Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Just Joined, Fiance Diagnosed With Celiac


tannilisa

Recommended Posts

tannilisa Rookie

Hi, I just now found this message board after doing a search and I'm glad I found this :) My fiance, soon to be husband next month, was diagnosed with celiac yesterday, I went with him to his new GI doctor after a blood test came out postive for celiac. His mother was also diagnosed last year and has severe osteoporosis, she is 63 yrs. old, so she was diagnosed later in life. I suspected he had the same thing after bouts of diarrhea and he would get stomach bloating, gas, and pains, so he finally told his doctor about his mother having it, and that's when they ran the test. His doctor is exellent, and he himself has celiac, we were in the office for an hour, his wife is also a doctor and works with him, she teaches how to cook for celiacs and told us where to go for gluten free food, they went through everything with us and gave us a information packet with allowed foods, and not allowed foods. It's all a bit overwhelming and confusing and I have no idea where to start, it's certainly going to be a challenge starting this gluten free diet :blink: The good thing is that he doesn't really like pasta, breads, sweets or pastries anyway so that will be easy, the hard part will be all the hidden gluten in foods and cross contamination in resteraunts, he's now afraid to eat out. I wanted to get more info. about how to cope while eating out, and also what spices are safe and which ones are not? Thanks for any info :)

Tanya


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



debmidge Rising Star

Tanya, You've come to the right place. Everyone who is on this board gives of their experience and knowledge freely.

My husband was just diagnosed almost a year ago and it's a whole new world. He had raging symptoms for years and doctors mis diagnosed as IBS for 27 years. He has yet to eat in a restaurant yet because he still can't get his symptoms fully gone. Your fiance might be different. I suggest your review the posts under Restaurants.

Most of the info you need will come from the manufacturers themselves. I've been calling them all year to verify if something is gluten free or not. The vague answer is "This product is made in a plant that also handles gluten products, so we can't guarantee that this particular product isn't cross contaminated."

The Celiac Sprue Assoc. (www.csaceliacs.org) puts out an annual manual that provides info on mainstream foods and if they are gluten free. It costs about $30 and you can download an order form at their site. It's in a binder book.

There are other gluten free lists and you will notice that other members of this board have posted their websites in other sections of this entire board site. Take a hour or so to review the posts in the Ingredients board and Coping board. It's worth the time.

Best wishes.

D.

Guest Lindam

Hi Tanya,

Welcome to the most wonderful site! I was diagnosed in March '04 and my head was spinning. I didn't know where to start. The best place is this forum. Everyone hear speaks from experience and have so much knowledge. Within this forum there is also the food lists that are mainstream. If you go the main page, site index, the third or fourth listing is the foods that we can eat. That was great big help to me. I have not yet gone out to eat yet. I am still very scared that I will get sick. But if you want, here is the link to go to a website that you can download restaurant cards. I printed them out a bright colored paper and then laminated them. If you go to Open Original Shared Link and on the left side of the screen there is an icon for restaurant cards. I hope this helps. This way I can give it to the wait person and the chef can see it without ruining it.

I printed a bunch of these out and gave some to my GI doctor who was so grateful.

May I also add that the best support that I get is from my family and friends. This is a learning experience to me as well as them.

I wish you all the best.

Good luck!

Linda

lovegrov Collaborator

If you decide to get that CSA book I'd wait a month or two. I think the one out now is almost a year old.

You might also check out this place:

Open Original Shared Link

This is another forum you can join. Or you can pick up info (but not post) as a guest. If you scroll down the start page you'll find Celiac & Forum FAQs. Go there and scroll down and you'll find all kinds of helpful documents, including places to look for hidden gluten and contamination and a list of the companies that clearly list gluten in ingredients. All you have to do is read the label.

You'll also find a gluten free product list maintained by members of the forum. Some of the listings are old but many are fairly recent.

If your fiance was just diagnosed he really shouldn't go out to eat for a while. Eating out is VERY risky, even at the best places. He needs to heal and get used to how to handle the diet first. Eat fresh meat, vegetables and fruit for a while.

