Better Yet Still Feel Worse

[skinnyasparagus]

I'm new to both these forums and being a celiac. Well, I've been musing over the forums and found anwers to many questions that I've been asking myself for the past couple years. I recently had blood tests done and after process of elimination, came down to the conclusion of being celiac.

For the first week (It's been just over two, maybe three - that's how new I am) I felt great, but now..why am I in so much pain? I know ther'es probably a bunch of threads on pain and feeling sick at the moment but..I can't focus right now. I apologize. Anyway, I keep getting these pains from the bottom of my stomach like right where my bladder is shooting up through my esophogas. And it hurts so bad yet I can get so hungry that it hurts even more. I've figured the reason for my ravenous hunger which is my body readjusting to absorbing nutrients..is that the explanation for this pain too? I honestly never thought it would hurt -this- much but gosh. It's like someone is yanking my innards or twisting them around.

[ravenwoodglass]

It sounds like you may still be getting gluten somewhere, have you checked all meds, both script and OTC? Vitamins and supplements? Shampoos and toiletries? Are you eating what looks gluten free in restaurants without telling them they need to cook it seperately? Are you consuming dairy products? Many of us have a lot of problems with dairy until we heal.

What are you doing for the pain? For me pepto works really well and really fast. There have been a few folks posting with the stomach pain issue so be sure to check out the other related posts for more advice on how to deal with it.

Your right that the hunger is likely a sign that you are healing. I find stuff like buckwheat hot cereal and rice cereal to be quite soothing and filling. You have found a great place for info and support, welcome. It is hard at first and it can take some time to heal completely and to ferret out all the hidden gluten in our world.

[skinnyasparagus]

Well, I hardly ever eat out to begin with and I always cook for myself. It's comforting to know what you put in your food as opposed to what someone else might be putting in your food.

I have been eradicating all gluten contents from my shelves ever since I was told this. So I am still quite new at the whole "maybe even this could be hurting me". Dairy doesn't seem to be a problem, for the most part. I've eaten cottage cheese the past couple days and it seems to not harm me - yay! I love my dairy. The yogurt seems to be okay although I am in question about it. It's the flavored one by Dannon so I just have to run a test tonight..eek. I also drink/cook with almond milk instead of regular milk so the most dairy I get is some form of cheese by Kraft or from Whole Foods and that dannon yogurt. For the pain, I just curl up with some green tea and wait for it to pass which helps.

I don't like taking too many things but I am going to take a fiber supplement since I've gone from constantly going to ceased to be in the past few days..which may also be an issue to my discomfort. I'm doing much in depth researcdh before I go purchase one as well and I might just go to Whole Foods to find a natural one instead of the questionable name brands. (I've been reading the threads on that!)

I did come to one conclusion but it just baffles me at my sensitivity if it really is the cause: I handed a piece of whole wheat bread to my grandmother and I forgot to wash my hands before I ate with my hands (Made a nice sandwich with gluten-free bread - yum!) Is that possible to get contaminated simply by touching gluten/wheat?

And thank you for the welcome! I'm really finding a lot of support on here and I really appreciate it.

[ravenwoodglass]

I did come to one conclusion but it just baffles me at my sensitivity if it really is the cause: I handed a piece of whole wheat bread to my grandmother and I forgot to wash my hands before I ate with my hands (Made a nice sandwich with gluten-free bread - yum!) Is that possible to get contaminated simply by touching gluten/wheat?

And thank you for the welcome! I'm really finding a lot of support on here and I really appreciate it.

Gosh yes handling that piece of bread and then eating would certainly be enough to make you sick. So will using the same toaster, cutting board, scratched pans, sharing peanut butters and jellys and condiments and such. Even kissing someone who is drinking beer or a gluten alcohol or after they ate gluten food is enough to make us ill.

One of the reasons for your continued pain may be the Dannon yogurt. I have heard mixed opinions on the safety of it. Can you find Yoplait where you are, they label all their gluten free flavors, which is almost all. Also if you live in an area that has a Wegmans they label all their gluten free stuff. I love that store.

