Michi8

Yes! I used to have enviably clear skin as a teenager. Since having kids I now break out quite badly...but I'm not convinced it's typical acne. I get very painful acne spots mid-cycle that never really go away completely (even if I leave them alone), and then I have the constant acne on my jawline, chin, chest, back, behind my ears and on the back of my head that gets quite itchy and uncomfortable. I never had that growing up! I suspect it's either allergy or intolerance related...and wonder if it actually is DH. I also get occassional lesions on the typical DH areas, but the biopsy (done incorrectly!) came back neg. Sigh.

Michelle

From what I understand, you don't need a current outbreak for biopsy. The dermatologist should be able to take a sample from beside an old lesion. But I'll look into that information to confirm...I'll post back when I find it.

Michelle

So my question is do you expect everyone to agree with you and how would you take it if someone did not share your opinions?

Would you take it to that person or scream to the moderators that you want them to be deleted because you did not like their views on the subject?

Now see me get in trouble for this post.

No, I don't expect everyone to agree. How I would take it would depend on the argument the person was making and how they were presenting it. Definitely wouldn't talk to a moderator about them unless it was a violation of the forum rules, or was extremely offensive. But if I just didn't like what they had to say, then I'd try to let it go and ignore it.

There are a few topics that I try to avoid in any forum. Religious beliefs is one, since it often gets heated and doesn't really go anywhere helpful. Another is politics.

Michelle

You don't say what country you are in but I am in the UK and here if an item has a codex level of wheat in it , it can declare it's gluten-free.

Codex levels in the UK are less than 200 parts per million (of gluten) and these levels are deemed to be safe for coeliacs (i.e not cause damage)

However - alot of coeliacs do react with symptoms to codex -- so caution is needed!!

I would say whilst you are trying to get used to the gluten-free diet it might be best to avoid codex products.

He is in UAE (United Arab Emirates.) Since I'm not in Europe, I'm not really familiar with the codex standards and how product is generally labelled/marketed regarding this ...do you know if the UAE follows those guidelines as well?

Michelle

Please do visit your doctor to go over your symptoms. They could be related to something other than celiac...best to get a check up and confirm nothing else is amiss.

Michelle

Hey, if you had a yeast infection you'd practically have a loaf of bread!

Ewww!

Michelle

I also suffered from horrible cramping as a teen (if I didn't take my presciption pain meds on time, I'd be unable to function), but experienced heavy, long periods that have gotten worse after having three kids. The cramping is virtually gone, but I now get horrible mood swings a week before and a week after my period. I know it's not endometriosis for me, and I'd suspect it's not for you either, because you're periods are so light. But it's still worth looking into with your doctor.

Just like SpikeMoore, I highly recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Charting your cycles, basal temperatures, cervical signs and symptoms will give you and your doctor a lot of valuable information about what is going on with your body. With this chart you can keep track of your diet and see if there is a correlation with what happens during your cycle as well.

HTH!

Michelle

Thanks, everyone. Guess a good number of members are at home reading and posting today!

Michelle

Ok...I have a mold question now.

I've read that mold collects in drip-trays under refidgerators. I tried to look under my fridge but I saw no removable tray....is it suppossed to be removeable??

I did see some type of tray and it did look to have some mold.....but no way I could reach it or clean it.....I couldnt even see it w/out a flashlight.

Anyone know about refridgerators and mold??

I think it depends on the age of the fridge. I've got a newer fridge (3.5 years old) and it doesn't have a drip tray that I know of...though I'll have to find my manual and check.

Of course anywhere there is water, there is the potential for mold & mildew growth...so a drip tray would be an issue. Also drum-style humidifiers are a big source, and that mold gets circulated throughout the house with the furnace air...very important to keep up with regular maintenance. We switched to a flow-through humidifier because of that issue.

Michelle

I wonder if those who are contacting Kimberly Clark about what, if anything, they dust their products with would post those replies - IN A DIFFERENT THREAD.

I have emailed the makers of Angle Soft toilet paper and will do the same when I get a response.

This thread is so depressing to read that it would be nice to have the information elsewhere.

Today (Monday) is a holiday, so I would not expect to hear back any earlier than Tues. or Wed.

Totally off topic, but what is the holiday today?

Michelle

who doesn't get stat holiday until February.

hi ravenwoodglass!

Have you tried eliminating the gluten-free oats for a month or two? I haven't read thru the whole thread so I may be repeating here but oats have a protein that is very similar to the one in gluten. There are many of us who will react to them.

yeah, I know, but I brought the gluten-free oats fro sweden to germany and ate them there, and as I wrote was fine.

the mold will be real problem, it's not my flat I rent it and might move soon. the mould patch is approx. 1 squaremeter big, I removed the wallpaper, scratched the mould and washed the wall with high concentrated vinager. I am going to be something against mould some fungizide and try to get an airfiltering machine (sorry, do not know the exact english word).

and hope I am getting better.....

thanks for all help,

Sonja

If you indeed have a mold problem in/on the wall, you need to bleach it. Vinegar will not do the job, especially since mold can grow in vinegar (see the list of foods in my earlier post.)