The social part of celiac is always a challenge (though certainly not impossible) but shopping and eating at home becomes a breeze.

richard

tannilisa Rookie

Thanks a bunch for your replies :D last night was his first gluten free night, which he didn't mind at all, he loves rice and meat and salads with oil and vinagar, we probably won't be out to eat for awhile until he gets used to the diet at home, his mom is still having a time with the diet, but is getting better at it, she has a bunch of cookbooks that she's gonna let us borrow. I also was tested last month for celiac, because of severe digestive problems, they thought I had crohn's, but the colonoscopy came out negative. I haven't heard anything yet, so I'm assuming the test came out ok (I hope!). Thanks again for your info, it's a big help and much appriciated :)

-Tanya

jendenise Rookie

You mentioned that you are getting married next month. Have you thought about a little gluten free bride & groom cake so that you two can still do the slicing of the cake and all that good wedding stuff? If you can't find a baker who can help you, you may want to start experimenting and try to make your own. Maybe the cake decorator can still decorate it if you explain the situation, just let them know that cross contamination is an issue. Also, let your fiancee know that malted drinks (beer for example) are no no's too. If you find that your wedding menu doesn't offer anything for your fiancee to eat you might want to go online to amys.com or glutensolutions.com, or glutenfreemall.com and maybe order something that's microwaveable or easy to prepare for him. Good luck, I hope you have a beautiful wedding.

tannilisa Rookie

Yup, we're getting married next month on the 9th :D luckily, my fiance's mother is a professional cake maker/decorator, so she'll be doing ours, and she has all the ingredients for a really tasty gluten free cake :P we really lucked out! Thanks for the wedding wishes! :)

-Tanya


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



jendenise Rookie

Wow, that's great! My fiancee and I have been putting off getting married because we're opening a new business and we just moved, and all the fun stuff that goes with it. But maybe you could give me some info about your mother in law and where she's at (I'm in Las Vegas) and when we finally decide to get married maybe I could contact her???It would be great to be able to fully trust someone else regarding food preparation for our wedding.

  • 1 month later...
wifeofceliac Newbie

I noticed in your posting that you mentioned that your fiance likes his salads with oil and vinegar. My husband is a celiac, and I was told that the only vinegar that he can have is apple cider vinegar. Is this true? When you're not allowed to have viniegar it limits alot of items. Maybe I was mislead, we've been doing without vinegar for about 2 years now. Some advise please. Or do you make your dressing with apple cider vinegar?

Thanks,

Dana

crc0622 Apprentice

Tanya - how did they test you for celiac? You mentioned a colonoscopy for crohn's but you'll need very specific blood tests and/or an endoscopy for celiac.

Dana - he can have any distilled vinegar. The only big no-no is any malt vinegar, as it is made from barley.

Hope this helps!

Celeste

Guest DaiseeLove
Hi, I just now found this message board after doing a search and I'm glad I found this :) My fiance, soon to be husband next month, was diagnosed with celiac yesterday, I went with him to his new GI doctor after a blood test came out postive for celiac. His mother was also diagnosed last year and has severe osteoporosis, she is 63 yrs. old, so she was diagnosed later in life. I suspected he had the same thing after bouts of diarrhea and he would get stomach bloating, gas, and pains, so he finally told his doctor about his mother having it, and that's when they ran the test. His doctor is exellent, and he himself has celiac, we were in the office for an hour, his wife is also a doctor and works with him, she teaches how to cook for celiacs and told us where to go for gluten free food, they went through everything with us and gave us a information packet with allowed foods, and not allowed foods. It's all a bit overwhelming and confusing and I have no idea where to start, it's certainly going to be a challenge starting this gluten free diet :blink: The good thing is that he doesn't really like pasta, breads, sweets or pastries anyway so that will be easy, the hard part will be all the hidden gluten in foods and cross contamination in resteraunts, he's now afraid to eat out. I wanted to get more info. about how to cope while eating out, and also what spices are safe and which ones are not? Thanks for any info :)

Tanya

Hi, welcome to the forum; I'm new here too. I hope your fiance is doing well. I was recently diagnosed and it HAS been difficult.I, too, am engaged: much luck to you both!! :-)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.