Jenny (AZ via TX)

I use Neutrogena as well, but noticed that one of their sunblocks had oat listed on it. I like the Fresh Foaming Cleanser.

I am going to make a banana nut bread using a recipe I used to make, but using substitutions. The recipe calls for the dry ingredients to be sifted. Do I do it? Recipe also uses wheat flour so I am substituting a pre-made gluten-free flour mix which states I can substitute cup for cup of flour for wheat flour.

Hubby loves this bread, but since I threw out all the flour, he hasn't had it since I was dx'd. I want to surprise him with it.

Another question, since most gluten-free bread needs to be toasted to taste good, is the same true for fruit breads too?

Totall unrelated to this, but I made some pancakes from Pamela's and we both really liked them. Actually, he loved them. Thanks for previous posts about how good this mix is.

Thanks.

For the longest time, before dx, I absolutely could not stand the smell of green olives. The smell made me nauseaus and I felt like I had to throw up (even though I didn't). My husband eats them all the time. I would actually have to leave the room some times.

Now, after being gluten-free, the smell doesn't bother me that much. It's still not my favorite smell, but I don't feel sick from it.

I go back in 3 months to check the levels again. Hopefully this is normal. What is the cortisol test? I'm going to ask for that along with the ferritin the next time I go.

Thanks again for the support and advice everyone.

Hi everyone. I am nearly out of my Bare Escentuals and want to try this makeup but there are so many choices! I need help. I have very fair skin with reddish brown hair. I have a few freckles and I hate to say this, but the dreaded brown spots on my face. Skin is normal to dry. The last time I have my makeup done they told me I had yellow undertones. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

The pain I get in my back is actually worse since going gluten-free. My periods are kind of screwy right now so maybe the pain is from that. I was also told I am estrogen dominant and started taking progesterone so hopefully all of that will get better soon. Oh yeah, I'm also perimenopausal, which symptoms seem to have kicked in a lot more since going gluten-free. So many variables, don't know if it has to do with celiac or not. At least I'm not so moody anymore so things are looking up!

Rao's Homemade. The one I have is Arrabbiate Fra Diavolo Sauce - Hot.

Ingredients:

Imported Italian Tomatoes

Imported Olive Oil

Fresh Onions

Salt

Fresh Garlic

Crushed red peper

Fresh basil

Black pepper

Oregano

Really good. I get it at Safeway. Don't know if they have Safeway back there.

UT Southwestern is an excellent facility. My brother goes to a doctor there for MS (one of the leading MS doctors in the country) and my mom goes to a doctor there for Alzheimers (she was dx'd 10 yrs ago, but we saw symptoms at least a few years before).

My family has had excellent care from UT Southwestern. If I still lived in Dallas, I would have checked out the GI's there as well.

Thank you for your interest in Solgar products.

Solgar works to eliminate as many allergens as possible from our products. In regards to your question about gluten, the following lists the Solgar products that DO CONTAIN gluten:

Cholesterol Support Tablets (UPC 827)

Brewer's Yeast 7 1/2 Grain Tablets with Vitamin B-12 (UPC 400 and 401)

Earth Source Multi- Nutrient Tablets (UPC 1027, 1028, 1029 and 1030)

Earth Source Greens and More Powder (UPC 1024)

Earth Source Greens and More Tablets (UPC 1072 and 1073)

Formula VM - 2000 Tablets (UPC 1186, 1187, 1188 and 1189)

Miller's Bran Tablets 500 mg (UPC 360 and 361)

Multiple Fiber Formula Vegetable Capsules (UPC 1787)

Oat Bran Tablets 750 mg (UPC 2035 and 2036)

Vegetarian Multiple Vegetable Capsules (UPC 2790, 2791 and 2792)

Selenium Tablets 50 mcg (UPC 2500 and 2501)

Selenium Tablets 100 mcg (UPC 2520, 2521, 2522)

Selenium Tablets 200 mcg (UPC 2540, 2541, 2542)

B-Complex Stress Formula (UPC 1800, 1801, 1802 and 1803)

GTF Trivalent Chromium Tablets (UPC 1360, 1361 and 1362)

Wheat Germ Oil Softgels (UPC 3660, 3661)

Liquid Vitamin E (UPC 1600 and 1601)

At this point in time, the other products in Solgar' s product line are gluten-free. More specifically, our B-Complex "100" products, Ester-C

Jen,

You may have DH. If you have the itchy bumps now, you can get the area next to them (not the actual bumps) tested for DH. If you have DH, you have celiac. (This is from the book "Living Gluten-Free for Dummies", p. 56.

Someone else with more knowledge will hopefully chime in here.

Please check the DH section of this forum.

Mandy,

I felt really great the first week or two and then felt horrible. I'm just starting to feel better and do not really have the pain anymore. I was tested in Feb and dx'd in March. I went gluten-free right away, at least I thought I did. After looking at all of my supplements I noticed that one of them had oats in it.

A good book to get which explains things very simply is "Living Gluten Free for Dummies". This book was a godsend for me. Also, there is so much info on this forum and the search feature is pretty easy to use.

I feel so bad for your husband and also for you. It's so hard when you are not sure what the diagnosis is. If he is celiac or gluten intolerant, it may take some time for the villi to heal. I still don't feel normal yet and it's been about 6 months.

Every person is different in the amount of time it takes to heal.

