Tephie

Some companies will not hide gluten at all--even under natural or artificial flavors. Nestle is one of those companies, as is Kraft. So, if there is gluten in the natural flavors, it will read something like Natural flavors (barley). If it's Nestle or Kraft, and you don't see wheat, oats, barley, or rye at all, then it's gluten-free.

There is a list somewhere on this board of all the companies that plainly list gluten and won't hide it under anything (food starch, natural flavors, artificial flavors, etc.). It's a useful list to have, as it saves some time from calling companies and such.

It can be so difficult in the beginning, so please let us know if you have any other questions!

THANKS! I will have to see if I can find the list.

Nestle chocolate chips are gluten free. They will clearly list gluten, so always check the labels.

Thanks Jenny, I did check the label, however in the ingrediants it states there are artificial colors. According to the unsafe food list on this website, artificial colors may or may not contain gluten. So how do you know for sure without contacting the manufacturer? This isn't always so easy since it always seems you need to know after they are closed...

Since I am so new to this maybe I am going about this all wrong....

Stephanie

Does anyone know if the milk chocolate chips made by Nestle are gluten free? Also the white chocolate chips?

Thanks Stephanie

How do you know if you have this? Can it mild or does it have to be severe like the pictures I see on the Web. What does it look like/feel like, etc...? Where is it mainly located and how does it start up?

Mine never looked like the pictures. Mine aren't very itchy either. I would get an occassional water blister on my face, some red sore dots on my elbows, knees, the back of my legs, and I just started noticing them on my butt. The ones I hated the worse would be the ones on my fingers, they almost looked like blood blisters and the brown stuff under the skin would stay until it worked its way up to the surface, those ones were the most painful for me. I would say mine are mild, but when I do have them they hurt. My rashes were also diagnosed by a dermatolgist via a biospy.

Stephanie

How common is premature ovarian failure and celiacs? I read the study that was posted, but are there any POF suffers on this board?

I am not sure how common it is, but I am definately a POF sufferer. Although from my latest research, I don't really fit the "symptoms", my FSH test came back elevated.

Stephanie

welcome to my world. I also was diagnosed with low ovarian reserve. I was gluten free for one year before I got pregnant with the help of a fertility clinic. I did Follistim (an injectable drug) plus IUI.

I am currently trying to get pregnant again & we are on our 12th cycle. I am just not responding well at all.

let me know if you have any questions.

Did they base your test on the Clomid Challenge? If so, do you remember what your results were? My fertility doctor said that we would only have about a 5% chance of ever getting a live baby. I want to get a second opinion, and will work on that soon.

Do you know if once the damage is done from Celiac it cannot be reversed?

Thanks, Stephanie

Blue Diamond (the nut company) makes crackers out of nuts, they have several different flavors, I really like them

Stephanie

I have DH and Bud Light was a HUGE trigger for me. The Redbridge beer is pretty tasty, that is what I drink.

Stephanie

Have you tried Amy's frozen rice crust cheese pizza? We buy it and add additional ingredients on top. Usually just pepperoni and extra cheese but sometimes we really pile it on. It cooks better on a perforated pizza pan but it really is good.

Another option is making Chebe pizza crust up ahead of time and freezing it until you need it. That's worked well for me. I usually split the dough into 4 balls that I smoosh in my tortilla press for individual pizzas. It makes a great quick lunch. (just add gluten-free pizza sauce, cheese, etc.)

Thanks for the ideas Karen. I did some more shopping today and saw some of the different kinds of frozen pizza's and pizza dough mixes. I did buy some of the little frozen kinnikik (spelling?) personal pizza dough. I have read many posts about using a perforated pizza pan, I will have to try to find me one.

I saw some different Chebe items today, are most of their stuff pretty good?

Where can you get Tinkyada?

I found the brand here in Utah at a place called Good Earth, it is a smaller healthfood store.

I guess this diagnosis has been harder on me than I have been willing to admit. I have been diagnosed and gluten free for 2 weeks. I have been outwardly optimistic about my ability to do this diet but I know there is an internal struggle because I have been such a witch to my husband. In my rational mind I totally understand that NONE of this is his fault. He is just the person here that unfortunately is at the end of my misguided frustration. I know that all of this negativity is about a loss of control. I just feel so much anxiety over this new diet. I feel like a prisoner unable to go out in fear that I might get hungry. So much of our

Hi All,

I looked through 27 pages of postings and couldn't find any that talked about pasta. I made a pasta casserole last night with some gluten free elbow noodles. This was a Bette Hagman recipe, and I followed the directions. I cooked the pasta as directed on the box, and it tasted quite good. I then assembled the dish and baked it per the instructions. Well when the dish was done, the noodles were just a big blob. I think if I were to make it again, I would cut the cook time of the pasta in half even though the pasta wouldn't be done.

But do any of you have a favorite pasta brand? I am new to the gluten free world and still experimenting...

Any help would be appreciated.

Stephanie

Looks like the jury's in, I will try to find some of the Tinkyada brand pasta. Thanks everyone!

