Not Sure What Is Wrong With Me

[bambi77]

Hi Im new to all of this and i hope someone can help me.

I can not afford insurance because of my rheumatoid arthritis so ive had to self diagnose. I learned a year or so back that gluten free helps with RA but now i am showing symptoms of food allergys/intolerances and i dont know what to give up to feel better.

For nearly two months i have been bloated, like pregnant bloated. i exercise, dont eat too much and get plenty of sleep. Last weekend i had a sandwich and i got so bloated i looked like i was carrying twins! I also feel queezy throughout interittedly throughout the day- every day.

This week i started going completely gluten free. After a few days my stomach has shown minor improvement in the morning but then it gets nice and big during the day. I have flavored cappuccino in the morning, it is supposed to be lactose free but now i know its not DAIRY free. So now i dont know if i am dairy/gluten or both intolerant! i feel miserable because i look big, feel sick and worried that not having an official diagnosis will make it so people think im imagining it. I want to go gluten free anyway because of my RA

but i really want this bloating and nausesness to go away. So here are my questions- how long does it take for bloating to go down once you go gluten/dairy free? Is there any kind of coffee creamer you can use that is DAIRY free? If i give up coffee, and it doesnt improve, then what else could i be allergic too? ive pretty much cut out any soy too. I feel so alone because i just dont know what is causing these issues. I dont have gas or any other reactions. I can give up most anything, but id really like to keep my flavored cappuccino in the morning hehe. I am open to all suggestions but im running out of money, these products are so expensive! Thanks in advance Bambi :-)

[cahill]

Hi Im new to all of this and i hope someone can help me.

I can not afford insurance because of my rheumatoid arthritis so ive had to self diagnose. I learned a year or so back that gluten free helps with RA but now i am showing symptoms of food allergys/intolerances and i dont know what to give up to feel better.

For nearly two months i have been bloated, like pregnant bloated. i exercise, dont eat too much and get plenty of sleep. Last weekend i had a sandwich and i got so bloated i looked like i was carrying twins! I also feel queezy throughout interittedly throughout the day- every day.

This week i started going completely gluten free. After a few days my stomach has shown minor improvement in the morning but then it gets nice and big during the day. I have flavored cappuccino in the morning, it is supposed to be lactose free but now i know its not DAIRY free. So now i dont know if i am dairy/gluten or both intolerant! i feel miserable because i look big, feel sick and worried that not having an official diagnosis will make it so people think im imagining it. I want to go gluten free anyway because of my RA

but i really want this bloating and nausesness to go away. So here are my questions- how long does it take for bloating to go down once you go gluten/dairy free? Is there any kind of coffee creamer you can use that is DAIRY free? If i give up coffee, and it doesnt improve, then what else could i be allergic too? ive pretty much cut out any soy too. I feel so alone because i just dont know what is causing these issues. I dont have gas or any other reactions. I can give up most anything, but id really like to keep my flavored cappuccino in the morning hehe. I am open to all suggestions but im running out of money, these products are so expensive! Thanks in advance Bambi :-)

What is in your flavored cappuccino?? Is it gluten,soy, diary free??

[mushroom]

Welcome to the forum. Eating low gluten is not going to be any different for you from eating full gluten. You will continue to produce the antibodies, and continue to cause damage. You must eliminate all the gluten to note any improvement, including all trace glutens as in soy sauce and some seasonings, in medications and personal care products.

Once you have done that, you can find out if you are dairy intolerant or just lactose intolerant (most gluten intolerants who have damage in the small intestine cannot handle lactose until they heal). You do this by avoiding all lactose (milk, cream, ice cream, soft cheeses, etc.) and just eat some hard cheddar cheese which has had all the lactose cultured out by the cheese cultures. If you tolerate the cheese (and then try yogurt and can tolerate that too) then it is the lactose that is the problem. You will have to eliminate that or try Lactaid milk or tablets (they work for some but not for others). However, fear not, there is almond milk, hemp milk, coconut and hemp ice creams - you will not die without lactose

I am glad you are eliminating soy, too, as it is a problem for a lot of us. You can challenge it later when you are feeling better. If you go strictly lactose and gluten free you should notice an immediate improvement in your bloating. However, it is possible for other things to give us problems - corn for me is as bad as gluten when it comes to bloating. So don't despair, take one (or two in this case) steps at a time and see how you fare. But I must stress that it is all or nothing - a little bit CAN hurt you

[bambi77]

Thanks for your responses

my cappuccino is lactose free but i think has traces of casein

i have cut all gluten from my diet completely for the week, and i have been considering corn as well, ive also questioned if almonds are another thing that dont like my body as it started after a week of eating natural almonds (but that was two months ago so i know its not that alone causing this.

Im not scared to go gluten free, i guess its hard at this stage to see the end of the rainbow- if i only KNEW that it would lesson the symptoms then i would be a little less anxious about waiting for it to happen.

Right now im having gluten/lactose free waffles with dairy free margarine, larabars and salad/egg at night with bananas and natural jello in the day. But as i said im having the cappuccino too - i use international delight creamers but though they say its dairy free i read that they might contain casein. Im not eating any soy sauce but i may have to get rid of soy even as a lesser ingredient in things- im truly exhausted from all that ive read and guess i feel a little overloaded. I always like a healthy challenge but sometimes its nice to have some support :-)

i didnt really want to do it, but should i just fast a day then slowly introduce things back? My husband said i should have a piece of cheese to see if it caused a reaction but i wouldnt even know how long i would have to wait for a reaction anyway hehe

Any suggestions? am i going to have to skip my sunday coffee to sort this out? also i bought a probiotic, gluten/soy/dairy free one- i heard they cant hurt?

[cassP]

bambi- it can take some time to get back to normal- and while you were eating gluten AND in this very beginning phase of going gluten free (about the first month)- you really cannot trust the reactions to every food item. years ago when i was still eating gluten (tho, not a lot)-> randomnly almost anything bloated me. i remember being at work one day- and i was so thirsty... i downed a tall glass of water- and felt like my intestines were gurgling... and i got bloated, and felt like i would be gassy all day, and i remember thinking- "GEEZ- even freakin water is sending my intestines into spasm"

once you actually go gluten free- it can take as little as 3 weeks... or for some, months ... but once you feel a vast improvement & start to feel normal again, then you can more accurately tell what foods may be additional intolerances.

it's pretty much a given that dairy will mess you up- and you should wait several months. also, try to eat real healthy and keep your "gluten free" breads, cereals, and desserts to a minimum. yes, corn & soy can be issues for some...

i have issues with Fructose- google the FODmap diet- dont burden yourself with that now- unless you're not finding any improvement... many are still ok with these various fruits & veggies... however- you COULD greatly reduce any gum intake.. all those fake sugars like sorbitol can really gas & bloat u up.

i am still addicted to some dairy & coffee... i KNOW my intestines & stomach would be happier if i was off the stuff.. but its hard to give up everything. if i just have my coffee in the morning with flavored Nestle sugar free creamer (the one i get is Lactose & Gluten free).. then im ok... but if i ALSO get a Frozen coffee drink later in the day (xtra milk, & extra dextrose & corn byproducts)-> then it seems to be a bit much for my insides.

sorry so long