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Kate333

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Celiac.com - Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Support Since 1995

Everything posted by Kate333

  1. Kate333
    Ravenwoodglass, Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Imodium-brand products, does not test for G contents and will not guarantee their products are gluten-free. I discovered that after I noticed no gluten-free label on their capsule packaging, then called the company to ask/check. I just wanted JLF (a fellow "newbie") to be aware so she can be...
  2. Kate333
    Hi JLF. You mention you use Miralax and Imodium. Imodium is not gluten-free, so perhaps that is the reason for your lingering digestion issues. Here is a link you may find helpful, a list of the best gluten-free alternatives for constipation, D, and heartburn medications and also the ones to avoid: https://www.verywellhealth.com/gluten-free...
  3. Kate333
    Thanks GFinDC! I will check those other companies. It would be nice to have more home test options as this pandemic drags on. Stay safe!
  4. Kate333
    Hi Lemons111. I suggest a home gluten antibody blood test. It will save you the wait/university red tape. But, as others here say, you may need further exam (EGD with biopsies) to confirm or rule out celiac disease. If the blood test positive for G, at least you will have a piece of paper (test results) to use to help support a referral to a gastro specialist...
  5. Kate333
    Hi Ivana. If it's any comfort, you aren't alone in your reaction to the diagnosis and struggle to adjust to gluten-free diet, esp. during a global pandemic. The upside for you is overall good heath (very active, fairly young distance runner). Take heart about your blood test numbers. They should dramatically decline once you adopt and stay...
  6. Kate333
    Hi snowywolf. I suggest you consult with a dermatologist and/or GI doc. about your finger issues. It may be a fungal infection, esp. if your nail is involved, or even an allergic reaction to the soap you are using, esp. if it contains chemical fragrances. My hands are also pretty dry/red/chafed (no bumps or itching) these days, but I think that's from...
  7. Kate333
    Hi JD. If you're also suffering from severe reflux, hoarseness, and abdominal pain, it's a good idea to get that endoscopy so the GI doc can get a good baseline look at your gut from throat to small intestine...(not just to confirm celiac disease diagnosis). Don't get discouraged about your blood test numbers. They aren't unusual. I, too, am a relative...
  8. Kate333
    Her gastro and PCP docs recommendations, exams will be key in helping get to the source. They may want to do endoscopy "just to be on the safe side". You might consider whether her symptoms might have been triggered by anxiety or insomnia or some other issue in her life. Emotional issues can often be bigger triggers of GI distress than other things like...
  9. Kate333
    Think of it this way: your daughter's G antibodies dropped more than 100 points every year. Hooray!!! She will probably be in the normal range in only a few more months. That is a GREAT achievement!! Esp. for such a small child. But, most important, remember, even once she reaches the normal G antibody range, you will have to make sure she REMAINS there...
  10. Kate333
    Many things can cause teeth to become discolored ("yellow"): smoking, drinking/eating too much caffeine (coffee, black tea, chocolate) or other foods/beverages which contain artificial brown/yellow colors, poor or erratic dental hygiene (not brushing, flossing, or lack of regular dentist visits for routine care, cleanings). Your first step should...
  11. Kate333
    Hi Jo. You say you're "still trying to get diagnosed" so it sounds like perhaps you are not yet diagnosed with celiac disease? If not, a good first step is to request a blood test to assess whether you even have celiac disease so at least you will know whether a strict gluten-free diet is required. If the blood test is "normal" (no gluten antibodies...
  12. Kate333
    Your tests are all normal and your diet is great, so you probably are getting enough V/Ms from healthy, natural food. I also recently had complete vitamin/mineral blood tests and my results were also normal (although my vitamins D and magnesium were on the low end of normal). But my PCP doc recommended I take supplements, including a high dose vitamin...
  13. Kate333
    Sorry you are feeling so bad. I also have that dizziness (in my experience, it feels more like vague lightheadedness/sleepy/drunk feeling). Also, really bad chronic fatigue/aches (my entire body always feels very heavy, weak). I also have burning inner eyelids, sinusitis, tinnitus, pink scalp (atopic dermatitis). I've been to various specialists,...
