LauraTX

Toilets must have a great high value resale on the black market, LOL!!!!!

I agree with the above that University of Chicago, or Dr. Fasano in Boston.

As said above, seven months is not going to be enough time for such high antibodies to go down.  I highly recommend giving it more time if you are 100% sure you are not getting gluten from somewhere.  There are a few people here on the board, hopefully one will chime in here, who had numbers above the detectable range for quite a while that took longer than a year to start going down.  If you are still having problems and feel your villi haven't yet healed, it is time for a second look at what you are putting in your mouth to double check for CC, and after some more time has passed, if you still have problems, then go see another specialist.  There are some Celiacs who don't seem to respond well enough to a gluten-free diet, but seven months is not enough time passed to make that determination.

Anything subtle like that, I would wait to look into it until after you feel like you are totally healed.  There is a good chance that will slowly fade away

It's so funny to me, looking back I could eat hot peppers all the time with no problem, but every time I ate oatmeal (pre celiac dx) it would give me heartburn without fail!

Well, that may be a warning sign for the future!  LOL!  Hot foods don't give me a problem unless I eat them with a lot of fat or acidic foods, which is how a lot of things come, doh!  

The kids across the street put flavored yogurts on their waffles. Some people make sandwiches with them - like ham and cheese or ice cream.

Yes please!

Oh, I thought you were offering me waffle sandwiches.  BRB, gonna go rummage in the kitchen now!

I feel your pain.  It is always the ONE time you don't thoroughly look that it gets ya, I think it increases my paranoia each time.  I also have a lot of skin allergies so anything that goes in or on my body I have to be totally anal retentive about.  Let us know what the word is when they get back to you!

If you are putting the Nerium cream on your face, it very well could be making its way into your mouth.  If you feel like that is a possible source of CC, try some time off of it.  I have also heard that product does not work, so if you are spending a ton of money on it, I am sure people on here can recommend some good face creams to try out.  Cosmetic companies are some of the worst offenders when it comes to misinformed false gluten-free labeling, in my personal opinion.  It is highly unlikely they are using certified gluten-free oats, but it is good you have contacted them to check.  If you get hives from oats on the skin, it may also just be a separate skin allergy.  (For example, I can eat cocoa butter in chocolate but on my skin it gives me hives)

I would make sure to buy the whole bag.  It looks like 4 pounds, if a size like that is available, that wouldn't be too bad.  Now a 25 pound bag... well... you better get ready to stuff your face with chocolate!  

I love oatmeal but it's just too much for my body to deal with. I tried it a few weeks ago and It made me very tired and made me stumble all over like I had been glutened.

 There are some people who can never handle oats, but many are able to add them back in after a period of good healing.  I would wait about 6 months and try again, with caution.

Can you clean a used Kitchenaid well enough to use it on gluten free items? I've thought about used, but I'm a little nervous about gluten. 

Most of us here who had one when we went gluten-free have kept it.  The smooth metal bowls are easy to clean with no nooks and crannies.  The beaters cost about $10 to replace and I replaced my one I used most often since it had some cracks in it and needed replaced anyways.  The smooth outer side is easy to wipe down, and you can remove the top cover to expose the machinery and clean off any gunk that has accumulated there.  If it saves you a good amount, I would say it is worth the work.

I hear ya, Jody.  Welcome to the forum, by the way!   I used to be a big fan of Chilis and their cheap greasy eats, but I haven't dared step into one since diagnosis.  I just feel their inexperienced staff is a recipe for disaster.   That is why I stay away from the value based chain restaurants, because if you can't order something with no onions and them get it right, how can you reasonably expect your meal to be protected from CC in their busy kitchen?  I will keep them on the back burner and only go if there is no choice between that and starvation, haha.  

There is a restaurant with the best gluten-free menu in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it is ran by a family half of which are Celiacs.  I just say "gluten-free" there and I know they have it.  There is a dedicated gluten-free bakery that I also ask no questions at.  I will order something like a Wendy's frosty as-is, because there really are no precautions to take.  At Chik Fil A, I will have them tell the kitchen staff to use clean utensils if I am inside the restaurant.  If I am in drive-thru, I do not add special instructions to my order, because you are an A-hole if you do that when you are in a timed drive thru, in my opinion. Chipotle I will ask them to change their gloves and not touch the inside of the bowl.

Anywhere else that is sit down and has a gluten-free menu, I will do the whole spiel each time unless they demonstrate their knowledge and practices to me first.  Outback and Mellow Mushroom are good examples.  After I order from the gluten-free menu, I will throw in, "Even though the ticket says gluten-free on it, can you go ahead and let the kitchen staff know I am Celiac so they can use clean practices to keep me from getting sick?"  or a variant of that.  I am a silent Celiac and will not conclusively know if I have been glutened, so I try to make sure my bases are covered.  I try to stick with trusted places and limit my eating out.  I also limit myself by getting sick of eating at the few Celiac safe places near me, haha!

I don't mind jokes about gluten, but it needs to be clear that I'm being laughed WITH and not AT.  Being laughed at is like making fun of the kid with the leg braces, except that everyone knows the kid with leg braces can't help it. 

