BRUMI1968

Hi. I had a lot of panic attacks before going off wheat. I eventually ended up on Xanax for a while, which helped alleviate the fear of having more panic attacks at the very least, and I learned how to sleep well. BUT it was the gluten-free-ness that has really helped me.

Several deficincies in the body can cause panic attacks:

B12

Folate

other B vitamins

Adrenals

Thyroid

minerals

I personally believe that panic attacks in particular are probably more physical than mental - I mean, there is nothing in your mental mind that flips on and off like that w/o a physical reason.

That said, I also see a Jungian therapist once a week. Since I was a sickly child and my mother was really type A and didn't take lightly to having this burden, I have some issues. And yes, the fact that I probably didn't feel SAFE a lot as a child has no doubt contributed to my panic attacks. But now that I've figured out the physical bits, I'm capable of looking at the mental bits w/o freaking out.

Good luck to you.

Hi. I use Ecover products for my cleaning stuff quite often.

I emailed them the other day about gluten in their products and got a very nice email back. The only product they manufacture that contains gluten is their aloe/lemon dishsoap.

(the very one I had on my counter....)

Other than that, Gluten Free! and good for the environment too.

I tried their rice bread because I like poached eggs on toast so much, and the rainsin/rice toast I was using didn't work for that. ICK. The problem wasn't the taste - it actually sucked the goodness right out of my yummy eggs.

But I do agree with folks that say each person feels differently - my husband (who eats gluten) loves my rice/raisin bread by Food for Life. (I'm giving up toast entirely since I can't do any kind of butter anymore - what good is toast w/o butter?)

As to plantars...the other day a friend of mine offered me dry roasted peanuts and they had gluten in them - but it was right on the label. Wait, it was "natural flavors" maybe. Anyway, I didn't trust it. I would call the company or check their website.

I just saw the nutritionist yesterday and he told me that anxiety can be caused by Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency...probably the other B vitamins as well as they work in tandem.

You need to get sublingual B12, which absorbs better. It's not that expensive; you just chew it up a bit and let it dissolve in your mouth. As to folate, I've not seen a sublingual variety that was gluten free, and I take it in pill form.

Mineral deficiencies can also cause anxiety.

HI I am new to the board. My son is being tested next week. My son is 7 years old and has debilitating canker sores. I was wondering if anyone noticed a differance in canker sores when they took their child off Gluten.

Also, does anyone know of any good snacks that are dairy free and glutten free?

Thank you so much.

I haven't read through other answers, but I'll tell you that I immediately stopped getting canker sores when I quit gluten. I might've also quit citrus (trying to calm my gut down)...but the gluten definitely put an end to the canker sores.

As to snacks - you can make trail mix...I'm still looking for a good tortilla chip that is gluten-free.

Vinegar and citrus might also cause canker sores.

I've had anxiety my whole life, in varying degrees. When I was little I was very "nervous". This became nervous legs at night, uncontrollable shaking, etc. I often was so nervous I would end up vomiting. My grandmother made me so nervous that for 16 years every time I saw her I became physically ill with vomiting. When I was about 15, I had my first PANIC ATTACK. I was with my mother in Washington D.C. (I'm from Washington State) and suddenly didn't really even know who she was or anything. They got worse in ways, though more physical. I instantly had to poop, felt nasueus, had tingling, felt clammy in the hands, would get hot and freezing simultaneously - and then sometimes the mental stuff too - just indescribable bad feeling about everything yet unable to focus on any specific thing.

So, eventually I ended up being diagnosed with GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER and put on Diazapam (Xanax or Valium would be similar). I agreed to go on the drugs because I felt unable to cope with the anxiety of the potential anxiety attack. This, done for a short time, helped me learn to sleep (which I had previously never been good at). But once off it, anxiety again, and in fact, anxiety and nightmares is a side-effect of quitting the drugs.

