I Do Not Know If I Can Handle This

[bisja]

I did my tests through enterolabs it came back I was having problems with gluten and slight casien I have one celiac gene and one gluten sensitivity gene. I am on day 11 of being gluten and dairy free, and I feel very very bad. I am having low blood sugar drops (many) have ordered a meter to see how low. I am shaky all the time very nauseous food has lost all taste to me so I never feel hungry, which of course is not good with the blood sugar thing. When I eat I feel like I could vomit. I am dizzy, woke at 1 am could feel blood sugar prob grabbed a yogurt (should not have grabbed that) but was like had to grab something quick, bloated up in a matter of 3 hours had "D" I am wondering I have ate Bobs Red Mill cornmeal flour ate it before was ok but this was a new bag, have been having "D" on and off since got it am ok with other corn products. I am feeling very down at this moment I just feel defeated and not sure if I can do this as seems like more problems are happening.

I have dropped 6 pounds in 11 days. Has anyone else had these problems? Plus when I have the "D" its very acidy? Is that part of this? I feel very confused and brain fog is terrible. My body hurts and terrible fatigue this is horrible. Anyone have any thoughts? Plus sweat on and off pours out of me and then at times the chills.

Jan

[flourgirl]

Hi Bisja. I'm sorry that you are feeling so very bad. I went through many months of just that sort of thing before I was diagnosed, and more. I fully expected that, ok, stop eating gluten and feel great right away. For some people that is the case, but for many we go through just what you are doing. As you read more and more here, you'll see people talk about a sort of withdrawal from gluten. You may be having other sensitivities....I'm one who developed (or more likely am just noticing) problems with other foods. For some people those get better as the intestines heal and can start eating those again (but NEVER gluten), for others those foods are forever no-nos.

It's important to hang in there. There really is no choice is there? Keep a food journal, if that helps. Very carefully look at everything that you may ingest...even if you have already. I found supplements that I thought were safe, but on rechecking (months after still being sick after starting the diet), had to switch. After switching, I started noticing a difference. I started a food journal, but gave up because absolutely everything I ate made me sick. I didn't think I could bear the pain I was having, but we have to eat.....so you deal with it and keep trying. Now that I'm finally doing better...the pain is less often and less severe. Maybe I just had to wait for the villi to heal a bit, maybe I was getting gluten somewhere that I'm not getting now. I don't know, I just know that I'm SO grateful.

Hope you feel better soon. Take each day at a time....even one hour at a time when that's all you can deal with. Be persistant, be vigilant. This forum is a great place to be for information, and for support.

[ravenwoodglass]

You need to try and get some protein in you to help to regulate those sugars. Nut butters, eggs, a handful of nuts or a shake with hemp milk or a protein powder and fruit will help. Try to snack with a carb and a protein frequently during the day. Gluten free pretzels with a handful of nuts or a hard boiled egg. Cream of Buckwheat is very easy to digest and has a lot of protein for a hot cereal. I find it very soothing on the tummy. Sweet Potatoes will also help to regulate and soothe the gut a great deal.

You should definately get some sublingual B12, gluten free of course and make sure you take that daily. It will help with the brain fog and with energy.

Make absolutely sure you check EVERY med you are taking with the maker. Neither script drugs or generic are required to disclose gluten and generics are generally a real risk in the US as they can change binders at will.

If your house is not gluten-free it will help a lot to make it so, at least at first. Also be aware that many companies post copious lists of 'gluten free' foods without disclosing CC issues so you should try to eat as close to unprocessed as you can.

It will take a while to heal, but you can and all the bother is so worth it in the pay off of pain free days and a longer life.

[lizard00]

very nauseous food has lost all taste to me so I never feel hungry

I have been there too. You're right, yogurt is not the thing to grab. You really need to lay off dairy for a while, it will only make that stomach pain worse. I found that rice and bananas were among the few things that didn't bother me... so I ate a lot of bananas. If you can handle the nut butters, put some of that with some fruit. You definitely do need a handle on the blood sugar, and protein will help with that. Stay away from processed stuff right now, so the carbs you take in are complex. But just stay on the bland side for now. Eventually it will get better, it's not fun and the food choices are limited, but you'll feel better and you may not have to permanantly avoid things. But you need time to get everything back in check, and then as you start to feel better slowly add things back in. That way you can be sure of what is the irritant.

I hope you feel better soon!!

[cruelshoes]

I would echo everything Ravenwood glass said. Easy to grab protein sources could be as easy a rolled up lunchmeat, an handful of nuts, some peanut butter on a gluten-free rice cake. It sounds like you may not be eating enough and are suffering the lows from it.

You mention eating Bob's Red Mill corn flour. That is not gluten-free. It is produced in their regular plant and is not on their Open Original Shared Link. Perhaps one of the reasons you are feeling poorly is that you are still getting gluten in your diet.

Hang in there.

[AliB]

When I went gluten-free two months ago I was still having issues with other non-gluten foods, particularly carbs so I cut right to the chase and dropped not only gluten but dairy and most carbs and sugar.

I concentrated on basic foods - plain unprocessed meat, fish and poultry with no additives or coatings, fresh fruits and vegetables and a small amount of honey and nuts. Whilst carbs send the blood sugar into continuous peaks and troughs every time it is consumed, as has been mentioned, protein does help to balance the blood sugar. You can get enough carbs from the fruit and veg, honey and nuts to satisfy any need. I now no longer have any craving for carbs.

I did get some weird effects for the first few weeks after going gluten-free as my body went into withdrawal and detox, but after the two months I am now beginning to come out the other side.

Gluten can act like a neurotoxin so it can be a bit like going 'cold turkey'! I was getting the shakes, numb hands and feet, constant headaches, etc., for at least the first two weeks. Whilst it was considerably better after gluten-free, I did still have problems with quite a few foods when I ate, with my stomach and very uncomfortable backache, but that has virtually gone now. I am also able to tolerate more foods now, like eggs and a few non-gluten flour products. It can take a while for the body to get itself back into balance so it is just a case of sticking with it.

I have a friend who suffers with Fibromyalgia. She went on a gluten-free diet for a while and her FM symptoms really improved. She lost quite a bit of weight and when she went to the doctor after 3 months he asked what she had been doing because she was looking thin and had dark circles under her eyes. When she told him he told her to stop being so silly and get back onto 'normal' eating. Not only does she now have the FM, she has had a permanent cough since December. When the body is healing, it can take a lot longer than 3 months. Perhaps she might try again, but keep well clear of the doctors' for a while!

I believe that, like a lot of people, I am intolerant of not just gluten, but carbohydrates in general. I used to suffer a lot with hypoglycemia, but latterly my pancreas has gone the other way and is hardly producing any insulin at all so I am now diabetic (for the last 10 years) and have to have insulin. I am absolutely sure that if I had known about this and gone gluten-free and low-carb at a much earlier stage, I may well have not ended up becoming diabetic. The only 2 times in my life I was ever really well was when I was eating low-carb, and I am really kicking myself now for not sticking to it.