
Chanterelle
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I'm new to this, and I don't competely understand the issue of cross contamination. At first, I wasn't conscious of avoiding foods that were produced on equipment with wheat because I didn't know such small amounts of gluten could be harmful. My health is improving, but there are times when some of my symptoms come back. I've noticed that it seems to happen when I go out to eat or eat packaged foods/sauces/chocolate. I mostly eat/cook meat, veggies, olive oil, fresh spices, fruit, almond milk and I have found one brand of gluten free products (glutino) that i like and doesn't hurt my body. I get frustrated by getting sick nearly everytime i go out to eat. i've noticed that i don't get sick if i go to a very nice restaurant and tell the server i'm gluten free. In those restaurants I eat food that is very much like the foods I cook at home (meat, veggies, homemade sauces). I can't afford to do that all the time though... the tab for me alone in a restaurant like that is at least 30 dollars. Does anyone have tips on eating out and avoiding cross contamination? I'd love to be able to go out for lunch and have something other than a salad without getting sick from it.
I'M So Frustrated
in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
Posted
I was never formally diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. These are the symptoms I've been experiencing. Eleven years ago, during the second semester of my freshmen year of college, I had my first experience with extreme exhaution. I slept for 14 hours a day and felt lethargic and dizzy when I was awake. I gained weight but didn't eat very much (because I slept through meals). I also go severe hives all over my body. I eventually went to the doctor about the hives. She said it was probably dust mites (no testing done) and gave me allegra. The hives persisted for six months and then mysteriously went away. Ever since then I have dealt with exhaustion, over sleeping, extreme anxiety and overstimulation, dizziness, numbness in my hands and feet, bloating, weight gain, pain in my lower left side that comes and goes and is sometimes severe, hair loss, diarrhea and constipation and nausia (i think that covers everything). Until last summer I thought my ovaries were causing these symptoms (except the diarrhea and constipation of course, i thought that was normal). I had an ovarian cyst removed about 7 uears ago, so I always thought my symptoms were from polycystic ovary syndrome that my doctors weren't diagnosing. But, I've had ultrasounds on numerious occasions and my ovaries were okay. I've been tested for thyroid issues and those tests always come back normal. I don't like going to doctors becuase they never seem to be able to help me. Last winter, I got a yeast infection that I was unable to get rid of. I didn't have health insurance at the time and was only able to go to a sliding scale gyno. They gave me the same prescriptions over and over and the infection didn't go away. I put myself on a diet where I only ate meat and vegetables to starve off the yeast and the infection went away. But, after I went back to eating the way I had been, my infection returned. I have always had a healthy diet. My parents are gardners and avid cooks. I grew up on mostly organic veggies and venison. So, the diet that I went back to wasn't McDonald's or anything like that. I started to see an acupunturist/herbalist for help and healing. She put my back on the anti yeast diet and helped me introduce one food at a time to see if I was having an reaction to somethin I was eating. It turned out that wheat, dairy and nightshade vegetables bother me. Wheat is at the top of that list. I can eat the other foods in moderation, but if I eat something with gluten in it (even one bite) I have immediate reactions. I bloat up and get diarrhea. I've been gluten free for five months now and feel much better than I used to. My dizziness and extreme exhaustion are gone, so is the numbness in my hands and feel. My hair is falling out much less. I still have some issues with diarrhea and get that awful pain in my lower left abdomen. I have health insurance now, but my doctor said she can't test me for gluten intolerance because I quit eating it. Does this sound like gluten intolerance/celiac? Is there a difference between those two things? I'm frustrated because I get sick almost everytime I go out to eat (even when I choose gluten free food). I'm also frustrated because I don't have a diagnosis and sometimes feel like I could be wrong about gluten being the source of my sickness. I don't know how sensitive people are and if cross contamination is a serious issue? Is that why I get sick when I go out? At home I mostly eat meat, veggies, fruit, olive oil, fresh spices, lemons, almond milk, garlic and some glutino products. I also bake with gluten free flours when I have time. It seems like when I venture outside of that diet I'm gambling with my health. I might get bloated, tired or diarrhea from eating something like chips or going out to eat. I don't want my life to so restricted. Should I see a dietician? Is this something they could help with? Is there some test my doctor can do even though I quit eating wheat? Maybe she doesn't know about it. I don't want to start eating it again for the sake of a blood test. I can't bare to feel that way again.