Have you read Living Gluten Free For Dummies? It's by Dana Korn...it's really funny. It's not as much a "chapter book" but it I read it like it is. And she says in the beginning you can read it like a chapter book, or use it as a reference book.

Kassandra

I am newly diagnosed and also reading the Living Gluten Free For Dummies and I have learned a lot from that book. I would recommend it.

Stephanie

i was in vegas over the weekend, and stayed out in the pool too long. what does everyone recommend?

I know this will sound crazy, and you probably don't have this on hand. But plain old Afta Shave is amazing, it takes the burn right out, but only if you can stand smelling like an old man for awhile. When I first met my husband and he had me use it for a sunburn I thought he was nuts, but it works!

Stephanie

In case you don't have time to search, here is a research study abstract that another member, eLaurie, found about a young woman with Celiac and premature ovarian failure:

Open Original Shared Link

Good luck on your journey! I hope you stick around, too.

April

Thanks again April! It didn't say if her premature ovarian failure resolved and she was able to get pregnant Oh well, I guess only time will tell. It did remind me that I will need to get my thyroid checked soon.

I will definately be sticking around. It seems like there are a lot of great people here with a wealth of information.

Hi All,

I looked through 27 pages of postings and couldn't find any that talked about pasta. I made a pasta casserole last night with some gluten free elbow noodles. This was a Bette Hagman recipe, and I followed the directions. I cooked the pasta as directed on the box, and it tasted quite good. I then assembled the dish and baked it per the instructions. Well when the dish was done, the noodles were just a big blob. I think if I were to make it again, I would cut the cook time of the pasta in half even though the pasta wouldn't be done.

But do any of you have a favorite pasta brand? I am new to the gluten free world and still experimenting...

Any help would be appreciated.

Stephanie

Stephanie, I had a different long reply for you but lost it! My own struggles do not compare to yours, and I really sympathize with you. Three years! I will share part of my story, though, because I it may partly relate to what you asked.

Yes, I do think gluten intolerance / DH / Celiac can affect your fertility in many possible ways. First of all, many people here believe (supported by research) that if you do have DH, then you have Celiac Disease, period. Although intestinal symptoms are often absent or present in a lesser degree with people with DH, the long-term effects (like certain cancer risks, etc.) are said to be the same. Second, Celiac can interfere with your nutritional status, bringing along other problems. Third, untreated DH / celiac can bring along (or at least be associated with) other autoimmune conditions. If you look around this board, you'll find a lot of Sjogren's, Lupus, Antiphospholipid Syndrome (that's me), Thyroid and Adrenal issues, etc., all of which can cause fertility problems. Fourth, gluten can attack individual organ systems (more on that later).

I had mild DH on my elbows as a child, plus some stomach pain for a year or so when I was very young, but then both went away for several years. I had big problems with my reproductive system, however, my whole life. Ovarian cysts, endometriosis, pelvic pain, luteal phase defect (where you ovulate later in your cycle than you should), etc. Then, after marriage, a year of primary infertility and later, multiple miscarriages (three). Luckily I made it through with three beautiful boys today - prior to being diagnosed.

My symptoms laid low for many years, but I developed autoimmune problems anyway, and then after my third son was born, my symptoms all went into high gear and I finally got diagnosed. Then I went gluten free and found out gluten had been at the root of many problems I thought were unlucky health coincidences for me and my family.

You mention your husband...my husband has had a lot of GI problems his whole life, and he went gluten free when I did (couldn't be bothered to test, LOL, but said he thought it was a possibility - besides, he wanted to support me in my diet at home). He has felt a lot better than he has in a long time, and doesn't even want to eat gluten when he's away from home.

I'm not suggesting everyone benefits from a gluten-free diet, but there are many people who, genetically speaking, might do better without it. When you're intolerant to gluten and go gluten free, sometimes strange and wonderful things happen. I really hope that is the case for you. Three years is a very long road, and I don't want to give you false hope. But going strictly (and I mean STRICTLY) gluten free is something you really need to try (if you're done being tested - you need to stay on gluten for some tests), as it can have a great impact on some people.

I did not go as long as you have gone in attempting my first pregnancy, but at one time, I was considered as having "primary infertility" because we had tried for more than a year without conceiving. We used ovulation kits the whole time - my ovulation was normally around day 19, which is late (luteal phase defect). Then I miscarried very early, then conceived my son Nate. After Nate was weaned, I conceived rather quickly but miscarried two more times, each time accompanied by a host of strange immunological symptoms like mouth sores and even hives. An immunologist ran some blood tests and found antiphospholipid antibodies (an autoimmune condition which I believe was only part of the problem). He prescribed daily low-dose aspirin. I felt I was falling apart and "sick" and somehow vitamin deficient before each m/c, so I started taking a heartier vitamin & mineral supplement plus the low-dose aspirin. I was eventually able to conceive and carry two more pregnancies that way, prior to diagnosis.

Post-diagnosis, my reproductive system is working better than it ever has, and I have way fewer "female problems". There's no gray area here. It has solved some big issues for me, some too personal to mention here.

