nasalady

I am going on a 2 week trip all the way from San Diego to Crater Lake in Oregon. I have already done a lot of research on places to eat, bakerys and grocery stores... but if anyone has any input at all on what places are specifically good.. that would be really helpful.. thanks!

Grocery stores: besides Whole Foods there are Trader Joe's all over California, and they carry a number of gluten free items, such as their own brand of gluten free pastas and brown rice tortillas and gluten free granolas.

I'm still working on finding restaurants besides Outback and Old Spaghetti Factory that have gluten free menus....I've been scared to eat out.

Have a great trip!

Mmm, sorghum flour sounds great! I like it, but don't buy it because it's so much more expensive than rice flour here. I'll have to get some anyway to try it.

I'm glad that you're having success with this easy recipe too! I mixed up a ziploc bag full of the ingredients and now just measure 1/4 Cup with an egg when I need a "bun".

The original recipe is low carb and actually pretty good if you like really nutty whole grain type stuff. It is 1 Egg, 2 Tbs. Almond Meal, 2 Tbs. Flax Meal, 1/2 tsp baking powder and a shake of salt. Make it the same way. It's heavier, but still tastes good. I eat one for breakfast when I want something filling and low carb. Lots of fiber too!

Liz, just had to thank you for this recipe....I've tried the brown rice flour and sorghum flour versions and they both came out great! I've even been keeping ziploc bags full of the mix handy in the fridge so that I can make sandwich buns quickly. I really like the taste and texture; I made a wonderful chicken sandwich today with one of those buns! My husband likes them too; he just recently found out that he is gluten intolerant so he was very happy to know that he could have delicious hamburger buns so quickly and easily.

Thanks again!

JoAnn

does anyone know if walnut acres organic roasted garlic potato soup is gluten free, can't find it on their website or googleing it. the ingredients say: filtered water, organic potatoes, organic onions, organic potato flakes, organic cream (milk) organic rice startch, organic roasted garlic, sea salt, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder. Contains: Milk.

The ingredients look OK and the fact that they have the allergen listing "Contains:Milk" there without wheat listed too means that they haven't added any wheat or wheat products to it. Which is encouraging....I would probably go ahead and eat it, but it's your call.

I've used other Walnut Acres soups before without any adverse reactions, but I haven't tried that one.

Best wishes,

JoAnn

I make big batches of chili and Mexican lasagna (gluten free tortillas torn into strips, layered with salsa, cooked ground beef or turkey, beans, and cheese) and freeze them in one-dinner-sized containers. These are a couple of my kids favorite meals and it's SO helpful to have something ready to go if you're having a crazy day.

I also spend part of the weekend making large quantities of homemade bread, hamburger buns or sandwich rolls, and muffins....there's just no time during the week to do any of that. All of them freeze well.

hi everyone..its been a while since i have visited this site. But i was wondering if anyone else suffers from other disorders. I was just diagnosed with Lups and Sjogren Syndrome and Raynauds on top of having Celiac. I feel like my body is being put through the ringer. I can even begin to tell people how sick i feel everyday...but i was wondering if other people are also effected with disorders..

thanks...Lauri

Hi Lauri,

As the others said, if you have one, you are MUCH more likely to develop more autoimmune diseases. I have 6 that I know about: Hashimoto's, asthma, psoriasis, autoimmune hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease. I may have Sjogren's Syndrome (I have all of the symptoms and it's associated with RA and autoimmune hep).

Some of the recent theories indicate that celiac disease is literally the mother of all other autoimmune diseases. It works like this: you have celiac disease, maybe from babyhood. Celiac disease causes your intestines to literally leak stuff into your bloodstream that shouldn't ever be there, like viruses, bacteria, even foreign substances like gluten, etc. This puts your immune system into overdrive, it starts attacking everything in sight, including your own organs. Bingo! You have multiple autoimmune diseases.

OK so I simplified it a little. But that's basically what this medical abstract by Dr. Fasano says:

Open Original Shared Link

Hope this helps....good luck with everything!!

JoAnn

I've had a tough couple of months dealing with health issues again (I'm doing ok...just dealing with stuff that's probably always been going on but is just now getting diagnosed). Plus, Mondays got very busy and also we've been on a rice-and bean type budget by and large lately (who wants a week's worth of *that* sort of menu?!?)...anyway, enough excuses. I've missed doing the menus! If you have questions on anything, let me know...

