A Dudette is Hurting…So the Dude Ranch Goes Gluten-Free

Dear Dudette,

Sorry to hear you are in pain. Gluten free gets significantly easier and you have your dad to hopefully keep you from making some of the same mistakes all of us newbies make. My blood work also came back negative for years but they finally did the biopsy and yep, sure enough Celiac. It’s terrifying for sure but you have a great support system which is about 90% of the battle.

My biggest piece of advice: bring food/snacks with you everywhere!

Good luck!

I have had back pain here and there all my life. It wasn’t constant . It seems like it was probably at least twice a year that I would “pull it” and would be unable to stand up straight. Often the only relief was lying down. It would last at least 2 days and sometimes a week and then I would go back to normal. Gluten free – going on 4 years now and the only back pain like that I have had is one time when I know I was gluttened. 1 time .. 2 days after a significant hit.

Joint pain – I have had since my late 30’s? It initially went away completely when I went gf. Now I have it, but I am hoping it is more due to moving to a cold climate.

2 months sounds like a good thing to do.

I have talked about doing the same with both of our kids due to some issues and they have whined. Kudos to you and Mrs. D for just saying “let’s Do This”.

The great thing is you all already know what to do and what snacks are available that are awesome.

Good luck. If it makes the pain go away .. It will take all the “down in the dumps” away.

Yes! I have found relief from joint pain by going gluten free! I was having bad knee pain. The doctor said it was osteoarthritis and to “work through the pain”. Walking up and down stairs was almost impossible. I also started having pain in my finger joints. After going gluten free these pains totally went away! The knee pain flares up when I’m glutened! I hope it works out! Good Luck Dudette!

Hey Dudette,

I feel for ya kid, I really do. I seem to live with health incident after health incident all that I get to blame on my parents because one of them gave me this fun Celiac’s – neither will fess up. (Well my mom is no longer with us, but what’s the point of having a genetic autoimmune disease if you can’t blame your parents?). I digress, I have good days, I have bad days. I’m still not entirely sure what is causing my joint pain because I have some other fun issues that are confounding doctors. But, and that is a big but, I’ve learned to celebrate the things I can do. I took up knitting after my mom passed away and it helps me with stress – if your pain isn’t too bad, it is worth picking up. I also have learned to celebrate the foods I can eat. I’m sure your folks are focused on the healthy stuff, but sometimes you need a treat, and you know what makes all things worthwhile? Chocolate Croissants. I discovered that Mariposa Bakery in CA (no, I don’t work for them, in fact I sadly live across country from them otherwise I would be eating them much more often) has mail order Chocolate Croissants. You are going through a really tough time. Make sure you have a special treat on hand to remind yourself that life ain’t all bad. And just because you are down now, doesn’t meal you always will be. (This pep talk is just as much for you as it is for me because I’ve been on bedrest for the past month and I have to remind myself that it won’t be forever.) Life is just beginning. One other thing that I’d recommend is checking out Neil Gaiman’s TED speech about making art – there is also a great print version of this that is even more inspiring – his main point is that when life hands you a raw deal, use it to make art. So those are my words of wisdom, eat a chocolate croissant every now and then and make art. Feel better Dudette. It will get better. Also, since I’m making a guess about your age (of course I’m in my 30’s and I’m still doing this), one other thing you can do that I highly recommend is do something crazy with your hair. In all my years I’ve learned that one of the only things you can ever control in this life is your hair. I have dyed my hair every color in the book, sometimes do a quick fix with colored hair spray, but mostly just have red hair with black stripes. Covers up the the grey you know. Ah, that’s it, that was my take-away, take control of the things you can take control of and you’ll feel a bit better.

Good luck! We are all pulling for you. And thanks for making me want to order more GF croissants. 🙂

– Meg from the DC area

Yes, going GF helped my joint pain.

For several years I suffered with terrible joint pain, especially in my knees. It was getting to the point where going up or down a flight of stairs was excruciating. The hot, throbbing knee pain would interfere with my sleep. Living gluten free since celiac disease diagnosis in May 2014, my knees no longer hurt. I am back to walking 5kms (that’s 3 miles) almost every day, and working at my part time job, where I am always on my feet. It only took about 6 weeks for the knee pain to resolve. Several of my other celiac symptoms continue to plague me, but the inflammation in my joints is vastly improved. I take no medications or special supplements for joint pain or inflammation.

