Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com!
    eNewsletter
    Donate

First Bbq Holiday With This Disease.... Harder Than I Thought!


jaime1103

Recommended Posts

jaime1103 Rookie

Well, this is my first Spring, and BBQ holiday with this disease, Happy Memorial Day weekend. I never even thought it would be hard, but it is! We had a BBQ to go to yesterday and I brought my own food and kept it in the car, in the hopes that I could eat something there...but I am slowly realizing it is almost impossible. The host did ask my husband why I was not eating anything, I guess he was offended by my declining all of his MOUTHWATERING concoctions.... homemade ribs, veggie/chicken skewers marinated in soy and garlic, homemade macaroni salad.... oh it was tough! We have another one today and 2 tomorrow.... how am I going to make it? Oh, but I know I will. I know... I know... it really is not a big deal in the scheme of things, there are so many more tragic health afflictions, but it is really hard sometimes. I am usually a very optimistic person, so I am trying to put this celiac journey into the right place, and talk myself into the fact that it really is only food, really it is only food, really it is only food.... can you tell I am really trying here?!? My 3 year old yells across the party, Mommy, aren't you hungry, why aren't you eating like we are all.... oh to be 3 again.

Thanks for listening, I am sure by Tuesday, I will be over this and ready to get back to my normal life of trying new recipes and enjoying my day to day medical recovery and new found well-being.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mango04 Enthusiast

It'll get easier. I no longer associate social situations with food, and I can enjoy watching other people eat gluteny foods without having any desire to eat those foods myself. Sounds strange, I know, but you'll likely get to that point sooner than you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pele Rookie

I know, I've been invited to a potluck BBQ tomorrow (M Day) and have pretty much decided to just take my usual lunch and totally ignore the BBQ food. A lot of it is going to be, IMO, unappetizing anyway. Nothing organic, lots of processed, packaged stuff, like cake from a box of cake mix with transfat frosting. So I will be very happy with my banana and maybe a can of sardines and some dried fruit and nuts.

The funny thing is, the people who are organizing the BBQ love to cook for everyone and would bend over backwards to provide me with all the gluten-free food I could eat. And they know other celiacs, too, so they are very understanding and not at all offended if I don't eat the stuff they bought at Walmart and Costco.

Mango04 is right. It gets easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MDRB Explorer

I know how you feel.

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages. then there is the cross contamination issue.

I usually try to bring my own gluten free pasta salad or macaroni plus pre cooked gluten free chicken skewers and I tape a serving spoon to the bowl to avoid cross contamination with glutened utensils.

Dealing with celiac disease is tough but if you think outside the box a little you can always find a way to make things work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LuvMoosic4life Collaborator

I know how you feel. I come from a family that based completely around food. i swear, i could walk through the door of my grandma's house during a get together and they wont even say "hi" immediatly its "try this, you hungry? eat eat eat!!!" And since I am the only thin person in the family, if I dont eat, they think I'm annorexic, or are offended that I dont like the food. The one time I actually ate the food b/c I got so pi*** off at trying to explain that I cant have gluten, it wasnt a suprise to me I started feeling sick. Nobody realized that I wasnt feeling sick b/c of the gluten, but it was "oh no, I'm sorry my COOKING didnt agree with you." And then they feel bad b/c they think thier food/cooking doesnt agree with me. I havent once been able to get through to them about the gluten thing, andI'm done trying to explain to them. I'm just going to social events for the piont of being social, not food, if they don't accept that, then I will be more than happy not to go back b/c obviously they dont respect the fact that I am there to visit and talk to them, not to stuff my face with food that will make me feel sick, and just talk about food the whole time. The funny thing is half of my family feels sick after eating also, so they say "oh, its just how we are." AHHH!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lovegrov Collaborator

"...burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages."

Unless you're eating with somebody who purposely adds breading or "flour," burgers and sausages in fact almost NEVER have gluten. I've only very rarely found sausage with gluten and virtually every restaurant avoids adding filler to burger patties.

richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lovegrov Collaborator

What did the host add to the ribs that had gluten?

richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



momandgirls Enthusiast

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ravenwoodglass Mentor
burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

It may not when it comes from the store but what are the folks adding to their burgers? Many folks don't just throw the meat on the fire they spice it and if having a large group over very well may add bread crumbs to it. My family did this all the time with burgers, we were poor and there was a need to stretch everything.

