Wondering if there’s anyone else like me

[Jamie678]

Hello everyone! I’m 20 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac a little over 3 years ago. It was an incidental finding, so I wasn’t feeling sick or anything at the time. My problem is, I cannot stop eating gluten. I know I have celiacs, and it makes me kind of sick, but I literally cannot stop eating gluten. So yea, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar spot because most people with celiacs get so sick they avoid it completely. I know I’m doing some serious damage by still eating gluten, and so i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Jamie678!

Many celiacs, like you described yourself three years ago, have few or no symptoms in the beginning. We call them "silent" celiacs. That usually changes as the the villi that line the small bowel become more damaged.

Also, gluten is literally addicting and many experience withdrawal when trying to eliminate it from their lives. https://justthrivehealth.com/blogs/blog/you-may-be-addicted-to-gluten

Perhaps one thing that would help you with your cravings is finding some tastier gluten-free alternatives to wheat-based products.

[Scott Adams]

Welcome to the forum!

There are others like you, and polls done in the past have indicated that ~25% of celiacs cheat regularly on their diets, however, there are lots of health risks associated with doing this, so it's just better not to do it. I liken it a bit to diabetics who might continue eating high carb or sugar foods, only to find out many years later that they are having serious health issues. 

There are great gluten-free alternative products out there, as @trents mentioned, have you tried them? Many are available at large chain stores like Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc.

[Maddie6332]

On 8/20/2022 at 3:06 PM, Jamie678 said:

Hello everyone! I’m 20 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac a little over 3 years ago. It was an incidental finding, so I wasn’t feeling sick or anything at the time. My problem is, I cannot stop eating gluten. I know I have celiacs, and it makes me kind of sick, but I literally cannot stop eating gluten. So yea, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar spot because most people with celiacs get so sick they avoid it completely. I know I’m doing some serious damage by still eating gluten, and so i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks

This is a HUGE problem. There are people who are dealing with the same thing, but doing this to your body has an endless list of negative things it can do to it. Such as, the body overreacts to the protein and damages the villi, small finger-like projections found along the wall of the small intestine. When the villi is injured, the small intestine can't properly absorb nutrients from food. It can also cause cancer,I believe. My advice would be asking your doctor for help, because no matter how much you crave things that have gluten in them, it's not worth it. Trust me!

 

[reidertower]

Dear Jamie, I'm sorry for the predicament you find yourself in. I did not discern from your writings if you are male or female. I am a 68 (nearly 69) woman. My first diagnosis of celiac intolerance was given to me in 1982, then it was retracted as my symptoms seemed only to be visible during pregnancy. Mine was a pregnancy anomaly I was told.

In 1992 I lost my third child in the very last week of my pregnancy. Contractions every 10 minutes, then silence.

My son had no illnesses or bacterial infections we were informed of after his autopsy. This was like cradle death but still in the womb the gynacologists told my husband and I.

Scientific research into the subject of late term still births later went on to show that 62% of mothers like me were actually undiagnosed celiacs. There is a very definite connexion between celiac disease and pregnancy problems, ie miscarriages and like my own experience late term still births. So please if you actually have been diagnosed then don't not take it seriously. Future events could bring tragedy if you don't take better care of yourself. I wish you all success and happiness in the future. Lindy

[Wheatwacked]

Dear @reidertower. I am so sorry for your loss. My wife had 3 miscarriages before our son was born in 1976. He had an acute reaction as soon as he was weaned. He looked like a white Biafran baby when they switched from rice to wheat for famine relief. A few months of Nutramegen and weaned to GFD and he is today a strong healthy professional life guard. Kathy was diagnosed with Endometriosis so he was our only. I now realize that both she and I were undiagnosed Celiac Disease all our lives. She passed from malnutrition after chemo for ovarian cancer. I am sure today that she would still be with us if we had listened to my son's doctor and started GFD back then.

On 8/20/2022 at 3:06 PM, Jamie678 said:

I cannot stop eating gluten.