I wish Dudette huge relief from her symptoms, and patience with adapting to her new lifestyle. I applaud your family for taking such a big step and for supporting Dudette so wholeheartedly. Best wishes to all.

My husband’s cousin’s 9 year old came back negative on blood work, positive on the gene, so they did a biopsy. It was positive for CD.

For me, personally, I had so much joint pain they ruled it as fibro. Unfortunately, a lot of damage was done in the meantime: arthritis set in, nerves damaged, etc. 40 years of poisoning my body unknowingly I’m sure had a lot to do with it.

But it’s funny you mention wrist pain. Mine was so bad I had to drop out of college art classes. And I was good at it! I went to doc after doc about my wrist. You wouldn’t believe all the different diagnosis I got. But GF 1 year later and I still have wrist problems. Last doc I saw 2 years about it said it was related to my ulnar nerve.

For dudette, going GF and giving up your favorite foods suck. But almost everything has a good alternative. Plus, you have an experienced person helping you. Most of us didn’t have that. It’s also a plus how young you are. As you get older it gets harder to do this. Best wishes to you.

So sorry to hear about the Dudette. I was diagnosed 5 years ago with Rheumatoid Arthritis, so chronic joint pain is a specialty. 🙂 Roughly 15 months after I was diagnosed, I went gluten-free, and within weeks, I saw a significant improvement in my swelling and pain levels. The daily grind of any chronic disease is tough though, and mine is the stubborn “doesn’t respond well to medications” kind. The adventure continues, but dropping gluten and processed foods completely from my diet has absolutely improved my joint health, and well, my health in general.

Your experience will certainly be a big help to her on her journey, and I hope she sees major improvement in the coming months. Thanks for everything you do for this community. I wish her, and all of you, a happy 2015!

As a child I suffered from intense “growing pains”. That’s all anyone could call it. In my teenage years I had joint pain mostly in my wrists. After sending out graduation announcements I couldn’t write for a week. Splints, X-rays, you name it, no answers. It was labeled as tendinitis, then was told by a chiropractor he thought carpel tunnel and should have immediate surgery. I didn’t have surgery, and eventually the pain subsided. Have delt with joint pain all through my twenties and then Migranes started. In my thirties the pain intensified, with muscle spasms all over my arms and legs, and I started having GI issues also as well as serious fatigue. I was put through a full body MRI, Celiac blood tests, testing for MS, RA, Lupus, etc all negative. My rheumatologist suggested I remove gluten from my diet for 21 days. Each day was a little better, within 6 mo I was almost pain free. Two years later I only suffer if I’ve been glutened. My family eliminated gluten from the house because I kept getting cross contaminated. My two boys also eat GF all the time. My youngest suffers with GI and upper respiratory issues when eating gluten and has been tested for Celiacs also but he had the scope, Also negative. His gastroenterologist suggested he remove gluten and dairy from his diet. He went from being sick every other week, to the comon cold now and then. The first 3 years of his life were a mess. My oldest has severe constipation and randomly complains of leg pain. I switched him over and has helped him too. Likely more than you asked for. 😉 Good luck to your dudette!!

I had serious joint (shoulder, wrist, knee, lower back) problems before I gave up gluten. Tell the dudette that it DOES get better! Taking bromelain and tumeric helps me a lot. I always know I have been glutened when I wake up with stiff arms and legs, or have wrist pain (like what I imagine carpal tunnel feels like).

I had moments I couldn’t even walk, because of changes in the weather. Now? I may feel a little uncomfortable at times but it is usually tolerable. I should note this pain started in my early 20’s, so I wasn’t exactly an old lady! Haha 🙂

I have Celiac. And I have five kids. I was diagnosed in Oct. 2013 and I immediately knew I wanted my kids tested. And I knew in the back of my mind which kid might come back positive. My 12 year old daughter has always had weird vague symptoms. Years of JOINT PAIN in her knees, insomnia, fatigue, etc… The doctor always dismissed it b/c it wasn’t severe, but I knew something just wasn’t right. And it was getting worse. Her Celiac blood tests came back positive and an endoscopy confirmed it. She has Celiac Disease just like me.