I hope you continue to improve, actually I don't just hope you will, I know you will.

[skinnyasparagus]

Gosh yes handling that piece of bread and then eating would certainly be enough to make you sick. So will using the same toaster, cutting board, scratched pans, sharing peanut butters and jellys and condiments and such. Even kissing someone who is drinking beer or a gluten alcohol or after they ate gluten food is enough to make us ill.

One of the reasons for your continued pain may be the Dannon yogurt. I have heard mixed opinions on the safety of it. Can you find Yoplait where you are, they label all their gluten free flavors, which is almost all. Also if you live in an area that has a Wegmans they label all their gluten free stuff. I love that store.

I hope you continue to improve, actually I don't just hope you will, I know you will.

Ahh this is just so hard to get used to this all!

Eh, I guess I'm stubborn with the yogurt dairy thing because I just really love my dairy..lol. But, yeah, I ate some a while ago and I've been okay except minor discomfort; however, I'll make the switch and get some of the gluten-free recommended brands tomorrow. There unfortunately isn't a Wegamans but there's a Whole Foods and Trader Joes near by!

I can't drink plain water but if necessary, I can add a bit of juice to give it some flavor since I'm apparently in my sensitive mode. Thanks for all the help. It's like relearning everything again..

[ravenwoodglass]

Ahh this is just so hard to get used to this all!

Eh, I guess I'm stubborn with the yogurt dairy thing because I just really love my dairy..lol. But, yeah, I ate some a while ago and I've been okay except minor discomfort; however, I'll make the switch and get some of the gluten-free recommended brands tomorrow. There unfortunately isn't a Wegamans but there's a Whole Foods and Trader Joes near by!

I can't drink plain water but if necessary, I can add a bit of juice to give it some flavor since I'm apparently in my sensitive mode. Thanks for all the help. It's like relearning everything again..

If you are going to go with dairy yogurt and hard cheeses are the best things to leave in. The lactose is partially digested in these in the making and they may be tolerable. I would switch to a for sure gluten-free yogurt but if the discomfort continues even a week off of it may give you some relief and let you know if that is what is getting to you when you add it back in. I kept yogurt in my diet from day one until I had a severe illness that triggered a casien intolerance last spring.. I do very much understand your reluctance to drop it.

It is very much like relearning how to live, but soon it will be second nature.

[skinnyasparagus]

Got the plain safe yogurt today..forgot how good it was with some fruit.

Today was one of the better days but my gut feels so sore that it occasionally hurts when I bend...and instead of not going, I went five or six times today. Gosh this is such a pain!

The issue that I have to tolerate is I guess feeling icky most of the time since my house isn't 100% gluten-free. I just have to wash my hands constantly and go around cleaning everything five-six times..

Does bleach..uh..kill..gluten?

[skinnyasparagus]

I don't know if chlorine bleach inactivates gluten but chlorine will posion you if you eat it or even if you are exposed to too much of it. If you buy bleach at the store there are strong warnings on the label that tell you how to use it safely. Anytime chloring bleach is used around food, as in a kitchen it's necessary to use food grade chorine bleach because grocery store bleach contains toxic chemicals which have been shown to cause cancer and other serious conditions.

The bacteria in yogurt and cheese would probably not bother you if you had a healthy gut and a good functioning immune system. But celiacs have a damaged gut and their immune system is depressed because they have an autoimmune reaction going on. Almost any ordinary bacteria which gets into the body can cause problems if it's not kept in control and a harmful bacteria, a pathogen, will cause serious illness if it is not stopped from growing. Healthy bodies taje care of these bacteria very efficiently and unless we get a big dose of pathogens the body will kill then off too.

Once we connect up the eating of the food and the problem that occurs later we can think of ways to deal with it. Maybe you can save eating yogurt as a treat to be enjoyed occasionally, a special Sunday breakfast or to celebrate something cheerful in your life. Before I became allergic to diary I used to use yogurt to make delicious cooked sauces, stroganoff is one. Too bad I can't eat them now.

