VioletBlue

  fajitas said:

Hi VioletBlue,

I'm Kathy. I'd be interested to know what sort of symptoms you have, and what's changed for you since going gluten-free. Do you have Celiac? I'm not trying to pry or anything. Just very interested.

I wish I'd known decades ago also. So many anti-depressants, and unexplained physical issues. I'm interested in your progress. I went gluten-free about 2 1/2 months ago, but I've had 3 mishaps. Dx'd MCD 2003. It's pretty unreal. Wouldn't it be interesting if gluten intolerance were a major factor in these strange, rare kidney issues? I think it's very interesting.

Take care

It's pretty unreal all right I've had symptoms of Celiac probably off and on my whole life. It seems the periods where it was most active where when I was undergoing prolonged stress of some king. About ten years ago I went through a half dozen doctors trying to find a cause for bouts of intense nausea and severe joint pain. I gave up after a year of searching and just lived with it. About seven months ago the diarrhea and gas and bloating and bouts of exhaustion had gotten to the point were it was making my life hell. Doctors again had no clue. I went to see my old family doctor on a whim who is also an allergist. He suggested I try an elimination diet. When I eliminated wheat I felt better within 24 hours. So then I read up on wheat allergies and gluten intolerance and a large bright light bulb went off in my head.

The kidney problem became evident through a urine tests that was part of a routine physical 8 years ago. All the blood tests and other tests they ran said my kidney's were functioning 100%, but the Hematuria was scary. After a year of putting them off I finally agreed to the kidney biopsy. That biopsy is why I refused the biopsy to test for Celiac, LOL. I learned my lesson the first time. I accept the positive results of the new diet and the blood tests and stool tests showing a high presence of antibodies as proof enough for me of Celiac.

I've been gluten free for well over two months. I've accidentally glutened myself a couple times, particularly when I first started. My back pain is gone. The diarrhea has stopped completely. I've always had diarrhea off and on, always. The bloating and gas have stopped and I just physically feel so much better, so much lighter and stronger. I had no idea the depression was related to Celiac Disease either. I thought that's just the way I was and would always be. But that is gone now too.

I was diagnosed back in 2000 through a kidney biopsy with Thin Basement Membrane Disease. I was told it was a benign condition, but that I would probably continue to pass blood cells and protein in my urine for the rest of my life. There was no "cure" and no real treatment beyond trying to keep my blood pressure stable, which it pretty much is. The doctors explained to me that the filtering tissues in my kidney's had become brittle and no longer filtered as well as they should. They couldn't offer a reason for the disease, but it is suspected that it's inherited, though neither of my parents ever had the kind of urine test results I had.

Now, it makes sense to me. It's not something that struck out of the blue. It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if the hematuria fades altogether with time as the gluten leaves my body. I'm amazed daily how much of my life is being explained by gluten intolerance. I so wish I'd known decades ago.

  gf4life said:

Okay, I have never used stevia before, until yesterday, and I have some questions here.

I got some protein shakes to supplement for breakfast. I need to eat a healthy breakfast, but don't have much time, and since I can't do dairy, it was suggested I try a good egg white protein powder. So I got Jay Robb's egg white protein powder and had my first shake for breakfast yesterday. I got strawberry and chocolate. I mixed the strawberry powder with some frozen strawberries and 1 tbsp. of almond butter. It tasted really good, but within 1/2 hour I felt sick. I was dizzy, had a splitting headache, my body hurt and as the day went on I had NO energy. I finally took a pain pill and went to bed.

I am just getting over a sever reaction to Stevia. I bought a box of NOW packets at the organic store. The only sugar I use is in my morning coffee. I thought it would be great to replace that with Stevia and it's "benefits". This reaction is beyond brain fog, it's almost psychotropic, along with extreme exhaustion and a bronchitis attack. Stevia is the only thing it could be, the only new introduction into my diet. I wish I had realized it had the potential to cause an allergic reaction. If the package had mentioned, if any of the glowing literature I've read in the last few weeks had mentioned it was part of the ragweed family I'd of steered clear of it.

Violet

  chatycady said:

I've been gluten free for a week, but still have a back ache. It actually seems worse. Any advice or suggestions would help.

Thanks

chaty

Hi Chaty. I'm new here. I've been gluten free two months or so, maybe longer. Mine was a gradual descent into gluten-free as I kept accidentally glutening myself the first few weeks, LOL.

I had no clue my back pain was in any way tied to the gluten intolerance until one day last week when my sciatica started to act up. That was when it hit me that I'd been without back pain for over a month. Near the end there the back pain got to be a constant daily thing. Now it's just an occasional sciatica attack and even then it's short lived and less intense than it used to be. My range of motion has improved too. I also take glucosamine supplements, which now work a lot better than they used to. So maybe you just need to give it some more time.

violet

Hi Judith. I'm Violet. What part of IE are you in? I live up in Big Bear. Sort of IE. I'm single, 44, no kids. Diagnosed with a combination of blood tests, enterolab tests and medical history. I'm gluten free over two months now.