Gfd Making It Very Hard To Stay True!

[Cujy]

Everyone out there who has been gluten-free for a while....Every single time I eat something now, I end up with abdo pains, and I look like Im six months pregnant!?!? This didn't happen before I went gluten free. My stomach literally looks like I swallowed a basketball, and the pain....OMG! It goes away after quite a few hours...had gluten-free cereal for breaky with lactose free milk and woop there it was!!!!!!

This is getting out of control, making things (clothes) very uncomfortable even making me short of breath! Its been since March 29 that Ive been gluten-free, and this bloating garbage started a few days ago. I havn't glutened myself so its not that....I can't take anymore with already having kidney pain still.... Someone tell me this is normal?????

[pricklypear1971]

Yes and no.

Are you using probiotics and digestive enzymes? If no, try them.

You may have a secondary intolerance or it may just be a stage. I went through a stage like that. You may need to watch your carbs for a while - that's what got me the most.

[Cujy]

I have tried the papaya enzyme but thats about it...I will try those...I still look like I swallowed a pumpkin...not sure what else Id have an intolerance to, and why now that Im on the GFD!? Never had this before. Oh well....Ive gotten over my cravings for junk, and have some gluten-free stuff that I really like, so that part is better, but man I wish this pain and bloating would go away!!!!!!!!!!

[sreese68]

Some people have problems with dairy after being gluten-free a little bit. I was able to tolerate it for awhile, but had to cut it completely out. My brown rice intolerance started out small and got really bad after a couple months gluten-free. (kind of an odd one, though) You may want to cut out the main culprits (dairy, soy, corn products) for a couple of weeks and slowly add back one at a time. Take about a week with one introduction before starting something else.

Good luck!

[Lisa]

was just dx in March and have been gluten-free since then, and although everyone says its a good idea to take yourself off dairy, I can't do it! Im a cheese-a-holic, and used to be a bread-a-holic, its bad enough the bread is gone, can't do without the cheese! I did buy the lactose free milk, but have since switched back to normal milk, Im so weak, have no self control!?!?

Hopeless, thats what I am.....If you can do it though all the power to you, I hear its the right thing to do!

I think you know the answer to your ills.

[Cujy]

Lisa, granted I have reintroduced lactose, but even after eating a bowl of gluten-free cereal with lactose free milk during a week of lactose free, same thing!?

I don't understand why Ive never had a problem with lactose before, why now? Although I am a cheeseaholic, I havn't eaten any, the most lactose that Im being exposed to is in indrediants so Im not gulping down glasses of milk, or eating cheese like I used to (unfortunately!).

Its all very confusing...This morning Im still bloated and terribly gasey, embarrassing to say the least.

[ravenwoodglass]

Lisa, granted I have reintroduced lactose, but even after eating a bowl of gluten-free cereal with lactose free milk during a week of lactose free, same thing!?

I don't understand why Ive never had a problem with lactose before, why now? Although I am a cheeseaholic, I havn't eaten any, the most lactose that Im being exposed to is in indrediants so Im not gulping down glasses of milk, or eating cheese like I used to (unfortunately!).

Its all very confusing...This morning Im still bloated and terribly gasey, embarrassing to say the least.

Your problem may not be the lactose in the dairy but the casien. Drop all dairy products for a bit and see if it helps. You should also consider dropping soy for a bit. Butter is lactose and casien free for the most part and for some of us is a better choice than most butter type spreads as those will be mostly soy based and all have casien. Try almond, rice (not Rice Dream!), or hemp milk as a sub for your cereal etc.

[BabsV]

Are you eating a lot of gluten-free replacement foods? I did at the beginning and things didn't start to get better until I basically dropped them all and went strictly natural -- meat, veg, fruit (minimal), rice, potatoes. I cut out all dairy and it was incredibly difficult as I was the HUGEST cheese fan. I re-introduced only small amounts of hard cheese about 4 months later and that's ok at this point. I also was eating a lot of Ancient Harvest quinoa (love the stuff) but after a couple of months my body wasn't happy with it (starting having a much looser stool which I'd never had before, even prior to diagnosis?!?!) Dropped that for the time-being and things are a bit better.

