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Experimenting with Gluten Free diet

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
We are going Gluten free as an experiment on JJ's health :)
He has agreed to a minimum of 3 weeks to one month trial.
I explained to him that even tho his previous biopsies said "no celiac" that it doesn't mean that he doesn't have a Gluten intolerance. That, and his blood tests showed "Possible Celiacs" previous to the colonoscopy.
It has been weighing on my mind for 10 months now that we should at least try Gluten free for him, but I didn't think he would be willing. I think that time is wearing on him and he is tired of not feeling good with no solutions or answers.
So, he has agreed that if we see even slight improvements after 3 weeks then he will continue longer; If not then he will go back to eating whatever he likes LOL.
I think it helps that I and even my husband (who has ZERO health issues!) have volunteered to do it with him, and we will all be very strict. I also had to agree to make his school lunches for him so that he doesn't have to try and figure out what he can and can't eat right away LOL. Easy enough on that part...I sure will miss my bread and pasta tho! haha.

So..anyone have any advice on this diet for us? I'm willing to have any tips, tricks, etc. to help us through this. I'm also going to keep a very detailed food journal during this process. I figure this is a relatively easy "experiment" that won't cause any unnecessary trauma to him and may even help a few of his symptoms :)
 
Can't hurt, and is a healthy way to eat I've read.
For what it's worth, when diagnosing V for those seven horrible weeks, I took her off gluten for ten days and she STABILIZED. I was like, woohoo, that's IT. Celiac.
Then she started right back with sx again.

What are they considering as JJ's possible condition? You know how odd V is and how I think she has something else besides IBD so I'm really curious...?
 
Good luck with diet, as for celiac disease in run Irish side 4 in one generation then my mum and my cousin. I am one with crohn which possible genetic link somewhere.
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
What are they considering as JJ's possible condition? You know how odd V is and how I think she has something else besides IBD so I'm really curious...?
"They" seem to be not considering a thing quite honestly ! No one even seems concerned that he has dropped to the 5th percentile for his height and hasn't grown but a 1/4 inch in the last 2 years.
So...once again, I have been going over and over his blood results from the past year and a half and I am determined to figure out, or rule out, or SOMETHING to help him :)

He is being so positive already. I went Gluten free shopping while he was at school today and replaced an entire cabinet with just those foods, and the refrigerator as well to make it easier on him to know what he can and can't eat. He's made some negative comments, but he's trying hard to be positive and hoping it helps him in some way. :)
 
Oh for God's sake...are you kidding me?
With his sib's hx, they aren't aggressively seeking to find out what may be causing him to have those symptoms?? Arrgh.
I understand how you're feeling then, all too well so here's some stabbing for you and me :voodoo::voodoo:
 
Really they should be active find out why the weight and height is not be absorbing by 'JJ'.

Sorry if words do not sound right, I can not think of way I want to be.
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
WOW! WTG Mum, JJ and Mr T! :panda:

I hate that you have to be doing all this off your own bat T but it's so fab that you are. :)

Now, I have zero experience with gluten free but if ever you need advice on vegan, dairy free and/or sugar free then I'm the man! :lol:

Seriously though hun, I hope it makes a difference in JJ's life...:hug:...Good Luck!

Dusty. x:heart:x:heart:x
 
You had asked for some tips....

The nutrition in gluten-free foods can be quite different than in whole grain wheat, oats etc., especially the protein content, the amount of fibre, the amount of iron and vitamins (especially B vitamins).

Because rice flour that is not whole grain is the main ingredient in many GF foods, your son might find that he is hungrier sooner and craving processed sugary GF foods.

Many GF processed foods and flour blends have less protein in them. Check the labels and look for things like added bean flour or nut flour ( if tolerated, and the extra fat is OK) and products made with quinoa or amaranth for higher protein content. Try cooking with quinoa, amaranth and sprouted brown rice to increase protein, iron, and the amount of complex carbs.

This way he will feel satiated longer and have more sustained energy throughout the day.

Of course if he is very ill, you will want to start off with white rice, which is easier to digest and then gradually move on to more of the whole grain GF substitutes.

