Falling off the wagon and losing control of my diet

[JohnAdam]

I was diagnosed at 7 years old after having stomach pain for months. I had a endoscopy which in turn confirmed stomach ulcers. I was able to start a gluten free diet straight away with the help of my parents. I was really good with my diet for about 6-7 years until i started my first year of highschool. I remember going out to eat with my new friends and always feeling like i was missing out. Eventually i caved and ate a  few slices of pizza while out with some buddies. I think in that moment a switch was flipped, because i didn’t experience any symptoms at all. I continued eating gluten and it got to the point where i wouldn’t even consider checking anything and id eat whatever i wanted. ive done more research and ive read that through the teenage years symptoms can subside or seem non existent. This is what happened to me, i was naive and thought that i was able to eat gluten again. I thought i was magically cured, what a miracle! Wrong. As im writing this, im dealing with the consequences of eating gluten for years while having a celiac diagnosis. Stomach pain, stiff joints and constant pain, brain fog, diarrhea, nausea, stomach ulcers, skin conditions and probably more. I was reading through some of the threads that others have shared and it really made me think about how i could be so naive, To be lucky enough to have a diagnosis at an early age and practically neglect my diet for years seems idiotic. Im trying to do better now, i reached out for support and im committed to a gluten free diet 100% now. I think maybe it took some health concerns and a decreased quality of life to knock some sense into me. Some people may sympathize with me and others may say that its the consequences of my own actions, which is true. Im posting this here because it is easier to put my thoughts into writing and to just put it out there. Been upset at myself for a while now, but im trying to switch my mindset into how can i help my future self moving forward. Maybe some of you can relate. 
 

JohnAdam

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, JohnAdam!

I am so glad you posted this because there has been a lot of discussion lately on the forum about this very topic. Some, like you experienced in your teen years, are "silent" celiacs and believe they can let their guard down now and then to indulge themselves in gluten. Of course, they aren't advocating disregarding their diagnosis altogether to the extent of forsaking the gluten free diet completely. But their casualness concerns me. We do have posters who, like you, seemed to experience celiac remission when young but it always seems to revert at some point and time. I wish you well in your renewed commitment to gluten-free living and pray that you will experience a good measure of healing.

Edited July 15, 2023 by trents

[JohnAdam]

9 hours ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, JohnAdam!

I am so glad you posted this because there has been a lot of discussion lately on the forum about this very topic. Some, like you experienced in your teen years, are "silent" celiacs and believe they can let their guard down now and then to indulge themselves in gluten. Of course, they aren't advocating disregarding their diagnosis altogether to the extent of forsaking the gluten free diet completely. But their casualness concerns me. We do have posters who, like you, seemed to experience celiac remission when young but it always seems to revert at some point and time. I wish you well in your renewed commitment to gluten-free living and pray that you will experience a good measure of healing.

Thanks for your well wishes trents, i hope all is well with you. I look forward to reading and participating in this forum! All the best,

JohnAdam

[Scott Adams]

Welcome to the forum, and many people succumb to peer pressure, especially during their high school and college years. Both of my kids (17 and 22) are gluten-free, but both have struggled with staying gluten-free due to wanting to fit in, or not wanting to stand out and bring attention to themselves. 

I’m sorry to hear of your health issues caused by gluten, but glad to hear that you’re back on the right track.

[NNowak]

On 7/15/2023 at 1:29 AM, JohnAdam said:

I was diagnosed at 7 years old after having stomach pain for months. I had a endoscopy which in turn confirmed stomach ulcers. I was able to start a gluten free diet straight away with the help of my parents. I was really good with my diet for about 6-7 years until i started my first year of highschool. I remember going out to eat with my new friends and always feeling like i was missing out. Eventually i caved and ate a  few slices of pizza while out with some buddies. I think in that moment a switch was flipped, because i didn’t experience any symptoms at all. I continued eating gluten and it got to the point where i wouldn’t even consider checking anything and id eat whatever i wanted. ive done more research and ive read that through the teenage years symptoms can subside or seem non existent. This is what happened to me, i was naive and thought that i was able to eat gluten again. I thought i was magically cured, what a miracle! Wrong. As im writing this, im dealing with the consequences of eating gluten for years while having a celiac diagnosis. Stomach pain, stiff joints and constant pain, brain fog, diarrhea, nausea, stomach ulcers, skin conditions and probably more. I was reading through some of the threads that others have shared and it really made me think about how i could be so naive, To be lucky enough to have a diagnosis at an early age and practically neglect my diet for years seems idiotic. Im trying to do better now, i reached out for support and im committed to a gluten free diet 100% now. I think maybe it took some health concerns and a decreased quality of life to knock some sense into me. Some people may sympathize with me and others may say that its the consequences of my own actions, which is true. Im posting this here because it is easier to put my thoughts into writing and to just put it out there. Been upset at myself for a while now, but im trying to switch my mindset into how can i help my future self moving forward. Maybe some of you can relate. 
 

JohnAdam

Don’t beat yourself up. During the teen years the pressure to fit in and “just be a kid,” outweighs a strict diet few understand. I was diagnosed at age 24, I carry both celiac genes. I have 4 children that each have one of the genes. My oldest was diagnosed with celiac as a toddler. My youngest was diagnosed with NCGS in adolescence. All 4 children were on a gluten-free diet throughout elementary school. In junior high peer pressure made them realize the diet made them different from others, so they chose to eat whatever their friends were eating. My oldest is now 25, and he struggles to keep weight on as well as daily headaches and brain - but beer is good. Eventually he’ll get to the point where he makes different choices. My youngest loves junk food. I don’t keep junk food at my house, but her father has a pantry full of processed junk food. She has headaches, red and irritated skin and daily stomach pain. She’s 16 and will eventually learn. My third child is a college athlete and learned his performance and sleep is better if he avoids gluten and sugar. 
 