As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
momandgirls Enthusiast

[As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KimmyJ Rookie

I'm sorry that you're struggling with this. :( My MIL's whole life revolves around food, so it's very challenging to be at her house. Just the other day she was complaining about how she wished I was comfortable eating at their house because food is so important. Oh please. It's just food, and I don't care about her feelings enough to make myself sick. I told her that I don't mind coming over to eat _with_ them, but I would bring my own food because it wasn't worth getting sick over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lindajeaninsc Newbie

I'm newly diagnosed, April 15, with biopsy and positive bloodwork. I've been so angry and frustrated because I have lots of difficult food allergies. But I blamed all my issues on hidden ingredients and food allergies. I had no clue there was anything else wrong!!! I am a master whole wheat bread baker and used to eat cracked wheat cereal b/c I love the taste!

Reading these posts, I have realized how very fortunate I am b/c I have total support from family and my small circle of friends! My best friend is gluten intolerent with no family suppost and my boyfriend has chrone's disease. My sister tested negative but we think it's a false negative b/c she is allergic to wheat for last 5 years. All of my family are taking this very seriously and everyone is being tested! My daughter has positive bloodwork, biopsy is scheduled. No news on the bloodwork for daddy, brother and other sister, yet. My son, niece and nephews still waiting for their testing to be done.

My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

I must admit the "oh, you poor thing!" gets real old, real quick! I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance. In the south, everything revolves around food. I work with seniors and their next meal is their favorite topic. My boyfriend is struggling b/c his only limit is dairy and fiber. But he has agreed that we'll cook instead of eating out for most meals.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JNBunnie1 Community Regular
I'm newly diagnosed, April 15, with biopsy and positive bloodwork. I've been so angry and frustrated because I have lots of difficult food allergies. But I blamed all my issues on hidden ingredients and food allergies. I had no clue there was anything else wrong!!! I am a master whole wheat bread baker and used to eat cracked wheat cereal b/c I love the taste!

Reading these posts, I have realized how very fortunate I am b/c I have total support from family and my small circle of friends! My best friend is gluten intolerent with no family suppost and my boyfriend has chrone's disease. My sister tested negative but we think it's a false negative b/c she is allergic to wheat for last 5 years. All of my family are taking this very seriously and everyone is being tested! My daughter has positive bloodwork, biopsy is scheduled. No news on the bloodwork for daddy, brother and other sister, yet. My son, niece and nephews still waiting for their testing to be done.

My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

I must admit the "oh, you poor thing!" gets real old, real quick! I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance. In the south, everything revolves around food. I work with seniors and their next meal is their favorite topic. My boyfriend is struggling b/c his only limit is dairy and fiber. But he has agreed that we'll cook instead of eating out for most meals.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

I just wanted to mention, I made a potato salad with some sour cream and italian dressing instead of mayo, and whoo!!! That's good stuff. I saw you didn't list dairy, so you might want to try it. It's kind like german potato salad I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lindajeaninsc Newbie
I just wanted to mention, I made a potato salad with some sour cream and italian dressing instead of mayo, and whoo!!! That's good stuff. I saw you didn't list dairy, so you might want to try it. It's kind like german potato salad I guess.

JNBunnie,

Thanks, I will look up german potato salad in my cook books. It's hard to focus on the positive but that is the only way to live with this. And, I must say, getting some energy and enthusiam back will be so great!

lindajeaninsc

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Calicoe Rookie
My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

I needed this thread because I have to admit that BBQ season will be very difficult, because I LOVE BBQ and the food at family gatherings. I think lindajean is on the right track above in hosting your own cookouts, but it is so expensive. I want to learn how to make my own bread and baked treats, AND gluten-free BBQ sauce that will rival all the others! In the meantime, I think I would have to cook my own BBQ food and take it so as not to feel left out. I think at my families house I would probably bring another grill and just do my own food side-by-side.

*But, it is not fun to have to deal with this AND be unemployed and broke. Yikes! I think I'll just stay home this season to avoid the gluten and prying family questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jaime1103 Rookie

The hosting your own BBQ is a good idea! Maybe next year we will give that a shot.