Long story short, when I quit WHEAT two years ago, the anxiety attacks substantially diminished. I think I've had three in two years (and not so severe, either), when I used to have at least once a month, and probably more. I've only quit GLUTEN now for a little under a month, and haven't had any.

I will say that I have a severe phobia about vomiting. If my stomach starts to hurt in the least, I get very upset and think it might turn into vomiting. This makes me so anxious that my stomach feels worse. It is interesting now that I'm old enough to recognize it. I have to TALK myself out of being anxious about it. "You're not going to throw up, it's just mild indigestion"...whatever sounds good to calm myself down. Once my husband and I both ate halibut and right before he went to sleep he said, "I wonder if that halibut was bad?"...and I didn't sleep the whole night.

Oh yes, another thing - I almost always got my anxiety attacks after eating, and frequently it was pizza or spaghetti. Though the gluten was probably part of the culprit, I know for a fact that cooked tomatoes give me anxiety attacks as well, maybe even just from the association of getting sick on it so much as a kid.

Good luck. I just told my story because honestly, losing this anxiety is one of the most profound effects of going off wheat. I still have serious problems getting filled with anxiety over the smallest stomach ache, but I think that will start to get better for me too.

My method has been very much like Smunkeemom, with the toaster anyway, and the flour.

1. throw away all baking supplies that are glutenous. Doesn't sound like they are going to be baking anyway. (Dust from flours and such is just too dangerous.)

2. Get your own toaster.

3. Get your own cutting board.

4. I WEAR my dishtowel straight out from the drawer each dinnertime to make sure no one is wiping their hands on it. I just toss it over my shoulder.

5. One whole side of the kitchen sink is mine - no gluten whatsoever, not beer, not suspect mayonaise, nothing, even if it can't make crumbs.

6. The toaster oven side of the kitchen sink is for gluten stuff...I just stay away.

One side of the stove has my spoon cradle, the other has his - never the twixt shall meet.

It's not perfect, but I"m working on it; it's only been a week or two.

I know what you mean about the whole cooking thing. I end up cooking for my husband even though he doesn't get home from work until 10 sometimes at night, when I'm done eating hours earlier. It sucks. He's gotten better - for example, if what he wants is made with bread, he seems willing to do it himself since I shouldn't be around the bread too much (or at least that's the way I made it sound).

Good luck. I know it's tough. I don't have kids (though I do have one friend who cooks at my house who is a lot like a teenager and I just don't let him do it unsupervised), so I can only imagine.

-Sherri

I wish I could; I'm just too new at this. The Food Co-op on Holly and Forest has some deli stuff most of the time. Other than that, I still haven't figured out where I can eat in my own town. For expensive yummy stuff, there is Nimbus, Commercial and Fora maybe for an address, and their kitchen is quite good at accomodating, though I haven't hit them with my new gluten-freeness.

Thanks for the tip in Vancouver -- it'll be helpful for me the next time I visit. Great city you have, by the way.

If you're going to Seattle, that might be better, but I'm still not in the know...I'd title a post looking for eats in Seattle and see what comes up.

ditto that. I always have trouble finding eats in Vancouver.

SLS is a known carcinogen and should be avoided by everyone. I never use anything with it (read toothpaste, shampoo, etc.)

Watch out for antacids - like Pepcid Complete - they also have SLS. I was reading the label looking for gluten the other day while putting green dots on all gluten-free things in the cupboard, and saw the SLS. I didn't dot it.

I'm not Canadian and don't live in B.C., but I'm close - in Bellingham, WA. Welcome.

Well, today was my first visit to the nutritionist since my dx three weeks or so ago. I liked him; he's gluten intolerant himself, so was completely in tune with what to eat and what not to eat from the sotre (offered a Larabar sample even). What we did was add some things to my diet:

1. nuts/dried fruit (walnuts, almonds, raisins, prunes, figs, pumpkin seeds ) a sort of trail mix I can munch on.

2. slow cooked sweet brown rice with a touch of seaweed in the cooking process AND/OR slow cooked millet with a pinch of salt.

