New Ally

[Adalaide]

I've spent the past few months nagging (lovingly) my husband about the fact that I suspect he also has celiac or at least some sort of gluten intolerance. Over the past few weeks I've ramped up, pointing out every time he gets emergency rampant D that he's just polished off more wheat than I can shake a stick at. Finally, last Friday after finding out about my new diet restrictions (no tyramine, which is crazy insanely hard) I cried in the car on the way home. Mostly I was crying over chocolate, not everything else, but either way I was pretty upset. I was shocked when he told me that because of how difficult this is for me he could try going gluten free with me. He even suggested going tyramine free with me but I think that is a little extreme, especially since I can likely switch to tyramine light once I have my vision back.

So, anyway, he said he's going to eat up all the wheat in the house before switching. I personally think that's nuts but whatever. We paid for food someone may as well eat it and he seems perfectly content to be in unbearable pain a few times a week after eating so meh. We went yesterday to see his endocrinologist. (I tag along which the doctor loves because every time he asks my husband a question the doctor looks at me to see if my husband is being honest. I guess people like to lie to doctors about how awesome they are at glucose testing and carb counting.) Some months ago the doctor had blood drawn to test for celiac, and it came back negative. Yesterday the doctor explained that negative tests don't really mean you don't have it and going gluten free for 4-6 weeks at least can't hurt him any and he should try it. Words can not express how difficult it was not to look smug.

So, in the next week or two I'll have a gluten free buddy. Now to arm myself for the moodiness and misery of his withdrawal.

[alex11602]

This just made me smile, not that he is feeling poorly but that you will have a gluten free buddy right at home Hopefully he won't really go through withdrawel and it will be an easy transition.

[squirmingitch]

When my hubs was going to begin gluten-free I was very worried about "the bear" emerging when withdrawal kicked in. Luckily, VERY luckily, he escaped gluten withdrawal; maybe b/c he was gluten light b/c of me. Anyway, IrishHeart gave me a tip to deal with him if the withdrawal made him bearish. She said load him up with gluten-free carbs. Get lots of Glutino pretzels, bags of the safe Frito Lay junk food & load him up.

I'm delighted he will be trying it & overjoyed the doc actually said neg. tests don't mean you don't have it! YAY for a doc who knows their stuff. Nice when you hear there are a few out there who aren't idiot heads.

[GFinDC]

Well, he may even like it. If he likes meat there is plenty of opportunity to eat the dead animals on a gluten-free diet. Dead cow, dead pig, dead chicken etc. Barbecue galore and it's summer (here) and he may like to do a lot of barbecuing.

Don't forget toe check out the gluten-free beers too. Good for those hot summer days, if you can have them anyway.

[MitziG]

Too funny! I have been after my hubs to be gluten free 100% as well, but he insisted he doesn't have a problem. But, vanity got the best of him so he went on the Primal Diet to lose weight and lo and behold, without grains he feels great, his heartburn is gone and no bloating and constipation! He told me today that maybe my "internet hoakum" isn't all internet hoakum after all!

[frieze]

I've spent the past few months nagging (lovingly) my husband about the fact that I suspect he also has celiac or at least some sort of gluten intolerance. Over the past few weeks I've ramped up, pointing out every time he gets emergency rampant D that he's just polished off more wheat than I can shake a stick at. Finally, last Friday after finding out about my new diet restrictions (no tyramine, which is crazy insanely hard) I cried in the car on the way home. Mostly I was crying over chocolate, not everything else, but either way I was pretty upset. I was shocked when he told me that because of how difficult this is for me he could try going gluten free with me. He even suggested going tyramine free with me but I think that is a little extreme, especially since I can likely switch to tyramine light once I have my vision back.

So, anyway, he said he's going to eat up all the wheat in the house before switching. I personally think that's nuts but whatever. We paid for food someone may as well eat it and he seems perfectly content to be in unbearable pain a few times a week after eating so meh. We went yesterday to see his endocrinologist. (I tag along which the doctor loves because every time he asks my husband a question the doctor looks at me to see if my husband is being honest. I guess people like to lie to doctors about how awesome they are at glucose testing and carb counting.) Some months ago the doctor had blood drawn to test for celiac, and it came back negative. Yesterday the doctor explained that negative tests don't really mean you don't have it and going gluten free for 4-6 weeks at least can't hurt him any and he should try it. Words can not express how difficult it was not to look smug.

So, in the next week or two I'll have a gluten free buddy. Now to arm myself for the moodiness and misery of his withdrawal.

