Skylark

I can't do high-tyramine foods or nitrates either. Fortunately I only have to avoid the super-high ones like red wine, aged cheese, and cured meat like ham. I'm going to have to try that Hormel bacon if I can find it and see if it works out. Glad I found this thread.

YAAAY!! whoohoo!! IH is standing and applauding you!!!!

If I had an emoticon that showed a little cheerleader waving pom-poms, I'd post it here. (I am such a techno geek)

We need a good cheer emoticon! I want a clapping one too.

Grass fed beef burger with mushrooms on Canyon Bakehouse bread and baby spinach salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar tonight.

Glad to hear I'm not the only CLL. I'll have to try breading them in cornstarch or maybe cornmeal the way I cook fish.

I made black bean soup yesterday, with chicken broth I'd frozen from my last roasted chicken, black beans, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, chunks of potato, salt, and some cumin. I had it with more of the baby bok choy and froze containers of it for lunch.

Sauteed chicken livers with onions and celery. (Yeah, I'm weird. I love chicken livers and I found organic ones at Whole Foods!) Steamed baby bok choy, and a slice of Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bread.

I told my mom about this pizza. She is not celiac and doesn't have to adhere to gluten-free perfectly in order to feel better. She was really pleased becasue she likes Domino's, she can get it delivered, and this pizza will probably work for her. I feel a little better about this product - it is at least helpful to someone I love.

Well, Domino's could have had my business. Instead they made pseudo gluten-free pizza and lost out.

I love Larabars. Also most of the Tiger's Milk bars have no gluten ingredients. Last time I looked, the cruch flavor was the only one with gluten.

They've never heard of a WHEAT ALLERGY? Plenty of celiacs are allergic to wheat too. Sorry you didn't get help. That's insane. I might try making an appointment with my Dr. and asking for an inhaler.

When you're bent over in pain in the doctor's office, the doctor comes in, looks at you, and asks cheerily "And how are we today!".

I think my answer alone caused her to test me for more than coeliac disease.

LOL! If I was "fine, thank you" I wouldn't be in this freezing exam room putting up with the likes of you prodding at me!

I can't tolerate gluten-free bread. It gives me asthma. I'm not sure what's getting me yet.

Xanthan gum does not agree with a lot of people, or you could be reacting to a new flour or starch like tapioca or sorghum. I would suspect the xanthan gum first since it can give some people diarrhea. You would substitute guar gum, or I recently saw a gluten-free recipe with a couple tablespoons of psyllium husk instead of gum. You might have to do some experimenting to see what flours and gums you can tolerate.

To be honest I didn't go to extremes either. I scrubbed the kitchen, replaced a wooden cutting board that badly needed to be replaced, my wooden spoons, and an ancient toaster oven that I'd been looking for an excuse to replace. I threw out some plastic storage containers that were scratched up and also really needed to go, and replaced any condiments that could have breadcrumbs in them. I bought a rice cooker which really comes in handy.

NOTHING will "deactivate" gluten and I'm sorry but most of your statements are scientifically incorrect. Gliadin, like all proteins, does not break down readily. "Inactivating" or hydrolyzing gliadin takes boiling it in acid, using very specific barley enzymes which are not readily available in the US, or heat above 500F (i.e. charring it).

I think you have misunderstood the Wikipedia article. The toxic protein for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity is gliadin. The term "gluten" is a baking term, not a cereal chemistry term.

- Soap and water will wash away the wheat starch, and clean just about anything off hard, non-porous surfaces if you scrub. It is a good thing to use!

- White vinegar will help dissolve glutenin which is not a concern for celiac disease anyway.

- Bleach is a nice cleaner that may or may not do anything specific as far as wheat is concerned.

- Everclear or rubbing alcohol (70-80% alcohol) will help dissolve gliadin, the toxic part of wheat protein. It does not "deactivate" it. It only helps dissolve it so you can clean it up.

I found wooden spoons at Walgreen's on sale for 99 cents. They are so cheap it isn't really worth playing games with solvents hoping you somehow can get the gluten out of the wood. It would cost more to buy the alcohol than a couple new spoons.

Rubbing alcohol is terribly poisonous.... don't use this where pets could possibly ingest it, or small children.

How about potato vodka or everclear ?