I use Desert Essence Organics. It comes in many different scents. I like the almond the best. I believe the whole line of Desert Essence is gluten-free, but please check to be sure. I know the lotion is and it says so on the tube. I get it at my little local health food store - 2 for $10.00. I think it may be $10 for 1 at Whole Foods.

OK, I talked to hubby and the brand at Costco's is Phillips.

I think some people try, but they don't get all the little things. I understand that, because I was totally ignorant of the little things until it mattered to me. I recently went home to visit family. I stayed with my dad who is now living by himself (mom has advanced Alzheimers and now lives in a private home). We were doing birthdays and everyone was bringing something. One of my sisters was making potato salad, which I love, over at my dad's house. She asked about all of the ingredients and I was thrilled thinking, OMG, she gets it. I even told her to use the stainless steel pots instead on the nonstick. She did. Everything is great, right?

Well, I tasted the potato salad and it was yummy. I told her I would help clean up and I looked at the bottom of the pot she used for the potatoes. There was stuff (don't know what) stuck on the bottom, like it had been burned. I was horrified! My dad, bless his heart, is not the best housekeeper since mom is not there. My sister did absolutely everything right except make sure the pot was really clean. I thanked her for making the potato salad, but told her I wasn't willing to risk it. It did not go to waste as we had a huge family gathering and everyone loves it. I'm so happy that she tried so hard.

Another sister got it all right. She made baked beans and asked about every ingredient. She got brisket and smoked turkey and talked to the guy at the meat market to find out all ingredients. I also had gluten-free cupcakes make from a gluten-free bakery.

I think it is really hard because there are so many hidden sources of gluen which many people would not think of. I had to do a lot of reading to find out the little things. I wish my family would read "Living Gluten Free for Dummies". So much info and not so overwhelming.

I tried the Breyers Vanilla Lactose free ice cream and thought it was pretty good. I put some Nestle's chocolate chunks on it. It was a nice treat to have. I don't do ice cream a lot because it never seemed to sit to well in the tummy, even before dx. I had absolutely no problems with it!

So far, I've done well with wines. I don't do red, but that is because it gives me headaches. I am going to do some research on the unoaked wines.

Just wondering if anyone has tried the organic wines.

Thanks for posting. I love brie, but haven't had it since going gluten-free. I'm ready to try some soft cheeses again.

I wanted to post my new test results since so many of you are on thyroid meds. Also, I was not tested for antibodies. Do I need to do this if the treatment is working? Also, can you test once you are already on the meds?

I was re-tested and here are the results:

TSH - .05 (range: .45-4.5) (below normal now)

Free T4 - 1.1 (range .8-1.7)

Free T3 - 5.1 (range 2.0-4.8) (above normal now) I now take 4 mcg 2x/day. the doc had started me on 8 mcg 2x/day and was too much. I cut the dose in half and was taking 8mcg 1x/day.

Ferritin - 19 (range 9-120)

The doc said I was really absorbing the meds well.

Previous results:

TSH - 2.02

Free T4 - 1.2

Free T3 - 2.5

Ferritin - 8

I did take my meds that morning, as instructed by my doctor. She told me to do the blood work 5-7 hrs after taking meds. I know I've read that you shouldn't take that meds before testing, but she insisted she wanted to test the levels this way.

Shay and Lisa, thank you for the additional advice. I am going to work on increasing my ferritin. I actually feel pretty good right now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Still taking the progesterone to balance out the estrogen.

I bought some at Costco. It was vacuum packed and of course, real lump crab meat. It tasted fresh and was delicious! I can't remember the brand though. I'll ask hubby if he remembers.

OMG this sounds so good! I wonder if you can make it without the pie shell - just put it in a pie plate? Anyone know?

I think it depends on the theater. I live in Arizona and called Harkins Theaters. They told me their popcorn is gluten free and is made with canola oil. I ate it and felt fine.

Thank you all for your advice and expertise! I've been on vacation for the last 10 days and I'm just looking at the forum again. I go to the doc next week and will see how the blood test came out. Shay, I had them test my ferritin levels this time. When I was first diagnosed, my ferritin level was only 8. I'm sure it has improved since then.

Shay, how did you get your Ferritin level up? Supplements?

Janet and Shay, thanks for the replies. I did call the doc, but waiting on a call back.

Shay, they did not test my Ferritin, which was really low previously. I e-mailed my doc about this to add to my bloodwork when I go on Friday. I believe they tested for iron - what would that test be?

Also, I did not see a test for cortisol. Would it actually say cortisol?

Maybe I should just do the thyroid and when that feels good, add the progesterone. I hate this. I just want to feel good again! I used to have so much fun. It just feels like it's one thing after another. I start to feel good and then something else comes up. grr I want to do the happy dance again.

I'm going to skip my nightly dose on everything tonight and then see what the doc says tomorrow.

Thank you both.

So I go to the doc and found out that I had low T3 and really high estrogen. So she puts me on 30 mg Armour twice a day, T3 8 mcg (this is compounded)- twice a day, c-progesterone titurates 50 mg - twice a day, DHEA 10 mg - once a day.

At first I felt lightheaded. That pretty much went away. Now I feel anxious and my heart rate is accelerated. My pulse is high too. I've headaches for the last 4 days.

I've been on the meds for just over 2 weeks. Has anyone else had this happen to them. I would rather not be on this then feel this way.

Very frustrating.

Sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers your way.