Also, if his stools are on the looser side, then you don't need to worry about adding in more fiber; however, if he develops some constipation on the GF diet then try adding back some more fibre, like adding rice bran back to baked goods, stirred into cooked cereals etc.

For the morning rush, I cook amaranth, brown rice or quinoa porridge with added fruit and spices in the slow cooker during the night. Sweeten with a little honey or maple syrup, if needed, add whatever milk he tolerates, and you are off to a good start for the day.

:goodluck:
 
Location
NY
Danny was gluten-free for at least 6 months. (no improvement ... but we may try again) He did not find it that hard (especially compared to SCD) ... but he never liked pasta or pizza much (weird right!?). You can still eat all the meats, fruits and veggies you want so replacing the breads & desserts are the tricky part. Some tips:

- Danny really like these gluten-free english muffins (http://www.foodsbygeorge.com/enmuffins.html). We found them in a local health store but then started ordering them online. Danny had them for breakfast most days, sometimes with eggs.

- There are lots of gluten-free cereals in health stores (some normal ones are also gluten-free if they are made with rice only) Danny was not a big cereal fan.

- Danny likes nuts & tortila chips. (tortilla chips and potato chips are gluten-free).

- I did try a few different types of gluten-free flours for baking... most did not turn out great. BUT ... we loved muffin recipes with almond flour, and the Betty Crocker gluten-free baking mixes are great. We did find some really good pancake mixes (expensive) - so I only made them for Danny.

- Normal things like Rice Krispie treats are gluten free. Even most candy is gluten free.

- Danny mostly had potatoes for a starch with dinner (Hungry Jack to make quick easy single portions) but rice is an easy alternative.

- We did buy some gluten-free breads and burger buns. Toasted they are tolerable.

-Danny ate grilled chicken salads for lunch most days.

-be careful when eating out, ie some chinese recipes do add starch w/ gluten to the sauces - like chicken and broccoli. I used corn starch instead of flour to thicken gravy then.

Danny was also dairy-free ... if you are not then there is a whole load of dairy stuff you could also have for desserts! (ice creams & puddings, yum!)

Good luck!
 
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Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
Good luck Tracy and JJ!! Have no experience to share, just good wishes that it helps! :rosette1:
 
I just wanted to mention that in Canada most brands of regular 'rice crisp cereal' contain barley malt extract which contains gluten, so regular Rice Krispie squares are not GF.

There are several brands of GF 'rice crisp cereal'; however, they are more expensive (of course).

This website is helpful for finding hidden sources of gluten: http://www.celiac.ca/index.php/about-celiac-disease/what-to-question

I am not sure about products available in the rest of the world.
 

Catherine

Moderator
We cook gf cake mixes which taste good. Every supermarket seems to have different products and least in australia some of smaller supermarkets are cheaper on some lines than big ones.
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Wow Thanks everyone for the encouragement, and especially the advice!

Happy..I may be picking your brain soon for more advice! ;)
Re: the rice crispy treats ~ I actually researched those before I went shopping as those are one of his favorite treats. I found out that the Kellogs brand (most popular here) indeed do contain gluten, so we bought a GF brand; hopefully they taste good :)

In all my research so far I am quite surprised at how many items contain gluten/hidden gluten! I mean, Soy Sauce ? Really ??
Not quite as surprised when we had to do a complete "corn free" diet for Gab back in the day ~ that was quite a heart stopper ! It's damn near impossible to find a "packaged food" that does not contain some form of corn :ywow:

Dannys mom, I'm definitely going to have to check out those english muffins ! I know JJ will miss his Bagels so that may be a good substitute !
We bought the almond flour today, as well as some GF bread crumbs, and GF pasta because we are planning on having Chicken Parmesan on Sunday for our Easter dinner and Gab's late birthday dinner combined. I told her we would make her a "normal" portion for her to eat and she said she didn't care and would eat the GF with us ! As a matter of fact after I told her everything I bought to do this today she said she was jealous !! :ywow: LOL. I think she misses home cooking a bit being in college...even GF cooking ! LOL

Catherine we bought some GF brownie and chocolate chip cookie mix to try out, but not cake mix yet. Hopefully they are tasty :)
We also bought a loaf of GF Rice/Almond bread to try as well.

