compucajun

If you have food allergies, watch out at PF Changs. I went there, specifically told them I could not eat fish / seafood. The waiter went to the kitchen and told me what I wanted to order did NOT have any type of seafood in it. Well, just a couple of hours later, I had an allergic reaction to the meal. Seems they use a lot of fish stock in cooking ! The meal was very tasty, though. I just paid for it later - needed LOTS of benedryl.

73. Hang out with your grandchildren - or borrow some kids. They think it is funny if you fart

I'm new here....just diagnosed last week. I am severely anemic and my doctor has presribed 325 mg. of iron twice a day. What I purchased last week has maltodextrin. Do any of you know of any iron supplements that contain amounts that high (the pharmacist said it would be ferrous sulfate, and that dose would provide 65 mg. of elemental iron) that do not contain gluten? I've been four places and can't find it, and I"m SO tired.

Also, I am wondering if it really takes months to feel better. My job (just started there a month ago) is kind of in jeopardy as I'm so tired I can't really think. I have to tell them what's going on, but since I work in a rock climbing gym, and pain and weakness are not familiar concepts to them, I don't think they'll really understand. Climbing is not even possible for me at this point as I get out of breath from the simplest things, like changing the sheets!! I"ve gotten much sicker since I accepted the job two months ago....

iron has gone about five points lower since then and I've lost about five more pounds...am emaciated and weak!

Thanks everyone!

Susan

Sorry about your diagnosis, but I have found in the long run it is really a GREAT thing knowing what is wrong, and how to make yourself "feel better". Living gluten-free is not really easy, but once I went gluten-free I felt SO much better! I also was also severely iron-deficient - to the point I was having heart palpitations. Turns out, being severely anemic can cause heart palpitations. My GI doctor told me to use Ferrous sulfate. After about 6 months, I am only slightly anemic.

Check out www.glutenfreedrugs.com to see which OTC drugs are gluten-free.

Also, since I had malabsorption, I have osteopenia. Please get a dexascan to make sure your bones are healthy!

Just something that my SO brought up the other day...he wants to make an earthquake kit or something like that in case something happens and he wanted to know what we could put in it that didn't have gluten so if we get stuck in some sort of disaster that we could survive and I wouldn't have to get sick!!! Totally sweet of him to think of that, not really something that would have crossed my mind, I don't think. I know there's probably a bunch of stuff (canned veg, fruit, beans, etc.), but definitely made me stop and think

This is probably over-kill, but you can't be too careful "when the zombies attack". Or, more realistically, in the event of a disaster, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.

Having lived through Hurricane Katrina as an adult and Betsy as a kid, I am a big believer in keeping a good supply of "hurricane food" in the pantry. My husband (who prior to Katrina had never experienced a bad hurricane) use to think I was crazy, but after Katrina he helps me prepare.

We have found Hormel makes has a list of gluten-free "shelf staple" foods. Go to www.hormel.com ,pick "search entire site", and in the search box, key in gluten. If you purchase things in cans, make sure you include a manual can opener in your "earthquake kit". Purchase small cans of things, because in an emergency you won't have electricity (we were 42 days without electricity after Katrina) and therefore can not readily store things. I also have some gluten-free cans of fruit and veggies. Bush's baked beans are gluten-free, and very tasty. Armour makes gluten-free Vienna sausage (which I don't particularly like, but they are easy to carry around, you can eat the whole can at one time, and they are meat). I keep some gluten-free crackers in the pantry, also. Make sure to have some gluten-free water on hand (ok, now I'm just being silly). But do keep some bottled water on hand. "Think thin" protein bars are gluten-free and good.

Peanut butter and nutella are gluten-free, and good on crackers.

Money - it is a good idea to have some cash on-hand in an emergency. Get small bills - when there is no electricity, cash registers don't work so you can't use credit cards.

thanku, sorry for never replying.

i did find out my brand name Synthroid, and my Cytomel (brand or generic) are both gluten-free. but because of the HIGH COST, my doc is now going to try me on Armour- i hope i like it, cause it's much cheaper, but im a little worried, cause i think i prefer a higher ration of T3

your dog is ADORABLE

I actually like the Armour better, but because of supply issues I had to change to generic synthroid.