Michelle

I felt ignored for the first few months of joining, but I was in a really terrible place in those first months. Before I ever posted here, I read for days, and finally chose to write to just one popular and prominent member. I got one very polite response back, but no other interaction, ever again (you know who you are), and felt very excluded from what seemed like very close and cliquish behavior. [and now I am guilty of same - although I try and keep contact with any newbies who write to me.] Maybe my depression was too overwhelming for this person and other members of the forum. But it amazes me how much attention Srokie is receiving, both positive and negative, when others who read along or post from a place of abject despair can remain ignored. I am also guilty of ignoring new posters, as I spend more time "playing" with my friends....this whole thing just reminds me to try and pay more attention to newbies again.

On the point of reading before posting... It is part of "nettiquette" to read a forum for a while before starting to post. This practice goes back to the old newsgroups. You need to get a feel for how the community interacts, and what topics are discussed before jumping in...it also helps to do some searching through old posts to see if something has already been discussed/answered. I do this for every forum I join or have joined and I think it's good practice.

Once I did start posting, I got some welcoming posts. But I have felt largely unnoticed, especially when I respond to someone else's post directly with a question and receive no response back. I definitely feel like it is hard to break into the close (cliquish?) group. It can also be hard to see some get openly welcomed and included when others get a lukewarm response. Silence can feel just as hurtful as being attacked.

Michelle

It's not chemical-related, although it does look and feel a lot like that. I had that happen once and it does remind me of exactly that.

It's definitely gluten though. You can actually watch it happen. My skin will go from being totally fine to all weird looking within an hour. It just kind of shrivels up and gets all dry. Very weird.

Nancy

I wouldn't be surprised if it is connected to gluten...I do know it's tied into my sensitivities and allergies. In terms of my possible gluten sensitivity...I don't know for sure yet. I'm still in the testing stages, and don't hold much hope for getting a definitive answer, because the tests I have had done may have been incorrect (biopsy from the wrong site for DH test, only 1 biopsy taken during endoscopy). My skin issues seem to come and go...almost cyclical. I'm hoping that my gluten free trial will give me better answers.

For you, is it possible that, though it is connected to gluten exposure, there may be another trigger involved...a trigger that works in conjunction to glutening?

Michelle

I get this, and have narrowed it down to products that I wash and clean with. Dish soap, household cleaning chemicals, antibacterial soaps. I use rubber gloves when washing dishes and doing household cleaning, and wash my hands with plain soap & water. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid using irritating soaps (such as in a public restroom) and my hands instantly get red & dry which leads to splits/cracks and bleeding. My reaction has also become more severe where I get deep splits on the ends of my fingers.

Michelle

I havent seen you or anyone else come under attack in the same rude and unwelcoming manner that Srokie was. She started 3 topics and was insulted and attacked in every one of them. I dont think shes walking away with her tail between her legs. I think shes fed up....plain and simple....and I dont blame her.

Perhaps you were away at that point. There has been at least one instance that I've seen someone get "attacked" by others on the board since I joined last summer...there were a few threads that got somewhat ugly. There was a huge amount of negativity around here at the time, and it lead to a few people stepping away from the board for a bit as well.

Now, I didn't claim that I got "attacked," but I have had instances where there have been posters very quick to set me straight, question the validity of my information, or tell me I'm wrong...even though I try to be careful by providing links to information, or presenting my thoughts as experiences I've had rather than the absolute truth. In some cases I feel others were responding without carefully reading what I wrote, and then from that point, the thread seems to take on a life of its own.

Now that is sometimes just the way forums like this go. This certainly isn't the only place with heated discussions, skepticism, wariness about trolls, etc.

Michelle

Oh man, that sucks =(

i don't know, i had to give up cocoapuffs when i went gluten free too (I gave them to the dog, it was a sad day :0).

It was because of the maltodextrin... could that be why they added the celiacs beware to their label? I know maltodextrin contains gluten, maybe it contains wheat too....

hmmm...

=/

Maltodextrin is safe. It contains no gluten or wheat.

Michelle

She provided you with that information when she named her sources. She offered up her Doctors phone number...what more do you need?? She presented the information as it was told to her....by two fellow Celiacs....you have every right to either believe it or to ignore it.

So if you dont believe what shes saying.....what are you really accomplishing by attacking her??

I will reiterate what I stated in my earlier post...

Not being able to contact the company on a Sunday does not justify attacking the poster.

I have not attacked srokie. Please do not accuse me of such. I have been, as others have, skeptical of the information she has presented.

Having been on the defensive side in my own threads and posts, I know what it feels like to have a lot of people question a point of view, especially when it has been written in frustration or passion about a product, dr, experience, whatever...and have virtually no one post in support or defense of my view. Not a fun position to be in, and can definitely be a blow...making a person feel less than welcome or leave one feeling like their participation in discussion is of less value than that of others. I've certainly come away feeling like certain topics are not to be brought up, as if it is an affront to the beliefs of the group as a whole. But it hasn't sent me away with my tail between my legs. Nor should that be the case with srokie.