3. more cabbagy type veggies (though I already lean this way - ask me for my Brussels sprouts recipe sometime).

4. fruits like apples, pears, berries, and to a lesser extent bananas

Then we took out eggs and citrus to help calm the old girl down (old girl = my intestine).

Then came the expensive bit, the supplements. He swears I won't have to stay on them - he thinks we can get our good stuff from food, especially as well as I eat - only have to fix the old girl first. So:

B12/combo B (by metagenics)

Folic Acid (by metagencis)

Stuff called Endefen by metagenics) (to rebuild the lining)

Betaine HCI (by pharmax neutraceutical) (increase stomach acid)

Digest Gold by Enzymedical (pancreas juices?)

Zinlori 75 (zinc that goes to your lining)

Anyway, it was worthwhile. We'll see how I feel in the next couple weeks. I'll keep you informed.

I think you should definitely get tested. I had all sorts of seemingly unrelated symptoms: canker sores, itchy skin (w/o rash), fatigue, etc. and was told Irritable Bowel...for years before finally asking for the test myself. Surely, a doc who would order an expensive CAT scan will concede to a simple blood test. Good luck to you. There is gluten-free beer, by the way.

-sherri

So - for 17 years I have been poisoning my daughter - and myself!

This is nuts!! We just went through everything in the house - a big job for with a teenager.

Does anyone have any ideas for "cool" nail-polish, eye shadow, and scented hand lotion?

Some nice hand lotion from co-op/health food stores is Shi Kai. I like the amber/sandalwood. their lotions are gluten-free - THEIR SHOWER GELS ARE NOT (oatmeal).

Well, I just read this whole post. Whew!

I think a big danger in our thinking is assuming that anything is right for all people, or wrong for all people. Examples: garlic. Everyone thinks garlic is so awesome - it makes me, my mother, and many others balloon up and be in misery for hours. Wine - good for the heart, right? If you're a man, most likely; if you're a woman, less so and likely to cause breast cancer.

Each persons body is different. I have done well on vegan + salmon + eggs for years, but my husband can't go veggie for more than a day or two without becoming pale and sickly. I know some raw foodists who are remarkably healthy (at least in the summertime), but others who are ridiculously thin and manic.

It seems to me this argument has become about semantics and evidence, when we all know that evidence can happily support any side of this argument, or nearly any other for that matter. Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics...isn't that how that saying goes? We should ask ourselves what is so important to us about convincing the ther person we're right.

Lastly, I recall one person said that they had never known a veggie who thought about their diets. Well, you certainly don't know me. Of course, I know those folks too. They go to the store and just buy replacements for the meat - SOY and DAIRY...and this is in part because of marketing campaigns by those industries. In that sense, I agree. But you seemed to have some disdain for the veggies, rather than for the huge corporations raking in cash at the expense of the health of Americans (including those who eat meat). That's who we should all be railing against, not one another.

I think it is probably illegal for your prof/teacher to deny drinking water. And I certainly ditto the note from the doc about snacking. At the very least, once s/he isn't your teacher anymore, you should complain to the Dean/Prncipal to help those who come after you. It's insane.

is xanthum gum always derived from corn? I thought I finally went corn-free a couple weeks back but still have at least one thing I eat with xanthum gum in it..

Source

Xanthan gum (E415) is a microbial desiccation-resistant polymer prepared commercially by aerobic submerged fermentation from Xanthomonas campestris. It is naturally produced to stick the bacteria to the leaves of cabbage-like plants. It is relatively expensive by weight but becoming rather less so. As the media used to grow the Xanthomonas may contain corn, soy or other plant material, manufacturers should make clear if any residues may remain.

Structural unit

Xanthan gum is an anionic polyelectrolyte with a β-(1->4)-D-glucopyranose glucan (as cellulose) backbone with side chains of -(3->1)-α-linked D-mannopyranose-(2->1)-β-D-glucuronic acid-(4->1)-β-D-mannopyranose on alternating residues. Slightly less than half (~40%) of the terminal mannose residues are 4,6-pyruvated and the inner mannose is mostly 6-acetylated (i.e. the side chains are mainly β-D-mannopyranosyl-(1->4)-(α-D-glucuronopyranosyl)-(1->2)-β-D-mannopyranoside-6-acetate-(1->3)-. Some side chains may be missing.

