Constantly Feeling Gross

[RideAllWays]

I have been gluten-free for almost 8 months now, and have not cheated at all. I have been glutened quite a few times at restaurants or by cc in the home, but even when Im eating right I still seem to have constant nausea and pain in my stomach, as well as bloating. To the point where strangers ask me when my baby is due...pretty embarrassing for an 18 year old (who looks like 13 haha).

I have been lactose-free for 3 years but I still drink lactose-free cows milk, and stuff like that that has had the lactase enzyme added. Maybe I cannot tolerate casein? What is the difference between lactose and casein?

I have also found that corn and soy sometimes bother me. I will go a couple weeks without both, then try it again and I'll be fine, but some corn products bother me while others don't. Same with soy. Could those products have come in contact with gluten, or is it the soy/corn that is bothering me?

I want to stop feeling sick to my stomach, lethargic, and in pain, as many of you can certainly understand. Any input is appreciated!

Thanks,

Devon

[runningcrazy]

Hi, I'm sorry I can't help you with much the only thing I feel I can tell you that I know for sure is that casein is the protein in milk. Lactose is the sugar in milk. You can stop having lactose intoelrance, by casein problems never go away, like gluten.

Sorry for my lack of help, have you considered a food diary? When the soy/corn products do give you troubles, you would then know which ones are doing it. Then you can look and see if there is a common ingredient. Perhaps there is some flavoring or coloring that gives you trouble, and is only is some of those products.

Good luck to you~

[GFPamela]

I have been lactose-free for 3 years but I still drink lactose-free cows milk, and stuff like that that has had the lactase enzyme added. Maybe I cannot tolerate casein? What is the difference between lactose and casein?

I have also found that corn and soy sometimes bother me. I will go a couple weeks without both, then try it again and I'll be fine, but some corn products bother me while others don't. Same with soy. Could those products have come in contact with gluten, or is it the soy/corn that is bothering me?

Wow, I have similar questions/issues. What IS the difference between lactose and casein, and do I have to go to an allergist to find out about corn and soy? I like corn pasta but it seemed to bother me.

[hannahp57]

when you start a gluten free diet you have to give your body time to heal (remember it has been constantly bombarded with gluten until recently)

for me it took me three months before i could eat without feeling awful. i cut out all dairy and cheese until 6 months. i highly recommend cutting out dairy (and in your case soy and casein and probably oats too) until you have been eating gluten free for a while and have begun feeling better. i waited until i could eat without feeling sick and until i started having normal bms (sorry tmi but just being honest with you). right noiw your villi are damaged, especially since you have been glutened and so some foods will give you problems even though you arent necessarily allergic. i could not do dairy or oats to start off but i evenutally added both into my diet successfully. try no eating out so often until you have your symptoms controlled and are feeling better, and until you have a better handle on this. it is a lot to take in and there is soooo much to learn! good luck and hope you start feeling better soon

[YoloGx]

You might want to consider going off all grains and go on a specific carbohydrate diet (scd). Elaine Gottschall wrote a book about it called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." You can look it up online for more info. plus there is a forum here on celiac.com about it started by AliB. It is helping me immensely--I have had a puffed up belly forever it seems. I went off all grains as a result, which helped. However I still couldn't eat fruit or anything sweet not to mention cheese etc. and certainly not any lactaid milk! Now I can have honey and fruit without distress. The trick is to also avoid mucilaginous herbs and vegetables etc. as well as complex sugars and carbs. Further they have one make one's own 24 hour yogurt and/or fermented cabbage. The lactose then is all fermented out, while the beneficial micro-organisms required for good digestion are in. Monosaccharides are easily digestible, but disaccharides and polysaccharides apparently are much harder to digest and can cause a host of problems. Fortunately one can eat squash safely, but not potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes. I highly suggest you check it out.

[RideAllWays]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm definitely going to start keeping a food diary..I did for a while and then stopped when I was feeling better for a while. I might try the SCD for a while too, and see how that works out.

Is casein only in cow produts, or can I have goat's milk/cheese?

[ang1e0251]

As far as lactose intolerance, mine has gotten more sensitive over the years. In the beginning, I could use Lactaid and I did OK. But I cannot tolerate lactose reduced milk any longer. Any fresh dairy is out. But I am not allergic to casein; I still can eat butter and some cheeses.

You are in the beginning stages of healing and your system is still tender. There might be foods that are bothering you right now just because of that. That doesn't mean you can never tolerate them again. As your system heals, you may be able to reintroduce these and tolerate them well. The food diary is an excellant tool. Use it and back off anything you think you are reacting to. Make a note of it and at a later date you can challenge them as a test. I found I could again eat fruits and juices well but I couldn't at first. I also found any grains just don't like me. I feel much better since cutting way back on those.

Each person is different. You will have to find what works well for you. Keep asking questions here. There is usually someone with an opinion or story that can help you.