grainfree

I haven't been drinking coffee for the past few months because I felt sick from it. It's not flavored or anything, just regular cheap coffee, with milk and sugar. Lately I've tried drinking it again and I get EXTREMELY bad gas pains to the point where I can't move or breathe and I still have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Is this gluten related or what? Does anyone else have this problem?

Welcome. Yes, I did, after switching to a cheaper brand of ground coffee. I took this to mean that I should decrease my coffee consumption and have subsequently increased my water intake (to about 2 liters per day) and find the craving for coffee dissipating. I have also heard about gluten in instant coffee. As Lisa has posted about dairy being the problem; many of my GI upsets vanished when I eliminated dairy from my diet.

The good news, waterlily, is that the gluten free diet will lead to a healthier diet overall. After almost one year gluten free (with two accidental glutenings, one of them from flavored coffee, the other from a crouton) I find that my diet is very much the same as pre gluten free (same likes and dislikes of foods) with only the need to eliminate certain food items. Your body will adjust. Hope the additional information helped. Please seek additional advice should you need to; a beverage should not cause you to not breathe. Be well, and all the best.

I've been gluten free for about 9 years, w/ few problems. I've completely embraced cooking differently and, while it's sometimes challenging, it's been a positive adventure!

Suddenly in the last few months, I've developed a new symptom! When I get up in the morning... I'm talking when my feet HIT the floor, I'm off to the bathroom to completely evacuate my bowels... always liquid, explosive, w/ lots of gas. Sometimes while I'm going to sleep and always in the morning before I get up, I can HEAR the storm in my lower intestines.

Last night, I think I hit upon the cause and I can't even wrap my head around it. I've been dieting, having recognized that I'm a total carb addict. I've been eating mostly lean meats, veggies, fruits, and very limited carbs, in the forms of occasional brown rice and limited bread or pasta to once or twice a week.

Last night was "cheat night." I decide during the day if I'll have my fave... homemade mac and cheese... or pizza (using Namaste crust mix). I made an awesome mac and cheese w/ really good cheeses and it was delicious! About 2 hours later, my bowels were evacuating... w/ liquid BMs and tons of frothy gas!!

From your experience... it's the dairy, isn't it?

Ugh... I don't want to think about it!!

When I eliminated dairy from my diet I was constipated for three days (after having the runs continuously). I have been following the Paleo Diet for two weeks now (with two to three open meals a week): I lost five pounds in the first week, and probably a few more this week judging by how my clothes fit. For the first time in many many years my thyroid medication dose has decreased and I am hoping this is because it is finally being absorbed by a healing intestine after a gluten-free diet.

I agree with the previous posters' suggestions. For me, eliminating dairy definitely had an effect (positive!) Hope this post helps, and I hope you feel much better!

"I was eating fast food all the time and getting about 4,000 calories a day, but I couldn't gain a single pound. "

Apache, the above sounds a little worrying. Consider thyroid as a culprit.

I agree with all the other posters suggestions, and also, a back to basics type diet with whole foods might aid your digestive system. I hope you feel better.

Picture!

Beautiful Daphne! Congratulations and enjoy your new little one!

Perhaps this is related to the ketchup problem.

I recently had an unmistakeable gluten-type reaction after drinking pineapple and pear juice.

I've been gluten-free since October 09, so was concerned about the reaction.

After eating grapes I also had a reaction. The good news is that the gluten-free diet is helping, though.

Consider perhaps the fructose content of tomatoes, or perhaps high fructose corn syrup added to the ketchup, as causing the reaction.

The experience on this site is immeasureable. Also, the food log I've been keeping helps.

I do hope the problem clears for you, regardless the cause.

Continued success to you, CGally! I too was hungry but diminished when I went grain-free. The headaches (from dairy products) abated, and the hunger and the cravings are much much less, now. I do not want to suggest a grain-free diet, only want to state the effect it has had for me. Energy is much better, sleep is better, and digestion is normal. I wish you much to celebrate!

I had a reaction after eating a cashew Larabar. The ingredients are cashews and dates. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, dates and other dried fruit may be dusted with gluten powder to prevent sticking. Something to consider when reading labels.

My wife has the challenge of having both intolerance to gluten and some other items as well as being an already picky eater. As the cook of the household, I've worked to incorporate her dietary needs. In addition to being gluten-free, she is also dairy-free, low-acid (including things like tomatoes) and can't have anything spicy (spicy being a relative term -- e.g. she's not supposed to eat bell peppers).

To boot, she doesn't like any seafood -- from shrimp to canned tuna fish -- no meat with bones in it, no pork except bacon, no mushrooms, eggplant, mayo, soy sauce, and various other random dislikes.

And now she's trying to get in shape, so in addition to the above, the food needs to be "healthy" -- reasonable calories, relatively low fat, etc.

I've rolled with it the best I can, but my recipe repertoire has slowly been winnowed away to almost nothing. I've read through a lot of recipes for special diets, but understandably most of them that suit diet need A don't suit diet needs B, C or D. I've worked substitutions as best I can, but short of a few reliable recipes, I'm falling forever back on chicken or beef with side of veg and potato/rice. As someone who loves cooking, it's frustrating (if she went vegetarian I might have to resort to food pellets ).

I've gotten a couple ideas just skimming the boards, but thought I'd throw out a request for anyone who has a favorite recipe that somehow meets the above constrictions to point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

Perhaps inspiration is needed. This blog for visual inspiration as well as practical cooking ideas - glutenfreegirl at blogspot dot com - is one source.