I have yet to find a gluten-free bread that does not contain rice flour- either frozen or a mix. Maybe the Cebe mix doen't have rice. I'll have to check next time I head to Sun Harvest. Is there such a bread out there that is gluten-free and rice free?

Have a good day!

LyndaK

Open Original Shared Link

haven't tasted it, but found it on the internet. Hope this helps. I was hoping the food for life millet bread was rice-free, but no go. I'm going to give it a try anyway, and let others know how it is.

The glutenevolution also has rice/corn/soy/etc/gluten free banana bread mix.

both "glucose" and "dextrose" tend to come from corn. Malto-dextrin, MSG, HFCS, dextrin, caramel color, xanthan gum, mono and diglycerides .. these are just some of the ingredients that come from corn.

Also, a GREAT company for making cookies and the like is called "Enjoy Life; Eat Freely". They make all sorts of allergen free foods, all of which are gluten free, but also free from dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, corn, potato, sulfites, sesame and casein. Some of the stuff is better than others; their granola is truly bizarre I think - weird texture. But their cookies can be good, especially the snickerdoodle. www.enjoylifenb.com

Hope that helps.

From "Living Gluten-Free For Dummies":

AGA-IgA: the antigliadin tests are less specific for celiac disease, and these antibodies sometimes show up in other diseases (including gluten sensitivity). AGA-IgA is useful when testing young children ... it is also helpful for monitoring compliance.

AGA-IgG: another antigliadin test is useful in detecting sensitivity or leaky gut syndrome."

The one that appears to be best for determining Celiac is the tTG-IgA and the EMA-IgA. If those are positive, it is basically certain you have Celiac.

But, that said, I must say that I've only had bloating/constipation for symptoms most of my life, with some others that I had not connected like frequent canker sores, fatigue, and itching.

Good luck to you!

It is very frustrating! I had gained a bunch of weight because I was on prednisone. Now that I am gluten-free I have gained even more! I know it is because I am absorbing the nutrients now but it is frustrating! Hang in there. For me I feel so much better that I would rather be heavier than not able to get out of bed.

I know what you mean about the Prednisone; I was on it for about 9 months or so a few years ago - my face got moony and I gained 20 pounds. I'm glad to hear you're off it. Nasty stuff! I just read today that some folks gain weight once they go gluten free since they are getting nutrients and calories and the like. I lost 10 #s when I quit wheat - now that I am gluten free (2 weeks), I hope I don't gain it back.

Good luck to you! I'm sure you'll even out and be whatever weight is healthy for you. In America I think we're too obsessed with what the scale says versus how we feel. So long as you feel healthy, that is what counts.

I read that unless your Balsamic Vinegar is certified from the government of Modena, Italy, it may well have brown sugar or other sweetners in it, including barly malt. Thought I'd let you know.

someone in the posts about ethnic origin said something about one of her relatives having "the celiac stomach". Anyone know what this is?

Did you eat garlic? Only an idea - but 3/4 of my painful bloating abdominal nightmare went away when I quit garlic.

I don't know about your drink, I'm a teetotaler myself. Did you try googling it?

This was certainly my biggest symptom when I got tested two weeks ago; phenomenal daytime sleepiness. I had studied it and saw all the sleep problems that it could be; and I do seem to have a stuffy nose for the past two years. Anyway, I put mine down to anemia. I am on the mend there, and seem to be doing better staying awake the whole day and not wanting to stay in bed all day. I do still sleep late - always have.

If your insurance covers sleep clinic stuff, go for it...how fun to know. But I'm just worried about the cost of such things for me, so I'm going to hold out and see how the vitamin/mineral thing will work out.

good luck.