BRUMI1968

I want to thank you so much for the warm welcome. I am glad to be amongst people who understand that I am not mentally ill, depressed, a hypochondriac or any other of the weird stuff that has made me feel so alone.~M

Welcome. I'm also in Oregon, though on the other side of the mountains near Sisters and Bend and Terrebonne and such. Glad to have you!

Does anyone know of any OTC-type tests that can done for vitamin deficiencies, or are those types of tests only available through doctors? How about nutritionists?

Thanks in advance

I was recently seeking a Vitamin B12 test and did some research on how to make it happen most cheaply. I did find out that many hospitals/clinics will offer cholesterol testing and glucose testing at low cost, but other than that, tests have to be ordered by doctors (or online, though these are not typically blood tests). I ended up contacting a naturopath and asking for a sliding scale for the referral to the lab, and to only visit him AFTER I'd been to the lab. It's usually a hidden expense to have to go to the doc to be seen in order to get the tests ordered, then come back for a second visit to review the labs. I had a good idea of what I wanted (iron, B12, Vit D, etc.), and he agreed, though he admitted he does not normally do that.

Also, check for folks that use hospital associated labs, especially Catholic or other religiously affiliated hospitals. My lab bill is more than $700.00 (B12, MMA [better B12 test than the B12], iron deficiency panel, celiac gluten panel [to see if I'm getting hidden gluten], Vit D...there must've been something else...homosystein levels [also determins Vit B12 problems], thyroid testing). THEY WILL WRITE OFF THE WHOLE BILL based on my income. Private labs will also do this on ocassion, but I was surprised to find on the back of my hospital bill a sliding scale based on income, and that I fall in the 100% write-off column (lucky me). I don't know if your reasoning for wanting OTC was partly cost, but this is something to consider.

So in the end I ended up spending $150 dollars on the doctor, some acidophilous stuff, and some fish oil.

Good luck!

Thanks. I'm glad my adamant avoidance of gluten has paid off so well, and that all my extra steps have likely not been in vain.

I think Dagoba makes a gluten-free chocolate, though it might just be "hot" chocolate. Maybe you should try something like a nice tea - black tea with honey or something, or if you do dairy, a bit of milk. It can be satisfying in the same way chocolate is. Chocolate is a high allergen, and you may have problems with chocolate. Another good substitute is a chai tea or latte.

Really, all that sugar isn't doing you any good anyhow.

Hi all. I had some blood work done the other day, and asked for the anti-Gliadin IgA and IgG tests to see if I was getting any gluten in my diet w/o my knowledge. My results were:

IgA Result of 3.3 (range 0.0-9.9, anything less than 10 being "negative")

IgG Result of 1.6 (range 0.0-9.9, anything less than 1o being "negative")

Can anyone say if these are good numbers for a person who believes she eats ZERO gluten? Could the numbers ever be zero? Thanks.

Since I just popped one in my mouth, can you tell me why ferrous sulfate isn't a good iron supplement to take?

I had just read on mercola.com (not all folks like him, granted) that it is an inorganic form and more likely to be o.d.'d on that other forms. He insinuated it had other issues, but did not go into them. O.D.'ing in iron pills generally leads to death, and may children die from it every year - kids die from this every day. So that is why he was making note of it in his bit on iron supplements. Open Original Shared Link.

I suppose I should not have spoken so quickly w/i investigating further. I just found this study that analyzes three types of supplementation and finds FS to be pretty toxic (and the one that I bought to be sure it was not FS was also toxic) ironically depleting villi in the small intestine.

Open Original Shared Link

Good luck!

Dehydration can cause fatigue and headache. I don't know how much liquid you're drinking.

Also, brown rice is pretty hard to digest, or at least that's my understanding. If you're utilizing all your energy in digestion, it is hard to have any left over. Do you get the same reaction from something like banana, or other easy to digest things?

Another thing that can cause headache is too much salt, or not enough salt - or put another way, too much expansion or too much contraction. If when you get a headache you have a salty bite of something and it feels better, you might have an expansion headache. If so, you might want to eat more contractive foods. If it does not feel better, then it is probably not an expansion headache.

All gobbledy goop I'm sure, but maybe something will strike a chord.

I was on Prednisone for over a year for the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (spleen kills blood platelets). I started out at very high dose of 100mg/day, and worked down to 5mg a day in about 3 months, where I stayed for the rest of the year.

The reason that Prednisone works is because it shuts down your immune system. It has very high risks associated with it - long term adrenal damage, possible blood clotting (I suppose the heparin/asprin would help with that), and higher risk of illness and infection. It messes with your hormones, your thyroid, etc., some of which may be irreversible. It causes yeast issues. Etc. I gained over 30 pounds, had terrible back aches, got Cushingold (round fat face), ran completely out of energy at 3pm every day, was in a rage most of the time whenever I was not crying, etc. Now maybe I'm just one of those folks who experiences all the side effects of things - it is true that I'm sensitive -and I'm sure you're examining the risks - but Prednisone is a very serious drug with very serious down-sides.