This is definitely going to be interesting!
I made JJ's first GF lunch tonight and he requested Roast beef and Turkey just rolled as "finger food" lol. (he doesn't' want to try the bread yet). I also gave him a watermelon slice, pineapple tidbits, sunflower seeds, applesauce, and a colby jack cheese block ~ oh ya and a few GF snicker doodle soft baked cookies :) I'm interested to hear what he thinks about his lunch when he gets home tomorrow :D
 
Crohn's Mom,
I hate to be the one to keep piping up, "but, that's not GF";however, you did ask for tips...

If the roast beef and turkey are deli meats, they might have gluten in them. I know that it seems crazy that meat products could contain gluten, but some do. It is used as a binder, filler and spice enhancer and is sometimes just marked as "flavour". If the package doesn't say gluten-free, you can't be sure. I usually send an email to the company and ask. Sausages almost always have gluten in them.
 
Oh and Crohn's Mom, I would be happy to answer any questions for you, but don't expect me to respond to any 'tagged' notices because everyone is far to 'happy' (me included--see the first line of this post!) for me to wade through the number of notices I get in a day! :eek2:
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Ahahahaha, happy! happy! happy! At least my only incidental tags are when people are getting down and dirty and dusty!
 
Hi- I have been thinking about posting an update on my son but haven't been sure what I want to ask. He's still undiagnosed, but we are trying this gluten free thing as well.

The short version is that he had his scopes and we are not much the wiser as to what's going on. His upper EGD was fine. His colonoscopy was difficult, with looping and difficulty passing the sigmoid colon; also lousy bowel prep (which is apparently my fault but they need to revise their instructions). Anyway, they terminated the procedure at the transverse colon when he developed bleeding. He was admitted, miserable, etc. but that's done now. What they were able to biopsy and see was normal. I believe we have ruled out celiac disease.

Anyway, the GI said he's too little for pillcam, they're not going near his colon again for a long time, and why don't we try some food restrictions. We have not ruled out IBD but neither is there compelling evidence to proceed with more testing. Nobody but me is sure the growth is abnormal (I read your numbers with interest CrohnsMom! Mine has gained 2 lbs in 2 yrs. He is 6. Height velocity is also falling, though still not low enough to really raise their alarms. I keep wondering why we keep the stupid growth chart at all if they are just going to ignore it!)

We have been gluten, dairy, and soy free for two weeks. I see less bloating but not really much difference otherwise. I was sure he'd lose weight but so far he is actually up a little bit. So maybe we're onto something. We're going to keep this up for a month and then add one back in.

a couple of things-
==You can get gluten free soy sauce (la Choy, I think?) I have also seen gluten free tamari which works as a sub. I am currently using coconut aminos from Whole Foods since we are also off soy. Whole Foods is expensive but they have some good options.
==as someone mentioned Boar's Head meats are GF
==we've had three cake mixes in the last 2 weeks and all agree the King Arthur Flours one was far superior (my relatives thought it was better than the Duncan Hines we had alongside it)
==there are a couple of lines of GF sausage at costco which are tasty. We were eating them anyway before this because they're nitrate free - Amylu has a couple (inc. a breakfast sausage) and we like all the Aidell's we've had so far. (much cheaper at costco than elsewhere)

My son is eating a whole lot of chicken and rice (incidentally his favorite meal before we started this anyway). He's never been a big bread eater so that part has been easy. I am also keeping a detailed food diary; I still think it's very hard to sort out any offending foods. Is he less bloated bc of lack of gluten or bc of the reduction in carbs, for example...

anyway good luck to you and I will be following this thread for more tips and progress updates. :)
 
There are more tests these days for ceoliacs
Which some doctors only do the old test.
Make sure he gets a bone density test to make sure.
I am currently on a gluten free diet which helps a bit
But I till get stomach upset from some gluten free stuff.
If you go gluten free, you need to cut out dairy
Just in case lactose intolerant, make sure u replace
With suppliments or calcium foods.
Be careful and do research on what vitamins you need.
Going gluten free can be good but u may miss out on what
Your body needs.
I find natural sugar helps heal the gut.

