First Week Going Gluten Free And Very Emotional!

[Jallen]

Hello everyone!

I have decided to go gluten free despite my GI doc saying I had IBS (too many other weird symptoms to accept that!)

I went gluten free last week (with a few slip ups from being a beginner) and so far I feel a bit better. I work the night shift and usually get really back stomach pains and feel 9months prego! Now I just gett a few gas pains and no prego belly so far!

I've noticed that I can cry at the most ridiculous things this past week! I also get very very happy as well (and a little more irritated ). Has this happened to anyone else?

I am struggling with the fact that I don't have a diffinitive diagnosis. I know this is a pretty hot topic but it's really hard to start out since I don't know if I really do have celiac disease. I guess my answer will come when I try introducing gluten back in to see what happens. I am just getting so confused reading labels! I thought I read that vegetable oil is bad but then sometimes I see things that have v-oil and this forum has said that it's gluten-free?? I know it will get easier to read labels but I am just afraid that if I'm not careful enough I may not eliminate gluten completely to really tell if I have celiac disease?

Also, I am definitely struggling with the social aspect. I am sure it will get easier but I feel like people think I am a hypochondriac since I am self diagnosing. I have definitely gotten comments from people. Especially when they ask why I am not drinking beer or eating pizza ect (two of my favs). It's hard to explain to someone (especially when they are not super close to you) why I am no longer eating or drinking the things I love when I don't have a definite diagnosis. I have already gotten a little better about preparing beforehand. I am going away with friends tomorrow for three days and have bought some snacks and drinks that I can eat! I admit I had/have somewhat of a food obsession and it's going to be VERY hard to refuse some of the things I love.

Sorry this is so long! Just trying to sort through everything!

Thanks so much for reading and appreciate any advice I can get!

[maile]

Hi there,

no it's not unusual to be emotional. what you eat (or don't eat) can very much affect how you feel and how you react to things. If you've just been gluten free for a few days or so then you are likely in a "detox" phase while your body is learning it doesn't have to react every time you eat something.

[GFinDC]

You can make things easier on yourself by sticking with whole foods to start out. Frozen foods with 1 or 2 ingredients on the label are simple, like peas, water, or beans, salt. Short lists of ingredients are much faster to read! Eating like this requires you do some actual cooking, so it can take a bit of time to learn that if you aren't in the habit. Starting out on the diet was quite an adjustment for me. You can probably drink hard cider while your friends are drinking beer. Some places may have gluten-free beer like Redbridge also. Z-pizza and Uno's have gluten-free pizza.

[zero]

I am struggling with the fact that I don't have a diffinitive diagnosis. I know this is a pretty hot topic but it's really hard to start out since I don't know if I really do have celiac disease. I guess my answer will come when I try introducing gluten back in to see what happens. I am just getting so confused reading labels! I thought I read that vegetable oil is bad but then sometimes I see things that have v-oil and this forum has said that it's gluten-free?? I know it will get easier to read labels but I am just afraid that if I'm not careful enough I may not eliminate gluten completely to really tell if I have celiac disease?

Also, I am definitely struggling with the social aspect. I am sure it will get easier but I feel like people think I am a hypochondriac since I am self diagnosing. I have definitely gotten comments from people. Especially when they ask why I am not drinking beer or eating pizza ect (two of my favs). It's hard to explain to someone (especially when they are not super close to you) why I am no longer eating or drinking the things I love when I don't have a definite diagnosis. I have already gotten a little better about preparing beforehand. I am going away with friends tomorrow for three days and have bought some snacks and drinks that I can eat! I admit I had/have somewhat of a food obsession and it's going to be VERY hard to refuse some of the things I love.

Sorry this is so long! Just trying to sort through everything!

Thanks so much for reading and appreciate any advice I can get!

You've seen doctors, they haven't helped and you still don't feel well. You're taking an active role in trying to improve your health. No more explanation is really required.

The hardest part for me at the beginning was breaking out of the habit of what I used to eat and establishing a new habit of what I could eat. And mistakes were made (why does Mi-Del make ginger snaps with gluten??). But with time and knowledge you will become more discerning of what to look out for. After several months, I got somewhat disgruntled by the diet but I had the celiac label so I knew I couldn't go back. If you come to the same point you will have a bigger challenge but I think you would be wise to work through it. Even with the celiac diagnosis, one of the more satisfying mistakes for me was when I had a reaction which I later traced to soy milk with wheat. Basically it was a blind test so it gave me confidence that this thing was real. Good luck.

[mommida]

In certain individuals, gluten and casein can have an opiate affect on the brain. You are going through withdrawal.

Doctors admit that "IBS" symptoms can improve on a gluten free diet.

It might be a good thing not to be labeled Celiac. You won't get stuck with a pre-existing condition clause, higher life/health insurance premiums.

Keep a food journal. It will help determine if you have any other food sensitivties.

[ang1e0251]

It's hard to give up your favorite foods and start a whole new lifestyle from one day to the next. It's OK to be emotional about it.

First I would like to say, how would anyone know if you have a dx or not? Isn't your visit with your dr private and privileged? Do not share private info with others who are not your family. It's a need to know basis and they just don't need to know. For those kind of people and restaurants, I just say I have some severe foods allergies and leave it at that. Everyone understands that allergies are serious and most will accept that. And if you are out and there are foods that you're not sure about, you can just say your dr has said you have additional allergies and you and he are still working through those. Till then you can't eat -----.

Also don't settle for food you cannot have, find gluten-free alternatives. There are many restaurants now offering gluten-free alternatives and there is certainly beer you can drink. In our state, UNO Pizza and Godfather Pizza have gluten-free pizza. You'll figure it out as time goes by.