Take care and best of luck!

Sherri

Hi. It could very well be some ingredient, but I have had similar things happen to me both with taste and smell. There are times when I can't stand the taste of the green tea I normally DEMAND 10 times in my day. I usually just quit eating them for a while, and then they seem to come back. I think there are probably mechanisms we have to avoid eating things that are dangerous to us at a given time. Good luck.

Hi! Thank you so much for all of the information, I'll definitely check my symptoms and see if our clinic will run some blood tests for me. I do live on campus, but our dorms don't allow any appliances unfortunately, I can't even get a toaster!

Actually, Celiac is covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act, and I imagine you could fenagle yourself some appliances of some kind. Just a thought Good luck to you!

Yes, there it is. Lowered stomach acid can also cause a decreased absorption of iron. Most folks think they have too much stomach acid, but most Americans have too little. You can test for it, either a home test or the doctor's office, but another method is just to take some Betain HCI with your dinners. Or you can use apple cider vinegar. If you raise the acid in your stomach, you will digest your food better, and absorb more iron and B12 in your small intestine.

I was doing it for a while and it seemed to be helping my digestion; then I started getting indigestion...so stopped. You could give it a try though. when I first saw a nutritionist after being diagnosed he said to do that and enzymes until my system got enough nutrients to start working right again.

I wish I could help more. I would say that as a college student, you doubtlessly have a "free" medical clinic (paid for in your tuition - at least that's how it was when I was a student a year or two ago). You should go in and get a blood workup. You would be surprised how many deficiencies can cause problems that might present like the flu. I would also get your thyroid checked (and ask for FREE T3 and FREE T4 - they are the ones that give the best info). It's entirely possible your hormones are out of wack. You can check out stopthethyroidmadness to see if you have any other symptoms. I'd also check to make sure you don't have a parasite or small bowel bacterial infection or something. Have them check your B12, Ferritin levels, and if your B12 comes back even borderline, ask for an MMA test.

You are not well, and having the doctors disconnect the repeated illnesses you are having as isolated is not good medicine. I know it's hard to assert yourelf at the doctor's office, but make sure you tell them it is affecting your grades, that you are unable to excel in school as you are sick a lot, etc. If for some reason your school does not have a medical center where you can get free healthcare, I hope you have some other access. I know it's been a bear for me to afford the doc since I quit school.

Take care!

p.s. keeping a food diary might help as well. it is possible the tummy parts of the illness are from CC. Do you live on campus? can you use a camp stove and your own pan to make food? that is what I do when I travel - a camp stove, my own pan, my own toaster, my own blender, my own cutting board. A pain, but I hardly ever get had.

Iron is like B12 in that you make stores of it. If you were anemic and then took supplementation, you brought your stores up. So you would test okay until your stores went down again. This is true of B12 as well, and once you run out of stores of B12, you can be in trouble.

I have read just today what kind of iron supplement to NOT take - it is called ferrous sulfate. This is the most dangerous type to take. The better types to take are Carbonyl Iron and chelated iron. The latter two cause less constipation, and have substantially lowered chance of overdose. I don't know if you are a vegetarian or not, but that of course will lower your iron intake. There are other things that substantially prevent absorption: calcium, green tea come to mind. Vitamin C increases absorption so you should take iron with vitamin C.

I think I'm anemic right now which is why I was looking all this up. I feel oxygen starved even though I'm breathing fine; I get exhausted easily, even from walking flat ground, my gums are whitish, etc. I've been anemic before, though some years ago.

Anyway, hopefully that explains why you would test in the normal range while supplementing or shortly thereafter - and why you might need to continue supplementation and research how iron is absorbed and how you can increase your absorption of it.

My dog eats EVO grain free. He has also eaten Orijen grain free. Both are great. Our store says those two are the best brands, though they do carry the one you are considering. I find that grain free is the way to go.

Hi all. Many years ago I was tested for Lyme (had a rash on leg, and was on prednisone so all my medical mishaps were taken very seriously)...here is what the test results say.

Laboratory of Pathology collected the sample

Lyme Antibody: 106 U/ML

It says that anything under 120 is negative; no significant detectable AB

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I don't see the words western blot or anything like that. Please advise. Thanks.

Vita Food Products, Inc. Issues an Alert Announcing Undeclared Wheat in ELF Branded Herring in Sour Cream

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:44:00 -0600

Vita Food Products, Inc. of Chicago, IL is voluntarily recalling its Elf Branded Herring in Sour Cream product distributed in retail stores in California, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin because their labels do not disclose that the product contains wheat.

Firm Press Release: FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

FROM FDA WEBSITE.

The previous poster listed all veggies as no high allergens, but actually NIGHTSHADES are a common problem: potato (not sweet potato), peppers (not black pepper), eggplant, tobacco, tomato. Symptoms TEND toward joint aches and the like, but I have poop issues with them, and avoid them. They also require a lot of calcium to digest, and many celiac sufferers are low in calcium chronically.

