Most Foods With Gluten Make Me Sick, But Not Bread Or Pasta

[Hiddenautumn]

Most of my life I have suffered from symptoms typical of someone with Celiac Disease: fatigue, insomnia, daily stomach aches, ravenously hungry and thirsty all the time, addicted to sugar, incapable of gaining weight.

Up until recently I never thought a gluten allergy was the problem because when I eat things like bread or pasta I don't feel sick to my stomach, but when I eat things like cookies, doughnuts, muffins, biscuits and cake I do feel sick to my stomach (sometimes even with just one bite). I know it's not just a sugar intolerance either because I can eat ice cream and candy bars and I feel fine too.

Anyway, I recently decided to cut gluten out of my life and it's been great! It's only been 4 or 5 days but my stomach feels better, my sleeping habits are improving, and I can eat a small portions of food and feel full. I don't have to eat every 5 minutes anymore.

So my question is, why don't breads and pasta (with gluten in them) make me feel sick? Could it just be that bread and pasta affect me in a different way then other gluten foods (i.e. bread and pasta makes me tired, whereas other gluten foods give me a stomach ache?)Has anyone else had this experience?

I'm just kind of confused. Because if bread and pasta don't affect me then I want to keep eating them! But that just seems too strange that gluten wouldn't affect me in one food but it would in other foods.

Thanks for your help!

[Skylark]

I had different reactions to different foods before I went gluten-free. I could eat bread and not feel ill, while a fatty meal with gluten like a burger or fettucine alfredo would get me every time. I thought I couldn't handle rich food. It turned out it was the gluten all along. I just reacted with more dramatic symptoms to fatty meals probably because of fat malabsorption. Everything you are describing that bothers you is pretty rich compared to bread so maybe it's the same for you? Once I got on the diet and my body started to recover, I realized that bread bothered me too.

[Metoo]

I had different reactions to different foods before I went gluten-free. I could eat bread and not feel ill, while a fatty meal with gluten like a burger or fettucine alfredo would get me every time. I thought I couldn't handle rich food. It turned out it was the gluten all along. I just reacted with more dramatic symptoms to fatty meals probably because of fat malabsorption. Everything you are describing that bothers you is pretty rich compared to bread so maybe it's the same for you? Once I got on the diet and my body started to recover, I realized that bread bothered me too.

ditto Skylark.

Before going gluten free, I had seemingly random stomach pain, I would get it more often after eating out (generally more fatty meals), but I would get it randomly at home too.

I am at more than 2 months now gluten and stomach pain free.

[Hiddenautumn]

Thank you Skylark and Metoo! That must be the reason! I will continue to keep away from bread and pasta.

[Skylark]

Before you go at this too long, do you know you need to be eating a full gluten diet to be tested for celiac disease? It might be best to get your testing done, then go off gluten completely.

[Hiddenautumn]

I've heard that, but is there really any benefit to being tested if I figure it out for myself? I mean I'd just be paying the doctor a couple hundred to say, "Yes, you are gluten intolerant." If I feel better by not eating gluten then that's good enough for me.

[Skylark]

I've heard that, but is there really any benefit to being tested if I figure it out for myself? I mean I'd just be paying the doctor a couple hundred to say, "Yes, you are gluten intolerant." If I feel better by not eating gluten then that's good enough for me.

The only issues is how you'll feel about the diet five years from now. If you're celiac you can't ever go back to gluten. If you are not tested you have to assume you are celiac. Basically you're on the diet for life. If you are negative by blood and biopsy you can see if you've retained tolerance in a few years.

I never got tested and gluten still makes me quite sick when I get into it by accident. I assume I'm celiac (got plenty of symptoms) and eat as if I am.

[Hiddenautumn]

The only issues is how you'll feel about the diet five years from now. If you're celiac you can't ever go back to gluten. If you are not tested you have to assume you are celiac. Basically you're on the diet for life. If you are negative by blood and biopsy you can see if you've retained tolerance in a few years.

I never got tested and gluten still makes me quite sick when I get into it by accident. I assume I'm celiac (got plenty of symptoms) and eat as if I am.

Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying. I'm assuming I'm Celiac since I've had these symptoms most of my life. I may get tested somewhere down the road (like when I have health insurance - haha!)and when I do I'll start eating gluten again so the test results will be accurate.

[Skylark]

You could consider a home test kit. Also if you're in a big city some celiac clinics do free screening.

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Other than that, I totally understand why you'd want to skip the testing without insurance!