A major dietary change takes time and adjustment but may well lead you to create new and surprising recipes of your own. Maybe focusing on the foods your wife likes and can tolerate, together with the foods you like, will allow you to continue to cook in the way you love.

Simplifying meals helped tremendously. Basic nutrients (protein, carb, fat), lots of veggies, and pure water helped, and from there the gourmet dishes appeared. Healthy eating to you both, and know that your searching for how to help your wife is the best direction of all.

Website states Gingerbons gluten-free, but other products contain gluten. Any recommendations?

The percentage barley protein printed on the Rice Dream rice milk box I purchased is .002. I had a reaction.

Severe cramps in calf (sometimes in the thigh) most often waking me from sleep - became progressively worse over two years. Cramps stopped when I started gluten-free diet. Since then I believe I was "glutened" from flavored coffee and the cramps returned that night. Predictably. Like you, I would describe the feeling as excruciating, rigor mortis-like (how would one know?) stiffness which thankfully subsided after minutes. Potassium, magnesium, ibuprofen - whatever helps. For me it was gluten-free diet. Hope you feel better.

I wish you a very happy birthday in an extra special year. Congratulations and enjoy.

I echo everyone here in their experience to the endoscopy - no problem whatsoever. And the good news is, once its done, its done, and you can move on to recovery.

There seem to be some predictable outcomes after starting the gluten-free diet such as eliminating dairy, soy and other foods. For me, diarrhea stopped one day dairy free and in fact constipated followed. (But increasing vegetables helped with that.) A food diary may help pinpoint exactly what food may be a trigger. Soy is now out for me but almond beverage seems to be alright. Eliminating (the word sounds so, so final) a food from your diet may seem daunting but I promise you that feeling better offsets any emotional attachment to that food. For some, cutting the dairy is only a short course until it is tolerable again. I hope you feel better.

You might be on the wrong dose. I had it when my thyroid was out of whack. In my case it was too much med.

Very good point! The medication is absorbed at small intestines. Medication not absorbed due to celiac disease disrupting intestinal wall - synthroid dose is increased ever higher and higher.

I am hoping that once the intestinal wall heals, the dosage of the medication decreases. Thanks for the dose reminder!

Thank you for pointing out this product. We'll have to find Jerusalem artichoke flour without durum semolina in our products.

Thanks for mentioning the association. Checking at the pharmacy regarding gluten in Synthroid revealed no gluten in Synthroid. I currently feel what you described. Im going to try taking the medication in the evening. The effects seem to last a few hours. I hope you feel better!

Flavors extracted by alcohol are extracted by distilled alcohol. Distilled alcohol is gluten-free.

richard

lovegrov/richard,

the flavor may have been extracted by distilled alcohol but it is still alcohol in water, gluten or not. Cross contamination, hidden ingredients, etc., either on a celiac forum or otherwise, impacts health. Would we be writing about that here otherwise? I'm sticking to making most meals. Be well.

Should I avoid all natural and artificial flavoring?

There is a new Whole Foods product - Carbonated Italian Mineral Water with natural lemon flavour - less in price than Perrier.

I poured out 250mL and had a few sips. shortly after, pain in left upper quadrant. Dizzy. Then sleepy. Now trouble concentrating and typing.

I checked Euro Fer iron supplement online, called a couple of pharmacies to see if the reaction was from hidden gluten in the supplement. Apparently no gluten, but I'm still checking. Could be the red colour.

Of course, natural lemon flavour can be extracted from the lemon from, what else, alcohol, which, of course, can be grain based. Googling natural lemon extract revealed the alcohol content in one product to be 85%.

I was really suspect of the natural and artificial designation, and now I am certain: I'm sticking to making most meals. Be well!

I probably should have just started a blog but, whatevah. I'm still (two and a half months later) in the throes of disbelief about celiac disease. Thank goodness I have been able to rant about it here. I'm just finishing up the latter part of testing (endo/biop) but I already consider myself diagnosed. I wish you all very good health!

Welcome! What wonderful support your husband has from you! It is quite amazing to realize the cause of this disease, regardless of the opinion of the medical community. Many on this forum have reported false-negative results even when maintaining a full gluten diet, and as such have chosen a gluten-free diet regardless of testing outcome. The waiting does cause impatience, but from many on this forum, the gluten-free life is worth it.

This site is a great source of information regarding DH and celiac disease. I know that it will help you both immensely. I wish you both the very best of good health.

Many, many on this forum have experienced a honeymoon phase after eliminating gluten to find other food intolerances and allergies emerge. In myself, at one point I thought I was having an anaphylactic reaction to peanut and found it was highly seasoned rotisserie chicken causing the severe reaction. Since then I have found that cravings are starting to disappear with a diet somewhat close to the specific carbohydrate diet which is very much like your diet now. All the other posters have given good advice. Questions about which foods are causing illness can be frustrating and lead to impatience and fear, but please try not to worry. Things may seem a little overwhelming right now, but bring all your questions to your doctor so she/he can address them, and may then advise you about possible further testing. Be well. Edit: It may be that any large amount of anything could cause problems. Only a few more days 'til Monday!!

So sorry to hear about Max.

Wishing you and yours the best!

How is Max?

Good to hear you will be tested again. Knowing exactly what the problem is will help, I'm sure, to guide your dietary choices. You mentioned you are Gluten-free Casein-free and soy free, so I wonder if a "paleo" diet would better fulfill your diet needs? Regarding the frequent urination you mentioned - when I started this journey way back in July I tried two days of absolutely no grains and was running to the loo every hour or more afterward and I have convinced myself I have every medical condition in Merck's!

Whatever the outcome from tomorrow I wish for you good health, good eating.

best!