Since giving up gluten she is a different kid. It took a few months, but so many of her symptoms have improved or disappeared. It’s been exactly a year. She has been accidentally glutened about three times and her immediate symptom is joint pain and headache. No stomach issues. Her joint pain gets so bad that she can hardly walk. It’s pitiful and sad. It’s amazing that gluten can do that to her joints. We are so happy for answers. We could have spent YEARS trying to figure it out. So, I am thankful for my diagnosis b/c it led to hers. We are on the road to recovery and healing. Best wishes to Dudette! I really hope this is the answer for you and find relief!!!

Oh, Dudette. That’s hard, honey, but it’ll get easier.

I went GF almost primarily BECAUSE of joint and muscle pain. I’ve never been diagnosed with Celiac, mainly because I went GF before I got tested, but there’s no way in hell I’m doing a gluten challenge. I can’t face that level of pain again, it was awful. I had a chronic limp, had to take stairs one at a time, couldn’t sleep at night because my legs and hips and back were so bad. Looking back, I had symptoms reaching into my teens. I wish I’d known to go GF two decades ago, maybe I wouldn’t feel like I spent my 20s and 30s as an 80-year-old woman.
It might not mean much now, but going GF might change your life. Hopefully you’ll never have to meet the sick you. Hopefully you’ll leave her behind early on.
I went GF fully last winter. I can now RUN up the stairs.

To GutenDude and Dudette: I wanted to add my husband’s experience with going GF and the positive results. We are in our sixties so one expects certain aches and pains. But two and a half years ago my husband could not walk without a cane and even short walks were torture. He had already had two shoulders replaced and his knees and hips were a constant source of pain. He was constantly taking Advil with minimal relief. We made the decision to go GF for reasons other than his joint pain but within six months he was beginning to feel better, less pain, more mobility. Two and half years later he no longer needs a cane, can walk for at least two miles without hesitation and the need for knee and hip replacement is no longer an issue. As a matter of fact we were just talking the other day that if we had not gone GF he would probably be using a walker and a wheelchair would be on the horizon. I did not have his joint pain issues but I feel soooo much better than when we ate gluten so we have no plans to return to that way of eating.

Social situations can be hard but we have learned to adapt. We are so lucky to have supportive friends who don’t mind when we bring our own food to parties and picnics. We have also found several local restaurants that really “get” GF. It’s not easy as you know but the health benefits are worth the work. Good luck!

Another possibility: potatoes, especially if they have green skin, eyes, sprouts, etc. This Snopes article gives a good overview, and points out that children should not be fed green potatoes: http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/greenpotatoes.asp

Other nightshade plants (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) also have solanine – if the 2-month gluten-free trial doesn’t help, it may be worth eliminating nightshades for a while. Here’s a good summary on nightshades, solanine and inflammation: http://haydeninstitute.com/additional-resources/additional-resources-diet-and-nutrition/inflammatory-foods-nightshades

I suffered from joint pain for over 20 years before I got my Celiac diagnosis. My entire body hurt all of the time and I assumed this is how everyone in the world felt. It wasn’t until I was 100% gluten free that I finally got to understand that it was not how the rest of the world felt. It is amazing. I feel well now for the first time in my adult life. Since going gluten free, my sister and mother have also switched to gluten free. My mother who suffered from arthritis and joint pain no longer does. And, she does not have Celiac. Just goes to show that gluten can and does cause inflammation in joints and muscles. I wish more people would try this before jumping on the prescription drug bandwagon. More often than not it is directly diet related. I’ve seen it many times in friends, family and support groups. We as a country need to begin looking more carefully at what we eat before deciding to take pills that may actually make us worse. This is my experience.

Also, I truly hope you get feeling better soon Dudette! I wish you all the best for health and happiness in 2015!!!

My joint pain used to be absolutely terrible! It showed up a lot later than my other symptoms, probably when I was 18 but other than my headaches, it quickly became the worst symptom of them all. It got to the point where I had to run my hands under cold water multiple times a day or have a cold drink nearby to wrap my hands around. I couldn’t sit for longer than a few minutes because of my knees (and I was just starting college trying to get a degree for a desk job!). I even started going to sleep with ice on my knees to help with the burning and aching. The good news is, I have zero joint pain today! If I get glutened, the pain will come back immediately and sometimes gets to the point where I have trouble walking. I know everyone’s symptoms are different and respond to different things but the last 2 times I got glutened, I pulled out some bone broth I always keep in my freezer. I sipped on that and the single symptom that disappeared was the joint pain. it came back both times once I ran out of broth but when I had it, it was a great relief! I would definitely recommend trying bone broth to help with the pain to see if that works for you too. Also, be patient while your body heals. I know how frustrating it can be to be in pain all the time and I was fortunate to respond to the gluten free diet so quickly but sometimes, it can take a lot longer. If gluten is the problem, I promise it is worth waiting it out!

