ShayFL

Lisa,

You would need to call Elisa and ask them. They just said that the test was not designed for non-food items. That doesnt mean that it wouldnt work, it just means that they cannot vouch for the validity of testing on non-food items.

Im just eating lunch now, and should be able to test within a few hours and have the results. I will take picture of the tests so you can see what I see.

I agree with Fiddle-Faddle. He is getting it somewhere and school is a likely source. And if you keep gluten foods in the house, he will get to them. He needs 100% gluten-free for a few month to "withdraw" from gluten. Yes, it is like a drug and there is withdrawal. He might be edgy and moody during this time. Metabolites of gluten fit into our opium receptors in our brains. So it isnt his fault. But you have to get through it.

You will need to talk to his teachers about food sharing and treats. Maybe they can work with you to let you know when someone is having a birthday and such so you can pack a gluten-free cupcake for him so he doesnt miss out.

Even still the teacher cannot watch him throughout his entire lunch period. He may swap and sample other children's food. Can you eat lunch with him? OR Grandma eat lunch with him kind of arrangement? At least until he gets completely well and those numbers go down and he gets through the "withdrawal" phase?

Once he is clean from gluten, he wont crave it like he does now. And he will enjoy gluten-free substitutes.

A 100% gluten-free diet will help manage the T1 better too.

Sadly, both Endo's in Tampa failed me. It took a regular M.D. to properly diagnose me and treat me.

I hope you have better ones in your areas. But if not, dont give up!! A good M.D. can be a godsend.

I have been on the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) and have gained weight nicely. Gluten Free with lots of healthy fats. Casein is not gluten, just so you know. You may have a problem with casein, but it is not gluten.

Could be food sensitivities or blood sugar issues. I used to get "coma" feelings. Mine was always after eating sugar/fast carbs. Carmelized onions = sugar. That's why they taste so yummy!

I have used saliva exclusively for my adrenals. Years ago, I was a mess and the saliva reflected this. I knew my adrenals had healed because I wasnt "jumpy" anymore and I could handle stress again. My doctor who is an M.D. believes in the saliva and she is the one who has me do them now and again to monitor. And I had them tested before I started Armour. We use ZRT labs:

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It was an Historic race from the beginning to the end. It makes me proud to know that my daughter can run for president if she wants to. There is no longer a glass ceiling.

I took the Solgar Gentle Iron for 3 months (3 pills a day 75 mg Iron) and my Ferritin went from 10 was the lowest to 18. So based on what you are telling me about the Floravit, I can hope for much better results this time. I am taking twice a day as well.

Thank you. That is my Gracie...our first dog that is a "Momma's Girl". She is a rescue.

But Lisa only that one time, that one test, on that one package with that one lot number was safe. Any new bag/jar/bottle would need to be tested again.

Im going to test mine tomorrow after my book club meeting. I will have free time then with no distractions.

If they are accurate, then I could see them being useful for people who are very sensitive and eat packaged foods. But you would have to test each new bag/jar/bottle if it has a different lot number.

If you buy a gallon of orange juice a week and have to test each new gallon, then you are paying 20.00 a gallon now for orange juice!! Same for the pancake mix. You are now paying nearly 30 dollars a bag!!

Maybe some can afford to do that, but I would just buy organic oranges, wash them and squeeze them myself.

I had heard the Floravit was very good at getting the Ferritin up, so I switched about 2 weeks ago to it from the Solgar Gentle Iron. So glad to hear how fast it is working for you. It makes me hopeful!! Cant wait to retest next month.

I recommend that you look for a local Celiac support group. Mine is great!! About 12 people or so show up every two months. We discuss all sorts of things and the "old pros" guide us newbies. Which restaurants are safe, where to get certain foods. The leader brings samples of foods she gets from manufacturers. It is really a great thing and you can make friends who are Celiac too!! Someone you can go to their house and eat safely. I made one so far who is a little older than me, but very nice. She joined my book group so I see her every month at least. I bring gluten-free goodies to our coffee/book group get together.

On the rare occasion I ask Hubby to cook, he asks, "So what are you aloud to eat this week?"

He has been really good with me. I cannot complain. He has also learned that when I am just blowing steam, that I dont expect anything from him but a sounding board and a hug if I need it. He has changed A LOT since I met him. He has compromised and grown as a person way more than I have in the last 7 years. So giving credit where credit is due.

