kbtoyssni

I do get very sick from alcohol when I've been glutened. I'd hold off on alcohol for a while until you have longer to heal. What brand of beer just out of curiosity? People are trying to tell me I can drink Budweiser all the time because it's brewed from... umm, I can't remember exactly what, but it's some gluten-free grain (can I blame this one on brain fog ) People forget about the added malt.

Gosh, I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I've never been in that kind of pain so I can't really relate, but I doubt an ER could do anything for you if it is just gluten. Unless you get dehydrated (maybe drink some Gatorade to help with that). I'm not even sure that some strong pain killers would help digestive issues. Feel better.

Peanuts also make me sick, but more of the upset stomach. I use sunflower seed butter. It's not very expensive at all. Cashew and almond butters are pricey!

Its the opposite for me. My husband and his family are totally on board because my husband's brother is celiac but my parents...forget it. They just came to stay with me and my husband caught my mom almost using my toaster for her gluten bread! I have a sticky label right on it stating "Gluten Free Only"! They also kept buying rolls and bread because they have to have the real stuff. They do love me but they totally don't understand the diet. My mom has had problems with diarreah all of her life but she refuses to listen to me that I don't have diarreah when I stay away from gluten

I think I would make my parents stay at a hotel if they did this to me! I'm lucky that mom is also gluten-free so she's not going to bring any gluten products into my house.

kbtoyssni I really liked the perspective you put on being gluten free. I guess I don't have so much experience with the fact that there are so many "normal" foods that really ARE gluten free, and that gluten free is not merely confined to those fancy schmancy substitutes, so for that, I thank you!!

ohsotired LoL, are there any good gluten free pastas? I have to say that pasta and pizza are a weakness (a gluten filled weakness though!)

Glad to help! Eating "regular" food also keeps the cost down. I see no reason why I should spend tons of money on special substitutes when I can alter my thinking just a bit and use more potato and rice instead of bread or dove chocolate instead of gluten-free cookies. Since I'm buying "naked" food rather than all the processed boxed food, I think my diet is healthier, too.

Tinkyada pasta seems to be the overwhelming favorite on this board, but I also like Mrs. Leepers (can be found at Super Targets) and DeBoles (found at many normal stores in the midwest). As for pizza, I really like Glutino brand pizza (I do keep one or two in my freezer just in case), but I usually make my own. I use the pizza crust recipe in "The Gluten Free Gourmet" cookbook. It's very quick to make and tastes just fine. You could also use a corn tortilla as crust if you want making it to be even faster.

I have heard nothing positive about Taco Bell when it comes to accommodating celiacs. It is one fast food restaurant I would recommend a celiac never eat at.

huh?

You could see if there's a local ROCK (Raising Our Celiac Kids) group.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/563/1/ROCK-...roup/Page1.html

There is a very active ROCK group in the Twin Cities area - I bet they would have some opinions on GIs if you contact them or attend a meeting. I was diagnosed before I moved to the area and therefore know nothing about the GIs here.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/563/1/ROCK-...roup/Page1.html

I love Craigslist. I had a lot of success selling all my furniture quickly when I dropped out of grad school (due to undiagnosed celiac!). But you do have to be careful about scams. I got the "we accidentally wrote the check for $1000 too much, just write us a separate check for the excess" once so I cancelled that transaction.

You could try searching on "personal car products" or "shampoo" or similar terms. It seems like many people with DH do react to touching gluten. I personally don't use personal care products with gluten because of the high risk of ingestion. You definitely could be having a gluten reaction.

How do you get the cakes to stay together? It it the eggs? Mine are always crumbly for some reason. I have tried vinegar/oil/baking powder for eggs, yeast + water, and fruit pectin. I hope he outgrows the egg allergy at some point. It will make baking more fun!

Do you add enough xantham gum? I usually add 1/2-1 tsp per cake. Some baked goods also have gelatin and/or egg replacer to help things stick together.

To me, gluten-free food is normal food. I do 99.9% of my grocery shopping at a regular food store, buying the same food as non-gluten-free people. If you didn't know that I was gluten-free, you probably wouldn't even notice none of the foods in my cart contain gluten. So for the majority of what I eat, it's the same as what I would have eaten pre-gluten-free.

If you are talking gluten-free substitutes for gluten foods, yes, they do taste differently, but it's a matter of personal preference if it's better or worse than gluten food. I make gluten-free cakes and cookies and if you do a direct compare to gluten cake there's a difference, but all my gluten eating friends love what I make. It still tastes good. And now, after three years, I can't really remember exactly how gluten foods taste. As long as what I do eat tastes good, I don't mind if it's not exactly the way gluten food was.

