New Diagnosis And Confused

[kathylea]

hello iam new to this dont really know what i am doing. i was diagnosed with celiac about two weeks ago..... after a 35 pounds weight loss and now possible lupus.... i dont know to much about what to do to fix this disease... can i have some help please

[mushroom]

Hi Kathylea. No need to be confused, but we can help you better if you tell us a little more about what you find the most confusing and what information we need to provide. There are lots of threads started by newbies, and if you start reading there they will be a help to you, but we are happy to provide specific information you request. It can all be a little overwhelming to start with, but you soon get the hang of it. Get back to us a little more specifically, would you? Tell us a little about yourself and your journey to where you are now. See you soon

[kathylea]

Hi Kathylea. No need to be confused, but we can help you better if you tell us a little more about what you find the most confusing and what information we need to provide. There are lots of threads started by newbies, and if you start reading there they will be a help to you, but we are happy to provide specific information you request. It can all be a little overwhelming to start with, but you soon get the hang of it. Get back to us a little more specifically, would you? Tell us a little about yourself and your journey to where you are now. See you soon

[kathylea]

i am 46 years old. i have had stomach problems most of my life but in december of last year i started having diarrhea 7-8 times a day. in the process of this i some how got a compression fracture of the spine. had a bone density test which came back bad. have gone back and forth to the doctor with bone pain, exhaustion, diarhea, etc. finally in may i had a egd and colonoscopy done. dr came in and said there was nothing the matter. i cried i knew better. lost 9 more pounds from may to august. saw a gi guy. another egd and colonoscopy done was diagnosed with celiac on october 8 with an ana speckled pattern and elevated so have to see a guy about possible lupus which probably came from the celiac....... any body else get lupus from celiac. thanks for listening

[GFinDC]

Hi Kathylea,

One thing to be aware of is malabsorption. Celiac disease damages the lining of the small instestine. The small intestine is where lots of vitamins and minerals and nutrients are supposed to be absorbed. So when it is damaged your ability to absorb nutrients can be reduced. You could eat ice cream all day and still have a calcium deficiency. Or a B-12 or other vitamin dificiency. If you search the forum for viatmin you will probably find lots of suggestions on which vitamins to take. Liquid B-12 is often suggested. Calcium and vitamin D are good. Make sure to check your vitamins for gluten like oats, rye, barley or wheat. Those are all things to avoid.

It can take a while to learn the foods/ingredients to avoid. One way to make it simpler is to eat only whole foods you cook yourself. Potatoes, onions, rice, avacadoes, eggs, etc. Avoid the processed foods.

[mushroom]

It is also a good idea at first to avoid lactose (milk, ice cream, cream) because the lactase to digest that is produced at the tips of the villi in your small intestine which are normally damaged by the gluten. You may be able to add this back in later when you have healed. I can tolerate milk in my capucchinos now

If you can do it, a gluten free household is best. If you can't, then at least keep a separate counter space on which no gluten is placed, have a separate storage area for your gluten free products in the pantry and fridge, have your own jars of spreads and whatnot so they do not get contaminated by breadcrumbs of others. Get rid of, or buy new for yourself, a toaster, for yourself use only new colander, new wooden utensils, anything that it is difficult to rid of gluten. Check your toothpaste, toiletries, cosmetics for gluten content, and if you are not sure whether or not something has gluten in it, don't eat it. You will learn as time goes on where gluten hides but you will always have to read the labels as manufacturers change their product content constantly. Don't forget to check all sauces and salad dressings--they are big culprits. Tamari is a gluten free soy sauce.

Do not be too surprised to find once you give up gluten, that you perhaps react to other foods too. Hopefully you will not

Keep reading on here and keep asking questions you don't find answers to. This is a great resource and the search feature is remarkable. Good luck on your new gluten free life.