I Have Questions...please Read.

[Avarismama]

First of all I was DX by a doctor who had ran a stool sample on me looking for allergies and parasites. No parasites but since she has told me I am Celiac. I had a biopsy and it was negative and I cannot remember what my blood work was. This was all 2 years ago. I went gluten-free for a few months and then slipped back. Recently my pinki's on both sides have been hurting so bad. My joints hurt to move sometimes too and I get real stiff. Some blood work I had donne said that my CRP (i have no idea) was 7.52. I guess this is something assosiated with non cardiac inflamation. Dr says it's cause I am a Celiac eatting Gluten. So I have been gluten-free for a week. My symptoms are stiff body, achy, constipation, sinus issues, pre cancer colon polyps ( mom has colorectal cancer stage 4 in remission), gassy, irritable!!! All opinions are welcomed!!

Questions....

1. Anyone on here been dx by a stool sample?

2. What is Casien and how do i know if I am allergic?

3. Can they do blood work to see about soy, milk, etc?

4. Is Lupus an Autoimmune disorder cause by Celiac?

[RiceGuy]

First, for your symptoms, I'd highly recommend magnesium, and a sublingual methylcobalamin (B12). Other common recommendations are calcium, Vitamin D, B complex, iron, zinc, and probably some I'm forgetting ATM.

Casein is the primary milk protein, and many here find they need to avoid it. You'll often find it in soy cheeses too. The best way to know if you are reacting to a food is to avoid it for awhile, then eat some and see how you feel in the days to follow. Give it at least a week to be sure.

I'm not familiar with what sort of tests can be done, but other members here are so I'm sure you'll get your answers.

[JNBunnie1]

My opinion: you have Celiac disease. Yes, a stool test is valid, a number of people here were diagnosed with that. A CRP means C-Reactive Protein test. It measures the level of general inflammation in your system. Your number means your system is pissed. Celiac is frequently misdiagnosed as lupus by doctors who don't look hard enough. Your precancerous polyps should be telling you a very clear story: No gluten. I'm glad you're back on the diet.

Biopsies are frequently false negative, they are very unreliable as a way to diagnose Celiac. B vitamins and whatever else the people on the board recommend are a good idea, I would ask your doctor to do a blood panel for vitamin &mineral definciencies.

[missy'smom]

Reading Dr. Peter Green's book, Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic, would be helpful for you I think. He's out of Columbia University. They have a website too as does the Celiac Sprue Association, which is helpful as well.

[AliB]

Lupus is yet another illness that will have gluten as its trigger, like Celiac.

We are all gluten intolerant to a greater or lesser degree. You don't have to have Celiac Disease to be very Gluten Intolerant. It is behind virtually every disease imaginable. Gluten, dairy and sugar are our 3 worst enemies.

Gluten because it has been meddled with and modified into a very complex protein that the body cannot cope with, dairy because we are not able to cope with cow's milk and even less able to cope with it pasteurised and homogenised (not to mention the chemicals and anti-biotics and bad animal feeds that are thrown at the cows!). Sugar because it is overloading our system on top of all the indirect sugars we already ingest, Lactose, Maltose, Glucose, etc., etc., encouraging the overgrowth of sugar-digesting bacteria and throwing the whole body out of balance.

Everything is mucked about with these days, so much so that is is difficult to find foods that aren't but when you are sick because of it then finding good foods is of paramount importance. I would say, get back on to gluten-free and add dairy and sugar to the list too, try to stick to Organic where possible and try, just try to get your Mom to do it too. Cancer feeds on sugar. There is no guarantee, but it might just help to keep her cancer in remission and certainly can't do any harm!

I have been reading about Roger MacDougall who regained his health from being so crippled with Multiple Sclerosis that he was in a wheelchair, virtually blind and unable to even hold a pen, by removing gluten, dairy and sugar from his diet. He ate what he called a Paleolithic Diet and over a few short years regained his health back to normal and lived on for another 40 years until he was 83.

Some who remove gluten from their diet end up feeling so deprived that they end up pandering to the withdrawal symptoms by replacing the gluten with lots of high-carb sugary foods, then wonder why they still don't feel well! Don't feel deprived, feel liberated. All those sick people out there who are still eating gluten, dairy and sugar will not get better. We only feel deprived because it is there. If we lived on a tropical island and only had fish and fruit to eat, we wouldn't miss it!