Grapes etc.
Make sure you isolate, diabetes and autoimmune disease.
Going gluten free can hide the diagnosis of ceoliac
So he may have to do the gluten challenge before going to a gasto
Ask the gastro for 10 biopsys as one isn't enough
I'm still undiagnosed with osteopenia and
Rashes and stomach pain.
It's a hard journey but gotto do it
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Crohn's Mom,
I hate to be the one to keep piping up, "but, that's not GF";however, you did ask for tips...

If the roast beef and turkey are deli meats, they might have gluten in them. I know that it seems crazy that meat products could contain gluten, but some do. It is used as a binder, filler and spice enhancer and is sometimes just marked as "flavour". If the package doesn't say gluten-free, you can't be sure. I usually send an email to the company and ask. Sausages almost always have gluten in them.
Thanks Happpy ~ I bought Boars Head Brand and it is GF, also so is Dietz and Watson :)
Please keep chiming in all you like ~ :)
I have done a lot of research but I by far I am a newbie at this and want to do it right! That's why I put what his first lunch was today on here :)

LittleC, Welcome:)
I'm sorry your son is having trouble as well. JJ is not quite as young as yours, he's 14. Our biggest concerns are his constant stomach aches, joint pain, low grade fevers, lack of growth, and delayed puberty.
Please feel free to keep adding any tips and advice, and also how your own son is doing.

Dazzafarr, thanks :) I have been doing a bit of research on the supplements, but I figure I will look more into that after the trial is over if we decide to keep him on it. If we do then I plan to contact his pediatrician and let him know what we are doing and see what his recommendations are, if anything, and go from there. The only dairy products JJ can see to tolerate are small amounts of cheese now and then, so we really don't do dairy now as it is.
We already know that he has Psoriasis, which is autoimmune, but nothing beyond that just yet.
 
I have a friend whose mom has celiacs and she herself has gone gluten free in an effort to alleviate some of her own problems, which this diet did.
She makes this awesome cookie recipe off the back of the bag of gf rolled oats they sell at Trader Joes; here is the recipe:

3 cups oats
4 tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup (or more for my recipe) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs, baking soda, and vanilla and mix. Add peanut butter and mix. Stir in oats. Stir in chocolate chips. I usually put them in the oven for 7 minutes, then spin the cookie sheet, and cook for another 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. Super easy!

I know that doesn't help with the food you have to eat on a regular basis (non-dessert, I mean), but you don't have to give up cookies! Provided of course, none of the other ingredients are irritating to his system...

Hope the diet works for him.
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Mayflower537 those sound terrific !!
JJ want's to be a baker/chef, so this is great to give him something to bake AND enjoy while he's doing this diet! Thanks a bunch :)
 
...And the nagging voice, "but, is it GF?" speaks again...

In Canada, regular oats are contaminated with wheat and other gluten-containing grains during storage and processing, so they are not considered to be GF.

However there are several brands of "pure oats" that are certified as GF because they have not come in contact with the other grains. Of course, once again, these oats are much more expensive.

The regular oats will not necessarily have labelling that states they may contain wheat/gluten.

More info here: http://www.celiac.ca/index.php/about-celiac-disease/oats/
 
Mayflower537,
Terrific! A great price. I wish that I could purchase those in Canada! I am just starting to order 'specialty food items' that I can eat in bulk, so that I can get better pricing. The more mainstream GF products get, the better prices for the consumer. Yay!
 
Hi, I used to bake cakes as a hobby/small business and had a few clients with allergies. This is a recipe for Gluten free Cake:
250g (8oz) butter
250g (8oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
250g (80z) gluten free flour
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp gluten free baking powder

Grease 2 8" round tins
Put sugar and butter in a bowl and mix well
Add eggs and mix well
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl then stir into the mixture.
Add the milk and mix
Bake at 180 degrees Centigrade for about 20 mins, until the top is brown and the sides of the cake are beginning to pull away from the tin.

