I Am So Upset: I Just Found Out I Have Gluten Intolerence.

[Violinist]

I just found out I have gluten intolerence and I don't know what to do. I am so confused and upset.

[Aleshia]

  Violinist said:

I just found out I have gluten intolerence and I don't know what to do. I am so confused and upset.

awww don't be sad it is a lot easier than it seems really.

how did you get diagnosed? what are your symptoms? I'm sure once you go on the Gluten free diet you will feel so much better that it won't seem so difficult. do you have Wholefoods or TraderJoes or CentralMarket in your area? even Fredmeyer has a lot of glutenfree stuff. I think I have heard that QFC does as well

I would eat basic foods like rice, potatoes, vegetables, meat, cheese etc. and then try to find gluten-free substitutes for the other things you miss like pasta. the Brown rice pasta I tried was pretty good and so was the quinoa pasta.

do you know if you have celiac disease? or is it some other type of gluten intolerance?

[Violinist]

It's just intolerence, and I have no symtoms, however, my brother has celiac so my mom said we should all get tested. I got diagnosed from enterolab. I know that it will help me in the long run, but it's so hard right now.

[Aleshia]

  Violinist said:

It's just intolerence, and I have no symtoms, however, my brother has celiac so my mom said we should all get tested. I got diagnosed from enterolab. I know that it will help me in the long run, but it's so hard right now.

that must be hard to not have the symptoms that kindof help you know when there is a problem... I wonder if there is a specialist who you could talk to to find out how seriously you need to follow the diet... like if you have the genes that make you succeptable to celiac disease but don't actually have the disease yet I believe that you shouldn't have to follow the diet. you just would need to get tested every year or so to be sure you haven't developed celiac disease yet. maybe someone with more experience could answer questions better.

if you want you could repost your topic in the "coping with" section so you have a broader "audience" looking at it

[Celiacgirl4GOD]

I know how you feel. I found out that I have gluten intolerance last year and i found out that it wasn't a picnic! At first, food choices may seem few, but keep getting on this board and it may be an encouragement to you. God has a plan for everything so...let's see what He has in store for you!

[home-based-mom]

Good for your mom!

If your brother has celiac, it must run in your family. Look at your aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. Are they healthy? My guess is many of them have a lot of health problems. It seems like gluten can cause almost any symptom, so even if it seems totally illogical, there is a good chance your relatives' problems are caused by gluten.

Trust me - you don't want to go there and you don't want to be like that - whatever that is! You want to be healthy until you breathe your last breath, and going gluten free now gives you a *much* better chance of doing that.

Picture your least healthy relative and tell yourself "I'm NOT going to end up that way!"

It may not keep you perfect, but it will definitely help you to turn down what you shouldn't eat.

Most natural foods are gluten free. You will learn how to create substitutes for the processed stuff you can't live without. It *is* hard at first but it does get easier.

It sounds like you are going to have help and support at home. You may not realize it yet but that is such a blessing. Many others have to cope amidst literal sabotage.

Hug your mom!

[frec]

I am so sorry! I was so upset when I found out that I went home and went to bed in the middle of the day. I am glad you don't have symptoms; that probably means you are catching it early before you develop problems like osteoporosis or additional food allergies. You may be surprised though. Some health issues that I didn't think were caused by gluten disappeared in the year after I went on the diet. My acne cleared up, I stopped having mouth sores, I had fewer colds, I stopped being anemic--it was quite wonderful. I'd had no idea those problems were caused by the celiac disease.

Here is my best trick for coping with missing your favorite red licorice or cinnamon rolls or whatever. Figure out why you ate it--what comfort it gave you--and find a replacement that does the same thing. I miss cheese terribly (I'm dairy free) and found that avocado gave me the same fattening treat effect. Red licorice was my favorite working late treat; now I bring gluten free chocolate to work.

At least you can commiserate with your brother, and he can help you shop. My brother still thinks I'm a hypochondriac who embarrasses him at restaurants! ( :

Good luck--