[no-more-muffins]

Yeah, the first couple of weeks are definitely hard. I think that your ups and downs are probably from the gluten withdrawal symptoms. (you can google it if you want to read more.)

I also don't have a definitive diagnosis but after I read about celiac disease I knew that is what was wrong with me. If you don't want to say you have celiac when you don't have a definite diagnosis you can always say that you are sensitive to gluten and that when you eat it you get sick. How can anyone argue with that. You can also say you are having a trial of gluten free to see if your symptoms improve because you feel like your stomach problems are related to food.

I think is great that you are taking your health into your own hands and not taking the "IBS" diagnosis. IBS is the biggest cop-out dianosis and it is just crap.

[Jallen]

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

So I just got back from my trip to the cape with some girl friends and I have to say it went great!! I planned ahead and bought G.F. beer and made sure I had snacks (which has always been a huge weakness of mine!) when we ate out I just walked away from the table and asked the waitress what she recommended and they were very accommodating and the dish I got was delicious! The funniest part is after dinner we went out for drinks and all of the other girls were complaining of how bloated they felt and my stomach, for the first time after having a dinner and drinks, felt perfect!!! It also helped that my friends are pretty supportive and make me feel very comfortable about it! Anyway, just thought I'd share that I had a good experience!

I have now been eating gluten free for almost two weeks and I am really starting to feel better! The rash that I always thought was acne is clearing up! Now if only my cankers will go away I will feel like a whole new woman!!

Thanks again for the advice!

[ravenwoodglass]

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

So I just got back from my trip to the cape with some girl friends and I have to say it went great!! I planned ahead and bought G.F. beer and made sure I had snacks (which has always been a huge weakness of mine!) when we ate out I just walked away from the table and asked the waitress what she recommended and they were very accommodating and the dish I got was delicious! The funniest part is after dinner we went out for drinks and all of the other girls were complaining of how bloated they felt and my stomach, for the first time after having a dinner and drinks, felt perfect!!! It also helped that my friends are pretty supportive and make me feel very comfortable about it! Anyway, just thought I'd share that I had a good experience!

I have now been eating gluten free for almost two weeks and I am really starting to feel better! The rash that I always thought was acne is clearing up! Now if only my cankers will go away I will feel like a whole new woman!!

Thanks again for the advice!

Sounds like you have gotten through the withdrawl and a trip with freinds successfully. You may still have some ups and downs but it will only get better and easier from here. The cankers will go away and chances are since you have seen your face clearing up your skin will keep improving. I would check out some of the gluten free makeups available if you do wear it. Thanks for posting the update, isn't it great to here when folks start to feel better!

[NYCCeliacMom]

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

So I just got back from my trip to the cape with some girl friends and I have to say it went great!! I planned ahead and bought G.F. beer and made sure I had snacks (which has always been a huge weakness of mine!) when we ate out I just walked away from the table and asked the waitress what she recommended and they were very accommodating and the dish I got was delicious! The funniest part is after dinner we went out for drinks and all of the other girls were complaining of how bloated they felt and my stomach, for the first time after having a dinner and drinks, felt perfect!!! It also helped that my friends are pretty supportive and make me feel very comfortable about it! Anyway, just thought I'd share that I had a good experience!

I have now been eating gluten free for almost two weeks and I am really starting to feel better! The rash that I always thought was acne is clearing up! Now if only my cankers will go away I will feel like a whole new woman!!

Thanks again for the advice!

You may find that your canker sores go away completely once you are entirely gluten-free for a while. My celiac was diagnosed 6 months ago. I have had terrible canker sores for about 18 years. I found that taking b complex vitamins, using a toothpaste without sodium laurel sulfate, and using mouthwashes like Biotin and BetaCell (very expensive), helped keep them under control, but going gluten-free meant a vanishing act for the canker sores. Now I know when I have been glutened by some sores showing up. They disappear quickly and never develop into huge, miserable ones.

[mamaesq]

My canker sores are mostly gone too. The only time I get them is if I have an accidental gluten ingestion. I accidentally had some on Sunday afternoon, I had diarrhea on Sunday night and a big sore on my gum on Monday morning. It's how I know if I was glutened or if I am sick.

It will get easier. I cried most of October whenever food was involved. I really believe that I went through the stages of grief during the early months of going gluten free. I am mostly at acceptance, but there are occasions that I still get angry or teary at the grocery store.

[Jallen]

My canker sores are finally gone! ( after doing some research I think that it was sort of a "detox" phase of my body. I broke out and got those AWFUL canker sores and now they are both gone and my skin looks great!). I really hope that's the last of both of them for a while!

The emotions are getting better, but it's so nice to hear that others feel/felt the same way! I accidently ordered oysters that were fried the other night (I thought they were fresh) and when I got them I started crying on the spot! Then I felt even more like an idiot, lol! They were very nice and gave me a lobster salad instead, it turned out fine

[LisaaaNoel]

Although I can't say I feel emotional lately, I definitely understand what you're saying as far as trying to go gluten free without an official diagnosis. I was also diagnosed with IBS and haven't found anything to help. So I've put myself on a gluten-free diet to see if I improve. So far I've been on it for 11 days and have seen no improvement. It's hard having motivation to continue with this when it's quite possible that gluten isn't a problem for me. In all honesty I hope that my problems are due to gluten, because then at least I could make myself feel better.

Although eating out is hard, I haven't had too much trouble with the food otherwise. I LOVE to cook and for me it's kind of fun figuring out new things to make. (I'm even vegetarian so it makes my diet even more challenging!)

[Jallen]

lisaaanoel,

I was wondering if you have started feeling better yet? I have read a lot on here and a lot of people say it took them a while before they started feeling better! I would keep up with it and see how you feel.

I do get what you mean about finding new things, I get excited when I try a new recipes!

Good luck with your trial and I hope you feel better soon!