# Giving up Gluten - The Miracle I Needed



## TooTearyEyed (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi all,I just wanted to share this, in hopes that someone else can benefit.I've suffered from what I thought was IBS-C for 12 years. I had constipation, major bloating and abdominal distention, gas, and bouts of intense abdominal pain. I had been tested for celiac several times, and the tests always came back negative, so I never tried actually cutting gluten out of my diet. I had recently read that a person can still suffer symptoms from gluten sensitivity, without having celiac (which produces autoantibodies that show up in the blood). So I gave it a try.I've been gluten free for 4 months and I'm feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember. The bloating, distention, gas and pain have almost disappeared. (And when I have a bout of gas I can usually trace it back to a restaurant that wasn't cooperative in disclosing their allergy info). I still have some constipation issues, but I can stay pretty regular by having a morning cup of coffee each day. I still have acid reflux, but taking protonix keeps that under control. I also steer clear of beans, which cause gas (that for me shows up as bloating the next morning).I have to say, going gluten free has not been easy (I LOVE ALL THINGS BREAD). My time spent in the grocery has greatly increased, as I have to research everything I buy, and the grocery bill has also gone up. But it has definitely been worth it. If you're going to try, keep in mind it took at least a month before I could see the difference, and probably 2 before I was really convinced. I have a friend who said it took him longer because he had no idea gluten was in so many foods, so he was inadvertently still ingesting it. So if you're really diligent about your research and eating, you will see results sooner.I know this won't work for everyone, but it's completely changed my life for the better. I'm hoping sharing this information can help someone else.Give it a try - it can't hurt.


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## life_goes_on (Mar 14, 2011)

I find this interesting because I have also never tested positive for celiac disease. However, this weekend I had a microdermal test done which basically just showed which foods my body is not tolerating right now and wheat and rye came up red. I have only been off gluten for not even two days and I am already feeling much better with energy.


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## Yarm (Sep 18, 2010)

I am curious about trying a gluten free diet... I have started to replace some of my meals that include gluten with non-gluten items (potatoes instead of wheat cous cous). I am not able to fully go off wheat as of yet because I rely on bran to stave off constipation. Any suggestions?


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## BrandonL (Mar 27, 2011)

Yarm said:


> I am curious about trying a gluten free diet... I have started to replace some of my meals that include gluten with non-gluten items (potatoes instead of wheat cous cous). I am not able to fully go off wheat as of yet because I rely on bran to stave off constipation. Any suggestions?


If you are going to go gluten-free I really think you need to get off it fully. It will greatly depend on if 1) your body cannot deal with the gluten at all or 2) if you only have a slight intolerance. However, even if you have a slight intolerance, you may not see any beneficial results if you are still consuming gluten on a regular basis. This may also be the case if, for example, you are eating bran cereal in the morning and it's the first thing in your body to be digested. I suggest researching alternatives to bran and then going off gluten for two weeks to see if you feel any better. In my experience as a person allergic to most common ingredients in a lot of food (corn, oats, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts), going off gluten forces you to eat more raw foods and consume less "boxed" foods from supermarkets. Even if you don't have a gluten intolerance, you could benefit from going to a more raw-food diet. Beware, however, that consuming foods with tough skins can also lead to problems in digestion - take it slowly.Stay strong. Stay positive.B.


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## Yarm (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi B,Thanks!OK, so I tried getting off gluten (or pretty much) for one week - cut back from about 6 wheat servings a day to one. I eliminated rye as well.I only eat whole foods (except bread!) so I substituted with cornmeal, more veggies and fruit and lentils. The problem is, I became very constipated.I researched and apparently wheat is high in insoluble fibre. I need a lot of insoluble fibre for my type of ibs.I am now eating 3 servings of wheat a day and I am back to normal.Did you have issues with constipation when you first went off gluten?I was ending up having to drink a cup of prune juice plus 6 stewed prunes before even drinking my coffee to have a BM - and this was taking an hour or more each morning. I work full-time so I have to leave the house, get my kids to school etc. by 8am. Any suggestions? I'm willing to try again, maybe go off gluten more slowly????


