Gluten???

snowfox1
snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone, i have alaways sufferd from bloating, even if i haven't eaten a meal high in fibre, quantity or other usual causes of bloating, i was wondering if there could be a slight gluten intolerance, could this be a cause? i remember a while ago i went low carb for a while and the bloating went away, (which i didnt really eat anything that contained gluten) but dont want to go back to low carb! has anyone else had success with eliminating bloating due to removing gluten from their diet? any help would be much appreciated :) thanks in advance.
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Replies

  • mpcanna
    mpcanna Posts: 2
    I totally know where you're coming from when it comes to the bloating, whenever I eat gluten I feel like I've gained 20 pounds. haha! I have Celiac Disease, which means I'm allergic to gluten. You might have a slight gluten intolerance, and unfortunately there's not really a test for it that you can take other than trying the diet yourself. There is a test but it costs quite a bit to do. Eating a gluten free diet is not really restricting, you just replace. And honestly, I like some things better gluten free. Like cakes. :) Yummy! The one thing you have to be careful of on a gluten free diet is not to over do it when it comes to store-bought treats, because they are sometimes loaded with sugar. So, moral of the story, you don't have to go low-carb to eat gluten free (although, that is probably healthier) you just have to replace your gluten-fied things with gluten free things. Try it, and see if you feel better! Hope this helps. :)
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    Thankyou :):) oh i know about those store GF products pretty bad haha, but i do think i should give it a go, it wouldnt really be that hard at all. think it might be worth a try!
  • Tetonia
    Tetonia Posts: 79 Member
    I don't read labels but I do my best to avoid bread and pasta. This makes a big difference. Milk and cheese also bother me, but not yogurt.
  • PrimalSiren
    PrimalSiren Posts: 144
    You don't have to eat low carb if you're gluten free. There are plenty other sources other than wheat. I definitely stopped bloating when I moved to gluten free. Now that I've been that way for over a year I bloat immediately after eating wheat.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    To those who have an intolerance, how did your doctor check it? Was it a blood test sort of thing?
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    thankyou :) yes i know gluten is only found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats
  • Baileys83
    Baileys83 Posts: 152 Member
    I am now 30 days gluten free (yey go me!) due to recent diagnoses of Celiac Disease (noooo, not go me) and I can honestly say that it has made my bloating go, other people have noticed however hasn't really effected my weight.

    I still eat rice and potatoes and suitable cereals so have not gone low carb with it. I do feel much better, less sluggish. I have talked about this with a lot of people and a real way to see how it effects you is to do it for a month (although it's not as easy as it seem). Gluten free is without doubt the hardest diet related change I have ever had to make. It takes a lot of commitment and it's very easy to slip off it.

    There are possibly side effects too, for example my monthly cycle was thrown completely and the craving for certain foods that contain gluten can leave you with awful mood swings whilst your body adjusts.
  • Baileys83
    Baileys83 Posts: 152 Member
    To those who have an intolerance, how did your doctor check it? Was it a blood test sort of thing?

    I was found out through bloods - it was discovered that I don't absorb iron or vitamin D which is a big clue, Another blood test showed the antibodies to suggest a gluten problem followed by an endoscopy to cut away a tiny piece of your intestine to check for damage which would be caused by gluten if you had Celiac Disease
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Gluten made my stomach hurt! And bloat so bad I thought my stomach was going to burst open! Funny thing is, it hasn't always bothered me. It seems to have came out of no where. I've read that allergies or intolerance can happen like that. My friend had been dealing with gluten problems for a long time, when I told her my symptoms, she suggested takin it out of my diet for a week to see. I did & the problems quit. I can have some gluten. Like supposedly there is some in fake crab meat & it doesn't bother me. But bread, cake, pie crusts...stuff like that, it bothers me. So I try to b mostly GF.
    You totally dont have to b low carb either, to be GF. It's arguable that low carb is healthier anyways. Unless ur diabetic or something like that, I dont think you need to watch your carbs.
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    Gluten made my stomach hurt! And bloat so bad I thought my stomach was going to burst open! Funny thing is, it hasn't always bothered me. It seems to have came out of no where. I've read that allergies or intolerance can happen like that. My friend had been dealing with gluten problems for a long time, when I told her my symptoms, she suggested takin it out of my diet for a week to see. I did & the problems quit. I can have some gluten. Like supposedly there is some in fake crab meat & it doesn't bother me. But bread, cake, pie crusts...stuff like that, it bothers me. So I try to b mostly GF.
    You totally dont have to b low carb either, to be GF. It's arguable that low carb is healthier anyways. Unless ur diabetic or something like that, I dont think you need to watch your carbs.

    thanks so much for your input :)
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    I am now 30 days gluten free (yey go me!) due to recent diagnoses of Celiac Disease (noooo, not go me) and I can honestly say that it has made my bloating go, other people have noticed however hasn't really effected my weight.