It has to be a personal choice to commit to a gluten-free diet. Often, choices are made as a result of a negative experience. Use this time to learn how your body feels as it heals and you achieve optimal health. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Good luck!

[knitty kitty]

@NNowak,

Please reconsider your laissez faire course of inaction.  As someone who is experiencing osteoporosis, the long term effects start when one is young.  

The majority of calcium in your bones is laid down in childhood, but especially during adolescence and young adulthood.  After that, if one doesn't absorb sufficient calcium from the daily diet, it comes out of your bones.  The bones get weaker, especially if eating gluten and the resulting malabsorption continues.  

Calcium is only one of many vitamins and minerals we need every day.  

Thiamine, Vitamin B 1, is surely deficient in your son with the beer.  @Wheatwacked can tell you how supplementing Thiamine helped him to stop drinking.  The majority of alcoholics are Celiac or have gluten sensitivity.  

Thiamine cannot be stored for long in the body.  We can become deficient in Thiamine in as little as three days.  High dose Thiamine helps correct a thiamine deficiency quickly.  Permanent brain damage can result if not corrected.   

Unintentional weight loss and struggling to gain weight are symptomatic of Thiamine deficiency.  Migraine headaches are symptomatic of Thiamine deficiency and can be relieved quickly with Thiamine supplementation.  Apathy can be a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Alterations in brain function and mood (irritability) are symptomatic of Thiamine deficiency.  A severe form of thiamine deficiency that affects the brain is called Wernicke's Encephalopathy.  The brain uses as much Thiamine just sitting and thinking as muscles use running a marathon!  Again, High Dose Thiamine helps correct a thiamine deficiency quickly.  Permanent brain damage can result if not corrected.   

High Calorie Malnutrition is caused when a person eats lots and lots of carbohydrates, but is not consuming sufficient Thiamine and other B vitamins needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  In an attempt to economize on Thiamine expenditure, the body turns carbohydrates into fat and stores it as fat.  Weight gain can cause obesity.  A large number of people planning on having gastric sleeve surgery were found to be Thiamine deficient.  Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, infertility, amenorria, PMS, and endometriosis all have connections to Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine deficiency in the mother during pregnancy causes the infant to develop fewer thiamine receptors on cell surfaces.  Fewer thiamine receptors means less thiamine enters cells.  More thiamine (high dose thiamine) must be made available so sufficient amounts of thiamine can enter easily. 

Benfotiamine is a form of thiamine that can enter cells without using the transporters.  

Gastrointestinal Beriberi is Thiamine deficiency causing abdominal pain and diarrhea or constipation.

Skin problems can be improved by Niacin Vitamin B 3, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Biotin Vitamin B 7, and zinc.  There's more vitamins and minerals that, when insufficient, affect our health.  And they all need each other to keep us healthy.  Thiamine needs magnesium to function properly.  

I learned, through being undiagnosed Celiac for so long, the consequences of poor nutrition and malabsorption.  Don't make your children reinvent the wheel.  Learn about essential nutrients and share with them.  Show them there's an alternate path for them to take than the one they are on now.  Offer them the choices.  Lead them on their journey through example.  

There is no wealth like knowledge,
and no poverty like ignorance.

Edited August 19, 2023 by knitty kitty
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[Scott Adams]

11 hours ago, knitty kitty said:

The majority of alcoholics are Celiac or have gluten sensitivity.  

I've not seen any research that supports this...where did you hear this?

[Scott Adams]

Also, regarding @NNowak having a "laissez faire course of inaction," my experience with my own kids has made me realize that the age old expression that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, is very true. I've spent lots of time trying to educate my kids about the issues gluten is causing them, and currently only one is now truly gluten-free (while both should be), however, each one of them seems to have to go through their own version suffering to reach a point where they stop on their own for good. Gluten is almost like a drug, and from a cultural, as well as a personal perspective, can be very hard to quit.

[trents]

6 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

I've not seen any research that supports this...where did you hear this?

Looks like kk edited out that statement.

[knitty kitty]

@Scott Adams,

The information (the majority of alcoholics are Celiac or have gluten sensitivity) came from a National Institute of Health study.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember from which study, as I've read hundreds.  I don't mind retracting the statement until I can find the study.

However, I've found this study which shows alcohol consumption may trigger Celiac Disease in genetically susceptible people.

Alcohol Induces Sensitization to Gluten in Genetically Susceptible Individuals: A Case Control Study 

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3817350/

 

I understand about teenagers.  I've had my own.  Yes, gluten is addictive.  Peer pressure and wanting to fit in can make dietary decisions difficult. 

I agree.  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.  But water, drip by drip, can wear away stone.  Providing information about a nutritionally dense diet will seep in eventually.

I believe in making informed choices.  Providing nutritional education allows for more informed choices, for healthier choices.  Doing something is frequently easier if the reasoning behind it is explained and tools are provided.

I've had doctors shrug their shoulders and walk off because they weren't educated about nutritional deficiencies.  It broke my heart hearing how the mom is resigned to let her children go their own way.  There's still things the mom can learn and share with her children to improve their quality of life in the long run. 

Never give up.  Never surrender.

I apologize if I've offended anyone. 

How much nutrition education do kids get in high school now?  

[knitty kitty]

Here's a study about Benfotiamine and alcoholism...

DOUBLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED PLACEBO-CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL OF BENFOTIAMINE FOR SEVERE ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818307/?report=reader

 

[trents]

Well, when you get a lot of your calories from alcohol it stands to reason vitamin deficiencies will occur. But that is probably only one factor.

"Corn won't grow at all on Rocky Top
Dirt's too rocky by far
That's why all the folks on Rocky Top
Get their corn from a jar."