Diagnosed Yesterday

[tsisler]

I'm going to tag onto your post Strawberry since I'm just starting the gluten-free routine myself and trying to discover where the lines are. My question is about non-ingested items. I know that I need to check my lotions, shampoos, etc. - which I've done and had to replace many (including my lotion, body wash, face wash, hand soap, and conditioner- crike-a-doo this whole thing is an expensive and tedious process when I still don't have much energy/feel very well!) . I replaced some of the products with Burt's Bees ones after reading their labels and thinking they were safe. Just to be sure when I got home I sent an email to the company.

Their response:

Thank you for contacting Burt's Bees.

While we can identify products in which we do not use raw materials containing gluten, we cannot certify that our vendors did not process these ingredients on equipment where contamination could occur. For the most accurate source of information, please refer to the list of ingredients on our website or on the product.

All three of the products that you inquired about are gluten free.

So....is it ok for me to use these products? Or do I need to replace them yet again with ones where the company can verify that there is no cross-contamination?

Thank you for your help! The information regarding the kitchen cleansing has been wonderful...now if I could just get it done -lol.

[Strawberry-Jam]

Just got back from my first appointment with a dietician! Thanks to you guys, she said I was doing really well with my diet, and that I seemed to know what I was doing and be on the right track. Since I went vegan (minus fish) for Lent she told me to be careful to get enough protein (60-70 grams a day i think) and good fats (such as in fish and olive oil). She also told me to shoot for 1500-1700 calories a day, considering my height, weight, and age. She also approved of my supplements--gluten-free and allergen-free multi (from plants), sublingual B12... and she didn't know about the enzymes but would look into it she said.

But I have a good balance of nutrients in my diet. Plenty of fruits and fruit juice, fish (sardines, salmon, tuna), rice w/ olive oil, kidney beans, potato w/ spices, peanut butter and cashews, raisins, veggies, etc. etc.

I don't know if it's still reflux or not, but I have a feeling of pressure in the bottom of my throat and a sensitivity there also. From time to time I will have a heartburn-like chest pain but it doesn't last more than a minute or so. I'm thinking that my esophagus is just healing? I am avoiding all GERD foods, peppermint (planning on even changing my toothpaste soon), and of course gluten. Timetimetime. But hopefully my throat won't feel like someone is poking a rod through my collarbone soon.

Think I'm reacting to coconut milk or carageenan... because whenever I had that dairy- soy- and gluten-free coconut milk stuff I was bloated and my gas smelt like sulphur. Poured it down the drain. Hope that's the end of that. I'll avoid both coconut and carageenan for now (the latter can be a source of MSG anyways) and see if that helps. Maybe add in a different kind of coconut later.

I got a lot of good information though! Handouts to share with my parents, lists of websites and books to read, lists of cookbooks to check out, and the phone number for a Celiac support group that meets in my city. They only meet a few times a year but one of the meetings will be before I graduate, so I'm gonna try to make it.

anyway... just thought I'd update this thread from time to time case anyone shares symptoms w/ me or just so that people can see the process one goes through after diagnosis... thanks for all your wonderful replies so far!

[Strawberry-Jam]

Continuing to heal...

Been on spring break with my parents & fam and they all seem really good about my celiac... they don't understand how important it is to avoid CC (keep asking me questions about "well, how much is too much?" or, "surely that'll be ok"), but they're starting to learn. Mama read the handouts the doc gave me and knows what ingredients to look out for in foods, etc. and is careful with me. She even went on a whole foods run with me and got me plenty of stuff to bring to my cousin's wedding reception so I would have stuff to eat! Went on a road trip to get there so I've had more gluten-free processed foods than usual because it's easier to take on the trip, but they don't seem to bother me. Also been eating out more because when you're on the road you have to. Ate at Red Robin and ordered off the gluten-free menu... the sandwich came with the sauce that it shouldn't have had on it, but they took it back and fixed it. Also ate at Q'doba and he changed gloves for me, stayed with me for the whole line, and I only got gluten-free stuff that they handle with spoons. Also ate at a Japanese place, had sashimi, seaweed, daikon, and rice... I told them I had a wheat allergy (didn't feel like explaining celiac) and they assured me there was no wheat or soy sauce in anything, but I didn't trust the salad dressing or soup anyway. I did, however, taste a california roll because she swore it was wheat-free, so I assumed that the crab meat in it was real, and my mama said it looked real. But when I tasted it, I put it down immediately because it tasted like surimi, which I know has gluten in it. Should have asked first, I know, 'cause when I did she said it was imitation crab... got a little reflux and gas pains today but hopefully I'm not actually that sensitive to cross-contamination yet (although I feel constipated, we'll see tomorrow )

My reflux is going away though! My throat is a little sore but I'll have whole days when it doesn't hurt! *dance* Sometimes I still burp up food right after eating, but not as often as before, and it's not as acidic. I've been drinking ginger tea, some aloe juice, and changed to a gluten-free toothpaste w/ ginger oil in it, and I think all of that has helped but mostly time and avoiding gluten helps.

I have, however, been constantly bloated with gas for the past week or so. I cut out lactose mostly--did have a gluten-free yogurt this morning because breakfast options were limited--so it can't be that... and I don't think I'm soy intolerant or anything because I would eat soy all the time in the past, mostly edamame--pure as it gets--and never had problems from it. But I'm all bloaty and gassy no matter what I do. It doesn't HURT like it used to, and it doesn't make me feel full and unable to eat. But it is uncomfortable and I want it to stop. is this something that can happen when going gluten-free? I also noticed that my poop is changing--soft, dark, ribbony--but I'm guessing that's just detox stuff.

So, yeah! Since going gluten-free for only two weeks my stomach actually GROWLS and gets HUNGRY, which it hasn't for MONTHS. Because I wasn't digesting gluten right, my stomach would take days to empty and I just felt full alla time. Now I get hungry multiple times a day! yaaaay! And my reflux is definitely improving! gradually, but noticeably!

I just want to know how to get rid of/treat this gassy tummy. ...so much burping! even in the morning before I've eaten anything. Gas-X helps a little... aloe too... but I can't have peppermint tea anymore because that'll make my reflux go off. help if you can...

[AerinA]

I would guess that going gluten free might make other food intolerances more pronounced. You might cut out the soy for awhile and see if it helps or try an elimination diet and see what is bothering your stomach. I get really really bad pressure/cramping when I accidentally CC myself so you might need to look at your food prep processes more closely (or those of the people around you). I don't eat out at all anymore except for occasionally at Pinkberry of PF Chang's because I have gotten glutened absolutely everywhere else I have tried, even at the coffee shop (how hard is it to get a gluten free cup of coffee, anyway? My guess is they touched the baked goods or had crumbs on their hands, etc, when they changed the filter--their coffee containters are RIGHT next to the baked goods display, and I've often seen open coffee cake and muffins near them). I know it's difficult when you're out of town. You will probably feel better when you are back home and more in control of your diet. Chipotle was making me sick by putting the rice on the tortillas with the spoon, tapping the spoon on the tortilla, and putting it back in the rice. Changing gloves won't fix that. I guess I've just gotten to the point where I don't trust anyone with my food... but it has paid off. My CC issues have been close to non-existent since I've been making my own stuff.