Jump to content

Ursa Major

Advanced Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    4,191

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Events

Blogs

Latest Celiac Disease News & Research:

Everything posted by Ursa Major

  1. Ursa Major
    I just want to add that this is NOT good advice, because at this point, because of being gluten-free for a while, it is absolutely TOO LATE to have blood tests and a biopsy done. They will all be negative by now! By the way, all people with Crohn's have been shown to benefit from a gluten-free diet. I bet your mother is gluten intolerant as well. She might...
  2. Ursa Major
    How long have you been eating gluten-free? Because it certainly is important to eat LOTS of gluten before a blood test. And just eating it the day of the test won't be enough. If you have been gluten-free for more than two weeks, you are pretty much guaranteed a false negative result, even if you have celiac disease. In that case you would need to eat...
  3. Ursa Major
    I would also definitely have the adrenal bloodwork done. The cortisol test should be done at least twice on that day (four times is even better, at 8:00 AM on an empty stomach, again at noon, at 4:00 PM and at 8:00 PM). Also, your aldosterone levels should be checked, and adrenal antibodies. I've had all the same symptoms as you, and have now been diagnosed...
  4. Ursa Major
    Hi everybody, I actually got back from Germany on Friday, but have been too exhausted and suffering from jet lag, to feel like posting and participating here again before now. Sophia Candace was born while I was away, on July 25th. We will be going to see her this weekend (she is a 4 1/2 hour drive away). Her mom is our second-oldest daughter. That...
  5. Ursa Major
    Usually, a positive biopsy means that you have celiac disease. The blood tests aren't that sensitive, and you probably had a false negative. Your regular MD is an idiot, if he/she thinks that celiac disease will show up in allergy testing, since it is NOT caused by an allergy, but by an autoimmune reaction to gluten. Some people with celiac disease will...
  6. Ursa Major
    I wonder if your son is getting enough fat? Children need quite a lot of saturated fat for growth and to be healthy. I think it was a terrible idea to stop nursing (not your fault, of course). It would have been better for you to be on the diet he is on now, because gluten and dairy (and soy) will get to the baby through breast milk and can make an intolerant...
  7. Ursa Major
    First of all, you may get outbreaks of DH for up to two years after going gluten-free, even if you don't get any gluten at all. The reason is, that it takes that long for the gliadin deposits under the skin to disappear. The bowel problems could be caused by dairy, or possibly soy. It may not be gluten at all. You might have to try figuring out if you...
  8. Ursa Major
    Your mother wouldn't have to worry, if she eats only food she has prepared herself from fresh ingredients. Her enemy is obviously processed food, as you can never be 100% sure it is safe. It is a pain when you have to avoid pretty much eating anything prepared by others, but would be worth it in her case.
  9. Ursa Major
    My potassium levels were in the normal range (in this case it is true) last time they were tested. My blood pressure was getting dangerously low and 'sinking', but is in the normal range most of the time now. I found out in the meantime that my dad had tuberculosis after the war. This doctor here in Germany suspects that I may have had fairly mild, undiagnosed...
  10. Ursa Major
    Apparently, while gluten is probably not absorbed through normal skin, it IS absorbed by mucous membranes, causing a reaction. And I don't necessarily get an intestinal reaction from shampoo containing gluten (unless I swallow some, and no, huge amounts are NOT needed), but I will get a horrible rash on my scalp with unbearable itching. Since I switched...
  11. Ursa Major
    You know what, David, you sound an awful lot like a troll to me, who is trying awfully hard to raise people's ire and is having a lot of fun doing it. There is no point trying to argue with you, as you have obviously made up your mind already, that you are right and everybody else is wrong.
  12. Ursa Major
    If you had a positive blood test and positive response to the diet, what is your husband's problem? Is he not happy that you are finally starting to feel better? Your gas could very well be due to dairy as well as gluten. Almost all people with celiac disease can't tolerate dairy at first, and many are intolerant to casein and can never have it again...
  13. Ursa Major
    I found that when I still used soap with wheat germ oil in it, I would feel sick to my stomach and have stomach cramps a lot. When I switched to soap without wheat germ oil I felt much better within a day. Obviously, if you wash your hands with any kind of soap, you can't help ingesting some of the residue after rinsing when you eat/prepare food with your...
  14. Ursa Major
    Hi Andrew, I am German (normally living in Canada), and I am visiting my family in Germany right now. I am in Hamburg with my oldest brother. You can find gluten-free food here very easily. Most grocery stores have at least a small selection. But Budnikowski has quite a few gluten-free items, and if you go to a health food store, called Reformhaus, you...
  15. Ursa Major
    To answer your questions: I will return to Canada on August 17th. It isn't possible to change doctors in my area, as there is a doctor shortage, and many people have no family doctor at all. And this German doctor has no connections to Canada. If my doctor refuses to accept his diagnosis (which I have in writing), he will, at my request (as I am supposed...
  16. Ursa Major
    I haven't updated you guys on what is happening with my thyroid and adrenals during the last few months. I guess part of that was due to frustration, as my regular doctor in Canada is so very ignorant. Because the thyroid meds (dessicated thyroid/Armour) wasn't working very well, due to obvious adrenal fatigue, I was tested for adrenal insufficiency...
  17. Ursa Major
    What they are saying is, that right now their sauce is gluten-free, but they can't guarantee it will be in the future, and that you need to read the label to make sure, as they always list all the ingredients. Meaning, that you can trust them to disclose all ingredients that might be harmful to people with all kinds of allergies. How can that be bad? That...
  18. Ursa Major
    Happy Birthday Scott! I hope you had a wonderful day, you deserve it!
  19. Ursa Major
    Unfortunately, your G.I. doesn't know what he is talking about after all. After being gluten-free for seven weeks, two weeks won't be nearly enough to get an accurate test. It is quite likely that you would get a false negative, and be told that you can't have celiac disease. It would at this point take at least three to six months of eating a lot of gluten...
  20. Ursa Major
    Here is a link to the German celiac disease forum I am a member in: [url=Open Original Shared LinkZ
  21. Ursa Major
    Guten Tag, liebe Freunde! Okay, I haven't entirely forgotten my English yet. I flew to Germany with Air Transat (a Canadian Charter airline out of Montreal) from Toronto to Hamburg, Germany, on a direct flight. The first flight home without having to transfer somewhere, which was a treat. Air Transat offers gluten-free food on their flights...
  22. Ursa Major
    You really haven't been gluten-free for very long. It does take time to feel better. Having said that, I suspect that dairy products are a problem for you, as they really are for everybody who is gluten intolerant at first, and for many of us permanently. Dairy could be causing the symptoms of bloating and ongoing diarrhea you describe. When I first went...
  23. Ursa Major
    Hello everybody, I just thought I'd let you know that I will be leaving tomorrow for Germany, and won't be back for six weeks (on August 17th). I don't expect to be able to check in too often while I am gone. I hope all of you have a great summer. I checked the weather report for Hamburg, Germany, and the next ten days is nothing but cold temperatures...
  24. Ursa Major
    Why is he getting the blood tests for celiac disease done now? If he has been diagnosed with DH, he automatically has a firm celiac disease diagnosis. The blood test may not be positive, since people with DH often don't have destroyed villi, because it affects their skin more than their intestines. One piece of advice would be to stay away from iodized...
  25. Ursa Major
    Lisa, this is the deal: If you start the gluten-free diet now, before your biopsy, your villi will heal, and your biopsy might end up giving you a false negative. In which case your doctor may tell you that you don't have celiac disease after all, because they often declare the biopsy to be the most important evidence (even though the damaged parts are easily...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.