Okay then I'll stop acting like a retard and going around sterilizing my kitchen.. I'll significantly cut back on the yogurt and cheese for a while, eating it maybe once or twice a week or, as you said, a weekend treat. That sounds reasonable and like I could keep that up until my gut heals better. I never ate that much of it anyway. Maybe once every other day as a dip for my fruit.

The other question I have, as you mentioned 'connect foods to cause problems later', what about soy? I don't eat much meat since you can say I follow a strict Mediterranean diet (stopped being lacto-uovo veggie since I was diagnosed) but I eat tofu once or twice a week; tempeh very rarely. Is that reasonable or should I vary that as well?

I'm sorry I have so many questions but I'm so incredibly happy I have someone to help me out with this.

[gfpaperdoll]

Hello, I will just chime in with my opinion that the combination of the soy & the dairy is doing you in !!!!! Definitely do not eat the soy... Soy is really not good for you. & yes, dairy is the hardest thing for us to give up. If possible I think dairy is more addictive than gluten.

If I were you I would totally give up the dairy even the hard cheese & the yogurt. Your body is telling you that it is not healed, with the pain that you are having.

Just make the decision to not eat it & mark on your calendar about 6 months from now to try a little hard cheese or something. I have been gluten-free almost 4 years & I can have some butter & maybe if I am eating out I treat myself to a small amount of hard cheese - like those wonderful huge slabs at a salad bar... I cannot buy cheese for the house because I will eat it almost every meal until it is gone & then I am sick. I get sinus & ear aches & just feel very blah. You may find that later when you reintro dairy you will get some symptoms also.

the clue that you love dairy tells me that you probably have a problem with it. We seldom have a problem with a food that we are neutral on.

I know you will feel 100% better in a couple of weeks!!

[skinnyasparagus]

Mm I noticed the soy and dairy allergies from many posts by many people..it's just that it's limiting me on a lot of things. Then again, that's what probably did me in in the first place so go figure! Hah.

I just feel worse for my boyfriend..as if its unfair to him because he loves dairy and bread. He's, however, being so supportive and trying his best to make me feel comfortable.

This is just so frustrating! I'm trying my hardest and then lo n' behold gluten sneaks in somewhere. But today was a really good day so I guess I'm getting there!

[jeanbean]

I've been reading your responses about avoiding dairy. I'm trying to avoid as well but wondered does mozzarella cheese count as a hard cheese? What do you use for lasagnas.

I can't imagine a lasagna without cheese... I feel like I'm cutting out all the pleasures of food....

even though I've found the alternatives sometimes taste better than the gluten-filled stuff.

What kind of cheese is safe?

[skinnyasparagus]

I've been reading your responses about avoiding dairy. I'm trying to avoid as well but wondered does mozzarella cheese count as a hard cheese? What do you use for lasagnas.

I can't imagine a lasagna without cheese... I feel like I'm cutting out all the pleasures of food....

even though I've found the alternatives sometimes taste better than the gluten-filled stuff.

What kind of cheese is safe?

Well I know I've seen "rice cheese" since I did purchase it once upon a time but it has a weird melting point. You have to get it really hot for it to melt but, then again, could've been just that one brand.

I was thinking of that to replace my cheese again, too, since the soy shouldn't be overwhelming. That's why they make almond milk..and in Raw diets, they make things such as cashew cheese or use pureed beans in some vegan diets. I know when I make hummus that it has a creamy texture; so maybe chickpea puree?..

Or just hummus lasgna..Mm..Hummus eggplant lasgna

[gfpaperdoll]

Jeanbean, if you do not have a problem (& have no symptoms & feel wonderful) with dairy & love it then do not give it up. If you have not been gluten-free very long and think that you do have a problem with dairy, it could be a temporary situation.

I have no desire to eat lasagna anymore. I am mostly grain free, but that is just me.

If you think you have a dairy problem, you might be able to tolerate some cheese in lasagna. A lot of times it is the combinations of foods and the frequency that will "do you in". If I wanted to eat cheese in a lasagna, I would eat my totally safe foods for a few days & then slip in the lasagna. I think that giving up dairy is a process & unless it really zaps you - like my ear aches, it is harder to cut it out. But when you eat it once you will get a craving for it again, so it can be a vicious cycle.

