Can't Figure Out If It Is Dairy Or Gluten

[Nic]

Hi, my son and my father both have celiac so it leaves to reason that I carry the gene. Because I cook gluten free for breakfast and dinner for my family I consider myself to be gluten light. A little over a year ago I started getting really bad stomach aches with terrible gas and bloating in the afternoon pretty much every day. For breakfast I usually eat cereal, sometimes gluten free, sometimes one that contains barley malt extract but for lunch at work always a sandwich with regular bread. Dinner is always gluten free. The stomach problems usually happen right after lunch. So I assumed it was gluten. So this week I tried cutting out gluten (I do much better keeping my son away from gluten than myself). And I thought I was seeing some improvement but today I ate gluten free cereal for breakfast and then ham and cheese on corn tortillas for lunch and the stomach problems came on pretty strong as they usually do. I know that if it is gluten it takes longer than a few days to feel better but todays reaction was immediate after eating lunch which contained no gluten at all. Does this type of reaction sound more like dairy or gluten? I was tested last year for celiac and was negative but probably would be due to being gluten light.

[Eriella]

To me it sounds like gluten. Although it could be either or both. Most cheeses are low-lactose, so it would surprise me if you were reacting to them (unless you have casein issues). Your deli meat or tortillas might contain gluten, so that could be the culprit. Also, it could just be that you are healing.

I would recommend going 100% gluten free, casein free for a month, and then do a challenge. For week 1 eat something with gluten in it every day for 5 days until you get a reaction. If you don't get a reaction, YAY!! you can enjoy pizza again. If you do get a reaction, wait another 2 weeks on a gluten free/casein free diet and then try introducing lactose (but not full milk) every day for 5 days to see if you react. This means that you can have cheddar cheese and products where milk appears in the allergy label. If you react to that, it is a casein intolerance. If you are fine, for the next 5 days try drinking a glass of skim milk every day, if you are fine with that, then you have no problems with dairy. If you aren't fine with that, you have a lactose intolerance.

Some people, like me, can have small bits of lactose, but not a lot. I can either have mozzarella cheese, milk in my coffee, or ice cream-- not all.

Good luck! If you need any support, let us know!