Rissa, so glad to see your menu back!! But everyone understands about both health issues AND being busy! Please don't feel that you have to apologize for anything....

Everything looks really yummy! And who says people don't want to see beans and rice recipes!! I LOVE beans and rice, and if you have any really creative ways to prepare them (and knowing you, I bet you do) everyone would be really grateful if you shared. In this economy, there are PLENTY of people who are on a beans-and-rice budget.

;o) I know...I just miss doing the menus and I do realize that I've let my Mondays get a little crazy.

Hey, I should add that Nasalady has a really great blog with menus and recipes on it...I've been relying on her some weeks lately!

Open Original Shared Link also, another blogger friend of my is doing weekly menus: Open Original Shared Link

They both post on Mondays.

Thanks Rissa! That's really sweet of you to post my blog link!

And Puddy's right....take care of yourself. I'm praying with you that you DON'T have refractory sprue!

JoAnn

Ok, so a few weeks ago my dr. pointed out that she thought I might have refractory sprue. She had me do a bone density test to see if there might be damage due to not absorbing minerals....I was thinking *surely* at 35 there couldn't possibly be that kind of thing going on.

I was wrong.

Dang! Osteopenia?!? At least it doesn't look like full blown osteoperosis at this point. I still don't have the full results back and am praying that it is at least not very bad. Does anyone else have this? And can I build some bone back if I start now? And what do you do when you can't have dairy and need calcium?

And advice would be great. I have half-heartedly been popping the occational calcium supplement for the last few years, But I'm guessing the Calci-Yum gummy bears ain't cutting it. Sigh.

Hi RissaRoo....so sorry to hear that you're going through this!

I too have been diagnosed with osteopenia, and because I'm now on prednisone (which, like celiac disease, is bad for your bones), my doctor has me taking Fosamax. Fosamax, with calcium supplementation, supposedly can help you build bone back. But I just found out that one of the nastier side effects of Fosamax is that it can actually cause Sjogren's Syndrome. I'm having classic Sjogren's symptoms so am thinking I need to stop the Fosamax.

I wonder if just taking the calcium and magnesium will be enough?? I know there are other medications to help counter bone loss.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck with all of this!

Take care,

JoAnn

Thanks.

I have arthritic issues myself, and am negative for everything. I'm not really interested in getting a label at this point, since I wouldn't pursue any treatment, but I'm all for getting info for later on down the road.

Yes, I know what you mean about labels....I'm starting to realize what a liability it is to have all of these official diagnoses now. I'll be in big trouble if I ever have to switch to a different health insurance.

Nasalady,

I'm curious how they/you decided it was RA, as opposed to all the other arthropathies?

My rheumatologist said he decided that it was RA because of elevated levels of an inflammation marker in my bloodwork (can't remember exactly which one), plus my extensive family history of RA (father, aunts, cousins, sister, etc.). I asked him why I tested negative for the antibodies, and he said that at least 15% of those with RA test negative....he also stated that he expected low levels of antibodies since I was (and am) on immunosuppressants for autoimmune hepatitis.

What about other tests for autoimmune disorders? I was tested for ESR, RF, SS-A and SS-B. Do numbers that are above zero, but not "positive" have any predictive value? It's not like I want to have Sjogren's (or some related disorder like lupus)... I just wonder what else seems "normal" for me, but is not really normal I also wonder if having another baby would put me and/or the baby at risk... lupus anticoagulant (SS-B antibody) is a known risk factor for miscarriage. Pregnancy seems to have been the trigger for most of my autoimmune problems.

Hi Mother of Jibril,

I guess I'm answering your question a bit late, but from www.sjogrens.org, 30% of those with proven Sjogren's Syndrome test negative for SS-A and 60% test negative for SS-B. Also, 30-40% test negative for RF.

So, yes, you can certainly have Sjogren's and have negative bloodwork, just like celiac disease. I have RA (diagnosed via X-Ray) but I test negative for the antibodies....same sort of thing.

I too am starting to believe I have Sjogren's. I'm having terrible problems with dry mouth/dry eyes, and I know that Sjogren's is frequently associated with RA and with autoimmune hepatitis, both of which I have.

There are other tests for Sjogren's: an opthamologist can test for dry eyes and there are various saliva tests too.

Best of luck with everything!!

JoAnn

I get canker sores all over the inside of my mouth if I've been badly glutened. I haven't had any canker sores since I went gluten free.

