Help!

[IcookForYou]

I am new to this..

My boyfriend was recently diagnosed with Dematitis Herpetiformis, and now he can't eat anything with Gluten in it..

Which is a HUGE change for us, we used to eat out all the time, never caring what toxins we put into our bodies.. But his body paid the price.

He thought he just had eczema, really bad eczema.. He'd break out in red blisters on his elbows/hands/knees/head at odd times of the year, itching and scratching terribly. Having tried all creams/medicines and been on Prednisone off and on many times to try to get the itch to stop and heal. I'd catch him scratching his body on the countertops, and I sponged his body with apple cider vinegar with mother, we tried so many home rememdies and nothing worked. Finally after the 3rd biopsy, they found it was this.

So no more gluten..although I don't have to do it with him, I am..because my body deserves better than I give it anyways.

And it makes it easier on him if I do it with him.

So I need to know what has gluten, I've been doing research but things are so spotty, some things say mayo has it, some say it doesn't. Some say CERTAIN brands are gluten-free.. but I just don't know.

I want to make a meal menu, and go shopping for purely things that are gluten-free, we have a gluten-free store but everything is SOOOO overpriced its ridiculous.

Can you guys give me a list of things that are gluten-free, I know fruits and veggies, but what about beans? Mayo? mustard? Nalley Chili? any gluten-free chilis??

I need some homemade recipe ideas too.. I want to start making good Gluten free dinners.

Also, ANY tips about coping with this disease would be great, he is having a hard time adjusting and just finished another round of Prednisone and now is taking Dapsone, which seems to be helping..

But sometimes he just gets so stressed out when he is itchy and can't sleep because of it.. I think he is getting depressed. Any help would be amazing!

Thank you!

[mushroom]

Hello, and welcome to the forum. What a thoughtful girlfriend you are to go gluten free with him - it will make both your lives much easier.

Here is a good place to start on discovering what foods are safe:

http://www.celiac.co...3B-Ingredients/

I hope your boyfriends doctor told him that DH symptoms do take a while to subside, and that they are aggravated by iodine, so for now he should eliminate iodized salt, eggs, asparagus. You can google and check what other foods are high in iodine.

Good luck with your gluten free cooking. Crockpotting is often an easy way to start the gluten free diet. Gluten free cooking is really easy - baking is a little trickier but easily mastered once you learn that your batters and doughs will not anything like their gluten counterparts.

[squirmingitch]

My advice is ---- WHOLE foods. That, in a nutshell means NOTHING processed. Buy your meat, veggies, fruits & rice & cook them. The less prepared things you deal with is the less chance of getting accidentally glutened. There is a sharp learning curve in going gluten free. It's impossible to learn everything in 1 day or 2 or even 2 weeks. Plus you're freaking out right now (hey, we've all been there) becuse you're wondering what in the world he can eat for the very next meal & the one after that & the one after.......

So STOP. Calm down, take a deep breath & let it out slowly, take another & let it out.

Go shopping & get meat, fresh fruits & veggies, rice, eggs & FORGET about using any condiments, sauces, etc.... for the next week.

Then start reading through the threads on this forum. You will find links to info. you want & you will find all kinds of answers to your questions. You will learn. No one can hand you a perfect list.

You know how you're going to make chili? Ground beef, PLAIN chili beans (your choice), (I know Hunt's is safe) Hunt's tomato sauce & stewed tomatoes (plain), chili powder --- not chili mix but pure chili powder in a spice container kind of chili powder, celery is fine, onions too. Just don't use anything prepared except the tomato ingredients OR you can cook tomatoes down yourself.

[IcookForYou]

Thank you very much for the advice, it really is nerve wracking thinking about what to make for dinner.

Tonight I was going to make scrambled eggs with ground sausage, because I read that both of those things are gluten-free.

I also read that Gluten is known as malto dextrose sometimes too?? We read the labels on EVERYTHING now, and he LOVES ketchup, and ranch on salads.. But are those a no go? And horseradish.. Loves that too.

[squirmingitch]

I wanted to add that I did not mean to sound curt or condescending. I'm pressed for time right now. Mushroom has good advice. You need to learn about things like iodine & possibly other things which may irritate your boyfriends dh (dermatitis herpetiformis).

Bisquick makes a gluten-free baking mix which is processed in a gluten free facility. You can make great pancakes using their recipe. Egg yolks contain the iodine so separate the eggs & use egg whites only & you can use water in place of milk (milk is high in iodine). Simply potatoes makes hash browns. They come in a bag & do not contain gluten. Jimmy Dean fully cooked original sausage patties are safe. Often for breakfast I have the hash browns & sort of chop them up with the sausage chopped in them & pour the egg whites in the whole thing. It's not bad at all! Some juice & you've got breakfast.

And I too applaud your going gluten free with your boyfriend. That will make things MUCH easier for both of you!

For a list of foods high in iodine:

Open Original Shared Link

Happy reading & we'll be here for questions. Good luck.