Maybe they mean people on a gluten-free diet don't get DH anymore? I'm wondering if it's only 10-20% that go into "remission" because most people get accidentally glutened from time to time and the DH flares up?

Even making chili with lots of bean or using quinoa for a grain (it's got a lot of protein for a grain) will help when you need something other than meat.

Would it be possible for you to find a new doctor who will diagnose based on dietary response? There are a few of them out there, and that would certainly be better than you making yourself sick for a few months hoping to get a positive at the end of this.

Umm, no. I do not cheat. I like my current life of being able to get out of bed and do whatever I want. No amount of gluten could possibly taste good enough for me to give that up.

Welcome! Regarding CC happening at the manufacturer - it depends on the brand (I'm sure that's just what you wanted to hear!) Some brands are better than others. I trust Kraft, but people here seem to have lots of problems with Lays/Tostitos CC (expect for Lays Stax, they're on a dedicated gluten-free line) and Quaker rice cakes. Do a search for brands you're looking at and you'll find out quickly if they have CC issues.

I would replace any wooden spoons and cutting boards, badly scratched pans, and colleders. Stainless steal pans can easily be cleaned, but a non-stick pan with scratches may be too hard to clean. Watch for shared condiments - if someone uses the mayo and "double-dips" the knife the mayo is no longer safe. Separate condiments work well. I don't worry too much about utensils and glass baking pans. Just make sure they're cleaned well.

You may want to consider making your entire house gluten-free or mostly gluten-free. I doubt anyone will care if you eat corn tortillas instead of wheat or buy gluten-free brands of condiments. Bread and crackers are a bit harder so you'll need to make the decision on whether to have these in gluten form in the house. If you do, you'll have to be more diligent about cleaning and condiments, maybe having one small section of the kitchen as the "gluten corner". If you have gluten in the kitchen, think about your cleaning sponge and hand towels. You don't want to share those. And I would NEVER allow wheat flour in the kitchen - that stuff flies everywhere and is impossible to clean.

Watch for pet foods and personal care products. You and your husband probably want to use gluten-free lotions, shampoo, makeup, etc, so you don't have to worry about your son touching something you touched with your lotion-hands.

Good luck!

I don't lick them *just in case*. I buy the envelopes that you peel-off to expose the sticky bit for my own personal use. I use scotch tape for envelopes that are sent to me that I have to use for things like bills. Although I get most of my bills online now, so I rarely have to deal with the lick-and-stick envelopes.

I would not be too concerned downloading something from Norton. Yes, there is some risk in using the internet, but I think it's fairly minimal, especially if you're just looking things up and downloading from trusted sites. The most valuable thing I store on my computer is my resume, and if someone hacked into my computer and stole it, it's not the end of the world.

Could you take the laptop to your school's tech support? They can be very helpful, and can usually help you for free.

My dermatologist recommended using CetaPhil anti-bacterial soap plus CeraVe brand moisturizer. Both seem to work really well for me.

Thanks for posting! I am planning a trip to NYC in a few months so I'll be sure to print out your suggestions.

I don't react much, either. My symptoms seem to decrease each year. Sometimes I'll go out to eat, my stomach feels not quite 100%, but it's hard to tell if it's gluten or just greasy food or what. I do find that cumulative gluten affects me. I was accidentally eating rice that had been manufactured on the same lines as wheat. My joints started hurting again and as soon as I cut out the rice, I felt fine. Anytime I start to feel not right, I have to do the double-check of everything I eat. This does not mean I am any less careful than I would be if I did react more. I am still very, very careful about everything including makeup and pet food and I do not eat anything that may have come into contact with gluten. I probably eat out a bit more than I should, but that's my most risky behavior!

Caramel color *may* contain gluten, but in the USA it usually doesn't. You still have to check each time, though. Coke and Pepsi are gluten-free so go ahead and enjoy!

I actually threw a little party when I got my positive test result. I've been chasing down this mysterious illness for 17 years, believe it or not. Now I know the enemy and he's not so big. I'd been tested three times for Lupus, twice for rhuematoid arthritis, and I'd been told I had endometreosis (pain in my abdomen) and should have a hysterectomy. Every time I went to the doctor they did a round of blood tests, but not specifically for Celiac, and I'd come back deficient in some additional vitamin or mineral (amassing a long list of deficiencies over the years), but nothing more. I was so frustrated. Understanding what the problem is and that with proper care I can be healthy has changed my whole life. I'm 42 and felt like I was 62 before my diagnosis. I'm now thinking of hiking the Pacific Crest trail from Washington to California next summer. Couldn't have fathomed that a couple of months ago. Yippee!!

Good for you! I throw myself a party every year on my gluten-free anniversary. It's like a second birthday to me