Celiac Disease

[DVCisME]

If you are going for a colonscopy you are not supposed to start eating gluten free until after the procedure. After eating gluten free the symptoms start to reverse themselves and would not show up during the colonoscopy.
Generally 10-14 days you will start to feel better, much much better. There are some great products and there are some really yuck products. Shoprite also carries a gluten free section. Some good products are kinnikinnick.
I was diagnoses about 2 years ago after having my second son and had to insist on being tested. It is overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it it is a lot easier. After you start eating without gluten you almost don't miss it.
Also be careful with things that seem gluten free-like rice crispie treats-because they do contain gluten in the malt flavoring (barley).
If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me.

 

[Princessbaby]

If you are going for a colonscopy you are not supposed to start eating gluten free until after the procedure. After eating gluten free the symptoms start to reverse themselves and would not show up during the colonoscopy.
Generally 10-14 days you will start to feel better, much much better. There are some great products and there are some really yuck products. Shoprite also carries a gluten free section. Some good products are kinnikinnick.
I was diagnoses about 2 years ago after having my second son and had to insist on being tested. It is overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it it is a lot easier. After you start eating without gluten you almost don't miss it.
Also be careful with things that seem gluten free-like rice crispie treats-because they do contain gluten in the malt flavoring (barley).
If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me.

That's good to know because the Dr. said to get on the diet right away. My thought (the nurse in me coming out) was to just start the diet and if things don't show improvement after a month or so, then revisit the idea of a colonoscopy.
Maybe the reason why he wanted a colonoscopy (which he said in the next week or so) was because I had some scary sudden symptoms happen Mon night and had me scared. When we first sat down he was thinking possible Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Further into it, he stated celiac was a more fitting diagnosis based on my symptoms-my symptoms did not match UC or Crohn's diagnosis.
So, I think the colonoscopy will take a backseat for the time being.

 

[2girlsmom]

Oh, definitely, a nutritionist is a great idea, there is a HUGE list of foods that don't seem to "fit" that you need to watch out for. With Michelle we found out that the only ham is Cook's ham (other hams have thickeners which contain gluten), also no margarine, only real butter, only natural vanilla, only certain brands sour cream and cream cheese as some of these have thickeners, some krispy rice is okay, usually generics are okay (no malt) but Rice Krispies brand is not, there are a couple companies on the market that say GF cookies, for example, meaning WHEAT gluten free, but in at least some cases they use barley or oat flour, which still contains gluten. I work for ConAgra mills, and having my sil with Celiac's, I keep a fairly close eye on it, but I am sure there is LOTS more to know.

 

[sb4k]

After 1 year and a half of mysterious digestive issues my husband made me read the book by Elizabeth Hasselback. Some celiac's don't like that book but her insight made me go gluten free and within days I was feeling better than I had in years. Told the doctor and he said to go all out ON gluten for 3 weeks and then I would be tested (blood). Turned out negative so I just have an intolerance and not celiac. The second book I read was "Gluten Free Girl" who also has that same web site http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/ She had an amazing book. Really it's just a matter of googling gluten free and seeing what web sites will pop up. Personally, I used to work at a library and requested every gluten free book they had. When I found one I really liked, I bought it. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, it's hard to buy products. Amazon is great at that and they have very good competitive pricing with free shipping. Chex Mix cereal for breakfast. Betty Crocker has desserts. We live near a Krogers and they have a gluten free section that covers my basics. Basically you can eat a lot of fruits, veggies and meats. Everything else you just have to read the ingredients. Lunch meat and soy sauce were my surprises. Going out to eat can be a challenge but manageable if you know what to look for. Good luck to you.

 

[Princessbaby]

After 1 year and a half of mysterious digestive issues my husband made me read the book by Elizabeth Hasselback. Some celiac's don't like that book but her insight made me go gluten free and within days I was feeling better than I had in years. Told the doctor and he said to go all out ON gluten for 3 weeks and then I would be tested (blood). Turned out negative so I just have an intolerance and not celiac. The second book I read was "Gluten Free Girl" who also has that same web site http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/ She had an amazing book. Really it's just a matter of googling gluten free and seeing what web sites will pop up. Personally, I used to work at a library and requested every gluten free book they had. When I found one I really liked, I bought it. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, it's hard to buy products. Amazon is great at that and they have very good competitive pricing with free shipping. Chex Mix cereal for breakfast. Betty Crocker has desserts. We live near a Krogers and they have a gluten free section that covers my basics. Basically you can eat a lot of fruits, veggies and meats. Everything else you just have to read the ingredients. Lunch meat and soy sauce were my surprises. Going out to eat can be a challenge but manageable if you know what to look for. Good luck to you.

Thank you- I appreciate your advice. I was thinking of checking some different books out and seeing which one s were the best for me. I was thinking of Elizabeth's book- I'll have to check that out. It's good to hear Kroger has a good selection-I live in Indiana so you and I have about the same stores.

 

[amid chaos]

My DH and DD are celiac.

I am going to suggest that you steer clear of specialty foods made gluten free. Your gut needs to heal and you need to eat "clean". Protein, vegetable, fruits and starch (rice or potato). Do this for a few weeks and then introduce some of the GF bread products and snacks. You will save some money and feel better very soon.

 

[fireworks fan]

DisnyMama, the gold standard for testing is a blood test, and then an endoscopy to check the intestines. However, the blood test is not always conclusive (that's what happened in my case), so a endoscopy is helpful. Scoping the colon would not show celiac disease, but would show Crohns or UC. I've had all the tests, and it was the endoscopy which gave the definitive diagnosis.

