jeanzdyn

of course people who have not suffered stomach cramps or chronic diarrhea would think that you are just on a 'fad diet' or something. tell them, in graphic details, about your symptoms!

If you feel better gluten free that is all that really matters!

I want to add that, although some gluten free items are expensive, you can find a lot of gluten free foods that are not any more expensive than any other food items.

I eat a lot less now that I am gluten free, so that $3.50 bag of rice noodles is about 8 meals, and maybe 10 meals, depending on what I have with the rice noodles.

I have been really dreading what I fear is reality - that I am intolerant to gluten and lactose. I know a lot of us are. Giving up both will be much harder. I am not a big milk drinker, but the other stuff - yogurt, ice cream, chocolate (??), um... what else is dairy? Butter? But the hardest for me is cheese.

So I ask... meats, veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts ... is that my new diet??

Is there a good place to go to get menu ideas?

Thanks all. Sigh.

I sympathize with you!! I have gone gluten free, but if I have to give up cheese I swear I will starve to death. I cannot even imagine it.

I have never been a milk drinker, never liked it much, but cheese is another story.

((hugs)) to you, and a lot of sympathy.

you are asking for help in the right place though, I am sure that you will find many replies and suggestions here!

my gastroenterologist actually said to me, "we think that maybe you have celiac sprue". That was the diagnosis from my colonoscopy and endoscopy. I was not surprised to hear that, but I found it troubling that he said "we think" and "maybe".

Anyway, like I say, I was not surprised. Also, being gluten free has relieved most of my symptoms.

However, I have had symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease since 1979. I realize this after visiting this forum and reading the symptoms others list here. I have spent over 25 years walking into doctors offices with a list of symptoms that seemed to have little connection to each other, until now. For most of my life doctors have been telling me that everyone has problems and there is nothing wrong with me.

I just thank God that I was never so sick that I was unable to work, live or function.

For 2 years, in the early 1990's I had chronic diarrhea and no health insurance --that is the sickest I have ever been, and I had to self-diagnose and figure out what to do about it all by myself.

At that time cutting back on breads and adding acidophilus to my 'diet' was all I did, and it worked. Over the years I have made dietary changes that have more or less held my symptoms "at bay". As for my self-diagnoses I have looked into everything from hypoglycemia to sjogrens syndrome and then some. The only thing doctors have ever seemed interested in is testing my thyroid (always normal) and testing for anemia (always negative).

I believe that I have had celiac disease for a long, long time, and that it may even be genetic.

I learned long ago to not trust in everything doctors tell me.

They just don't know enough about celiac disease. I take what the doctor says with 'a grain of salt' -as well as what I read on the Internet.

I am thankful for all of you, here at the celiac.com forum. Thanks for all the advice and commiseration.

Too much of anything can be a bad idea... I seem to go on 'binges' too, where I eat a lot of one food type and later have bad symptoms.

I have experienced severe itching, but no rash or any visible signs of the itch --except the scratch marks. The only doctor I ever talked to who even believed me was the gastro-enterologist who did my colonscopy. I figured out, about 2 years before my celiac diagnosis, that if I avoided wheat the itching went away. So, the diagnosis of celiac disease was not a complete surprise to me.

Anyway, I am really sorry that your itching is keeping you from getting a good night sleep (I sure know what that is like from the itching.) And I am sorry that the dermatologist you saw is such an asshat.

I hope that you find relief from the itching and that you find other doctors who are not so close-minded as to think they can learn nothing from their patients!

you will find a lot of support and advice from the folks here at the forum, so you have come to the right place.

welcome, from a recently diagnosed 'celiac'

(((HUGS))) for you aquaholical.

I really feel bad for those with celiac disease who have other afflictions as well --makes it so much tougher.

And I am greatful that I have not been terribly sick. I have had symptoms that can be attributed to celiac disease since about 1977. I did a lot of research on my own to find 'cures' for various ailments, or, if not cures, then relief in some form. The result was that, long before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I had eliminated many foods from my diet. So that part has been easier for me.

Anyway, I feel for you! more (((HUGS))) to you.

well,... for years many of us watched a television show about "nothing" --Seinfeld!! so, would people follow a blog about 'nothing'? I don't see why not. there are a lot of bloggers out there who just blog about whatever they are thinking about on a given day. I myself am considering doing that myself... so I would encourage you to be creative and write your blog about "nothing". It may be 'something' to some folks. go for it!

my mother used to give us peppermint tea to 'settle the stomach'.

so, I believe that is an old 'folk remedy'. there is something to

your experience, the peppermint oil did help you.