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## life_goes_on (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm not 100% sure because I have IBS-D, but I take magnesium to stay regular which I've also heard helps with constipation.


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## breakaway (Mar 18, 2011)

TooTearyEyed said:


> I have to say, going gluten free has not been easy (I LOVE ALL THINGS BREAD).


Have you been able to tolerate/enjoy gluten free bread and gluten free pasta?


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## BrandonL (Mar 27, 2011)

Yarm said:


> Hi B,Thanks!OK, so I tried getting off gluten (or pretty much) for one week - cut back from about 6 wheat servings a day to one. I eliminated rye as well.I only eat whole foods (except bread!) so I substituted with cornmeal, more veggies and fruit and lentils. The problem is, I became very constipated.I researched and apparently wheat is high in insoluble fibre. I need a lot of insoluble fibre for my type of ibs.I am now eating 3 servings of wheat a day and I am back to normal.Did you have issues with constipation when you first went off gluten?I was ending up having to drink a cup of prune juice plus 6 stewed prunes before even drinking my coffee to have a BM - and this was taking an hour or more each morning. I work full-time so I have to leave the house, get my kids to school etc. by 8am. Any suggestions? I'm willing to try again, maybe go off gluten more slowly????


In my research, I have found that people with IBS-D need more insoluble fiber in their diets, so if you are experiencing IBS-C then you are probably right about your needs. Here's a wiki article about fiber you might find useful. I had all kinds of issues when I went off gluten. I was constipated, but then I was having diarrhea, because I was consuming too much of one food (I'd find a food I really enjoyed and then I'd eat too much of it too often). Going gluten-free is tough - it's hard to find foods, but here's my grocery list (and, if you'd like, I can send you the names of the exact products I buy, too):Loaf of Millet Bread*Gluten-free (GF) Pasta (There's a great Quinoa GF Pasta out there that puts more grains back in your diet)Pasta Sauce (most sauces that contain a few ingredients are generally GF)CheeseSaladDried Snap Peas (for soluble fiber)Dried Mango Slices (Insoluble fiber that helps with digestion and can help upset stomachs)Mint Tea (helps digestion and calms stomach)Bananas (I eat about 2 every day for balance in my diet; bananas also don't have tough skin like other fruits, so they digest nicely)GF Cereal1 gal Almond MilkTofuThin-sliced, skinless Chicken Breasts (they come in packs of 2 where I get them; all organic, free-range)Rice (whichever grain you prefer, white cooks faster, brown has "more" to it)GF Teriyaki Sauce (from a company called San-J)Seaweed (for Asian style meals)Frozen Potato Wedges (in the French Fry section of the store)Chips (I get a brand called Pop Chips that are neither baked nor kettle fried, they're just "popped" under high pressure)Hummus (for dipping my chips and putting it on my bread if I like)Cream Cheese (for bread in the morning)Jelly (for bread in the morning)LARA Bars (for when I get hungry during the day)Almond Butter Edamame (Soy Beans)That's my staple, "I will always buy these items" shopping list. I, of course, add fruits and veggies depending on the season and I've been known to buy some chocolate candy here and there







.I would suggest making a list of the things you normally buy (literally, write it all out) and then find items to substitute. That's how I came up with my list (example, cow's milk -> almond milk, bread -> millet bread). In the case of my bread, the Millet bread is a thicker, healthier choice anyway, so it didn't really bother me to make that change. White bread is so bad for you anyway - you're not getting a ton of nutrtiional value out of it, so why eat it? This type of diet is one you have to be really committed to and really patient with. It's going to be horrible for a while if you are used to eating certain kinds of foods and are particularly adverse to change, but, if you need to get off the gluten, you're going to be thankful in the long run. I hope this answers some questions and gives you good ideas. Best,Brandon*Snippet from Wiki about Millet :: _The protein content in millet is very close to that of wheat; both provide about 11% protein by weight.Millets are rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6 and folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millets contain no gluten, so they are not suitable for raised bread. When combined with wheat, (or xanthan gum for those who have celiac disease), they can be used for raised bread. Alone, they are suited for flatbread.As none of the millets are closely related to wheat, they are appropriate foods for those with celiac disease or other forms of allergies/intolerance of wheat. However, millets are also a mild thyroid peroxidase inhibitor and probably should not be consumed in great quantities by those with thyroid disease._


