Going To Try Gluten Free- Tips?

[alli sunshine]

I have been struggling with some health issues for a couple of years. These include anemia, joint and muscle pain, tingling hands and feet, chronic stomach problems, and low vitamin D. My hemoglobin is better since I had iv iron treatments in the spring and a hysterectomy this past summer. I am now just into the normal range with that. I have really had a time with the vitamin D. My level initially, in late 2008, was 7. I had lots of symptoms with it. I have done various things to help it, including prescription mega-doses. This summer it was up to 25. However, I just had it tested again and it is down to 9. Having the bone pain, etc., again too. I had a blood test in the spring for celiac disease that came back negative. However, given this latest drop in D, I am thinking of trying a gluten free diet to see if that will help.

Hoping to get feedback on a couple of things here:

1) Do you think this is worth a try for me?

2) Can you give me tips on where to start with gluten free? What should I buy at the store tomorrow?

Thanks for any insights.

[T.H.]

I certainly don't think it could hurt, and those symptoms certainly track with potential celiac disease.

Did you wish to get an official diagnosis, or are you comfortable self-treating? If you wish to get a diagnosis, you should probably know that the test only works if you're still eating gluten, and once you go off it, your symptoms are often worse when you eat gluten, so you might want to get the test before you drop the gluten. :-)

For what to buy? First, if you have celiac disease, you are more likely to be lactose intolerant until you heal, so many new celiacs drop the dairy AND the gluten for the first few months, and then add dairy back in to see if it's okay.

Some good first foods are fruits and veggies, whole meats (not luncheon meats or those sliced at the deli), and if you want any grains, I'd get those that are officially gluten free. Nuts, beans and seeds, make sure to check if they are processed with wheat, because they often are. Olive oils are often the most likely to be gluten-free.

The less processed foods you can start with, the less gluten you will be getting, so you'll be able to tell better (because, as you'll find out, 'gluten free' doesn't mean 'no gluten.' It's a legal term that is typically interpreted in the USA as <20 ppm of gluten. But since our laws aren't finalized, it can be more. Other countries have different amounts as legally gluten free).

Hoping to get feedback on a couple of things here:

1) Do you think this is worth a try for me?

2) Can you give me tips on where to start with gluten free? What should I buy at the store tomorrow?

Thanks for any insights.

[GFinDC]

I agree with Shauna, it is best to stay on the gluten until the testing is complete. You can ask your doc to run a celiac panel on you, checking the blood for antibodies to gliaden (the protein wheat that causes us problems). Docs often want to do an endoscopy also, to take biopsy samples for possible villi damage. Some docs will diagnose just on the antibody tests though. You also need to consider if the diagnosis is important to you. Going on the diet is a pretty good indicator/test by itself, and is the only treatment for the disease anyway.

[Skylark]

Hoping to get feedback on a couple of things here:

1) Do you think this is worth a try for me?

2) Can you give me tips on where to start with gluten free? What should I buy at the store tomorrow?

Get tested for celiac first. The tests are not accurate if you're not eating gluten.

As far as eating, stick to simple whole foods. Eat things like fruits, vegetables, rice, potatoes, beans, eggs, meats you cook yourself, and other whole, simple foods that you can look at and tell they are gluten free. (No gluten in a banana!) Skip the dairy at first, as a lot of celiacs have trouble with either lactose or casein. Avoid processed foods until you are adept at reading labels and have an idea what might be cross-contaminated with gluten. The gluten-free substitute breads, pastas, cookies, and so forth tend to be fairly expensive so it's most affordable if you eat them sparingly.