Ready To Scream...

[Trudyjerry]

I've been gluten and dairy free about six months now. It's driving me crazy but I'm dealing with it. It's been an adjustment but one worth making for my health.

The longer I'm gluten-free, I'm finding more and more foods that give me problems. Soy seems to upset my stomach to the point of not wanting to move. I just realized that peas now seem to give me D. Oh joy. Apricots have always given me problems but i used to be able to take a benadryl and still eat them. Not anymore. The last time I did that, I almost ended up in the ER. Will it ever stop?

Exactly when can I count on my list of okay foods to stop shrinking?

It seems like everyday something new comes up that I can no longer tolerate well. My hubby thinks I'm nuts because I throw little fits while shopping. I don't think that he understands how frustrating this is for me. First I loose all of my favorite foods. What I wouldn't give for a good baguette and some Brie right now, but no, I can't have that. I thought I only had a problem with dairy and gluten but no, I'm still finding other things that don't do we'll by me.

It's frustrating and I guess I'm still a little angry over all of this.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[icm]

Have you assessed your intestinal permeability by doing a "leaky gut" test?

Sounds like leaky gut syndrome is most likely your issue.

Are you taking any probiotics. What about 5000IU a day of Vitamin D3?

How about a banana a day? You might just need some time to heal from the damage.

[shadowicewolf]

You scare me, taking benadryl just to eat approcots? o.o So NOT worth it.

[Newbee]

It is frustrating. I'm dealing with the same thing. You might want to check out the SCD diet. I wish I had more words of wisdom Hang in there.

[ndw3363]

Have you assessed your intestinal permeability by doing a "leaky gut" test?

Sounds like leaky gut syndrome is most likely your issue.

Are you taking any probiotics. What about 5000IU a day of Vitamin D3?

How about a banana a day? You might just need some time to heal from the damage.

What exactly is a "leaky gut" test? I'm almost positive I have it, but didn't know there was a test. Something else is getting me now and I would love to know what it is.

[bartfull]

It took 14 months for me. I lost a lot of foods along the way and got down to 11 foods I could eat safely, and two of those foods were butter and salt! But I am now successfully adding things back. Give yourself another six to eight months to heal and you may be able to add things back and stop losing things too. I think I had undiagnosed celiac for about twelve years, so that works out to a little over a month for each year before I healed.

[IrishHeart]

First of all, there is no conventional "leaky gut" test --except for some lab tests offered by alternative practitioners. I will withhold my opinion of them as they proved costly and INCORRECT when an "integrative MD" ordered them for me. Maybe someone else can tell you more.

Do not assume you have a leaky gut just because you are still having issues post diagnosis.

(and some suggest all celiacs have a leaky gut to some degree. Maybe so.)

This GI doctor offers an explanation here:

Open Original Shared Link

If your gut seems raw, avoid alcohol, coffee and citrus for a while and see if it helps. These are often abrasive on the GI tract.

Assessing food intolerances is difficult. Take the suspected foods out for several weeks and then introduce ONE at a time, a week apart, to see if you have a reaction of any kind.

To help your gut heal, eat plenty of fiber. Drink water. Take Culturelle or another probiotic supplement containing Lactobacillus GG.

Try to eat more anti-inflammatory foods, and a plain, whole foods diet (instead of packaged things )and take essential fatty acids like fish oil.

Some people use L-glutamine, an amino acid that seems to help with gut repair and tissue function. (I use it myself)

You should never take high doses of any vitamins unless you need them. Ask your doctor to test your levels for you.

The truth is (and no one likes this answer; I know I didn't want to hear it) it can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years or longer to heal the gut ravaged by celiac.

You may well have other food intolerances (often, for celiacs, it is soy and dairy) but it could also be CC getting you or just plain inflammation that has not resolved.

I took nearly 15 months before I started to feel significantly better, gain some weight and start absorbing nutrients again.

I am almost 2 years post-diagnosis and I still have a few symptoms that are not resolved, but I am not the sick, dying woman I was either. This just "is what it is".

And if apricots cause that kind of allergic reaction for you, do not eat them! There are so many other fruits to eat, why would you do that to yourself?

Try to be patient. This is a long healing path.

Hang in there.

[Trudyjerry]

Thank you all for your input. I do appreciate it. The thing with the apricots sounded worse than it actually is. I only did it once or twice a year when they are in season. I have now given them up completely. I'm about ready to give up all fruits and vegetables. I had some radishes last night and a few more for a quick snack earlier. I've been in and out of the bathroom all day. Just one more thing that I can leave out of my diet now.

[bartfull]

Trudyjerry, you NEED vegetables, and to some extent fruits. I was having the same problem with them at first and my nutritioninst told me it was because my system was so damaged I was reacting to pesticides and chemical fertilizers. She suggested I go completely organic, and it worked. Grocery store sweet potatoes went through me like water within a couple of hours. Organic ones stayed with me. With SOME veggies and most fruits, well even organic didn't work, but that is because I am salicylate sensitive. But the sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pears, and bananas all worked. Avocados too, and I didn't need organic ones. The first time I tried them, straight from the grocery store, they were fine.

I can now eat all of these things in their non-organic form although I prefer organic when I can get it.

[Trudyjerry]

Trudyjerry, you NEED vegetables, and to some extent fruits. I was having the same problem with them at first and my nutritioninst told me it was because my system was so damaged I was reacting to pesticides and chemical fertilizers. She suggested I go completely organic, and it worked. Grocery store sweet potatoes went through me like water within a couple of hours. Organic ones stayed with me. With SOME veggies and most fruits, well even organic didn't work, but that is because I am salicylate sensitive. But the sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pears, and bananas all worked. Avocados too, and I didn't need organic ones. The first time I tried them, straight from the grocery store, they were fine.

I can now eat all of these things in their non-organic form although I prefer organic when I can get it.

Thanks. I know I need fruits and veggies. I'm just being sarcastic. I love fruits and veggies and I can snack on them all day long. I plan to keep going through them one by one. I don't have a problem with garlic, onions, potatoes, apples, carrots, oranges, peaches, avocados, and cauliflower. I eat a wide variety of things. I guess that's why I keep finding things that I can't eat anymore.

I just hope that it all settles down sometime soon.