Celiac vs Gluten Free
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I don't need a diagnosis to know I have a problem with it. I have been gluten free for 5 years now. I never look back. Gluten is like crack to me and it is highly addictive. I am also under the firm belief that gluten is not good for anyone. Everyone I know who has given up gluten is very happy with their choice. Gluten made me very tired too. I don't feel like I need to defend my decision to anyone!1
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I do not have celiac, which was surprising because I had a lot of the symptoms. Naturopath recommended an elimination diet to see if we could figure out what was causing my abdominal pain and cramping. The list was daunting, so I started with the first item on the list which was gluten. 3 days without gluten and I felt like a new person! I had dealt with abdominal pain for close to 8 years and my doctor had run tests and pretty much told me nothing was wrong. He had prescribed pain meds. To find that I felt so much better just by eliminating a food was maddening! To think that I spent all that time in pain, and that was all I had to do!0
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As my doctor said, ultimately it doesn't matter if it is celiac's, allergy, or other form of intolerance, the end remedy is the same "don't eat it." My test results for celiac were inconclusive, but I'd also been eating gluten-free for a short while after doing my own elimination testing of potential problem foods. I do have a very strong family history of celiac disease though so my doctor put "celiac disease" in my medical file anyway.
Most people don't seem to have any issues when I tell them I can't eat gluten other than to ask me how they can help keep me safe. Some are generally curious as to what my diet looks like, or what problems I had before I stopped eating gluten.
The most push-back I've ever gotten was ironically from a celiac diagnosed family member who told me that since I hadn't been diagnosed via a colonscopy I don't really have celiac disease, and just don't understand that world is out to kill people that do. She's a little paranoid (with some reason) about keeping herself safe, and doesn't seem to grasp the concept that others can have issues with wheat and gluten without having them as severe as she does. Other times she's been a great resource for recipes, restaurants, and general advice so... whatever.
When eating out I usually say that I have a "wheat allergy" because at the time I went gluten-free it wasn't as common as it is now. Most waitstaff have healthy respect for food allergies though and I found framing my issues in those terms generally resulted in the appropriate care being taken.
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Personally I have found the "gluten free" fad a blessing. There is so much more food available today then when I was diagnosed 10 years ago. It's so much easier to date and join coworkers for meals out now. I do have Celiac, so I can honestly say I have an allergy- but frankly I would tell them I did even if it was just a sensitivity. Allergies are taken more seriously than a sensitivity. Happy new year to you all!1
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Hi @Cindure, I think it's a blessing too. Now lots of companies put the gluten free label on their packages so it's easier to buy without having to so carefully read labels and phone the company number on the packages to ask questions.1
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I tested negative for celiac, but have since cut gluten out and many of my problems have lessened or outright vanished. More possible testing to happen next month. If anyone gives me lip for saying I'm gluten sensitive, I'll tell them they're welcome to reimburse me for the medical bills accumulated over the past few years0
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@Zara11 I originally tested 'inconclusive' for celiac disease, but that was after being GF for a few years. I decided NOT to do a gluten challenge to get a conclusive result because it doesn't change my health insurance here, and why set myself back so far and have to re-heal again. It can take up to 3 years to heal the intestines properly even if you are eating strict celiac style but most symptom resolution comes pretty quick, thank goodness. Just keep on with doing what is healthy for YOUR body!
Do you have any issues with other foods (many do if their bodies aren't healed up enough) such as dairy, etc?
cheers!0 -
@canadjineh Three years?! Yikes! I was going to see where I was in 6 months!
Gluten's gone. (At least, I hope it's gone! Gotta be careful with eating out & reading more labels.) I'm cutting down on caffeine & alcohol, and trying to cut out all dairy except for kefir. Need to bump up kimchi, saurkraut eating, etc.Evenings I drink bone broth & golden milk. The occasional cheese shred has slipped in, but so far week 1 has been phenomenal. Chances are I might need to eliminate a few things fully, but in the meantime, the fog, exhaustion, migraines, IBS, and muscle cramps have been either reduced or almost eliminated. Pairing it with supplements suggested by Dr., acupuncture at the moment and possibly more PT for the muscle damage later on.1 -
@Zara11 I get regular updates on Celiac Disease, NCGS, and Gluten Free issues from MedScape (a health professionals' continuing ed site with the latest published peer reviewed studies) and I post them on this group under another thread name. I was a Physio Rehab Specialist, that's why I'm a member: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10104290/medscape-medical-professionals-continuing-ed-site-celiac-disease-gluten-sensitivity-articles#latest
You might find the information helpful for you and your primary care physician.
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thanks!0
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I agree with the people who have said it is not worth going back on gluten to get the official diagnosis. I got referred to an allergist by my DR who was less than helpful, and said since I didn't get "hives" despite my previous allergy tests, I was probably fine. Obviously I wasn't fine since I was going to a DR to figure out why I was always tired, all my blood work came back showing I was super low on pretty much every nutrient despite eating a healthy diet, and I was always sick to my stomach, along with other symptoms. When she did get the blood test she finally did back she left a voicemail consisting of "yeah, you should avoid gluten" ????? I had already started eating gluten free and felt so much better, so when I found out later (from a different doctor, definitely did not go back to that one!) that I would have to go back on it to get an offical diagnosis, it just isn't worth it. My cousin has it, the more I read about the symptoms I believe my father had it, and I have the symptoms so I just assume I am. Either way, it won't change the fact that I have to eat gluten free for my health.1
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Celiac disease has a genetic component. What 'they' suggest is that if someone in your immediate family has been diagnosed, everyone related should get tested too. The quicker you find out/go totally GF, the less likely you are to get the nasty life threatening cancers etc that arise from untreated CD.0
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I am gluten free, due to autoimmune disorders. If people ask why I say due to medical conditions.0
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@MartiB856 many, if not all autoimmune disorders are tied to leaky gut which is often caused by gluten/gliadin proteins in grains. If I was someone newly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that would be the first thing I'd eliminate. Sure helped all my autoimmune issues!1