Celiac Disease

[Fredkrueger100]

I have been meaning to create this thread for a while. I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 8 months ago. Fir those if you who dont know what it is let me explain it. Gluten is a protein that is found in almost anything containing wheat. So all breads, beer, dough, crusts, and many other foods. It is even found in some medicines and cosmetics. When someone with my disease consumes it our bodies cannot digest it and our body creates antibodies that attack our intestinal track. It actually eats the intestines up. It also causes joint pain. It also can create terrible headaches that can last for over 1 week. It can also kill if not treated correctly. And the only treatment is a lifetime gluten free diet. The disease can also cause malnutrition and anemia. Most people dont understand the difference between celiac disease and gluten allergy. They are very different. I have had a hard time adjusting to this. Even after 8 months it is still a challenge. I am starting to find more gluten free foods in stores but it is still hard. The biggest challenge is eating out. There is a big risk of cross contamination. I have celiac extremely bad. I get bad headaches almost everyday. Even eating gluten free. Do any of you guys have this crap? And how has adjusting been for you?

 

[SoonerP226]

I don't have it, but I was at the Braum's in Purcell yesterday, and they had a bunch of gluten-free products on display near the register. It had been a couple of months since I'd been inside a Braum's, but I'd never seen that product line before, and it was a surprisingly large percentage of their available shelf space.

 

[SoonerATC]

My wife has it. She dropped to 90 pounds before she went to a doctor and was diagnosed. She's been avoiding gluten ever since then and has regained about 30 pounds. It's tough going out to eat, but she doesn't really like to anyway lol

 

[n8thegr8]

My son is allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts, so we basically don't eat out anymore. Because of that though, we've all lost weight, gotten healthier, and save a lot of money, so that's a blessing in disguise...kind of.

Like your experience with the gluten allergy misunderstandings, when I say "dairy allergy" people think "lactose intolerant", and i have to explain that we had to rush him to the emergency room the first time he had formula because he swelled up like a balloon and his airway shut, and we have to carry epi-pens everywhere. As a result, he's basically a carnivorous vegan.

Sucks man, I hope it gets easier to cope with as you adjust. I used to make wise-cracks about all the gluten free stuff, but since the experience we've had with our son, I lament my ignorance of how much harder it is for people with food related conditions.

 

[cjjtulsa]

Brother in law's 10 year old daughter has it; gluten free everything, and she seems to be doing great. Hope you get yours lined out so you can live without pain and other issues involving it.

 

[OKCShooter]

Gladly, for people with Celiac, restaurants are starting to offer Gluten free options...heck, we went to Hideaway today and tried the gluten free pizza...not bad!

 

[reddog1]

My wife has not been diagnosed yet... But we think that is what is going on. She has been sick for over a year.

This s**t has to stop.

Same symptoms that you speak of. headaches for weeks, multiple joint pain constantly. Shes always pushing on her side (near appendix)

She hurts 24/7, the have tried almost everything. EXCEPT testing her for celiac disease.

Thank you for this post.

 

[Fredkrueger100]

My wife has not been diagnosed yet... But we think that is what is going on. She has been sick for over a year.

This s**t has to stop.

Same symptoms that you speak of. headaches for weeks, multiple joint pain constantly. Shes always pushing on her side (near appendix)

She hurts 24/7, the have tried almost everything. EXCEPT testing her for celiac disease.

Thank you for this post.

I am sorry to hear about your wife. I know how she feels. It sucks so bad going through this. I know that many people with celiac live normal lives once they go gluten free. But there are some, like me, that still aren't normal. I eat gluten free and still feel crappy many days. I have the bad headache almost daily. And with that comes a bloated stomach and tiredness. But some days aren't bad at all. I have read that this is something that happens in some celiac disease containing people. I finally found out that I had celiac when I went to the GI doctor and he did an endoscopy. He also did a biopsy. He could tell just by looking at my intestines because they were so deteriorated. But the biopsy also was proof. I would definately get your wife in to a GI doctor ASAP. I know how hard it is to deal with. My prayers are with yall. I hope that she can get this figured out soon and get some relief. Has she tried to go gluten free for a while to see if the symptoms subside any? When I first got it I dropped about 37 pounds. And I wasn't big to begin with. But now I have gained some weight back through weight training but even that is hard to do when you don't feel good all the time. Most people out there just don't have a clue about how bad this stuff is. There have been people that have died from it. But more and more people are starting to learn and do something about it. And to the people that talk about gluten free restaurants. Unless they are completely gluten free then I will not risk cross contamination. An example of this kind of restaurant offering gluten free is Salt Grass steak house. I was going to order a gluten free hamburger but when I looked at the fine print it said they just go off of what their suppliers tell them and that there restaurant isn't gluten free so your food could come into contact with gluten. Most restaurants will say if you have celiac disease to not risk it. Domino's is an example of that. They have a gluten free pizza but it says that if you have celiac to not eat it. I will only eat certain things at certain restaurants. But like I said, some people with celiac don't have it as bad as others. Unfortunately I have it as bad as you can get. I am sorry to hear that some of your children have this.

 

[SoonerP226]

Sucks man, I hope it gets easier to cope with as you adjust. I used to make wise-cracks about all the gluten free stuff, but since the experience we've had with our son, I lament my ignorance of how much harder it is for people with food related conditions.

You want to roll your eyes at the food hypochondriacs out there (you know, the ones who always have the self-diagnosed latest one), but for the people who really have these conditions, it sucks like hell. Back in the '90s, my aunt told us about a kid (don't recall if he was one of her descendants or just someone she knew) who was allergic to corn products--that condition is a particularly big ball of suckage, because they put that junk in everything, even back then.

 

[elwoodtrix]

The liquor store I patronize sells gluten free beer and wine!