It is very addicting. I was an alcoholic for years, could not stop until I gave up gluten. Once I got over the initial withdrawal from gluten I discovered that my alcohol addiction was just gone. It appears my alcoholism was triggered by eating Wheat.  So my suggestion, pay no attention to the "healthy diet" variations. Eat whatever you want as long as it does not have gluten, eventually your taste buds will change and you can make healthier choices. At the same time take care to get enough vitamins and minerals in what you eat or through supplements. Just like "friends" taunt recovering alcoholics, your friends will taunt you and test you with gluten. Don't hate them, they are still addicted. This series on Gluten Centric Culture may help deal with the peer pressure.

I have found a pound of watermelon a nice treat. Hydrating, filling and lots of vitamins and minerals.

 

[Maddie6332]

12 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

Dear @reidertower. I am so sorry for your loss. My wife had 3 miscarriages before our son was born in 1976. He had an acute reaction as soon as he was weaned. He looked like a white Biafran baby when they switched from rice to wheat for famine relief. A few months of Nutramegen and weaned to GFD and he is today a strong healthy professional life guard. Kathy was diagnosed with Endometriosis so he was our only. I now realize that both she and I were undiagnosed Celiac Disease all our lives. She passed from malnutrition after chemo for ovarian cancer. I am sure today that she would still be with us if we had listened to my son's doctor and started GFD back then.

It is very addicting. I was an alcoholic for years, could not stop until I gave up gluten. Once I got over the initial withdrawal from gluten I discovered that my alcohol addiction was just gone. It appears my alcoholism was triggered by eating Wheat.  So my suggestion, pay no attention to the "healthy diet" variations. Eat whatever you want as long as it does not have gluten, eventually your taste buds will change and you can make healthier choices. At the same time take care to get enough vitamins and minerals in what you eat or through supplements. Just like "friends" taunt recovering alcoholics, your friends will taunt you and test you with gluten. Don't hate them, they are still addicted. This series on Gluten Centric Culture may help deal with the peer pressure.

I have found a pound of watermelon a nice treat. Hydrating, filling and lots of vitamins and minerals.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[trents]

"Just like "friends" taunt recovering alcoholics, your friends will taunt you and test you with gluten."

Unfortunately, this can be true.

[Wheatwacked]

Here's thought: before eating that next donut. Ask yourself, "what's in it for me?"  WIIFM. There was a saying in the weight loss community, "10 minutes on the tongue, a fife time on the hips."🤑

[Maddie6332]

On 9/1/2022 at 2:26 AM, reidertower said:

Dear Jamie, I'm sorry for the predicament you find yourself in. I did not discern from your writings if you are male or female. I am a 68 (nearly 69) woman. My first diagnosis of celiac intolerance was given to me in 1982, then it was retracted as my symptoms seemed only to be visible during pregnancy. Mine was a pregnancy anomaly I was told.

In 1992 I lost my third child in the very last week of my pregnancy. Contractions every 10 minutes, then silence.

My son had no illnesses or bacterial infections we were informed of after his autopsy. This was like cradle death but still in the womb the gynacologists told my husband and I.

Scientific research into the subject of late term still births later went on to show that 62% of mothers like me were actually undiagnosed celiacs. There is a very definite connexion between celiac disease and pregnancy problems, ie miscarriages and like my own experience late term still births. So please if you actually have been diagnosed then don't not take it seriously. Future events could bring tragedy if you don't take better care of yourself. I wish you all success and happiness in the future. Lindy

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Flash1970]

On 8/20/2022 at 12:06 PM, Jamie678 said:

Hello everyone! I’m 20 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac a little over 3 years ago. It was an incidental finding, so I wasn’t feeling sick or anything at the time. My problem is, I cannot stop eating gluten. I know I have celiacs, and it makes me kind of sick, but I literally cannot stop eating gluten. So yea, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar spot because most people with celiacs get so sick they avoid it completely. I know I’m doing some serious damage by still eating gluten, and so i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks

Dear Jamie, 

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease,  you need to start eating gluten free.  I was diagnosed 12 years ago.  I remember that when I stopped eating gluten,  I felt horrible.  I was actually going through withdrawals from gluten. After a month or so,  it did start to get better.  At 4 months,  I finally felt good.  I still had brain fog.  I read a book called Wheat belly diet. Written by a cardiologist,  he explained how it causes addiction, inflammation, and other problems.  You may not  be sick physically,  but it is destroying your body.  I had chronic anemia and hashimoto's thyroid as my only symptom.  Now my body actually destroyed my thyroid.  I was 57 when I was diagnosed. I am no longer anemic,  but it took a long time to resolve.  

