This Ain't Easy...

[super-sally888]

Hi -

After one week of gluten free (I got some soya sauce one day which did have an itch response)... I ate a brownie today.... kind of accidentally... I usually have a brownie at this coffee place I go to... asked for one and was two bites down before I remembered I shouldn't have this... then considered what the heck!!!! And finished it...

Thought I had gotten away with it - and was even doubting my self-diagnosis - for several hours... but now I am itching to high heaven and coming out in lumps... I don't know what else it could be - nothing else different today from all week..

Geez! Gotta be on the ball all the time... Can't just not think and eat! This is going to be a challenge. At least I am being convinced that this really could be gluten..

It seems that when one starts avoiding gluten, one actually gets more sensitive to it when one eats it...

Emptied my cupboard today. Gave away a heap of really great pasta (I am a packrat). Haven't checked all the cans yet...

Am experimenting with rice... have a great combination: brown rice, red rice, black rice - mixed together. Is kind of nutty. Delicious and very filling. Highly recommend it. And gotta be more nutritious than the white stuff.

Any comments on oats. Are they ok or not. Some references say yes. Others say no. Guess I could try the "Itch" test... still have an open packet that can't be given away..

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Sally

[Guest cassidy]

I wouldn't do the itch test anymore. I think you have figured out that gluten is what is causing your problems. I don't know how itchy you get or if you have any other symptoms, but gluten makes me feel so crappy I would never, ever eat it.

I think the biggest issue with oats is cc. During the manufacturing process they often come in contact with gluten. I wouldn't recommend trying them, especially not in the beginning.

It is good that you are cleaning out some food. It does take a while to get the hang of this, but hopefully you will stop itching. You may find you have other symptoms that you don't even realize are due to gluten. I used to have to pee all the time and it went away when I went gluten-free. I didn't even realize it was odd to pee all the time, until I stopped doing it. Gluten does strange things to our bodies.

[tarnalberry]

the fact that you react by itching makes me worry that you have a true allergy, which you should *not* test. allergies can, and do, get worse with exposure occasionally, and it's not worth the risk.

as for oats and celiac...

1) all commercial oats are contaminated at levels higher than the CODEX standard of 200ppm, even McCanns. there are at least three brands of specialty oats you can buy grown, processed, and transported to be gluten free, but they are expensive and difficult to get ahold of.

2) according to lab studies, aproximately 10% of celiacs react to PURE oats (the protein in oats itself, avenin) with intestinal damage equivalent to that caused by wheat. there is no test to take that will tell you ahead of time if you are one of these celiacs.

[mamaw]

My suggestion is to go slowly for a few months & become a gluten spy, adding a few new things at a time that you know for sure is gluten-free.....I think we all have done some dumb things when first getting started on this diet.....

It does get better & easier as time rolls along.....I eat the gluten-free oats several times a week. With the oats you need to go very slowly !/4 cup at first....and I wouldn't try only the gluten-free brands....I also agree that maybe that isn't a good idea to try them at this point. Let your body heal alittle first... I waited for two years before taking the big step. We all respond differently to foods as our bodies are so unique so I think everyone must use common sense . I don't react as violently as some do... I free lucky in that regard....

blessings

mamaw

[super-sally888]

Thanks everyone. Your input is really useful. Will give away the oats...

Actually, I didn't realise that itching was an issue, until I saw this forum a week ago, and went for the past week without being as itchy as usual.. though today am still VERY itchy and scratching ...

Have been extra itchy for the past months - I just put it down to pollution / seasonal allergies (and I know I am allergic to dustmites, and dogs and cats and I have two of each - I seem able to tolerate my own pets for some reason (though I keep them very clean and don't handle the cats too much) but not other people's)... it started off with just feet being crazy itchy (someone here mentioned wanting to grind them into the roughest carpet she could find), then moved to low back and now is everywhere, particularly trunk, face,....

I guess this is something I should mention to my Dr when I see him in two weeks time... I didn't actually think of it as a symptom of something... maybe need to rule out other causes as well...

Not fair that I can go this far in life (36 years) and now start having all these problems.. Trigger? Emotional stress??? Been having enough of that. But am dealing with it! Maybe too late!

Thanks again! Am really glad I found this forum.

Have a nice day.

Sally