Hydrokube

is the daily renewal rinse gluten free?

The way your stomach looks should have nothing to do with diagnosing Celiacs. You can't see damage with the eye, that's why biopsies are taken and viewed under the microscope to see if the tiny villi are damaged. According to Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, atypical symptoms are the norm for people with Celiac. The "classic" symptoms really aren't that classic after all, and many people have silent Celiac, where no symptoms are apparent but they still have it. Additionally, a percentage of people may test negative at first and test positive 1-2 years later. The current methods of testing cannot be 100% since damage must be done to diagnose it.

If you are gluten sensitive AND allergic, I would stay away from it. If you still feel badly after a few months (especially if you are Celiac, it takes time to get it out of your body), then perhaps you should consider an elimination diet to see if you are sensitive to other common irritants like soy, dairy, etc. If you do have Celiac and have had issues for a long time, it is not uncommon to develop other food intolerances or autoimmune disorders on top of Celiac.

Also, don't consider a biopsy a definite negative diagnosis because if your intestines weren't damaged badly OR if your biopsies weren't at damaged areas, you will be negative.

I would recommend checking out that book from the library, it really cleared up some things for me when I was wondering about sensitivity/intolerance/celiac/allergies. Again though, why give yourself constant allergic reactions if you can avoid it altogether? I would drop it just based on sensitivity and allergy.

I'm waiting for my biopsy results right now, so I feel for you with the anxiety of waiting. I went gluten-free too while waiting for the results and my gastritis pain is completely gone as long as I avoid even minor amounts of gluten. I hope everything works out for you.

Good afternoon and happy mother's day to all the moms out there,

I'm curious to see if anyone else has had something similar to what I have right now.

I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gastritis, and am awaiting the Celiac biopsy results (strongly convinced I have it right now). I went gluten-free after the test, and my gastritis pain, which is usually daily, is gone after I rooted out some decaf tea that had slightly too much caffeine for my stomach to handle.

However, my mom brought over gluten-free bread today and when I ate a piece my stomach started doing the usual burning sensation immediately. I called her to ask her about it and it came out that her non-stick pans had quite a few scratches.

Does/did anyone else have gluten-induced gastritis pain? Did your gastritis go away after being gluten-free? How long did it take?

I really don't want to take the doctor-prescribed Nexium if going gluten-free will cure me. I strongly dislike prescription meds. Any advice/info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for the help raven, good advice. I only wish they didn't feed me cookies after the procedure, as I'm sure that didn't help! Also, I was so out of it I asked for seconds! My wife was telling me all of the silly things I was saying, such as staring at the finger clamp for heart rate and saying "you son of a b****" and then saying I bet it could shoot laser beams, and how I could really use a mechanical arm.

I don't remember anything from when they started the procedure to when I got home, but I guess I told the doctor to please not stick anything else up my bum!

Thanks raven, I will definitely be going on the diet now, but another question now is:

Should I take the Nexium, or would you recommend Pepto. I tend to think that since when I was 2 weeks gluten-free prior to the test (then got glutened a lot before the test on doc's orders), my stomach pains went away and that going gluten-free will cure my gastritis. I'm still struggling to figure out exactly what gastritis is and what can be done about it, especially in relation to Celiac, which I'm near 100% I have based on symptom resolution while on gluten-free from before and now the gastritis Dx.

My prep was unpleasant but my stomach didn't hurt overly much during the whole thing. This morning it didn't hurt at all, I was just in the zone from all the not eating.

Any idea on if gluten-free will cure it?

I need more advice! I just finished my endo/colo and Crohns is ruled out, but the doc says I have gastritis and I won't get the Celiac testing results for 3 weeks. Can gastritis be a sign/symptom of Celiac?

P.sS. I'm a little woozy from the meds.

First night ever with a laxative prep for colonic, and it was horrible. I'm underweight and I think that all of the laxative really messed me up. I had to go about every 10-20 minutes until 11pm and I started at 5pm, then i woke up every 2 hours needing to go again, and had more this morning.

Next time I'm definitely asking about a colonic! It sounds like a walk through the park compared to the ass-chafing nightmare I endured last night.

I actually read that if a first degree relative has an auto-immune disease that it's 10% chance of you having it. For every first degree relative after that first, it doubles your chance. I highly suspect my brother has it, and my sister has Crohns and possibly Celiac, so that would put me at 20%. That doesn't apply to everyone though.

The data is from 2006 though, so I don't know if things have changed since then.