Hubby doenst like dairy either, so we are equally yoked there. He used to drink milk, but hated cheese and yogurt. He nixed the milk about a year ago due to chronic mucus when he drank it. Mucus all gone now.

I think I have tried EVERY variety of winter squash now. All are yummy and DH and DD both love them too. No one turns their nose up at SCD food. Hubby loves the SCD cherry/almond cookies I make. And the pumpkin muffins are a big hit with everyone. No one is going without.

Hubby says his poos come easier now....so we are all benefiting.

I wash my hands a lot and I have trained myself not to touch my face except at night when I am washing up. If I have a nose itch, I get a tissue or just rub the outside with the back of my hand. Ditto for the eyes. Just rub with the back of my hand if need be.

The rare times I fell a little tingle, I drink some Emergen-C, then I start spraying colloidal silver up my nose and put 2 drops of Oregano oil under my tongue. I do this 3 times a day for 2 - 3 days. Only 1x daily with the Emergen C though or it gives D. I never get sick this way.

The diet is actually quite good once you can eat most of the legal foods. It has forced me to be more creative and I have come up with some pretty delicious dishes. But it is certainly more fun with the baked yummies.

Now is the time for you to get tested. NOW. Do not go gluten-free until after you get tested or it can invalidate the tests. Make an appt. today for the bloodwork. Make your home gluten-free for Mom but keep eating gluten yourself until you can get tested.

There are MANY symptoms to Celiac. I only listed a tiny few. There is also "silent Celiac" which means damage is being done but the person doesnt realize it until they get dx with T1 diabetes, lymphoma, etc. (diseases associated with Celiac).

So go and get the tests done for yourself NOW to be safe.

Celiac is for life. I know it is overwhelming right now, but you will get used to it. Eating gluten-free can be very healthy and you might want to consider it yourself. Have you been tested? Celiac is genetic. Some get the skin issue like your Mom and some get GI. And a smaller percentage just get neurological symptoms.

Think of your own health history: Any migraines, brain fog, fatigue, bone loss, loose stools, constipation, upset tummies, aching bones/joints, menstrual problems. Any and all of these CAN be signs of Celiac.

It is recommended that immediate family members of a confirmed Celiac be tested.

It would be so much easier for you to both be on the diet together. Then a lot less worries with CC.

You didnt have to replace metal items in the kitchen except scratched Teflon. And a new toaster is in order as well. A blender/food processor/mixer can harbor gluten if you ever used it for glutinous foods.

Yes it is. We all want healing to be on a continuous upward line. But the truth is that there are "ups" and "downs" along the way. I didnt start feeling good at all until about 6 weeks in. And for 3 or 4 weeks I felt like hell. I was starving all of the time, unable to sleep well and weird pains, bloating and some very strange looking things in my toilet. But it all calmed down and I got on with healing and have gradually seen light at the end of the tunnel.

Hang in there!!

One thing to consider: Most doctors will not tell you this, but the very tips of your villi are what produces lactase. Lactase digests milk/dairy products. Yours are flattened which means you dont have those tips anymore. Therefore, you cannot adequately digest dairy foods.

It is recommended to cut dairy out of the diet with gluten for at least 3 or so months to let the villi heal up. Then you can reintroduce dairy. Many can eat it again just fine. Some can never eat it again. It just depends on how well you heal.

All I am testing is the accuracy of the test strips. Nothing else. At 63.00 for 4 test strips (cost, shipping and FL sales tax), with the possibility of sometimes getting an invalid result, thus needing retesting, I could not afford to use these all of the time. Not to mention they are COMPLETELY impractical for public use (which is the only time I would want something like this).

Naming name brands does not substantially affect me anymore because I am grainless and eat only whole foods that I prepare myself in my own gluten-free household. No commercially processed foods. Nevertheless, if I came across something with gluten in a name brand, I would post it in here. But most often the post is...."I reacted to such and such".....just like I was glutened.

I do not believe there will be a rash of people buying these and posting results in here. And I do not believe that manufacturers police this site. And also do not believe that any lawsuits would come of these tests.

This diet is set up to heal food intolerances by healing the gut. Not true food allergies. If you are IgE allergic to eggs, you musnt ever eat them. Im not allergic to eggs. I have been tested by skin prick and ELISA and both were NEG.

I have not noticed any side effects to eating the muffins. I think my stuffiness is due to seasonal allergies. I get em every Fall. So I will eat some eggs, but not overdo it.

