Please Help My Hubbys Really Sick

[rhinestonecowgirl]

Hey, I am new here & this is my 1st post. I hope I put it in the right place. In Early August last year, my husband, (who weighs about 145) got really sick, unable to hold down ANY food or fluids even Gatorade. He lost about 20 lbs, we went to every doctor we were refered to, after the inital trip to the ER. NONE of them could find anything wrong, infact they suggested it was in his head (or stress) we do own a small construction company, and at the time had about 12 employees. But no matter what we did he wasn't getting better. Then a lady @ our church was at a meeting she usually didn't attend, when they brought up that my husband was really sick & they prayed for him, afterwards, she spoke to one of the men who knows us very well & told him about that the sickness he was going through was EXACTLY what her husband went through & they to are self employeed (which means not Ins. also) The Dr.'s also told her husband it was in his head. They just happened to meet a man who told them about Celiac & they started fallowing the diet & he has put on weight & has felt better than he had in YEARS. So I met with her she gave me a bunch of info, some flours, seasonings & recipes. We fallowed the diet strictly for about 2 months(until he started feeling better) the he would stop & get a Biscuit in the mornings or a burger for lunch, needless to say he came off the diet, & Now he is back in the SAME situation again. Keep in mind we are in North Georgia & when I would mention Celiac to a Dr. they didn't have a CLUE what I was talking about. So to get a diagnosis, well, that wasn't going to happen.

Anyway, is there any "magic food" that he might be able to keep down, I know we started with rice before.

I THINK he is a Believer now that this has happened TWICE!

PLEASE help!

I have all the stuff, as far as Flours, I have a Pasta Machine, Bread Maker & all that stuff, I just need the Magic Food!

Thanks,

Dena

[Guest gfinnebraska]

There isn't a "magic food" to make him instantly feel better. I would suggest that he needs to really limit his diet until he has a time to "clean out" from all the biscuits and burger w/buns. I am currently following the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal health through diet." You can check into that : www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info I would also limit his diet right now to just plain meat, veggies, fruit and cut out all dairy and carbs. WHEN he is feeling better, then you can add some starches and dairy slowly.

Going to a Dr. is not necessarily the answer. There are a lot of us on this board that have never been "officially" diagnosed with celiac. I, like you sound to be, believe in prayer and the power of God to direct you to the answer.

Good luck, and let me know if I can help further!

[KaitiUSA]

If you want a doctor you can go to this homepage and scroll down and there is a link with recommended doctors for celiacs. You can click on your state and the doctors recommended will show up. Alot of doctors do not know what they should and it does get frustrating when you have them tell you it's in your head, we can't find anything wrong, blah blah blah.

If he notices a difference he should stay on the diet and not get off of it. That is what will keep him feeling better. The thing is when he gets better he can't get off of the diet because he will fall right back down again.

I had alot of nausea and these are some things that I was able to handle without feeling too bad:

*rice

*jello

*baked potatoes

*mashed potatoes

*soup

*smoothies

You can of course add ingredients to these things to make them high calorie

Also, checking products that goes on hands, face, and head should be done because they can easily get into the mouth. If you have lipstick you may want to see if that is gluten free so you don't have to worry about him getting contaminated that way. There are alot of gluten free options makeups and products like lotions and shampoos.

There are brands like Kraft who will not hide anything on labels. So these products will list wheat,rye, barley, oats right on the label or they will be safe. There is a list on this site somewhere...let me know if you can't find it and I can send it to you.

Do you have a list of the forbidden foods as well? That is important when you are first learning about what gluten can be hidden under and so forth. It really helps as a guideline. If you need that here is the link: https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid=12

Hope this helps you out a bit

[rhinestonecowgirl]

I guess the good thing is I have been through this before, so I kinda know what is going on, but having a hubby with Celiac is like having a 2 year old with is own money @ the candy store!LOL It is SO hard to keep him strait.

I do have a list of the Forbidden foods.

I don't think I mentioned, but my hubby had foot surgary on Friday, & I think maybe antibiotics had something to do with this onset, the last time he was on some really strong antibiotics, do they kill off the good in the intestions or something?