FYI, I was just reading a book on Celiac and it said that a positive biopsy of DH is conclusively Celiac. I just thought I'd follow-up before bed. Good night!

Intesting stuff on colonics, I may try one for my next colo. I had very little time to research (4 days) for this one so I just went with doctors orders. I'm going to do it tomorrow and I'm on the clear liquids right now, here are my observations right now:

Note that I am drinking juice and tea and water, that's it. So far I'm 74 or so ounces of juice down. Juices are apple juice and white grape (with apple).

1. Hunger isn't as bad as I thought, but it still sucks

2. Gas was horrible after all the juice, take it slow!

3. Apple juice cleaned out my bowels after the first 64 ounces, then the gas mostly went away

4. I feel like I'm dreaming/heavy brain fog

Basically, my bowels have been nearly cleansed just from apple juice. Now I am able to pass gas without diarrhea, so thank heavens. I start MoviPrep at 5pm so we'll see how that goes, I'll update everyone then. I'm really hoping that using juice instead of the coffees/jello/yogurts that many people use will help the process go much more smoothly. Right now I'm in a kind of zen state when I'm hungry but it's not bad and my gas is making the full exit without stool so I'm feeling good overall!

Ang: Just keep moving along, be sure to tell your GI doctor about the skin biopsies. I doubt you'd get into an endoscopy before the skin results come back anyways, so you can always cancel if it's confirmed unless you want an internal biopsy to be 100%.

I've never heard about false negatives on skin biopsies, and I don't know if it's 100%, but I think if it's not it's very close.

It sounds like you're on the right track.

I was only on the diet for two weeks and I gained 3 pounds, I wouldn't expect it very quickly though. Some people can take up to 2 years to heal fully and start seeing/feeling results. My difference is that I didn't just lose weight, I've been the same weight for 10 years, but underweight (125 at 5'11"). I used to eat the equivalent of 4 sandwiches per meal and couldn't gain weight at all, and I had horrible digestion problems.

Here's what we've found to work in just two weeks, quite good:

1. Chili with fresh veggies

2. Brown rice with veggies

3. beans with jalapenos and tomatos (serve hot or cold, like a bean salad kinda)

4. potato topped vegetables (mashed potatoes on broccoli/mushroom/zuccini/whatever else you want) baked in the oven, might be a can of mushroom soup in there, so you need to find a gluten-free one

5. Quick and easy, Carnation instant breakfast classic chocolate is gluten-free

6. Quinoa with veggies

7. Fresh fruits

8. Larabars for on the go (these are really good)

9. Raw nuts (cashews/sunflower seeds/almonds are my favs)

10. Crackers or carrots and hummus

11. Avocado mashed with chips for the fats, you probably need it if you're underweight

Good luck!

It sounds like you may want to check your cosmetics/hygiene/food products again for hidden sources of gluten. Sometimes people incorporate a seemingly gluten-free item into their daily regimen only to find out later that it had gluten in it. For example, my floss had gluten and it was the last thing I thought to check!

Some people seem to see a resurgence of symptoms due to these hidden glutenings. If that's not it, you may want to schedule an appointment with a doctor to see if you have any other medical conditions.

If he refuses the endo and you don't want to find yet another doctor, I'd recommend trying the diet for 3-6 months. It's not that difficult once you get in the swing of things, but you WILL need to cook more. However, you'll find that you'll be eating a lot more whole foods. From what I've read, many people on this forum have issues getting their doctors to diagnose them even when all of the signs are there. It's considered an uncommon disease, but it's more common than they think and their testing is often wrong or conducted improperly.

Again, trying the diet will make any testing come back negative after a period of time, so this would basically be you trying to self-diagnose. Keep a food journal, monitor how you feel, and most of all get rid of everything and anything gluten in your house.

1. Wooden spoons absorb gluten

2. Teflon pans with scatches absorb gluten

3. All cosmetics/hygiene products need to be checked (even something like floss)

4. All foods should be checked on the internet or the companies will need to be called

5. Avoid eating out

6. Most people say to avoid dairy too for the first few months

7. Get a new toaster

Be sure you're not ingesting any hidden gluten or you won't improve. Don't buy anything that says it's made in a facility with wheat products (some gluten-free products say this). You may not feel better right away, it took me almost the two full weeks when I was trying it to notice dramatic energy increases. I think I have it but I'm back on gluten now for the testing. ALSO, the doctor said the same thing to me about thinking it's IBS, but Celiac disease has over 200 symptoms, since an auto-immune disorder of the intestines can also manifest itself almost anywhere. He didn't know anything about dermatitis hepaformis (I even showed him), which I believe I have on my leg. Regardless of how my testing comes out, I'm going gluten-free to verify for myself. I was already starting to feel better in 2 weeks, and my other symptoms that had started clearing up were gas, fatigue, bloating, acne, weight gain (I'm underweight), irritability (much more calm), no more undigested food in my stool, going #2 less often (usually 3-4 times a day when I'm on gluten).

