Gluten-free - what can I eat? Overwhelmed!

[FlowerFairyDaisy]

Hello knowledgeable Mumsnetters

I have posted previously a few times about my intense all over itching that has been ongoing for over a year, now.

History of eczema (chronic, from 6 months old) but very manageable in adulthood and always on my hands and face. I am 54.

This itching is different. It's in every area of my body except my hands and face. It is mainly on my feet and lower legs, tops of knees, thighs (the sides and backs, mostly), around my lower back and buttocks and my upper arms and the backs of my elbows. My scalp has recently decided to join in, too. I really feel this is not eczema.

Have not had a period in over a year and unsure when my last one was because until January 2025, I was taking the mini-pill.

I have tried everything I can think of in the last year to stop this itching. It is worse at night. I have seen the GP 3 times and a dermatologist who took bloods (heard nothing back). One of the GP's did suggest a gluten allergy and prescribed antihistamines, I took them for months but they did nothing. I have another phone appointment booked to discuss HRT as I have wondered if it could be hormone-related.

Last night I came back to wondering about gluten again. The reason for this was because I have noticed my skin now has itchy little bumps in some areas. They are not blister-y looking, though like the photos I have seen of Dermatitis herpetiformis. These bumps are incredibly itchy and the skin is raised in the area where the bumps are. My skin is in really bad shape and I have had to use topical steroids on it for a year now to keep things under control (this is the only way to keep functioning).

Sorry TMI but I have noticed that while I do not have any stomach pain, I do seem to be breaking wind a lot and this is not usual for me! My stomach just always seems bloated anyway, so unsure if this in itself is a related symptom.

I have recently increased my intake of vitamins and minerals and added collagen in. Have taken thyroxine for many years for low thyroid, recently checked and within range.

So, anyway, to my point. I think I need to try to eliminate gluten and see if this has an effect. I don't really enjoy cooking and I am feeling overwhelmed, wondering what I can eat and I usually eat quite a lot of bread and cereal.

Would be grateful for suggestions for lunch while at work (I work near lots of shops and tend to go out and buy lunch to have in the office) and simple dinner recipes to get me started.

So far today I have eaten 2 bananas and had a protein shake.

Grateful for any words of wisdom and advise.

Thank you for reading.

You will find lots of gluten free ranges in supermarkets. You could get gluten free flours and make your own bread/flatbreads.
Theres a great site called Hodmedodds they sell dried pulses, soup mixes flours etc. There are recipes on there. Not all gluten free.
BBC Good food has lots of gluten free recipes

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/gluten-free-recipes

Hope it helps and you feel better soon. Have they tested for Coeliacs?

@24Dogcuddler thank you so much!

No test offered for Coeliacs but I will ask about this during my next conversation with the GP.

Thank you, much appreciated.

Whilst I don't enjoy cooking, I do love making bread so this is a great suggestion.

You should be tested for coeliac disease before going gluten free, even if your symptoms aren't textbook. For the test to be accurate you need to be consuming gluteny foods daily for 6 weeks.

Please ask for coeliac bloods and it is important to eat your usual diet before testing
I think it would be helpful for you

I'm 54 too and have been itching in the same places as you for a couple of years- my friend says the menopause is the cause as she had the same symptoms. I also had little raised bumps on my forearms which I attributed to the Covid vaccine.
After a dreadful two,three weeks of stomach issues which kept me up from 4am today, I started researching elimination diets this morning- I've suspected I'm gluten intolerant for some time but never thought the itching could be related!
Apparently there are wonderful recipes in this book- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elimination-Diet-Discover-Making-Better/dp/1455581860/ref=asc_df_1455581860?mcid=11a9eced859d3f1a92a9298a5e9e88c0&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696450770342&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9502466809886046853&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9217899&hvtargid=pla-433998391106&psc=1&hvocijid=9502466809886046853-1455581860-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

Sounds miserable. Poor you 😔
I don't eat gluten. It's actually not that difficult at home but harder out.
I'll eat greek yoghurt with berries and flaxseeds, spices etc for breakfast
Or eggs. Or left overs from dinner. Or nothing, or a coffee with cream 😋

A roast dinner doesn't need gluten. Or most meals really. The only 'gluten free' things i eat are sausages occasionally ( tesco finest are gf) and be careful with stock cubes.

Waitrose lentil or pea pasta are gf and aren't too bad, but I usually just have rice instead.

I think the biggies are bread and breakfast cereals, but they are just habit really. Once you break it, it's easy. Very rarely I'll crave a cheese toastie so i keep one loaf of gf free bread in the freezer for that. Lunch usually soup or cheese or eggs or tinned fish with salad. Or leftovers of dinners if i didn't eat them at breakfast.

Snacks: nuts, cheese, dark chocolate, fruit. But i have found that without bread and cereals my blood sugar levels are more stable so I often go between meals without thinking about eating which is quite a revelation!

I developed a gluten allergy during perimenopause. It initially presented as hives.

Gluten free bread is, generally, shite and ultra processed, which I try to avoid. In terms or carbs, I eat less and, potatoes, rice etc. being completely gluten free is actually bloody hard as it’s found in a many places - malt vinegar, soy sauce 🙄

OP, have a look at your local big supermarket for inspiration. Bread is very hit and miss (mostly miss!) but I do really like the Warburtons tiger loaf and the shar panini's. Warburtons crumpets are nice too. GoFree corflakes are the best I find too.