As for his history, he has never been able to gain weight (except when on the gluten-free diet) his mother was ALWAYS sick, so there are signs there.

But he has done NOTHING but BARF since 3:00 am this morning, I am going to take him & get IV fluids, he has been sweating but freezing. NOTHING will stay down.

[Guest Eloisa]

Dina,

We are all celiacs and pass around information about what to do and how to do it in these bad situations. That book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall is great. Its not a very long book it takes about a day of 2 to read it and it has lots of good recipes. If you can't get it then start your husband on the Brat Diet. If he's really sick and he'll need carbs for energy you can get Baby Gerber fruit which doesn't taste bad and is real easy on his stomach. The other thing is my Reliv shakes which help with nausea and everything else going bad. They have all the vitamins and nutrients and extra that are necessary on a daily basis for someone with Celiac who has trouble absorbing this from food and from vitamins. Keep him off of anything that rough on the belly like ruffage and things with vinegar and foods with preservatives cause its too much for your stomach to handle. And please keep him off the gluten. It is our enemy.

[rhinestonecowgirl]

I'll have to get that book.

We have a friend who is in the Reliv Business. I'll call him.

The aggervating part is he KNOWS! What makes him sick, but CHOOSES not to fallow the diet, he blamed it all on stress before & I think he convinced himself that, that was the problem, stress. Well, we fired all the employees, most of them for things they did while my husband was sick before, & the last 2, they were stealing hours, so they were stealing $$. So I went & got my CDL's & I now drive the Dump Truck, all to keep him for having the stresses of dealing with employees.

I called the Dr.s office & they want him to come in for Fluids at least. Of course he is "needle-phobic" so he's say's (while hanging his head in a trash can), "I think I'm feeling better"

Of course we got to the Job this morning & thank GOD for the icky weather, because they decided to wait on that job, but I had to leave my Truck there & drive his truck home, he was to sick to make it back home driving.

Dena

[rhinestonecowgirl]

Which one of the Reliv shakes do you use? I just checked out the website & there are about 20 different ones.LOL

Thanks, Dena

[lovegrov]

Your husband just needs to eat simnple stuff -- fresh meat, vegetables and fruit. Then go from there.

Yes, antibiotics can give you diarrhea, but he has more than that going on.

richard

[louie]

when I was first diagnosed and very sick I started off eating only brown rice, pears and rice cakes for a few days (as these are low allergy/ low irritant) and then adding fruits vegetables and chicken.

Also it may help to completely cut out milk products as this can also be a problem when first diagnosed, but after a few months you could add milk adn see how it goes.

A course of acidophilus and Bifidus after antibiotics will help restore the gut flora

if diahorea is a problem then don't have any hot fluids as it speeds up the action of the gut, stick to cooled fluids ( this will slow down the gut), but having plenty of fluids, especailly water, is important

[Guest nini]

If you feel like making a trip (or two) into Atlanta, at St. Joseph's Hospital, there is a really good Gastroenterologist there named Dr. Eugene Hirsh. He diagnosed me with celiac 2 years ago and was the first to not tell me it was all in my head. I was very pleased with him.

when I'm really feeling ill, I stick to plain rice. Nothing else.

[rhinestonecowgirl]

Thanks! We have already started the Acidophilus & it seams to be helping.

He did good after about 3:00 yesterday & last night, but when he got up this morning the 1st thing he had came back up, & a couple of more times today, but he tried drinking water, Sprite, Pedalyte & Yohoo are the only liquids he can keep down. He has kept down a Yogart, a Jello Cup, & some Mashed Potatos. He can keep down Rice, but he doesn't really like Rice. I did buy some baby food but he also doesn't care for it.LOL He can't keep Applesauce either. I think it the natural acid in it.

I'll have to keep that name of the Dr. in Atlanta, we are about 40 min North of Marietta.

Thanks,

Dena

[Guest nini]

Dr. Eugene H. Hirsh M.D.