It is the rethinking of food that is the hardest part. I really do not want lasagna because I know how awful I am going to feel after eating cheese combined with a gluten-free pasta. But I know that I can have all the bacon that I want, or a shrimp cocktail, or homemade coconut fried shrimp. Really there is so many food possibilites that I have a hard time deciding what to have. For tomorrow I am contemplating whether to have salmon patties or crab cakes. I also have all the fixins for homemade tacos, decisions, decisions

I have found that if I use two different meats in a salad that I do not miss the cheese, because I have a variety of flavors. You might try a lasagna with ground beef & shredded chicken with a layer of sauted onions & bell peppers in place of the cheese, you might be surprised how good it tastes.

Your desires for foods will change the longer you eat nutritious foods & discover how wonderful whole foods are.

[skinnyasparagus]

Being raised in an Italian household, where pasta is served all the time, I really don't care for baked ziti, or lasgna with all that cheese. I do have a question about the dairy since I ate some last night and did have an uncomfortable reaction.

Would it be that the casein in the dairy that causes the discomfort or is it the lactose? Or even a combination of both? I was looking around last night and I know there is a difference.

[skinnyasparagus]

A friend of mine uses spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti and it's almost as good if the sauce is good and I bet your spaghetti sauce is great. There are rice noodles in the asian food section at the markets. Even string beans are good this way.

Lactose is toxic if not digested, it does not cause an allergic reaction. It would give you a stomach ache or intestinal irritation. Right now before your intestine is healed your digestiion is working poorly so you might not be producing enough of the enzyme lactase to break down the lactose. You can buy lactase in capsules and you add it to the food before you eat it. Directions are on the bottle. Many Asians don't make their own lactase, they can't eat milk products with lactose. This is inherited, just a characteristic of having asian ancestors and just as gluten intolerance is a characteristic of having a northern european ancestor. Your Dr. can test you for this.

Casein causes an allergic reaction. With a mild food allergy you might get intestinal irritation, runny nose and stopped up sinuses, hives and itchy skin - that sort of thing.

ps - I like your artwork

Haha, I already did buy an enzyme med and it's been a life saver in easing the discomfort. I just have to take it all the time because I didn't at breakfast and I was feeling icky which was probably from the night before.

I totally love the spaghetti squash. It reminds me of rice noodles actually, too. I love all squash so that's probably why. Spaghetti sauce is hardly difficult to make..Really the secret is just not to overcook it like some old-fashion Italians had habits of doing. I know its probably my ancestory; European on both sides and I remember wikipedia (a second informative Godsend) stating Europeans carry the gene.

Thanks for clarifying the difference between those two; I know I don't get sinus or skin irritation so maybe casein isn't the case. It's just the lactose which is expected with my intestines being in the their current state.

[mftnchn]

I'll just chime in though I am sorry I am not doing too well today so couldn't read through everything thoroughly.

I figured out that both casein and soy are problematic for me, and found out that the proteins are kind of similar to gluten in structure so for a group of celiacs (not all though) these are also a problem.

My symptoms after going gluten free and casein free were similar to you, I actually got worse instead of better, and then the wide swings between the big D and the big C. I also felt much more abdominal discomfort. I think my system was just waking up after being battered almost to death by the gluten! Actually it has taken weeks and months to feel better and I am still not all the way there after almost 10 months. I also have lyme disease so that complicates it because I don't always know what causes my symptoms to flare.

So my encouragement is: that you are having a major response even though it is initially kind of negative is still very significant. Hang in there while your body adjusts and give yourself time to heal. Remember it takes 1-2 years to rebuild the damage the gluten has caused in your body. Patience and persistence will hopefully pay off for you sooner rather than later.

[skinnyasparagus]

Do you get set backs, though, when you get accidentally contaiminated? As in, make the healing take longer? I couldn't pinpoint why I felt sick last night after I ate some gluten-free biscuits I made with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free All Purpose - and then I read that they technically aren't gluten-free. Oh yeah, major pains this morning.

