If you follow a gluten free/wheat free diet

[sincitylover]

.. did you go cold turkey or phase it out of your diet gradually.

For various reasons I have decided to cut out wheat/gluten from my diet but I have just stopped and seem to be experienced several further digestive probs.

Wondered if it could be cold turkey - withdrawal symptoms (was eating loads of white carbs) or perhaps something else

Have got gp appointment next week - think I am going to ask for food allergy testing as have had stomach probs since age 9 on and off!! They have never been resolved.

[sincitylover]

bump

[nightcat]

With my ds, we did it overnight, becuase I was desperate to see if it would make any difference. Your body will go through a kind of detox and yes, various symptoms can occur. This is because when you were eating gluten, you would have probably acquired various nutrient/vitamin/mineral deficiencies and maybe even gut damage and this could take a long time to correct. Instead of testing for allergies, it might be better to test for vit/minerals deficiencies, the obvious ones are vit A,D,E,K (fat soluble mainly), also B's (1, 6, 12..) and Zn, Mg, Ca and others - then you can concentrate on those foods that provide what you are missing.
You could also try asking for celiac testing if you are feeling truly dire, but in all honesty if going wheat/gluten free makes you feel better, then there are enough products around to keep healthy, although you would not get prescriptions if not proved celiac. To us, health was more important than a piece of paper and now it's a way of life.
Good luck!

[sincitylover]

Thanks this is really helpful. I am feeling slightly better and am hoping the other day was a detox/withdrawal thing.

I will consider the vitamin defiency testing.

[funkycool]

nightcat - I have been considering having vitamin deficiency testing, due to various symptoms I am having.

Do you know who would do this type of testing? I'm thinking maybe a nutritionist but may be way of the mark.

[Angifi]

I learned over a long period of time that being wheat free wasn't enough and it wasn't until I excluded all gluten that my digestive complaints stopped. I was tested for celiac disease, but it came up negative, however I know I cannot tolerate gluten at all anymore I will always get bloating/wind/pain/diarreah if I eat gluten.
It has been great feeling better and although difficult at first, eating gluten free is easy now.
I hope it works for you too.

[thirtypence]

Cold turkey is the only way to go - anything else like cutting down and you are just fooling yourself (just one more slice won't be much different).

[sincitylover]

just a quick update now on day 7 and nearly all of my digestive symptoms have gone!! My digestion seems relaxed(IYKWIM) and so am I!

It does take a bit of thinking through but on the whole not too bad.

if this really is the answer then its almost too good to be true and I cannot believe it has taken me soo long to realise and do it!!

The rash on my hand (which I suspected might be dermatitis herpeteformis associated with gluten intolerance) is also fading.

[nightcat]

SCL, good news!!
Afaik, you can get a test for vit/minerals from a dr, best if you ask for a comprehensive test rather than selectively.
Main things to check for would be Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn, vits A, E, D, K, B etc.

You can also do a hair test privately (eg by Foresight in Sussex), this will pick up quite a lot more, inc some toxic metals.

But in all honesty, once you start eating better, you will be getting better nutrients from real foods.

For us it was also an awesome improvement. The best bit for me is that it puts you in the control, not the dr, and you are not a guinea pig for all the drugs they might throw at the symptoms w/o addressing the real cause.