If anyone needs one, I have a really fab recipe for egg-free chocolate cake!
 
No advice, just good luck on your gf journey...it certainly is quite the undertaking (I thought of doing it in the past, but it overwhelmed me lol!)
 
Hi,

For starters don't buy the GF baked goods in stores. It is better to not eat any of the processed GF products when starting the GF diet. Instead stick with whole foods. Personally I wouldn't eat any sauces or seasoning blends at all. Single ingredient spices are the way to go.
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Well it's the end of day 3 and things are going well :)
JJ is conforming to the new "diet" quiet well; Can't say that we've really noticed any "difference", however there are no complaints. By that I mean, he hasn't complained of a "stomach ache" in 2 days! Is this my imagination ? I hope not!
I have no idea if this is just a coincidence or not, but what I do know is that it has been a VERY long time since JJ has gone 2 whole days without saying "My stomach hurts" or "I have a headache", and now we have 2 days....TWO WHOLE DAYS ! LOL . This may sound silly to most, and that's ok :)
We will continue down this gluten free road as scheduled, for 3 weeks minimum and see how it goes.
Btw...We had our completely Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan for dinner tonight, along with GF garlic toast and it was amazing ! We were all very pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it,and honestly didn't taste "too" much of a difference.

Thanks for all the advice so far..and please...keep it coming !
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
WOW! Sounds promising T! :panda::panda::panda: I surely hope it continues.

Has GF made any difference to your symptoms T?

Dusty. xxx
 

Dexky

To save time...Ask Dusty!
Location
Kentucky
Awesome T!! I'm with Dusty…it'd be awesome if you both experienced something of a turnaraound!
 
Keep up the good work with the diet. I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

Our family eliminated gluten after my daughter's diagnosis in January. To say she is doing good would be an understatement.....she is doing great and with no drugs! It's been a good thing for everyone in the family, too. We are eating much better and feeling better. My husband commented last week that he couldn't believe how much better he felt since going gluten-free.

Meal planning has been the biggest challenge, so it was very helpful to find this website called The Fresh 20. Each week, they post a grocery list of 20 fresh ingredients with recipes for 5 nights. Groupon has a coupon for half-off this service, so you might want to check it out:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-fresh-20-san-diego

Another great resource is www.livingwithout.com

Good luck to you!
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Thanks again for the well wishes and encouragement everyone :)

JJ still seems to be doing so well ! Not even a hint of a stomach ache complaint or headache. He's also slowly beginning to not complain as much about being so tired all the time. I'm almost allowing myself to become hopeful !! :)

As for me, unfortunately, no ~ there's been no sign of "help" for me.
I thought the first couple of days might be helping because things in the bm department seemed to be slowing down. However, now the last 2 days I seem to be going downhill a bit. :( My weight has finally stabilized for the last month or so thankfully ~ I am hoping with that at least stays that way. I am a bit worried because I start a new job tomorrow and I haven't worked in nearly 7 months; so the activity may cause me to begin to lose again. I may have to sneak some bread and pasta while I am away from JJ just to keep some extra calories in me ! LOL. My husband was very concerned with me doing this with JJ from the start because his words were " You can't afford to cut out any more foods from your diet !" I told him it would be "fine", but I'm beginning to suspect that he may be right.
JJ will understand If I have to stop tho I am sure ~ he's such a sweet kid and I know he doesn't want me to get sicker :)
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
So fab to hear that things continue to go well for JJ! YAY! :panda::panda::panda:

Sorry to hear things are no better for you though T. :( Have you ever thought about giving psyllium a try T?

Thinking about ya mate, :hug:
Dusty. xxxxxxxx
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
This might sound silly, but I think I am having actual withdrawal symptoms from no Gluten! I have a terrible splitting headache, and just feel blah and very shaky today ~ It's awful; but I really do think it's the NO Gluten. I have always eaten a ton of bread, pasta, etc as it was always "safe" for me ~ meaning no pain usually after eating.
I'm wondering if this could also be why my bowels seem to be going crazy the last few days....is it my body actually releasing "toxins" and its a "good"? thing ?
Are my theories crazy, or should i just go order a large pizza and sub and get it over with? LOL
 

Catherine

Moderator
Crohn's Mom

From what I understand withdrawal symptoms do occur for some people when removing gluten from their diet. How long have you been on the diet now?
 
