HelenaHandbasket

So even though it appears that I can tolerate it in small amounts, you are saying I'd be better off keeping it out completely? I guess that was what I was getting at. I really hate being a hundred percent gluten free, but if that's what it takes to feel good, then I'll keep to it. I'm still not completely sure what I'm sensitive to. Could it be just wheat and not all gluten? What might be the differences in symptoms if it were merely an allergy vs a gluten intolerance?

For instance, pasta, for some crazy reason, doesn't appear to bother me, not sure why. Different kind of wheat? Bread does me in. This is very difficult to sort out.

Over a year ago, I had an extreme flareup of joint pain. My knees were the worst. I was wearing braces and using a cane. I thought I had lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. I had every possible fix there could be, cortisone shots, antiinflammatories, etc. No tests came back positive, so nobody really knew what I had, and nothing helped the pain go away. In my desperation, I tried every possible fix I could find on the internet and when I hit on gluten free and tried it, ALL THE PAIN WENT AWAY! It was insane, I couldn't believe it. Thankful, but still, I couldn't believe it. I've been good since and been staying gluten free for the most part. While being gluten free, I also noticed that I don't have the excessive flatulence I always used to have. I just thought I was a gassy person and never attributed it to eating gluten.

So here's my question. I have found that I can eat a little bit of gluten with no repercussions. Bread still gives me mega gas, so I stay away from that completely. Oatmeal doesn't bother me at all and pasta doesn't seem to give me any gas. If I really go off the wagon, I notice my fingers toes start getting a little stiff and sore again, so I know there's some kind of problem. Have I been strict gluten free for a year for nothing, or have I healed something or do I have a particular allergy to something specific and not all glutens, possibly? I don't like restricting my diet for nothing, but I'll die if the joint pain ever comes back. Just wondering what kind of approach I should take.