I am newly diagnoised into this wrold of Celiac Disease/ Gluten Intolerance. Unfortunantly I was not able to be tested as I have no health insurance. I have been out of work for a year due to Fibromyalgia and maybe even Gluten Intolerance. I found out of my intolerance due to eating Seitan. For those who don't know what that is, it is a "meatless" gluten product made for vegetarians. Talk about feeling miserable. Hives, burning, severe lethargy, etc. I made a Doctors appt, that got canceled due to snow, so a new appt was made. To prepare for this appt. I purposely ate seitan again. I did not want my Doctor thinking I was being a hypochondriac. Luckily he did not. He took one look at me and said I was Gluten Intolerant. I even had breathing difficulties later that night. I have been eating gluten/ wheat free for nearly a month now and I feel great. I told my mother recently, that I must have had this since I was kid as I always have had stomach problems. She took me to the Doctor when I was a kid, but the tests were negative. Then about 3-4 years ago I woke up one day and could not button nor zip my pants. I had to hold by pants up by safety pins. In a month my weight went up by 20lbs and I started heart burn and acid reflux. I was diagnoised with having acid reflux, but the meds never worked and even when i avoided foods I stil had heart burn and acid flux. My weight has gone up by nearly 60 lbs since that day. And the bloating was bad. I even develped severe IBS. But since I changed my diet and I try to watch it like a hawk, my IBS is gone, the bloating gone, the heart burn and acid reflux gone, my weight is going down, my clothes are getting bigger. Even some of my aches and pains associated with Fibromayalgia ( I was diagnoised with this in August) have lessened some. I have not felt this great, in I don't know how long. I can even breathe while sleeping on my back and right side, which I have not been able to due for the last few years. I can tell that alot of those on this forum, that they consider their illnesses a nightmare. But I see it differently. I've been given a gift. I have been given a new lease on life.

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Welcome to the Forum and the world of better health!!!!



I completely agree with you!! Before I discovered my intolerance to gluten, my life was going from bad to worse. And now, I have a few days where I get bummed out that I can't eat a brownie or pizza, but those days are getting less and less as I feel better and better. I am thankful that my illness can be controlled by food instead of some pill I would have to take for the rest of my life and worry about crazy side effects!!!

Here here!
By the way I was diagnosed as an infant but reintroduced to grains when I was 4. It was downhill all the way. Doctors just didn't get it back then and are only starting to now. I am glad your doc and you figured this out. I had to do it on my own like so many others.
Yolo

hello from another newbie in the gluten-free way of life!
I just wanted to say that your positive attitude towards your diagnosis will certainly help in your return to health...I know that by viewing my diagnosis as "hey--at least now I know what to do to get healthy" rather than "oh poor me, I have to change my life now", I have seen marked improvements in my health even in the month I have been gluten free. (And when there was a slip-up, BOY was I reminded with a vengeance what terrible things I used to live with on a regular basis!)

Bye for now, and welcome!

-Glutina