Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Newbie And Overwhelmed


watata

Recommended Posts

watata Apprentice

Hi all! so glad to have found this site! I am newly diagnosed and overwhelmed! So much information and changes! Any of you have tips of easy ways to dive into all this?

Thanks in advance!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



alexsami Contributor

im a newbie too and completely overwhelmed, frustrated

shadowicewolf Proficient

Not really, just jump right in. It won't be long before you learn what to do and what not to do :P

Cattknap Rookie

Hopefully your doctor has made an appointment for you with a dietician or nutritionist. My doctor sent me to the local hospital for a 2 hour orientation on celiac with a dietician. She had mounds of helpful info - local restaurants that served gluten free foods, local support groups, online support groups, lists of foods with hidden gluten, diet guidelines, lists of food additives to avoid, meal planning, etc....very helpful.

Honestly, eating at home most of the time is the way to go. Even eating out where menu items are labeled "gluten free" in restaurants that also serve food with gluten is risky because of cross contamination. If you need to eat out sometimes, make sure you eat at a restaurant where the staff knows what "gluten free" means and where they offer a gluten free menu...you still may be "glutened" but sometimes you need to be able to eat out (vacations, etc.). We have one cafe and bakery that is near us that is completely gluten free - the owners have celiac and they understand the issues...see if there isn't something like that where you live.

Unlike many on this forum, I am not unhappy, overwhelmed, or feel like my life is over because I have celiac - I find it very easy to live a gluten free life...don't have a big pity party over this - living gluten free is completely doable and delicious and with the help of your doctor and/or nutritionist, you will eventually get healthy and feel great. I noticed a difference within a month - I feel great now - gluten free for almost a year now.

Important: Don't let your celiac disease define every facet of your life - live your life, be happy, don't focus on what you can't eat - instead look at all the things you can eat (tons of things!). Please don't expect all your friends or family to cater to you or have pity on you or prepare food that you can eat because you have celiac - your celiac is your responsibility only - deal with it intelligently and quietly and you will have good relations with those around you. You'll get used to it in no time at all - really you will. Good luck to you!

T.H. Community Regular

Hi all! so glad to have found this site! I am newly diagnosed and overwhelmed! So much information and changes! Any of you have tips of easy ways to dive into all this?

This helped me, at first:

- ignoring the processed food for a while and eating whole foods - veggies, meats, fruits, that sort of thing. gluten-free grains - try to get them from places like Bob's Red Mill, where they are tested to be gluten-free. This makes it MUCH easier at first, so you aren't trying to read the label for a million different foods. Just have some fruit and veggies for snacks. Try some peanutbutter with apples (the peanutbutter needs to be gluten-free, though). go for foods that are naturally gluten free: roasted chicken with butter rather than oil, roasts with salt and pepper and onions, squash soup made from scratch, popcorn with butter, homemade french fries, carrot sticks, homemade soups and stews, broiled fish, rice and stir fried veggies with gluten-free soy sauce. Lots of options. :-) Also, they make gluten grocery shopping guides that you can purchase - cecelia's marketplace has one. These list common products that are gluten-free, and is updated yearly. That was a huge help - not perfect, but a big help. :-)

- To try and remember what you need gluten free, or how to avoid contamination, just think: if it touches my mouth/lips, it needs to be gluten free. So if shampoo flows over your lips, if you kiss someone else's lips - those need to be gluten-free. If food touches your food, or knives, or pans - needs to be gluten-free or cleaned until they were.

If it's wood or plastic, it can't be cleaned completely of gluten and you need a new one: wooden spoons, plastic or wooden cutting boards, that sort of thing.

- remember that gluten is not a bacteria or germ. This means that things that simply sanitize won't necessarily destroy it. Gluten can be heated to 500F and that still won't destroy it - think how hot the oven is to cook bread, and that's still bad, right? Soap and water will clean it off, and so will scouring if it's hard residue. But sanitizers and simple hot water won't get it all off.

- Remember, food doesn't have to define us. That was hardest for me, as many of the social things I did with my spouse revolved around food. Instead, we're trying to go out hiking, biking, theater, parks - places where food is not such an issue. It's quite fun, actually. :-)

- And it will get easier! For most of us, the most amazing part is how much better you FEEL once this gets started. It's often shocking how much you realize has been 'bad' and is suddenly gone. Insomnia, aches and pains, memory issues - it's stunning how much better it can be. :-D

AVR1962 Collaborator

Hi all! so glad to have found this site! I am newly diagnosed and overwhelmed! So much information and changes! Any of you have tips of easy ways to dive into all this?

Thanks in advance!