Hon, you may need more than the gluten free can give you! What you're describing sounds like hypoglycemic reaction to me.
East some complex carbs with fatty protein and see if it resolves. Please. :cookie:
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
Hon, you may need more than the gluten free can give you! What you're describing sounds like hypoglycemic reaction to me.
You were absolutely correct ! Even though I didn't see this until today, you were spot on!
I checked my blood sugar after dinner that evening ( my father in law in diabetic ~ he had the necessary equipment for me) after posting and it was only 65 ! After eating ! Not good at all !
So I tried to get by with drinking orange juice and eating a few lil candy sweets ~ then the next day I felt even worse and was honestly considering taking myself to the ER. I finally said forget it and ate some pasta ~ Lobster Mac N Cheese to be exact ! LOL ~ and presto! I felt a little better within minutes. for the next 2 days I just couldn't stop eating ! Small meals, but a lot of them ~ slowly by the end of that next day I felt "normal".
Honestly, it was quite scary for a bit :ywow:
I am so much better now tho :ybiggrin:
and I won't be trying "gluten free" again, or any other "diet" that doesn't include carbohydrates :shifty:

I felt a ton of guilt because I really wanted to try this with JJ so that he's not alone in it ~ Im grateful that my husband is continuing to stick with it tho and doesn't seem to mind :)

JJ continues to do well and I think it's actually, really, helping him.
He was quite disappointed that I had to stop, but I think he understands how literally sick it was making me and he's ok with it now :tongue:
(hopefully ! LOL)
 
A fatty protein/complex carb combo works better than actual glucose to correct hypoglycemia. Ex a hamburger on whole grain bun. Sugar only corrects it for a short while and you soon feel bad again.
Glad I was of some help! :thumleft:
 
My son was dx with Crohn's and Celiac at the same time, so he went gluten free just hours after his first endoscopy and colonoscopy. We've found that the GF diet is pretty low fiber/low residue in and of itself, which can help with Crohn's symptoms. His first gastroenterologist even said that the GF diet alone was keeping the Crohn's at bay for the first two years after diagnosis and it wasn't until recently that he was put on meds for the Crohn's. I hope you find some relief and success going gluten free!

You can find most anything in a gluten free version these days. If there is something that you find you're using a lot of, check to see if Amazon offers it in bulk. If you sign up for their Subscribe & Save program you get a further discount and can set it up to automatically ship to you every x months. There are some items that we save up to $2 on by doing this compared to buying it in a grocery store. Also check out www.glutenfreely.com. I have to admit, I do buy some things processed... my son has a bulk box of GF cookies at school for him to dig into whenever someone brings in a birthday treat that he can't eat.

Like Happy said, the proteins, iron, B vitamins etc. are very different with a GF diet. Be sure to either monitor or consciously fill in those gaps.

Some of our favorite brands:
Bread machine bread: Pamela's
Other bread, buns, bagels, pizza crusts: Udi's
Glutino pretzels, cookies
Tinkyada pastas

Good luck!
 
I swear by a whole foods approach to gluten free to manage my crohns- whole foods being the key asalot of packaged premade gf products are total junk food (corn starch, potato starch, proccesed sugars ect are triggers for me)

this is my favorite gf recipe ever. I make it a couple times a week and keep leftovers in the fridge to toast on busy mornings- gluten free buckwheat waffles or pancakes (buckwheat has no relation to wheat, it is gluten free)
http://domesticaffair.blogspot.ca/2006/03/putting-w-in-waffles.html

i skip the seeds, sometimes add squash or pumpkin puree and extra spices (cinnamon, nutmeg ect) today I made banana waffles... its a really forgiving recipe to play with!
 