Researchers have proven that gluten intolerance is a spectrum of illnesses not just affecting the gut. They have now proven that the skin organ system can be involved (as in dermatitis herpetiformis) and also (importantly) the brain organ system (as in gluten ataxia). My guess is that with more time, they will find evidence that prove than many organ systems are negatively affected by gluten, in susceptible individuals. So, who knows - maybe the ovaries, too.

Try searching on this website for premature ovarian failure. I think you might find some more information. Also, ovulating too early or too late (as I did) can affect the quality of your eggs and their chance for survival.

My husband had morphology and motility issues, too (about 50% were effected). We don't really know if gluten was related. He's never been formally tested for Celiac, but all three of our sons have gluten intolerance or Celiac, so it seems likely that both of us may be carrying the genes that allow it to develop.

Best of luck to you.

April

Wow, April. You are a wealth of information. Thank you very much. I will definately search this site. All the info I have read on the internet in regards to Celiac and infertility doesn't pinpoint what the fertility issue is. So I wasnt certain that my feritility issues would apply.

My feritlity doctor told me when the test came back for premature ovarian failure that we basically had a 5% chance of getting a live baby, and that's if we were ever able to get pregnant. So we looked into donor eggs and adoption, but haven't had the financial means to do either one of them. I have never had many cycle issues, and I appear to ovulate each month around day 14.

I have gone glutten free, I did all my tests already. I am trying very hard to be strictly gluten free as I know this could result in a baby...and help with my health in the long run. I am still trying to learn all the different aspects of eating gluten free, and I do believe I got glutened at a restaurant last weekend.

Again April, I really appreciate all of the info you provided.

Stephanie

Hi,

First of all, welcome to the board!

I am not sure about rashes, so I'll allow someone else to answer it.

As far as medicine goes, doctors can be wrong. Check your medications (easiest way is by googling the name of the medicine and gluten). Unless they are life or death, see if you can switch to a gluten free brand if necessary.

With personal care products, if it has gluten, and you could get it in your mouth, then don't use it. Example-- your shampoo has gluten in it, you rub your hands through your hair/pull it back, and then you grab a handful of pretzels . If you are one of those people who is actually good about constantly washing your hands and not eating with your fingers, then the glutenous products are fine. But it is a heck of a lot easier to find gluten free alternatives.

If you need any advice, please ask! This forum has great advice!

Thanks Eriella for this reply and the reply to my other question. I never thought about the shampoo that way, guess I will be finding some new hair care products...good thing I am not too picky about my hair

One of my problems is that I can't eat green veggies. I have some kidney problems, and for some reason my body produces too much of some nutrient (don't know what it is called) that is also found in green veggies. So the dr told me to avoid them. Plus I have NEVER liked veggies (except corn, potatoes, etc). I just don't know what to do. I am seriously considering the gastric bypass surgery, but insurance won't pay for it.

sorry, just had to vent!

ptkds

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know, that if you are seriously looking into gastric bypass, don't give up. Yes the surgery can have complications. But in my opinion it's definately worth it. Both my husband and I had surgery about three and a half years ago, and we both have done extremely well. He has lost about 220 pounds and I have lost about 150, and both have maintained this weight until this day. You do have to be faithful about taking supplements the rest of your life, but it's worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, I have been gluten free for eight days and have lost eight pounds. So even though with the surgery, I didn't reach my goal weight, I do believe with the new gluten free diet and getting my body healthy again I will now reach my goal.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Stephanie

Hi All,

My name is Stephanie, and I am 29 years old. I was diagnosed with DH a couple of weeks ago, and have been gluten free for 10 days (I think ) Anyways, both my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for three years, with absolutely no sucess. We have been to a fertility clinic and they diagnosed me with "old eggs". I called the fertility clinic when I received my DH diagnosis and asked if this could be the cause of my "old eggs" and they said possibly. Have any of you had any experience with this or have any knowledge in regards to this? I have read on the internet that having Celiac and eating gluten free can resolve infertility, but none of the information I have read has been specific about what was causing the infertility. Just on another note, my husband's mother has DH as well, he has never been tested. During our fertility testing his seman analysis came back as bad morphology and a low count, could this be a side effect of undiagnosed Celiac? I haven't run across much info regarding male infertility and Celiac disease. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Stephanie

Hi All,

My name is Stephanie, I am 29 years old and was diagnosed with DH a few weeks ago. It's taken me almost three years to get this diagnosis, so I am glad that I do finally have a cause, but I still struggling with some of the aspects of the gluten free diet. I have a couple of questions:

1. I have been gluten free for 10 days (except for a bad experience at Olive Garden ) It seems that my rashes are now worse then they were before I started the gluten free diet, could I possibly be detoxing or could something else be going on?

2. I received my diagnosis from a group of dermatologists that study this disease quite a bit, however, he told me not to worry about personal care products or pills....should I be watching both of these as closely as I do food?

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated, and I am sure I will be back here with more questions.

Thanks in advance, Stephanie