Fed Up!

[lollipop155]

I have been gluten free for approx 4 weeks now on the advice of a GP, i am now not having pain, the runs etc but my stomach is still blowing up after eating anything. So yesterday i ate bread to see if the symptoms returned and sure enough i had pain and swelling and frequent trips to the loo. Today i saw another GP who looked at her computer and said id tested negative last year for caeliac disease but if i wanted to cut out certain foods that was ok. She has prescribed me "Ispaghula Husk" sachets. I have them here and they are fibre bulk forming things, the other GP told me to cut back on my fibre! Who do i go along with! Helen x

[kwylee]

I have been gluten free for approx 4 weeks now on the advice of a GP, i am now not having pain, the runs etc but my stomach is still blowing up after eating anything. So yesterday i ate bread to see if the symptoms returned and sure enough i had pain and swelling and frequent trips to the loo. Today i saw another GP who looked at her computer and said id tested negative last year for caeliac disease but if i wanted to cut out certain foods that was ok. She has prescribed me "Ispaghula Husk" sachets. I have them here and they are fibre bulk forming things, the other GP told me to cut back on my fibre! Who do i go along with! Helen x

I'd go along with the doc who suggested gluten free. Sorry, I know it can be frustrating at times. But just because you tested negative for celiac does not mean that gluten isn't doing a number on you. Or perhaps dairy, or soy, or something else you're ingesting. To make matters worse, many doctors, while perhaps well-meaning, just don't get it (such as the second doc you saw). You are more than a chapter they read in medical school. There are many documented adverse reactions to gluten in the body. Sounds like your stomach bloat could be your signal, but there may be others as you become more attuned to your own system. And no one will know it like you.

Knowing what I do now, after only a year into it, I'd start from scratch with what I put into my system & watch cross contamination. I'd begin eating a basic UNPROCESSED diet until things calm down, e.g., lean meat, salad, steamed veggies, olive oil...something like that. I'd make it things easy to digest, and not beans and tomatoes, for instance, they gave me problems at first because my intestinal system was sore in the first few weeks after removing gluten from my diet. That seems to be the norm for many. Someone else here may be able to comment on those "husk sachets" the second doc gave you, but if your system is a bit tender, not sure that extreme fiber is the best advice right now. Like I said, someone else may be able to better comment on that.

Most importantly, if you are at all intolerant to gluten, it's a setback to your progress if you ingest it, so best to avoid in any amount, even traces. I know it's hard to trust that you will feel better in time, but please give it a try.