I was scanning about and read/saw the benefits of some taking Pepto Bismal.

mftnchn, I saw that it helps with lyme disease for some people too; lthough, I'm not too sure and I'm not sure if you already know or not.

[jeanbean]

It really makes sense now that it's all about rethinking the food that is the hardest part, as gfpaperdoll said. The suggestions about changing a meal like lasagna to replace the cheese with something else is excellent, but when I have 3 gluten eating people in my family who will likely refuse to eat anything with fried onions on it may be a challenge. I'd love to try wierd and wonderful alternatives but then I'd be the only one eating it. Perhaps buying a big freezer where I could store portions just for me is the way to go, and then make regular food for the rest of the family.

I think dairy really is causing me pain so I'll likely just avoid it for a time. Ever since last night when I had the mozzarella laden gluten-free lasagna I haven't been feeling right. There's nothing else it could be.

Whoever said giving up dairy is harder that going gluten free is absolutely right!

Well I will change my mindset now, and before long, I won't miss it if I don't crave it.

I don't know how you all do it - having tremendous self control is hard, but the benefits are worth it.

[Gwen B]

Well I know I've seen "rice cheese" since I did purchase it once upon a time but it has a weird melting point. You have to get it really hot for it to melt but, then again, could've been just that one brand.

I was thinking of that to replace my cheese again, too, since the soy shouldn't be overwhelming. That's why they make almond milk..and in Raw diets, they make things such as cashew cheese or use pureed beans in some vegan diets. I know when I make hummus that it has a creamy texture; so maybe chickpea puree?..

Or just hummus lasgna..Mm..Hummus eggplant lasgna

If you suspect soy to be a problem, check the almond milk. I couldn't figure out why I was getting a bad belly for a while after going soy free until I realised it was in the almond milk under the guise of vitamin E and /or soy leicithin depending on the brand. Giving that up got rid of the belly troubles. Similarly, I went lactose free but didn't improve immediately until I gave up cassein too, it was in the rice cheese!

I like hemp milk. It's not as smooth as almond but it adds a great creamy taste without the pain!

[Gwen B]

If you suspect soy to be a problem, check the almond milk. I couldn't figure out why I was getting a bad belly for a while after going soy free until I realised it was in the almond milk under the guise of vitamin E and /or soy leicithin depending on the brand. Giving that up got rid of the belly troubles. Similarly, I went lactose free but didn't improve immediately until I gave up cassein too, it was in the rice cheese!

I like hemp milk. It's not as smooth as almond but it adds a great creamy taste without the pain!

sorry! Not paying attention to whole thread when I last posted . Giving up dairy is sad but feel better soon. i hope. There's not much you can do for lack of cheese in lasagne but I recently made gluten-free pizza substituting the cheese with basil which I had preserved in olive oil. With anchovies and good olives on top plus extra Provencal herbs it was delicious and I comforted myself with the thought that it was probably healthier than the bought pizza the rest of my family was eating! The cassein in the rice cheese and lactose free milk I tried initially when I thought dairy might be a problem, didn't make me really ill just gave me a weird hard feeling deep in my gut which was uncomfortable but not as horrible as regular milk/cheese. I have since had small amounts of very mature (like 6 year old) goat cheese and not had any after effects, but I am not going to push the issue just yet. Just enjoying feeling relatively normal, if a little tired.

[skinnyasparagus]

Before I went gluten free, I used to get blisters on the side of my tongue filled with blood but for a while they stopped after I cut out the gluten.

Now I've noticed their return and it's not only on the side of my tongue now but towards the back and on the center and it hurts. I ruled out 'spicy' food because I haven't eaten anything spicy in a while just to assure that's not the culprite. I looked about the forum but I'm not really getting any answers. Because of these blisters, I can't seem to taste very well and that also annoys me..

Anyone have any ideas of what might be causing it? I know I don't have a geographical tongue..or, well, it doesn't look like it to me; I don't see Japan or Russia, lol.

