Gluten Intolerance & Side Effects

aaliceinw · February 2015

I am not allergic to gluten however I am intolerant, which means that I would rather go for gluten free foods. There are a number of people who say that the gluten free phenomena is merely a passing fad. I suppose it could be true for some but having tested a diet with 70 to 85% decrease in gluten intake over the last 8 months, I know how it affects me when I eat too much of it.

Yesterday I had normal pasta and a small cracker. This morning, the pain in my ankles and heals makes it difficult to walk. My finger joints are not too painful this time, but they do feel as if they have either swollen or have less lubrication. I also bloat and have difficulty digesting and finally, I get all stuffy-nosed and a thickening of the mucuses. It is not a one off reaction, since I have seen had these side effects several times immediately after eating gluten.

My young nephew is completely allergic to gluten and was born that way, so fortunately, I have learned what foods to totally avoid. We don't buy too much off the shelf gluten free products but rather use alternative foods.

I just wanted to share this because although being gluten intolerant is not life threatening, having less of it in my diet makes my life much more pleasant and I don't feel like I have some imaginary disease since I now know what was causing the pain in my joints and contributed to the bloating. By sharing, maybe others will be able to test for themselves and see if it is making a difference for them too.

Sued0nim · February 2015

Do you have inflammatory arthritis? There are a number of auto-immune conditions that can react well to certain elimination diets

That does not discount the fact that the vast majority of people who fall on food fad eliminations do so because they erroneously believe they are healthier ...whereas actually cutting out gluten can increase calorie consumption and lead to higher weight because a lot of the gluten-free foods are higher calories than the food they are substituting for and they are absolutely more expensive

wootrition · February 2015

There's talk of NCGS (non celiac gluten sensitivity) being related to FODMAPs vs. the gluten. www.sciencenews.org/blog/scicurious/separating-wheat-chaff-gluten-sensitivity

aaliceinw · February 2015

rabbitjb I don't believe so unless it is triggered by the ingestion of gluten. The only time I have joints that are so painful that I can't walk properly or move my fingers without a lot of pain is when I eat gluten in larger quantities.

I haven't cut out gluten entirely and try to avoid the "gluten-free" products because they have high sugar content and other stuff in there that I am wary of. I tried some in the beginning when I started on MFP but actually don't like them anyway.

We are fortunate that in SA, many of the healthier choice foods are becoming more and more affordable. Our health insurance companies want us to be fit because they pay out less in the long run, so a pack of gluten free biscuits costs the same as a pack of normal ones for example.

Thanks wootiron. I'll look into the article.

Tlw83 · February 2015

I have a sensitivity too. I have an autoimmune disorder that I'm trying to fight with a better diet including being gluten free as possible. I'm going slowly this time because I don't have a lot of money truthfully. Last time I lost 15 lbs being gluten free for a month.

dotty_elmo · February 2015

I also have Non Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity and it's a massive pain! I'm glad I'm not alone - so many people think your making it up or on a fad diet

are you finding it easy to manage whilst dieting?

MaryCS62 · February 2015

I have a daughter with celiac disease, & when we went to a new years eve party, there were 2 people who were thrilled to see her & her gluten free appetizers & cookie platter, because while they don't have it, one had severe arthritis she controlled by going gluten free, & the other had severe digestive issues whenever she ate gluten. The hostess was also accomadating, with a few gfree options, but it was nice that they had more to choose from.
I know others have said if it's not celiac, it's not gluten that's your problem, but if eliminating it helps you feel better, & eating it makes you sick, why not eliminate?
"My young nephew is completely allergic to gluten and was born that way, so fortunately, I have learned what foods to totally avoid. We don't buy too much off the shelf gluten free products but rather use alternative foods". Your nephew is lucky you understand, my daughter can go to my mom's & eat easily, but going to other peoples, we often have to bring food for her b/c it's too much trouble otherwise.

aaliceinw · February 2015

I had almost eliminated bread and pasta before starting my diet in December Dotty and eat brown rice, lentils, sugar beans, and sweet potatoes on a regular basis. I discovered that I can eat the 100% rye bread and that doesn't trigger anything and gives me a good daily intake of both carbs and fiber. I don't use gluten-free specific products in general because they have so much more salt and sugar. I just try to eat other foods. Someone gave me banting bread, which is actually quite nice but I have no idea where to find it and I wouldn't go out of my way to find it anyway. I am re-learning how to eat properly and i need to be able to find food in my local corner stores.

Mary, my sister used to drop him off with all of his food already pre-packed and prepared. She used to also write out all of the instructions on what to do and what not to do, so I automatically picked up a few tips.

JPW1990 · February 2015

I have inflammation problems with a lot of foods that have gluten, but I also have the same reaction to some gluten-free things, leading to the conclusion that my issue is not the actual gluten itself, but one or more of the other dozens of variables that tends to appear along side it. I went through a pretty vigorous elimination diet years ago, narrowed down a lot of things, and work with what I have left.

I only mention this to suggest that you should be aware of your symptoms even after you're going gluten-free, because it may not be the main or only cause.

aaliceinw · February 2015

Thanks. I try to avoid foods that have additives because they will trigger reactions but the few gluten-free ones that I have eaten did not affect me.

Gluten Intolerance & Side Effects

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