I do not know more about it though.

I am too new at this to know if there is a connection to the Celiac disease or to gluten intolerance, but I have trouble with swollen ankles. Sometimes so swollen that it really alarms me. I have found that if I do hydrate better (drink more water) my ankles do not swell as much.

I do have dental issues. A lot of decay and trouble with plaque. I think that is an issue for people with celiac or gluten intolerance, as the health problems cause the body to not asborb vitamins and nutrients properly, and that is connected to tooth decay/dental issues.

Anyway, you are not alone. I think that many of us have trouble getting our doctors to really listen to us, or to check out new or different symptoms. It took me many years and a colonoscopy to get a diagnosis.

Some Tostito's are gluten free --I did not check packaging on all Tostito's, but the bite size 'rounds' and 'scoops' state gluten free on the package. I have had no adverse symptoms from eating them.

Thank God for Hershey's!!

Right. Do not embellish or ask for anything. Just make sure to describe the events accurately and send it to the management of Seaworld. Maybe they will give you something to placate you. It is important that they understand exactly what the situation is, so that maybe they can take corrective action so that this kind of thing does not happen in the future.

Also, it is important to do some research before going to amusement parks, attractions, or events. Find out what restrictions are in place before you arrive.

oh, you are NOT a hypochondriac! I had symptoms for over 30 years before my celiac disease diagnosis. No one ever said 'hypochodriac', but I knew they were thinking it. You have a 'laundry list' of seemingly un-connected symptoms and that makes it tough to even get the doc to listen to you.

My doctors put me off for years, saying "we all have problems, there is nothing wrong with you..."

It is a relief to have a diagnosis and to know how to proceed.

I am sorry that your family is not supportive of you. It is shameful how people react to this, and needing an actual medical diagnosis to get your family to change for you is a terrible thing. They should be ashamed of themselves.

I do have pain that I believe is my gall bladder. It is often below the rib cage and on my right side. My Mother had her gall bladder removed, and she talked about her symptoms --so I know from her the location and kind of pain.

It helped me to read your descriptions of what the pain feels like too.

I do not have the pain so often that I have pushed for the doctor to investigate, but after reading this thread I plan to spend more time telling my doc about this.

I do not know about having your gall bladder out causing the emergence of celiac disease. I now believe that I have had celiac disease or gluten intolerance for over 30 years, at least at some level. In 1979 I had a long period of gastro-intestinal distress, not bad enough to be hospitalized, but I was quite uncomfortable for a very long time. The doctor called it irritable bowel syndrome and advised me to drink mylanta twice a day, which I did for a couple of months --until I felt better. I have always been prone to diarhhea and have struggled with that at various times in my life. At one point, around 1991, I had chronic diarhhea but no health insurance. I did not see a doctor, I did research and learned that acidophilus was a great help to me. I also cut back on my bread consumption, which made the symptoms virtually go away for a few years. What I call gastric distress has been a constant for a long time.

In 2011 I decided to get a colonoscopy, being at an age where that is recommended. The result was the gastroenterologist saying "we think you have celiac disease". Well, that did not really surprise me, given my history and my own knowledge of gastro-intestinal disorders.

I have now been gluten free since January 1, 2012 and I do feel better.

I just don't think that celiac disease is triggered 'over night' by one event, like having your gall bladder removed. I think the celiac disease may have been present, but not at a level that was recognized as yet.

I do not mean to be 'preach-y' but this is an excellent lesson for all of us that celiac disease is an auto-immune disease.

I am sorry that things are so difficult for you farmer jennings, I cannot imagine how tough it is for you. It is terrible to have to be isolated. Do you know anyone in your area with celiac disease --that you might be able to spend time with -just so you do not feel so isolated. You have my sympathy.

I agree with Gemini about it being a psychosomatic reaction. We become so attuned to staying away from gluten items that we get a little freaked out by knowing that there are gluten-ous items nearby. Also, the smell/scent could cause a reaction. It is like being a vegetarian --the smell of meat cooking can make them feel 'unwell'.

