A Ramble, And A Few Questions

[NeilK]

I live in Bangladesh, so it is hard to find out if I have celiac disease. It is also hard to stay gluten free.I have lived here for seven years. My health deteriorated rapidly 3-4 years ago, when I became lazy and started living on junk food - especially a kind of ready packaged pancake containing spicy "dal" (ground pulses) taken with soy sauce. I lost a lot of weight, while my stomach bloated. Doctors here were puzzled, and I was tested for everything including AIDs (all negative.) My symptoms included nail infections and other stuff linked to malabsorption, I could barely think straight and was vary irritable. This went on for over a year.

I googled my way to concluding I had a gluten intolerance. Taking injections of Vitamin B12 reversed a lot of my problems in days. Gradually I cut out gluten foods from my diet as I found out about them. I had several colonic treatments and my bloating dropped away. I tried the SCD protocol diet as far as I could.

I have had bouts of eating gluten containing foods e.g. at Pizza hut, KFC. Now my reaction to falling off the gluten free wagon has become quite severe. I couldn't get my trousers on properly today, a few days after visiting pizza hut. So it seems that I will have to block out gluten foods altogether.

A few questions

- are people who have developed gluten sensitivity ever able to go back safely to gluten containing foods?

- I read that grain alcohol is a problem, and in other places that it isn't a problem. Is it a problem?

In my life I had a few unexplained problems such as back aches, terrible acne from 16 years old (treated with accutaine), asthma. How likely are these to have been caused by celiac/gluten intolerance?

How I now regret starting my school day with a bowl of wheatabix!

Thanks for reading my ramble

Neil

[PadmeMaster]

A few questions

- are people who have developed gluten sensitivity ever able to go back safely to gluten containing foods?

- I read that grain alcohol is a problem, and in other places that it isn't a problem. Is it a problem?

In my life I had a few unexplained problems such as back aches, terrible acne from 16 years old (treated with accutaine), asthma. How likely are these to have been caused by celiac/gluten intolerance?

How I now regret starting my school day with a bowl of wheatabix!

Thanks for reading my ramble

Neil

From everything I've read: Once you're sensitive, you're stuck with it.

Grain Alcohol, as in Barley being used to make beer, kind of thing? Yes.. Otherwise I'm not sure what you're talking about, though, sorry.

The back pain and asthma I've seen mentioned, and myself am gluten-free because of joint pain. I'd guess that Acne is, too, but I'm at an age where it seems normal that it'd slow down, so I don't know if I have less acne because of my age or because I went gluten free. I haven't tracked that one.

[lilu]

Neil, I've been doing a LOT of reading and from what I've read...

...if it is celiac, it is lifelong. There just is not much info on non-celiac gluten intolerance, but my bet would be that it is lifelong as well.

...distilled grain alcohols, such as whiskey, gin, etc "hard liquor" is supposedly safe as the gluten in destroyed in the distillation process. I don't drink it either way, so I can only pass on what I've read. Wine is also supposed to be ok. Beer is NOT ok because fermenting the grains (as opposed to distilling) does not destroy the gluten.

Probably the easiest way to go gluten free when living in an area with limited options is to cook your own food and stick to the basics... Potatoes, rice, yams, corn, along with any fresh meats, veggies, fruits, and dairy (if you don't have a problem with it... A lot of us do). The less processed your food, and the more you know about exactly what's in it, the less risk you will have of eating something with hidden gluten in it.

[NeilK]

I'm thinking of Whiskey when I say grain alcohol. Bad news to hear Beer is off the menu (unless it is gluten free beer, of course).

I cook my own food at home, since this problem came to light, and bring lunch to work. I also have a problem with dairy. I sometimes make 24 hour yogurt, which does not cause me a problem.

I had a pizza last Wednesday. Until yesterday, I couldn't fit my trousers due to enlarged belly. That came down enough to fit on pants this morning. Suddenly this afternoon I started feeling emotional, fuzzy headed, and a little down. Really wierd stuff! Everytime I go off gluten, then come back, the reaction is worse.

Thanks again.