New Here

[JUDI42MIL]

HI ALL

I AM NEW HERE AND ONLY GOT DXED WITH GLUTEN INTOLERANCE TWO WEEKS AGO. I AM TOTALLY ENJOYING READING ALL THE POSTS AND LEARNING AS MUCH AS I CAN.

I AM VEGAN AND NOW CANT HAVE GLUTEN. SO IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR SURE. BUT ANYTHING TO STOP THE PAIN. IVE LIVED MOST OF MY LIFE, AND IM 46 NOW, WITH STOMACH PROBLEMS.HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR MANY YEARS IM ANEREXIC SOMETIMES BULEMIC.. HAVE BEEN TOLD I HAVE MOST AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES.TURNS OUT NOT EATING WAS MY WAY OF CONTROLLING THE PAIN I GET IN...... I HAVE HAD MOSTLY EVERY TEST UNDER THE SUN. EXCEPT FOR THE ONE FOR CELIAC....... AMAZING AND MY MOM HAS IT.

IM NOT FINDING THE DIET CHANGE TO HARD, JUST A CHALLENGE IN FINDING WHAT CONTAINS IT AND WHAT DOESNT..... I MUST SAY SINCE IVE STOPPED IT I HAVE NOT VOMITTED SINCE.

ANYWAY JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

[flagbabyds]

Welcome! It's good you don't find the diet change too hard. Just wondering what you will eat that is vegan and gluten-free. Sorry I don't want to be nosy just my sister is vegan and all she really eats is bread and hummus. Yu'll find this board very useful and a great refernce. If you have any questions you can always e-mail me.

[burdee]

Hi JUDI42MIL: WOW! I could relate to so much of your experience. I also received my 'official' (Enterolab) diagnosis recently (gluten/casein antibodies/autoimmune response plus celiac gene), but I've been gluten free for over 11 weeks and dairy free for over a week. Previously I had used starving, bingeing and purging (all considered anorexic/bulimic habits) to cope with excruciating cramping abdominal pains, bloating, gas, constipation, fatigue, etc. So I was also told I was anorexic and actually believed I was bulimic for MANY years. Over the years I paid for lots of group and individual ED therapy, read every ED book I could finds and attended many ED support groups. However I feared telling my doctor about my painful abdominal symptoms, because I believed my eating habits had CAUSED my symptoms. Well, in a way, they did (by consuming gluten and dairy), but not the starving/bingeing/purging habits themselves.

When I finally told my doctor about my abdominal symptoms I was told I had 'irritable bowel syndrome' and lactose intolerance. The recommended diet for IBS with constipation (whole wheat and wheat bran products) just exacerbated my pain and the recommended 'lactaid' supplements did nothing to protect me from casein intolerance. So the painful symptoms and my disordered eating coping habits continued for another 10 years until I read an article that described MY symptoms of cramping, bloating, pain, constipation, steatorrhea, as celiac, as well as the classic (diarrhea/weight loss) celiac symptoms.

As soon as I began to avoid gluten, my pain changed from excruciating to tolerable and slowly changed to occasional twinges. However when I removed dairy from my diet, I not only lost the compulsive drive to overeat past satisfaction, but also lost the 'instant reflux' that made purging seem so logical when I was overly full. My other symptoms (bloating/gas/constipation) have slowly disappeared. So I now wonder how many other people who used 'disordered eating' habits coping with celiac symptoms.

Since I adjusted pretty easily to a gluten free diet by substituting gluten-free products, I tried to substitute soy products for dairy. Perhaps I was still recovering from dairy problems, so I'm didn't tolerate soy initially. I'm going to wait until I'm symptom free to try soy again. Meanwhile I'm doing well with gluten-free breads/starches, fruits, vegies, meats, eggs, and nuts.

How did you first decide to go vegan? Was that a political/spiritual decision or attempt to deal with your stomach problems? If that was a health related decision, you might discover that avoiding gluten will allow your intestines to heal enough to tolerate more souces of protein. However, you've probably learned from your vegan experience how to combine grains (hopefully gluten-free now) with legumes, nuts, etc. for complete proteins. Nevertheless, combining vegan with gluten-free seems pretty challenging to me!

I'm glad the gluten-free approach has helped you resolve your eating habits as well as your symptoms. You've certainly come to the right place for support. The board members can help you figure out potential gluten sources, find gluten free substitutes, empathize with your struggles and encourage you whenever. Feel free to email me, if you want to exchange more past history as well as present challenges.

BURDEE

[JUDI42MIL]

BURDEE HI- I DECIDED TO GO VEGAN YEARS AGO. I WAS SO SICK WITH FIBROMYALGIA COULDNT WALK BARELY. IF WE WENT ANYWHERE I NEEDED A WHEELCHAIR. MOSTLY I LAID IN BED AND TOOK 11 DIFFERENT MEDICINES A DAY...... I HEARD ON THE INTERNET TO TRY A VEGAN DIET. SO I DID...... WITH MY EATING HABITS I WAS THRILLED TO TRY AND ELIMINATE FOOD. I HATED FOOD FOR MANY YEARS.WELL, I TRIED IT AND WITHIN 2 WEEKS I WAS OFF ALL THE MEDICINES. SO IM CONVIINCED I WAS ALLERGIC TO SOMETHING THEY INJECT IN ANIMALS.......

MY DOCTOR WANTS ME TO TRY AND REINTRODUCE DAIRY FOODS.. I DONT THINK I WILL THOUGH I AM FINE SUBSTITUTING WITH SOY.

I AM ALMOST ANGRY THEY DIDNT DO THIS TESTING ON ME MAYBE 30 YEARS AGO. I BET I WOULDVE BEEN A HALTHIER PERSON HAD THEY.

I SUFFER FROM ACUTE CHRONIC PANCREATITIS ALSO. AND HAVE FOR 15 YRS NOW. THEN THIS MORNING I READ IT IS A SYMPTOM OF BEING ALLERGIC TO GLUTEN...... HERE THEY DOOMED ME TO DEATH FOR IT. AND NEVER COULD EXPLAIN HOW I GOT IT. WOW YOU WOULDVE THOUGHT ONE DR WOULDVE LOOKED FURTHER.

ANYWAY I GUESS I NEED TO BE THANKFUL THEY DID IT NOW. ITS BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. AND NO MORE VOMITING, CONSTIPATION,PAIN ,ETC.... AND I ACTUALLY FEEL HUNGRY NOW AND THEN AND ACTUALLY AM NOT AFRAID TO EAT SOMETHING.

MY DOCTOR SAID IT MAY TAKE MONTHS TO BEGIN FEELING BETTER- I THINK I DID RIGHT AWAY.

FLAG- I EAT A LOT OF HUMMUS- I LOVE IT- I ALWAYS KEEP FRESH CHICK PEAS TO MAKE SOME UP- BUT I EAT IT ON TOMATOES SO I NEVER DID THE BREAD MUCH ANYWAY.