    I still eat rice and potatoes and suitable cereals so have not gone low carb with it. I do feel much better, less sluggish. I have talked about this with a lot of people and a real way to see how it effects you is to do it for a month (although it's not as easy as it seem). Gluten free is without doubt the hardest diet related change I have ever had to make. It takes a lot of commitment and it's very easy to slip off it.

    There are possibly side effects too, for example my monthly cycle was thrown completely and the craving for certain foods that contain gluten can leave you with awful mood swings whilst your body adjusts.

    thankyou :)
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    For years I thought I was lactose intolerant, but after a Primal diet experiment (eliminating grains including wheat), and then reintroducing wheat back into my diet, I found that in fact I am intolerant of gluten.

    I have been wheat-free for 6 months, and enjoying dairy again without any of the previous digestive/bloating issues. Happy!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    To those who have an intolerance, how did your doctor check it? Was it a blood test sort of thing?

    you don't need a doctor's test. Just eliminate it for a while (2-4 weeks), then reintroduce. You will have your answer.
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    For years I thought I was lactose intolerant, but after a Primal diet experiment (eliminating grains including wheat), and then reintroducing wheat back into my diet, I found that in fact I am intolerant of gluten.

    I have been wheat-free for 6 months, and enjoying dairy again without any of the previous digestive/bloating issues. Happy!

    oh thats so good i bet your so much happier! yea i really dont think dairy is my problem either.
  • WalkWoman
    WalkWoman Posts: 34 Member
    Read Wheat Belly. It may be that you are not intolerant of gluten specifically but to wheat overall and the many many products which include it. This book has been an eye opener for me. I cut wheat and am no longer bloated and my sugar cravings are gone. In fact my appetite is really under control. Check out the website and you can download a sample of the book from Amazon. It's by William Davis. Hope this helps.
  • hopetoachieve
    hopetoachieve Posts: 19 Member
    Hi! My daughter too has celiacs disease. She used to get really bloated and just feel yucky! She is feeling so much better now. Would love to get some more recipes for her...any suggestions of cook books, etc?
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    Read Wheat Belly. It may be that you are not intolerant of gluten specifically but to wheat overall and the many many products which include it. This book has been an eye opener for me. I cut wheat and am no longer bloated and my sugar cravings are gone. In fact my appetite is really under control. Check out the website and you can download a sample of the book from Amazon. It's by William Davis. Hope this helps.
    thankyou very much! :)
  • Scrimples
    Scrimples Posts: 45
    I'm intolerant of gluten, possible celiac so I've been told. Bloating was a big symptom for me when I ate gluten. I was bloated 24/7 and didn't even realize it until I wasn't bloated after going gluten free. In fact, I thought I was bloated often, but really I was so desensitized to the bloat that when I did note the bloat I was having extreme symptoms.

    I had a blood test and it showed that my sample was highly reactive to gluten-and other things. After that I went gluten free-and other things. I didn't want to do another upper GI so that they could get more samples to diagnose celiac or rule it out. First, I didn't want to deal with the procedure, the anesthesia, and the cost. Second, I'd have to go back to eating the stuff before hand so that they could actually get that sample. I DON'T want to do that. I was glutened, cross contamination, after being gluten free for 6 months and was sick, all those GI symptoms that went away came back with a vengeance and my stomach blew up like some freakish birthday balloon. I was stuck in the house near the bathroom for 48 hours, and my entire abdomen and my arms broke out in rashes bad enough that I looked like I had burned myself. After the first couple days I was okay, not back to normal, but getting there. So I'm not willing to eat it and be sick just to test for a disease that I'm already treating with my diet. If the time comes when it is necessary I'll worry about that then.

    Too much starch and sugar aren't my friends either and so I have to limit those in my diet or I gain weight, even if I stay within my calories. I'm not talking a pound or two either. I'm talking 5 in a day. Just like when I was glutened. Maybe it is a reaction. *shrug* I'll find out soon when my latest test comes back I guess. What I learned through all of this is to listen to your body. If you think it is a problem try cutting it out for a month. During that time be aware of cross contamination and read labels and look up what you buy to be sure they are safe. Being super diligent during the elimination period is important. Mostly so that you can get the most accurate picture of how you feel on and off of the stuff and so you don't have to do it again, because you were accidentally taking in gluten in something you didn't realize or getting it from contaminated wooden spoons and non-stick pans. When the time comes try to slowly add those things back in, one at a time, while being aware of how your body behaves.
  • Scrimples
    Scrimples Posts: 45
    Read Wheat Belly. It may be that you are not intolerant of gluten specifically but to wheat overall and the many many products which include it. This book has been an eye opener for me. I cut wheat and am no longer bloated and my sugar cravings are gone. In fact my appetite is really under control. Check out the website and you can download a sample of the book from Amazon. It's by William Davis. Hope this helps.