5669 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. NE

Suite 270

Atlanta, GA 30342

404-255-1000

[Guest Eloisa]

Which one of the Reliv shakes do you use? I just checked out the website & there are about 20 different ones.LOL

Thanks, Dena

Dena,

I use the basic formula of Reliv Classic with the Lemon or Orange Innergize. When I started using Reliv I started with the Reliv Now and the Lemon Innergize. When my upline told me about her monthly cycle shortening when she got on the Classic which is the original formula invented by Dr. Kilogris I changed to the Classic. The Classic is a more a more plain taste but is more pure in form than the Now version and is geared for use by vegetarian. The Now has a vanilla flavoring in it and has I believe some milk protein in it. Everyone who starts on Reliv starts with either one of these 2 formulas (Classic/Now) with Innergize in either flavor. If there is a need for the other formulas such as Fiberstore, Arthaffect, Soy Sentials, CardioSentials, etc. they are started after you've been on the basic formula for at least I always tell people after detoxing and maybe after 3 weeks to a month of being on basic. The Innergize hydrates the cells and is the vehicle for the body to accept and react quickly to the Classic or Now which is the one that has all of the vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to function and heal itself.

Eloisa

[julie5914]

Hey there, I am in Athens, are you close to here, or are you further west? I am going to see a specialist here next Friday, so I will try to repost and tell you how he is. I think your husband may need a doctor to diagnose and talk to him to scare him into following the diet. Kati and others will tell you - he is 40-100 times more likely to get nonHodgkins lymphoma if he has it and does not stick to the diet, not to mention all the effects of malnutrition. He needs to invest in himself and his health if he is gonna be able to run his company!

[jknnej]

I know you said you don't have insurance but you said you went to the ER...can you get a prescription of Zofran or Phenegran for him? I know it's only a band-aid but Zofran WILL stop the vomiting. At least he might be able to keep food down until you find out what's wrong with him....

Zofran is very expensive...so maybe Phenegran? The generic is only about $15 or 20 I think....

Good luck...

[debmidge]

Dear Rhinestone:

Did the ER give your husband a full blood profile, including a liver profile (checking bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, etc.)? I am wondering if he has something along with celiac. But anyway, ask hospital for a copy of the records and the tests they did and take that to any new gastro you go to. This way they may not have to re-run those tests and save you some money.

When your husband is ready for this:

As to bread and pasta machines, if they have been used to make wheat based products you might not be able to use them again for Gluten Free breads and pastas. You probably will need a new bread "bucket and paddles" for the bread machine and wipe the inside of the unit out well of any residue; and the pasta machine, never owning one, I don't know if the machine comes apart so that it can be properly cleaned out.

If you want to make gluten free bread, I recommend the bread mix from Gluten Free Pantry. If you've never made home made bread before, just a couple of things to remember: follow directions on package when they say to add the yeast last; the water has to be the right temperature: too hot it kills the yeast, too cold the yeast won't activate. I use a digital oral fever thermometer and I measure the temperature of the water after I've added the butter and oil and when it registers between 92 and 95 degrees I know I am ready to start the loaf.

A lot of people like the Chebe bread. That seems easy to make too.

[rhinestonecowgirl]

Hey, when we went to our family Dr, he gave him a perscription for Zolfram, because the pain meds already had Phenergan in them he didn't want to over do the phenergan, but when I went to get the scrip filled the pharmasist, wouldn't fill it with first talking to us. 10 pills was $650.00! My hubby said he would be sicker spending that kind of $$ on something that MIGHT work. So we didn't get it filled.

But here's an update on his condition! He has STOP the Vomiting, he's feeling almost back to normal, of course his foot is still healing. It took about 2 weeks of Rice, Bannanas, Yogurt, ect. He is back to eating "Normal" food. Nothing Spicy yet.

But through all this he didn't miss a Day's work, we were blessed a couple of days where he couldn't even sit up, with RAIN, but he's a trooper.

Of course he has made some lifestyle changes, so maybe IF he eats like he SHOULD he'll be OK, that's the hardest change, it is a true lifestyle change. For him who NEEDS to gain weight, he is not use to watching what he eats. But as for now all has calmed down.

Thanks for all your help & support!

Dena

[debmidge]

Rhinestone, for what it's worth, contact the pharamaceutical company who makes that prescription and sometimes they have a program for people without insurance. You will have to apply and maybe show your income, but if they approve you you'll get that prescription for less than the full price.