[skinnyasparagus]

I used to get red dots on my tongue, it looked like just one taste bud bump and they were quite painful. I stopped getting them before I was gluten free. I did a lot of clean-ups about that time. I got all the chemical out of my living area - all detergents, commercial cleaning products, body care products, furniture polish - anything that migt have a toxic pollutant which was depressing my immune system. I even took the old rugs out because they used to spray them with mercury. I got almost all the metal fillings out of my mouth but couldn't afford to have all of them removed. I did several parasite programs to get rid of my parasites. (We all have some parasites, like it or not.) I did several things to get rid of any bacteria and viruses that were hanging around my body because my immune system couldn't do the job.

I remember thinking that it might be a virus as there are several viruses that cause sores in the mouth. It might be an allergy. I'm allergic to hot peppers and even the small amount in ketchup is too much. If you use any prepared spices, check for hot peppers. This is a common allergy for celiacs.

Your last post mentioned Red Mill All Purpose (baking?) Flour. It has garbanzo bean, potato starch ( needs to be throughly cooked), sorghum (corn) flour ( a strong allergin), fava bean (some Mediterranian people have a reaction when they eat them). It's possible that you will have to take digestive enzymes for a while to digest your food or if you already have them to use more of them. You can't do an overdose of the enzymes, take as many as you need. And finally did you use a pan that had been used for gluten cooking. And finally (I promise) it might be that your food was backing up and this allows the intestinal bacteria to overgrow and cause a toxic reaction. Drink lots of water/fluids without sugar.

You just answered/settled a big question of mine if overdoing the enzymes would be bad or not. Now I won't be afraid to use them under any circumstances. I couldn't use the Bob's Red Mill flour, unfortunately; got very sick after eating them. I'm now using my own flour blend of tapioca starch, rice flour, etc. Now to get it all to -work- is the next task. Its a little upsetting since I used to bake religiously and even attended baking school for a while.

Heat I never had an issue with beforehand..I hope that's not the case because I love spicy food.

[annapumpkin]

LOL...I just have to say I really enjoy all your posts! They are always in a positive light...thats a really good sign! Like the others said, you are limited on what you can eat but thats only because you have had one perspective of cuisine all your life! Being gluten free is a challenge...but a good one! I have found endless substitutes and posibilities with recipes (which i try on my non-gluten free friends) ^.^

Along the lines of cheese I would recommend that you pick a cheese that is light and has the least amounts of ingredients such as annatto. So basically stay with the white cheeses. And dont be tricked into the whole " have to buy from a health food store". I buy ALL of my groceries at a regular supermarket and I buy my bread at Trader Joe's when I dont make my own. A WORD OF CAUTION THOUGH....in one of your earlier posts i noticed that you said you eat alot of nuts and dried fruits....BE CAREFUL...when most manufacturers package that stuff they put flour on the conveyor belts to keep the fruits and nuts from sticking!!!!! So my advice to you would be to never hesitate calling the company...I have called a TON and never talked to a rude person yet! So, in conclusion I guess I would say have fun, be creative, and good luck! ^.^

-Cheryl

[Mary Louise]

Being raised in an Italian household, where pasta is served all the time, I really don't care for baked ziti, or lasgna with all that cheese. I do have a question about the dairy since I ate some last night and did have an uncomfortable reaction.

Would it be that the casein in the dairy that causes the discomfort or is it the lactose? Or even a combination of both? I was looking around last night and I know there is a difference

I quit drinking mik years ago, then decided to try organic milk a few years ago and tolerated it very well, no complaints. regular milk may contain hormones, antibiotics, etc. that may cause an uncomfortable response. Whatever reason, it's been a blessing. it may be due to healthier digestive process due to celiac diet?

also, the organic milk stays fresh for close to 2 weeks in the fridge for some reason.

if you are using regular milk or dairy products might try organic and see what happens.

[AliB]

Apparently lactose is processed at the tips of the villi. Because they are damaged they cannot process it properly, which is why so many who are gluten intolerant are also dairy intolerant. Some may also have a problem processing casein and many other foods and elements.