You were absolutely correct ! Even though I didn't see this until today, you were spot on!
I checked my blood sugar after dinner that evening ( my father in law in diabetic ~ he had the necessary equipment for me) after posting and it was only 65 ! After eating ! Not good at all !
So I tried to get by with drinking orange juice and eating a few lil candy sweets ~ then the next day I felt even worse and was honestly considering taking myself to the ER. I finally said forget it and ate some pasta ~ Lobster Mac N Cheese to be exact ! LOL ~ and presto! I felt a little better within minutes. for the next 2 days I just couldn't stop eating ! Small meals, but a lot of them ~ slowly by the end of that next day I felt "normal".
Honestly, it was quite scary for a bit :ywow:
I am so much better now tho :ybiggrin:
and I won't be trying "gluten free" again, or any other "diet" that doesn't include carbohydrates :shifty:

I felt a ton of guilt because I really wanted to try this with JJ so that he's not alone in it ~ Im grateful that my husband is continuing to stick with it tho and doesn't seem to mind :)

JJ continues to do well and I think it's actually, really, helping him.
He was quite disappointed that I had to stop, but I think he understands how literally sick it was making me and he's ok with it now :tongue:
(hopefully ! LOL)
Hi to Crohns Mum and to JJ. May I ask how both of you are getting on? I have a 12 year old son who was diagnosed with Crohns last year and who has just gone GF. I think it may be helping but I don't know if it is just wishful thinking!
 

Dexky

To save time...Ask Dusty!
Location
Kentucky
Hey T, is JJ still doing GF?? We've had EJ on GF for 8 months or so due to eosonophils that showed up on his last scope. It was more a suggestion than a recommendation but it hasn't hurt so we've stuck with it. We use "1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes" compiled by Carol Fenster.

He did not test positive for any food allergies so to be honest we are not as strict as one should be if they truly had celiac but I don't think it would be a huge leap for him.
 

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
No were not doing it any more. JJ decided that it wasn't helping him.
However , he does keep his intake of breads, pastas, etc to a minimum.
Also, recently he said he is considering going back on it because he thinks he was wrong. So, we may be trying it again soon ?
Thanks for the recommendation Dex- I'm glad it seems to be helping EJ some :) are you all doing it with him?
 
Hey! I'm wishing you good luck!
A month before my 'crohns' started acting up and staring causing problem - which we have now discovered it was crohns I was told I have a wheat allergy. The doctors are looking into the possibly link to one another (as well as a few other allergies that we're discovered). I had been having stomach problems for about three years and when we found out that I was allergic to wheat (which is not celiac) we thought all my problems were solved. Unfortunately it was only the beginning, however I wanted to weigh in on some things about going wheat or gluten free from my own personal experience.

The hardest part for me was cleansing the wheat from my body. Usually the first 4 days are the worse. The bloating, cramping and even stools are inconsistent but after the 5th day or so it will get easier. We are generally all addicted to the wheat so we go through a kind of withdrawal from it.
I'm not sure about your son but I have a lot of difficulties digesting raw fruits and vegetables so salads are not an option for me. Typically for lunch I have GF crackers with tuna (I am sensitive to dairy so I don't usually have any cheese) with some sort of fruit (usually baby food cause it's cooked and strained so easier to digest) and some GF granola bar or fruit snacks. Sometimes I will add some nuts depending on how I am feeling. There are a lot of good GF products out there, but there are also some very terrible ones! Planning ahead for meals seems to help keep me on track better then when I spur of the moment get hungry due to the fact that there are very very few fast food chains that offer a safe choice. However most McDonald's fries are safe cause they are fried in different oil - if your stomach can handle it.
But one of the most important tips I could give is EAT WhEN YOUR HUNGRY! The first few times I cleansed of wheat I didn't listen to my body and didn't eat constantly when I wa s hungry and I was miserable and was unsuccessful. In most cases going GF lessens daily calorie intake so your body is starving! And that is okay ( I was scared i was eating too much) but making healthy choice is totally okay to eat all the time. :)

Best of luck! Ohh. And chex cereal is amazing! Keep on touch!
 
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