First…love getting your emails/posts on facebook. My 11 yr old daughter has celiac. She was diagnosed at almost 6 years old. Like any OCD parent, I dove into research and she went 100% gluten free. Of course, being the supportive parent, I went 100% gluten free along with her. While researching the gluten free diet, I came across several references to the GF diet helping reduce inflammation. It also referenced a lot dealing with hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which I have. After going GF, the joint pain I had been living with daily all but disappeared! I mean, I had a lot of old injuries from being a competitive gymnast..knees, hips, shoulders, etc.. daily pain level was usually about a 6. It went down to a 0 or 1 on the GF diet! More than worth it for me! Because you both will be GF, it will actually be much easier to follow the diet. I think it’s really hard for people who don’t have supportive spouses. She should also look into the Anti-Inflamatory Diet. Mrs. Dude has been thru a lot this year with cancer…stress can cause adrenal fatigue, which can also cause inflammation. She should stay on top of thyroid levels, cortisol levels, do yoga & relaxation techniques and clean eating (as little processed as possible). Good luck!

Lots of great advice on here GD and Dudette. About a year after receiving my celiac diagnosis, I started having joint pain, headaches, and nerve pain in my hands and feet which interfered with everything, as I imagine you can relate to. After a visit to various doctors to make sure it wasn’t something like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, my original family doctor tested my vitamin B12 levels on a hunch and it came back abysmally low. Thanks to my celiac, I don’t absorb it and it’s one of those vitamins that supports nerve and brain health, among other things. Apparently, it’s also one of the most common vitamin deficiencies out there and most don’t even know they’re missing it. I give myself a shot in the thigh every 2-3 weeks (for three years now) and I’m symptom-free. It’s worth a try to have it tested. I truly hope you figure out what is going on and you’re already going in the right direction by cutting out gluten. Stay positive!! And let us know how she’s doing GD!!

Hi there,

Sorry to hear dudette is not feeling well. Hopefully going gf will sort things out for her.

I suffer from problems with my neck and shoulders, not sure if it’s related to having coeliac disease or not but think it is probably a contributory factor. Being on a gf diet has not helped in my case however I do find a few things that do help. I soak in Epsom salts and take a magnesium supplement as this can aid inflammation, I also take a calcium supplement and vitamin D3. I go for physio which includes deep tissue massage, dry needling and exercises. I hope you can find some of this helpful.

I sure dudette will be feeling better soon and find out what is causing it.

Best wishes

Lisa

So sorry, Dudette! The doctors thought I had meralgia paresthetica–definitely very, very painful. Told me it was because I was overweight. Told me the numbness (after the pain) was permanent. After being diagnosed with celiac and going gluten free, pain gone, numbness gone. I don’t trust doctors anyone. Like them, but check up on them all the time.

Dudette,
I get it girl. I was in the same position during college. It’s how they finally diagnosed celiac’s. I had none of the regular symptoms, but my joints were in horrible condition and I got down to not being able to walk without the aid of a cane. I went gluten-free and without a few days was on the road to recovery. The best piece of advice I can give you is to own it for yourself. The moment I finally owned it for me was the day I stopped struggling as much with the emotional aspect.
In the meantime, kudos to your parents. Mine were clueless as to what it meant to be GF (supportive, but clueless), so yours are giving you some awesome direction.

I am another who had pretty serious joint problems for years. It started in my very early 20’s and when it would flare-up for a few weeks I would feel more tired and then my joints became sore and weak (only inflamed and hot one time). It was severe enough That I had a hard time using scissors or my toothbrush, and I couldn’t lift my arms to blow dry my hair.