As to the chapped lips, yes, my lips are always dry (I carry Chapstick or some sort of lip balm everywhere). But I think I've recently developed Sjogren's Syndrome, which causes dry mouth and dry eyes; it's another autoimmune disease. I happen to be really really good at developing autoimmune diseases!

But this time I apparently had help.

I've been taking Fosamax for osteopenia but just recently found out that Fosamax has been implicated in several cases of women suddenly developing Sjogren's. So I'm going to ask my doctor about alternatives to Fosamax, because it can cause cancer too.

Thanks for the replies, everyone! It really helps to know about other people's experiences. Because of the distinctive purple mark where the one blister was, I'm pretty sure that he has DH, in addition to psoriasis. I'll just tell him to be patient!

BTW, I should say the area around the blisters has been intensely itchy, as well as painful. His knees and elbows also itched at first, but they're getting better now.

Hey everyone,

I took a really early flight this morning, and without thinking I grabbed Quaker oatmeal to eat at the hotel buffet before I left. I bothered to check to see if it contained wheat, but at 5 in the morning the fact that celiac is more than wheat didn't sink in . After this I was expecting to get sick, but am showing no symptoms, normal BM, and no bad moods or tingly fingers. So, now I am wondering if this is a) just a fluke or Quaker oats are gluten free/low gluten. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

I hate to say this, Eriella, but usually if I'm glutened I don't start getting sick until the following day. I've even had a reaction as late as 72 hours after a glutening. If you just ate the oatmeal this morning, you still may have a reaction tomorrow or even the next day (although I really hope not!).

Good luck!

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the board!

Sorry that you're going through this....it's tough to deal with health problems which can actually affect your job. My husband is currently having a similar skin problem....we don't know what it is, exactly. He may have a combination of DH and psoriasis, or who knows? All we know is that he was gluten free, and the skin thing flared up when he had some beer (which contains gluten because of barley malt).

So he's now gluten free again, but it's certainly not going away as fast as it appeared, that's for sure!!

I've read numerous posts by DH sufferers which seem to indicate that (1) DH can take a long time to go away after you go gluten free, and (2) it can actually get worse at first before it gets better.

Also, you should know that it's pretty difficult at first to be sure that you are REALLY gluten free. Have you discarded all pots, pans, plastic containers, wooden spoons and cutting boards, etc. which either have a porous surface or have cracks/crevices where gluten can be hiding? Have you bought a new toaster? Scrubbed your kitchen and dining area down?

If you don't live alone, do you have your own area where you prepare gluten free food which no one is allowed to contaminate with gluten? Do you have your own condiments in the fridge? Your own peanut butter? Your own jelly? If not the crumbs on someone else's knife will gluten you at some point. Have you checked all of your medications, shampoos, lotions, creams, etc. for gluten? Pills usually contain starch, so they may contain gluten. The starch may be corn starch or something harmless, but you have to check.

I'm not trying to scare you, but I was CONSTANTLY being glutened until I put our whole family on the gluten free diet. Some people report being able to live in the same house with gluten as long as they're careful, but that wasn't my experience.

In any case, hopefully one of the other people who hang out here who've had more experience with DH will give you some answers soon.....

Good luck!!

JoAnn

I was diagnosed last year with celiac disease, and then the whole family went gluten free in January. My husband never thought he had a problem with gluten until Superbowl Weekend, when he bought some beer. That was the first gluten he had ingested in weeks. Within a couple of days he broke out all over in a very painful skin condition, and he's been to the dermatologist several times. The worst patches are on knees, elbows and buttocks.

First the doctor said it was psoriasis, then he said it's a mixture of psoriasis and eczema. But in the most painful area there are a couple of spots that looked like large blisters had formed and popped, and now one of them has apparently healed but it has left this dark purple spot that's now been there for weeks. (I've heard that DH leaves purple marks after healing)

The other "popped blister" now looks like a crater the size of a quarter and is frequently raw and bleeding. The doctor has been giving my husband several different medications, and none of them seem to be helping. When he asked if it could be DH, the doc did a biopsy, but he refused to biopsy the area near the "popped blisters", instead he biopsied near a patch that looked like psoriasis. The biopsy was negative for DH.

Is it possible that my husband has psoriasis or psoriasis/eczema AND DH all at once? Of course he is now gluten free again, but it's taking FOREVER to clear up.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome!!