What you may not understand is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease.  Your body is attacking itself because of the wheat.  Your small intestine is not absorbing nutrients,  so you will not remain healthy.  Maybe you don't have diarrhea, e.t.c.  , but other health problems may develop.  You are doing serious damage to your health.  It doesn't make an impression now,  because you're young.  It will make a difference as you get older.

If your friends don't understand and support you,  they aren't your friends.  It's not easy to eat gluten free around other people.  There's a ton of information and recipes online.  I recommend you do a lot of research.  Read every label on processed foods.  If they say they're gluten free don't believe it.  A lot of gluten free can be made on the same equipment that processes wheat.  Be very vigilant.  You will notice a difference in your health even if as you say,  you aren't sick. 

Good luck.  Feel free to ask questions. 

Debbie 

[Maddie6332]

On 9/24/2022 at 3:27 AM, Flash1970 said:

Dear Jamie, 

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease,  you need to start eating gluten free.  I was diagnosed 12 years ago.  I remember that when I stopped eating gluten,  I felt horrible.  I was actually going through withdrawals from gluten. After a month or so,  it did start to get better.  At 4 months,  I finally felt good.  I still had brain fog.  I read a book called Wheat belly diet. Written by a cardiologist,  he explained how it causes addiction, inflammation, and other problems.  You may not  be sick physically,  but it is destroying your body.  I had chronic anemia and hashimoto's thyroid as my only symptom.  Now my body actually destroyed my thyroid.  I was 57 when I was diagnosed. I am no longer anemic,  but it took a long time to resolve.  

What you may not understand is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease.  Your body is attacking itself because of the wheat.  Your small intestine is not absorbing nutrients,  so you will not remain healthy.  Maybe you don't have diarrhea, e.t.c.  , but other health problems may develop.  You are doing serious damage to your health.  It doesn't make an impression now,  because you're young.  It will make a difference as you get older.

If your friends don't understand and support you,  they aren't your friends.  It's not easy to eat gluten free around other people.  There's a ton of information and recipes online.  I recommend you do a lot of research.  Read every label on processed foods.  If they say they're gluten free don't believe it.  A lot of gluten free can be made on the same equipment that processes wheat.  Be very vigilant.  You will notice a difference in your health even if as you say,  you aren't sick. 

Good luck.  Feel free to ask questions. 

Debbie 

If you can't stop eating gluten, and your gluten free, your risking so much in your health and it isn't worth it. It triggers an immune response that damages the lining of the intestines. Even the smallest particle of gluten can cause a serious reaction and intestinal damage that could take months to heal. DON"T EAT GLUTEN IF YOUR A CELIAC!! It's dangerous,not worth it, and too risky!!

[Ginger38]

On 8/20/2022 at 3:06 PM, Jamie678 said:

Hello everyone! I’m 20 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac a little over 3 years ago. It was an incidental finding, so I wasn’t feeling sick or anything at the time. My problem is, I cannot stop eating gluten. I know I have celiacs, and it makes me kind of sick, but I literally cannot stop eating gluten. So yea, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar spot because most people with celiacs get so sick they avoid it completely. I know I’m doing some serious damage by still eating gluten, and so i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks

It’s very very hard to give up gluten, especially if you are not severely ill after eating it. I wish I had some good advice but I have struggled many times myself, so I do understand what you’re going through. 

[trents]

On 8/20/2022 at 12:06 PM, Jamie678 said:

Hello everyone! I’m 20 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac a little over 3 years ago. It was an incidental finding, so I wasn’t feeling sick or anything at the time. My problem is, I cannot stop eating gluten. I know I have celiacs, and it makes me kind of sick, but I literally cannot stop eating gluten. So yea, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar spot because most people with celiacs get so sick they avoid it completely. I know I’m doing some serious damage by still eating gluten, and so i’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks

No, it is not true that most celiacs "get so sick that they avoid it completely". That is a misconception. Most do not get very sick from consuming gluten until after they have been gluten free for a significant time.

Jamie678, you need to quit making excuses and buck up! Millions of celiacs around the world are in your same situation and manage to pull off eating gluten free. Don't put it off until your body is trashed.

Edited October 28, 2022 by trents