koolkat222

I know this is a known one.

But I am a black licorice nut.

Black licorice has wheat in it!!!

Can anyone explain to me why???

I knew that before I went gluten-free but it never fails to blow my mind, you know!!

~Allison

Same here! Wheat in licorice?! I, too, would like to know why.

It's been almost fours years gluten-free for me, and I've only eaten in a restaurant once. It was three months ago at the Raintree Cafe. Wasn't planning on eating, just accompanying the family. Explained why I wasn't ordering. Manger came over, was very knowledgeable about gluten, and assured me they could make a gluten-free meal. It was only a cheeseburger, but it was fantastic!! It felt SO good to be able to et something that had been prepared for me, not by me.

I have not eaten out since then (we were on a vacation). I just don't take any chances because the cost (getting glutened) is too painful.

Catchy! It will grab their attention and they'll recognize it from the start. Let us know how it goes! Terrific idea!

After too many "glutenings" I don't eat it unless I made it. It's just not worth it. Most people don't understand, but I can't worry about that anymore.

It helps that I can vent here

I rarely eat out because the risk is just too much for me. But, last December, I was pleasantly surprised when we went to Disneyland and Downtown Disney. At the Rainforest Cafe, the manager was familiar with Celiac and knowledgeable about gluten-free preparation. She had them prepare me a fantastic cheeseburger. This may not sound like much, but it was the first time that I had eaten out in three years!

So while you're at Disneyland, make sure you get to The Rainforest Cafe.

Hello all!

Still trying to figure out my symptoms and work my way through m different episodes on my own before my My 18th gastro appointment.

I am always extremely cold...to the point of feeling like I am freezing, and also have extremely low blood pressure. Well I do not know if extremely low is the word but it runs 90 something over 60 something consistently. Yesterday at my eye exam the assistant took my bp 3 times and was concerned bc he had never taken a lower bp. When I asked him what it was he said he "could not discuss it with me because that isn't their policy, but that he had never seen one lower". So, my question is should I be happy that I do not have high bp? Should I be concerned that it is so low, and is this why I m always so cold? Also, Does this have anything to do with being celiac/gluten intolerant?

Just trying to put the pieces together. I was hoping that after a while being gluten free maybe these symptoms would resolve. Im literally freezing 99% of my day.

I have the same- low blood pressure, and I'm always cold. You didn't mention your pulse. Mine is always high. Makes me think my heart isn't working as efficiently as it should. I'm wondering how common this is in others with Celiac.

Hi! I have a little problem here. I was really sick for a few months after food poisoning and had a lot of testing done, all which came out negative. None of these tests were for Celiac though. I hated the doctor I saw so I made an appointment to go see a new doctor. The problem is that I have already started the gluten free diet and I feel much much better now. So....what I'm wondering is what do you think the doctor will say? I know the tests won't come out right because of the diet now, but I didn't know what else to do. Will the doctor want me to start eating gluten again? Can I just have a gene test done to confirm Celiac? Any advice would be appreciated from anyone who knows something about this. I just want to be prepared when I go.

I wouldn't worry about having an "official" diagnosis unless that is something that's important to you. The main thing is that you feel better eating gluten free, and that's what is important!

Hello,

I will be seeing my OB for a yearly visit. This will be the first doctor I have seen since going Gluten, dairy and soy free. I am anxious about number one telling him about my diet and the reaction I will get.

But in addition and this is where my question comes in should I ask for some type of test for my vitamin levels? I am still so fatigued, my eyes are red rimmed and I have my usual bruising.

Thanks for any advise:)

I think a lot of women use their ob/gyn as their main doctor. Mine also discovered my Celiac. I would get iron, B6, and B12 checked. Good luck

Well, after 20 years of battling anemia, malnutrition, stomach problems, exhaustion, etc I may have some hope for a better future. I'm looking forward to the challenges of gluten free living as I'm really ready to do whatever it takes to get better. I had never even heard of celiac disease before a month ago and since then have had numerous blood tests and this week, a biopsy which came back as positive for celiac. I'm grateful and hopeful. I made a banana bread recipe yesterday that I found on this site and it was very good. Hope you are all well!

Welcome to the Gluten Free World. I know what you're feeling! I was so relieved to have a reason for so many of my health issues, and I could finally eat without the constant pain after meals.

