eLaurie

Feedback from those of you doing this is encouraging. Thanks!

I'm six months gluten free, GI issues much better, but depression and anxiety are pretty much unchanged. I'm also at a steady 190 pounds for a 5'5" frame. I've been reading about Paleo and am about ready to try it for a while.

lol ....I just brought out a sample of Benjamin Moore's "Barley" and didn't even think of the irony. It was too yellow, though, so I'm going to try something else.

Enjoy your newly decorated home and your legit "wheat"!

This site has a good list ...linked and copied and pasted info. It's not comprehensive, but if you'll google anything not on it, you'll have your answer.

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EXCIPIENT INGREDIENTS IN MEDICATIONS

Aspartame - An artificial sweetening agent derived from aspartic acid.

Aspartic Acid - A crystalline amino acid found naturally in sugar beets and sugar cane.

Benzyl alcohol - Made synthetically from benzyl chloride which is derived from toluene (a tar oil).

Cellulose - (ethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl, microcrystalline)

Bumping to say the Memphis Christmas potluck was wonderful!

My first "glutening" a few weeks into starting the gluten-free diet this summer occurred when I ordered a salad with no croutons but was brought one with them. I explained to my waitress that I couldn't eat croutons and why, so she took away the salad and brought me one (probably the same salad) with the croutons picked off. I thought the few remaining crouton flakes probably weren't enough to hurt me and ate it, but paid for it all night and the next day in potty time.

Here is an excerpt from "When Temptation Calls" from Columbia University's educational literature Guidelines and Goodies:

I got the Columbia materials at their Celiac Symposium in November. Am not sure if they can be purchased but the contact info is celiac@columbia.edu - telephone number is 212.342.4529. Their website is www.celiacdiseasecenter.org

I'm only six months gluten-free and can't make it yet without my psych meds. Of course I started them years before knowing I was Celiac, but they do still help, especially with sleep.

A recent bit of encouraging news came from a woman I met at our local Celiac Christmas party. She had more neurological/psychiatric symptoms than GI before diagnosis. She was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic and was told that though her GI symptoms would improve rapidly, she would need to be strictly gluten-free for a good 18 months before her brain issues resolved. So though I know my psych meds aren't treating the root cause of my depression, anxiety and insomnia, they are somewhat effective bandaids that I can't currently do without. Seroquel, especially, for sleep.

All vanilla would appear to be gluten-free. Distilled alcohol is gluten-free, and even it werent, the amount used in extract is so small, you couldn't even measure it.

Vanilla being a problem is another one of those celiac urban myths.

richard

That's verified by info I have from Columbia University Celiac Center. Their literature lists all extracts as safe.

OH MY GOD!!!!!! It's finally made some sense to me, after all these years! I, too, started having irregular periods and hormonal changes in my mid-thirties, and had my last period when I was about 38. No one could give me any explanation. I had 2 children by a previous marriage, but my new husband and I wanted to have one of our own -- very frustrating. I started to go through infertility workups at about 35, but ran into some other health issues and stopped (not related to perimenopause). Then my periods ended, so that option was no longer there. I'm now 63 and am flabbergasted to learn that this could have been related to celiac. I've never known or heard of anyone else who went through menopause in their thirties!

There are several women in my mom's family who had premature ovarian failure (POF) in their late 20s early 30s. We had the normal "it just runs in the family", "it's just our genes" response ...same as our thinking regarding intestinal cancers in other family members. Now we know what really runs in the family is Celiac Disease.

Here's an abstract regarding POF and Celiac. Apparently the authors only followed this pt for 18 months, so I don't know if her POF reversed.

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Another abstract of a study that identifies POF as autoimmune - doesn't address gluten, but with what we know of Celiac's systemic autoimmune manifestations, I'll bet if the researchers had looked, they'd have found a connection.

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This abstract looks directly at the link:

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Am so hating reading this thread! I just turned 40, started perimenopause symptoms at 28, had my last period at 33. I've been gluten free since June and just these past two weeks I'm having breast tenderness and reversal of vaginal dryness. I'm so scared that PMS, periods, plus a second menopause are in the future. I've been elated having a happier belly and diminishing depression since going gluten-free ...but I'm not so happy about these latest changes. I am/was? one of those lucky women who had no postmenopausal difficulties following the last period and am?/was? happy to have all that behind me.

The little I can find to read about reversal of premature ovarian failure makes me afraid that this is what is happening.

The Memphis group meets the fourth Monday night at of each month at Wild Oats. Don't think there will be a fourth Monday meeting in December since that falls on Christmas. There is, however, a potlock Christmas Party planned for Dec 11 at 6:30 at a group members home in Memphis. Lisa Trenthem, the contact person listed on the Wild Oat calendar sent out the party date today, but she doesn't yet have directions.

Check the second, more detailed, Wild Oat store calendar at the link below. Lisa's contact info is there.

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My maternal great grandfather was an Irish immigrant. Possible gluten related disorders in the family include two other women besides me with premature ovarian failure, numerous poopy/pooty people including my grandfather who died of GI cancer, an autistic nephew who has responded almost miraculously to the gluten free diet.

How can I track threads in which I've posted? And is it possible to subscribe to threads I haven't posted in yet?

Thanks

Welcome! And how did you deal with the chemistry getting your degree

Sorry, I posted an answer this morning but must have hit preview instead of add reply.

Chemistry is so not how my brain is wired, so take heart!