That is a good way to say it! I agree.

I understand how it is to not have the support of people IRL because they don't understand.  All of 2013 I got diagnosed with my many major chronic illnesses, and no one seemed to give a hoot even though it was the hardest time of my life.  Then I had my gallbladder taken out and when a relative called me asking how I was, I was peeved because a simple surgery was nothing compared to dealing with autoimmune diseases.  But you can't fault people for a lack of understanding.  If you try to fix stupidity you will just drive yourself crazy!

One way I cope with my plethora of sucky conditions is just to have days where I mentally take a step back.  You don't have to physically go anywhere, just do something one day where you check out of reality, whether it is a fun day, quiet day at home, whatever makes you happy.    

LOL!  That was sneaky to go back and get a rain check.  However, I would do the same thing.  gluten-free stuff on sale?  Heck yeah!

One of the best sauces is a pat of butter, some starchy pasta water, garlic, and some Parmesan.  Especially good on flavorful veggies.

Welcome to the gluten-free club!  It will be interesting to see the results of your genetic test.  I have hunch you will be positive for one of the genes and that will get you an official Celiac diagnosis.  Here on the forum we like to get info out to everyone who participates, so we highly suggest posting things to the forum instead of using Pm's so info is accessible to all.

There is a good Celiac center in Boston: Open Original Shared Link

There is also the New England Celiac Organization that looks like they have meetings in that area: Open Original Shared Link

You can also just do a google search, especially in big cities there tend to be groups that meet up.  It is nice to go somewhere and be able to eat the food and not feel out of place.

Actually, if you bring the grill to 600F or higher, and hold it there for 30 minutes, it will destroy the proteins on the grill. But if you have anything on the grill while you do that, it will no longer be edible. The clean cycle of a self-cleaning oven will do the same thing, burning off any gluten. FWIW.

Thats correct! 

At a restaurant one time I asked if there was a shared fryer, the nice girl there said yes, and even though a lady told her one time that she is a nurse and the hot oil burns off the gluten, she doesn't think it is safe.  I commended her for having some sense, and then told her that.  At the end I added, "Since the smoke point of the frying oil is well under 600 degrees, the gluten would only go away if the restaurant burned down."  Got a laugh out of that.  She still works there and I try to go on the days I know she usually works.  

Edit: Bad grammar

As Irish said, it just sounds like he has an allergic sensitivity to the medicine.  Totally separate from Celiac.  Of course, being the sibling of someone with Celiac disease and all those symptoms definitely points to the need for him to get tested.  I also have a sibling who has random GI issues and she just forgets when I tell her she needs to be screened.  At some point I am just going to coax her into giving me permission to make her a GI appt with my doctor and drag her in there since she tends to not get around to things.  I am just waiting for her to be able to financially do it.  Perhaps you could do something like that with your brother?  Get him in to see your doctor who you already know is good.

Yes, there are many antibiotics that do not absorb well around dairy.  Call your pharmacist and ask first.

It is called Bentyl (Dicyclomine) and here is some info on it: Open Original Shared Link

"You mean, a gluten free cupcake?"

 

"... yes."

Haha, yes!  One time early into my dx my husband asked me why soy sauce was on my grocery list.  I just started at him with that face until he got it, LOL!

I do want to add that the way you heat up your tortillas can make a difference.  Although it is tedious, heating them one by one on a hot skillet on the stove will give you much better texture than in the microwave.  With gluten-free tortillas having oddly behaving texture issues, if one method doesn't yield good results, try the other way before writing off a product.

Hi Cookies,

(I am eating annies gluten-free bunnie cookies as I type this by the way)

Your IgA being low by itself isn't too big of a deal, but I highly recommend asking to be screened for any further immunodeficiencies.  Your regular doctor can test your other Ig levels.  I just picked up on your ability to catch everything, and although it is rare, sometimes there can be an underlying cause.  The other posters seem to have answered your original question well so I don't have too much to add there, except don't give up and push for good screening.  Better to be safe than sorry, especially when you have a gut feeling something is wrong.

Without knowing exactly what was in the dessert, it is hard to tell.  Is there any way you can get more info?  They may use different fruits and such in their desserts, so you could have eaten something you never had before and are allergic to.  I have problems reacting to all sorts of things, and I will take two benadryl, then two more 4-6 hours later (per dosing on package) and that way I am very medicated through the night and it seems to help more than one dose does.  If they don't go away soon, you may want to get a doctor to look at them before the weekend starts, they may be able to prescribe something stronger, but usually pushing good old benadryl will help.

When I have whole body rashes, I like to take a mildly warm bath with epsom salt and baking soda in it.  Seems to soothe the itchy skin a little bit, especially when your whole body is broken out, you can't bathe in hydrocortisone cream!

But.. that Rabbit had fangs!  

Funny how the "temporary" guest became a permanent pet  Always happens!

As said above, University of Chicago Celiac Disease Research Center is one of the leading research centers in America, you can read more about them on their website, we link to their information a lot here.  Open Original Shared Link