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Residual Symptoms Or Slip Ups?

Beloved

By Beloved
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Beloved Apprentice
Beloved
Posted

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in Nov 07 after months of harassing my doctor trying to figure out what was making me so miserable. I found out about it in a medical magazine and decided the symptoms sounded similar to my own. I got the blood test for it and it came back positive, so I switched to a gluten-free diet.

Now, back then I remember that I had a constant and horrible bloated feeling on my right side that was extremely uncomfortable and constant diarrhea and bad gas. When I got on the diet these symptoms started to decrease and eventually became manageable.

However, recently I've noticed an increase in bloating on my right side again, and the last couple of weeks I have been very very gassy. It's become a running joke between my boyfriend and me because the smell can be absolutely terrible.

I'm not entirely sure the gassiness is celiac gas, because I have only had the diarrhea a few times these last couple months. I've been contributing it to accidental exposure to gluten, but it's driving me crazy because I can't think of anything I've been eating that could cause it.

I have been eating out more often, I had Taco Bell (the Southwest Steakbowl) and at Chipoltle (the burrito bowl), and Outback Steakhouse. I don't recall having problems with them in the past, but perhaps simply eating them more has lead to increased exposure?

I don't drink the coffee at work anymore because I'm always worried it has something in it, and the only soda I drink now are Coca Cola, Sprite & Pepsi. I buy products marked clearly "gluten-free" or make my own. I use Heinz Ketchup and always check labels or give a run down to restaurant staff when eating out.

I just can't really think what could be causing this now. How long do symptoms normally last? Could a slightly contaminated meal cause me a week of bloating and gas? It just seems unlikely. Perhaps I never completely healed? To my knowledge I was only "celiac" since March/April 07, but perhaps I was being damaged much longer then that?

I'd appreciate some input on this, I can't figure out if I'm just accidentally exposing myself or if these are prolonged effects of the past.

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Could a slightly contaminated meal cause me a week of bloating and gas? It just seems unlikely.

I'd appreciate some input on this, I can't figure out if I'm just accidentally exposing myself or if these are prolonged effects of the past.

Yes eating out and getting CC'd could cause that and even a full blown glutening. It is very easy to get CC'd especially in fast food places.

Gentleheart Enthusiast
Gentleheart
Posted

Some folks can live the reasonable gluten free lifestyle you have just described and do just fine. But if you are still having all these suspicious and uncomfortable symptoms, it would indicate to me that you might be a little too sensitive to be quite that free. Many of us can't eat out at all, which is certainly disappointing. You may not be that bad, but you probably should cut way back on eating out and see if your symptoms change. It's coming from somewhere, maybe even several places and you will have to use the process of elimination until you find it. Be diligent. You'll figure it out. :)

And yes, you have been getting progressively damaged by gluten much longer than just since your diagnosis, I suspect. Maybe years. Your body might have been silently tolerating it until it just couldn't take it any longer. A positive blood test, if accurate, means quite a bit of damage has likely occurred to the villi in your small intestine and that took time to achieve.

And yes, even a simple glutening can lay people up for a week or two or three. Everyone is different on that. But actually there is no such thing as a minor glutening really. Once that powerful human immune system trigger is flipped by gluten, the reaction is pretty much the same over and over again. It's always destructive and should always be avoided as much as humanly possible.

Mother of Jibril Enthusiast
Mother of Jibril
Posted

You might also want to consider corn... Taco Bell, Chipotle, soda (high fructose corn syrup)... plus how much corn are you getting at home in your gluten-free processed food? Corn is in EVERYTHING and it gives me the same kind of abdominal pain as gluten.

I agree about cross-contamination. But... if it doesn't help you to stop eating out, consider that you might have another food intolerance. <_<

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

I agree with the above. Taco bell esp. is not a wise choice. CC is very likely.

Given the bad gassy smell I would also highly suspect a candida or fungal overgrowth. You might want to cut down on flours of any type and if that doesn't work, then grains. Many of us have a low tolerance for any grains plus fungal overgrowth results from too much carbohydrate. Put that together and you may have a problem. It might be worth investigating.

Bea

Beloved Apprentice
Beloved
Posted
  • Author

Thank you very much, all of you. I think I am definately going to stop eating Taco Bell then. I believe this started becoming worse when I started working again (I was unemployed for three months and once I started working again I started eating out more). I think I will try doing without the Chipoltle for a while as well.