The hair falling out makes me wonder about your thyroid. I'd have it checked if I were you.

Take care. Good luck.

Open Original Shared Link

Mine comes every day or two and includes all sorts of recall info. Many times the recall is undeclared allergens so it is well worth everyone's time. Thanks.

Unilever Issues Allergy Alert on Wheat in a Limited Number of Tubs of Breyers

Hi. When I was first diagnosed I saw a nutritionist and had some allergy testing done through bloodwork. I actually came back as not allergic to anything, including gluten, though slightly raised for yeast. Later I had some enterolab testing done and I showed a probable slight allergy to soy, but none to casein. Enterolab tests your stool, whereas the nutritionist tested my blood.

I say this because I 100% cannot eat dairy. I get constipated. Now this may or may not be an "allergy", but it certainly is an intolerance. I think keeping track is one of the best ways to figure out what is bothering you. The difficulties of course with figuring it out w/o a diet diary is that some things take time to manifest; some things need more than one dosing to manifest, etc.

Most common allergies for celiac sufferers (and everyone for that matter): dairy, soy, nightshades, corn, dairy - the big ones. One thing to know is that the place in your digestive tract that helps digest milk is the small intestine, so until yours heals, you might not do that well with dairy.

It's tough. there is some food I eat now and agiain that causes itching, and it's hard to pin down. I think it might be millet (I like Millet Bread) - but it's taken me two years to figure it out (I almost always eat it with eggs, and thought it might be eggs)....anyway.....good luck to you!

Does he have a more Constipated presentation of Celiac? If so, he is probably experiencing anal fissures when he moves his bowels. After figuring out I had Celiac a few years ago, I remembered that when I was a kid I constantly thought I was starting my period - I mean way too young (I had older sisters). I'm sure I had fissures. (Time heals them - and quitting the hard stools - I still get it now and again when I eat dairy, which constipates me.)

As for darker stool, make sure to rule out having eaten blueberries or beets before getting too upset. I've called a couple times the doctor to be made eventually to laugh at my own eating - blueberries and beets are the most common to make dark stool - but so will iron supplementation. If he is on iron pills, his stool may well become dark.

Anyway, if he is not on the C side of Celiac, then obviously what I'm saying above about fissures makes no sense at all. Best of luck to you!

I don't feel bad if I eat quinoa, but I don't eat it because it is totally undigested in my stool. I figure that means I'm not absorbing it for some reason or another. Thusly, I avoid it.

Millet is good - though I think it might cause me to itch. Corn is of course an option if you're not allergic - you can try polenta (closest way I can think of it make it like quinoa). Amaranth is good, but good is a relative term. I used to eat it for breakfast. I now eat lower fat, so don't eat.

Are you getting enough fats? and enough liquids? And is your fiber mostly soluable? Those would be the things I would check about constipation. I'm a life long sufferer - and even now gluten-free for 2 years (3 years?) I still get bouts of it, from this or that I virtually never figure out. One thing I KNOW causes it is dairy.

Anyway, good luck.

I'm so sorry to hear about your vertigo. I woke up with insane vertigo a year ago or so - they think it is the kind that is caused when a little "rock" in your ear gets misplaced. But I did go get my ears checked. They asked some questions and looked at my eyes and whanot.

If it is indeed VERTIGO (as opposed to dizziness), I would get it checked out. The kind I have is supposedly fixable through some head exercises that a Physical Therapist does with you (I've never been having symptoms when I could afford to go); Menieres is another, and there are a couple more causes as well...some of them have cures; all of them have coping techniques.

I would also rule out B12 deficiency, and you need to check homosystein (sp?) levels as well - you can have low B12 but test out not low - and so you need to double check that one.

If you can afford it or have isurance, get the vertigo checked out. It may have nothing at all to do with celiac disease - it is actually quite common, especially for women, to have at least once in their lives. (I've had bouts about 4 times - and it changes your life to feel that insecure in the world, that is for sure.)

Great to know. I use some of their organics line. I want to start making my own stuff, though. Thanks for your reportage.

I've long had problems with Constipation. Had it pretty well cured a few years ago when I went Dairy Free (b4 going gluten-free a year later). Now I get it if I eat even the smallest amount of dairy products. I do also get it sometimes for reasons I never do pinpoint. You should make sure you're getting enough soluble fiber, and not just insoluble fiber. I can't remember which things are which, but you can look it up. Try to lean toward soluble fiber whenever you can.

I read once that in order to be "regular", a person needs bulk, water, and oil. But your diet sounds like you're getting all those things. If you're not dairy free, I'd try that right away. It took about 2 weeks for my system to regular, but once it did, like I said, I've been good to go except when I cheat (on dairy - I NEVER cheat on gluten) or on extremely rare occasion for whatever reason. Good luck to you!