I have had a similar journey with gluten. Went off it for about 3 weeks, felt MUCH better, then the holidays came, I gave in to family and tradition ... Felt terrible again. I have now been gluten free just over one month. I am doing much better ! My symptoms are: allergies, joint pain, fatigue, "flu like" symptoms, headaches, etc...
Almost everything has been at least reduced, but I know from what I have heard it will probably take a few more months to really feel better.

I read in a magazine called Simply Gluten Free that going GF, finding that you do feel significantly healthier and then eating gluten again is not recommended because they think it can trigger autoimmune diseases.

Just "diagnosed" as Gluten-Intolerant after sudden bouts of severe pain and bloating after consuming wheat products. I had a blood test to determine if I had Celiac Disease, that said, the blood tests are inconclusive, mine came back negative. I also have Hypothyroidism and I have read that because they are both auto-immune disorders they tend to both occur. To determine if I have to remain gluten-free I will have no gluten for 6 weeks (another 4 now) then "challenge" my system. It's been tough but to be honest I NEVER want to feel that discomfort again and wonder if I should even bother the challenge!!!

Welcome aboard! I'm Celiac and have been gluten-free since August 2012 (6 months). Add me if you'd like.

I also tested negative for celiac. I was diagnosed as Gluten Intolerant in July. I have been gluten free since then. I know within the hour if I have had something with gluten. Headache, dry sinuses, bloated, abdominal pain, bathroom "issues". It is awful. I am feeling so much better since I have been gluten free.

I grew up always getting sick after eating. I was "diagnosed" with IBS and tested negative for celiac. In November of 2011 I did the FODMAP test to see what my food allergy was- I gave up gluten, dairy and soy for a month and through that I realized that I was definitely intolerant to gluten. I am self-diagnosed gluten intolerant as well. All of my IBS symptoms are gone! Don't beat yourself up for falling off the wagon-- when I first tried to give up gluten cold turkey it was right before Thanksgiving- not a great time to make a huge lifestyle change. I committed in January 2012 and haven't intentionally ate gluten since!

Now if I eat gluten by accident I will know it immediately. Like, get out of my way I have to run to the bathroom NOW and I will feel run down and bloated for days after. Interestingly, non-wheat beers don't do that to me, though I feel bloated the next day. I love beer and have been a grad student, so I can't exactly afford gluten free beers regularly. Heineken, Corona, Bud light don't make me feel sick at all! But I'd still like to phase them out because I get bloated the next day. So I need help too! You can do it!

Hello, I'm a newbie, and like you am not Celiac but am not able to get any satisfaction from Drs about my tummy issues.
Decided to try GF diet so am researching madly to have a better understanding..
Will get all ingredients to make my own bread cos of the high costs to buy made bread.
I'm also trying to fit GF diet into MFP, so have a bit of a job at the moment.
Looking for all sorts of ideas....
Ohh and I live in Australia

I 2nd the nod to Gluten Free Girl and the Chef.

I'm also a big fan of things found out Gluten Free on a Shoestring.

We very rarely buy GF items in the store such as cookies or bread. I found that making them ourselves is both cheaper and tastes better. We normally buy bulk flours/starches from nuts.com or, if we are out and need something quickly, I'll use Better Batter.

I have to watch my overall carb intake, so GF can be hard because most GF items are actually more carbs that wheat. So I have a tendency to just not eat a lot of bread/pasta in general.

This is the recipe I use from The Gluten Free Homemaker. I use a large ice cream scoop to portion it and put them in a hamburger bun pan I bought on Amazon.com but tinfoil pot pie dishes work just fine. I get around a dozen small buns. I also make hot dog buns in a small sized french loaf pan.

: Focaccia Bread and Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
1 1/3 c. brown rice flour
2/3 c. sweet rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch or flour
1 Tb. instant yeast
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 Tb. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 – 1 1/4 c. warm water
4 eggs
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vinegar
olive oil (optional)
Italian seasoning (optional)
coarse salt (optional)
Instructions
Mix the wet ingredients together in the bowl of your mixer using 1 cup of the water.
Combine the flours, yeast, gelatin, xanthan gum, onion powder, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Add more water if it is too dry. The dough should be very soft and sticky.
Transfer the dough to a greased pan. This recipe will fill a large cookie sheet. Or spoon into greased English muffin rings for buns.
Let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Optional: Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and Italian seasoning. (Omit for hamburger buns.)
Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. The top should be nicely browned.


Update 8/24/11:  This week I tried adding 1 Tb. chia seed soaked in 1/4 cup water.  I didn’t change anything else.  It worked great and helped keep the bread even more moist, particularly after freezing.

I think I'm with you. I'm testing gluten-free on the advice of my doc. We'll assess my food journal later this spring. I'm keeping symptom notes in the notes section...so I have my diary locked. It's just TMI for others to see! LOL

I'm questioning dairy as well, based on my journal. But, I'm not sure and I can't wait to get back in with the doc and see what she says.

Good luck in your quest!