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austengirl

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austengirl Newbie
austengirl
Posted

Hey guys, I am new to this site and new to the gluten free diet. I have had problems with my stomach for about five years now. Way back in the beginning my doctor did an abdominal ultrasound which was normal, then put me on prevacid. Nothing has really ever made my symptoms completely go away, so after reading about celiac disease I decided to try going gluten free.

Since I am self employed, I pay for my own health insurance and would rather not add a diagnosis to my records, especially if there is no medicine that can cure it!

I've tried to follow the diet for the past five days as best I can, but reading all these labels can be really confusing! I have some questions about starting the diet. I would appreciate any insights!

1. I've done this for five days and still have some discomfort while my food is digesting. The severe bloating seemed to be better after the first 24 hours. How long until I can definitively know if this diet is helping?

2. Also, I am still eating foods with sugar, but twice before meals I have felt like my blood sugar got low and had to drink some juice to feel better. Did this happen to anybody else? Maybe I am not realizing how much sugar is cut out of my diet. I almost felt like I was going through some sort of withdrawal the first couple of days!

3. I have had some really good stomach days this week, and two not so great days. Is it normal to go back and forth like this in the beginning? I got depressed after having a great day, then my stomach hurting the next.

Thanks!

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happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Welcome to the board!

There isn't one answer for how long it 'takes' to tell....but a solid month of gluten free should be at the very least, a good indication.

Unsafe ingredients: https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

Safe ingredients: https://www.celiac.com/articles/181/1/Safe-...ents/Page1.html

A list of companies that has a clear gluten policy. If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, its not there, or hidden in "flavors, starches, etc." Open Original Shared Link and Open Original Shared Link This makes shopping MUCH easier.

FDA foods are required to list wheat - it cannot be hidden.

Rule #1: Never eat anything without reading the label first.

Rule #2: Consistently check labels, even of your favorite products, as product formulations can change.

Rule #3: If you are unsure of an ingredient, or the company's policy on labeling, call the phone number on the back of the product or email the company.

Great info to get you started: Open Original Shared Link

austengirl Newbie
austengirl
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for responding. I will definitely bookmark those sites.

I have another question. I have noticed a lot of people on here stopped eating dairy products in addition to being gluten free. Is this absolutely necessary, or is it just a good idea in the beginning when your intestine is healing? I was so happy to see that Rice Chex is gluten free, but I'm thinking some of my residual symptoms might be related to cereal and milk and or ice cream. As far as I know I do not have lactose intolerance, but I'm thinking these things might be triggering a little bit of the bloating again.

I don't know how I would live without milk and cheese! What do you guys eat with cereal? I have never tried any kind of soy milk. Are they gluten free?

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

It really just depends on the person. Some give it up and can add it back in, some have continued problems with it, and some never have any problems with it and don't need to give it up.

If you have only been gluten free for five days, your symptoms may be entirely related to gluten.

austengirl Newbie
austengirl
Posted
  • Author

Maybe I will try some soy milk just for kicks, and if I can't tell a difference I will just stick with regular milk. I REALLY don't want to give up dairy, but if I need to for a while I can.

Thanks so much for responding! I'm about ready to have a meltdown with all this food confusion. I never realized food was such a big part of my life until now!

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Hang in there - you are doing great!

Continue to ask questions. Someone here always has an answer.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Dairy actually involves two separate issues, the lactose (milk sugar) and the casein (milk protein).

If you are celiac it is most likely that the disease has damaged the villi in your small intestine, and it is at the tip of the villi that the lactase enzyme is produced to digest the lactose. That is why so many celiacs are initially (and sometimes forever) lactose intolerant--lactose involving milk, cream, ice cream frozen yogurt. Theoretically, once the villi heal you should be able to digest the lactose and consume these products.

Some celiacs are also intolerant of casein, which is in all dairy products. So these people have to give up dairy completely. If you are not intolerant of casein you may be able to eat cheese, yogurt, sour cream--dairy products which are cultured and in which the culture consumes most of the lactose. It is worth differentiating between the two in your diet to find out which (if either) you are intolerant of.

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    • knitty kitty
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      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
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