I have to say, Saturday's BBQ was not so fun, it was at my husband's friends' house and I was not very comfortable, but then by yesterday's BBQ, I decided to take charge. Yesterday I brought Bob's brownies (with the home-ade fudge icing) and a gluten-free humus with Utz tortilla chips. It was great. I asked my friend to put some salad on the side for me, brought my own dressing, checked the meat and cheese package, all gluten free, it was a brand new grill, first time used, so I knew it was safe, and I really enjoyed myself! My mom is hosting today and she is so thoughtful, the whole menu is gluten-free, it makes it so nice.

The potato salad recipe sounds great - I will have to try that too.

For everyone else out there who had the same feeling, thanks for responding. I hope you made it through!

Richard, I am not sure what was on the ribs, but they were already on the grill with the soy sauce covered chicken skeweres when we got there.

Thanks again, I guess that this will def. get easier as I figure out how to navigate through these things!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DingoGirl Enthusiast

It does get much easier.......but I do remember the pain in the beginning!

Try this.......I have two small mini-grill things, about five inches in diameter. unfortunately, a friend gave them to me, and I don't know where she got them.....they may actually be trivets, but they look just like mini barbecue grills. They have been quite handy for me - I put those on a barbecue grill wherever I am, and have the host grill the meats/sausage/chicken I bring for myself, atop those (Trader Joe's has wonderful gluten-free sausages), and I never have a problem.

You can buy your own gluten-free hamburger/hot dog buns at the health food store, and bring your own salad, side dishes condiments, all of it. If anyone asks you about anything, just smile and say, oh, I have a food intolerance and must be quite careful (easier than explaining an auto-immune response to gluten - though if they probe further, and they usually do, I'll give the 30-second Celiac summary).

It gets easier! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
curlyfries Contributor

I brought my own chicken and seasoning and had a piece of foil put on the grill for it to be cooked on....thought I had everything covered. When the host thought it was done, he proceeded to split it open with the spatula he'd used for everything else!!!!GAAAAHHH!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MDRB Explorer
burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

Wow, maybe this is an Australian thing. I have a really hard time finding burgers and sausages that are gluten free. Where I am, all the butchers and supermarkets mix flour and egg with the meat to hold it together as a burger. Whenever I want burger I have to buy plain mince beef and make the patties myself. The same goes for the sausages.

Grrr big incentive to move to the US.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lovegrov Collaborator

"As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices."

I've yet to find a spice that has barley, oats or rye in it, and if it has wheat, in the U.S. it MUST now by law be listed. This has been the law in the U.S. for more than two years for all foods and the law for meats for much longer than that (the meat law calls for ANY grain to be listed).

Before the allergen law I always called companies about their sausages and I found almost NO sausages with any kind of gluten (except beer brats and sometimes preformed patties). Jimmy Dean, Kroger, Hillshire Farm, Private Selection, and on and on.

As for burgers, some people do put bread in them, not so much to stretch the meat as to help the patties hold together. My ife used to do this. But I've found a great way to determine if that's happened. Ask.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pele Rookie

Jamie, What makes this easy for me is feeling so much better. I went to the BBQ on Monday and had a great time with people I hadn't seen in a while. I watched them pig out and I ate only the small lunch I brought with me and I felt great. Back in the old days I would have felt miserable for the rest of the day with a belly full of gluten. That helps me not miss the BBQ food at all. I hope you start to notice a big difference in how you feel, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lindajeaninsc Newbie
I needed this thread because I have to admit that BBQ season will be very difficult, because I LOVE BBQ and the food at family gatherings. I think lindajean is on the right track above in hosting your own cookouts, but it is so expensive. I want to learn how to make my own bread and baked treats, AND gluten-free BBQ sauce that will rival all the others! In the meantime, I think I would have to cook my own BBQ food and take it so as not to feel left out. I think at my families house I would probably bring another grill and just do my own food side-by-side.

*But, it is not fun to have to deal with this AND be unemployed and broke. Yikes! I think I'll just stay home this season to avoid the gluten and prying family questions.

Calicoe,

It isn't easy, no matter what the circumstances! This disease just su---! Having vented, I suggest that you go to the library, it's free. Find books on gluten intolerence, the cookbooks are listed under: Gluten Free Diet.

Read all you can about gluten and try the recipes. Baking bread is just following steps, in order. If you can solve an algebra problem or housetrain a puppy, then you can learn to bake your own bread. Baking your own is much cheaper than buying gluten free bread at the Whole Foods.