T4 should be at midrange or a little higher. T3 should be upper range and can actually be a little over (for some people to feel well). You are still low.

To get a complete picture, you need:

TSH (3rd generation)

FREE T4

FREE T3

And BOTH antibodies for thyroid.

Your Ferritin is decent. If below 50 some people have trouble taking thyroid meds. Optimal Ferritin is between 70-90.

Do you have hairloss at all? Scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, underarms, legs? This is a direct result of the low Ferritin in a lot of cases. Getting it to 70 and maintaining it for 3 - 6 months can make the hair grow back.

Think Thyroid! And you MUST get those thyroid antibodies tested.

I was severely hypothyroid with neurological symptoms at a TSH of 2.8 and I was STILL hypo with a TSH of 1. I am now .08 and finally the last of the nero symptoms are gone. I always knew when I needed to raise my thyroid meds because my muscles would start twitching. Mostly in my legs, but sometimes in my arms, abdomen and face. All day long....the twitching. Then I would up my thyroid meds and the twitching would stop after a week (sometimes a few days) of the increase. I am finally at a good point with no more twitching. Also my neuropathy is gone.

With autoimmune Hashi's the goal is to suppress the TSH to stop the attack. There is evidence that the symptoms are not a direct result of the low thyroid hormones alone, but of the disease process itself. That is why so many patients still suffer even with "normal" TSH ranges. It needs to be suppressed to stop the attack and subsequent symptoms.

gluten-free got rid of my migraines and D right away and they have never returned. But the twitching and neuropathy seem to be thyroid related because they both responded to an increase in thyroid meds.

Also, if that is a T3 reading you posted, it is in the toilet. It should be at the upper end of the range for you to feel good and not have symtpoms.

Go here:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

And here:

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Autoimmune hypothyroid patients will report to their Doctors, that they suffer systemic (system-wide or body-wide) joint and muscle aches. Patients will report experiencing neurological symptoms (nervous system) and sicca symptoms (areas of bodily dryness). These types of symptoms will be experienced by these patients even with their hypothyroidism being treated by hormone replacement therapy, to correct the low thyroid hormone levels. Their doctors will many times respond to their symptom complaints, by telling their patients that these type symptoms are not thyroid disease related. When further testing is then done and no further causes for their symptoms can be found, these doctors will sometimes resort to the psychosomatic or emotional diagnosis. There is however more medical research being published, that clearly states that the disease itself that causes the hypothyroidism "Hashimoto's-Thyroid Autoimmunity", is an additional cause of symptoms, apart from abnormal hormone levels. In other words, the thyroid autoimmunity or disease process itself contributes to symptoms and may continue to do so, even after the low thyroid hormone levels from hypothyroidism, is corrected.

I tried to cut out the eggs for a week. But I caved yesterday. I made SCD pumpkin muffins. Let's face it, the diet is poo without some of those baked goods.

My daughter has only had 1 ear infection and it was a doozy. So bad, that I GOT IT TOO!! We both had the most horrible ear infection. She was only 2. So we went to the doctor who Rx antibiotics for both of us. I asked him what would happen if we didnt take them. He said your body will fight it off and that will be the end of it. So I never filled that Rx and within a few days we both healed. She never had another one and will be 13 in January.

So I agree that letting the body do what it is meant to do is key. Unfortunately, so many parents rush to antibiotics from the first sniffle and it sets off a cascade of infections that they seem to never shake. I dont blame parents as who wants to see their child suffer. I blame the medical establishment for not educating parents and not Rx antibiotics for everything under the sun.

But I am going to back out of this thread now, cuz I can see it getting heated in here very quickly.

EXTREMELY unlikely. That "shortened villi" and positive blood work is a POSITIVE even if your consultant doesnt think so. And you have a Sister with confirmed Celiac. Almost any doctor here in the U.S. would dx you with Celiac based on those 3 factors alone. Have you had a genetic test performed?

Also, your B12 is still quite low. If you Google B12 and do some in depth research, you will learn that many do not start recovering neurological function until they get well up past 600 and some needing to be over 800. Are you taking a daily sublingual B12 as well as your shots? It is cheap, non-toxic and can really help you get the levels up.

Also, did they test your Ferritin/Iron? These can also cause neuro symptoms.

And your Thyroid? Ditto on the neuro symptoms.