Am I Being Glutened Or Could It Be Something Else?

[HS7474]

Hello!

I've been struggling for awhile with symptoms I would associate with being glutened: highly unpleasant gas and extreme bloating. However, I eat pretty much the same things every day and have verified over and over again that they are gluten free.

One thing that I do consistently that may be an issue is chew gum (sugar free). I can't find any gluten in it, though, and I have trouble believing that I could swallow so much air as to cause this much discomfort. The amount of gas and bloating varies from day to day.

I'm wondering if perhaps a certain brand of gum may be the problem? Or perhaps the artificial sweeteners? One big issue I have is that I seem to be addicted to chewing the gum. If I stop chewing gum I think about food and over eat. As a result, I love gum and haven't been able to come up with a low/calorie free substitute. If anyone feels that my gum chewing may be the issue, a suggestion to replace it would be absolutely wonderful.

A typical day of food for me would be:

-gluten-free cereal, banana, vanilla soymilk or nestle sugar free instant breakfast for a first meal

-An apple or some other fruit for lunch

-Baked potato, cheese, and steamed veggies with onion powder and garlic powder for dinner

I eat a bunch of steamed veggies (poke holes in the bag and steam it in the microwave) as well as potato.

Many of the products I eat are Wegmans brand and (thank you so much, Weggies!) they are labled gluten free. I really have no idea what's causing me so much disomfort.

I had a biopsy done and show nothing irregular, including no celiac disease as I've been eating gluten free.

I never had a positive biopsy done as I was only diagnosed through blood testing. I've been eating gluten-free since November 2008. I was wondering if perhaps I have an intolerance to something else instead of gluten.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm starting to get extremely discouraged and would love to be able to get rid of these embarassing symptoms!

[dilettantesteph]

I am very sensitive to low levels of gluten and can't tolerate much in the way of processed foods. Early on, when I wasn't quite so sensitive, I wasn't able to find a gluten free cereal which I could tolerate. Soy could be a problem, as well as the instant breakfast. Why don't you try avoiding those three things for a few days and see if it makes a difference. I got more sensitive over time, and that might be happening to you too. I hope it helps you. Gas can be embarrassing.

[hnybny91]

It could very well be the sugar free gum. I, at one point, was chewing an entire pack of extra gum a day (17 sticks!) and had the most horrible diarrhea and really heavy menstrual cycles. Oddly enough, I would only chew the gum during the week when I was at work (must have been a stress thing) and would feel better on the weekends when I didn't chew any gum. I started to reasearch atrifical sweetners and was horrified by what I read. I aviod all artificial sweetners like the plague now. I have found a great gum with a natural sweetner called Spry gum. It is also gluten free. I get it at Sprouts.

[Skylark]

Yes, sorbitol, xylitol, and the other sugar substitutes can do this. For a substitute, may I suggest lots of water? It will keep your mouth occupied and your stomach fuller. Americans often don't drink enough so our bodies send a "hunger" signal to trick us into eating more so we can get a little water from the moisture in the food! Crazy, huh? Drink more and the hunger will go away. Eight 8 oz glasses is a bare minimum. In the winter dryness you will need much more water. If you don't like plain water, add a squeeze of lemon or sip your favorite herbal tea.

If it isn't the gum, try looking into fructose malabsorption. I'm at work and don't have the usual link on the low FODMAP diet I offer people. Maybe someone else has one handy.

FM is much like lactose intolerance, where fructose isn't absorbed right, so intestinal bacterial turn it into gas and you get bloating, flatulence, and often D. The apple and possibly some of the veggies would be the triggering foods. I'm not sure bananas work well with fructose malabsorption either.

[staciesangels5]

I would agree with the artificial sweeteners. They can really reak havoc on ypur system. I also agree on more water. They say that if you are hungry within 2 hours of eating you need water. That is your body's way of telling you it needs something..they also say that if you feel thirsty that you are already getting dehydrated. The usual water intake is your body weight divided by 2, whatever the answer is, is how many oz. Of water you should be drinkning in 24hrs..ex..120lbs/2=60oz. I have found that since I hate water to drink in general that if I pick up say an ice mountian sport bottle with the flip top I can take it with me and I am more apt to drink it because I do like the water from my fridge.

On a side note do you eat any of the grains quinoa, amaranth, millet or buckwheat?

[T.H.]

I'd second the possibility of your gluten free foods having too much gluten for you - gluten free just means it has levels that fall somewhere below 20ppm of gluten, usually. That's too much for some people. Or if you eat a lot of them, they can add up to too much for your daily intake.

Also, some people have trouble with fructose malabsorption - long list of foods that are better for that.

Or problems with xanthan gum, guar gum, etc... You'd get more exposure to this on a gluten-free diet, typically, and it tends to cause gut issues.

[ravenwoodglass]

The amount of calories you are going to get from a sugared gum are very low. If you must chew gum just go with the sugared.

Also be sure to check and make sure the intant breakfast you are drinking is gluten free as not all of them are.