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.

Coeliac disease isn't an allergy, it's an autoimmune disease.

It's definitely worth being tested so if you do have it, you can be aware of added risks as a result.

Coeliac and gluten/wheat allergy or intolerance are different things.
If you have Coeliac disease you really want to know about it as it increases your risk of things like osteoporosis and cancer.
You might just have a gluten intolerance in which case just limiting gluten can see an improvement in your symptoms but I would want to be sure it's just that and not Coeliac.

Just to add, allergy testing won't help with identifying an intolerance.

I have felt so much better cutting out gluten, rather by chance than design. I wanted to lose weight and decided to eat mainly protein, fruit, salad and vegetables and cut out a lot of gluten products because they paired too well with fatty foods and realised a lot of symptoms like bloating, gassyness, loose stools etc simply disappeared.
I love overnight oats (porridge oats, milk, natural yogurt and frozen berries with a spoon of honey)
Granola
Rice mixed with chopped veg
Beans and pulses
I lost weight and felt so much better.
After 3 or 4 months I realised that the palpitations that bothered me in the night had also disappeared.

Watch out OP theres a difference between three different things:

Wheat intolerance- no allergic reaction (no reliable test)
Wheat allergy - IGE response to wheat (blood test)
coeliac disease - autoimmune condition that can’t have gluten (blood test then colonoscopy)

Only reason I mention it is I have family who are coeliac yet I have a wheat allergy. Most gluten free food is good for wheat allergies however there are cases they still use wheat but have removed the gluten. So suitable for coeliac but not suitable for wheat allergies.

If you haven’t been tested for coeliac I would ask for that blood test before going gluten free as you have to eat gluten for 6 weeks for it to accurate as being coeliac has other long term health issues.

If that comes back clear try a wheat free diet