I find pasta tastes the same, the only difference is its a bit softer, so cook a couple of minutes less and it doesn't keep well (like a pasta bake being saved for a second day).

Also remember that a lot of food groups are naturally GF. It's only really processed stuff and the obvious things made from gluten.

Becky Excel's website is amazing for baking and recipes. I have not found one on there yet that has not been really good.

For eating out, most places now have a designated GF menu or can make options GF.

You will get there OP, just get into a habit of reading all labels (it's amazing where gluten can lurk!) and checking menus before you visit a pub or restaurant.

Thank you so, so much everyone. This is all so helpful.

meat (many supermarket sausages are gf)
fish - fresh/frozen and tinned
fruit
veg & potatoes
rice / rice noodles
gf pasta
beans
lentils
cheese
yogurt
eggs
McCain naked oven chips
rice or corn cakes
hummus
oats
some granola is ok as it's usually made with oats
nuts
nut butters
chocolate :)
this stock is very good if you're making things like soup Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon 150g | Sainsbury's

Totally going off topic but…. Severe bloating and itchiness was the only symptoms I had. Worse after eating gluten. Convinced I was gluten intolerant for a year and I cut it all out. Long story short, it was bowel cancer. I’m not saying this to scare you but I’d feel bad it I didn’t throw it in there. (An over the counter FIT test for a few quid can easily dismiss this concern)

Thank you and I am sorry that you had to go through cancer diagnosis and treatment. I have considered everything over the past year including cancer. I hope you are doing well now?

I did the bowel cancer screening test that comes in the post last year and it was negative. I guess that was the FIT test?

I was diagnosed in 2012 and over the last 14 years being gluten free has ever much easier.
Buying lunch is still one of the hardest things M&S, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all do GF sandwiches, but not every store will stock them and if they do they will only get couple each delivery. M&S do GF sausage rolls, pork pies and some other bits, but in general GF beige food is very hard to find.
Pasta tescos GF finest is made in Italy and good, Sainsbury’s also stock a good Italian brand. Coeliac disease is very common in Italy so Italian GF products are very good.
Bread I like warburtons in particular the white square rolls. Sainsbury’s hot cross buns in particular the apple and cinnamons ones are the best.
Becky Excell is also my go to website, but most recipes it is really easy to adapt.
You can buy GF soy sauce and if you go to oriental supermarkets many of the sauces are GF, it is just the European versions that have added gluten.

Yes that would be a fit test. Glad it was negative.

clear of cancer now and very grateful I’m not gluten intolerant 😂

cook more dinner - enough to take a meal for your lunch the next day.

Jacket potatoes
salads with chicken/tuna etc.
Dahl
hearty soups
Hummous & crudites

Lots of ideas on instagram

Only 24 hours since I cut gluten out and absolutely no itching at all for the first time in over a year.

Some of my other symptoms were so weird. Strange shooting, pin like (nerve, I think) sensations. Especially up my sides. They’ve also significantly diminished.

I’m so grateful to all the ideas you’ve given me.

I always found shop bought GF bread, cakes etc to be horrible. So making your own would be a great idea.

I do make a lovely polenta and almond flour lemon cake from nigella. It's really nice but obviously gf baking is more expensive if you use almonds.

If you love potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes etc you could make paella/risotto or Chinese style fried rice, (or buy the ready made ones) or potato/sweet pot with filling like cottage cheese, baked beans, coleslaw etc.

Please get the coeliac test before stopping gluten.

I promise you there's nothing worse than giving up gluten, feeling so much better, and then having to go back to eating gluten for a month to get the blood test.

I also found my gluten intolerance was much much worse after a period of being gluten free.

Make Michael Moseley’s gut friendly breakfast bread if you want something bready
Go for rice or potatoes for your carbs

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been going through all of this. It's not pleasant, is it?

Gluten Free produce is now available in all of the supermarkets, etc. It won't be too difficult to find some lunch.

I have another thing to suggest though. You've mentioned the bloating and parping. Has anyone mentioned IBS? I am both coeliac and have severe IBS, which causes these windy things, so I follow both gluten free and Fodmet diets.

One of the symptoms that I had before the IBS was diagnosed was a really itchy scalp. It might be worth considering.

Agree totally.

Yup, this is really important.

Sorry for my ignorance but is it important to have a test? If the symptoms do continue to stop now I’m gluten free, isn’t it safe to assume the link?

When the GP suggested gluten intolerance, he just said try eliminating it. Neither he or the Derm thought that allergy tests were worth doing.

potatoes and rice contain no gluten so choose meals using them. Harder is remembering what has gluten that’s not obvious eg soy sauce caught me out, some stock cubes do. The free from products make life easier these days but things like a baked potato are naturally gluten free

This is many years ago, but my gp told me that they were unreliable. He also said that I'd have to eat gluten for 3 weeks before having the test, which would have made me ill again. He was convinced that the coeliac diagnosis was accurate. I believe that there is now a colon biopsy that can be done too. As it was, I had an upper GI endoscopy recently for something unrelated and there was the evidence!

Don't know if any of that helps.