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Self Diagnosed, I Think.

bellis

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bellis Rookie
bellis
Posted

My wife, 2 kids and i all got swine flu at the end of august. i was the only 1 to get diarrea from it. It didn't go away. I had this before, where i got ill and i had "The squirts" for 2 weeks in the past, so i didn't think much of it. i noticed my weight decreasing and i was constantly bloated and very gassy till early Oct. it would come and go for many weeks. Then i had some spagetti and meatballs and half a loaf of french bread. Woke up that night at 4am with intense cramps and diarrea(Iblamed it on the garlic!). went to work and felt better by noon, so i ate pizza! by 3pm on my way home i was covered in hives and had diarrea. I took benadryll and pill called allerplex that is supposedly good for your intestines when having a reaction to food. oops. It is loaded with Gluten. THe next three days were sleepless, foodless nights and days with intense cramps and bloating. The second day my wife read about a disease called Celiac. an answer!

I am a 35 year old Irish, italian native american. My mother had Thyroid Cancer, my Brother is anemic, and he and my sister both have acid reflux and have both been to the doctors numerous times with no resolve to their digestive problems. My sister has gone gluten free with me and has had no more stomach aches.

i have been gluten free for 5 weeks now, and with no cramps or bloating (with the exception of dairy which i have cut out now). my weight has sustained and i am eating well. My stomach seems slightly sensitive to acidic foods. No coffee, catsup, or dairy and i seem fine.

i refuse to eat gluten again. ever. My energy levels are up higher than i can remember and no longer run to the bathroom after meals. I don't think i would eat gluten agin even if i was proven not to be Celiac.

Any feed back would be appreciated!

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nu-to-no-glu Apprentice
nu-to-no-glu
Posted

Hooray :) Isn't it awesome to finally put the pieces together? AND...you have your sister for continued support! I'm glad you are feeling better...loads of people here are also self-diagnosed and never going back. This is an excellent place for resources, and...I'd say that since you are so much improved from the diet, you are on the right track. I'm almost to my 3 month mark gluten-free, and I'm never going back, either!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Congratulations on completing the jigsaw puzzle :D Yes, many of us have to put the pieces together ourselves, and many do not believe we could have done it, after all, that is for the experts. But when the experts fail we do it ourselves, and once the puzzle is complete we don't break it apart again. How wonderful to have a sister to give you support and guidance; she will be an indispensable resource. Most of us are intolerant of dairy to start with, but down the road you may be able to add it back once you've healed. Your gut will still be sensitive for some time while it is healing, but eventually (from the sound of it) you will be good as gold :) If you run into any roadblocks or have any questions, don't hesitate to post a thread.

bellis Rookie
bellis
Posted
  • Author
Congratulations on completing the jigsaw puzzle :D Yes, many of us have to put the pieces together ourselves, and many do not believe we could have done it, after all, that is for the experts. But when the experts fail we do it ourselves, and once the puzzle is complete we don't break it apart again. How wonderful to have a sister to give you support and guidance; she will be an indispensable resource. Most of us are intolerant of dairy to start with, but down the road you may be able to add it back once you've healed. Your gut will still be sensitive for some time while it is healing, but eventually (from the sound of it) you will be good as gold :) If you run into any roadblocks or have any questions, don't hesitate to post a thread.

Thank you! My wife is possibly Celiac as well, runs in her family! We are all Going gluten free. My children (4 and 5) both display symptoms. My son after 2 weeks gluten free is no longer a crabby zombie after kindergarten all day! Now just to get through our first gluten-free Thanksgiving! i just found out we have a gluten-free bakery 3 miles from our home -PECAN PIE!!!

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

You are so lucky that your sister is so supportive. Mine just gives me that glazed look.

and, seriously, pecan pie from a bakery? That's heaven!

ksymonds84 Enthusiast
ksymonds84
Posted

So awesome that you have the families support, that will be such a huge blessing for you all! Happy Healing!

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    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
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    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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      Contact them.
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