As for the soda I'm trying to cut that out altogether, because it certainly isn't helping the situation, but it's so hard when there's so very little out there conveniently and easily available! It's just so frustrating!

Jibril, I haven't actually been eating a ton of corn (to my knowledge), most of what I eat is rice ( or made of rice). However I will keep this in mind because I have been eating it more because of Chipoltle.

Yolo, You can get yeast in your gut? That sounds awful. Do you know if there are any vitamen supplements or digestive supplements I can take to help repair some of the damage? My doctor had recommended one a while back, but I can't remember the name and when I asked him again he didn't seem to remember what it was either. They also stopped selling it at the store. I will say that the carbohydrate overload seems more likely, because I've been having problems lately with shaking and feeling weird which I normally attribute to my blood sugars being off ( I don't have diabetes, but my sister and father do) because of maybe drinking too many sodas (it happened once before in Japan, I had a terrible diet there - the first time I went- and nearly self-destructed from too many sodas).

Thank you so much for your help guys, I'm definitely going to try this stuff and see if I get some improvement! :)

I know that's just silly but, I feel like an outcast alot of the time at work. They order donuts or pizza for rewards and I'm like, gee thanks guys. Often times the smell of McDonalds wafts in over the cubicles and teases me. Not to mention that my coffee breaks have been dominated by mad dashes to the cafeteria to buy my coffee instead of getting the free coffee everyone else drinks because it all comes from the same spout (one spout, several flavors). For birthdays they do cakes, and I told them I couldn't eat it because of my celiac, so they just put my name on it and ate it around me.

It just makes me want to have a few things I can do like everyone else, whether it be eating out or drinking soda or simply going out without having to worry about bringing my own chow. It really drives me crazy sometimes.

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

You're right, it can really be inconvenient sometimes. It sounds like you really don't like to bring your own food but it really would be best for you to do so. Plus there is no way I would sit around with nothing while people around me were treated to cake!!

You really don't want the rest to stop birthdays because you can't have cake, do you? You're responsible for you health, not the rest of the office. I'll bet if you brought in a big beautiful brownie on cake day, you'ld have everyone drooling over your food!! It's not so hard to make, then you can freeze the portions in individual plastic bags and pull one out whenever you want a treat.

The same goes for lunch food. When I cook, I cook larger quantities and package it up for lunches. People usually claim they wish they could have my food. You just have some more adjusting to do. It'll get easier and the end result is no more glutening when you pack your own food.

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Beloved Apprentice
Beloved
Posted
  • Author
You really don't want the rest to stop birthdays because you can't have cake, do you? You're responsible for you health, not the rest of the office. I'll bet if you brought in a big beautiful brownie on cake day, you'ld have everyone drooling over your food!! It's not so hard to make, then you can freeze the portions in individual plastic bags and pull one out whenever you want a treat.

No I don't mind their birthdays, but I still think it's rather rude to put my name on a cake for my birthday knowing full well I can't eat it, then eat it in front of me.

They also have "reward" pizza and donut parties, I just think it's inconsiderate to leave me out of it. If I found out somebody had, like, a nut allergy at my party, I'd make sure they didn't sit and starve while everyone tucked into cashew desserts, you know? LOL

Klauren Apprentice
Klauren
Posted

The way your post was worded, it wasn't 100% clear that a cake was served for your birthday that you couldn't have - I agree that's awful! The pizza isn't nice, but its not horrible because everyone shouldn't miss out because you can't have it - but why not ask whether there is something that could be ordered for you. Otherwise bring something! Good luck!

Ruthie73 Newbie
Ruthie73
Posted

The corn issue interested me - I went to a kinesiologist following my initial positive bloods (work sent me - I suppose they were fed up with my cotton wool head this caused! lol) and she discovered that I was showing sensitivity to corn, and suggested that I stop eating temporarily whilst I was 'healing' from the damages of eating gluten for years. Its just that my gut was probably sore and needed a break whilst it got back on track.

I think I also keep slipping up, especially recently - eating out I'm sure did it even though it was supposed to be gluten-free, and I'll always find the culprit at home when I get gassy /bloated/ stomach pains - I just keep going over EVERYTHING , and I have always managed to find it (the last was a gluten exposed yeast I was using to make gluten-free bread. The last place I would have expected gluten, but I'm learning...) It's the fuzzy head and drop in mood that really gets me, as it comes after and is so hard to shift again...