Lots of reading.....there's great help here! Take a look at my blog. Not sure what you are dealing with but the info might help. Best to you! I found it was a matter of experimenting to find what worked.

shadowicewolf Proficient

Dieticians won't do much good. Most times they are out of date on information and some insurance policys won't cover them.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



kwylee Apprentice

Dieticians won't do much good. Most times they are out of date on information and some insurance policys won't cover them.

Totally agree with this and all the good advice above. I'd also add that even doctors sometimes aren't in the know, but dangerously think they are. Best bet is to take responsibility for what happens to you from the get go.

Didn't thoroughly read all the posts above so it may have been mentioned, but also keep in mind that if you are still symptomatic after a few weeks off gluten, consider other culprits, the most common seem to be dairy and soy, and unlike gluten, those latter items quite possibly could be reintroduced at a later date. Listen to your body. It wants you to be healthy!

watata Apprentice

Thanks for all the advice! Your input is very appreciated! :) :)

Cattknap Rookie

There are such things as celiac informed and educated dieticians. Please don't listen to those who just dismiss every single dietician because personal prejudice. The hospital dietician who counseled me was the most knowledgeable person on celiac I have run across - including my doctor. I was able to ask her any question about celiac and she had answers backed up by scholarly research articals in medical journals. What I wouldn't give 100% credence to is heresay you read on the internet. Do your own research from the experts in your own community.

love2travel Mentor

There are such things as celiac informed and educated dieticians. Please don't listen to those who just dismiss every single dietician because personal prejudice. The hospital dietician who counseled me was the most knowledgeable person on celiac I have run across - including my doctor. I was able to ask her any question about celiac and she had answers backed up by scholarly research articals in medical journals. What I wouldn't give 100% credence to is heresay you read on the internet. Do your own research from the experts in your own community.

I so agree. My dietitian is brilliant - she creates awareness in the community, attends all the celiac association meetings, keeps updated constantly...she is who has given me the most information out of anyone (with the exception of this site). She is akin to a detective like those of us who live with celiac or gluten intolerance.

kwylee Apprentice

There are such things as celiac informed and educated dieticians. Please don't listen to those who just dismiss every single dietician because personal prejudice. The hospital dietician who counseled me was the most knowledgeable person on celiac I have run across - including my doctor. I was able to ask her any question about celiac and she had answers backed up by scholarly research articals in medical journals. What I wouldn't give 100% credence to is heresay you read on the internet. Do your own research from the experts in your own community.

You are so lucky to have found someone wonderful right out the gate. I had to kiss a few gluten-stupid frogs to find a professional competent in matters of gluten/casein/soy inolerance. If I would have listened to all the instructions given to me by dieticians and doctors before that, I'd still be very sick and struggling. I heard statements such as: "there is no such thing as gluten withdrawal", "you don't have celiac disease so you can't be gluten intolerant", and my personal favorite, "you can just give up gluten during the week and eat it on the weekends, that should be sufficient." Even though I ultimately found a doctor who does understand, it was this forum AND MY OWN BODY that I ended up listening to the most.

Hearing of your smart dietician gives me hope that the tide is turning. I just pray that the current focus on gluten lasts long enough to motivate awareness on the part of all professionals who counsel in these matters.

PainfulSpaghetti Newbie

Hi all! so glad to have found this site! I am newly diagnosed and overwhelmed! So much information and changes! Any of you have tips of easy ways to dive into all this?

Thanks in advance!

It can be frustraing, and difficult, BUT, your body will let you know what is best for YOU! All of us are different, unique, and have our own ways to cope, and things that make us feel better. A dietician will tell you common sense, which is to eat things that are natural and pure, contain no gluten, and have no chance of cross contamination. Veggies, rice, lean meats, all of these things are good for everyone, but are perfect for us. Eggs, nuts, and dairy may cause problems with some, and others may tolerate the just fine. It's trickier to find hygiene products that aren't the culprit, but a little research will make you a pro in no time. Good luck!

Cattknap Rookie

You are so lucky to have found someone wonderful right out the gate. I had to kiss a few gluten-stupid frogs to find a professional competent in matters of gluten/casein/soy inolerance. If I would have listened to all the instructions given to me by dieticians and doctors before that, I'd still be very sick and struggling. I heard statements such as: "there is no such thing as gluten withdrawal", "you don't have celiac disease so you can't be gluten intolerant", and my personal favorite, "you can just give up gluten during the week and eat it on the weekends, that should be sufficient." Even though I ultimately found a doctor who does understand, it was this forum AND MY OWN BODY that I ended up listening to the most.

Hearing of your smart dietician gives me hope that the tide is turning. I just pray that the current focus on gluten lasts long enough to motivate awareness on the part of all professionals who counsel in these matters.

