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Omg...i Might Be On To Something


Rachel--24

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Judyin Philly Enthusiast

Scott and all the rest of the OMG friends

Case in point of breaking up the thread..BRAINSTORMING ISSUE.

Donna..with your last post, I just realized that I have not been wearing ANY pierced ear rings for over a year.

Why, because when I did wear cheap ones with nickel or other cheap metals -l my ears would 'weep' and get infected.

Never in a million years, would I have connected it to internal metal intollerances..i just thought 'Oh i can't wear cheap ear rings.' What I'll do with this informaltion I'm not sure....but will add Donnas post to my 'omg' folder.

To me, these are pieces of the puzzle that we are all trying to put together.

I don't have any answers here...about the thread issue, but just my thoughts.

judy


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CarlaB Enthusiast

Donna, interesting about the earrings. I've never been able to wear posts, even if they're gold, my ears get "weepage" from them. I can wear wire earrings and wear hoops almost every day. These are very cheap silver hoops with steel wire. That's always been strange to me. It's almost like the hoops allow some air in the holes, but the posts fill up the hole. I can wear posts for a short time, like an evening out, but that's it. My ears have bene pierced for 32 years, and this has been the case for most of that time.

Judyin Philly Enthusiast

See Now Carla has a whole other insight into the same issue..air circulation.

I never thought of that either.

This may seem like 'chir-chat' but I don't see it like that..

I was posting while Calra got the hob done...I'm so slow b/c as you know, i can't see the print till i do the 'sixes' increase and then go back and preview.

Scott, isn't there a way to just increase the size of the thread font?

Respectivley..

PS my spell ck had dissapeared since yesterday.

judy

CarlaB Enthusiast

As far as "only" helping 20 people ... if I could help 20 people in the significant and life-changing way this thread has helped me, I would be very satisfied with a successful life. I will get healthy again because of this thread. My only wish is that the others here had as clear of an answer as I do.

I NEVER would have read up on a "Lyme only" thread as I thought it didn't apply to me!! :blink:

Maybe the name for this thread should be "The Celiac.com coffee shop"! :lol: I'm not serious, but this is how I think of it. I meet my friends here to brainstorm and chit chat about health issues. We share information and research.

I like how Rachel shared some of our information in a thread on the board. Maybe that's what we should do when we get some significant research on a topic. When I have more energy to do that, perhaps I'll start one on Lyme ... but right now, the herx has started so it will be a while as it's hard to put thoughts together ... This makes sense to me ... keep the brainstorming and the friendships here, but share some of our research by starting a thread about it on the board. And continue to invite people to join the "brainstorming room". :P Seems that we have had several new people lately.

dlp252 Apprentice

The earrings I wore yesterday were hoops, with wire ear thingies--not really posts and definitely thinner than posts.

When I was younger, I could wear any type of earring...cheapy fake stuff, silver, gold. The only thing I was NEVER able to wear was platinum. Then as the years went on I couldn't wear the cheap stuff, but could still wear silver and gold. Then I couldn't wear silver any more. Then it got to where the posts felt "tight" but could still wear hoops. The I just couldn't wear any of it all day, but could for a few hours. Then sadly, couldn't wear it even for a couple of hours without the ears hurting and weeping. I'd even get little cyst like things in the piercing holes.

The bottom holes were the ones I had done when I was around 16 or so...the others were done much later...in my 30s and 40s. I have the most problems with those later ones.

CarlaB Enthusiast

Donna, have you ever tried putting vaseline on the posts/wires? That helps some people. It never worked for me, but I know others it has worked for because some are bothered by the roughness of the metal.

dlp252 Apprentice
Donna, have you ever tried putting vaseline on the posts/wires? That helps some people. It never worked for me, but I know others it has worked for because some are bothered by the roughness of the metal.

Hum, worth a try, lol.


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diamondheart Newbie
Just for the record Mango04 I don't think my view of what goes on here is "incredibly negative." My suggestion that this thread should be broken into dozens of smaller, more focused threads isn't negative at all, and it would actually serve people much better. After all it was you who just proposed "editing out all the nonsense and chit chat, and putting all of the incredibly useful information from this thread into one word document." Such a task would not be necessary if everyone here simply used threads in the manner that they are meant to be used--start a new one for each new topic.

As it is now only a handful of people will ever dare to go through this thread...and this isn't the opinion of someone who doesn't know or understand a thing or two about message boards and how they can be most helpful to the majority of their visitors--or someone who doesn't understand how to best present information to people.