I just made this recipe today:

Open Original Shared Link

because I heard that it was really good and low and behold the bread fell as soon as I took it out of the oven! Have any of you experienced this? What did you do wrong and how did you fix it? I've heard that it's everything from too much liquid in a recipe, to too much rising time..

I've been experimenting with breads lately, and I have to agree with the "too much liquid" and the "too much rising time". When my bread falls, I reduce the liquid a little bit (maybe 1/4 cup) and try it again. Also, the bread should rise just barely over the top of the pan.

Another trick that can prevent falling is to take your bread immediately out of the pan and lay it on its side on a wire rack to cool. While it's cooling, switch sides every few minutes or so.

Good luck!

Do you think there's a good substitute for the rice flour? I can't do rice either, but I can do sorghum. Boy would I love to try this treat! It's been years since I've had any bread of any kind. [/drool]

I was just thinking about trying it with sorghum flour! I think it would be lower in carbs and have a lower glycemic index that way...? Unfortunately I just ran out of sorghum flour, but if you manage to get it to work, please post your results!

A little over three years ago, I picked up a copy of the ERFYT book and decided to give it a try. I was eating a nearly vegan diet with LOTS of whole wheat bread. And I felt like hell all the time. So, in my opinion, this diet helped me. I felt better than ever! With in the first month, I had gained muscle mass and weight, my headaches and joint pains were lessening and my skin rashes were gone. I was amazed to say the least. Note that I am a BT O. And it recommends no wheat. So, the wheat, potato, corn, peanut and along with those most processed foods are out because they all contain some form of these ingredients were out.

Many of my symptoms came back after two and a half years on the BTD. It was terrible. I looked to Dr. D'Adamo's work to see what could be causing it.

I had a test run to find that I was what is known as a non secreter. The non secreter diet for an O is an extra elimination of most grains, all glutenous.

I followed. I started getting better. At the same time I was still doing research and found that most of my symptoms relate to celiac disease. *which non secreters are 200 % more likely to develop than secreters*

Now, I do not claim that the BTD is to be followed, unquestioned by anyone! But I do think that it gives people a chance to start eating real food and begin a healing process that they may not have ever started or even thought possible eating todays "normal" diet.

You have to take into consideration the fact that most people eat crap. It's not food, it's not natural and it's certainly not healthy. So, a few small changed and a diet of real food and you're on the road to a healthier you.

I say that it led me to where I am now... recovery.

The BTD consists of REAL FOOD. Not processed food like substances.

I think this is why it helps so many people.

We can also note that more people have food intolerances and most people do not know what foods are causing the issues. That if, they, like many of us here even realize they're not well. I, like many other people thought that the headaches, joint pains, loss of hair, skin and GI issues were normal for me.

It's kind of an elimination diet of sorts.

I know many people that have tried the diet and have had success with it.

Some swear by it.

I just say that I had success with the diet and that it promotes a healthy lifestyle. I can't imagine how sick I would still be had I not picked up that book and decided to give it a try. I thought at the time, hell, it can't hurt.

And that's just it. I didn't. It helped. More than I can say. That doesn't mean to say that I don't question *and I have* Dr. D'Adamo and the why's of his recommendations. *and some on his forum were not happy that I did so. I wanted more answers than I felt I was being supplied with*

But, I do say that even with the questions that I have about the process and the why's to his practice, it works. And I've found that, for whatever reason, he is usually right about foods as far as my body has been concerned.

So, all in all....

People will believe in what works for them.

BTW I have lines in my fingerprints too.

Hi Crimson,

I'm only posting this because I'm concerned.

I am blood type A negative....and I have celiac disease. The book, "Eat Right for Your Blood Type", espouses ideas that respectable scientists do not agree with (I'm a scientist, BTW). The diet recommended for me by that book would probably kill me (lots of grains!!). It describes people with type A blood as "low in stomach acid".

Excuse me?? I'm on Prilosec AND Pepcid for GERD! LOL!

Please, please do not base important health decisions on books like that. Or at least, please do not encourage others to do so. The consequences could be dire if they have a blood type for which the book recommends LOTS of whole wheat and they have undiagnosed celiac disease!

Take care.....and best wishes to you!

