I always refused. Last year I started feeling like utter garbage and found a new doctor who felt what I was saying and recognized my motivation. He was willing hit me with the kitchen sink in regards to getting answers. Nine months later I tested positive to the antibodies, and the number he said was significantly above average. 

I cut gluten out on Aug 3rd, and am optimistically looking to start feeling better around Nov 3rd. I'm also on a hunt for a fresh new job. Although I'm good at my job, my metal fog and absent mindedness as created a toxic relationship between me and my manager. I tried to discuss this condition with the individual two or three times but it didn't help. I'm going to reach out to hr while waiting to hear from other employers. I'm curious to know how Celiac has effected others work relationships. 

I'm also curious about how being glutened effects me. I've accepted taken in gluten twice in the past two months, once was in garlic powder and the other was soy sauce. How much damage does an instance of taken in gluten do? Am I back to square one? That's a question I have had a hard time finding an answer to. I didn't feel much worse either time but I haven't felt better yet either. 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Jesse!

If there has been substantial healing of the villi then getting glutened once in a while should not set you back to square 1 in the big picture of things.  But it still might take you 2-3 weeks to feel fully recovered from the experience. Most Celiacs will tell you that after they have been gluten-free for a significant period of time, when they do get glutened they experience more intense illness than they ever did when they were consuming gluten on a regular basis.

Actually feeling better after going gluten-free can take several months to realize. Having said that, a number of recent studies have shown that many people who claim to be eating gluten-free are actually practicing low gluten diets because of cross contamination, cheating and/or not being well-informed about the myriad of ways gluten is disguised and turns up in our food products. This is especially true for those who still dine out. Gluten can be found in supplements and medications since wheat starch is sometimes used as a filler in pills. So I wonder if your slow progress is due to not having actually eliminated all gluten from your diet. Consider doubling down on that.

Also, have you been checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies which are invariably found with Celiac Disease?

[JesseTheHat]

My Doctor was always checking my blood vitamins an minerals levels, and they always seemed to be OK. I still picked up a multivitamin on the Doctor's recommendation, it happened to be glutton free too. 

I only learned about cross contamination after the first week or two of going gluten free. After that I look for product specifically say Gluten Free on them. 

I only eat Chipotle if I'm dinning out, I was told they aren't know for cross contamination. Should I be sceptical of that? 

It's unsettling to think about the cross contamination that happens, but I'm taking this serious. I feel like I've been avoiding cross contamination, but incase I haven't I'm going to start picking up raw whole foods and really break down my food to the lowest level. I'm also reading about other people's habits for ideas. My doctor says it should be 3 to 6 months to feel better so I'm trying to be patient but this is a long time to wait and I feel like I'm getting new info on celiac constantly. It's also good to know that being gluten after feeling isn't as devastating as I though. 

[trents]

Jesse,

No. I would not feel comfortable eating chipotle at a restaurant unless I could confirm with he chef that it is gluten free or is on the restaurant's gluten-free menu, if they have one. Even if gluten containing grains are not listed in the ingredients it is certainly possible that gluten is in the spices and seasonings. When dining out, I would stick to things like steamed veggies, baked potatoes, and meat that is unseasoned and cooked in it's own pan if there is no gluten-free menu section. Most eatery kitchen staff will comply with those requests. Another option would be a potato or salad bar where you have control over what goes in and on. Remember, even a salad dressing can have gluten. Vinegar and oil (as long as the vinegar is white, distilled or basalmic) is safe. Some vinegars are fermented products and can be made from gluten grains.