If you don't buy sodas, ice cream and candy, you can buy flour. Buy it anyway, you have to eat something safe. Get a gluten-free flour blend or buy sweet sorgum flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch and brown rice flour. Buy bread baking yeast and xanthum gum. It's much cheaper to buy the ingredients then it is to buy a package of mix. Store all of these in the fridge so they don't go rancid. The gum is very expensive but your bread, pancakes and muffins will crumble without it.

Use the muffin recipe found on the GIG site or in a gluten free cookbook, and bake a batch of muffins. Then make pancakes or cookies. Then try the bread. Stick with the easiest first, and work your way up. If you don't have a mixer, stir the batter with a big spoon for twice as long as the recipe says, at least eight minutes for bread!

I already told my daughter that from now on, I wanted gift cards to Whole Foods for Christmas and birthdays. Tell your family the same thing. Think about how competent you will feel after you make your own bread! I promise it's very satisfying. If you can bake bread, you can do anything! Break it down into steps, and then do it.

Linda Jean

I

Link to comment
Share on other sites
babysteps Contributor
"...burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages."

Unless you're eating with somebody who purposely adds breading or "flour," burgers and sausages in fact almost NEVER have gluten. I've only very rarely found sausage with gluten and virtually every restaurant avoids adding filler to burger patties.

What did the host add to the ribs that had gluten?

richard

The good news is that almost anything that is traditionally "bbq" is possible to have gluten-free. But almost all of it might have gluten. It all depends !

Most 'food service' burgers in the US either have flour/breadcrumbs to hold them together and/or have "natural flavors" - some gluten-free folks seem to tolerate "natural flavors" but I do not, based on some surprise glutenings...

Many sausages are gluten-free but some are not (maybe 30% of the labels I read). Anything that says "spices" without listing the spices, I assume may (or may not) have been processed with some flour to avoid caking. Some sausages have soy sauce in them, and some may have actual wheat or barley. I know the wonderful garlic sausage at our local BBQ takeout I cannot have; their other meats & spice rubs are all okay though (when I went gluten-free I had a LONG conversation with them; luckily they make all their own rubs & sauces).

Ribs can easily have spice mix with MSG, "spices", "natural flavors" or such possibly gluten containing items - again, some gluten-free folks are fine with these, but I have found it's better if I avoid them. Ribs with sauce, many sauces have soy sauce, malt vinegar, non-gluten-free worcestershire, or "natural flavors".

I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult.

I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance.

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

Linda - Wow, sounds like you are coping well! I admit I don't even attempt gluten-free bread - my corn chips and rice crackers keep me happy. Not sure if it saves $, but you may want to check out local farmers for reliable meat. Our town has a weekly farmers market and I can get lamb, pork, beef and chicken, all of which I know is trustworthy.

Good luck on low-fat mayo. If you can tolerate eggs, maybe you can experiment with egg whites, oil, some sort of thickener (tapioca? guar? agar?) and create the first non-citrus non-bean non-sesame non-nut low-fat mayo :)

I brought my own chicken and seasoning and had a piece of foil put on the grill for it to be cooked on....thought I had everything covered. When the host thought it was done, he proceeded to split it open with the spatula he'd used for everything else!!!!GAAAAHHH!!!!

Don't you hate it when you take what you think is every precaution and then, BAM! :o

Thanks for sharing, now I have a phrase to add to my bbq speech :)

Last week I went to a restaurant, wonderful food but tag-team service and even though waiter 2 noted the rice was a pilaf and had vermicelli, and I said "I can't eat that", the same waiter brought my dish with the pilaf. To the restaurant's credit they made me a new dish, new plate, and substituted a nice tomato and cucumber salad. "I thought you said you could eat the vermicelli" he said. At least I had witnesses or I'd think I was losing it ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sickchick Community Regular

I am starving now with all the BBQ talk... ( I wanted to share my favorite SPICE RUB)

Java-Chile Rub

1/2 cup ground Coffee

3 tablespoons ground pasilla or ancho chile

3 tablespoons coarse salt, kosher or sea

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

mix the spices thoroughly in bowl.

store covered in a cool dark pantry.