Michelle

Yup....and to add to that list

cantaloupes and other fruits have a high mold content.

Like Michelle said....you dont have to *see* mold in order for it to be a problem. I always get suspicious of mold when people say they improve away from home and are sick again once they return.

The same goes for pollens. In the spring, due to the high number of birch trees, I feel a lot better when I leave my neighbourhood only to feel lousy again when I return. Not a lot I can do about that. Even air purifiers don't do much because pollen gets into the house regardless (through windows & doors, and on clothing & shoes.)

Michelle

I saw nothing wrong with the way she presented this info. She obviously *believes* the info to be true just as much as others here *believe* that its false.

She came under attack primarily because of where her information came from.....other people have posted this exact information in the past and did NOT get this kind of response.

I maintain it is still in the presentation. She said that she heard this info from another celiac who read it in some newsletter somewhere. That is simply passing on an anecdote as fact. Others have posted in this manner and have had exactly the same type of response. Others have posted anecdotal info and invited comments, and get a very different type of response. I think if she were to change her delivery, and be more open to discussion, the conversation would flow very differently.

Nobody who has posted thus far has been able to *prove* that her information isnt valid....yet many here are just as emphatic in stating that she is incorrect because everything they've ever heard is that Kraft doesnt hide anything.

I would be very interested in hearing if any of this information is correct. Unfortunately, companies cannot be contacted until after the weekend, so unless someone already has the information at hand, confirmation of the info will have to wait.

So again...because what shes saying goes against popular belief....she is under attack. When the fact is that we DONT KNOW that she is giving inaccurate information....regardless of the source.

So if others don't believe in what she is saying, they have to wait to respond until the facts can be backed up? What is wrong with asking for her to provide proof or clarification?

Michelle

All I'm trying to say is...can we please not create a hostile environment so that new members are afraid to post here??

It's unfortunate that srokie is being questioned in such a manner again. However, her emphatic presentation of anecdote as fact just doesn't seem to sit well with others. Perhaps if her information was presented differently she would get a better/less hostile response?

Michelle

Hi Rachel,

thanks for all hints, ideas, thoughts.

I often thought about candida and also tokk medicine against it for a while, but I do not really belive, it's candida.

as I wrote,I was so much better in germany, but being here at my home again, I was immediatly sick again. I did no change the diet, i.e. I ate the same food (like gluten-free bread, cakes) from the same companies in germany as well as here in sweden, albeit some exceptions as the rice cakes, the flavoured tea, the lactosefree milk.

I am a little bit better today concerning the stomach pain, but still not as well as before. maybe it will be harder and longer for the body to recover after a mistake....

I check my flat, there are no more signs of mold anymore. I fixed this problem around 1 1/2 years ago.

yeah, yeah,

best wishes,

Sonja

Just a further thought... if you are sensitive to molds, you could be sensitive to foods that have a tendency to harbour mold as well. Common food sources of mold:

Cheese

Mushrooms

Vinegar and foods containing vinegar, such as salad dressing, catsup and pickles

Sour cream, sour milk and buttermilk

Beer and wine

Meat or fish more than 24 hours old

Sour breads, such as pumpernickel, and other food made with a lot of yeast

Sauerkraut

Pickled and smoked meats and fish

Dried fruits such as dates, prunes, figs and raisins

I have also heard that nuts (especially nut butters), fruit and grains can harbour mold spores.

Here is a link I found that talks about the various types of mold, and where they are found: Open Original Shared Link

In addition, mold and mildew are found in many places in the home...you don't need a visible sign of mold growth for it to be around you (in fact, it's impossible to completely remove the spores from your home.) When I was diagnosed with mold and mildew allergies, it was recommended that I remove any house plants and aquariums from my home. Have a hard time doing it, though, because fish were the pets we chose to keep due to our dander allergies.

Michelle

I am also going to guess that Kinberly Clark does not add flour to their toilet paper. Just a guess here. Please feel free to write the company and post here as to what they say. I can't imagine what a mess it would make "down there" if they did add flour to their toilet paper. When you mix flour and water it makes a gross paste......I don't think they want folks having a gross paste "down there". Just my 2 cents.

I hope that helps to de-bunk some of the rumors started with this thread. Make sure that we are actually writing to the companies to find out information and not just posting heresay info. We all know how critical it is that information is correct.

Thanks!

-Jessica

I just want to add to what Jessica said...if flour or cornstarch is added to toilet paper, it would also be a risk for enouraging the growth of bacteria/yeast. I highly doubt this is common practice by the paper companies.

Michelle

Welcome!

Michelle

My mom had a sunbeam that lasted her almost 40 years. She replaced it with a Kitchenaid. I have a Kitchenaid, and prefer the design over Sunbeam (though I'm not clear on whether the Sunbeam design has changed much over those years.) I find it does a very thorough job with little to no need to scrape the bowl down, and it's powerful enough to handle any task. The one I have is the Ultra Power...not as powerful as the Artisan, but more powerful than the Classic.

Michelle

I'm not a teen either, but I'm in Central Alberta.

Michelle