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## iluvmunchies2 (Mar 31, 2011)

Hi TooTearyEyed !I am a new member on the forum and just read your message about giving up gluten. I have had very similar IBS-C as you for about 8 years and also was tested for everythingthey could think of. Had a colonoscopy, barium enema (that was fun!), celiac test, they found nothing. my doctor said to try avoiding fried foods and limiting coffee, (no difference) was perscribed a low dosageof Paxil, 10mg a day, he said IBS is a mind/gut communication issue and low dose of Paxil helps a lot of people with IBS. Tried the Paxil and it helped, took the edge off it, the pain was reduced about half way, but still had all the other stuff, constipation, gas, bloating, etc. Oh, also I was told to take two teaspoons of Metamucil with a glass of water in the morning and before going to bed. The metamucil helped too, I thought I would have diarreah but had more frequent movements and no constipation. So, reduced pain, and ease off on the other symptoms but it still was there. I was reading on line about food intolerance and how IBS can be caused or made worse from this. So I decided to try the suggested elimination of one item at a time for two weeks plan to test if maybe I was intolerant to some foods. Gluten is right up there at the top of the most commonfoods to be intolerant too so I decided to start with Gluten. The 2nd day after eliminating gluten I noticed improvement. Then better the third day. Then gradual improvement after that. After two weeks I had no pain, much reduced gas, no bloating, and felt much better. (also noticed I slept better) Now, after 4 weeks, almost zero symptoms,feel great. I am really pleased, its super to feel so much better. ( I wonder why the doctor didn't suggest checking for food intolerance ?) Anyway, read your message and wanted to share my good results with eliminating gluten also. I would encourage anyone with IBS to check for food intolerances like I did, it may not be gluten (but I would start testingfor gluten since it is the most common) other foods might be milk, also artificial sweeteners in diet drinks, and others, look at the list of most common foods and work your way down. The trick is to test for only food at a time. For instance do a full two week elimination of gluten only before checking another. You will likely find somethingyou are intolerant too. Bob


TooTearyEyed said:


> Hi all,I just wanted to share this, in hopes that someone else can benefit.I've suffered from what I thought was IBS-C for 12 years. I had constipation, major bloating and abdominal distention, gas, and bouts of intense abdominal pain. I had been tested for celiac several times, and the tests always came back negative, so I never tried actually cutting gluten out of my diet. I had recently read that a person can still suffer symptoms from gluten sensitivity, without having celiac (which produces autoantibodies that show up in the blood). So I gave it a try.I've been gluten free for 4 months and I'm feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember. The bloating, distention, gas and pain have almost disappeared. (And when I have a bout of gas I can usually trace it back to a restaurant that wasn't cooperative in disclosing their allergy info). I still have some constipation issues, but I can stay pretty regular by having a morning cup of coffee each day. I still have acid reflux, but taking protonix keeps that under control. I also steer clear of beans, which cause gas (that for me shows up as bloating the next morning).I have to say, going gluten free has not been easy (I LOVE ALL THINGS BREAD). My time spent in the grocery has greatly increased, as I have to research everything I buy, and the grocery bill has also gone up. But it has definitely been worth it. If you're going to try, keep in mind it took at least a month before I could see the difference, and probably 2 before I was really convinced. I have a friend who said it took him longer because he had no idea gluten was in so many foods, so he was inadvertently still ingesting it. So if you're really diligent about your research and eating, you will see results sooner.I know this won't work for everyone, but it's completely changed my life for the better. I'm hoping sharing this information can help someone else.Give it a try - it can't hurt.


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## soiledshorts (Feb 12, 2011)

Thanks for this great information, its inspiring!I've been thinking of jumping on the paleo diet, since it's a great diet with zero to little gluten, sugars, and other things that humans aren't supposed to have.


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