The pain came and went over the decades and I was diagnosed with celiac disease and hypothyroidism in my late 30’s. The pain actually flared up quite badly 2 months into the gf diet and didn’t go until I had been GF for about 6 months. I know of other celiacs whose joint pain took longer than expected to improve so my advice would be to give the diet 6 months if you can, until the end of the school year, then you’ll have a really good idea if gluten is the cause… If you are anything like me, 2 months gf is not long enough to judge if the diet works for you or not.

Hang in there Dudette. Your youth will work in your favor, and you’ll probably be feeling better in no time.

I’ve been GF for 26 years after experiencing severe back pain along with being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. But I’ll share my daughter’s experience for the young Dudette. Our daughter as a baby cried all the time, always fussy and as a toddler was a never ending whiner. By 5 years old she fought about everything – brushing hair, what to wear, who she was going to talk to or not. Yep. She was something else! Finally one day after yet another round of exasperation as a parent I looked at her and said, “Would you like to try a gluten free diet like mommy?” She never hesitated and said, “Yes!” Two weeks later she was a changed child! I sat her down and said, “What feels different to you in your body?” And she said, “My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore, mommy.” OMG! We had been poisening her with gluten! It wasn’t easy or trendy to go GF back in the 1990s but I always made sure she had her own goodies no matter where she went and she never felt deprived. When she’d go away for a week to summer camp I’d call ahead and find out what their menu was and I’d make ahead and take for the staff to store and give her pancakes, muffins, brownies, pasta, even pizza. Some of the kids wanted HER food because it looked better than theirs! Supportive parents like yours and the knowledge they’ve aquired put you ahead of the game. Hope you get relief!

I had severe tendonitis in my right thumb; hurt from my thumb to my elbow. Couldn’t use a mouse, had trouble writing and holding my books. I also had arthritis in my feet and knees so bad I could hardly walk. After one month of being gf, no more pain! It only comes back when I’ve been glutened. Good luck to the Dudette. I have not been diagnosed as celiac because I refuse to undergo a gluten challenge. The pain would be too much.

I experienced the exact same thing as the Dudette for pretty much all of 2014. Pain started in my wrists last January and the doctor said it was probably carpal tunnel so I was given splints to wear for a month. Nothing changed so I was referred to a Rheumatologist. Pain moved to the back of my hands and sometimes into my elbows. Mostly in the left arm/hand but sometimes in both. The pain was pretty much constant though varying – sometimes it just ached, sometimes it was burning, sometimes it felt like my hand was being squeezed.

Got a bunch of blood work and x-rays, the only thing that came back was low vitamin D. After awhile on vitamin D with no relief. So they sent me for an MRI, it came back normal. I was referred to an endocrinologist for possible thyroid problems. Endo said thyroid was fine for now but something came back showing her I could be susceptible to problems in the future, so get it checked every year (can’t remember what it was now). Also vitamin D had improved, but was still low.

The pain didn’t really go away, I had would have some good days and some bad days. Some days it was so bad I wanted to cry, whether I was using my hands or not. I went back to my GP because nothing changed, she game me a referral for a neurologist and a prescription for nerve pain pills – didn’t do anything but make me dizzy. She basically said she knew nothing else to test for and would just try to treat the pain.

The neurologist did a nerve study and the results were normal. I went back to the rheum and she sent me for a bone scan. Those results came back normal…. at this point I had also gotten all sorts of blood tests done and redone and nothing came back abnormal.

I had specifically asked all of those doctors about gluten. The endo said it could be gluten/celiac but refused to test me for it and just said to try a gluten free diet. The rheum and neuro said it could help if I wanted to try it. One of the doctor’s in my GP office that I saw said that gluten wouldn’t cause these symptoms and would only cause a rash and stomach issues. I had done some research and knew she was wrong. Finally after the bone scan and nerve study, I convinced the rheum to order the celiac tests – I really wanted those done before ditching gluten. Those came back negative and the next day I went gluten free anyway (the week before Thanksgiving….).

Anyway, I’ve been gluten free for almost 8 weeks now and the pain has pretty much gone away completely. It took about a week for it all to subside and I had a small flare up around week 3 but I think I may have been glutened – it was on travel for work in a small town and it came with a crazy itchy rash on my arm (could have been poison ivy as we were walking through tall grass/weeds for work – but I think it was gluten).

So I say to Dudette – try it, don’t go through a year of tests like I did. I was about to try to go gluten free on my own at the beginning of last year before I was referred to all those doctors and then decided against it so I wouldn’t skew any of the tests by changing up my diet. I so wish I would have done it then and saved myself a year of pain.