My work also does treats and birthday cakes. The treats I just have to put up with, but my first gluten-free birthday will be this March, and although they know I can't eat regular cakes and stuff, I'm sure they're gonna forget - and I can imagine how awful it must have been for you to watch them eat your cake when you couldn't. Not a happy birthday! I've already decided that I might make a gluten-free birthday cake myself (I'm not a very good cook, but I'm gonna try!) and share it with them, so they know for the future. That way, they'll remember from the experience of trying something 'new'. And I get to have a slice too! :D

Hope you manage to work out what it was.

kr x

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

They have some really nice gluten-free cake mixes at WF. I made a b cake for my mom that way, was vanilla but nice (I added my own gluten-free non alcohol based vanilla). I made a carob frosting since I can't have chocolate. Of course the sugar was way too high for me and all my little candida beasties.... But nevertheless it was good and not permanent damage.

Speaking of candida overgrowth, I have addressed that issue elsewhere many a time here on the forums. I suggest you check some of my posts out as well as those made by others.

Bea

Beloved Apprentice
Beloved
Posted
  • Author

Hi All,

Just like to report that I completely stopped eating out (and drinking soda) since my last post and wow, do I feel like an idiot.

The gas is nearly completely gone and the bloating is almost gone too. I was seeing serious improvement in like 3 days.

I am so pissed that I've been gluten-ing myself all this time unintentionally... If I had been eating out more I probably would have figured it out faster, but my symptoms have always seemed to slowly build up rather then hit me at once.

So yeah, feeling alot better. I did take a Schiff Probiotic Acidophilus tab because I figured that might help things along, but I'm wondering if maybe that was a mistake because I was a little gassier today then before. However I did call them and they said it was gluten free...so maybe it just makes you crack them more? lol

Well one thing is for sure, the smell has improved TREMENDOUSLY. I no longer feel I will die of mortification when I let one go. I can't believe I was so silly, blaming it on spicy food...in a way I'm kind of glad I started bloating again, that was one of my major symptoms before.

So yeah... no more Chipoltle or Taco Bell for me...but it's worth it. :)

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

I know what you mean. Going off even just the trace glutens made a hug dif. for me, gas wise so to speak...though I also have been avoiding sugar etc.

Congratulations! And don't berate yourself. Its an easy mistake...

Bea

  • 3 weeks later...
Mrs. Smith Explorer
Mrs. Smith
Posted
Hi All,

Just like to report that I completely stopped eating out (and drinking soda) since my last post and wow, do I feel like an idiot.

The gas is nearly completely gone and the bloating is almost gone too. I was seeing serious improvement in like 3 days.

I am so pissed that I've been gluten-ing myself all this time unintentionally... If I had been eating out more I probably would have figured it out faster, but my symptoms have always seemed to slowly build up rather then hit me at once.

So yeah, feeling alot better. I did take a Schiff Probiotic Acidophilus tab because I figured that might help things along, but I'm wondering if maybe that was a mistake because I was a little gassier today then before. However I did call them and they said it was gluten free...so maybe it just makes you crack them more? lol

Well one thing is for sure, the smell has improved TREMENDOUSLY. I no longer feel I will die of mortification when I let one go. I can't believe I was so silly, blaming it on spicy food...in a way I'm kind of glad I started bloating again, that was one of my major symptoms before.

So yeah... no more Chipoltle or Taco Bell for me...but it's worth it. :)

I know what you mean. My symptoms build up too. I completely stopped eating out and I had to quit soda too and I love coke. It stopped my diareah though. I still have muscle pain at times but massage, excersise and sticking to my diet are slowly helping. I think lunch meat gives me a reaction too. I had pastrami 2 days in a row and felt like crap. Just be more careful and take digestive enzymes with each meal for a while. It helped me alot with gas and D. Take a dairy free acidophilus and avoid dairy for a few months. Feel better! I feel your pain.

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

[quote name='Mrs. Smith' date='Mar 20 2009, 10:06 PM' post='519182'

I think lunch meat gives me a reaction too. I had pastrami 2 days in a row and felt like crap.

I was reacting too. Now I only eat Hormel Naturals lunch meat. It's nitrate/ite free. I have had no problem with any of those.

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