Just Diagnosed

[yuyiconstanza]

Hi Everybody!

My boyfriend, after years of suffering, just has been diagnosed as Celiac. We have been learning as much as we can in the last 2 weeks, but even that we have been very careful in what he eats, he still experience problems 50% of the times that he eats.

Is that normal?

[Lisa]

Hi Everybody!

My boyfriend, after years of suffering, just has been diagnosed as Celiac. We have been learning as much as we can in the last 2 weeks, but even that we have been very careful in what he eats, he still experience problems 50% of the times that he eats.

Is that normal?

Welcome to the Board!

Yes, it is very normal. Gluten free two week is a relative little time to heal. It has taken yeas to conclude that your boyfriend has Celiac and it will take some time to heal. Some people see a difference in a few weeks and others will take several months to see a difference in their health. It can take up to years for some with severe damage.

Make sure that he has a dedicated toaster, colander, and wooded spoons and scratch teflon get lost. Gluten can hide everywhere.

Lotions, toothpaste, shampoos and shaving creams could use a double check for gluten ingredients.

Let us know if we can be of help. We are a very interesting group.

[GFhopeful]

It takes a while to get better for some- definitely me. I had to cut back to really basic food - not just gluten-free but also dairy free and really just fruit, veggies, chicken, and rice for a while until I started felling better. Also, there are foods that should be ok for gluten-free (corn tortillas, corn chips,etc) that could be contaminated with wheat flour where they are made so not really safe for us. Just eliminiating pre-packaged food and making food myself for a while, and like i said the very basics, was what helped me feel better more often than not. I did feel improvements right away but am 2+ months in and still not all better, it's a slow healing process for some but I know I'm on the right track when I think back to how sick I was. Good luck to you guys - be vigilant. Keep reading this board and other resources for more info and you'll get there.

[stitchy woman]

After years of suffering all sorts of things, I just last week got diagnosed with some level of gluten intolerance. So far, I am feeling better and some of the more disgusting symptoms have let up, but I now realize that i am probably still ingesting small amounts of gluten every day. So I'm chalking it up to learning, or ramping up toward going totally gluten-free. I have read a couple of books, but after browsing here realize that I have so much more to learn and do. I guess in the beginning, as we are learning, we will make mistakes, but will make better choices further along the way.

I was looking at a corn muffin last night at supper, and thinking that it looked pretty yummy for being poison! I do have a long way to go, and am glad to have found this forum.

[Susanna]

Hey--yes--it can take months for the small bowel to heal, depending on how damaged it was at the time the person went gluten free--it took me about 3-4 mos. to feel closer to normal. Here are my newbie tips:

gluten-free newbie tips--now you can eat to treat, and soon feel better. Here are some key coping strategies to get you started.

1. Know that you will grieve your old favorite gluten-filled foods. I actually tear up when I see a brioche sometimes. Grieving is normal, BUT IT IS NOT EASY OR COMFORTABLE. People around you will eat treats you can't have and you will feel sad and isolated (we all have very emotional connections to food). Strategy: stock your car, office, purse, backpack, secret drawer at home with gluten-free treats you can reach for any time you are feeling deprived. This really helped me. I recommend Baby Ruth Bars, Snicker Bars, Lara Bars, Dove Dark Chocolate, meringue cookies, macaroon cookies (read labels), Butterfinger, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. You get the idea.

2. Know that it will take time (months, probably) to figure out what to eat (it took me 6 mos.) and during this time, it'll be kind of a daily challenge to plan meals. Every time you go to the store it'll be a challenge to choose groceries. Strategy: plan on an hour--don't bring kids or friends. Go the bathroom before you start grocery shopping. Bring your reading glasses--read every label. The good news is, THIS GETS MUCH BETTER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AS YOU GET USED TO THE DIET.

3. It may take a while for your gut to heal, depending on how damaged it was at the time you went gluten free. So, you are going to have to be patient with your body--some people feel better immediately after going gluten-free, but most of us take longer than that. Don't give up if you don't see instant results. Strategy: Maximize your general health by getting enough rest, water, exercise, and limiting stress. Maximize your digestive health by limiting foods that are hard on the gastrointestinal tract until you're feeling better: limit irritants like dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods--these are all hard to digest--go back to them when you feel your gut is recovering.

4. Accept right now that it will be YOUR job to teach those around you about your diet

[Guest j_mommy]

WElcome!!!!!!

Take this list withyou when you go shopping...

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-49107209060.88

That way you won't panic in the store over ingredients...people look at you funny in the store when you do that!

I craved bread when I first went gluten-free and thought all the premade store bought taste like cardboard!!! I would try whole food bakehouse breads(like homemade) and silly yak bakery....www.sillyyakbakery.com

Good Luck and welcome again!

[barbara123]

It takes a while to get better for some- definitely me. I had to cut back to really basic food - not just gluten-free but also dairy free and really just fruit, veggies, chicken, and rice for a while until I started felling better. Also, there are foods that should be ok for gluten-free (corn tortillas, corn chips,etc) that could be contaminated with wheat flour where they are made so not really safe for us. Just eliminiating pre-packaged food and making food myself for a while, and like i said the very basics, was what helped me feel better more often than not. I did feel improvements right away but am 2+ months in and still not all better, it's a slow healing process for some but I know I'm on the right track when I think back to how sick I was. Good luck to you guys - be vigilant. Keep reading this board and other resources for more info and you'll get there.

Also dont forget can openers they were a biggie for me until someone wonderful on this site had me check and I think that is what was causing CC issues BARB

[Guest lorlyn]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome to the board. My husband and 10 year old daughter have Celiac. We have been glluten free for about 8 months. All the advice that other people have given you will help. There were a couple of things I had to learn was that we grill out alot and charcoal can have wheat in it. What kind of work does your husband do? Some sheet rock mud has wheat in it. Watch out for medicines and vitiamins. Good luck and keep reading here. You will learn here much faster than trying to do all the research yourself. Every one is very helpful

[Darn210]

And you will mess up and make mistakes . . .

When you are looking up gluten free items on the internet, double check names/varieties . . . that was one of my mistakes . . . one type of BBQ chip was OK, another with a slightly different name made by the same company was not.

One of my other mistakes . . . outdated information. I was using info from 2005. Apparently the recipe changed.

Good Luck - you'll be surprised how fast you get the hang of it.

[Luisa2552]

I am just about 1 month in from my diagnosis and I was still having some problems when I tried cutting out dairy. It has worked. I haven't been tested or anything for casein/dairy intolerance but I have read that many with celiac disease do not a handle dairy well, especially before you've had a chance to fully heal. So for now I am dairy/gluten free and doing better.