kera87

Yes! I saw this episode, I got so excited. Anytime someone can publicize Celiac it makes me happy!

It is so nice to hear that you are going gluten-free at home for your husband...Celiac can be confusing and frustrating in the beginning and I'm sure you making that decision is helping him heal even faster. My boyfriend is just as supportive as you are and I can tell you it makes things 100 times better. When we go out to eat he is often the one reinforcing "no seasonings or flour" to the waiter haha.

I cook gluten-free dinners from scratch all the time and it is actually so much fun! You can modify basically any recepie to be gluten-free...I'm even going to be making crab cakes this week. Wegmans is AMAZING! It is so affordable because their brand always puts a little G on the package if it is gluten-free...some things off the top of my head I get there are their tomato sauce which is like 99 cents (thats good for being gluten-free! haha), syrup, marinades, sauces, pudding, brownies (they have a whole freezer section of gluten-free goodies!) Enjoy, this is going to be fun for the both of you.

I'm not sure how old your son is but if he's old enough I usually take a Zantac because I have had gastritis before (which is too much acid in your stomach)...maybe that would help him, or for a more natural approach, I've heard peppermint oil capsuls help too. They soothe the intestines which may prevent his symptoms.

Hopefully since he is eating lunch in a safer place, the contamination will slowly stop.

I have the best doctor in Princeton NJ if you are willing to travel there. Private message me if you would like me to tell you about her more.

Basically she diagnosed me at my first visit, and is always ready and willing to deal with every symptom I have. She speaks about the disease at conferences, researches it and is knowlegable on all of the new research. Let me know!

Hi guys, so I've been gluten free for almost 3 years and basically I still get D once in a while along with gas/bloating. I know that non-celiac people get this too but I feel like I shouldn't be getting it once every one or two weeks anymore (or should i?). My doctor is amazing, always trying to figure out what's wrong, testing me for lots of things, I've been treated for bacterial overgrowth but I hate taking antibiotics! I've tried peppermint oil capsules but they don't help me... when should I start to test for other allergies?

I know it can't be dairy/lactose because I eat cereal every morning and I'm fine. I was thinking I would maybe get tested for a soy or egg allergy? Can a test determine that or do I need to just keep a food journal and find out that way? I'm so clueless and I know a lot of people here have other food allergies as well so I'd love to hear your advice/stories about how you figured it out. Thanks!!

If you want to stop at a fast food place definitely pick Wendys, you can get a baked potato, chili, salad...i get their grilled chicken salad so maybe you could get a piece of grilled chicken there

And I didn't know you could get chicken from chick fil a....the grilled chicken patties are gluten-free? I need to look this up! There is one in my mall and it always looks so yummy.

I love white zinfandel, riesling, vodka cranberry or sprite, and gin and tonics I've only had redbridge once and didn't like it. Does anyone know another beer I could try that is lighter? (i loved bud light)...it has to be something that would be in stores, i live in NJ. Thanks!

I would definitely say that you're still healing and even though you're extremely careful you may still have some episodes. It's been two and a half years for me and I still get D once in a while - I never know if its something I ate, or just my body (people without celiac get it too, i often overlook that I might just be normal now.) Give it some time I'm sure you're doing everything right. When I got diagnosed the first week on the diet I never felt better, then after that I had some D again and it was a long process to feel back to normal.

I definitely can last a while, it depeneds on the person, but your situation is very normal. I usually take something to stop it because I don't have patience haha.

It can't hurt to get tested, it's hard to go by symptoms because they vary so much with Celiac. My friend has it and only had acid reflux. And I was never skinny, never lost weight or anything - it really effects everyone differently. Even if you are tested and its negative, if the diet makes you feel better, stick with it! It's not so bad

I struggled with this as well when I was in college (last 2 years). Going out to dinner was the hardest part for me. There is this little italian place all of my friends love (I did too in the past!). Recently I became tired of ordering a salad or plain chicken so I started bringing a little container of sauce, some gluten-free bread, and my own dressing. It seems embarassing but when people really care about you, they won't make fun of you. Sometimes I laugh at myself just to brush past the topic...then I dip my bread in the sauce and enjoy the food.