[mushroom]

Until you get used to all the label reading involved in using processed foods it is much simpler to start with whole foods with ingredients you know are gluten free. Keep life as simple as possible, shop the outside of the supermarket, add some rice, some Udi's gluten free bread, some Tinkyada pasta, Pamela's baking mix is goo besides Bisquik for cookies, cakes, pancakes, waffles, muffins, buy some white rice flour for thickening gravies or some corstarch. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to go into a supermarket for the first time and start reading all the labels - you go into label shock You need to ease into it gradually so you don't go into overload, especially if you are used to eating a lot of fast foods. Hormel chili is gluten free - put that on a baked potato with some cheese and you have a meal.

[squirmingitch]

Something else. IcookForYou, you're going to have to quit make up until you can get gluten free stuff & that includes lipstick. Either that or no kissing. :-) He can get glutened topically too. Shampoos, deodorants, after shave, soaps, & the list goes on. Don't forget about pills too -- pain relievers, vitamins, OTC stuff. This stuff gets complicated.

As to the catsup --- we use Heinz 57. Forget the ranch dressing -- I love it too but haven't found a gluten-free one yet. Wine vinegar & olive oil or safflower oil. Spices have to be pure spices ---- no blends. You can get frozen veggies but make sure that's all they are, just as if you picked them & froze them -- no sauces. Don't know about the horseradish --- get some fresh & grate it to be safe until you get used to things. Mayo -- I use Hellmann's Low Fat -- it even says gluten free on the ingredients list. You can whip up some French dressing using mayo, catsup, lemon juice, garlic powder & onion powder.

There's a whole lot to cover. It takes time. Be aware too that not all people can tolerate the Dapsone so he may be on limited time with that.

[IcookForYou]

Does dish detergent matter? Since it gets rinsed off anyways? Hand soaps, I read that Dove is gluten-free and Gain for laundry is gluten-free..

What about Dryer sheets?? We just ran our bedding through the wash and I used dryer sheets. I don't want to cause his skin any more irritation than it already has.

As for the Dapsone, he has a allergy to sulfa but the doctor cleared him for use of it, I hope he can use it for a while, it is helping him tremendously. His elbows and hands are completely healed with just a small amount of redness left. It took forever to find something that would help.

Well, thanks to you guys, I made my shopping list and checked it twice.(LOL)

Mainly, fruits, veggies and meats.

And potatoes. I read those are safe in natural form, not fried or anything..

I got everything from Bell peppers and celery to pork loin and chicken breasts.

A lot of healthy goodies.

I heard you can lose weight on gluten-free diets and I hope I do! Lord knows I could stand to lose a few pounds.

Also one other thing, what about deodorant? He uses Axe deodorant every day, and do clognes have gluten also??

Its funny to me, how before we knew about this.. we never knew what Gluten was.. Neither of us had heard of it.. now we scan every ingredient before eating..

I will be coming to this forum very often now that I've found it.

[pricklypear1971]

Hey there,

First, I think you're great for hanging in there as cook to a newly dx'ed Celiac. Takes guts.

Second, peruse the DH forum for tricks and hints for DH - low iodone (google thyca for hints on an li diet). If he's iodone sensitive this can be a big deal. The dapsone is working, and may cover up that particular sensitivity, but it's worth testing especially when he tries to go off dapsone.

Some DH people are also sensitive to salicylates and MSG and bromides. Google them to learn more.

Also, it helps to super moisturize DH. I prefer Vanicream lotion. For some, topical gluten is a big deal, as mentioned above. Ice packs can help the itching and pain.

Also, peruse the newly diagnosed section for more hints.

One huge help to me is my smartphone. When at the grocery store, if in doubt, google the food "x gluten free" and you'll probably get info about that product.

Don't panic. In the beginning you'll both make mistakes. Just keep going.

Learn to start carrying a snack with you so uou aren't stuck without food. Nature Valley makes a gluten-free granola bar - says gluten-free on the box. Don't buy the others!!! Larabars and Kind make gluten-free bars, too. Nuts and dried fruit are good options, too.

Most of all, keep moving forward. And keep asking questions.

[itchy]

Not everyone is affected by iodine, or topical contact with gluten. It's worth experimenting to find out whether your boyfriend is affected in this way. But if he is not affected by these, there is no point in limiting his lifestyle by avoiding them. Severely restricting iodine intake can be dangerous.

Some hints from my experience, somewhat repetitive from above:

1. Any manufactured food unless it's labelled gluten free, is risky, until you really understand what's in it. That might include such things as soft drinks made from 'industrial' sugars. Whole foods are much simpler.

2. Substituting ones normal diet with gluten free food can be very expensive and difficult. I found it easier to just start with a new diet based on whole foods and explore from there. It's hard to find safe 'junk' food, especially in convenience stores. I pretty much stick to plain crisps/chips. As someone said above, nuts and dried fruit are great. But watch for fruit (eg dates) that is coated in sugar. In my experience it has gluten. Uncoated seems to be okay.

3. Also risky are friends and family who go to a lot of trouble to cook what they genuinely believe is gluten free food for you, when they don't quite understand the diet. Same with restaurant food. When its labelled gluten free on the menu it might be safe. But assurances from the server or the cook often aren't worth much. My strategy is to eat a little at home, and order a meal that doesn't have gluten to begin with, like salad. Even then sometimes they will add some unexpected ingredient that is risky.

4. IMO any manufactured sauce that isn't labelled gluten free is risky. Some spices like curry powder are risky because of undeclared adulterants.