Investigating Gluten Sensitivity

[suburban55]

If you are trying to figure out if you are gluten sensitive (not celiac) do you still need to do things like use a new toaster and check personal hygeine products? I was told to do a gluten free diet for 60 days then reintroduce it heavily for 4 days and that should tell me what I need to know. But the dr. didn't say anything about being as strict as doing what I mentioned above. I'm 3 weeks in and see maybe a slight improvement but not major.

Thanks.

[confused]

Yes you have to be very strict, if u are still getting small amounts of gluten in personal hygine products or are being cross contaimated, then you wont get the full benefits of doing an gluten challenge.

paula

[April in KC]

People have different sensitivity levels. I know for myself, 99.9% gluten-free was fine at first, but I became more sensitive over time. I guess it was kind of a detox effect. At first, it was enough to cut the obvious gluten out - I got relief from some symptoms within a few days (brain fog, extreme fatigue). Skin and GI symptoms took a slower, more gradual path - weight loss slowed and finally stopped after a few months. But my overall sensitivity has increased significantly, and that all started about two or three weeks in to the diet. I started having mystery reactions. which I was able to trace back to certain things like processed foods (Lays chips, which should be fine but are not made in a gluten-free facility and evidently were not okay for me). Now I get a headache / sleepiness within 1/2 hour when I have even a little trace of gluten, and within another 24 hours I get mouth sores, itchy elbows and GI symptoms. I don't always know the exact thing that caused it, but I write down suspect foods and figure it out if it keeps happening.

My husband, on the other hand, has had a more gradual, less-dramatic-but-still-definite response to gluten being out of his diet. And he has cheated some. He doesn't get cognitive symptoms; he gets bad GI symptoms (for years). He has never gotten tested, but he decided to go gluten-free when I did. At first he didn't think it was helping, but then he cheated and noticed that he felt really bad the next day. He has done this a few times now...for example, he has felt fine after drinking Redbridge or Bard's Tale beer (both gluten-free), but not the day after having a couple of regular beers at the ballpark.

I'd say if you've noticed some improvement but are still having up and down days, you might take that extra step and get some new kitchen equipment (toaster, bakeware). At least use parchment paper or cupcake liners. Keep a notebook handy where you can jot down time of day / circumstances of symptoms - see if there's a pattern. Processed foods (like chips) and dairy (even minor dairy ingredients) can be problems for a lot of folks. I don't eat dairy.

Good luck!