JoAnn

i've noticed an increase in the frequency of postings regarding understanding of partially-positive or negative test results, in the face of celiac-like symptoms. conflicting test results also seem to be common.

celiac disease can be considered to be a 'threshold' disease. that is, blood test results and small bowel injury do not occur in a persons life until AFTER some 'threshold' or minimum level of gluten exposure. this threshold level appears to be extremely variable, taking into account both the degree to which one's gastrointestinal tract can metabollize gluten, one's level of inherent immune response to gliadin/gluten as it contacts the intestinal mucosa (probably the role of HLA alleles), the extent of one's immune response AFTER small bowel injury (i.e., following the entry of gliadin into the bloodstream) and, unsurprisingly, the amount of gluten one eats!!

a personal example;

my wife came from a 'meat and potatoes' family -- eating bread approx once per week-- with no health issues.

she had the misfortune of marrying some good looking italian 'guy', who (not to be stereotypical, but.... ) insisited on pasta twice a week and bread at every meal. worse, this poor fellow was a ny/nj-italian-american -- who introduced her to the wide, wonderful (but gliadically evil) world of bagels -- probably 5 times per week (the other 2 breakfasts were usually red bean cakes from chinatown...).

within 2 years, age 23, her health issues started and it took nearly 10 years to be diagnosed.

not a strange story, in and of itself... but, her dad -- who continued on the same meat/potatoes diet -- was only diagnosed with celiac disease 5 yrs ago at the unripe, young age of 77.

so, as equivocal test results start rolling in; remember that in order to consistently test 'postive' across all blood/biopsy tests; you really need to be eating gluten and have 'mature' celiac disease. perhaps contrary to expectations, some of the gastrointestinal outcomes of celiac disease, eg. bloating, gas, diarrhea, occur BEFORE all the clinical testing is postive.

Very helpful post...thanks!

I should add that many of us who have battled with weight problems have tried every diet out there, and not surprisingly, discovered that we felt BEST on a low-carbohydrate diet....that it made our "IBS" subside or even go away entirely!

So we have unconsciously been on a "gluten-light" diet for years or even decades to control gastric discomfort as well as to lose weight. This definitely complicates things when we go see the doctor wanting a firm diagnosis!

I have a 3.5 month little boy who was born almost 2 months early. He has severe reflux and is on multiple meds, sleeps in a wedge, and coughs and chokes often. I was wondering if this is common in babies who may have celiac? His sister (7) has celiac and his paternal Grandmother. I do not have celiac and do not eat gluten free and do exclusively nurse. I know the info. is mixed as to whether gluten crosses into breastmilk so I didn't know if going gluten free was worth it. I tried when he was in the NICU but couldn't maintain it. Any rec?

Thanks so much,

Kristen

Hi Kristen,

Yes, both of my granddaughters have celiac disease/gluten intolerance. Carly, the eldest, was diagnosed via biopsy with celiac disease and she has had severe GERD her entire life. Emma had negative bloodwork and has not had a biopsy, but is HLA DQ2 and has a diagnosis of Failure to Thrive....she also has GERD, although not quite as bad as Carly's.

I have GERD too....and celiac disease. My GERD is worse right now because I'm on prednisone for autoimmune hepatitis.

Some of the nursing mothers on this forum have said that when they went gluten free they noticed a difference in their child's symptoms. Did you notice whether or not your efforts at eating gluten free helped your baby while he was in the NICU? If it helps him at all, the gluten free diet is TOTALLY worth it.

There are many recipes and helpful tips on the gluten free lifestyle on this board, if you decide to try again. It's not as difficult as you might think.

Good luck!

JoAnn

from my mom's side scottish ,french dads side nothing other then irish ... and i was wondering if my heritage plays a role in my tummy troubles that i have .... it would be wonderful if anyone knew any information about this!!

Check out the following medical abstract, the paper is entitled, "Why is celiac disease so common in Ireland?":

Open Original Shared Link

HI, thank you all in advance. I have a 19month old son who has been vomitting almost everyday for 4 months. I would say that primalrily it happens in his sleep but he definitely will just stop what he is doing at times, throw up, and resume playing. My nephew has Celiacs and my son was tested and it came back negative. We then went down the GI route and did full work up including endoscopies and allergies and all came back negative. They did MRI's including the brain and found something called a Chiari Malformation. Essentially not enough space around the brain stem. We were told that this was causing pressure to build up and a response was to vomit. They said it happened more at night because all humans have highest brain pressure during REM. We were told to expect some symptoms to continue after the surgery but they would quickly go away. The surgery was on Feb 20, 2009 and he is still vomitting, mainly in his sleep. They want to do another MRI of his brain but also put him in a sleep study to see what is happenning while at rest.