  14. Kate333
    You may not agree with my views esp. about food labels, corp. marketing practices, and lax food safety inspection/reg. enforcement practices, but it's not accurate to characterize them as "misinformation"... For example, even products/facilities "certified" as gluten-free...are SUPPOSED to be regularly inspected, tested to ensure that is the case but...
  15. Kate333
    Hi again Raemdee. I did not mean to imply that you (or BF) aren't devoted to gluten-free diet or making efforts. I was just speaking from experience, recalling how challenging it was for me at first to learn all the nuances, complexity of gluten-free eating and how confused, frustrated I was when I thought I was doing everything right, only to have...
  16. Kate333
    Hi David. The stomach bloating can be caused by "accidental" G exposure but also by IBS, SIBO (bacterial overgrowth), which many folks with celiac disease also have (including me). Your doctor can recommend further testing to rule those in or out and treat. A low FODMAP diet and targeted antibiotics (Rifaximin) can help these. Since it's been a year,...
  17. Kate333
    IMO the positive blood test + genetic test confirming you carry the celiac gene = pretty strong indicators of celiac disease, thus rendering 2nd opinion useless/redundant. I also had negative EGD/biopsies but high ttg (200+). Doc said I was "likely/possible" celiac. I have didn't get a genetic test because not being a gene carrier would not erase the...
  18. Kate333
    You're welcome. I was only diagnosed 6 months ago but I remember, like you, feeling surprised and upset. I had never even heard of celiac disease before. I was also honestly angry and confused at many of my prev. docs--esp. GI specialists who just focused on symptoms, not finding out the cause, and kept prescribing acid suppressing meds like candy whenever...
  19. Kate333
    I'm not a dr. but I think blood test numbers measure the body's sensitivity and immune system response to G exposure (the level of G antibodies in the blood), not how much G you regularly eat. You can just occasionally eat G but your body can respond by producing a lot of antibodies (result in higher numbers). Conversely, you can eat a lot of G and have...
  20. Kate333
    Hello everyone. Can anyone recommend a brand of CERTIFIED gluten-free high-dose multivitamin, ideally in ONE or TWO pills max? I am hoping I can find this OTC. Just got my vitamin/mineral blood test results back--all show "normal" ranges. However, my doc says I need to take higher doses of Magnesium, Bs, Ds, and Calcium than found in most...
  21. Kate333
    Hi Gina. My tTG IGA test numbers sharply declined right after I began a gluten-free diet in Jan. this year (from a high of 224 down to 73 in March, then slightly back up to 81 in the latest June blood test). I was surprised by the jump (even a modest one) because I was expecting/hoping for another decline, hopefully down into the "normal" test range...
  22. Kate333
    Hi CaitCurr. So sorry to read about your problems. Your symptoms might not be even be linked to G consumption at all. So many of the symptoms you describe can be attributed to a variety of health problems, including IBS, chronic stress/anxiety, insomnia, other immune issues, etc. Also "NCGS" is still a very new (and controversial) diagnosis in...
  23. Kate333
    IMO you are much safer, wiser to ask/trust DOCTORS for a diagnosis, not rely on chatroom speculation, lay opinions based on personal/anecdotal experience, not objective scientific evidence or sound medical training. You can really get needlessly stressed out, lose a lot of sleep, worrying about some of the wild things you read these days on the internet...
  24. Kate333
    SummerAnne, I join the others in expressing my deep concern that your only diet appears to be OJ and water (and earlier "only eggs"). I don't know how long you have been on this so-called "diet" but it would certainly explain your drastic weight loss and perhaps also your other symptoms (food intolerance "triggers"). It sounds like you are dangerously starving...
  25. Kate333
    Hi SummerAnne (what a cool name!) I can empathize. I also have had pretty dramatic weight loss (in the last 9 months since blood tests showed "likely" celiac disease) and am having the SAME kinds of food "sensitivities"...even to foods not obviously made from gluten. My "problem" non-gluten foods are dairy and oatmeal (even gluten-free-labeled oats...
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