It took me a while to be comfortable to do that, but you'll get there. I bring food to resutarants all the time now, I always bring pieces of bread and ask the server for butter...or i put some of the table butter on my plate before anyone else touches it. I keep little packets of soy sauce and dressing in my purse at all times. I also eat before I go to places in case all I can get is a salad.

If your roommates are dipping into your butter and sauces, maybe you could buy your own. I had my own of everything, never shared - I put my initials on everything and gluten-free in bold letters. I told them that I'd get really sick if they used it but if they accidently did, to just tell me and I won't be mad. I also had my own pots and pans and did the same thing. You're health is SO important, you cannot let other people hinder your success at the gluten-free diet - it's hard in college but people will understand if you discuss it a lot and be open.

Sorry this is so long! But one more thing. If you know beforehand where your friends want to go, call the restaurant and ask if they can accomidate you...most of the time they can. I was invited out to a group dinner and I was stressing over it...but I called and they ended up making me a gluten-free chicken parm! It never hurts to ask, and if you call first that way you don't have to ask any questions at the table. Hope this helps a little, good luck!

You can absolutely do it in college, I just graduated after getting diagnosed 2 and a half years ago. The thing I can't stress enough is to be open and honest to everyone. Talk to the cafeteria staff as soon as you know you will be attending so they can help you plan out meals. They will be able to accomidate you, they have to! Be honest to new friends, the sooner they know, the more normal it will become to them - before you know it they'll be picking you up everything gluten-free they see haha. (my friend once got me gluten-free parmasean cheese from the grocery store she saw...so random but so thoughtful haha).

I would suggest asking for a dorm that has a kitchen, maybe you could get an apartment on campus? If not don't worry...you'll have a microwave in your room im sure, and you can stock up on lots of frozen dinners like Amy's. I didn't live in a dorm when I was diagnosed but if I did my parents said they would have bought me my own fridge/freezer and a microwave which is the best idea.

I'm not sure if you will be drinking/going out to dinner at all but those are probably going to be the most annoying things. Suggest restuarants you know will have something you can eat...if not, a lot of restuarants will have things like rice, mashed potatos, baked potatos and meat - just ask for things unseasoned and plain. You'll be fine, I promise

Panera is amazing! I have eaten there successfully many times. I always get the grilled chicken ceaser salad because it is my favorite, and theirs is so yummy. It seems like they have lots of soups too. And you do not have to get the bread on the side, they have chips (i think they're ok, I've never gotten them) or an apple.

I haven't had any problems, but I do want to start asking for it to be made in a clean bowl just to be safe.

  TestMonkey1 said:

I am new to the forums and i would like to say that I am 15 and i have been taking imodium for 3 years, 2 tablets everyday. Now my parents want to find a soulution..i havn't been diagnosed, but if i do do anyof you know any goood anti-diarrheas?

Thanks.

Try Lomotil....it is precription but much stronger so you won't need it as much. My doctor has told me that there really isn't any harm to take lots of Immodium. Trust me I know, somtimes you just need it, life has to go on and I refuse to stay home with you know what for hours.

  rebe09 said:

I have been gluten-free for almost 2 weeks. It has been going well. I have seen a lot of positive changes. However, I have noticed as the days increase being gluten-free, I have felt more and more bloated. I have had regular BM, but I continue to feel bloated in the stomach area. Is this normal? Could it be related to eating dairy? I'm trying to pinpoint why this is happening.

You may have bacterial overgrowth, that happens when you start to heal. I usually have to go on antibiotics for it every 5 months because I start getting badly bloated. Can't hurt to ask about that.

  Vik00 said:

Hi everyone.

I am a mother of a newly diagnosed college student as a result of a trama/emergency surgery that brought this diease on.

We are finding it very difficult to lead a somewhat normal like. Like eating out, celebrating birthdays with cakes etc. Home cooking seems like its the same old foods over and over. We have found the rice pasta's, but it still seems like we are so limited. I have discovered gluten free.com but have only come across a waffle mix that tastes like the real thing. She has now discovered that milk products bother her as well and she has moved to soy milk. So cheeses are out along with yougurts. We are looking for receipes or a cookbook that someone can suggest that could replace some of the comfort foods she now lives without.