Thanks, I should give that a try ("Ensure"). One thing that gets me about this it is just struck me at once; like some sort of infection that has never gone away. Was that the case with you?

David

Yes!! Looking back, all of my health problems (Celiac is just one of many big ones) appear to be caused be a huge stressor in my life. I didn't believe that stress could be this physically destructive to anyone until it happened to me.

Thanks KoolKat for the words of encouragement. I'm basically facing 3 challenges, personal (my wife leaving) financial (ditto) and physical, with my GI troubles. It will be very difficult to address the 1st 2, in the presence of the last one. I've faced a fair degree of adversity in my life, and I could contend with 2 of these, but all 3 at once is really getting me down. There's no question about it; if I had but one wish, it would be to get my health back. The other 2 problems would then be manageable.

I appreciate your message,

David

David,

When I first started gluten-free, I had next to nothing. I found that an Ensure type supplement was safe, and I lived on that for awhile. Little by little, I added different foods to my diet. I knew I was ok because I was getting nutrition from the Ensure; this made it easier to stick to adding a food at a time.

I hope this helps. You're right about getting your health back making it easier to deal with the other two problems.

I know how you feel about wanting to check out permanently. Don't give up yet! As daunting as a gluten-free diet was, I was willing to do anything to avoid the pain that came an hour or two after eating!

I'm so sorry about your personal situation. Things are tough for you right now, but gluten-free just may be your answer to many issues.

Ener G Egg Replacer is what I use in baking. It's a powder; it's worked for me.

I feel so bad for you! And very angry at him Celiac and avoiding all gluten even through cross contamination-it's part of who you are. If he isn't willing to accept this and work with it, you're better off without him.

Sorry for being so blunt, but life is too short.Celiac is difficult enough to deal with, but when you add an unsupportive partner to it-forget it!

Good luck to you!!

Thank you to happygirl, ravenwoodglass, and Juliebove for setting me straight!I am always so careful about checking labels, but that explains the issues I've had these few months. I switched to Rice Dream (from Soy Dream), yet have had lingering problems. It didn't occur to me that Rice Dream could be the source of it.

Thanks for the help!

I checked the ingredients earlier, and it looked fine. Now, looking at the front of the box, it is labeled "Gluten-free"

I'm a super-sensitive celiac. I started drinking Rice Dream a few months ago, and I haven't had any problems. I just checked the label, and I didn't see any gluten ingredients. Have you tried any other new items lately?

Be sure to keep an eye out for cross-contamination. Remember- all it takes is a crumb.

I have chronic sinusitis, but I don't think it's Celiac related. More due to the neglected building (and denial of higher ups that there's anything wrong with it) I work in.

Have you been suffering long? I know it's painful.

I use a lot of peanut butter. What I didn't realize for awhile was the cross contamination. My boys eat peanut butter almost daily. Whenever I made sandwiches for them I would spread the peanut butter on the bread, then re-dip it into the peanut butter, leaving crumbs every time. Now I have my own jars of many items, and my family is used to not using the ones marked for me.

As your dad starts to heal, his body's reaction to being glutened will be much stronger. This will probably make him take things more seriously.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for posting this! These recipes look terrific!

My husband and kids get it, and finally after a few years, my parents are starting to get it. My mom was always saying to try just a little. On several occasions, she just went ahead and cooked her way and didn't tell me!

Finally, I said, "Mom, why don't you put JUST A LITTLE rat poison in your food or eat A FEW pieces of jagged glass? That's what gluten is to my body!" It was kind of harsh, but she finally got it.

Hopefully, you won't have to resort to this, but at least you have a way of explaining to those who just don't/won't understand.

I don't take any chances! I made a Christmas Eve dinner for my immediate family- turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, the works. Then I pack up a good amount of it the next day to take to the bigger family gathering.

That's the only way I can eat at a family gathering. Others just don't realize the whole cross contamination issue. We're the ones who suffer. This way everyone can do things their way, and I feel safer.

Good luck!

I'm pretty sure most (if not all) of Campbell's Soups have gluten. Always, always, always read labels- even if you've used the product before.

Since any amount of gluten triggers a reaction, levels don't really matter, do they?