Having Celiac And Other Intolerances

[angel42]

This may seem like a silly question. I was very recently diagnosed and have been reading alot on the boards about having other intolerances as well as Celiac. I am still trying to figure out how to get gluten completely out of my diet and as a result am still intermittently sick. I am pretty sure I am lactose intolerant since I seem to get sick every time I have milk/cheese etc. Beyond that, for the people who have other intolerances (xanthum gum etc) how did you know? What are the common other intolerances that I should look out for? Any advice?

Thanks!!

[marciab]

Common sensitivities are wheat, corn, dairy, soy and eggs. It is because they are found in abundance in our foods.

It is actually easier in my opinion to eat fresh veggies, fruit and meat. It requires cooking, but at least you know what you are getting. And figuring out your intolerances is a lot easier.

Marcia

[Guest cassidy]

I would also recommend starting out with naturally gluten-free foods. I would stick to a basic diet of meats, rice, fruits and veggies. Once you start to feel better from removing all the gluten then you can start figuring other things out. If you think dairy is an issue, then cut it out.

Once you are stable and want to add foods back in, I would keep a food diary. I would just make notes when I didn't feel well and I could eventually see a pattern. With mine, I figured out that I can't have nightshades. I can have a handful of potato chips if that is all I have. If I follow that with spaghetti sauce then I will really get sick. I really didn't find a better way than trial and error and keeping track of everything.

As far as chemical and other things are concerned, I found I am very sensitive to them now. I never had a problem before but because I eat so healthy now, I can't tolerate much of that at all. I don't usually eat many processed foods because it is just easier.

Good luck!

[burdee]

Start with obsessively eliminating EVERY possible source of gluten. If you notice difficulties digesting lactose (milk sugar), you could take 'lactaid' tablets when you want dairy products. If you still have symptoms after using 'lactaid' for dairy, you could have CASEIN (milk protein) allergy. You can then try eliminating ALL sources of dairy (casein, whey, rennet, lactose) to see whether that helps.

Elimination diets are not the best way to determine other food allergies. Even if you eliminate all but what people tell you are 'safe' foods, like turkey, rice and fresh vegies, you COULD have turkey, rice or vegie intolerances. A better route would be testing for food allergies. Enterolab tests for milk, egg, yeast and soy sensitivities, as well as gluten intolerance. ELISA blood tests can detect allergic reactions (IgG antibodies for 100 different commonly eaten foods). However you must be actively eating the foods when you give the blood sample for the tests. Enterolab tests can detect IgA antibodies up to a year after you stop eating foods which bother you. However they only test 5 of the 8 major allergen sources.

I have 5 food allergies/intolerances (including gluten). Enterolab tests detected my gluten, dairy and soy antibodies. ELISA test detected the egg and cane sugar allergy. However I also had bacterial imbalance (too much bad bacteria and no bifidobacteria, a good bacteria). So I also had 'symptoms' until I was treated for Klebsiella and given high dose probiotics to 'reseed' the good bacteria and restore a healthy balance.

So do your best to totally eliminate gluten from your diet. Then determine lactose or casein sensitivity. Next test for any remaining problems. Eating 'naturally' gluten free foods like fresh fruit, vegies, meats, won't work, if you have allergies to any of those 'natural' foods.

BURDEE