Take care,

Scott Adams

Scott,

Thanks for giving this thread's subtitle a better name, but I do think it was weird that you changed it initially without getting the opinion of those on this thread.

I do think that your comments to Mango are better addressed in a PM. Seems like you are taking it a bit too personally.

There are many ways for people to express themselves in a thread on this forum. I got your point the first time.

Claire

diamondheart Newbie
...recently I gained a lot of info from Rachel who had researched c. diff, by the way I am healed of that and getting a bit better from colitis it brought on.

evie

Hi Evie,

I'm really curious about your experience with C. diff. My DH was diagnosed with it, and I'm wondering if I may have gotten it from him, especially since my immune system seems to be compromised. I was never specifically tested for it. If there are some posts on this thread you can refer me to, I'd appreciate it.

I'm curious about your symptoms. I seem to get nausea and pain just before and after a bowel movement. It's a very specific symptom. I'm wondering if this is colitis? I'm also wondering if it's worth going to a GI to get a colonoscopy? I'm getting treated by an acupuncturist with Chinese herbs. I went through one round, but the bugs seemed to come back, and I'm on another round of herbs. I did get diagnosed with bacterial dysbiosis, but maybe these other bacteria act like C. diff? I really don't want to take antibiotics because I'm afraid of the additional damage it will do to my intestines.

Did certain foods affect your colitis? If so, which ones?

Thanks, Claire

AndreaB Contributor

Morning All!

Scott,

You underestimate the numbers of people that come to this thread to read. As someone pointed out many new people have come in here, whether they read all the prior posts is up to them....it's not a requirement to start posting here. We welcome all. Not only do members of this forum come on to read but many guests are frequently reading this thread as well. I've seen numbers of guests in the upper teens, others have seen more guests than that.

This thread is very helpful to have everything intertwined (as everyone has already pointed out) due to the brainstorming and that most people have multiple health issues. On top of that there are a lot of conditions that overlap with various illnesses.

If it had not been for Rachel's and others persistance in research and finding answers this thread probably would not be drawing new people in. I for one am happy that some people who have been very sick are starting to get answers, or at least being given things to look into in their symptoms fit.

I have cut back my time so I can get back to spending it with my family but I still try to be here for support when people need it.

Mia,

I'm so glad to see you posting again. :) Looking foward to more posts as you are able. Have you got any more test results back? I know you are taking antibiotics to get ready for another test but I forget whether you still had one result you were waiting for a few weeks ago.

Evie,

I'm glad you are starting to feel better. It's always nice to see you. :)

Rachel--24 Collaborator
Just for the record Mango04 I don't think my view of what goes on here is "incredibly negative."

Scott,

I actually dont think Mango was referring to you when she made this comment.

I think its pretty "well-known" that other board members have a perception that this thread is just a "clique".....that we just come here to "hang-out" and that nothing productive occurs here. Of course this is not the case...but then one wouldnt know that if one didnt actually partake in the thread or even read some of the pages.

So there is a perception about this thread....but its a misconception held by people who have never viewed the discussions here. There were some comments recently which were obviously directed toward people who particicpate in this thread and I'm pretty sure Mango was referring to those remarks. It was brought up in another thread.

evie Rookie
Hi Evie,

I'm really curious about your experience with C. diff. My DH was diagnosed with it, and I'm wondering if I may have gotten it from him, especially since my immune system seems to be compromised. I was never specifically tested for it. If there are some posts on this thread you can refer me to, I'd appreciate it.

Did certain foods affect your colitis? If so, which ones?

Thanks, Claire

BEEN NEARLY A YEAR SINCE MY CELIAC DIAGNOSIS, WAS GETTING MUCH BETTER BY SUMMER, THEN HAD TO SPEND 36HR IN HOSPITAL. WITHIN 6 WEEKS I WAS VERY SICK WITH MUCH 'D'.

THIS CAUSED OTHER ORGAN DAMAGE AND I SPENT 2 WKS IN 2 HOSPITALS, DR. SAID I HAD COLLAGENOUS COLITIS. HAVE BEEN OVER THE C DIFF FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THE COLITIS IS BETTER. TIME WILL TELL ABOUT THE OTHER ORGAN DAMAGE. I COULD HAVE HAD THE COLITIS SOMEWHAT BEFORE HOSPITALISED, DO NOT KNOW. ABOUT SPECIFIC FOODS...MILK IS A VERY BAD ONE FOR ME!! :angry: IF NEED TO KNOW ABOUT C DIFF CONTACT RACHEL...I NOT GOOD WITH SENDING STUFF. TAKE CARE EVIE

Mango04 Enthusiast

*

NoGluGirl Contributor
The earrings I wore yesterday were hoops, with wire ear thingies--not really posts and definitely thinner than posts.