Hang in there Dudette. I truly hope the gluten free diet eases your pain! We’re all thinking of you and wishing you the best <3

Hello,

So sorry to hear the Dudette is feeling unwell. I applaud you and your family as well as her friends for supporting this tough but doable situation. 🙂

My CD diagnosis preceded a number of conditions complaints and years of…..fatigue, migraines, depression, moodiness, brain fog, memory issues, sore joints, achy joint and muscles, in addition to the GI issues. Liver issues as well…..yes the list just goes on—but a diagnosis and GF lifestyle saw the symptoms immediately start to suside. 🙂

In addition to a GF eating lifestyle, no caffeine or artificial sweeteners (can do nasty things to joints), and supplements including:
Vit D -rheumatologist suggests min for anyone with autoimmune diseases of 2000 ICU (in soft gels NOT tablets–made my joints snap crackle and pop while normal walking and that HURT!),
Vit E, calcium, magnesium and
you might want to consider Tumeric in foods in addition to supplements….think curries or golden milk (tastes good) from ayurvedic medicine and will help get to sleep as well as ease the joints.
coconut oil – to cook and add a bit to the morning smoothie to help “grease” those joints.

feel free to reach out for suggestions or questions, we all as here to help make the FAMILY comfortable.

All the best to everyone at the Dude Ranch for an abundant, healthy, prosperous 2015 and beyond!

Hugs,

Donna

Sorry dudette your hurting, but chin up it does get easier one day at a time, plus you have a rockstar on gluten free living for a daddy so your super lucky there.

When I read your symptoms it was like seeing a ghost, as that is how things started off for me, aching wrists, and joints and one time pain so bad my husband had to with one of my friends carry me into the Ed because I couldn’t move. Like many here , the Dr.s scratched their heads and dolled out a prognosis of diffuse myalgia, that later became fibromyalgia, with no relief outside an epidoral shot. Then I had another bout that I was later slammed into a vegan diet and elimination diet. I had a dr who wanted to find the root of my problems there after finding out what my diet was, but at the time no insurance so in 2012 I waved a very important test that could’ve stopped it all then. As I was scared of money issues and wasn’t to trusting. Years later in 2014, the mountain came down for me after a party, and I woke up at home in so much pain and feeling like I was going to explode from the pressure of the bloating. As I was googling what was wrong CD kept coming up in my searches. Then the hubs woke up, hearing my whimpering and prayers to God, Krishna, Odin and all other deities to please make it stop drug his wifey to the hospital and said take the tests like a champ. for days crickets then a trip to a gi came, the sum of my fears came true, aka Maury style” Silmeria , you do have Celiac disease.” This is the short version of how I found out, but I now know what’s been going on. Sadly for me I had to give up a lot more than gluten, which made me a very sad panda, but one day at a time I am getting better. Plus I’m taking far better care of myself now then ever before. I’m hoping in the end this is all a false alarm for you, but if it’s not your strong and surrounded by again rockstar parents. Hang in there.

Hi! I’m so sorry to hear about your wee lassie! I had numbness in both hands, that came and went, and my joints screamed to the point there were many many nights where my hubby had to sleep in the guest room as his movements while he slept caused me agony. There were more meals than not that hubby had to dice up small so i could scoop them up out of a bowl with a spoon. Not only was holding a fork and knife undo able for me but chewing anything the least bit chewy hurt. As I deteriorated and doctors were no help at all, we turned to the advice of our friends. One had me eating veggie style, within a week I couldnt get out of the chair without help. Then another friend suggested steak cooked no more than medium rare and raw onions, nothing else. And within a few hours I did feel better! I still require an insane amount of protein to physically function. For whatever reason, it only works for me with steak, not hamburger, not roast, but steak. In someway that we cant explain, the onions make a difference as well, yellow, white, red or green, they all seem to work about the same. After finally being diagnosed as a Celiac most of the pain in my joints quieted down. But when my joints flare up, or I get pale, I know its time for infusions of steak, oh with the fat, that seems to make a difference as well. No one can explain why the beef + fat + onions helps, but at this point, I dont care, I can walk again!

