1 Year Gf Anniversary

[steven]

Hello everyone!

I just found this new site for the gluten-free crowd and am excited to read everyone's information. It is great to know others are surviving and living life to the fullest after they are finally CORRECTLY diagnosed.

I was diagnosed one year ago and was told to change my diet, Hey , why not just starve me, then kill me! Of course, after the five years I went through to finally find out what was wrong with me, the change of diet turned out to be be a piece of cake, (gluten-free, of course).

I had my gluten level tested after one year and went from 70 to 49. Not exactly the drop I had hoped for, but I think we are all still learning what/what not to eat.

How is everyone doing after the first year and what could have made it better.

Stevieb

[tammy]

Hi Steve,

Congratulations on making it through the first year, gluten-free. It has been one year in December since my diagnosis. I suppose I feel pretty good. I am not thrilled with the gassiness after meals but I have found a few ways to minimize that symptom.

I found that the cold turkey method usually works best for me. I surround myself with as much of the foods that I like and can have. We have found three restaurants that serve us gluten-free foods. That helps tremendously! I have slumps but I keep plenty of salads, basmatic rice, sweet potatoes, meats, special flours and nuts in the house. We found a rice pasta that is very tasty and add our favorite sauces to make a quick meal. I also have found that trying new fruits and spices helps keep us from getting too bored.

I hope that helps

.

Tammy

[midnightjewel40]

Hi there steve

im in australia and have been diagnosed with celiac for about 14 months things are picking at the moment still getting depressed though cant under stand why

look forward to hearing from you

[Lucybelle]

I had my 1 yr. anniversary of being on the gluten-free diet in November.

My major symptom was anemia. I had been on iron pills for 15 yrs.

My iron level had been up and down. I had been on pre natal vitamins along with the iron. Finally 2 years ago my new family doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist. Boy did he put me through some testing. His last test was the blood test for celiac disease. Since I have been on this diet my iron level and my blood count has raised. I have been off iron and pre natal vitamins for about 2 months now and my levels have been staying up. I will go in April for another endoscopy to check my reflux problem, it has been so much better. I have felt better than I have in years. I thank my doctors so much but I give praise to my heavenly father for helping them help me. I thank Him everyday. Well, just wanted to let ya know how I was doing. Glad I found this site. It has been so helpful!!

[midnightjewel40]

hi there tammy

my iron levels were all over the place too then they were only 3

i ended up having to have an iron infusion about 6 months ago i feel much better not up there but getting there

[midnightjewel40]

sorry i ment that for lucybelle by the way i live in australia where does everyone else live

[midnightjewel40]

hi again

does anyone have problems with there feelings as in depression this is one subject i am wondering if it is just me related to something else or is it part of the desease look forward to hearing from someone on this

[Guest LisaB]

I did a search under depression on this site and here are some bits and pieces of articles I found:

Signs of mental depression are typical in adults with coeliac disease. The response to treatment was evaluated in 12 consecutive patients by means of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), with surgical patients serving as controls. The coeliacs reported no change in depressive symptoms after 1 year's gluten withdrawal despite evidence of improvement in the small intestine. When re-tested after 3 years, however, after 6 months of 80mg/day of oral pyridoxine (vitamin B6) therapy, they showed a fall in the score of scale 2 ('depression') from 70 to 56 (p less than 0.01), which became normalized like other pretreatment abnormalities in the MMPI.

Psychiatric illness and psychological behavioral pathologies may be present in celiac disease and in IBD patients. In these subjects anxiety and depression could be a main cause in the reduction of the compliance to the treatment.

With regard to depression, our data confirm a possible link between brain functions and malabsorption.

According to Italian researchers, brief but recurring bouts of depression and other mood disorders are significantly more common in those with celiac disease than those without the disorder. The researchers conducted a study that looked at 36 clinically diagnosed celiac disease patients and compared them to 144 healthy controls. The study found that those with celiac disease had

[coveowner]

After 3 or 4 years on this diet (I've lost count!) I still have diarrhea but my iron count is higher. I'm not skinny like I used to be. I have always taken a lot of vitamins and supplements and always thought of myself as a healthy person even though I have a very unstable thryoid, hyper when I was young and mostly hypo now. Since everything seems to run straight through me, I guess the vitamins kept me fairly healthy.! I feel well and never get a cold (not in over 20 years).