Enjoy! B) This rub I love on New York steaks... I have used it on Salmon and London Broils too

I've mixed it in with Ground beef, ground bison, and ground turkey

it's smoky and spicy

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MindyK Newbie
I know how you feel. I come from a family that based completely around food. i swear, i could walk through the door of my grandma's house during a get together and they wont even say "hi" immediatly its "try this, you hungry? eat eat eat!!!" And since I am the only thin person in the family, if I dont eat, they think I'm annorexic, or are offended that I dont like the food. The one time I actually ate the food b/c I got so pi*** off at trying to explain that I cant have gluten, it wasnt a suprise to me I started feeling sick. Nobody realized that I wasnt feeling sick b/c of the gluten, but it was "oh no, I'm sorry my COOKING didnt agree with you." And then they feel bad b/c they think thier food/cooking doesnt agree with me. I havent once been able to get through to them about the gluten thing, andI'm done trying to explain to them. I'm just going to social events for the piont of being social, not food, if they don't accept that, then I will be more than happy not to go back b/c obviously they dont respect the fact that I am there to visit and talk to them, not to stuff my face with food that will make me feel sick, and just talk about food the whole time. The funny thing is half of my family feels sick after eating also, so they say "oh, its just how we are." AHHH!

I have been trying to deal with this disease for the last 8 months or so. My family, also focuses everything around food. If you aren

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Nacina's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

    2. - Nacina posted a topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

    3. - trents replied to Fluka66's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Waiting for urgent referral.

    4. - Fluka66 replied to Fluka66's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Waiting for urgent referral.

    5. - Moodiefoodie replied to Moodiefoodie's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      9