There is a level of discomfort in being near something that we have worked diligently to avoid and that can translate to a psychosomatic reaction.

check at a Truck Stop for items that can be used to cook or heat food and for 12volt plug in coolers... or try a national truck stop chain website, like Flying J or Travel Centers of America. You can find info that way, or find an RV sales place, they sell such items also.

the best advice is to keep a food diary. that is the easiest way to figure out what foods may be causing your symptoms. note your symptoms in the food diary as well to help keep track of everything.

I have used a food diary in the past to help figure out symptoms and reactions.

Best thing I ever did for figuring out my symptoms.

Seaworld's issue is that people who do not know any better try to feed the animals there. Those creatures could become ill from eating the kinds of things some people want to give them. That is the reason for the policy.

I think that they should provide a dining area with free lockers for people with food allergies to store their food, and then the entire family could dine together in that area. That way they can control where people take the food items, and still accomodate those of us with dietary restrictions.

It is a real shame that there are people in the world who cannot follow the rules because we are all penalized for it.

They were wrong to take your food away from you and leave with nothing to eat for the entire day. I agree with sandsurfgirl --complain to Seaworld management at that location and see if you can get some kind of compensation for your suffering. No one should have to go without food for a day anyplace.

tostitos corn chips are labeled 'gluten free'. I use them to supplement a meal where other people might eat bread. Like tostitos chips and cheese, and then whatever else I want that is gluten free. This is relatively low cost. I travel a lot, so I try to find things that are easy to bring with me. Baked beans, anything that is really portable, maybe does not need to be heated and is low cost. Idahoan makes some very tasty potatoes --it is a powder and you add water -they are delicious and about $1.00 a cup, which they call 2 servings. I eat eggs more often at home, that is a low cost meal.

keep it simple is good advice and try looking for gluten free foods on the Internet -- you may be able to find some bargains and they ship it to you.

and like others have said --eat more vegetables. potatoes are pretty adaptable, you can combine them with almost anything. I eat a lot more potatoes than I did before being diagnosed with celiac disease.

I am having huge issues with migraines with a classic aura if that's what you mean. The aura lasts maybe 20 minutes and I get weird stuff in my vision. Jagged lines and bright patches. Then the migraine starts.

I have experienced this for many years. I called it 'flashing lights' but I now understand it to be the aura. It has lasted anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, but I rarely had what I would consider a migraine, unless the aura lasted for over an hour. I can make the aura go away, but it takes quiet and some concentration too. This occurred from the mid-1980's until about 1993, when I started using a homeopathic remedy called 'iris versicolor'. Eventually I stopped needing the homeopathic remedy and forgot about the aura too.

Then in 2007 I started having the aura's again. I do not know what I did differently between 1993 and 2007 that the aura's went away.

I was diagnosed with Celiac's Disease in November of 2011. Fortunately the villi in my intestines are still mostly present, so this was discovered early. I have not been terribly ill, but the symptoms were becoming disruptive (which is why I had the colonoscopy).

Meanwhile, I do not experience the aura often, thankfully. I wonder if the iris versicolor would help others. The manufacturer was called Boiron and I think that their products are sold at Vitamin Shoppe stores and the vitaminshoppe.com website.

Herb-ox brand states on the label "no gluten" and "no msg".

chicken flavor and beef flavor, both labels make the claims.

In order to make a guarantee, the product must be tested. There are a variety of tests available, with detection thresholds diminishing as cost increases. A test for 3 ppm is possible, but extremely costly. Twenty parts per million (20 ppm) is a common compromise between cost and sensitivity.

The actual content in the product is far less than the claimed test level, and may well be zero. To consistently pass the 20 ppm test, the manufacturer must aim far lower. Most try to achieve a complete absence of gluten, but it can not be proven.

Thank you, psawyer, for a clear, understandable explanation! That is most helpful.

corn pasta is okay, but I really like Tinkyada pasta. I have not have any gluten symptoms as a result of eating Tinkyada pasta. It's as close to 'real' noodles as you will find. I am greatful for Tinkyada pasta!

There are three flavors and if you sign up on their website you get $1.50 coupon.

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good to know! thank you for the info!

I would use rice noodles, whatever kind you can find that you like.

And Velveeta, maybe a little butter or milk, and a touch of parmesan cheese.

make it "to taste", I like just a little bit of pepper, like tip the

pepper shaker over the pot once and then stir to mix well.

okay, having read most of this topic, thanks to all who are saying that their nails are getting healthier and stronger. It is good to know that once I have been gluten-free for a while I can hope for some improvement in my nail health.