So Many Diets!

[MollyBeth]

I just joined this site yesterday...and I keep reading under posters names about their symptoms and what kind of diets they are on. I'm just feeling so overwhelmed. I'm trying to research all this food stuff... I'm not going to start my diet until after October 10th when I have an endoscopy planned. The doc is going to do a biopsy. My blood tests came back negative, but I identify with so many symptoms I've read online and my GI doctor thinks I may have it despite the blood test results. Now I'm reading that the biopsy results can come back negative too and I can still benefit from the diet. It's hard for me not to just start the diet now... But now I'm reading that there is more than just Gluten free. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to reasearch these diets and what symptoms can go with what diet? When I do start should I just start with the Gluten free and take it from there? Like trial and error? Should i join a group? Are there any upstate New Yorkers on here that can direct me to some sort of support group??

[mftnchn]

I just joined this site yesterday...and I keep reading under posters names about their symptoms and what kind of diets they are on. I'm just feeling so overwhelmed. I'm trying to research all this food stuff... I'm not going to start my diet until after October 10th when I have an endoscopy planned. The doc is going to do a biopsy. My blood tests came back negative, but I identify with so many symptoms I've read online and my GI doctor thinks I may have it despite the blood test results. Now I'm reading that the biopsy results can come back negative too and I can still benefit from the diet. It's hard for me not to just start the diet now... But now I'm reading that there is more than just Gluten free. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to reasearch these diets and what symptoms can go with what diet? When I do start should I just start with the Gluten free and take it from there? Like trial and error? Should i join a group? Are there any upstate New Yorkers on here that can direct me to some sort of support group??

Molly Beth,

Welcome to this site. Yes, it is all quite overwhelming, and we have all been there.

Stay on your regular diet until after the biopsy, for sure. Once you are finished with the biopsy, and even before you get your results, it is fine to start the diet as a trial.

In the beginning, my advice is to just try going gluten free, plus avoid any foods that you know you are sensitive to. There is a nice percentage of people that do very well on just that one restriction, and hopefully you will be one of them!!

It does take awhile to respond to the diet, and you could very well even get worse initially, or have lots of ups and downs that don't make sense. But some people have mostly positive response and right away! Again hope you are one of those.

Then if you really don't improve in a few weeks, usually what is recommended is to drop out dairy. This is due to the inability to digest lactose secondary to intestinal damage. Another problem that often crops up is soy.

If that doesn't do the trick, from there it gets more complicated. It may be more food allergies, intolerances due to intestinal damage and digestion problems, or some other metabolic things in groups of foods, etc. My suggestion is don't try to understand all of these things right up front. Just take it step by step!

One other thing, there is a steep learning curve initially when trying to learn to live gluten-free. Focus on learning the ropes on that for the first step, and reading and collecting lists of safe food alternatives, etc., could keep you very busy until after your endoscopy!!

Keep us posted.

[MollyBeth]

One other thing, there is a steep learning curve initially when trying to learn to live gluten-free. Focus on learning the ropes on that for the first step, and reading and collecting lists of safe food alternatives, etc., could keep you very busy until after your endoscopy!!

Thank you so much! My head feels like it's spinning with all this information. You know how it is when you keep going over things in your head...

People in my family keep telling me..."you don't have celiac" So then I start to second guess myself, but I know I'm not crazy!

Thanks again for the advice. You've really helped set my mind at ease!

[mftnchn]

welcome!

[ShayFL]

Great advice from mftnchn.

Another idea is to use the KISS method. AVOID common troublemakers: Dairy, Soy, Gluten, Corn, Peanuts

Eat Simple foods: Plain meats, Veggies, Fruits, Nuts, Eggs, Rice, Potatoes, Beans, Oils. Buy them plain and dress them up yourself with pure spices (avoid mixes as they usually contain gluten).

Then after you start feeling BETTER....try adding stuff back in like dairy and then soy.

If ALL your tests come out NEG (like mine did), and you are felling BETTER, you can decide if you want to challenge gluten. That challenge was made for me by CC and I reacted poorly. I will not eat gluten again knowingly.

Best of luck to you!

[happygirl]

Keep in mind that there are many others on here who only have a problem with gluten - having a problem with one food does not necessarily equal problems with other foods.