I don't see how rubbing alcohol is any more or less dangerous than other cleaners like bleach, ammonia, or Lysol. Potato vodka does not have a high enough alcohol% to get the chemistry we're looking for. Everclear 151 would work fine but sheesh, it's expensive. You could have fun while cleaning though. A little for the counters... a little for me... A little for the counter *hic* ... a little for me...

From wikipedia: Gluten is the composite of a gliadin and a glutelin, which is conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. The prolamin and glutelin from wheat (gliadin, which is alcohol-soluble, and glutenin, which is only soluble in dilute acids or alkalis) compose about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch.

What is the impact of this for cleaning surfaces? Ideas?

If you want the scientific answer, use 70% rubbing alcohol. Gluten is soluble in 70-80% alcohol. I'd follow up with a standard counter spray.

Wow, I guess they don't export all the dumb doctors to the US. At least the one in Japan was decent enough to apologize to you

This is so funny! I'm glad you started it, Shroomie.

I asked my pretty good PCP about whether there are ways to lessen autoimmunity. He said "well the only thing I know of is to lower your stress level".

Gee, doc I wouldn't be STRESSED OUT if you could fix my dizziness, brain fog, and cognitive problems and refrain from pushing useless antidepressants.

As well as B12, take some benfotiamine. I'd also suggest fish oil for the anxiety.

Also, have a look at what you're eating. If you've switched from whole wheat to ultra-starchy gluten-free foods your blood sugar may be bouncing around more than is healthy. Make sure you have protein and some fat (like nuts or cheese) with your snacks, and replace some unnecessary carbs on your plate with meat and veggies.

Homemade chicken soup with mushrooms, carrots, celery, bok choy, and various other stuff from the fridge. I added a little gluten-free miso for flavor.

Starting in on the Hoppin' John a day early. I'll have a little with steamed broccoli and cauliflower tonight, traditional collards tomorrow.

I don't like your insulting tone, Gemini. Someone says "I have a reaction after every dose of a drug" and anyone with a shred of common sense would say "gee, maybe it's the drug."

I'm glad to hear Nystatin helped you, but it doesn't mean it's the right medicine for everyone. People die of bacterial infections, but they also die from penicillin allergy. Like antibiotics, Nystatin is somewhat overprescribed. I just think Albion needs to talk to her doctor to make sure the reactions are still Herxheimer and not a allergic sensitization or irritation/toxicity issue.

I think you might be right. The pharmacist pointed out that the liquid Nystatin I was taking was 33% sucrose. The herxheimer reaction I got every time I took it could have been a reaction to liquid sugar.

I am going to have the format of the Nystatin changed to pill form and take the herba anti-fungals my naturopath recommends.

I think you misunderstood me. Nystatin is a fairly toxic drug and while it's supposed to be poorly absorbed, allergies and side effects are still possible. Herxheimer symptoms are not very specific and many of the symptoms overlap Nystatin toxicity reactions. Nystatin can damage your liver if your intestines are damaged enough from celiac that you are absorbing some of it.

I don't understand why folks take Nystatin for mild candidiasis. Candida is pretty easy to kill with probiotics and safe, natural foods like coconut oil. I'm not sure people grasp how toxic antifungals are. As one of my biology teachers said, "fungi are eucaryotes and so are we". Nystatin is safe if and only if your gut is in good enough shape that none of it gets through to your bloodstream. That's too big an if for me.

Agreed that diet alone won't cut it for candida. Nature abhors a vacuum and as soon as you shift off the restrictive diet it will grow right back unless you manage to get a good population of bacteria going.

By the way, you don't need a stool test to diagnose candida if you're getting recurring thrush or vaginal yeast. If it's in one part of your body, it's everywhere.

I have to wonder if you are reacting to the Nystatin rather than experiencing die-off, since it's going for this long and you feel it after every dose.

Headed to the store to grab some salmon. I'll cook it on the Foreman grill with a little dill and a squeeze of lemon. Sauteed fennel bulb and zucchini, flavored with a little tarragon from the garden. Fresh pineapple for dessert.

Pot roast that I put in the crockpot this morning. Beef, red wine, onions, mushrooms, a couple cloves of garlic, salt. Thicken the broth into gravy with arrowroot starch and serve with potatoes and a steamed veggie.

I was tired. Bush's baked beans, a burger on gluten-free bread, and microwaved corn on the cob.