?

I DO bake break with gluten flour for other people. Do you suppose that breathing some of the flour makes a difference in lack of total gluten control.? I have wondered if that was a problem, even though I',m not really willing to stop doing it.

[steven]

Thanks for the responses from everyone regarding the 1 year anniversary.

In regards to the depression thing, I was X-tremely depressed before being diagnosed with Celiac. Losing all that weight and not being able to sleep for more than an hour per day took its toll on me. I still get a little bummed out once in a while, but I enjoy working long hours and think that is just my brain telling me to take a break.

I also notice after I eat something I shouldn't I get a furocious itch on my leg.

No rash, no redness. It is under my skin and won't stop itching until I put lotion on it. Any info on that? It usually stops itching within 24 hours.

Interesting to read posts from all over - I am from the Chicago area. No support groups around here, any that I have called or left messages with have not returned my calls (including hospitals).

[midnightjewel40]

Thanks to all for the depression thingy so glad its not just me i went off my tablets about 7 months ago but i have noticed that i am shutting myself off from the world and like to be on my own i think it might be time to go back to the doctors and try again onece again thanks to all its great to talk to you guys

jacque

[seeking-wholeness]

Steven,

I have experienced exactly the same itch you mention, usually on a leg just above the knee but sometimes on an arm just below the elbow. I first noticed it after I drastically reduced the amount of wheat I was eating (but I wasn't yet even considering celiac disease, so I still ate wheat about once a week). The day after I would eat pasta, I would itch severely--and I, too, discovered that lotion "cured" the problem. Since I have been gluten-free, I haven't itched like that (although I have had a number of "accidents" with all sorts of other symptoms). I'm just a layperson, but my theory is that these bouts of itching are essentially subclinical episodes of dermatitis herpetiformis (where celiac antibody complexes are being dumped into the skin, but not in sufficient quantities to bring out the characteristic rash). I think I must have healed enough that my circulating antibody load is lowered, so my body can now process the tiny amounts of gluten I have been accidentally ingesting without triggering a major garbage-dump into my skin. That's actually kind of exciting, if it is accurate! I hope this is helpful!

--Sarah

P.S. I live in the Philadelphia area and have not yet explored local support group options.

[Alison]

I have been gluten-free for a year too!

Coveowner,

Regarding the gluten-containing flour, I wouldn't touch it let alone bake with it!! I do think you probably breathe it in and since even the tiniest bit of gluten can affect you...

Steven and Sarah,

If I have a tiny bit of gluten, I get a rash under the skin on the back of my right knee only. Weird!

Steven,

Did you know that the Gluten-Free Market is located in Buffalo Grove near Chicago?

[midnightjewel40]

Hey thanks guys i did have itch legs before i became gluten-free and just though i had sensitive skin which i still have. Is anyone sensitive to the sun as i live in australia where the sun is very hot and harmful i have found all my live that i cant stay in it very long and i get burnt people have said they can stand there and watch me burning in front of there eyes i apply factor 30+ sunscreen and its like putting cream on my skin i have read that you skin can be sensitve to the sun but would like to see if anyone else has this too look forward to everyones veiws

jacque

[luvs2eat]

New here!

It took my intestines almost a whole year to calm down and return to any kind of normal. I was diagnosed very quickly and didn't lose any weight at all... and have only GAINED eating no gluten... talk about depression!!

[jboom]

I'm going on 2 years gluten-free. I too have actually gained weight. At least it feels like it. Every time I eat I'm so bloated I feel like I've gained 5 lbs. with every meal. I've been a little depressed too, but I'm in Michigan and haven't seen the sun it 3 months and I'm choosing to blame it on that. All this talk from Austalia, where I'm sure you are enjoying beautiful summer weather, makes me long for the sun even more. Enjoy it for us both Jacque.