Do YOU need to go gluten free?

[Wifezilla]

I am still not sure if my issue is gluten or just wheat. Either way, there were symptims that were not diagnosed when I was a child.

Ear infections, tonsilitis, frequent colds and flu, and...the biggie..... HYPERACTIVITY. If i were a kid in school today I would so be on ridalin! Then as a teenager, acne, horrible periods, moodiness, brain fog... it wasnt until I had a terrible hive break out in college that I had allergy testing and it came out I reacted to wheat.

 

[BeccaOH]

Hi, Miss, this is a question I've been trying to wrestle with. I don't think any quick test at the doctor is going to really tell me anything. Besides my doctor on record doesn't know me or my full history, so I'm really just researching it out on my own.

I have lots of symptoms and so far I'm on no meds:
skin flare ups of extremely dry or itchy patches
occasional acne break outs
IBS
I think a MSG sensitivity leading to cramping, bloating bathroom trips
Migraines at least twice a month (including nausea and sensitivity to light and smells)
Depression and mood swings and a clutching feeling of anxiety in my throat
want to sleep a lot with low motivation to move and do
bouts of weakness (not always related to hunger)
briefly dizzy on occasion
some flutters in my upper chest or neck on occasion
poor memory, poor follow through on tasks
unexplained muscle/joint aches that come and go
sinus flare ups (sniffles, runny eyes, headache)
excess ear wax
eye twitch (though not recently)

So far no real issue with acid reflux or many colds or flu like symptoms.

My ability to concentrate and my mood swings seem to get notably worse every decade. I just hit 40 and it is worse than ever. I had my gall bladder out at age 28, and at that time the doctor said I probably had IBS. About ten years later, I went to a wellness clinic and did saliva test that showed presence of Candida Yeast, and I did a cleanse that helped but probably didn't solve anything. Recently (or 6 years later) I've had more mood swings and what probably is depression. I'd sleep most all the time if I could. I wake up feeling like I was run over by a truck. I know thyroid can play in here, but also know that when overtaxed by a leaky gut the adrenal glands suffer.

So, I've been thinking my plan of attack is to heal the gut. I'm looking into supplements like NOW's Candida Clear. But in the process I'm going to attempt (already have started) to remove as much processed food, added sugars, and grains as possible. I'm not going to freak out about a little gluten here and there as I don't think I'm that sensitive -- and it is hard to justify to family and friends when there is no "official" doctor's diagnosis. :/

I'd rather try healing than forever avoiding, so I may eventually end up doing the GAPS diet -- if I can get Mom on board.

It is hard and I applaud anyone who can go totally GF in a family where others still eat it. My mom is diabetic and a lover of bread, cereal, and such. She gives me grief and asks why I'll trust an article online or a book like The Mood Cure or Wheat Belly more than I trust mainstream lines of information like "doctors" or even national news. Then one day she read in Prevention magazine about cutting down on the grains for health and started to believe some of what I've been trying to say -- though she hasn't given up on the grains yet. I love her, but I can also see where diabetes, weak heart, medication, and even food addictions don't help her reason well.

 

[BeccaOH]

Oh, yes, Wife, I have had frequent ear infections and ear tubes when I was around age 4. Hmm Could things have been starting for me that far back?

And to rant a bit, today I mentioned feeling out of sorts and working on mood swings to a coworker, and the first thing they said is to go to the doctor to get check as they are sure there is a med for that. I don't want to be on MEDS! Guess that is why I avoid the doctors like the plague. I've seen what meds have done to my mother. You should see the size of her pill box.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Oh, yes, Wife, I have had frequent ear infections and ear tubes when I was around age 4. Hmm Could things have been starting for me that far back?

And to rant a bit, today I mentioned feeling out of sorts and working on mood swings to a coworker, and the first thing they said is to go to the doctor to get check as they are sure there is a med for that. I don't want to be on MEDS! Guess that is why I avoid the doctors like the plague. I've seen what meds have done to my mother. You should see the size of her pill box.

Oddly enough, our mothers actually get these things started for us, preconception.
Reading your list, you are classic gluten intolerant, which will never show up in a test for celiacs.
Along with that you certainly have some level of adrenal fatigue.
Assuming you have read The Mood Cure, following Julie's guidelines, you should be able to heal.
Just going gluten free will have you feeling better in days!
I have only read bits of her book, and I need to see if our library has it so I can read all of it.

 

[ddyyo]

Mee too. I had issues my whole childhood. Looking back now, I am 100% sure it was b/c of gluten issues. Its been aomost two years GF, and I am so much better off. Not completely healed, but getting there.

don't you bother about the gluten-free menu, here list the gluten-free menu, hope will help you

http://www.hrhtips.com/theme/gluten-free-menu/

 

[raro]

Not trying to be contentious, just curious...I have a friend whose daughter seemed to be gluten intolerant, but after playing around with various grains, etc. to find what worked for her...it seems she was not allergic to gluten, but to the food additives in commercial bread. Once her family switched to homemade bread with organic flour, her symptoms disappeared entirely.
I know there are true gluten allergies, of course. But I wonder if sometimes it's allergies to all the other crap that we put in our bodies...?

 

[Hinotori]

I can't eat most store bought breads. Something they add really messes my guts up and I will pay for it later. Homemade or good quality breads from the bakery I have no issues with. Pasta doesn't cause me issues. I try and not eat to much bread or other grains as it really messes up my blood sugars. Potatoes don't do anything to my sugars (except french fries)

 

[Britesea]

I am also certain that all those preservatives do have a taste to them. I have noticed that no matter how basic a recipe I use, my homemade stuff ALWAYS tastes better than commercial stuff.

 

[k15n1]

So I'm skeptical about the gluten-free craze.

I think wheat/starch heavy diets are correlated with poor health. If you try to go gluten free, you're forced to eat more meat and non-starchy vegetables, which seems to be good for you. I prefer to think of it as better health due to eating more vegetables.

 

[Britesea]

I've seen people who are going gluten-free but seem to spend a lot of time looking for gluten-free substitutes for all their starchy favorites. Seems to me that you aren't really changing your diet to a meat and vegetable heavy diet if you are still eating as much bread, muffins, cakes, pies, pasta, etc. but made with grain that doesn't have gluten in it- as you did before; it's still a grain-heavy diet.