In January my digestion collapsed. At the end of Jan I dropped gluten, dairy, most carbs and most sugars and certainly was no longer in the terrible pain with my stomach, but my body has become so sensitive to so many things. I too felt better initially but have gone down again, mind you I am struggling with a virus at the mo., which won't have helped one jot.

I am sure soya is a problem so am avoiding that. I have noticed I also get a reaction to any baked goods, even gluten-free and think I have whittled that down to Baking Powder, possibly the Cream of Tartar which is a sulphite (I have also been getting a reaction to things like raisins which are preserved with sulphites). I made some potato waffles this morning with just soda and they were ok but I could taste the soda all day! I don't seem to be able to tolerate yeast, so goodness knows what I can use as a raising agent. I am not eating a huge amount of carb but now and again it is nice to have a bit.

I had some nuts this evening and am paying for it now. My body is throbbing and I will have a real problem getting to sleep tonight. I didn't know about the flour on the conveyer belt - I wonder if that is affecting me. Strange how foods that I have never had a problem with are suddenly all affecting me! I undoubtedly have Candida which has undoubtedly caused Leaky Gut and it is probably that that has caused these problems.

I am learning that I have to think outside of the box. I can no longer eat or drink the things I am used to, so I have to be creative. It is no good trying to substitute as it is almost impossible to find gluten-free/DF products that are as good as wheat and dairy (especially here in the UK where we don't seem to have as much choice as you folks in the States), but they are different, and different is also good.

I am going back to baking, like I did when the kids were little - my husband is happy to eat the gluten-free foods I make although he does indulge in a little gluten here and there, but I am sure it would help his Fibromyalgia to drop the gluten properly.

I kind of think that whilst eating gluten, the damage from that overshadows everything else - it's not until we drop the gluten that all the other intolerances finally rear their heads and become apparent. I wonder whether you are intolerant of other things without realising it, like dairy, like soy, like corn, like baking powder, etc., etc. I am having to make a list of everything I can eat, and what I am intolerant of. Plain foods seem ok, meat, fowl, fish, eggs, fresh veggies and some fruit, rice, potatoes, buckwheat and quinoa.

Although I cannot tolerate dairy, I can tolerate plain probiotic yogurt, probably because it is partially digested by the bacteria. I cannot and will not have flavored yogurts because they are sweetened and extremely counter-productive. Candida thrives on sugar and carbs - why put even more into my body? I opened a strawberry one a couple weeks back not realising it wasn't a plain one (the pack was almost identical!) and had a few mouthfuls and had the most dreadful bloating and gas. Why put probiotics into highly sweetened foods? What a waste of money. Far better to have plain yogurt and some fresh strawberries! I seem to tolerate goats yogurt better than cow's.

I tend to eat plain yogurt with fruit like raspberries and blueberries and to sweeten I just shake over a spoonful of dark chocolate chips (probably not good either, but hey, what other pleasure do I get at the moment!!!). You may have a similar problem to me with Candida which could be exacerbating your digestive problem too. The only way to control the little beggars is to radically cut carbs and sugar. It feeds them, cut it and they will die.

I was a bit constipated for the first month, but into my 5th week now, that is beginning to improve. My body has been doing a lot of discarding of rubbish and toxins. I even had a sore liver for a couple days and the feelings I got made me think that it may have been off-loading stones, grit, toxins and possibly even fat! Then a few days ago I got a pain in the middle of my back for several hours which may have been the pancreas. With all sorts to contend with including off-loading of fats and cholesterol and all the accumulated rubbish of the last 50 years my body and my digestion has had a fair old lot of stuff to contend with and undoubtedly still has a way to go.

Sorry this is a bit of a long post, but we have started around the same time and are going through the same things and it helps to interchange ideas. I hope you can manage to get to work out the things that are affecting you and manage to work around them. It is difficult, I know - when I started I went out and bought a load of gluten-free foods. I had a gluten-free roll with my home-made soup in the evening and promptly had an allergic reaction - needless to say, the rest of the rolls (which were disgusting!) went straight in the bin. It's all trial and error and a huge learning curve, but step-by-step I am gradually getting there!