I cant help but think this may go back to Celiac's after reading many postings. My question is what specifically should I demand be looked at again? If blood test came back negative should I have them repeat it or is there a more thorough test to demand. He also has Exima, it looks more like a rash with dry skin as opposed to some of the drema pictures I saw on this site. Those had bumps and were itchy, he doesn't seem to have that.

Any suggestions to pose to doctors would help!!

So sorry your little one is going through this! (((Hugs)))

You definitely have the right to ask to have him tested again or to have more thorough testing. Absolutely!! Celiac tests are notorious for giving false negatives, especially in young children. My granddaughter Carly is an excellent example of this, as her bloodwork and first biopsy were both negative, even though she was the classic "celiac baby"....skin and bones with a distended belly, severe GERD, etc. Her second biopsy was positive, and she is now gaining weight and thriving on the gluten free diet.

I've read the various posts regarding the vomiting/seizures and the connection or lack thereof to celiac. What I'd like to point out to all and sundry is:

Hello there! The kid might have BOTH epilepsy/seizures caused by a brain malformation AND have celiac disease!! After all, there is celiac disease in his family!

My granddaughter/adopted daughter, Emma, 2 1/2 years old, has multiple serious medical issues, including TAR Syndrome, rhombencephaphalosynapsis, cerebello-trigeminal-dermal dysplasia, cerebral palsy, Failure to Thrive, GERD.....well, you get the idea. In our family we are familiar with the consequences of brain malformations. Please visit Open Original Shared Link if you'd like to meet Emma....she's a sweetheart.

We put Emma on the gluten free diet after finding out that she has both the HLA DQ2 gene AND a family history of celiac disease on both sides of the family. Her eczema cleared up completely within 3 weeks, and she's definitely sleeping better now....which I believe is an indication that her GERD has calmed down a bit.

You *don't* have to have a diagnosis to put your child on the gluten free diet; if his symptoms improve, then you know that he needs to avoid gluten. If you really feel the need to have a diagnosis, you MUST keep him on gluten, in fact he needs to eat a lot of gluten to make sure the tests are accurate. But if he does well without gluten, I think you have your answer.

Please be aware that you may see his eczema clear up on the gluten-free diet, but the vomiting might continue. Of course, this could indicate that the eczema is related to celiac/gluten intolerance while the vomiting is not.

My feeling would be that ANY improvement is a good thing!

Take care.....the best of luck to you and your little guy!!

JoAnn

Apologies if there is already a posting on this...but I just wanted to see if anyone out here had any advice while I am awaiting diagnosis...

I'm 25 and was diagnosed with Celiac at age 12. Have been on a gluten-free diet strictly for 13 years and doing great. However, in the past few years, I've had flare-ups and swellings and pain in my finger joints, and for the past year, extremely stiff hips that are painful for hours in the morning.

I've just had some blood work for other autoimmune diseases like lupus and will have the results in a week, but in the meantime, I'm now worried about rheumatoid arthritis. My physio brought it up to me recently because she thinks that my stiffness is worrisome. I don't think that my doctor screened for arthritis, so I plan to ask him about that when I go back to see the other results. Does anyone out there have a similar experience of being Celiac first and then finding out that they may have other autoimmune disorders? I've read a lot online about arthritis patients exploring gluten-free diets for their treatment, but this is somewhat different since I haven't touched gluten in over a decade. I'm sick of feeling achy, tired, and unable to function physically like other people my age. I try to run, swim, and cycle, but it's often hard.

I'm also just a bit bummed out and afraid about having more disorders on my plate, since I thought I had dealt really well with my Celiac, so if anyone has any advice on how to stay calm while waiting, that would be great too!

I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this at your age!

Unfortunately the latest research indicates that celiac disease can make it easier to develop other autoimmune diseases. I've probably had celiac disease most of my life (but was told it was IBS for decades); I started out with asthma, psoriasis, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and recently found out that I have now developed fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune hepatitis.

So I have a total of six autoimmune diseases plus fibro! But I've only recently started on the gluten free diet....many people have had their autoimmune diseases such as RA go into remission on the gluten free diet.

It is troubling that this is happening to you even though you are gluten free. I do know of several on this forum who have had to give up other foods in addition to gluten before feeling better: examples are corn, soy, dairy, nightshades (tomatoes, etc)...the list goes on and on. Is it possible you may have issues with other foods besides gluten?

If you want to know more about the connection between celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases, here are some links to medical journal articles on that topic:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Best wishes....

JoAnn