The food test is really the final test, if you feel a lot better, forget a formal diagnosis and stick with the diet. If you ever want to get diagnosed at a later date though, you will need to eat gluten for what I hear is at least a month (could be more), so keep that in mind. For example, I was off gluten 2 weeks and started eating it again and I'm tired all the time, stomach aches, etc worse than usual. It's certainly unpleasant.

One last thing, an endo to test if you're malabsorbing will only be a test for Celiac too if he took biopsies.

Good luck, hope you get the results you're looking for with the blood test.

How long does it take to stop feeling horrible after starting on gluten again? I'm ridiculously fatigued, brain fog, stomach ache, gas, and super cranky. I want to get back into my perma-glutened state again so I don't feel AS bad.

I went to the GI today and brought with me a huge list of symptoms and family history and explained that I think I have Celiac based on my research. He ended up cutting me off a bit after I said my sister has Crohns because I guess that's a red flag to be tested either way. He did say that he will be testing me for Celiac too, but he's skeptical about it, although he seems to be open-minded. My tests are Tuesday.

Just explain yourself and ask for a blood test at the very least. If he refuses, find a different doctor.

Stay on gluten until your tests are done though, it can skew results if you go off of it. For fiber, beans and rice are your friends

Oh boy, my stomach does not feel well after ordering pizza tonight. I felt like vomiting a few times, but managed to suppress that urge. It's just burning and gassy and bloated, very uncomfortable.

I'm about to start on a book (excuse my horrible writing, just playing around trying to forgot the pain): The Glutening (horror/thriller)

Little did he know as he inhaled slices of pizza one by one that an attempt would be made on his life. His pizza contained a poison so potent it could incapacitate him for hours, possibly kill him if ingested long enough. Crippling stomach pains followed within the hour, his body was starting a revolution against the poison. He had felt this before, but never knew the true name by which it came. Gluten, that evil beast, that arch enemy, that cultivated grass. Oh, it often came calling with seemingly good intentions, but lo and behold its true nature, a hidden enemy, often hiding in other foods. The triad of evil, wheat, barley, and rye were but a fraction of the true power of Gluten, it could hide anywhere, from nuts to beans to asparagus, even in pants. Feeling that familiar urge, he rushed to the bathroom to endure Gluten's torment.

As he finished his business in the bathroom, feeling as though he deserved a trophy for enduring it, he happened to glance down only too see the shape of a smily face. What kind of devilish food was this! It was impossible, he had read of this only in fairy tales, The Glutening. It happened to roughly 1% of people in those dark tales, each of them beset by illness due to The Glutening. It was like a virus, passed down from generation to generation, eating away at their souls.

What was its mission? He may have found out. He stumbled across some old manuscripts in the library, and carefully brushed them off. Glancing through, he noticed a pattern in the images and text. The Gluttening was a method by which wheat, barley, and rye would harvest souls with which to mutate themselves into stronger beings. Their goal: world domination. This madness, this Glutening, had to be stopped.

He knew just the place to start: celiac.com.

Alright, I will let him know that I want the blood test panel as well after the endo/colo testing is complete, since the test is in 5 days. I'm going to return to gluten until the testing is done, although I'm dreading it. I guess I can think of it as a final farewell party to my old friend gluten (we're going to try the diet regardless of the blood/biopsies to see how we feel after 3 months or so).

Question, if I'm positive for Celiac during the endo, does that mean I have it for sure, or will the blood test be needed for confirmation?

Edit: One more question, is now a good time to test myself for gluten issues by monitoring how I feel after a few crackers or just dive in and have a huge meal?

The doctor said he was going to check for ulcers/stomach issues, then check for Crohns, then take tissue samples for Celiac to test for everything all in one shot.

Thanks for the advice!

I went to the gastroenterologist today and told him my symptoms and family history. When he found out my sister has Crohn's and brother has IBS, he said that if anything he thinks I may have IBS based on symptoms but wants to test me for Crohn's due to my sister and Celiac for my peace of mind. However, he seemed to disregard my non-gastro symptoms of Celiac disease (acne, canker sores, irritability, underweight, fatigue).