I've eaten the salads twice with no issues. I asked them to change gloves, and they did with no problems. I did look on-line to check out which dressings were gluten-free. May be I was just lucky?

Target has been helpful & called the companies. The best you can get from alot of the drug companies is that they do not add any gluten ingredients. They won't actually say gluten-free. Walgreens was very unhelpful. They are not allowed to check on gluten-free status of medicine. When I wrote the company headquarters to complain, they told me to discuss this with the pharmacist.

I had the same experience with Walgreens - very unhelpful to the point of being RUDE !

I found a small, local pharmacy about 50 miles from my house that helps me.

It is a far drive, but it is better than being sick

I've been working out a schedule where they can mail me a three month's supply of my daily meds.

Some of you might remember my "hope I don't offend you southerners" post of a week or so ago, about eating grits. Well I learned a lot in that thread, lol. So this morning I made my grits, and fried up two pieces of bacon and two eggs over easy. Broke up the bacon, put it and the eggs in with the grits, "mooshed" (I think that was the word) it all around, salted it... o.m.g... Delicious!

It's mornings like this where I don't miss my gluteny cereal.

Thanks to all of you who suggested it.

OK all you "new southerners" - time to try grillades and grits, a very old Creole dish, is a favorite at fancy-dress balls and other social gatherings of the current Carnival season. Sort of braised round steak with real good seasonings severed with grits.

Either pancakes and sausage or a skillet dinner. I saute an onion, green pepper, and crumbled Jimmy Dean sausage (or any leftover meat I might have) in some olive oil until soft, add peeled and diced potatoes and cook till the potatoes are done and the bottom is crispy. Add shredded cheddar cheese at the end to melt over the top. (I pretty much always have these ingredients in the house)

I just tried this tonight and even my husband (who is non-celiac) thought it was GREAT. Saute' some onion and bell pepper, a little garlic and spices (we are from LA - Louisiana, not Los Angeles - we like it spicy) and add some Boar's Head Roast Beef, heat it up and top with Swiss Cheese. Hubby puts it on French Bread, I eat it as is with some Blue Diamond crackers.. Quick and Easy. Yum

Other things - Hebrew National wieners with Bush's baked beans and rice. Breakfast for dinner, and yes, I am from the south, and make "breakfast in a bowl" with grits, bacon, eggs and cheese . Omelet with cheese, onions, salsa, jalapenos and whatever else is in my fridge that is gluten-free. Yogurt with blueberries, gluten-free granola and honey. Hamburger patty with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ and Idahoan mashed potatoes (check - there are some gluten-free varieties and some not - they DO specify on bag). Orelle Rickenbacker (or however you spell it) popcorn in a pinch. Progresso french onion soup using gluten-free bread as a crouton and cheese. A baked potato stuffed with yummy gluten-free leftovers (broccoli, onions, brisket, cheese, sour cream, bacon, whatever leftovers I have that is gluten-free). Us cajuns, we take whatever is left over, add some spices, and can make a gluten-free meal out of it! For veggies, those "steamer bags" are really good - read the label and make sure there are no "natural and artificial flavorings". Raw carrots, celery, other veggies and any type of fruit and cheeses are good. Sometimes I just eat tomatoes, carrots, celery, apples, peaches pears and several different cheeses.

I am now officially STARVING! Hummm ... what is in the frig?

I'm fairly new to this.

I ate some conrned beef on new years day, along with Cabbage and black-eye peas. The cook claims she did not put anything in the cabbage and black-eye peas that contained gluten (I asked her very specifically). She also told me she put nothing in the corned beef.

Almost exactly 24 hours later, I had a "D" attack, for several hours.

So, if just onion/spices/garlic in the cabbage and black-eye peas, I think it must be the corned beef.

Any one have experience with corned beef?

Thanks

Janet

I take a lot of meds, and Walgreen's would not help me figure out which ones were gluten-free. I found a wonderful druggist at a small pharmacy nearby that checks all of my prescriptions. May be you could find a new druggist who could help you?