I still have weird reactions to some brands of gluten-free products...it seems that oats are not my friend at this point so I won't touch anything from Bob's Red Mill. Pamela's is ok as are some Scar products. I have noticed I do better with items that either don't have or have little xanthum gum (guar gum doesn't seem to bother me the same way.)

Basically I try to look on it as an eating adventure (ha, yeah right!) otherwise I would have to cry. I'm very careful about introducing anything new -- only one new thing every week or so.

Also, probiotics have saved my life. I swear the gas and gut gurgle were awful until I'd been on them for a few months. I just realized in the last month that the gurgle had been gone for a while and then realized the gas hadn't really been an issue since the beginning of this year!

For some of us the healing seems to take a long time. I have zero patience and keep telling myself that it took months/years to get as sick as I was prior to diagnosis and it isn't unreasonable for my body to take months/years to get back on an even keel.

Keep up with it. It does pay off in the end!

[Metoo]

I had to give up oats entirely in the beginning, they made me feel so much worse!

Now I can have them though, I am 6 months gluten-free. I also found out at like 2 months gluten-free, that I was starting to have bloating and stomach issues, it was from lactose. I cut it out of my diet, and felt a lot better. Now I still cheat on lactose though because I am lazy. =) I cannot drink raw milk though, or I pay for it the next day.

[cavernio]

I bought lactose free milk thinking I'd be fine with that, but I think it gave me bloating too. It also makes my tongue feel funny and dry, makes it like my mouth's thirsty from it even though I don't really feel thirsty. I suggest a totally dairy free milk.

[Jetamio]

I am casien free and find that the Silk brand of almond milk is fantastic on cereal. I get the original (not sweetened) had have it on the Chex cereals that are gluten free. It's really good.

I found out early on that large amounts of soy does odd things to me. Some of the gluten free products out there have a lot of soy in them and it bothers me. Perhaps there is something in larger amounts that your sensitive to as well? The best piece of advice I took from here in the beginiing was to not buy a whole bunch of replacement foods for your favorites right away. Stick to the "real" stuff to heal.

[JustNana]

Cujy

I would stay away from the expensive "gluten free" stuff. Eat very simply for a week and see if your gloating and gas improves. What's wrong with your kidney?

Lisa

LOL you made me laugh. I can't ditch the cheese either. I suspected I might have a degree of lactose intolerance for a year or two before being dx'd in Feb. I find that I can have cream in my coffee, cheese, buttermilk and yogurt with no problem, but a glass of LF milk will give me D once or twice. I'd hate to face life without cheese melted on crispy corn tortillas, or on my lettuce wrapped burger. I also can made a meal of a wedge (more like half a head) and homemade blue cheese dressing liberally topped with cherry tomatoes, bacon and cracked pepper. I was so thrilled to read a documented article about finally clearing blue cheese. They had 19 brands sold in America tested and cleared them all. I have been eating it for about a month with no problem. :-)

[JustNana]

Cujy

Oops "bloating." I'm sure you aren't finding a lot to "gloat" about these days.

[Cujy]

Tee hee hee "Gloating" woops sorry....

Maybe my body is going through withdrawal because I now smell like BO (sorry TMI) ALL the time, no matter how much I wash and "deodorize" and Im breaking out with acne that I never had a problem with either!?!? Headaches along with pain today, didn't eat much because I just don't want to puff up like a lump again, just a bit of gluten-free banana bread that I made.

Did talk to the big children's hospital today re my kidney issues, and was 'advised' by someone that I need to go to an emerg in the city as opposed to my 'wee town hospital' when I have the pain and sediment in my urine, she dosn't think it has ANYTHING to do with the celiac (FINALLY someone who believes me!!!!!) They said that alot of the small town docs deal with alot of wackos that read about symptoms online and suddenly they turn up with this pain too....hence the AD meds, but she said Im not doubting you, your pain is real. Such a breath of fresh air to hear that and not be made to be a headcase!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im going to my doc to request a copy of the urinalysis, so I have it with me when and if I have to go back to emerg. Im arming myself with the info that my GP HAS but REFUSES to acknowledge!