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the Celiac Disease Center in NYC about 11-12 years ago, I had pretty serious peripheral neuropathy. I had all sorts of tests, including punch biopsies (painful!) and they couldn’t figure out why I had it or what to do about it. After being GF for a while, it disappeared. I have been GF now for about 12 years and I have never had a recurrence of peripheral neuropathy. I have jumped on and off the paleo or SCD diet, but sometimes I buy GF ‘regular’ foods, as well. I have done best when I have had intravenous vitamins and lots of oral supplements. I also gave myself B12 shots 3x a week when I was at my sickest point. I still take a huge dose of Vitamin D. (50,000 IU). It certainly helps a lot of things. I encourage you to have Dudette tested for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I was really surprised at how bad my numbers were for basic things like magnesium, folic acid, D, B12, iron, vitamin C, etc. I blame it on lack of absorption due to the celiac and LC. The huge doses helped a lot to combat the pains, fatigue, etc. You might also want to test for Lyme Disease, since joint pain can be a huge sign of that awful disease. My aches and pains were so bad at one point that I thought I had Lyme, but it was Addison’s Disease. The symptoms are similar. A good medical workup by an MD and an alternative MD may uncover some things for you.

Hi folks. Such amazing support and advice. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I had joint pain for years, took the blood test twice, it was negative both times. A new doctor that I had suggested I try going GF (only after I asked her if it would help!) you see, as a young woman, I knew I would be suspected of an eating disorder if I didn’t wait for someone to OK it first.
It worked, but it took a few months. It was mainly in my forearms and fingers. I also had knee pain, which was dealt with by quitting dairy later.
I found that frozen raspberry smoothies helped a lot with pain for some reason, and spirulina made me feel better too. I’m happy for you and your daughter, and it’s a great thing she can just hop right on board.

Hey Dude–I’ve just started Googling this stuff and coincidentally came across a connection yesterday between idiopathic juvenile arthritis and celiac. Here’s one example: http://www.celiaccentral.org/newlydiagnosed/Related-Conditions/Juvenile-Idiopathic-Arthritis/45/. No idea if that’s what Dudette has, but it looks like a documented “yes” to at least one variant of, “Does GF help with joint pain?”

As others have mentioned, you can tell the Dudette that if she does feel better with GF, she can actually get a LOT better in unexpected ways. My 2015 started off pretty much the same way as hers, but I’m 30 and have had random undiagnosable health problems since middle school. After less than three weeks without gluten, not only am I basically rid of serious life-hampering issues like anxiety, depression, and crippling OCD; I’ve also lost something like 10 “minor annoyance”-type symptoms that I’ve always taken for granted–everything from chronic nightowlhood to dandruff. I really, really like this new state of things. A lot. So for the Dudette(s), the inconvenience of GF might be more than outweighed not only by the difference it makes, but by the surprise of finding out just how many differences show up.

I hope for her sake that she only has a sensitivity and not full-on celiac (hope the same for myself, since I do NOT want to go back to the old headspace if I breathe near cat food or whatever). But regardless of the form it takes, she’ll save herself so much bother and hassle–and danger, money, etc., etc.–by catching it now. And if gluten does turn out to be the answer, I hope it shows right away. There’s nothing like immediate relief to validate new habits. Best wishes!

I started a new job about six months ago. A coworker mentioned being gluten-free nearly daily. I though she was one of those skinny women who complain about dieting all the time. Then one afternoon she mentioned how she had off the wagon all weekend and the negative side effects she was experiencing from eating gluten. I had been suffering for years with unexplained inflammation and crippling joint pain. It was so bad I would cry in the shower because I couldn’t stand the pain of trying to shampoo my hair. I had undergone multiple MRIs and so many test with no explaination for why I was in pain. One so called specialist even joked that maybe they would name the disease after me when I died. Anyways, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I cut out gluten. It has changed my life. I can cook, clean, crochet, shampoo, jog, type, etc. all with no pain. If I slip up and give in to the temptation of pizza or bagels, the pain and the swelling returns. Not sure why all those years and all those doctors (not to mention all that money wasted) not one person suggested an elimination diet. I am so grateful for my coworker. She saved me from more pain and suffering than she will ever know.

Golly! Is there a way to UNSUBSCRIBE to future comments, now?!! These off-topic computer generated/ESL spammy ones (check the sender’s link) are kind of annoying (any way to remove THOSE, GD?)!