Also,

We are about to celebrate a big birthday and would like to celebrate with a cake. Does anyone know of a bakery in the Washington DC area that bakes Gluetn free?

I am so glad I found this website and am hopeful I/She can link up with some people with the same disorder.

My mom found this site very helpful as well when I was diagnosed. We've found that almost any meal can be modified to be gluten/dairy free (and taste GOOD! so the whole family can eat it and not even know). My advice would just think of some good meals that you guys enjoy and then take the recepies apart and change out some ingredients. For example, we still eat baked ziti, lasanga, any kind of meat not breaded etc. Head to a Whole Foods or Wegmans if you have them there, those stores will have a great selection...i even found gluten-free chicken nuggets!! and i don't think they had milk or anything in them either. Also, local small health food stores can be so helpful. They usually carry things you can't find in grocery stores. Hope some of this helps. I'm not a huge cook but I definitely got creative with meals. Good luck it will get easier

  TestMonkey1 said:

I am new to the forums and i would like to say that I am 15 and i have been taking imodium for 3 years, 2 tablets everyday. Now my parents want to find a soulution..i havn't been diagnosed, but if i do do anyof you know any goood anti-diarrheas?

Thanks.

Try Lomotil....it is precription but much stronger so you won't need it as much. My doctor has told me that there really isn't any harm to take lots of Immodium. Trust me I know, somtimes you just need it, life has to go on and I refuse to stay home with you know what for hours.

Wow, its been so long since I posted this topic, and I have to say my outlook has changed a lot. I want to thank everyone who has posted or given me advice, it is GREATLY appreciated - i was able to read almost all of them Since I posted, I've graduated from college which has been great for my health because I am back to eating at home where I know my food is safe. I'm still not 100%...i think I get secretly glutened from time to time, it's just so hard to avoid at restaruants!

One thing I've mainly learned is to just always be open about it. By making it known to friends and family and talking about it in a non awkard way, it prevents you having to explain everytime you bring beer to a party or bring a protein bar to a restuarant. When I go out to eat with large groups I try to sit on the outside so I can easily talk to the waitor and the best thing is just to always order everything plain....not as yummy but who cares. When I went to my senior formal I was paranoid about eating but they ended up having lots of fresh cheeses, fruit and a carving station which i figured was fine. One graduation party I went to had a buffet, and I couldn't eat any of it (all had sauces and stuff on top) so I found a manager and they brought me a steak! It pays to ask.

My school friends are actually great, they've gotten so used to it, I just needed to give them a chance. THey truly are a blessing. My home friends on the other hand....one called me a picky eater the other day. I think she forgot about the whole gluten thing but I was quick to remind her I am not picky by choice and I eat basically everything everyone else does, just modified. Thats something I wish everyone understood.

And lastly, I highly suggest reading Elisabeth Hasselbecks new book, it has some great advice because she went through all of this in college as well. She has such great tips!

hey, email me at lildreamer325@aol.com (its very old and i dont wanna use my new one with my name haha) i am in college and go through it and its very hard. id love to contribute so email me with any questions!

Hey guys, I work at a magazine where we get tons of products sent to us daily, and I constantly read the labels before I try something. One product I found and loved is called Desert Essence Organics, they have tons of great products that are affordable! All of their products are 100% wheat and gluten free which makes me feel safe. You can get them from Whole Foods or order online.

It's definitely getting harder to find products without "hydrolized wheat germ" or whatever else they call it.

There is definitely some symptoms in the ones you listed that a lot of celiacs have. The inability to digest gluten could have damaged her intestines which would make her malnourished. I was anemic and would get sick very easily until I started the diet. It couldn't hurt to get her tested, it may make her feel a lot better.

I was diagnosed and I still do not know who in my family had it. My mom has diabeties which is also an auto-immune disorder, so that could be another possiblity of where I got it. We think it is my grandmother but she has no symptoms...so if you can, get her tested, at least then you'll get a better idea of how she got it.

Since he has only been gluten-free for a few months, it's totally possible that he is still just healing. I've been gluten-free for 6 months and get so frustrated because I still occasionally get sick. It's normal to still have symptoms while the intestines are healing.

