ShayFL

But my problem is that chocolate "gives me depression" and not the "Im down in the dumps kind"....but the "life is completely hopeless, I feel numb and I want to kill myself pit kind".........sigh

Look what I found....I'm not the only one!!!!!

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And this explains it:

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And proof that Chocolate is a drug:

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Ha!!

Good Thread:

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It is a hard decision to make. I did the blood, but refused biopsy. I am at high risk for perforation due to adhesions, so I didnt want to do it. I also did genetic tests and Enterolab. Blood was Neg for me. Enterolab was POS for Gluten Intolerance and I had 2 Gluten Intolerant related genes. That and now a POS response to the diet is enough for me.

To differentiate Celiac is an auto-immune disease and ingesting gluten triggers a cascade of auto-immune response. Being gluten intolerant is not auto-immune (according to the best research we have to date). If you are GI your body will not launch an auto-immune response to CC. There will be consequences no doubt. For me it is vertigo and migraine....which is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. But according to all of the research, that gluten is not causing my body to attack my villi. That was the point I was getting at.

Many in here make a VERY STRONG distinction between Celiac and GI individuals, but agree the solution is the same....gluten-free diet. There are also people in here that believe the two are connected and one and the same, just different stages of the same disease.

We can all pick sides and decide for ourselves what makes sense.

As far as Enterolab goes, I say time and time again that it does not Dx Celiac. Some of the time bloodwork and biopsy fail to Dx Celiac. Enterolab is just another tool that we have at our disposal.

For me personally if my child had all of the symptoms of Celiac but every standard test came back Neg. But she had a POS response to the diet and I wanted some extra support for my decision to go gluten-free with her, I would use Enterolab. I would get the genetic testing because IMO if she had obvious gluten intolerance and Celiac genes, then I would feel pretty darn strong in my decision. No it does not mean she has Celiac disease for certain. But if the genes werent there, I would at least feel better knowing it wasnt Celiac and just an intolerance.

Flash heating them for so many seconds.

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THAT is exactly why I did Enterolab and Genetic testing. I knew gluten was a problem, but since my bloods were Neg (low IgA) and I refused biopsy, I needed to know. And it is important to know the difference because CC for a Celiac can be very damaging. CC for a gluten intolerant is just uncomfortable.

I think most doctors are pretty ignorant when it comes to Celiac and Gluten Intolerance. You need to strive for 100% gluten-free. gluten-free kitchen is best....new teflon pans, new cutting boards, new wooden spoons, colanders, etc. Make sure toothpaste and toiletries are gluten-free.

I avoid "Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat" unless they also go on to say "Good practices utilized to avoid CC" or something like that. I have not had a problem with these. My thinking is there is a big difference between a company who processes foods on the same lines and doesnt give a rats butt about CC and slaps a warning on so they dont get sued AND a company who is VERY AWARE of CC and goes through efforts to clean/sanitize their equipment or to segregate ingredients to avoid CC.

There are no more RAW almonds in the U.S. either. New Law says they must be "pasteurized". So I am now importing mine from Spain......

Hubby said it needed tweeking as well. So added 1 more Tlb sugar. We used brown sugar. And a pinch of salt. We buy really good cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips by girradelli. (I dont eat any of this stuff so just reporting DH and DD experience). The first time the chips went to the bottom. This time we added the chips last, by putting them on the top and not stirring them in.

They said much better!

Those are both symptoms I have seen posted on this forum quite a few times. There werent my symptoms, but since others with Celiac have them, I would say YES!

They should both be tested.

I personally have forgotten what "quick" food is......

I keep lunch meat in the fridge (Boar's Head or Applegate Farms) and triple washed lettuce leaves. That way I can have a "quick" meal. Add a handful of plantain chips.....yum!!

I always make my soups in HUGE batches so I have some to freeze for times I need a hurry up dinner.

I dont eat packaged foods. I will bake a sweet potato now and again.

My lazy meal (which is not fast) is to bake a chicken. Season and throw it in the oven. Half way thru I throw in some sweet potatoes wrapped in foil. A pre-made side salad. Super easy. And there is always leftovers.

Amber you may have reacted to something in that B12 (a filler or excipient). Try a different brand. Jarrow is very good and is gluten-free. They come in 1000 mg. Hold under tongue until completely dissolved.

There are a handful of people on e.B.a.y. that sell kefir grains. I have not bought any yet cuz it is so easy to buy it here. I already make so much of my own food. I am sure at some point I will give a go at making my own.

So far so good with the kefir. No problems. And nice looking bms.

There are many things that can cause dizziness. Low blood pressure. Adrenal fatigue. Low iron. And others.

I get this. My BP is good and my adrenals tested perfect. But my Ferritin is low. I have done a lot of research of late on low iron stores and I feel my remaining nagging symptoms are due to low Ferritin....so I am working to correct that.

A basic blood panel would be a good start. Make sure they do Ferritin and ask for Thyroid panel too.

Yes, you can use the microwave, but I would but a paper towel under your bowl and one on top to avoid any CC.

I looked at your "FREE" from list and it is pretty extensive. I would say that the other known baddies are "soy" and "corn".

I agree.

1. If he has a Celiac gene (and he could have both) then your girls have a 50/50 of getting this gene from him. If you have a celiac gene then the chances are nearly certain. Have you been tested?

Tests are notoriously inaccurate in children under 6. But I would recommend getting them anyway.