When I was younger, I could wear any type of earring...cheapy fake stuff, silver, gold. The only thing I was NEVER able to wear was platinum. Then as the years went on I couldn't wear the cheap stuff, but could still wear silver and gold. Then I couldn't wear silver any more. Then it got to where the posts felt "tight" but could still wear hoops. The I just couldn't wear any of it all day, but could for a few hours. Then sadly, couldn't wear it even for a couple of hours without the ears hurting and weeping. I'd even get little cyst like things in the piercing holes.

The bottom holes were the ones I had done when I was around 16 or so...the others were done much later...in my 30s and 40s. I have the most problems with those later ones.

Dear Donna,

That is the same here. I have to get stainless steel french hooks whenever possible. They also must be light weight. Sally's Beauty Supply has some nice ones. My ears have always been sensitive.

There used to be this great stuff called Ear Magic, but they stopped making it years ago. My brother, mother, and I all could be allergic to nickel. I know for sure my mom and brother are. I cannot wear too many rings at once, or my hands start itching. I sweat a lot anyway. That does not help. My ears do better with the stainless steel french hooks that are light weight chrystals. Those cysts hurt, I get those sometimes, too. If I leave earrings in too long, they will itch and hurt.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Rachel--24 Collaborator
As far as "only" helping 20 people ... if I could help 20 people in the significant and life-changing way this thread has helped me, I would be very satisfied with a successful life.

Carla...I've always said if I could help just one person restore their health from sharing my own experience...it would all be worthwhile. I spent alot of time on the candida boards and a thyroid board informing people of Celiac and gluten intolerance down to every last detail. It took alot of time because...as you know...sometimes my posts are kind of long. :rolleyes:

I have no idea how many people benefited from all the info. but I know a couple of them ended up on this board and still post here. I know of at least one that did end up testing positive for Celiac....and had never heard of the disease before that. It was worth it to me.

There is more "awareness" about candida then there is about Celiac...which isnt good....but alot of people are focusing on candida and they unaware of Celiac...even though the symptoms completely overlap.

Yeah...to me 20 people is an incredible amount of people. When it comes to something as important as health....I cant really say that something is not worthwhile unless "X" amount of people are benefiting.

If 20 people benefited from anything we've written and their health improved from anything they've learned here....well I would be very proud to have been a part of the process. :)

Rachel--24 Collaborator

I think increased reactions to different things....including metals....might have something to do with toxicity levels in the body.

I know that I've gotten increasingly sensitive over the years. As a teenager I started reacting to the "fake" stuff and can only wear 14 kt. gold since then. I could handle wearing certain bracelets or anklets but over the years it seemed like the amount of time I could tolerate them would get shorter and shorter. Before I got sick I could wear something for a few days and not have a problem....as long as I took it off at night.

Since I got sick I cant wear *anything* except my 14 kt. gold stuff...not even for a single day.

When I start getting reactions from something I may have eaten.....inevitably my earrings will start bothering me. My gold ones which have never bothered me before will now cause itching and weeping if I expose myself to toxic things. It clears up once I avoid whatever caused it to begin with.

Also my earrings will sometimes turn my skin black when I'm reacting to alot of things. It actually washes right off but nowadays these are big clues that I'm doing something wrong as far as diet or chemical exposure.

I think it might be caused by the fact that my body is so toxic and my liver overwhelmed and unable to detox the way it should. My body is storing toxins and I'm sure if this werent happening....I wouldnt be so reactive to things. :(

Its also a clue that this was occurring slowly....over a long period of time. It might seem like I got sensitive to everything suddenly...but I think I just became highly symptomatic when my body reached its breaking point.

I also got sensitive to the sun in my 20's....I never used to burn but now I do and I'll sometimes get rashes on my arms from it. That might have something to do with the ozone layer though. :unsure:

LL04 Newbie

Question: This has been burning me since about two months before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Do any of you experience any worse symptoms around the time that your period comes? Most of my symptoms seem to be directly tied to it....can anyone relate or explain??

By the way, when I got my ears pierced when I was 4 they became so infected that they had to be removed. My mom, on a whim replaced them with her own 14K's and it all cleared up. To this day I cannot wear any jewellery that is not at least 10K or better. The rash I get is unbearable.

dlp252 Apprentice
Question: This has been burning me since about two months before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Do any of you experience any worse symptoms around the time that your period comes? Most of my symptoms seem to be directly tied to it....can anyone relate or explain??