Since I am a tyramine sensitive migraineur, I am VERY interested in the connection between that and your vision! PLEASE share as much as you are comfortable with, TIA.

[Adalaide]

Since I am a tyramine sensitive migraineur, I am VERY interested in the connection between that and your vision! PLEASE share as much as you are comfortable with, TIA.

I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and/or intracranial hypertension, the doctor used the terms interchangeably. Basically, I have all the signs and symptoms of a tumor, only without a tumor. Apparently fat people (women in particular) are awesome at making too much brain fluid which is in some way related to tyramine. When that happens it puts pressure on the backs of your eyes and next thing you know your husband is driving you around. It all makes sense, I realized that in the week before I went blurry I ate probably 2+ pounds of spinach, plus since going gluten free I've just overall significantly increased my tyramine intake without even knowing what it is or that it exists. My 17 year old daughter's response? MOOOOOOM, how can you not eat chocolate and call yourself a woman? Thanks kid.

BTW, I also get occasional migraines although mine are hormone related. For the first time in my life I got 2 non-hormone related migraines with the blurry vision last week. Thankfully I'm on topamax now so that shouldn't happen again.

[Mom-of-Two]

My hubby went gluten free when I did 4 months ago, it is so much easier to do it together and cook in the same kitchen!

He lost a ton of weight doing a paleo type diet before going gluten free, so he was already pretty familiar with low grains- he then read Wheat Belly and the transition was pretty easy for him.

[frieze]

I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and/or intracranial hypertension, the doctor used the terms interchangeably. Basically, I have all the signs and symptoms of a tumor, only without a tumor. Apparently fat people (women in particular) are awesome at making too much brain fluid which is in some way related to tyramine. When that happens it puts pressure on the backs of your eyes and next thing you know your husband is driving you around. It all makes sense, I realized that in the week before I went blurry I ate probably 2+ pounds of spinach, plus since going gluten free I've just overall significantly increased my tyramine intake without even knowing what it is or that it exists. My 17 year old daughter's response? MOOOOOOM, how can you not eat chocolate and call yourself a woman? Thanks kid.

BTW, I also get occasional migraines although mine are hormone related. For the first time in my life I got 2 non-hormone related migraines with the blurry vision last week. Thankfully I'm on topamax now so that shouldn't happen again.

thanks, I have a hearing deficit, was thinking it might be related....I don't get a migraine from small amounts of most things on "the list" so eat them just not a lot, or together.....have wondered if this has been the cause of my issue, but so little self discipline when there are no obvious symptoms! wishing you well.

[BeccaMeadows]

I really like the more primative diet. Apparently the human digestive system isn't even properly designed to intake so much wheat since we have only been cultivating it since the time of the Egyptians (it's takes thousands to millions of years for evolution to cure this). You're lucky to have a gluten-free buddy who lives with you. It makes cooking so much easier.

[Bubba's Mom]

I'm so glad your hubby is going to give gluten-free a try! I hope he doesn't get the mood swings, but maybe you can talk about it ahead of time? Have a word or phrase chosen that either of you can use that basically means "gluten is controlling your/my emotions right now, so let's back off"? Let him know if he's seeming moody you'll say the "magic word" and you'll both take a breather or go to separate corners? LOL

I so wish my hubby would go gluten-free. He's very overweight, has type 2 diabetes, has bad reflux even on meds, has very bad arthritis, Hashimoto's, had a nearly fatal heart attack at an early age, and he seems to constantly be complaining about horrible aches and pains. His knees hurt all of the time. I see so many symptoms in him that I think would improve gluten-free but he just refuses! He doesn't watch his diet in regards to his diabetes either.

[Adalaide]

Isn't it the worst watching someone you love more or less kill themselves? My husband is type 1 and doesn't carb count or correct properly all of the time. When he does, I'm not sure it matters. The doctor agrees that celiac could be causing a lot of his problems with lows and he's already had to be taken to the ER once for it when literally no amount of sugar he could pour into his body would raise his glucose. Of course, when he isn't going low he's always high. I keep telling him that when he has no feet and is mostly blind I'm not pushing his wheelchair to dialysis.

Love the idea of a magic word. I learned long ago that when I don't have anything nice to say, not to say anything at all. I think I may be mildly psychotic at that special time of the month. I just spend a few days with my mouth shut fuming at all sorts of stupid things no reasonable person would get upset about. Now my new meds are causing violent mood swings, which is not awesome. I'm hoping it'll level out once my body adjusts. We probably both need the magic word if we want to stay happily married over the next few weeks.