Due to withdrawal and the fact that the body is detoxing from the gluten 'overdose' you are bound to feel rough for a while. It is a major change to the body and symptoms can often get worse before they get better. I really hope you continue to improve, and your Mom does too.

I stopped gluten, dairy, most carbs and most sugar just over 2 weeks ago and had a beneficial result within a few hours on some of my symptoms, particularly my stomach but others are taking longer. I did notice though that the pain in my left shoulder, and in my coccyx has all but gone! I have had for the last 5 days a very annoying permanent background headache which is undoubtedly due to withdrawal/detox and am also getting reactions to certain things so I know there are other things I am very intolerant to. I have yet to pinpoint them and may need to do an elimination diet as I am fed up of getting a sore stomach and backache when I eat sometimes even thought I know it wasn't gluten. It is a minefield but hopefully I will get there in the end.

[Avarismama]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to read my story and reply. I am deficiant in B12 and D vitamins. I take extra B and extra D daily. Also I am on a Pre-natal vitamin that is free of all allergens including dairy and gluten. I will look into the Paleoithic Diet. i know it will be a challenge but just maybe I will lose all this baby weight. Not eating suger will be fine but dairy.......will be hard for me! I love my dairy!! I also think that summer time will be easier to do this because everything is so fresh and available.

BTW...I am having my son (4) tested for Gluten, and milk allergies. He has had a mild exzema on his face for years, and huge stools that hurt his bum, also very sensitive and moody at times he has dark circles under his eyes too (dr said it was seasonal). My dear daughter is pretty stable but may have her tested too. My husband is another story.

Thanks again for the support.

[AliB]

I know what you mean about dairy, I love it too. I so miss my cups of hot choc, and cream! But i am slowly getting used to not having it.

I have found some nice choccy oat milk (I might investigate making it as it would be a darn sight cheaper!), although I do get a slight reaction when I drink it - I don't know if its the oats or the choc or the sugar! I haven't had any porridge since I went gluten-free as I usually have milk and honey with it but I might try and make some without milk to see if I'm ok with that.

Oh, your poor little man. You undoubtedly would see such a difference if you put him on to gluten-free - the dark circles are 'allergy' bruises. You might even have to try him with dairy free too - so many are so reactive to so many foods now. Man just has to think he is cleverer than God and keep meddling, and he never knows what damage he is doing. They keep fiddling with the molecular structure of food, or putting it through processes that change its chemical make-up and it is making people so sick.

Bear in mind that just because your daughter isn't displaying any obvious symptoms does not mean that the gluten isn't doing 'silent' damage.

My daughter has changed to goats milk and her two darling boys seem to be better on that but I am gradually trying to convince her to get them all gluten-free. My oldest grandson who is 6 is constantly complaining of tummy aches and keeps messing himself. The younger who is 4 is small for his age and has learning delay and is particularly fussy with his food - he would live on gluten - particularly chocolate cookies and cake!

I am also weaning my husband around to gluten-free. He hates to think that I am having something he can't so ends up eating it with me! I made some coconut macaroons and an Almond Cake so he is able to see that gluten-free doesn't mean deprived! I have cleared out my store of gluten and dairy foods so the temptation isn't there - there is 4 carrier bags full (and that doesn't include the stuff I threw away!). It is in absolutely EVERYTHING! Trouble is I have a dilemma now. I don't want to throw the good stuff away too, but knowing what I know about gluten and how evil it is, I don't want to give it to anyone else either!

It's pretty annoying as in the sales I picked up some nice chocs, and foods like a panettone I was going to make a delicious 'bread' and butter pudding with but I'm going to have to get rid of them all - what a waste of money!!!! Shame I can't sell it on ebay!!!! I'll have to do a sale!

[JNBunnie1]

I have found some nice choccy oat milk (I might investigate making it as it would be a darn sight cheaper!), although I do get a slight reaction when I drink it - I don't know if its the oats or the choc or the sugar! I haven't had any porridge since I went gluten-free as I usually have milk and honey with it but I might try and make some without milk to see if I'm ok with that.

That's probably the oats. There are a number of people who cannot tolerate even the gluten-free oats, and yours sound like they're not even the gluten free kind. If you want to figure it out for sure, try a cup hot chocolate w/ no dairy at some point, and then try some straight (gluten free) oatmeal made with water at another time. That should narrow it down.