      Joint swelling when ill even on gluten-free diet


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      121,067
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    myneckmybackmyceliac
    Newest Member
    myneckmybackmyceliac
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      It sounds like you've been through a lot with your son's health journey, and it's understandable that you're seeking answers and solutions. Given the complexity of his symptoms and medical history, it might be beneficial to explore a few avenues: Encourage your son to keep a detailed journal of his symptoms, including when they occur, their severity, any triggers or patterns, and how they impact his daily life. This information can be valuable during medical consultations and may help identify correlations or trends. Consider seeking opinions from specialized medical centers or academic hospitals that have multidisciplinary teams specializing in gastrointestinal disorders, especially those related to Celiac disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE). These centers often have experts who deal with complex cases and can offer a comprehensive evaluation. Since you've already explored alternative medicine with a nutrition response doctor and a gut detox diet, you may want to consider consulting a functional medicine practitioner. They take a holistic approach to health, looking at underlying causes and imbalances that may contribute to symptoms. Given his low vitamin D levels and other nutritional markers, a thorough nutritional assessment by a registered dietitian or nutritionist specializing in gastrointestinal health could provide insights into any deficiencies or dietary adjustments that might help alleviate symptoms. In addition to routine tests, consider asking about more specialized tests that may not be part of standard screenings. These could include comprehensive stool analyses, food intolerance testing, allergy panels, or advanced imaging studies to assess gut health.
    • Nacina
      Hello, I am a 45 year old mom, who was diagnosed at 29 with Celiac. My now 14 year old son was diagnosed just before his 4th birthday. Needless to say, we are old pros with the diet. He was experiencing some issues, overall health took a major plummet a year ago, and through a bit of work, was diagnosed with EOE. Tried diet alone, but his follow up endoscopy didn't show the improvements his DR. wanted to see, so I tried the medication. (Steroid). He became extremely backed up, and they had him taking Miralax daily. His health plummeted. He is a straight A honor's 8th grader who plays club soccer very competitively. His health continued to decline and at 13 had a colonoscopy and another upper gi. (He was still compacted even with the prep). I finally pulled him off all meds and mira lax, after reading much negative literature online, and put him on a gut detox diet and took him to a nutrition response dr. Finally things have improved. However...over a year later and he is having relapse stomach pain, debilitating stomach pain. Missing a day of school a week, to three this week. This is where we downward spiral with him. He says it doesn't feel the same as when he has gotten backed up before. He is eating prunes, taking his supplements, drinking water...all of the things. Yet, he is feeling horrible. Pain is abdomen, headache, lethargy, diarrhea . He is on a strict gluten dairy, egg free diet. He has adapted well in regards to diet. But I feel like we are missing something here. He is too active, too outgoing to be feeling sick all of the time. His Bilirubin is constantly high. His white blood count always runs slightly low. His vitamin D was very low last time he ran tests, (last month) when he was sick for a week. His celiac markers show negative, so it isn't that. His last endoscopy showed no Eosinaphils in his esophagus.  I have taken him to multiple Ped. Gastro specialists. They run tests, and we get zero answers. I meticulously go through labs, hoping to make some sense and maybe catch something. Any thoughts or ideas would greatly be appreciated. 
    • trents
      But if you have been off of wheat for a period of weeks/months leading up to the testing it will likely turn out to be negative for celiac disease, even if you actually have celiac disease. Given your symptoms when consuming gluten, we certainly understand your reluctance to undergo  the "gluten challenge" before testing but you need to understand that the testing may be a waste of time if you don't. What are you going to do if it is negative for celiac disease? Are you going to go back to merrily eating wheat/barley/rye products while living in pain and destroying your health? You will be in a conundrum. Do I or do I not? And you will likely have a difficult time being consistent with your diet. Celiac disease causes inflammation to the small bowel villous lining when gluten containing grains are consumed. This inflammation produces certain antibodies that can be detected in the blood after they reach a certain level, which takes weeks or months after the onset of the disease. If gluten is stopped or drastically reduced, the inflammation begins to decrease and so do the antibodies. Before long, their low levels are not detectable by testing and the antibody blood tests done for diagnosing celiac disease will be negative. Over time, this inflammation wears down the billions of microscopic, finger-like projections that make up the lining and form the nutrient absorbing layer of the small bowel where all the nutrition in our food is absorbed. As the villi bet worn down, vitamin and mineral deficiencies typically develop because absorption is compromised. An endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to microscopically examine this damage is usually the second stage of celiac disease diagnosis. However, when people cut out gluten or cut back on it significantly ahead of time before the biopsy is done, the villous lining has already experienced some healing and the microscopic examination may be negative or inconclusive. I'm not trying to tell you what to do I just want you to understand what the consequences of going gluten free ahead of testing are as far as test results go so that you will either not waste your time in having the tests done or will be prepared for negative test results and the impact that will have on your dietary decisions. And, who are these "consultants" you keep talking about and what are their qualifications? You are in the unenviable position that many who joint this forum have found themselves in. Namely, having begun a gluten free diet before getting a proper diagnosis but unwilling to enter into the gluten challenge for valid testing because of the severity of the symptoms it would cause them.
    • Fluka66
      Thank you very much for your reply. I hadn't heard of celiac disease but began to notice a pattern of pain. I've been on the floor more than once with agonising pain but this was always put down to another abdominal problem consequently I've been on a roundabout of backwards and forwards with another consultant for many years. I originally questioned this diagnosis but was assured it was the reason for my pain. Many years later the consultant gave up and I had a new GP. I started to cut out certain food types ,reading packets then really started to cut out wheat and went lactose free. After a month I reintroduced these in one meal and ended screaming in agony the tearing and bloating pain. With this info and a swollen lymph node in my neck I went back to the GP.  I have a referral now . I have also found out that acidic food is causing the terrible pain . My thoughts are this is irritating any ulcers. I'm hoping that after a decade the outlook isn't all bad. My blood test came back with a high marker but I didn't catch what it was. My GP and I have agreed that I won't go back on wheat just for the test due to the pain , my swollen lymph node and blood test results.  Trying to remain calm for the referral and perhaps needed to be more forceful all those years ago but I'm not assertive and consultants can be overwhelming. Many thanks for your reply . Wishing you all the best.
    • Moodiefoodie
      Wow! Fascinating info. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the guidance. @Spacepanther Over the years I have had rheumatologists do full lab work ups on me. They told me they had screened me for arthritis, lupus, and Lyme disease (all negative). In addition to joint pain and stiffness I had swelling in both knees that later moved to my elbow as well.  I also experience stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders when it flares. I vomited fairly often growing up, but there wasn’t a real pattern to it and I didn’t know it wasn’t normal (thought people caught stomach viruses often).  I don’t usually have stomach symptoms immediately after eating gluten that I notice.  The only other joint condition I know of is fibromyalgia. Good luck! Hope you can get it figured out. I only assumed my joint symptoms were due to the celiac’s because it is under control for the most part on a gluten-free diet.  The rheumatologist also mentioned that some inflammatory/autoimmune diseases can be slow-moving and not detectable until they progress.
×
×
  • Create New...