It's so awesome that you're going to make your house gluten-free soon! But until then, you'll need all new pots, pans, utensils, basically if you get all new things it will make him feel better that those can't be reasons for contamination. And if he is ok with cooking and is ok with simple things, that may be better for him in the long run. Eating a plain piece of chicken and some rice and veggies may make him feel a lot better, I know it does for me.

When I am home for summers my mom cooks meals for me a lot and we come up with some cool gluten-free dishes. Basically anything you need to cook with can be found gluten free, with a little research. We get bread crubs, soy sauce, dressings, spices, it just takes effort and sometimes many trips to different stores. It's hard but it's great you're being so supportive and going gluten-free as well, I'm sure it means so much to him.

I have four roommates so I definitely understand how you feel. They try to understand but it's impossible to force them not to bake cookies or toast a bagel (even though you'd love to!) Last year I cooked gluten-free pasta in the same pot they use, and made burgers on the same frying pan as well. Recently, I realized that it's probably hurting me to do that so I went and bought all new stuff, it takes up a lot of room but I just don't care because it makes me feel better that I'm being healthier. I even have my own sponge and hide some of our plates and bowls as my gluten-free ones haha. It's really tough but you just have to stay strong and explain that it won't be the worst if she cuts back on her wheat products for a few weeks. Or at least clean up. Maybe buy some disinfecting wipes and put them right on the counter so she will see them and be reminded. Well hope that helps, it's nice to know other people go though the same things

When I go to work I try to bring cold things or foods that don't need to be heated up. For example I bring tuna fish already made in a ziplock container, as well as fruit, gluten-free bars (i like bumble bars), gluten-free lunchmeat (from Wegmans), salads made at home, and there are great gluten-free bagels out there that you could also bring. I'm a bit of a snacker so I like to bring a bunch of small things but you could always made a sandwich on gluten-free bread and bring that. I usually bring a lunchbox thing and an ice pack and everything stays fresh. Also, get plastic silverware to bring so you never have to worry about someone else using a utensil.

Hey, I'm going into my senior year as well so I understand. If your apartment has a kitchen, you'll probably need to start cooking a lot more. It's not so bad, I promise! If you have to eat at the cafeteria I'm sure you could contact the manager to set something up, they have to accomodate you. Also, if you say you live in an apartment I'm assuming that you at least have a microwave and there are tons of microwaveable meals (check out Amy's Brand). It's so overwhelming at first but there are so many foods out there. (Just not frosted flakes haha, they have gluten)

The alcohol thing sucks, I miss beer. However they make gluten free beer that I've bought, it's a little different but I got used to it. You could definitely buy that and no one would even notice. The liquor that I've heard is safe are Smirnoff, rum (ive never heard flavored ones have gluten ill have to check that out) and all wine is ok. I think whiskey is ok too but I dont really know much about dark liquor.

And I haven't noticed any change in weight. But they do say that people gain weight after changing their diet because now they are absorbing things.

Let me know if you have any more questions

I'm 21 so I definitely understand your feelings, it's really tough and you have every right be be upset at times. I've been at this for 5 months but I've had symptoms for years before it. When I went to the doctor the end of December, I finally found out I had celiac the day after Christmas. Of course I cried (and ate the rest of the christmas cookies so I could have one last bit of gluten, and paid for it later haha), but it was a relief in a way. A week later my symptoms were almost gone and the only time I have them is when I accidentally somehow get gluten in my system. I live in an apartment with 4 other girls so it unfortunately happens a lot (not cleaning silverware or pots well enough probably).

Your symptoms are right on point, the rash (Dermatitis Herpetiformis) sometimes accompanies celiac, and I actually sometimes get it when I accidentally have gluten. I used to get upset while making meals, but you're going to get used to it before you know it. I almost start crying when I go out to eat with friends occasionally, that is probably what bothers me the most.

A lot of the foods don't taste well, but there are so many great ones I've found, I even found great bagels! Wholefoods and local heathfood stores will have tons of options, I also order food online a lot.

As overwhelming as it might feel, you're going to feel better and that is going to be the greatest feeling ever, I know it was for me!