For those Catholics / Episcopalians out there ... there are low-gluten / gluten-free hosts. They are cruncher than usual and a little yellow, but they are the same size. Benedictine convent in Clyde, Missouri makes them. Over two years of experiments they have developed a Communion wafer that has been approved as valid material for the Eucharist by the Holy See.

This sounds yummy, minus the jelly. Or, I'd do the jelly minus the other ingredients. lol... Not sure I want savory and sweet in the same bowl. lol... But, I think I'll give the bacon/eggs/grits a try tomorrow.

I forgive all of you northerners who don't know how to eat grits! Cheese grits are the BEST, and you can also add a little garlic to spice them up. I am a fan of crushing up very crispy bacon in them - yum. Scrambled or fried egg is great too.

Can't say that I'd ever put sugar or jelly in them, though!

Premade as in frozen in a box type? Just a secret between you and me, those are bad bad bad for one's health. Oops not a secret anymore! I guess it's a good thing you don't care for them, just as well...you'll be eating WAY healther than they will. And feeling better too.

I'm sorry about your difficulty. It TOTALLY SUCKS!

I've found I don't have to purchase "special" gluten free items for EVERYTHING. Contact the companies that make the food you usually eat, and see if they have a gluten-free list. For example, before I was diagnosed I always used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. I contacted them, and everything they make is gluten free. And, surprise, they also make Ken's steak house dressing - which is what I used prior to being diagnosed. GREAT! I sent them an email saying they made my day! So, they sent me a couple of free coupons!

There are several "trusted" companies that will actually list "wheat" "rye" or "barley" on their ingredient list, but you must read the labels EVERY TIME. As far as I know, ConAgra and Kraft does this - so you can check the ingredients of Hebrew National hot dogs (ConAgra) and eat that with some gluten-free beans (Bush baked beans are gluten-free). You can go on-line and look at the products those two companies make, and determine which ones are gluten-free. There are other companies that are "trusted", I just don't know them off hand.

Of course, you still won't be able to eat things with pasta or bread crumbs, stuff like that. But, you may get by cheaper than you think if you do a little research.

The moderator posted this for me a few days ago. Hopefully it will help:

Unsafe ingredients: Open Original Shared Link

Safe ingredients: Open Original Shared Link

A list of companies that has a clear gluten policy. If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, its not there, or hidden in "flavors, starches, etc." Open Original Shared Link This makes shopping MUCH easier.

FDA foods are required to list wheat - it cannot be hidden.

Rule #1: Never eat anything without reading the label first.

Rule #2: Consistently check labels, even of your favorite products, as product formulations can change.

Rule #3: If you are unsure of an ingredient, or the company's policy on labeling, call the phone number on the back of the product or email the company.

Hope this helps.

I've read about Celiac, and the symptoms it could cause, but I did not read anything about heart palpitations.

I had heart palpitations. At first, it just felt like my heart was racing. After a while, they got worse. I was going to go to a cardiologist, then the whole Celiac thing was diagnosed. After about 3 weeks on a gluten-free diet, they went away. I was seriously glutenated on New Years day, and the next night I had slight palpitations.

Any one else with that issue?

Also, the arthritis pain in my hip is much better on gluten-free diet. I don't wake up with dark circles under my eyes as much. Before being on a gluten-free diet I had pain under my lower right rib, that has mostly gone away (I think it comes back the day after I eat gluten).

Thanks for everyone's help!

Here is a post with some useful links, including the one you are looking for.

Ingredients change all the time, so lists of products become outdated very quickly. These lists remain valid over time. In my ten years at this, no company has backed away from their gluten labeling policy. Hershey has become somewhat evasive, and some don't trust them anymore.

THANKS! I'm working my way through the maze of living gluten-free. I've had Celiac symptoms ALL my life, but no one could figure out what was up. When I finally had an endscopy, I had NO villa and fishers in my small intestine.

I feel so much better since I started this about 4 months ago, even though I'm not real good at it yet. I was "glutenated" this weekend, I'm trying to figure out when. The main thing, though, I AM BETTER!