You gave me a few giggles with your post...I know there are many that just don't understand - even professionals.

When I travel I notice that some states/cities are just more aware of celiac (restaurants, grocery stores, waiters, cooks, etc.). Kentucky (where I live) has a way to go although we do have our first gluten free cafe and bakery that opened a few months ago. I tend to frequent those restaurants that have a clear understanding of what gluten interolerant and cross-contamination mean - and there are a few.

My favorite dining experience was the greek salad I ordered a few months ago - I told the young waitress that I couldn't have any wheat and therefore didn't want any croutons on my salad...and the croutons were left off but piles of pita bread covered the whole top of the salad...I gave up on that restaurant - their waitresses are absolutely clueless even when you try explaining (their eyes glaze over actually).

GuyC Newbie

As my son told me - dad, you don't have any issue. You can just eat Snicker's bars and orange soda!

kwylee Apprentice

My favorite dining experience was the greek salad I ordered a few months ago - I told the young waitress that I couldn't have any wheat and therefore didn't want any croutons on my salad...and the croutons were left off but piles of pita bread covered the whole top of the salad...I gave up on that restaurant - their waitresses are absolutely clueless even when you try explaining (their eyes glaze over actually).

Haha! I guess she thought that pita bread comes from the gluten free pita plant!!! Hysterical!

kwylee Apprentice

As my son told me - dad, you don't have any issue. You can just eat Snicker's bars and orange soda!

So sweet! I guess he figured that covered all the food groups, including extra vitamin C in the soda.

violentlyserene Rookie

Hi all! so glad to have found this site! I am newly diagnosed and overwhelmed! So much information and changes! Any of you have tips of easy ways to dive into all this?

Thank

I'm new to this as well. Biopsy was last week so now I'm eating gluten free full time. It is a big pain but it's not the end of the world. Depending on your diet, going with a whole foods diet might be really helpful. It wasn't for me at all and I've found some of the endless suggestions for it from various sources kind of condescending since there is nothing at all wrong with preferring safe substitutes for food if that's what works for you. Anyway, it's definitely something to consider.

I started wandering the aisles of my grocery stores checking things I eat for gluten. There was a lot of swearing under my breath but over time, I'm adjusting and I'm more excited about safe options than I am angry about things I miss.

JoshB Apprentice

My favorite dining experience was the greek salad I ordered a few months ago - I told the young waitress that I couldn't have any wheat and therefore didn't want any croutons on my salad...and the croutons were left off but piles of pita bread covered the whole top of the salad...I gave up on that restaurant - their waitresses are absolutely clueless even when you try explaining (their eyes glaze over actually).

This exact thing happened to me a couple weeks ago. I decided to just chance picking the pita triangles off... not the best idea. Oh well. It happens.

Sharon LaCouture Newbie

Great advice Cattknap::::

Unlike many on this forum, I am not unhappy, overwhelmed, or feel like my life is over because I have celiac - I find it very easy to live a gluten free life...don't have a big pity party over this - living gluten free is completely doable and delicious and with the help of your doctor and/or nutritionist, you will eventually get healthy and feel great. I noticed a difference within a month - I feel great now - gluten free for almost a year now.

Important: Don't let your celiac disease define every facet of your life - live your life, be happy, don't focus on what you can't eat - instead look at all the things you can eat (tons of things!). Please don't expect all your friends or family to cater to you or have pity on you or prepare food that you can eat because you have celiac - your celiac is your responsibility only - deal with it intelligently and quietly and you will have good relations with those around you. You'll get used to it in no time at all - really you will. Good luck to you!

kareng Grand Master

Great advice Cattknap::::

Unlike many on this forum, I am not unhappy, overwhelmed, or feel like my life is over because I have celiac - I find it very easy to live a gluten free life...don't have a big pity party over this - living gluten free is completely doable and delicious and with the help of your doctor and/or nutritionist, you will eventually get healthy and feel great. I noticed a difference within a month - I feel great now - gluten free for almost a year now.

Important: Don't let your celiac disease define every facet of your life - live your life, be happy, don't focus on what you can't eat - instead look at all the things you can eat (tons of things!). Please don't expect all your friends or family to cater to you or have pity on you or prepare food that you can eat because you have celiac - your celiac is your responsibility only - deal with it intelligently and quietly and you will have good relations with those around you. You'll get used to it in no time at all - really you will. Good luck to you!

Sharon,

This post confuses me as you have started a topic saying you have had symptoms for 6 months and wondering how to get diagnosed.

What's the story?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,553
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jennifer CCC
    Newest Member
    Jennifer CCC
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.