How do they test for Celiacs? I have been wondering for a while if maybe....? I've been dealing with -the symptoms, have thought maybe it is IBS since I was about 8 yrs old and I'm going to be 46 this month. The doctors always seem to just blow me off when I mention this stuff. They always bring it back around to my weight and what they think I must be eating but it doesn't seem to matter what I eat, even when it's healthy stuff I still have the problem.

 

[DVC_Princess]

Hi! I was diagnosed last Aug and have been on the GF diet ever since. It's amazing how much better I felt immediately and now if I have even a little gluten, I automatically have symptoms and feel pretty terrible. So it's def not the type of diet that's worth "cheating" on...

Some of my recommendations include Pamela's baking mix (which you can buy online - I use Amazon a lot - to make pancakes and a lot of other staple foods), Glutino crackers and pretzels for snacking, LaraBars for a quick breakfast if ur really in a rush, Bakery on Main Granola (pricey but worth it and so delicious in yogurt), and Tinkyada pasta (it's by far the best around and one of the cheapest kind too - they now sell it in our local Stop-n-Shop).

In the beginning, you can def get by on just fresh fruits, veggies, meats, and potatoes, (and you'll feel so much better) but eventually you're going to start missing some foods and IMO it's better to learn to make it gluten free and satisfy the craving, then be tempted to cheat.

I read Peter Green's book on Celiac Disease when I was diagnosed and it really helped me to see how imporatant it is to be diligent (i.e., a little gluten can hurt a lot). I'm also another fan of Annalise Robert's Gluten Free Baking Classics (this is for when you're getting more used to the diet and feel like trying out some baking and experimenting with new flours). I also found some great recipes on Karina's Gluten Free Goddess website. Finally, Disney is the best place for allergies so yay! for that... I have some links to my dining reviews and pics in my signature if ur looking for a pick me up

Good luck with everything and hope you feel better soon!!!

 

[manning]

An overnite radio talk show host has the disease and has put this up on his site. It may help.

http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/stevejohnnie/wgnam-steve-johnnie-celiac2,0,6659864.mp3file

 

[CharityLynn]

My husband had the blood work done recently and we found out today that he doesn't have Celiac's so they are reccomending a colonoscopy to check for Crohn's and something else (I can't remember) It's a bit scary since he is just 30 years old but we just want him to feel better again.

 

[iggbees]

check out this blog. the ladies on here post some good recipes and places to buy gluten free stuff.

http://www.celiacchicks.com/

i bought my cousin a basket for her birthday from one of the places that those women mention and she LOVED it. she said it was the best gluten free pastries and breads she's ever had.

 

[Princessbaby]

check out this blog. the ladies on here post some good recipes and places to buy gluten free stuff.

http://www.celiacchicks.com/

i bought my cousin a basket for her birthday from one of the places that those women mention and she LOVED it. she said it was the best gluten free pastries and breads she's ever had.

What a great site! Those foods look great- I wish I lived in NYC!

 

[Princessbaby]

My husband had the blood work done recently and we found out today that he doesn't have Celiac's so they are reccomending a colonoscopy to check for Crohn's and something else (I can't remember) It's a bit scary since he is just 30 years old but we just want him to feel better again.

I hope everything turns out okay. Keep us posted!

 

[rparmfamily]

I'm wondering if I have this. I have basically had IBS my whole life (no joke! I remember getting upset stomachs all the time as a kid!) I am diagnosed IBS.

I have lots of the things in cat I, plus amemic and lactose intolerant. Sounds like I should talk to my doctor!

What are the symptoms?

Nevermind, found this from the CeliacChicks blog
THE SYMPTOMS
Below is a tiered checklist of symptoms of celiac disease from the comprehensive book Celiac Disease –A Hidden Epidemic. (Peter H.R. Green, MD and Rory Jones 2006: Back cover)


I. Check each symptom you have had at least once a week during the past three months:
- Bloating, gas, and/or stomach cramping
-diarrhea or runny stools
-Constipation
-Joint pain or numbness or tingling in your extremities
-Itchy Skin lesions
-Constant unexplained fatigue
-Frequent headaches or migraines

II. Check if you have had or been diagnosed with any of the following:
-Irritable bowel syndrome
-Eczema or unexplained dermatitis
-Fibromyalgia
-Chronic fatigue syndrome
-Nervous stomach (non-ulcer dyspepsia)

III. Check if you have any of the following:
-Lactose intolerance
-Osteopenia and/or osteoporosis
-Autoimmune disorders (thyroid disease [hypo/hyper], type 1 diabetes, Sjogren’s syndrome, chronic liver disease) or an immediate family member with an autoimmune condition
-Peripheral neuropathy
-Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
-Small intestinal cancer
-Psychiatric disorders or depression
-Anemia (iron deficiency)
-Infertility

Checking one or more lines in section I and II and having any of the illnesses listed in section III warrants a personal and medical investigation to rule out or confirm celiac disease.

 

[DVCisME]

This is also a great website www.Glutenfreeda.com.

 

[Kaybee]

To check for Celiac Sprue the gastroenterologist will do a biopsy of the small bowel(duodenum) during an upper endoscopy...It is a quick less than 5 min. procedure. Doing a biopsy will reveal if you truly have the disease. It is worth going through if you think you have the disease!