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Gluten Free For 2 Weeks And Feel Great - Do I Need To Get Tested?

benj

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benj Newbie
benj
Posted

I found out about gluten when searching for canker sore solutions. I've had significant problems with them all my life of 42 years. At the time I didn't consider a gluten free diet because it seemed more trouble than the sores. 6 months ago I started having leg ache pain while driving and then about 8 weeks ago I developed a constant sharp pain in my knee. My doctor brushed it off as arthritis and sent me home with instructions to take advil. Trying to self diagnose at home, I discovered a link between gluten and joint pain. I was planning on going on a low carb diet for the new year so I started researching gluten free as well and decided to try it.

This is amazing! My knee pain completely vanished in 2 days.... but even more amazing, and what I wasn't expecting, was how I feel about food now. After 6 days gluten free I woke up Saturday morning and cried. I was not hungry! I didn't care about food... I had NO CRAVINGS! Every morning for as long as I can remember I HAD to eat breakfast as soon as I got up, usually a quick bowl of cereal. I've been overweight all my life and in a constant struggle over food. I'd been on the starvation diet, atkins diet, cereal only diet, weight watcher's, south beach..... I'd never felt so free as I do now. Food no longer had a hold on me! The emotions of 25 years just flood through me. I'm tearing up now just writing about it.

I feel like I was in food hell my entire life and didn't know it.

This week I noticed food is tasting better, especially fruit. I've had kiwis before but I never said WOW after eating one before.

I've also had a problem with acne all my life. (I can remember my mother picking painfully at my face when I was 8) At 42 it's not terrible anymore but in the last few years I started developing painful acne like spots on my legs also. It hasn't even been 2 weeks yet but it certainly seems like my skin is clearing up. I can't wait to try a glass of orange juice and see if a canker soar doesn't show up.

I know most people are upset to discover they can't eat gluten any more. I happen to be a pizza fanatic myself.... But I couldn't be happier! I would gladly give up gluten forever just to rid myself of the cravings. Being able to walk and drive without pain is nice too.

I've lost almost 10 pounds. I have been trying to loose weight too but this is so easy! I could skip a meal more easily now than I could skip the snacks and candy after a meal just 2 weeks ago.

So, I'm thinking this is proof positive I am at least gluten sensitive. Am I wrong? Should I still get tested?

I was looking at DNA testing. Does anyone have recommendations?

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eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

I just want you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post!

I am thrilled for you!

You will find yourself aging backwards now...and oh gosh is that fun!

I have been gluten free one year. I have had a weight problem all my life. I've eaten more food in the last year than I did in the last 5 years. I weigh 115 now when at my sickest with Celiac I was close to 200lbs at one point. I didn't have to work at it a bit. Welcome to your new life...It really is amazing.

I'm very excited for you about your discovery. I have no opinion about testing. If you like gluten free do it. If you want to test do it. But the really cool thing is you are no longer in pain and you are discovering food again. I noticed food tasted like food for the first time in my life. I love it.

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    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
      Finding gluten free ingredients

      By captaincrab55 · Posted

      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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