Am I Intolerant To Something Else?!

[lischro]

Hi guys,

You've been extremely helpful to me in the past and would just like to run through some things to see if anyone has some insight. I have been gluten free for about 3 months. I haven't really noticed anything getting better. My main issues are hypothyroidism, chronic constipation (the only thing that helps is 4x the regular dose of miralax), weight gain, extreeeeeemeeee bloating in my stomach... tired and achey all the time. My boyfriend complains that I just "never actually feel good." Well, that's true. oh, and I'm a 24 year old female.

Anyway, I've had great success being gluten free (no cheating and I live alone so I cook for myself) but now I'm more and more aware that something else seems to be going on. What I have now... especially bothersome during the past week is a strong, burning sensation in my right knee. It's mostly in my knee but I also feel it run down my shin a little ways. Still extremely bloated, achy and my hands and feet get tingly a lot.... it's true, I just never feel good.

Like many of you, I'm not diagnosed, I've seen doctors for the past 3 years and they can't/won't help...

I started to suspect caesin? but I don't know much about that.... Any ideas?

Thank you for reading!

[txplowgirl]

Hi There, well to start off you could still be having withdrawals but then a gain it might be dairy, or soy. Just a suggestion, I would drop the dairy and possibly soy for a couple of weeks then add it back in. The tingling in your hands may be a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Anyway, just a thought.

[dilettantesteph]

It could also be from cross contamination. Have you seen Tricia Thompsons study about the contamination of gluten free grains? You could try cutting out grains for awhile. I sort, wash and grind my own.

[RiceGuy]

Adding to the comments thus far, I'd suggest some nutritional supplements for the tingling and such. A magnesium supplement can be very helpful for the tingling, and may help the knee as well. A deficiency of magnesium is also common with Celiac, and can lead to C. Start with 200-400mg, and increase by about 200mg every 5 days until you either get relief, or your stools become too loose (in which case back the dosage down). I'd also recommend a sublingual methylcobalamin tablet for the B12, at least 1mg, but 5mg may be more helpful. A good strong co-enzyme B-complex can also be helpful.

A digestive enzyme supplement can be helpful for the bloating. Look for one derived entirely from microbes, as these can withstand the acidity of the stomach, and are generally gluten-free unless there is some additive. NOW Foods and Doctor's Best both make one of this type.

Everyone is different in how long it takes to respond to a gluten-free diet. It took about six months before I noticed anything other than the immediate dry throat I'd get from wheat.

[Mari]

You've gotten some good nutritional advice and hope it helps, but you may want to be tested for Lyme Disease which is common in Celiacs. If the bloating continues there are some good medical tests and treatments which cold help, some people have either a Metametrix enteric panel or a Diagnos Tech enteric and saliva panel to find out if you have organisms which need to be treated. These panels look for indications of harmful bacteria,, yeasts, parasites and some metabolic problems. I usually use alternative methods but as Drs learn to use the newer diagnostic tests and treatments people report that they are satisfied with the results. Bloating is caused by bacteria and yeasts feasting on the food you eat.

[Mama Melissa]

hey riceguy, im about 6 1/2 weeks into my diet and i do see some changes especially gi wise but i realise sometimes after i eat a meal i get such a dry throat and sometimes a cough and my chest will feel heavy soo weird i swear i eliminated all gluten soo frusterasting

[rustycat]

Dairy causes those symptoms for me. It might be the casein in dairy, though I'm not sure. The sore knees usually last a couple of days. The C and the fatigue can last longer.

Best wishes and I hope you find the cause.