CMG

I'm in process of being tested for Sjogren's. My SS-A and SS-B were negative, but my rheumatologist still thinks I have it because of symptoms. I went to the eye doctor for testing of tears. First, he put dye in my eyes so he could watch and time how long the tear film protects the eye before it dissipates. One blink should protect for 10 seconds. He...

I second the suggestion to eliminate dairy. My daughter has diarrhea in every diaper for the first year of her life, until finally I eliminated dairy. Her intestinal issues improved immediately and would come back even if she had one goldfish cracker. So I had to read labels and not give her anything that had casein or whey in the ingredients. (She, too...

My 6-year-old daughter and I both are gluten free. My daughter loves to have toast for breakfast. After trying many gluten free breads and not liking any of them (I haven't tried Udi's yet, just learned about it) I finally bought a bread machine and a book called Gluten Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine. There is a whole section of dairy free...

I also have speckled ANA, and I have had low white blood counts for at least 15 years - also associated with auto immune diseases. My symptoms were a lot like what you describe. When I was 38 I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and sjogren's syndrome. I have never been diagnosed with celiac, although I do know that I carry one of the genes. I was...

My naturopath has recommended 20 grams of protein within an hour of waking. She says that first hour sets your metabolism for the day and protein is important. As for the fatigue and fog, she says that's from overworked adrenal glands. As I understand it, the adrenals control your immune system, and the longer you were undiagnosed gluten intoleran/celiac...

We figured out that my daughter was sensitive to dairy when she was about a year old - long before we determined that she was gluten intolerant (she is now 6). We tested her with dairy periodically, and by about 3 1/2 I thought she was able to tolerate occasional cheese or yogurt. She started gluten free at about 4 1/2. She has continued to have periodic...

I found mine just by chance - reading this board. Someone posted a link to an article, and the doctor who had written it has a practice about 20 minutes from where I live. I just did a quick search and found a site naturopathic[dot]org, which has a tool to find a naturopathic practitioner in your area. You also might try posting in the 'doctors' section...

Very helpful information, Sue. My naturopath also does stool tests for parasites etc. My daughter has 2 parasites, one of which is "abundant". She currently is being treated. I also have a mild case of one parasite, but am not being treated yet, as I am allergic to the medication that was prescribed and I have not heard back about an alternative treatment...

Most of my symptoms had gone away after going gluten free. Most significantly, I have rheumatoid arthritis. I noticed a big improvement after going gluten free, then another big improvement on the elimination diet. Same with minor intestinal symptoms that continued even after going gluten-free. All the symptoms that you have mentioned are ones that my...

I am in the middle of the elimination diet for myself and my two daughters. We started almost a month ago. It is annoying, but also very enlightening. It also gets easier as we add back more items and notice no reactions. The downside is that that everyone seems to be reacting to different things, so I'm going to have to permanently modify my cooking...

My daughter's permanent teeth are coming in spotty and yellow. The dentist said it was from too much fluoride. I told him that was not possible as we just moved to where we are from a place that did not put fluoride in the water, I have never given her a fluoride supplement, and she didn't start using fluoride toothpaste until she was 3. He looked puzzled...

I have the same strange symptoms after getting glutened. I thought it was just me. Not the cracking in the corners of my mouth, but blisters inside my lips and the whole roof of my mouth feels swollen or coated in something. Just not normal feeling. Unfortunately, it seems to last for a couple of weeks. All my other symptoms resolve in a few days.

I had a negative biopsy after a gluten challenge, and the only blood work I ever had done was after I had already gone gluten free. I still have severe reaction, both intestinal and otherwise, if I have even trace amounts of gluten. I also am sensitive to dairy. According to my doctor, gluten intolerance also is an auto-immune condition, not an allergy...

I did go the alternative medicine route many years ago, when my diagnosis was yeast syndrome / candida overgrowth. (In retrospect, I realize that the yeast-free diet I was on then was essentially gluten free. I should have stuck with the program!) I am now just starting down that path again after self-diagnosing gluten intolerance. In both experiences...