I know that ConAgra and Kraft will put wheat, rye or barley in () after an additive that contains that product. And I realize I MUST read the lablel EVERY TIME I purchase the product.

Are there any other "trusted" companies? Is there a list of those?

THANKS

Janet

THANKS everybody!

I feel much better today - no headache or stomachache and I have more energy!

I am going to change my pharmacy. I like the convenience of a large chain, but I must take medications that don't contain gluten.

Next time I have a CT scan, I will definitely ask about a contrast which does not contain iodine, or have no contrast at all.

Thanks again for your help.

Happy New Year!

The IV contrast given when you get a CT scan contains iodine. The oral contrast does not. I work in Radiology, that's how I know. That's usually a question they ask, are you allergic to shell fish? That's why they ask.

Strange story. I was NOT allergic to shell fish until I had an IVP about 20 years ago and had a reaction to the dye. As the dye was going in, I got hives, started coughing, trachea started swelling, etc. The rad tech went out to get benadryl, and when she came in i was bleeding from my ear and she panicked! I had a hive in my ear, and scratched it, and that was bleeding but she thought I was going into Anaphylactic shock. (I know I can't spell it correctly - I am terrible at spelling, but am a math teacher!)

After that incident, I could not eat any type of shellfish, sit in a restaurant where seafood is served, or even use iodized salt. I live in the New Orleans area, so that was difficult. Now, I can use iodized salt, and I can sit in a restaurant where other people are eating shellfish without a problem, thank God.

Thanks for the information. I will speak with my doctor and ask him if we can use some type of alternative dye for my next check up - hopefully that won't be for at least a year.

Happy New Year!

I'm fairly new to this, I've tried to be gluten-free for about 6 months. My blood levels of the antibodies were very high, and my small intestines are fairly messed up, they have no villa and do have fishers. I have an incredibly low iron level, osteopenia (probably spelled that wrong - I can do math but can't spell), etc. Am getting better in almost all aspects!

Reading the other posts has helped me somewhat, but I still have a few questions:

- How long after eating a "bad" food do most people feel it? I was glutenated somehow, and I don't know if it was something I ate that day, or the day before. I suspect the salsa I ate about 24 hours prior to having stomach symptoms. Two days later, I noticed a small DH "bump". Does the timeing sound about right?

- I had a CT scan this morning. Since I am allergic to iodine, I had to be pre-medicated with benedryl and steroids. Then, they shot me full of dye. I feel terrible! Dizzy, light-headed, sleepy, lethargic, just generally bad. Could this be due to gluten? And, it has been about 6 hours since the procedure, and I still don't feel "up to par".

- How do you deal with prescription medications? My WALGREEN'S druggist told me he couldn't help me. After I purchase the drug, I should go home and contact the manufacturer to see if it is gluten free. I find this absurd, because once you take the drug out of the store you can't return it - and THEN you find out it contains gluten. My insurance covers generic drugs at a much better rate than non-generics. Once you determine a particular generic drug is OK, the pharmacy changes suppliers and you have to start the process all over again. I am to the point of just not being concerned as to if a drug contains gluten.

- My DH has improved since I am gluten-free. Is there a chance some of my other related issues also improve? For example, hypothyroidism, Sjorgens, depression, osteoporosis (I know the damage done will not be reversed, but will the disease "slow down"), osteopinea,

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

If anyone needs a good doctor in south Louisiana, Rachel Murray is the BEST!

Janet (Covington, LA)

This is my very first post on the website. I've only been gluten-free for about 6 months, I have tons of questions I will post in their own topic.

I live in Covington, about an hour north of New Orleans. Some of the local restaurants are becoming more aware of the necessity for gluten-free items on the menu. Our favorite quarterback, Drew Brees, has gluten sensitivity (I'm not sure if it is Celiac, he just states he can't eat gluten). So, the New Orleans restaurants are becoming better at having gluten-free items. I really can't afford the famous New Orleans restaurants he frequents, plus they are far from my house just to eat a meal. But, being able to order gluten-free items in my area is definitely improving just since my diagnosis.