Sorry, I can't help with this one...don't have periods anymore so can't tell when "that time" is, lol. I can say that when I DID have my period, I felt HORRIBLE for at least two weeks including the time before and after and yes I would have major D, horrible bloating, pain, you name it. I can't really tell how much of that was gluten though. Most of the major pain cleared up after the hysterectomy, and some of the stuff cleared up when I went low carb, and more cleared up after gluten/casein free, but still had D up until a couple of weeks ago.

CarlaB Enthusiast
Also my earrings will sometimes turn my skin black when I'm reacting to alot of things. It actually washes right off but nowadays these are big clues that I'm doing something wrong as far as diet or chemical exposure.

Sometimes my wedding/engagement rings will turn my skin black. I just joke with Adam that it's because they're so cheap!! :lol: (They're not). There are other metals mixed with the gold, I think that's what causes the problem more than the gold itself. 24 Carat is pure gold, but it's too soft for jewelry.

CarlaB Enthusiast
Question: This has been burning me since about two months before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Do any of you experience any worse symptoms around the time that your period comes? Most of my symptoms seem to be directly tied to it....can anyone relate or explain??

I have gluten intolerance, not celiac disease, but YES! Not anymore though, it went away after I was gluten-free for a while. I used to have terrible cramps whenever I'd have a bowel movement to the point that sometimes it would bring tears to my eyes. It was very related to menstruation as it was the only time it ever happened. I also got worse diarrhea then, too.

I don't know why. This might be a good question to post on the board (other than on the OMG thread!).

jerseyangel Proficient

Interesting talk about how the various metals affect everyone.

Since I've been gluten-free, I can no longer wear my 18k gold earrings. (I have the most georgeous 2 inch hoops just sitting in the box :( ) The 14k and sterling ones are fine, though :blink:

I had problems with my periods very much like Donna. From about 10 days before, until about 1/2 way through, I'd have diarehea/painful bowel movements, bloating, having to urinate frequently, back and upper leg pain/soreness and severe cramping. This did not get better after starting the gluten-free diet, in fact, it got worse. I was hoping since I began eliminateing soy 2 years ago, it would make a positive difference--but no luck.

Rachel--24 Collaborator

Lauralee,

YES! I dont have Celiac but the first 2 years I was sick I had major PMS every month. I was in bad shape anyways but that time of the month was sooo much worse. I would get severe depression and all of my other symptopms intensified as well.

I had never experienced pms until I got sick. Ever since changing my diet it hasnt happened again. Occasionally now I'll get really tired right before....like I just wanna sleep the entire day.

I know candida can cause bad PMS but definately what I was eating had to be contributing a whole lot. I dont know if it was the gluten or all the chemicals in food but it stopped when I went on the candida diet and eliminated those things.

After adding foods back in (like my ice cream) I started getting the fatigue that hits the day before...but nothing like what I went through before making diet changes.

Rachel--24 Collaborator
Hi Evie,

I'm really curious about your experience with C. diff. My DH was diagnosed with it, and I'm wondering if I may have gotten it from him, especially since my immune system seems to be compromised. I was never specifically tested for it. If there are some posts on this thread you can refer me to, I'd appreciate it.

Claire,

Have you visited the C.Diff message board?? I was posting there about a year ago when I first came back positive in my stool test. They dont let you ask alot of questions though...which kind of sucks. I was getting some input about my situation but they locked up my topic after it got past 2 or 3 pages. :blink:

Anyways you can read up on C.Diff over there and ask questions.....as long as you dont ask too many. :rolleyes:

Open Original Shared Link

diamondheart Newbie
Question: This has been burning me since about two months before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Do any of you experience any worse symptoms around the time that your period comes? Most of my symptoms seem to be directly tied to it....can anyone relate or explain??

I usually get loose stools or D during my period, unrelated to what I eat. I see mostly Chinese medical doctors these days, and there is an explanation in Chinese medical terms, but it's kind of hard to understand that system. It has to do with your hormonal changes. I don't really know the particulars, but I'll try a basic explanation.

Here's my theory: Your female hormones are changing during your period. This affects your adrenal hormones, which in turn affect your immune system. Since celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, affecting your immune system would affect your digestion.