    Absolutely. I don't crave things like I used to and I especially don't have that unrelenting hunger.
  • ninipower
    ninipower Posts: 5 Member
    Have you ever ear of the Paleo lifestyle? I am Gluten intolerent myself and can totally not tolerate going low carbs and starve, Paleo is totally Gluten and Dairy free and you take your carbs simply from real food (Fruits, veggies,meat and nuts) No more process food or grains, because let's be real Rice or corn isn't in any way healtier than Wheat....
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    To those who have an intolerance, how did your doctor check it? Was it a blood test sort of thing?

    you don't need a doctor's test. Just eliminate it for a while (2-4 weeks), then reintroduce. You will have your answer.

    This is a very bad answer, as you would not know the difference between a gluten intolerance and celiac disease this way.

    The doctor tests for antibodies, namely anti- tTG and anti-endomysial antibodies (which disappear upon a gluten free diet, so they ask that do a gluten challenge if you went GF before diagnosis), plus a biopsy of the small intestine taken during a gastroscopy to look for flattening of the villi. These antibodies do not appear in intolerances but do appear in celiac disease.

    I am diagnosed with celiac disease for a decade, this is how I know.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
    I have bloating by dairy really really bad. I have other stomach and allergic reactions to gluten but the bloating is generally, for me at least dairy.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    also, if you have celiac disease, there is no halfway on the gluten free diet. You must observe it 100 percent in order to treat it - no wheat, barley or rye. If you consume even a small amount, it will trigger the autoimmune response where your body will create antibodies that destroy the lining of your small intestine.
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    also, if you have celiac disease, there is no halfway on the gluten free diet. You must observe it 100 percent in order to treat it - no wheat, barley or rye. If you consume even a small amount, it will trigger the autoimmune response where your body will create antibodies that destroy the lining of your small intestine.

    im pretty sure i dont have celiac disease but there are many people who have different levels of intolerance to gluten so i will try cutting it out for a few weeks and see if the bloating dissapears
  • Baileys83
    Baileys83 Posts: 152 Member
    also, if you have celiac disease, there is no halfway on the gluten free diet. You must observe it 100 percent in order to treat it - no wheat, barley or rye. If you consume even a small amount, it will trigger the autoimmune response where your body will create antibodies that destroy the lining of your small intestine.

    im pretty sure i dont have celiac disease but there are many people who have different levels of intolerance to gluten so i will try cutting it out for a few weeks and see if the bloating dissapears

    I would never have thought I had celiac disease - I went to the doctor about something else and he did routine blood tests which is when it flashed up. I was bloated but having had a baby 9 months ago I put it down to that.
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    I suffer the same- yes it could be the gluten -try a few weeks of cutting it out and see if there is a difference- also I know Yeast also can do a number on a persons system so you might wanna try that too. :)
  • PaulJRaymond
    PaulJRaymond Posts: 100 Member
    A lot of people are Wheat intolerant, rather than all types of Gluten. Try switching to Rye or Spelt (which is technically wheat, but a variety that doesn't have the same issues as ordinary wheat) Bread and the G/F Pasta has improved immeasuarably (although be very careful not to overcook it). Other than that get carbs from Brown Rice and Sweet Potatoes.

    If that doesn't work, cut out all Gluten and if that doesn't work go to your doctor.
  • shanse21
    shanse21 Posts: 26
    Just a side note... IF you are going to go to the doctor to check out a possible Celiac diagnosis, do NOT avoid wheat before you do. If it hasn't been in your system for a few weeks and you go to get tested, your body may not be reacting in the same way. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-diagnosis-tests

    As everyone else said, your best bet at this point is to try cutting it out for a few weeks and see how you feel.

    I was GF for a few months and it made my body very, very happy. Less bloating, more energy, better skin. My primary source of gluten was bread/cereal, which I just cut out completely instead of replacing with GF options. I keep telling myself I need to give it another shot.
  • hdlb
    hdlb Posts: 333 Member
    Thankyou :):) oh i know about those store GF products pretty bad haha, but i do think i should give it a go, it wouldnt really be that hard at all. think it might be worth a try!


    It is HARD. Unless you are already eating an almost completely "clean" unprocessed diet, its going to be hard. Gluten is in everything. Sauces, medications, spice mixes, granola bars, chocolate bars, gummie candy, gravy mixes, rice krispies (unless you buy the specially marked "GF" ones), just to name a few. The GF bread is gross (to me, anyway), most of the gluten free replacement food are full of crap, and it can be pretty expensive if you buy any of the replacement GF foods.

    If you think you have an intolerance, cut out gluten to find out. But make sure you do it 100%. You can't do it most of the way but sneak in a few bites here and there. It an all or nothing type of elimination test.
  • snowfox1
    snowfox1 Posts: 128 Member
    thankyou to everyone for your advice, i will report back after 2 weeks :)

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