I plodded ...didn't cut classes, reviewed after lecture, asked questions when lost so the next class wasn't murkier still. I didn't enjoy general chem and organic but liked getting to medical biochemistry and nutritional biochem.

Or do you feel the current food pyramid needs revamping? (I do think that actually....: ) !

Oh, Amen! I've long preferred a variation of the Mediterranean one, but I work with dialysis pts so none really apply to them. I haven't checked to see if there's a Celiac pyramid; if not, maybe we need to formulate one!

OKAY THANKS! AS SOON AS I FINISH THIS TRIPPLE PEANUTBUTTER MOCHA FUDGE MINT STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM SHEET CAKE I'LL DO THAT!

Notice he's offline today. Guess I should check out Nashville area florists, huh?

Ha ha Don't worry Laurie...Vincent is quite the joker. Oh, I think...

Vincent--I think you need some more dairy, calcium. That would help. Why don't you add a shake to your dinner?

LOL ...that sounds like a plan!

Vincent,

In addition to the shake, you might consider adding one of those blooming onions I've been missing from Outback. Eat the whole thing, with an extra serving of sauce, incorporating it into your usual diet plan. With the additional fat, plus the lovely naturally occuring syn-propanethial-S-oxide and gut rumbling spices, your belly will explode, and you'll have no more fitness/health issues. RIP, it was nice knowing you for a short, short while.

Whew, there ...solved that one.

Next, please?

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I'm Methodist, and our church uses a loaf of bread that we each take a small piece of; instead of wine in a chalice we use grape juice in individual little cups. Last Communion, I only took juice.

I read on another forum that some people (Lutherans and Anglicans, I think) actually bake and take a loaf of gluten-free bread that's consecrated and used for the whole church - what I'll probably wind up doing. Catholic posters on that forum validated what you guys are saying here, that the Catholic Church only approves wheat.

Well, I wondered about the gall bladder thing. It's not something I wanted to ask an MD 'cause he/she'd just make me feel stupid.

Thanks for the feedback.

You're welcome. It all gets confusing, I know. I get confused about medicine and nutrition on a daily basis ...and get paid for it. I feel so sorry for people with health problems these days who don't have health care provider friends or family. Unless you have great googling skills and are able to discern what is or isn't trustworthy info, it's difficult.

I'm hoping to learn this week that my sister (a family Nurse Practitioner) can go with me to their symposium/forum in November. If she can't go, I can't afford lodging alone, so am praying she can.

The symposium is for physicians and researchers, but the clinical forum is open to patients. If you're interested, don't let the symposium fees scare you away. You'll want the "clinical forum" no credit hours option described in the second link. NOTE ...fees increase by $100 after August 1.

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Gallbladders cannot 'grow back'. They're storage organs for bile produced by the liver; bile still is produced by the liver and is delivered directly to the GI tract after the gallbladder is removed. This causes irritation to some patients, none at all to others, and some like you for a period of time after which the body adjusts.

Kinesiologists are trained in body mechanics, not organ function. This guy probably saw a tumor or perhaps scar tissue on the cadaver he was examining and made an incorrect assumption that since tonsils (lymphatic tissue) can grow back, anything could. ....Don't my dialysis pts wish!?!??

I hope as I heal, maybe he will see it and become convinced.

Robin, this is part of my prayer for you and your son. That you will heal gluten-free, that your relationship will heal, and that he will be inspired by you to better care for himself.

God bless, dear sister,

Laurie

Count me in, wherever, I'll be there!

I'm new to all this, but wondered about getting Annalise Roberts involved ...good promotion for her cookbook, maybe contacting OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc. for sponsorship. Most of their restaurants have gluten free menus on their websites. Again, great exposure for them.

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From OSI's site:

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, it was founded in 1988 and today operates 931 Outback Steakhouses (domestic and international), 209 Carrabba's Italian Grills, 108 Bonefish Grills, 41 Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bars, 22 Roy's, 35 Cheeseburger in Paradises and four Lee Roy Selmon's restaurants. The company has restaurants in all 50 states, and Outback Steakhouse restaurants are open in 21 countries.

(I'm so excited to know about all their chains! I knew about Outback and Bonefish, but didn't know Carrabba's and Fleming's. Yum!, Memphis has these!)

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Don't let this dishearten you, Jacob.

From the article:

Our cases demonstrate that neurological symptoms may be the first manifestations of celiac disease and may not respond to or even progress during a gluten-free diet.

I have some problems with their conclusion. Case study #2 didn't stick to the diet yet still improved; Case #3 did show improvement. The first case study gave great diagnostic info regarding serum levels and biopsy, but only stated after a year that gastrointestional symptoms and vitamin levels had improved. Apparently there was no retesting of the diagnostic criteria (or they should've, in accordance to correct study design reported it) and there was no mention of compliance, so some non-compliance or accidental exposure to gluten could've been ongoing.

Also, the mention of vitamin level normalization in Case study #1 makes me wonder if these authors weren't neglecting the role of the autoimmune response on brain function which seems to be more the culprit from what I'm reading than vitamin malabsorption.

Another factor that concerns me is time. The authors (this really isn't a research study, but is anecdotal reporting ...so can't really call them researchers) seem to be focusing on a year. Other cases I've read about in the past few days including Open Original Shared Link carry the time-frame out further. The case I linked to in the prior sentence is especially important considering the documented link between thyroid disorder and neurological function. This patient was 18 months gluten-free before her thyroid problems resolved.