ericjourney

Yep, early on, when I only had a couple, I asked a dermatologist what was going on. He said it was lipoma, that it was common, and not to worry. He said they could be surgically removed for cosmetic reasons, but that it typically wasn't necessary. I insisted that he remove one so that I could be certain I wasn't turning into the elephant man, so he did. A...

Greetings all-- I was diagnosed with celiac and started gluten-free diet about three years ago. Since then I have started developing lipomas, which are fatty deposits under the skin, like tumors. Mine are small, generally about 1 cm, with the largest being 2cm. They are sensitive if I apply direct pressure, but otherwise aren't troublesome. What worries...

I realize that I'm late in adding my reply, but here goes. I, too, have a geographic tongue. It's very dynamic (the red and white patches move to different locations on my tongue quite frequently). The patches are always there, but they're only sensitive after acidic foods, particularly citrus or pineapple juice. A doctor once recommended that I take a prescription...

Yes, initial recovery is difficult for many. Stick with it and you'll begin to feel better. I highly recommend taking a digestive enzyme with your food. This is especially important during the healing phase (the first few months of gluten-free diet). Extra enzymes will help to extract the full nutrient value of the food you eat. I, too, was very sensitive...

Cath-- Withdrawal is common, but it should be short-lived. It varies among individuals to include cramping, gas, headache, fatigue, irratibility, etc. It's common for folks to turn to comfort food and junk food when they initially start a gluten-free diet. Try to be careful to eat lots of lean meats, and fresh fruits and veggies, before turning to "empty...

kprince-- It appears that your AGA IgG, AGA IgA, and TTG IgA numbers are all very high, indicating that you are having a strong immune response to gluten. There are some celiacs who talk of having minimal or unnoticeable reactions to eating gluten; I suspect you are not one of them. There is a diagnostic test, a D-Xylose Absorption Rate test, that can...

i_love_bread-- Starting out eating gluten-free can be difficult. You're definitely doing the right things, so stick with it. A word of caution, though: for many celiacs, it takes months to heal intestines from the damage of gluten. A single incident of cross-contamination, such as eating salad that came in contact with croutons, can undo 60-90 days of...

Cath-- Keep up the good work on finding wheat-free vegetarian alternatives. I like brown rice protein shakes, available at most health food stores. I recommend running it through the blender to dissolve well though. And yes, I too felt worse before I felt better. Before diagnosis I ate gluten all the time, and I was just generally sick all the time. But...

Sillyakshell-- Good work on keeping strictly gluten-free! It can be hard work, I know! I agree with the others that a food diary is an important step. When you have symptoms, you might need to look back as far as 4-5 days to identify the food that's giving you trouble. Yes, for many celiacs dairy continues to be a problem, so eliminating that would...

Garth-- Congratulations on completing that big step to gluten-free! You mentioned the possiblity that you might have to do your shopping and cooking separate from the rest of the family. Does your family currently eat a gluten-free diet? Also, are you 100% certain that all of your cooking equipment (pots, utensils, toaster, etc) is completely free of...

A great debate! I always enjoy the discussions that go on in this forum, and I always learn so much! One of the great things that has come from my celiac diagnosis is that I now watch what I eat. Well, to say "watch what I eat" is an understatement; I religiously, fanatically analyze every item before it goes in my mouth, with the general theme being...