He discouraged me from getting the blood test because they give so many false negatives, and instead is doing an endoscopy/colonoscopy on Tuesday.

• Should I push for a blood test too in case the biopsies are false negatives?
  
• I've been gluten-free for two weeks and am going back on gluten for Tuesday, will that affect my biopsy?
  
• Do you think my intestines are too healed to produce a positive even if I'm back on gluten for the next three days?
  

Hello! I am a gluten-free vegetarian and I have a situation where I may need to eat out this weekend. Are there any generally safe foods that I could order at restaurants, like fruit plates/veggie plates? I'm very new to this (2 weeks) and really don't know if it's possible to eat out anymore.

Any tips would be welcome. It's going to be a breakfast place, but I can foresee several other lunch/dinner situations in the near future.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks, it sounds like both of those made me have a reaction.

We used to cook pizzas directly on the oven rack, do you think that could have lingering gluten? A cleaning cycle would take care of that right?

It seems I'm lucky because my issues seem to go away after 3-6 hours. For example, despite the glutening yesterday I feel great today.

I had two situations recently where I felt sick. I've only been gluten-free about 2 weeks, and I need to know if either of these could have caused me to feel ill. I seem to get stomach aches and gas/bloating whenever I'm glutened, but I'm still trying to accurately diagnose what my symptoms are when I get glutened.

1. I cooked eggs/potatoes/spinach with a wooden spoon/teflon pan and felt quite sick afterwards and throughout the evening. The teflon doesn't appear to be scratched. Could anything else have caused me to feel this way?

2. I accidently drank from my wife's water cup after she had cheerios/gluteny snacks. Can residue make me get sick?

It seems to hit me within minutes. I've always associated this stomach pain with ravenous hunger, but I'm noticing that when I'm gluten-free I don't feel it anymore. I would often get cranky when I felt this pain and only eating a lot would make it go away for a while (it came back once the food passed through).

I'm wondering if it's all in my head or if I'm actually reacting to gluten.

I'm going to start using a different floss (unflavored/unwaxed) just in case. I've mostly eliminated dairy and all gluten, but I probably have dairy 1-2 times a week right now. I have soy daily with breakfast.

I've actually been ridiculously hungry and I can't seem to stop eating. I'm the only one bringing snacks to long meetings! I have carnation instant breakfast w/ soy milk in the morning. So far on a typical work-day I have:

1. banana and sunflower seeds in the morning once I get to work and it's been an hour or two

2. vegetable chili/bean dish for lunch (going to start trying some new items in a week)

3. humus and crackers/carrots in the afternoon

4. sometimes a larabar (like a granola bar, but no granola) if I'm still really hungry

Go home and eat an avocado with chips, dinner, any other snacks I'm feeling hungry for. I've been trying to eat an avocado every day if I can since they so healthy/filling/I love them. The only downside is the recent batch we bought hasn't been ripe yet so I'm salivating just thinking about it now.

I've been wondering about that raven (DH on forehead). I do get DH on my legs in the form of a winter rash (extremely itchy). My forehead doesn't itch as much as tingle/burn constantly. It also tends to get very red and irritated looking for no apparent reason. Benzoyl Peroxide tends to make the redness less apparent, but it's still there.

I'm only using the following:

1. Dr. Bronner's for Shampoo/Body Wash (other Celiacs seem to use this with no problem)

2. Proactiv face system (gluten-free according to their site)

3. Natural Dentist toothpaste (gluten-free)

4. Tom's of Maine mouthwash (gluten-free)

5. Reach waxed mint (***Could this have gluten***)

6. Old Spice High Endurance anti-perspirant/deodorant (said it was gluten-free online)

7. Blistex lip balm (said gluten-free online)

That's all I use every day. I hadn't checked my floss, any ideas there?

My 3 siblings also had or have the same "rash" which we're now starting to attribute to Celiac (sister has Crohns, brother IBS, mom iron anemia).

My biggest problem seems to be papules all along my forehead. At times they get so bad and they're so red that I get really embarassed to every go anywhere. I'll keep eliminating soy in mind if my skin doesn't seem to be clearing up after gluten-free for a while, it seems to be a common issue with people. It's hard to even know what my real skin-type is because I've been on gluten for so long. I keep reading that people's bodies can change dramatically after going gluten-free.

I'm also chronically underweight, and hoping that gluten-free might help me gain some weight finally. I'm so tired of people telling me I need to gain weight when I haven't moved up or down in 10 years. Trust me, I've tried!