If you can afford it, you can use Enterolab to see if they have the genes (cheek swab) and test for gluten intolerance and malabsorption (stool). No needles. It does not dx Celiac, but can give you everything you need to know (if they need to be on a gluten free diet).

No symptoms. Are you sure? Are they both normal height for their age (not in the lower percentiles)? You mentioned your oldest was "petite" and she must have had some symptoms for you to get allergy tests done.......

Large tummies? Any skin issues at all? Gassy? Cranky? Headaches? Delayed development in any area? Are their teeth discolored? Thin enamel? And there are MANY other symptoms related to Celiac that are not "digestive".

With the family history and your DH Dx you could push for genetic testing for your girls. See if they have the genes for it. Then if there really are NO negative health symptoms in any area, you could take a wait and see approach.

But dont ever fool yourself just to make pretty for social/convenience reasons. Celiac is an auto-immune disease and left untreated can cause A LOT of damage. There is a type of lymphoma that is hard to treat related to untreated Celiac. Hashimotos/Graves thyroid diseases, Type 1 diabetes, MS, Infertility and others have been confirmed to be tied into untreated Celiac.

Regardless of "worse" symptoms when accidental gluten gets in, you DO NOT want to ignore Celiac. Much suffering later on would await.......

2. Yes, biopsy can be negative if the technician does not take A LOT of samples from MANY DIFFERENT areas. Damage can be spotty. Interpretation also depends on the skill of the lab technician looking at the slides.

Either way with a high blood and Father Dx, a gluten-free diet is a MUST. For all of the reasons above (even if he doenst have any digestive symptoms). Silent damage is occurring and can lead to cancers and such. You dont want that.

3. Some Celiacs react VERY STRONGLY to gluten once off for a enough time. Some do not react at all. It is actually BETTER to get a strong reaction because a. you will always know when you have gotten it and can avoid that situation/restaurant/product again and b. It is a greater deterrent to "cheating".

If he doesnt react at all, then silent damage could be going on and wouldnt be evident until something horrible is dx.

***It is actually A LOT easier for the entire household to be gluten-free. My home is 100% gluten-free. My DH and DD both eat gluten, but not in the house. I prepare delicious gluten-free meals and yummies for all of us. My DD actually prefers us gluten-free. She says I am a better cook and bake more.

Hang in there!!

Welcome Dawn!!

Many find it best when starting out to stick with simple natural foods: plain meats, eggs, veggies, fruits, rice and potatoes. Simple spices that (McCormicks is good as they will list wheat/and gluten).

Hope you feel better soon.

Just playing it safe.

Ha ha ha....of course you drug it off topic even more.

I am avoiding all legumes right now including fake cinnamon (saigon and 90% of the cinnamon sold in the U.S.) It is really Cassia.

I bought some REAL cinnamon. It isnt as strongly flavored but still good.

Ummm....a product from China just recently had ingredients NOT listed. At first they thought it didnt affect U.S., but found it in non-dairy creamer...Mr. Brown's brand I believe. A lot of spices are made in China. Unfortunately some U.S. manufacturers do not check what they import from China. So I would never say with 100% conviction that a spice didnt have wheat in the U.S (or something else bad).

Barley is a strong possibility as well. I also respond negatively to MSG. You might have a threshold for your tolerance to MSG and by eating so many....surpassed that which led to symptoms.

Plain simple foods is the safest way to go.

Yes, the garlic and onion powder could have had wheat in them. I email/call companies if there is no gluten information on the packaging. Even if the ingredients are: Taro chips, sea salt and Canola oil. I want to be sure so I contact them.

I dont eat many processed foods anymore and have found I just feel better. I understand craving chips. Whole Foods caries a wide variety of chips (potato and corn) and some are gluten free and marked accordingly. If you MUST have chips, just make sure before you eat them.

Where I live, I can get plantain chips. Chifles brand. They are gluten free. Marked so and I called just to make double sure. When I want a chip I eat these. Carby and salty. Hits the spot.

5 days is NOT VERY LONG. It can take a lot longer to see results. I would stay the course and give it a few months.

Also, note a lot of people think they are gluten-free when in fact, there is cross contamination in their kitchen or they are eating things that "appear" gluten-free, but they have not actually called the company to make sure there is no gluten in the products. Skin care/toothpaste, etc. must be scrutinized to be 100% gluten-free. Old teflon pans must not be used. Old cutting boards can harbor gluten. Ditto wooden spoons. Some do not heal unless every trace of it gone.

You have found your answer. But if you NEED an official Dx then you will have to start eating all of those gluteny things again and LOTS of them for 3 months before blood/biopsy tests. Otherwise you can get a false negative.

If you dont want to put yourself through that hell, you can use Enterolab. They do not Dx Celiac, but they can tell you if you are intolerant and if you are malabsorbing. You can also opt for their genetic tests to see if you even have the Celiac genes.

Let's say that Enterolab shows gluten intolerance and a Celiac gene. That could be enough to keep you on the diet.

Or you can suck it up (because you know the truth that gluten hurts you) and go 100% gluten-free and heal and get on with a healthy life.

Celiac or no....you appear gluten intolerant. The cure is the same either way....gluten-free diet.

I did one like it about a year ago. There are other manufacturers of this test. Mine cam up NEG. But a following blood draw shows me at the very bottom of the IgA range. I just dont make much of that antibody. I tested POS 6 months ago using IgG and POS with Enterolab.