Don't Know If I Have Celiac Disease.. But I Want To Try To Be Gluten Free..

[kakashi]

Hi all,

I have been suffering from B12 deficiency for more than a year now, numb fingers, burning lips, aching joints, fatigue, and a ton of other stuffs. I have already spent a small fortune just to get myself back to the doctor and hospital again and again. And I am tired because they can't seem to fix me up.

My most recent was a colonoscopy and they found nothing there. My Neuro suggested I go through EMS testing and I can't afford it anymore.

Anyways, I am also going through bouts of Diarrhea, always ended up with yellow colored bowels. I noticed that I go through this when i have pizza and pasta.. and with my B12 forever deficient.. i was just about had it. and research online.

My Gastro suggest that i might have IBS.. well, whether i have IBS or celiac disease.. I think going gluten free is healthy and helps. so I am here to give it a try.

I am from the Philippines, and Celiac disease is like never heard of.. most of my doctors.. all 6 of em dont even bother looking in that direction for a diagnosis. So I am doing my own thing here. I am not rich.. so i can't really afford to higher high class nutritionist or something, even if i know one.. which I don't. I just want to get my life back.. too tired.

Taking in 500mcg of b12 daily seems to keep my pains away. but the diarrhea is a major problem for me right now.

so please, other than welcoming me here.. can you help me answer a few of my questions?

1. I am chinese and i love chinese food.. is there still a change i can eat dimsum? and be gluten free?

2. is Kenny roger's roasters chicken considered gluten free?

3. will being gluten free make me lack other vitamins or minerals?

4. I love eating bread and butter at night while i do my work.. any alternative for the bread as a suggestion?

5. Anyone here from the Philippines? Can you suggest me any food, brand, or restaurant i can still handle?

6. is a burger patty considered glutten free?

7. what juices do you recommend for celiac disease?

8. Any vitamin that you can recommend i take that can be good for me? since i am avoiding milk or sustagen now..

thanks so much.. i know my post is a little clueless with no results from an official doctor.. but none of my doctors are being helpful.. and I am broke. Everything here in the Philippines cost money, no govt support or decent healthcare.

[beachbirdie]

Hi all,

I have been suffering from B12 deficiency for more than a year now, numb fingers, burning lips, aching joints, fatigue, and a ton of other stuffs. I have already spent a small fortune just to get myself back to the doctor and hospital again and again. And I am tired because they can't seem to fix me up.

so please, other than welcoming me here.. can you help me answer a few of my questions?

1. I am chinese and i love chinese food.. is there still a change i can eat dimsum? and be gluten free?

2. is Kenny roger's roasters chicken considered gluten free?

3. will being gluten free make me lack other vitamins or minerals?

4. I love eating bread and butter at night while i do my work.. any alternative for the bread as a suggestion?

5. Anyone here from the Philippines? Can you suggest me any food, brand, or restaurant i can still handle?

6. is a burger patty considered glutten free?

7. what juices do you recommend for celiac disease?

8. Any vitamin that you can recommend i take that can be good for me? since i am avoiding milk or sustagen now..

thanks so much.. i know my post is a little clueless with no results from an official doctor.. but none of my doctors are being helpful.. and I am broke. Everything here in the Philippines cost money, no govt support or decent healthcare.

I will try to answer a couple of your questions, I am sure others will be along to help with more.

First, I recommend you go to the Newbie 101 topic (here... ) started by one of the great members here. It is chock full of stuff that can answer a lot of questions.

You might also post in the International topic and just drop a post titled "Anyone else here from Philippines?" or something like that.

Okay, on to the questions.

1. Chinese food will be a challenge for you. Soy sauce is generally brewed with wheat, and that is off limits. Unless you can insure that you have gluten-free sauce, it's off your list. As are any dumplings and most noodles. You can certainly eat any of the rice noodles, if they really are ONLY rice (bean threads would be okay too). You just have to check carefully with the people who are making the food. You can read the labels if making it yourself.

3. Gluten free will NOT cause you to miss out on nutrients. In fact, if you are celiac, gluten free will improve your body's absorption of nutrients from the foods you eat. I do not know why the myth of gluten avoidance causing deficiencies is perpetuated. Probably the wheat producers!

4. There are lots of substitutes for regular bread, though I don't know what is available in your part of the world. You can also scout the Internet for recipes of quick breads you can make, without too many complicated flours and such. You might be able to find some of the bread mixes, I think Bob's Red Mill is available over there. Do you have Healthy Options market? Sadly, gluten-free breads are very expensive.

6. A burger patty is naturally gluten free, as are ALL natural meats. You do need to be watchful of seasoning mixes that might contain gluten, or of a burger being cooked on the same grill as breads, as it will be contaminated.

7. Any juices should be fine, just read the ingredient panels. Fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free.

8. Any good multi-vitamin that fits your dairy-sensitivity.

[rosetapper23]

All great advice given above! I just wanted to add that if you have ongoing problems with being Vitamin B12 deficient, 500 mcg a day seems VERY low. Usually, we're prescribed 2,000 mcg once or twice a day sublingually. Are you taking a sublingual tablet (the kind that dissolves under your tongue)? If not, this is definitely the type you SHOULD be taking. People with absorption problems usually need to take Vitamin B12 in this manner...or even B12 injections. Make sure that the sublingual B12 is Methyl B12.

Are you able to buy gluten-free Tamari sauce there instead of soy sauce? I'm sorry that it will be somewhat difficult for you to follow a gluten-free diet there in the Philippines....but, as suggested above, you could learn to make your own bread (it's delicious!). Also, you may be able to find gluten-free crackers to act as a bread substitute in the evening. As for the diarrhea, perhaps it's also being caused by soy. Many of us with celiac cannot tolerate soy. However, if it is indeed gluten that is causing you problems, your diarrhea should improve over time on a gluten-free diet. But you'll need to be patient--for many of us, it took 1-2 years before the diarrhea completely cleared up.

[GFinDC]

Hi, an alternative to bread that may work for you is corn tortillas. Just make sure they are only corn and have no wheat added.

Really it is probably best to avoid restraunts at first. Many restraunts will not understand how to make gluten-free food for you and avoid cross contamination. Cross-contamination is when someone makes a gluten-free food but somehow adds a little bit of gluten by accident. All cc takes is sharing a spoon between 2 pots of soup, one with gluten the other without, or a shared grill surface, or shared spatula for turning burgers and buns. Or even flour in the air from making bread etc. Flour is very fine and can float in the air for a while before it lands on some surface. Shared peanut butter or mayo or butter is also a problem. The better job you do of avoiding gluten the quicker you will recover.

It is better to make your own food at home and use whole ingredients. That way if you get sick you know why you got sick or you can figure it out. Don't use spice mixes or blends at first. Keep your cooking pots separate from pots used for gluten or wash them very well between uses. Gluten is anything with wheat, rye,or barley and some people react to oats and perhaps corn also.

Some threads with good info:

FAQ Celiac com

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-celiac-disease/

Celiac Newbie Info 101

What's For Breakfast Today?

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

What Are You Cooking Tonight?

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