I have been working with Dr. F on my female hormone imbalances. The root cause of those problems are from adrenal imbalance. He explained the adrenal imbalance is affecting my immune system. I'm mainly taking herbs and supplements to treat my female hormone imbalances and adrenal imbalance. This in turn is supposed to support my immune system. It's all related, which is why I like the Chinese medicine/holistic approach. It treats your body as a whole, and doesn't look at just one thing, like cutting out gluten from your diet. Who knows, the gluten could have been the start of my problems, but now my challenges are multi-faceted that are not solved simply by elimination of gluten. I think many people on this thread are experiencing similar health problems in varying degrees.

Claire

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular

Interesting discussion! My question is, doesn't every woman get some kind of tummy discomfort/digestive difficulty around her period? Seems to me , back in college, the whole dorm complained of that sort of thing.

I never had the PMS, only intense craving for chocolate right before my period an huge mushy stools the first two days of my period. Also some mild cramping, nothing ever worth taking meds for, though.

re: metals--I can only wear my wedding ring. Watches, necklaces, earrings, etc, give me the same symptoms you guys get! BUT--after going off gluten, I was able to wear a necklace for 4 whole hours before I started to get somewhat itchy (it used to take only 10 minutes before I was out of my mind with itchiness and rashes). But what is the connection with gluten?????

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      Beans in desserts are a fantastic way to add moisture, structure, and protein while keeping recipes gluten-free. Black bean brownies are a classic, but other beans like adzuki and pinto can also work well—adzuki beans are naturally sweet and often used in Asian desserts, making them great for cookies or cakes. Lentils, especially red lentils, blend smoothly into batters and can replace flour in recipes like blondies or muffins. Since you’re allergic to chickpeas, you might try navy beans or cannellini beans for a milder flavor in vanilla-based desserts. For less crumbliness, blending cooked beans into a paste helps bind the dough, and adding a bit of xanthan gum (if tolerated) can improve texture. If you’re experimenting, start with recipes that replace half the flour with bean purée before going fully flourless. Have you tried using aquafaba (bean liquid) as an egg substitute? It works wonders in gluten-free baking too!
    • lmemsm
      This may make you feel better about cross-contamination: https://nationalceliac.org/celiac-disease-questions/do-i-need-new-designated-pans-plates-and-utensils/ https://theceliacscene.com/rethinking-cross-contamination-no-need-to-be-so-careful/ I use Tom's of Maine or a toothpaste that states it's gluten free.  I have allergic reactions to some toothpastes so some of the toothpastes in health food stores are usually safer for me. They're typically gluten free as well. Spices can contain cross-contamination from gluten.  There are a few lists online of spices that are safe for celiacs.  I also grow my own herbs and use them in place of store bought when I can.  I think Badia lists their spices as gluten free and Spice Lab has some gluten free too. Knitty Kitty has a great point about nutritional deficiencies and B vitamins.  I got a lot of aches and pains when I got off gluten.  I tried to replace wheat with other healthy grains like teff, buckwheat and sorghum.  Limiting one's diet too much and not getting enough vitamins, can make someone feel worse.  A lot of the gluten free foods in the stores are made with lower quality ingredients than the wheat varieties.  I try to replace all my foods with homemade options.  Then I know the quality of the ingredients and which vitamins I may be high or low in.  Probiotics or prebiotics can help with bathroom issues.  Better to get them in foods if possible and not pill form.  My doctors keep recommending magnesium too.  It's not supposed to be taken alone, but they don't seem to care about that.  It's easy for vitamin D to be low too.  That was another thing doctors told me to take.  Unfortunately, they didn't monitor it and it went too high.  Again, better from natural sources like food and sunlight.  However, supplementing can help if you're not getting enough.  Some sources say to take D with K2.  You may want to have iodine levels checked.  If you add iodine, make sure to get sufficient selenium for thyroid.  You can get iodine naturally in most seaweed.  Nori may also be one of the few non-animal sources for B12.  Brazil nuts are a good source of selenium and you only need a few a day to meet RDA.  Some brands of nuts specifically say gluten free.  Unfortunately, there are issues with Brazil nut production and they're much harder to find this year. The more you can vary your diet the better.  One study said aim for at least 30 different foods in a week.  You might want to try kiwi fruit.  There were some studies that said eating kiwi improved mood.  It also has a covering which most people don't eat, so that should protect what's inside from contamination. I've limited my diet quite a bit over the years because of migraines, so I know how uncomfortable it can be finding safe foods.  However, I'm afraid limiting diets like that may actually be causing more harm than good.  It's something I'm trying to work on.  I keep trying to expand the number of foods I eat and my recipe repertoire.  I made a list of brands of foods that I've found that are gluten free so I have a guide when I'm shopping.  
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